#actually yeah. might implement this into my au.

[saywha413]

random insane hc time :

they can be related ?? maybe? they kinda give the same vibes if you know what I mean?

esp w these outfits though

[tizeline]

I really enjoy how despite being a separated au (especially one where 25% of the turtles are chronically lonely and the other 75% are genocidal) it's way more silly than it is angsty. I really enjoy how you capture the spirit and essence of Rise itself.

That being said, is there a part of the au that you find particularly angsty, or is it all shenanigans and fluff in your mind?

LMAO yeah as much as I like angst, I usually tend to default to making things silly goofy, I dunno why but I find it way easier to do when it comes to my storystelling.

That being said, I've been saving up most of the angst for the movie events. I'm not sure how dark I'll make it, compared to some stories I've seen in this fandom it'll be far from the angstiest stuff. Actually it might have a similar tone to the actual movie lol. The moment where Donnie shields Mikey from the Krang's attack is angstier mostly becuase I decided to make it more graphic than in canon........ Also uh ya'll remember that anon that brought up the possibility of that being the scene where Donnie loses his arm? Initially I didn't plan using that concept but like... man I haven't been able to stop thinking about that I honestly might implement it in the story 😭 Both Donnie and Mikey are absolutely going through it during the invasion, Mikey being trapped in the Prison Dimension is obviously not gonna be very silly happy times either. If I ever get around to showing the events of the bad future timeline then that's also gonna be angstier.

Aside from that though, it's still gonna stay mostly lighthearted. Again, I love angst but I always feel kinda kinda awkward creating more serious and darker stories myself? I do also very much enjoy creating more comedic stories, which is also a big reason why I'm doing it for the AU.

[allmentalyart]

🧁Pink!🧁

And the next round of themed headshots is out! These lovely beans here are all in the category pink! I know, some of them might not be fully pink, but seeing that I don't own a truly pink character yet, these lovely beans seemed like good fit :3 (And yeah, I am actually not really a fan of the colour pink, so it might explain why I don't have many or any pink characters XD)

Now, who are all of these 4 fellas you might ask? I'll give y'all a brief summary of them now >:3

🎻 Prince Onoro, the Leafdragon - OG 🦆 design This young dragon is a true dreamer caged in a palace full of responsibilities. Onoro dreams of becoming a famous bard, who would travel through his kingdom, giving concerts and connecting with his people. In his mind, leading the country while travelling around it, is the only logical option. As a very sheltered child, that wasn't allowed to leave the palace and seeing how ignorant his parents are towards the kingdom, Onoro believes it's best to incorporate the needs of the people into his way of resigning over the kingdom. If he will be successful? I'll hopefully sooner or later explore this side story more :)

🌺 Queen Orchidea - OG Designer @ // sol_the_artistic on Instagram Meet this shy Seawing! Orchidea is quite the smart dragon for her rather young age and often spends time in the library of the summer palace. She loves exploring the history of Pyrrhia and is known as a walking history book amongst her royal advisors and guards. She uses her knowledge to rule over the Seawings and to spread love and kindness for all the other tribes. Her daughter Delphy is currently leading the Beach Village hybrid colony close to the summer palace

✨Whisperlight, the Twilightdragon - OG Designer @ // archee.is.artsy on Instagram (got slightly redesigned by me, after I de-specied them due to the dragon species getting discontinued) Whisperlight so far hasn't really gotten that much storyline after I had to de-speciezies (how do I spell this correctly? XD) her. She originally was supposed to be a male dragon in my WOF AU called Dovas, but that spot now belongs to my lovely girl Skizzy! Whisperlight so far is part of my sidestory gang for Allmentaly, meaning I will one day implement her into the main story or the sequels/prequels. Current plan: she will be meeting Wisp and Tenebra at one point and the three girls will be in a relationship! If that's not working out in the story, she will become part of Ducas story. I do still need a soulbound for him, so who knows 👀 (Yes, it's canon that Duca meets both his Soulmate and Soulbound. I don't wanna spoil much yet, but one of the two dies and Duca basically goes on a rampage 👀). Two plans! Let's see which one Whisper ends up in :3

🌌 Tenebra, the Twilightdragon - OG 🦆 Design As the daughter of Luna and Shadow, people were expecting quite a lot from Tenebra and her sister Nemesis, but oh boy, did these two sisters break these expectations XD Tenebra is the calmer one of the two, but Hella weird at times. She often speaks in a monotone tone, is very analytic about situations and comes off as cold. Her inner life definitely the total opposite of what she shows to the outside. Super kindhearted and a true pacifist, Tenebra avoids conflict as much as possible! But beware, if you try to threaten her, she will destroy you verbally. Her argumentative skills are high and her sharp tongue quite quick if she needs to. She is great leader, which she proofs as the future Queen of the Sky valley (together with Wisp, cause Wisp is the heir after her mother and later marries Tenebra)

[featherstorm2004]

Some people can't understand each other au

You know what I think would be cool, I think it would be cool to have an au based on young AFO being yeeted into the future by some quirk and All Might is the person forced to be his caretaker.

Like that would be so interesting! and the reason I would want it to be him is because after the Kamino arc All Might is still fresh from finding out Shigaraki is Nana's grandson and in my mind still kinda wants to save him, then he goes to interrogate AFO on what he's after and what he tells All Might has always stuck with me "Some people just can't understand each other". And that's interesting because when we hear All Might describe him in previous chapters it's clear he knows barely anything on AFO other than what he's done and the fact he's yah know petty and evil.

So, what would happen if he was given an opportunity to understand the Daemon Lord in a way no one ever could before, how would he react to this feral kid whose almost the opposite to the calm presentable man AFO always presented himself as. How would he react to young AFO having no concept of basic things like hospitals, schools, hell even things like taps and lights. And don't get me started on when he finds out that AFO believes that he was born evil because he 'killed' his mother and was abandoned by society, and that his only concept of morality is what he gleaned from comic books.

And I wonder how this new perspective would affect All Might's relationship with hero society and how he views villains such as Shigaraki, and heck maybe this would implement new changes in his dynamic with his students and especially Izuku. Not to mention I would imagine that in this au these developments would cause a strain on All Might's relationship with Grand Torino and maybe he'd start to push back on the idea of not saving Shigaraki. I just think it's a really interesting premise for All Might to have look after this feral kid who had the powers of god, and for young AFO to be socialized and learn how to actually interact people and get lots, and lots of therapy.

But yeah that's my base idea for this au I might expand on it later.

[legendary-guest]

All outfits I made for my Drakgo Teacher AU! Discussion under the cut. Lore/casual fic/part 1 here.

It was very important to me for all of these outfits to look like things that canon Dr. Drakken and Shego would wear, not just by lifting palettes from canon, but by incorporating design elements seen in the clothes they wear and finding outfits that feel appropriate for their ages.

I personally believe that the age gap between Dr. D and Shego is not insignificant, there's a clear difference in the way they behave and carry themselves in canon that signals this to me, aside from the fact that Drakken went to college with James. I'd say about 10-15 years, and their clothes should reflect that, not to mention their overall tastes. Dr. D's the butt of a lot of mid-life crisis jokes (by me, LOL), but he doesn't strike me as the sort to dress like he is going through one (this is what the villain career is for, aside from it being an extended and hilarious mental breakdown. The mullet is a holdover from the 80s, not trying to recapture his youth, in my opinion).

I wanted more 80s/70s older style clothes for Drakken, but a lot don't feel like him, and the brown palettes for many of them cross over with Mr. Barkin too much. Dr. D loses his identity with the shift in colour. He works well with deeper purples and reds, but him being listless, and honestly just plain depressed, had to be reflected in the colour choices. Even the long sleeves, hinting at this insecurity he has over his skin that I have made a point of in my Teacher AU. I've seen it a couple of times in fanfic, and I've enjoyed it immensely as an element of characterisation for him.

Chinos make their appearance here, and this Ms. Go's outfit is a slight remix of the original. I characterise that outfit, where she was effected by the Attitudinator and became Ms. Go, as something she would wear at the very beginning of her training as a teacher. Here, she has a bit more bite, more of the Shego we know and love, not as demure.

I gave her a tie in one of them because I love ties and she looks so chic with it. I really wanted to incorporate her belt from her original suit, but it's too garish to fit in with any of her outfits here, and it doesn't suit anything 'normal' or anything slightly professional/chic. Drakken's was easier to implement, more subtle.

Ms. Go palette is mostly green here for story reasons, too. It helps her in gaslighting the kids. If she wears greens and neutral colours, mostly, they won't be able to really tell that she IS green. I love the idea of a teacher Shego just seriously messing with kids' heads, I've had a few teachers like that in my life, who take great amusement in watching them trip over their words, or just outright lying to them to get a funny reaction.

The Good Ms. Go also has shorter hair, which I thought was so interesting - long hair as a hallmark of Shego's evilness - even Drakken's - so I just tied it up here. If I want her to go into evil, I can just by having her let her hair go, or if she just settles down with Dr. D, it's fine, too. It's also just practical as a teacher, makes her look put-together. Headbands make women look young, I find, there's a real girlishness to them. Ms. Go is a woman! And WHAT a woman!

Finding clothes that were professional yet edgy - o my God. The trek. Shego gave me a run for my money, I will tell you. If I had to redo any of this, I might be inclined to incorporate more asymmetry. I love her original suit, it's so striking and disorienting, it's actually insane to me that Stephen Silver designed that and everyone JUST AGREED, AND SAID IT WAS FINE, YEAH, WE'LL ANIMATE THAT?! Crazy. IN 2D, TOO!

Now, original Ms. Go has heels, and even Shego wears heels in So the Drama. Why no heels here? I didn't want to draw new feet and adjust the height, okay - BUT ALSO! She's still got that holdover from her hero days. She's got to be ready at any time, to spring into action!

FORGET THE FACT THAT SHE RUNS AND JUMPS AND SOMERSAULTS IN THE DAMN THINGS IN SO THE DRAMA, OKAY! She can afford to go to Mount Olympus and have Midas karate chop the calf and lower back pain away. She doesn't have a good masseuse/physio/chiropractor here in this AU. PRE-MIDAS! (Hm, maybe Dr. Lipsky could help with that?)

[a-power-outlet]

The Great Experiment - Chapter 6

Chapter Title: Two Left Hands

Norm MacLean x Elodie Brooks (OC) | Pre-War AU

Masterlist | Ao3 | <- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ->

Word Count: 4.4k

A/N: actual content! from me! i had to post these back to back to repay for my crimes, and another is queued for tomorrow!

-----

Elodie had only worked at an actual Vault-Tec office for three months, but she was convinced that everything was held together with duct tape, and that policies were implemented whenever the wind changed direction. The picturesque location and experimental HR department was all just a façade over the same crumbling Vault-Tec infrastructure.

For example, they’d randomly decided that, in order to get spare printer paper, everyone had to sign a contract stating they’d only come back for refills once the first batch was empty. They also had to fill out a physical sign-out sheet for the pens in the supply closets, even if the pens weren’t meant to be returned.

The wind must have been something fierce today, as the most recent policy change was a doozy.

Flashing across her screen was an urgent message. It was more like a warning, if she was being honest. As of today, all Vault-Tec employees working on the Three Vaults Project had to schedule a Pip-Boy fitting and acquire a Pip-Boy before entering the Vaults. By the same time next week, keycards would no longer work, and the only methods of identification and access would be via Pip-Boy connection.

Elodie barely even knew what a Pip-Boy was, having seen it on the wrists of executives like Hank, the ever chipper Bud Askins, or the still elusive Barb Howard. She knew it was almost like a watch, but could track vital functions, and could even serve as an inventory tracker. Either way, it was a ridiculous thing to have to wear, and she wasn't too keen on needing it. It’d weigh down her left arm, and she’d have to switch her mother’s pearl bracelet to her right wrist, which might be just enough change to make her disgruntled for a whole workweek.

She sighed, opening her calendar and flipping to today’s date. She held her phone to her ear and dialed the office tasked with Pip-Boy assignments.

“IT, Chet speaking. What can I help you with?”

“Hey, Chet,” Elodie began, twirling a pen around her fingers, “are there any appointments today for the Pip-Boys?”

She remembered him from a while back, when she’d walked with Norm to his office after meeting for lunch. He was an incredibly tall man, and it was strange to learn that he was Norm and Lucy’s second cousin. Apparently, they hadn’t even realized, given that they’d met at work. Tracing their families back to Rose was the key, or at least that’s what Elodie had been told.

“Let me check the schedule…”

There was a moment of silence, followed by humming and a shuffling of papers.

“There’s a slot available at 12:45, and then another at 2:15.”

“Surprising you aren’t booked up yet,” she said, pencilling in the earlier appointment. “I’ll come in for 12:45, if that works.”

“Yeah, a lot of people have been asking us for appointments tomorrow,” Chet replied. “I’ll add you to the schedule.”

“Thanks, Chet,” Elodie hummed, clicking her pen absent-mindedly. “I’ll see you then, hm?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you then! Please just don’t forget to bring your ID with you, I already had to cancel an appointment with two different mechanics.”

Elodie snorted a bit, then coughed to try and contain her laughter.

“Will do. Thanks again, Chet.”

“No problemo.”

She hung up the phone, then burst into a fit of laughter. Of course it was mechanics who messed up the process. They were the ones who’d broken three of her specially-made hydroponics pipes in the last two weeks, and all they had to do was install them. And of course Chet was the type of guy to say ‘no problemo’ unironically.

God, maybe this was going to be more interesting than she thought.

—

Right on time, Elodie strolled into the office, a strange side room in the Engineering and Technology building. She grabbed tightly onto her messenger bag, feeling her anxiety spike as she realized the seating area in the middle of all of the IT offices was entirely empty. Their doors were all closed, but her main concern was that Norm’s door was closed. She was here on time, right? They’d said 12:45 today, not tomorrow? And they meant PM, not-

“Hey, Elodie,” Chet said, pushing open the door to Norm’s office as an unknown person trailed behind him. “Just give us a sec, okay?”

She nodded, watching and listening as Chet explained something to the person. It was very likely she’d get the same instructions, so she decided it was best to turn her attention to her nails, which felt like something had gotten stuck under them. She softly picked at them, then unfurled her fingers to observe the polish.

“El.”

Her back instantly straightened as Norm’s voice drifted from his office. She looked over, and he was looking at her, an eyebrow raised.

“Come sit, we’ll wait for Chet to do his thing.”

“Oh, sure,” she said, grinning sheepishly as she made her way into his office. She placed her bag beside the spare chair before sitting down. “How’s your day been?”

“Terrible,” he said, making Elodie regret asking in the first place. “Exec told us about this Pip-Boy thing yesterday. One day before everyone else.”

“That’s… exactly what I’d thought happened.”

Norm sighed, shrugging.

“But… is it true we can’t get into the vaults otherwise? That’s a big change, even for them.”

“Not yet, it’s not. They’re pushing that update to the systems next week,” he said, grumbling. “They’re installing new control panels right now. Only Pip-Boy interfaces going forwards!”

His face scrunched up as his voice rose an octave, seemingly mocking one of the administrators he was completely frustrated with. She briefly thought to ask who, but she knew he was both too stressed, and in too public of a place to openly slander one of his superiors.

She didn’t blame him one bit for any of this, though. This sucked, and it was entirely the administration’s fault.

“I see,” Elodie said, watching as he typed something into his computer. “Do you know why they’re rolling out the Pip-Boys so suddenly?”

“No idea,” he said, turning to her. “All I know is that I was given a list of roughly three hundred and fifty employees who need Pip-Boys by the end of this week.”

“That’s… insane.”

“It’s weird,” he said, furrowing his brows. “It’s the same list as the one I was telling you about. The vault admission database.”

“They probably just pulled everyone that works on the project,” Elodie said in reply. “It was easier than random names, I guess.”

“Still weird, though,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since I made that database.”

“That was three months ago.”

“I know,” he said, voice gaining an air of annoyance. “Forget it. I don’t even know where I was going with this.”

“No, no. It’s fine, I agree that it’s weird, I just… I don’t know why they’d do it, other than convenience,” she said, feeling her heart sink. She didn’t want him to think that she wasn’t interested, because she liked to hear his thoughts and theories. It didn’t seem right to keep the same topic, though, with how he’d turned to his computer and began typing things onto it. Clearly, he was a bit too annoyed, and it was starting to stress her out.

“Anyways, uh, how’s your computer at home? You said you were getting the parts in because they were on backorder, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, face softening. Elodie breathed a sigh of relief, even if he still seemed incredibly high-strung. “I just got in the last piece I needed to get it working again.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said. “Can I come watch you build it?”

“If you want,” he said, looking up at her. “I’ll probably build it this weekend. You can help, if you don't touch what you’re not supposed to.”

“I’ll try my best not to break your motherboard,” she said, and he chuckled in response.

“Don’t take a screwdriver to it.”

“Then don’t hand me a screwdriver.”

He rolled his eyes, holding his hand out. She looked at him, tilting her head slightly. Was he offering to-

“Could I have your ID? I remember all of your other details.”

Oh. That made more sense.

She placed the card into his hand, and he flipped it over as he typed into the computer again.

“What details do you know, then?”

“Your birthday, your full name, your job title…”

“What’s my middle name, then? To make sure you got it right.”

“Moira.”

He rolled his eyes, and Elodie saw a challenge.

“What about my favorite color?”

“Your Pip-Boy doesn't need to know that.”

“But you do.”

“What?”

Norm stopped typing as he looked at her. Her smile stretched across her face, tight-lipped and red-cheeked as she tried to contain her laughter. It was always fun to mess with him, especially since he was the one who tended to mess with her.

Maybe it’d help clear away his sour mood, and make his incredibly tedious day just a bit better. It was worth a shot, so she asked again.

“What about my favorite color? Do you know it?”

His cheeks were slightly pink, but maybe it was the lighting. He kept up the silence, blinking a few times and swallowing before speaking. The MacLeans all resembled each other when their eyes grew wide and their brains worked overtime.

“Green. When we were kids, you’d always take the green stuff. Bowls, straws, the little party favors that came in the Vault-Tec lunchboxes.”

“You’re lucky it’s still my favorite,” she grinned, and just barely, he breathed a sigh of relief. “If I remember correctly, you always took the blue ones.”

“I still like blue. I had a few years where I liked black,” Norm said, handing her back her ID. She clipped it back onto her belt, watching him carefully as he continued to type a few more things into the computer.

“Both are very fitting for you. Very dark, and dreary,” she snickered, and he shot her a glare.

“I’m not dreary, I just… this job is boring,” he said, sighing.

“What would you rather do? Instead of this?”

“I wanted to work at the Game Studios. But that wasn't what my dad wanted for me.”

“You could always transfer.”

“I can't. My dad pulled some strings to get me hired here, and I don’t want to…”

Norm paused, and she got a glimpse of what felt like worry in his eyes. He was always a reserved person who kept his cards, and emotions, close to his chest. Even as a kid, he was quiet, and Elodie usually could get him to talk only if she talked to him first. And now, it seemed like she’d accidentally pushed him into a minefield.

“I don’t want to disappoint him again, Elodie. He still thinks highly of me, even after he got pissed at me for failing my classes. I don’t have any other choice, to be honest.”

Her back straightened as her eyebrows creased. She thought he’d dropped out of the Overseer program of his own volition, but that didn’t seem to be the case in reality. He’d said he wasn’t happy in the program, but she didn't think he was the type to get Fs regardless. He was always getting As in school, even if he put in the minimal amount of effort for classes he despised.

But, that was elementary school.

He'd definitely changed since then. They’d changed since then, even if they felt like close friends. They were still different people, adults with so much to learn about each other.

“I… understand,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

There it was again, the anxiety of tiptoeing around difficult conversations. She felt like she knew him, yes, but not enough to have discussions on his relationship with his dad, which only seemed to grow more strenuous every time they talked about it. It wasn’t like this when they were kids, as far as Elodie remembered. But, then again, Hank wasn’t home too often anyways, so the rose-tinted recollection of long-lost days was likely inaccurate by this point.

“It’s fine, El. It’s just… if I have to assign three hundred Pip-Boys in five days just so I can have a roof over my head, I’ll do it.”.

Norm wouldn't want her to distrust Hank, but that comment really struck a nerve. He’d threatened to kick Norm out? Over a job? Their relationship seemed better now, at least from what Elodie had seen. They were cordial, happy, even if Norm tended to be an ass. Elodie’s brain was itching to learn about the unspoken past she’d never seen, and would likely never ask about, but she knew it was improper to ask.

Her attention was drawn back when he pulled open a drawer, the sound drawing a wince from her. He placed a tape measure on the counter, sighing as he spun away from his computer and held out his hands.

“I have to measure your left wrist, so we can get you the right size Pip-Boy,” he explained, looking up at her through his eyelashes.

She was definitely too late for the consolation, but perhaps it was best to just skip over all of that and try again another time. She could easily just keep the topic light, avoid any mention of his family, or his previous jobs, or anything that’d upset him.

Maybe she could even ask his favorite fruit, if she dared.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” she said, placing her left arm and placing it between his hands. He wrapped the tape measure around her wrist, clicking his tongue before measuring approximately five inches up her forearm. He jotted some notes on a piece of paper, then bellowed for Chet, who quickly took it and disappeared back out of the room.

Elodie, though, was busy trying to quell the nerves that seemed to always come with close proximity to him. It felt wrong to be so close to him, for him to touch her, after he'd been vulnerable and she’d done nothing to even help. He was probably still upset, and she’d only made it worse. She didn’t deserve to-

“El.”

Her eyes snapped up, and she was sure he could see right through her.

“What’s my favorite food?”

“Huh?”

“You were annoying me about your favorite stuff. Do you know mine?”

“I don’t think asking your favorite food is fair,” she said, huffing. “I remember that it was pizza when you were a kid, because we had the same favorite food back then.”

“I don’t have a favorite, actually,” he said, and she blew air out of her nose in annoyance.

“Ugh, not fair at all! And besides, asking a favorite color is easy, but, like, my opinion on food changes every day. And there’s so many foods! Like, yesterday, I’d say tortellini. But, today, I’d probably say… a meatball sub. I dunno. Just ask something more concrete.”

Norm grinned, leaning against the desk. Knowing him, he was finding some sort of sick amusement in pushing her buttons like this. And she was giving him exactly what he wanted, responding in a way she knew he’d find amusing. His whole demeanor, now, was charming, and a smile grew on her face as she, too, leaned in, awaiting his question.

His eyes scanned her face, before his lips turned his thoughts into words.

“Fine, fine. When's my birthday?”

He clearly didn’t think as hard as she thought he did. That was an easy one, he was born two weeks before her. That’s why their mothers came to know each other. That’s why they even knew each other.

“December 30th,” she said, grinning, “but you hate Christmas because you always get joint birthday-Christmas gifts.”

“See, I can’t make it too easy,” Norm said, halfheartedly rolling his eyes as he shook his head. “You’ll know the answers.”

“I mean, we don’t have to keep quizzing each other,” she sighed. “I was trying to be funny, though. You seemed… stressed. I didn’t want to stress you out more, you’ve got enough going on with all this Pip-Boy stuff.”

He leaned back, a look of curiosity sparking across his face. He also seemed as if he was analyzing her expression, but it was likely that he was always doing that. Now, though, he made it obvious, with how his eyes scanned over her entire face, then locked onto hers.

Elodie couldn’t lie, it really made her feel as if she was a single-celled organism under a microscope. She’d pretend to get mad at him for it, but she knew it wasn’t the time.

“You can make it better by answering a question.”

“Sure. Fine. Ask away.”

“What’s your favorite song, El?”

“Orange Colored Sky,” she said, furrowing her brow. “Why?”

“You didn’t seem to like the pressure of being asked my favorites, so I figured it’d be better to just ask you instead. Even if it is fun to watch you squirm, I'd rather learn more about you.”

She flushed, letting out a huff. Elodie wasn’t about to let him get on her nerves, even if she felt her stomach flutter at the way he was staring at her.

Stupid anxiety.

“Do you have a favorite song?”

“Not really,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “The Ink Spots are good. I don’t have a favorite, though.”

“I’m sensing a pattern,” she replied, mimicking his posture and crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Do you have a favorite anything?”

“Not… really, now that I think about it,” he said, eyes locking onto hers. “There’s not many things I like.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Do you just tolerate me, then?”

“Maybe.”

She looked at their hands, and her left hand was still between both of his. They were both leaning towards each other on the desk, she noted, flicking her gaze back to his. The uneasy fluttering in her gut turned into a stagnant pool of worry. She had no idea why her body was reacting like this, or why a small part of her brain was wanting him to take her hand in his, and lace their fingers together.

She swore his hand turned towards hers, and the pad of his thumb almost-

“One Pip-Boy, size small!”

Elodie jumped backwards, straightening out her back as Chet dropped a box onto the desk, patting the top of it.

“Sorry I took so long. We ran out of smalls in the closer storage room, so I had to go to the third floor. I’ll put in an order for tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Chet,” Norm said, glaring up at the man.

Elodie was sure her face was as red as her blouse, especially with how her heart was beating in her chest. Norm was her friend, her surprisingly caring and sweet friend that she’d quickly rekindled a lost relationship with. They’d occasionally gone on walks and talked about the most mundane things. He was good company, and always made her day better.

And yet, here she was, staring at his hands as he opened the box Chet had brought. She wanted to hold those hands, and she didn’t know why.

“It looks heavier than it actually is,” Norm said, lifting the hunk of metal out of the box. The packaging was nice, but could hardly distract her from the fire running through her veins.

“That’s reassuring.”

“Try it on. Give me your hand.”

She couldn’t let him know what she was thinking. He could never know how desperate she was for him to follow through, for his hand to turn and graze against hers. Especially not with Chet hovering around the room, specifically watching Norm secure the Pip-Boy around her wrist.

Fuck, this wasn’t anxiety, was it? This was a terrible thing she’d tried to forget. It's happened countless times in university, and she felt like a disgusting creep each time. She thought he was attractive. A more childish individual would say she had a crush, but she knew in her heart it wasn’t that severe yet.

If it ever came to that, she'd never be able to talk to him again. How embarrassing, developing a crush on someone you were friends with as a kid. But she couldn't deny his allure, the way she’d wanted to be around him for the past few months.

Oh God, it went deeper than she’d thought. Maybe it was-

“Tilt your wrist around, try it out,” Norm said, fingers nearly grazing hers as he gestured towards the on button. “This turns it on, then I can explain the rest.”

Elodie sharply swallowed, lifting up her wrist and furrowing her brows at the feeling. The Pip-Boy was a bit heavy, just enough to give her a distraction from the thoughts that threatened to swallow her whole. She probably looked a fool, face red and body thrumming with the urge to run.

The urge was overridden by the need to not make a fool of herself, as she pressed the on button and watched the screen flicker to life.

“Alright, there’s a cable at the back that lets you interface with terminals,” Norm said, accompanying his words with a demonstration. A hands-on demonstration, with his fingers grazing the back of her hand and finding the aforementioned wire.

“O-oh, that’s neat,” she said, not processing anything. His fingertips were soft, she thought they’d be calloused with how much he worked with his hands. Maybe she’d missed it, maybe the touch was too sudden and quick to have any significant sensation.

She really should focus.

“It’s retractable, and you’ll need it to open the doors in the vault,” Norm said, plugging it into his computer. “I’ll load your profile onto it, don’t move your hand too far.”

“W-wasn't planning on it.”

She watched carefully as he did… whatever he was doing on the computer. Within moments, he’d pulled the plug out again, and placed it back into the holster on the back of the Pip-Boy.

Elodie gently pulled her hand back, eyes flickering up to meet his as she tentatively turned one of the many knobs adorning it. The menus weren't too hard to navigate, especially since Norm was prone to explaining every detail to her. She’d definitely have to parse through it at home, far from his prying eyes, which were a brilliant shade of brown.

God, she really needed to focus better.

“If you have any questions, you can always message me,” Norm said, the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

“Or me! If he’s not answering, since he hates when too many people message him,” Chet chimed in, and Elodie swore Norm scowled up at him again.

“Elodie’s the exception,” the shorter man replied, sighing. “Anything you need, feel free to message. Or drop by, the door’s always open for you.”

“Thank you, Norm,” she said, nervously playing with her fingers. “And Chet, of course. For running all the way to the third floor.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s part of my job!”

Norm simply nodded, locking eyes with Elodie as he did. She hated when he did this, her stomach fluttering at the simplest action of his. She’d definitely have to go home and write all of this into a journal, then burn the journal and forget that this ever happened.

“I appreciate it. I hope you both get a good lunch break, with all these appointments.”

“We will,” Norm said, nodding. “Go eat. You can’t work on an empty stomach.”

“Neither can you. If I had any sense, I’d make you come with me, since I know you’re prone to skipping lunch.”

“So are you,” Norm said, standing from his chair and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I should come with you, just to make sure you don't go right back to work.”

“You don’t have to, Norm. You’re probably booked, with the Pip-Boys and stuff.”

“It’s my lunch break, so they can’t really stop me from leaving,” he said, shrugging. “You want to come with, Chet?”

“I-I mean, sure,” the taller man said, blinking a few times. “It’s my break too, but I figured you’d both want to… go together?”

“No!”

Norm looked at her, and she backpedaled quickly. She really hated how her mouth often worked faster than her brain, exuding her panic before she could consciously process it.

“Sorry, sorry,” she stammered, waving her hands in front of her. “Ah, I meant, you’re welcome to come with us. I’d love to get to know you more.”

Something glimmered across Norm’s eyes, but it was far too fast for Elodie to process and put a name to.

“Well, any ideas on where to go?”

Elodie was curious why Chet even got the invite, but was insanely grateful that the man was tagging along. He seemed to be a good conversationalist, with how he expertly segued into a more approachable topic that wasn’t going to make her embarrassment all too noticeable.

“Pizza? There’s a good spot down the street,” Norm said, hands in his pockets as he strolled towards the door. “I can drive.”

“It better be actual pizza, Norm. Like a New York slice,” Elodie added, smirking slightly as she tried her best to regain her conversational footing.

“It’s good pizza,” he replied, shrugging. “I don’t remember what a New York slice tastes like, Ms. Eastern Commonwealth.”

“You grew up there, you should know.”

“Whatever. Try the pizza, maybe you’ll like it.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, giggling. “I’ll keep an open mind.”

As they walked out of the building, a slightly confused Chet in tow, she couldn’t help but wonder how much better would this be if she was holding his hand. God, she hoped to every god and deity out there that this was a feeling she could sleep off. If it wasn't gone by this time tomorrow, she was definitely done for. All she could do was hope that she’d wake up cured.

“You coming, El?”

Norm gestured to the front seat of his car. Chet, begrudgingly, was crawling into the back. She locked eyes with the shorter man, feeling an uneasy anxiety mingle with an unsettling amount of positivity.

“Oh, yeah! Sorry.”

[yeetdrill]

Ok… what if; I casually make a Cookie run AU.

The concept of it is that it takes place after an Armageddon/Ragnarok type situation across all of the timelines (all the games) which; each timeline has their own version of how the world ended.

But in each one, every big-bad is defeated by GingerBrave, but ends the world (accidentally) in the process. And this; somehow also COMBINES ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.

And even… has some survivors. Not lots, but one that would go on to start a new one.

Like it’s very complicated and I’m still working out like; ALL THE DETAILS AND STORY IDEAS. (Even its name…) Including a lot, I mean a LOT of Fan-characters/ OCs.

It also is mainly focused around the aftermaths of OvenBreak and Kingdom (and a bit of LINE.) As I have yet to look into/play the other ones like tower of adventures, witch’s castle, cookie wars (I don’t think I can play it at all…), and Oven smash. But will hopefully be implemented into my AU here!

And… might (will) include/involve a heavy amount of shipping… BUT IT’S ACTUALLY FOR THE PLOT AND MOST IF NOT ALL AREN’T ACTUALLY SEEN/APPEARS IF THAT MAKES SENSE, I DON’T WANT TO SPOIL IT YET.

And the only issue that is VERY likely to happen is that I’d lose interest due to my brain and its tendency to bounce around hyper-fixations like billiard balls sometimes…

But yeah! What would you guys think?

[theinsanecrayonbox]

Haven’t been reading the new Ultimate Wolverine (no comic shops near me) so what I know has been through tag surfing, but I’ve got one OmegaTooth idea for that setting some might find interesting…

One of them is trying to sneak in and spy on the other side’s group. Yes, Arkady being a country leader would be more recognizable, but maybe it was before he took power? But yeah more logically, it’s Victor infiltrating the State. Either way, the identity the spy is using as cover; Leni Zauber

See, if it’s Ark, then it’s still Vic joining up with a Leni that double crosses him. If it’s Vic, well then it’s a funny nodd to the original lore…and for my purposes still gives us a Graydon from Leni

ANYWAYS, I just thought that was a neat idea but have no way to implement it.

Another idea I’ve had is an AU of AoA (since marvels doing it themselves) where OmegaTooth could actually work. Don’t really have anything fleshed out, just know that Ark gets a better design and lore. And that having Rogue and Victor pregnant at the same time would not bode well for Magneto XD

But in either verse here, what about Vassily…yes I’m still head canoning that the Age of X-Man Siberian was Vassily with an expressed X-gene. In the main verse I think the ice that baby Ark fell through and nearly died from was altered (inadvertently) by Vassily, who freaked and then just suppressed any powers for the rest of his life thanks to the power of denial. But AoA? Well if Ark gets a rewrite, maybe his original story (what little there was) belongs to Vassily now. For Ultimate, I’d say Vassily’s powers were predominant, but he gets murdered during the spying. If it’s Vic as Leni, he tries the hostage thing and either kills him OR he’s killed as punishment for letting Vic escape. If it’s Ark as Leni, I could see them setting up a scenario for Ark to gain the trust of the rebels and he kills his brother (which was not part of the plan) for his own reasons and believability

Idk guys, just the half thoughts that r been floating around. It’s very hot and sitting outside in thunderstorm if the best way to cool off so I’m typing this out to kill time I guess *shrugs*

[incorrectshantaequotes]

SO! In other news, I now know all I need to about Advance/Risky Revolution that I can start thinking about how to implement it into the Reversal AU!

This isn't really a formal headcanon post I'm more just. Musing out loud. Or in text as it were. MAJOR spoilers for Advance up ahead by the way, so if you don't want to be spoiled, don't look under the read more!

So first of all when it comes to the, ah, lore nuke, I am just. Straight up ignoring that. I was already planning to do that with my interpretation of the regular Shantae-verse but when it comes to the Reversal AU, where I have complete creative control? Yeah I'm actually just. Replacing that conversation. Or rewriting it such that it doesn't blatantly contradict the earlier games. If you know, you know, but if you don't...yeah I'm not going to elaborate because thinking about it too long just makes me mad, so as someone who tends to try and stick to canon as much as possible usually, believe me, there is a good reason I'm not doing that here

Now, with that out of the way - Captain Shantae! I had some ideas as to how her role would play out in the Reversal AU equivalent of Advance from what information we had before the game launched, and surprisingly, I don't actually have to change them! This is because, unlike Risky, who just wants to be the top dog in Sequin Land's waters, Captain Shantae's goal is to try and build connections within the criminal underworld and gain power that way, so she wouldn't go for the Tinkerworm plan - instead, her goal would be to use her control over the Tremor Engine to further her connections by offering to use it up as a service to those who want it. This also means that she would put up a LOT more of a fight to prevent the Tremor Engine Micro from being installed...

More interesting to me, however, is the topic of the dungeon bosses! See, while at first you might get the impression that MishMash, FlimFlam, and Hogswoggle - who I will henceforth refer to as the Gargoyle trio for convenience - might just be entirely unrelated to Risky, the ending reveals that she forced them to cooperate with her plans and act as guards for the Relic Hunters. And the reason this intrigues me is because when you get to the Reversal AU, with Captain Shantae...well, for starters, she's a LOT better at working with people, and more importantly, she has a crew who she'd probably trust a lot more to guard the Relic Hunters than some gargoyles she barely knows. Now, I'm not writing the Gargoyle trio out; in the event they get replaced as bosses, they're probably just going to hang out in the Haunted Grove as NPCs, and I could have Captain Shantae convince them to help her out willingly if I really wanted to keep them as bosses! That being said I am leaning towards replacing them. Nothing against them personally (well admittedly the fact that MishMash and FlimFlam look so similar is one slight thing that bothers me but that's not really a factor here), rather, main reason why is because...

I DO think it is entirely plausible that I could add another dungeon into the mix, because there is one Relic Hunter who remains completely untouched by Risky throughout the entirety of Advance - Mimic. And unlike Risky, who does not give a fuck about the Tremor Engine Micro because the Tremor Engine is only a means to an end, Captain Shantae is very invested in the Tremor Engine, so her swinging by Scuttle Town and kidnapping Mimic at the last second to try and keep Risky from foiling her plans? That could definitely work as a plot point! Yes it'd be a major deviation from canon, but like. Friends to the End is a thing. And while I haven't fully written the post for that yet trust me when I say I deviated a LOT more from canon already there so honestly I have very little reservations about doing this

It also helps that I honestly don't see the Reversal AU changing that much about Advance otherwise? The Barons aren't here so the only changes coming from the swaps are Captain Shantae as well as Risky and her friends. And while Captain Shantae causes a noticeable shift in the plot as the villain, when it comes to Risky and her friends...sure, there's a difference in terms of character interaction, but plot-wise the swap doesn't really change anything on the hero side of things?

Now, with all that being said...there is also ONE character introduced in Advance that is affected by the swaps moreso than anyone else - that being Bolo's baby brother, Pongo, who naturally gets quite the change in role thanks to Bolo now being Wrecker Baron! My plans for Pongo in the Reversal AU aren't terribly solid right now, but my current thoughts are that he's just. Some guy more or less? He's around the same age as Risky and co. and is kinda just working under his brother as like a summer internship or something. Very chill guy, doesn't talk much. Takes the place of Barracuda Joe in Risky's Revenge running the Battle Tower, and definitely has...some role in Pirate's Curse, but I'm not sure what that role would be yet. I also want to replicate the "YOU TOOK BABY BALL FROM BABY" gag because it's fucking hilarious but I don't know how I'd do that considering Pongo is now a grown-ass man

[conteststarribbon]

thinking abt those two ocs who r meant to be in game. the amount of tiny details about them that only make sense in the context of videogames... theyre opposites in so many ways its not even funny even though their origins of 'a guy and his swap au counterpart' are long outdated they remain in certain ways, and that makes me a little emotional bc these two have been around for a While!!! (mid 2023 ish is my estimate but the direct proof is in a place i am not touching ever again tbh)

aster would have only a couple of different face options and most talk sprites would be various actions while lance would be the complete opposite with only a couple of poses/actions in sprites but a ton of face options. something something plant guy who doesnt feel much and robot guy who feels too much. two sides of the same coin in so many aspects

oh yeah pronounce... they xe he for lance and he she aer for aster but i will be using they and he only in this post for clarity but i might mess up at some points. artfight pages r outdated as fuck

im still thinking about the genre of the whole hypothetical game but if it were to involve fighting then the movesets would be long range physical attacks + debuffs for aster (with a slingshot as his weapon of choice) and short range magic/mental attacks + buffs for lance (with a... lance as their weapon of choice. traitblur king🔥🔥🔥 /hj). would probably be a roblox game, with all the isekai stuff being in writing bc its not thought out and is just a few scenes here and there so far and i cant just have other games in there like that.

okkk so the big thing. the whole time loop thing. how would i implement that? each loop ending at a different final boss fight where the journey is then relatively the same afterwards but harder w better items available?? how many loops, and what boss fights? how to justify the presence of enemies inside the simulation ?? idk im still working it out but know there is a time loop. aster is desensitised to it bc he's been in there for a While and is more reeling over the fact that someone else is here now (especially a machine guy who is currently keeping the simulation and by extension aster alive because keeping aster alive is the simulation's goal and it did that by kinda. hijacking lance's systems???) and that someone is keeping the dying simulation alive which previously has kept aster in it's low power mode (aka sensory deprivation hell) for at least 10 years.

in an ideal ending lance would integrate the simulation within themselves to keep aster alive while a robot body gets built for him so he can still live and potentially actually reunite w his family but that not what happened unfortunately and aster dies for like the second or third time, now truly permanent because there's nothing left keeping the simulation holding his mind powered because lance gets isekaied to hell and back while lance is left chasing after their own slowly incorrect memories of someone who was finally truly dead through multiple worlds. the attempt to escape the time loop / simulation involves the construction of some sort of world travelling vehicle, (maybe a train just to pay homage to my habit of getting into stuff that involves trains or train-like vehicles that have capabilities not associated with the actual vehicle and usually completely fucks w any laws of physics. oh yeah and being big fans of those vehicles' drivers / other people in there (crk, limbus company, orv). i wonder if me being a fan of thomas as a young child influences this) that only ends up working because of the sheer amount of genuine emotion attached to this goal of escape and also because lance is genuinely unaware that its a simulation because it hijacking them made them just unable to get that information no matter how many times they could be told. unfortunately aster is left behind because he is considered as part of the simulation and dies as a result while lance gets literally transported to multiple different universes.

oh yeah i think the current isekai timeline is phighting -> cookie run kingdom -> miitopia -> forsaken. will eventually increase to a multiple of 3 (probably 6) because thats a pretty important number here at least to aster. theres a lot of groups of three in his design even in something mundane like his hair and clothes. his opinion is that he has lived 3 lives. his actual life where he was alive, his false life in the simulation and his current life with lance. each version of aster and lance in another world has different names and motivations, the only constants are personality (applies weirdly to aster variants, where each one only really embodies one aspect of aster's personality and doesn't quite actually act like him) and both of them being distinctly Not human in some way.

[asherthephoenix]

Why are there two Johto starters and one Unova starter but the game is set in the Kalos region? Ninja Frog, Wizard Firefox, and Turtle Man being absent feels… :/ Chikorita’s a cutie though, so free passes for all of them!

Can Game Freak make their main setting feel less like a ghost town and more like the Parisian-inspired metropolis it is? I think that more NPCs, background noise, the Lumiose cabs from XY would make the main setting feel more alive. Like why are the streets and buildings so empty. Love how they said “the different people you meet in Lumiose City will make your time all the richer!” then panned to the three characters they just introduced us to @_@. Every single wide shot of the city or a building is post-apocalyptic.

The new battling system looks interesting. The move animations makes the Pokemon fighting looks really active.

Tale as old as time of your main companion/rival needing to be the opposite gender of whatever your character is because…reasons! Whatever, I’ll just pretend I’m in a genderbent AU when I play as a guy the first time and a girl the second. Urbain as a name sounds way cooler than Taunie, I fear…

Please, please, please let the characters speak, Game Freak! I don’t want to see their mouths moving and a text box below them with no sound coming out of their chompers. Other than consistency from the last games, idk why voice acting hasn’t been implemented. The Pokemon God lost his humanity remote control and now the characters are forever stuck on mute. Check underneath the couch cushions, Pokemon God!

AZ is Dawn and Scary Girl’s grandfather. No elaboration.

I have a feeling Floette being introduced as AZ’s “eternal partner” is going to spawn some content on certain art and fanfic platforms…

Courtney has an internship with Jett. Brick has an apprenticeship with Vinnie (disillusioned with the corrupt Canadian military-industrial complex, he transitioned to private security).

The Wild Zones are so eco-friendly. Go Lumiose! Then again, when your sprawling capital has a population of 15, it’s probably not that difficult to set aside plots of land for Pokemon.

Happy that Mega Evolution is taking a major part of the game! XY was the first mainline game I got, so part of that’s the nostalgia talking.

Pokemon is a relatively new SE for me; I never owned a DS growing up (ok technically I did for a few months but my siblings destroyed it, story for another time) so I’ve only played the Pokemon games that are available on the switch. I’m going into this game knowing next to nothing about the Kalos region (aside from which Pokemon are from Gen 6) which given how I’ve seen some of my friends react to the trailer might be a good thing because I do really wanna enjoy this game.

That out of the way yeah the starter choices are really disappointing. Yes I’m basic I wanted snivy; Tepig being there gives me a sliver of hope it might still be in this game but still. Honestly my starter is prob just gonna get boxed, bit tempted to start shiny hunting a charmander to transfer into the game as my starter once my college trimester is over and I’ve got a little bit of free time for video games

I am very excited for the megas! Hoping they give a few of my favorite pokemon some opportunity to be able to shine in competitive play. In general I just really like the gimmicks like dynamaxing and terastilization so I’m sure they’ll be fun to play with.

As for the TD connections I’ll have to wait and see until I actually play the game how those hold up

[konigslittleliebling]

congrats on 5k stevie you deserve it and so much more <3

🎞️ i would live in your boxer!könig au if i could!! one of the most consistently well executed au that i couldnt picture being written by anyone else!!

❔ im v curious who u enjoy writing the most :3

🙂‍↔️ for könig?

i hope this isn’t too late, feel free to ignore!!

bella !! thank you sm, my sweet 🥹🫂

🎞️ what’s your favourite au of mine and why?

ahhh thank you thank you !! it’s probably my favourite too 🤭 to hear such kind things from someone who writes so beautifully and comes up with the yummiest scenarios, that really means a lot 🫂🌷

❔ i’ll reveal the character(s) i most enjoy writing for and why.

probably könig. and what’s funny is, i rarely select his skin when playing the game lmao. but the reason i love writing for him sm is bc we know barely anything about his character, which in turn grants us a lot of creative freedom for au’s and different plots in general. the main mw characters, like tf 141, already have canon backstories, so we have less wiggle room when trying to implement our own original ideas. we don’t even know what he looks like, other than that his eyes are blue and he’s probably white. so we can describe his appearance as we please as well.

🙂‍↔️ name a character or fandom and i’ll list any pet peeves i have about them regarding fanfiction.

how some people represent his social anxiety. as someone who experienced bullying throughout school, i can confirm it takes a toll on your confidence and inner identity. but i’m not shy, i’m not selectively mute, and i don’t turn bright red or start to panic in the event of. . . eye contact.

and yes i understand that bullying effects everyone differently. but those who’ve played the games will know how fucking arrogant and self-entitled this man is. he snaps people’s spines with his bare hands and then gloats about it afterwards. yeah, he might be a bit awkward at times and probably struggles to express himself. definitely will have trust issues and refrain from building meaningful relationships, but you can also put that down to the military.

like this man is not running away if you try to start a conversation, or hyperventilating when you brush past him 😭🙏🏼 please.

nooo you’re not too late !! just in time actually ☺️ thank you sm for taking part 💌🫶🏻

[hdra77]

Ummm what's your favorite character dynamic in your AU?

Additionally, which is your least favorite (or alt. least developed) and how do you think you could possibly improve it?

Hmm my favorite character dynamic in my AU has got to be NSH and FP (as expected) and especially the siblings! I enjoy exploring further into their character even before and after their corruption. Personally enjoying the sibling relationship going on because of just how simply tragic these two are and i would gladly talk about them !!(gotta love that doomed sibling dynamic)

Oh and sliver and moon! All i have to say is,,sliver just wanted to help. Yeah thats all i think its self explanatory

Also NSH and FP cant you tell i love these two 💗 although its mostly angst i still enjoy developing them nevertheless ( NSH comforting FP despite being oblivious of his partner's current situation, while FP desperately wanted to push him away so to not hurt him in the process, his intentions is to hide this dark secret he had kept from everyone else as he was afraid that sig would resent him and abandon him even really, in reality he would still wait for him patiently to open up, doesn't matter if its something so outragously horrifying he's here to help pull him out of this very hole he'd cooped up. Honestly if only pebbles had told him about what was actually happening behind the scenes beforehand things would be a lot more different.)

Annyywayy!

As for the least developed/least favorite its got to be suns and moon, sig and suns, suns and pebbles 😔 POOR SUNS HELPDNIWND

Now i gotta say, suns is one of the interesting and may be the most fucked up character(exaggerating) i have ever written in this AU. One main problem is how i implement their character in the lore. Suns and sig are so similar in terms of character and i need to figure out how to make them both different from each other.

Suns and pebbles is okay??i mean it still is a mentor and student dynamic. Just that i have to develop these two more. This goes the same for suns and moon.

Basically just needed to brainstorm those that are in need of being developed instead of brainstorming the already complete lore between two characters

Maybe ive rambled so much but this AU means so much to me, any questions are welcome and i might even casually drop lore hints until i finish all my pmv projects

[magical-deuteragonist]

"I wish-!"

Hello!!!!!!!! hihihi.. this is a elevator hitch pmmm au rp blog, centered around protag/sayaka!!! this IS my first time making a ask blog, so thank you for checking it out!!! i am so sorry if i make mistakes i am just a tiny wet cat do not bully me Please.....

this is run by @angry-trans . By the way

> [ RULES & ABOUT THE BLOG ]

CHARACTERS AND MOD ARE MINORS!!! no nsfw PLEASE, you will be blocked accordingly.

blood and gore is just fine, and i might implement that into some of my art later on..

sprites are currently a wip, as im making them myself... sprite edits scare me more than putting myself through this torture so. please dont expect any sprites in the meantime... Very sorry about this!!!

CROSSOVERS ARE FUN!!!! SAY HI PLEASE

same with magic anons!!! do what you want!!! Don't be too mean to me though i will cry

> [ ABOUT THE AU ]

S (Protag, Sayaka, whatever you want to call her), is a second year college student, at a Random school. shes a gal in this au! transfem or not is up to your interpretation, but its personally my hc she is, so! yay!!!!!!!!!! Shes a magical girl...Yeah. the timeline this takes place in is around after sayaka makes her wish in the shows timeline, but her deterioration is postponed a bit.

shes the main focus of the blog (excluding ng/kyubey), but there is other characters (which will only be mentioned here, unless i actually progress through the pmmm timeline (UNLIKELY!!!!!)). roles are the following!!

Madoka -> Colleague

Homura -> Antag

Mami -> Manuel!!!!!

Kyoko -> Coworker

she IS also the 'deuteragonist' of the story. please use that information as you will.... Thank you gamers

> [ TAGS ]

#a.silent.violin - in character post

#a.revived.tune - in character reply/thread

#seyiku.is.suffering - any shitpost/joke. includes art....

#ooc.aka.oouk - ooc posts....

(ps. sorry i talk a LOT its kinda my Thing... my Brand...)

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Eye of the Storm

Switch AU

A JSE Fanfic

Almost forgot to queue this because I was having so much fun with my friends haha. Anyway I'm very tired as I write this author's note so I'll be brief. This is mostly setup for the next chapter, and some exposition. JJ and Marvin look into some magic stuff, once again investigating that strange crystal ball. Meanwhile, Schneep thinks he's found where Jackie is. And yeah. A buncha stuff happens. Enjoy haha.

More of This AU | | First Chapter | Previous Chapter

Hey JJ. Those sound like some pretty serious issues. Do you want to meet up to talk about it in person?

JJ read the text from Persephone again, then looked up and scanned the restaurant. He was in the Waffle Cone, the same place where Aoife first introduced him to Persephone, the head of the Magic Circle. He was even sitting at the same table against the left wall. The waiter had been over a couple times to ask for his order, but he explained through writing that he wanted to wait for someone.

After what felt like forever, Persephone finally walked in. She noticed JJ right away and hurried over. “I am so sorry, I got caught up at work,” she said, sitting down.

Magic Circle things?

“No, I mean my actual job. What, d’you think running a magician coven pays the bills?” She laughed, then became serious once more. “Okay. But let’s get to this right away. This sounds like a complicated mess you’re in. Where do you want to start?”

JJ thought about it. Do you remember what I told you about Anti?

“The mind-control, right?” Persephone nodded. “That’s... pretty bad. Any magician who put someone under a spell like that would be immediately locked up for using strong black magic. This Distorter thing was able to just... do that?”

Well, Anti had been isolated for a couple days, JJ said. By that group I was looking for. IRIS. I think Distorter took advantage of that to... break him down.

“Hmm.” Persephone pursed her lips. “It’s... hard to know where to stand on Distorter. Aoife and I have done some research. He might be a Void, but I’ve never heard of a Void being so proficient in mental powers.”

What is a Void?

“Someone who has been consumed by a dark power.”

JJ sighed. That would make sense.

“But if Distorter is a Void, he’s not a normal one,” Persephone emphasized. “And honestly, a Void status would not help us to figure out Anti’s situation.” She paused. “Do you guys have any ideas at all?”

Our friend Stacy seemed to distract Distorter before, JJ recalled. Anti came out of the trance for a time while he was concerned with her.

“So you can distract him for a minute. That’s good. I did bring a list of counterspells.” Persephone reached into her purse and pulled out a few pieces of paper stapled together. “Maybe you could cast one while Distorter is distracted and it’ll dispel the power keeping Anti under his control.”

JJ raised an eyebrow at the list. Each page was covered in handwriting, on both sides. That’s a lot.

“There’s a lot of counterspells. And they’re always very long, which, by the way, have I ever mentioned how impressive it is that you can cast magic without spell words or some sort of implement like a wand?”

Practice, JJ said. My stage mask IS an implement, though, so if you see me wearing it casually, it’s because it makes things easier. But back to the topic at hand. What if the Circle helped with these counterspells? We both know multiple magicians makes magic stronger. Everyone couldn’t fit in the hospital, but surely we could bring Anti to the meeting house.

“Counterspells don’t work like that,” Persephone muttered sadly. “They’re sort of... they run opposite to all the usual rules. It’s why most magicians don’t even try to learn them. And I don’t think there’s a spell spell that could help your friend Anti.”

JJ sighed. He expected that, honestly. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed. What about IRIS? he asked.

“Oh yeah, we can totally help you find another one of their facilities if you need to,” Persephone said. “But remember. It was very tiring for us.”

Of course I remember that. He could vividly feel the lurch as their spells slammed into IRIS’s strange artificial power over and over again.

“So you have to be sure where this facility is,” she said. “And be sure that your friend is there. We probably won’t be able to do that two nights in a row. Hell, maybe not even two weeks in a row.”

That complicated things. It meant that JJ would have to rely on Schneep to find where Jackie was. But he nodded understandingly anyway. We’ll be sure. Now. Is there anything you want to tell me?

“Found anything else out about that crystal ball with the time magic in it?”

JJ shook his head. Not at all. I haven’t seen any more strange images in it. He’d tried a couple times, late at night mostly, staring into his own reflection in the hope that he could somehow divine a solution to this... this calamity they were in. Can you help with that?

“I can’t, but Aoife can. She’s the diviner, remember?” Persephone gave a little chuckle. “Call her sometime. Or... text her. Or you could FaceTime her, then she could see your signs.”

JJ groaned a little. How have I never thought about video calls for sign communication?

Persephone laughed. “Everyone has a blind spot. Don’t worry about it. Call her sometime, okay?”

I certainly will after realizing that.

“Great. Did you order food?”

JJ was a bit surprised at the sudden change in subject, but he rolled with it. No, I figured I should wait for you. I’m not too hungry anyway.

“Well I am. So let’s get something. We can talk about more magic while we do. I’m sure you have more questions about the Circle.”

And so they ordered.

———————

True to his word, Jameson called Aoife almost as soon as he got home, pausing only to tell Marvin everything Persephone had told him. Marvin was just as disappointed as he was to hear the Circle couldn’t help with Anti. “It woul’ve been awkward, anyway,” he said, covering up said disappointment. “We woul’ be jus’ standin’ around as you and all your magician friends did t’at.” And when JJ mentioned he was going to go up to the workroom and call Aoife about the crystal ball, Marvin said he would come, too. “I’m jus’ as curious about the t’ing as you are, y’know.” JJ pointed out that the wheelchair couldn’t go upstairs. But Marvin insisted. So JJ gave in and helped him up.

So now the two of them were there. Marvin sat in the room’s one chair—a swivel chair paired with the desk—while JJ propped his phone up using the pop socket and a scarf, and called Aoife through FaceTime.

It took a while before she picked up. When she did, it looked like she was somewhere... old? An old library? The reference section of an old library? JJ could see bookshelves of binders behind her. “Jameson? What’s up?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Is this a bad time? JJ asked.

“No, it’s fine, I was just doing paperwork for an old case. It can wait. What is it?”

I wanted to ask more about this. JJ held up the black crystal ball, careful not to touch it with his hands and instead using another scarf as a barrier.

“Have you seen anything else in there?”

JJ shook his head, put the crystal ball down again, and signed, The opposite, actually. I’ve been trying but nothing happens.

“What have you been doing to try?”

JJ paused. Last time it activated when I just touched it, so... that? And pouring magic into it.

Aoife shook her head. “I don’t think that would do anything.”

Why not? It did last time.

“How do I put this... sometimes old magic items will randomly become super sensitive. I’m not sure how old the crystal ball is, but I know I had it for years, and the Circle had it for years before me.”

JJ frowned. Somehow, that explanation sounded... wrong. Like it wasn’t what was happening. What about me pouring magic into it?

“Raw power?” Aoife asked. When JJ nodded, she continued. “Yeah no, that wouldn’t work. Divination is very specific magic, very tricky to wield. Most people can’t do it on their own, they need special tools. And before you say the crystal ball could be a tool, I’ll remind you it isn’t even supposed to have time magic in the first place. It’s not the right kind of crystal.”

“T’is is all very fascinatin’, and I do mean t’at,” Marvin said. “But can we get it t’work at all, t’en?”

“Oh! God, Marvin, you scared the bejeezus out of me.”

“Sorry! Forgot I was out of frame.” Marvin wheeled the desk chair into view of the phone with his good leg and cane. “Hello, Aoife. Nice t’see ye.”

“Nice t’see ye too,” Aoife repeated, her Irish accent briefly becoming stronger. “Anyway. You want it to work again?”

JJ nodded.

“Well, check first that it still has magic in it. Do you know how to do a Revelation?”

Another nod. JJ learned it after seeing Persephone do it one time.

“Do it, then.”

JJ held a hand over the crystal ball. He pulled his stage mask down over his face and concentrated. A light blue mist curled around his fingers and fell onto the crystal.

The black crystal surface changed immediately, the reflections on it disappearing. Instead, a tunnel appeared. It seemed to disappear into the crystal, a vortex of blue and orange swirling into infinity. It only appeared for a second, and then it was gone, and the ordinary reflections were back.

Aoife started to say something, but was interrupted when Marvin shouted. He wheeled closer to the table where the crystal was. “T’at—! T’at was—! T’at—!”

Marvin? JJ signed, confused. Calm down.

“Spiral!” Marvin shouted. “The spiral tunnel!”

What’s the spiral tunnel? JJ asked, confused.

“I... I-I don’ remember!” Marvin clutched his head. “I don’ remember, but t’at’s it!”

“Have you seen that before?” Aoife asked from the phone screen.

“Yes!” Marvin’s head shot up again and he pointed at her insistently. “Yes, I’ve seen it before!”

When? JJ asked, curious.

“I... I don’ remember!” Marvin slumped in his seat. “But I know I have. I know I have.”

“Well, that spiral tunnel also appeared when Persephone Revealed the crystal’s magic to us a couple weeks ago, so it must be a sign of that time magic,” Aoife said. “You’re JJ’s man-out-of-time friend. Maybe... you saw it when you arrived here. Or, now.”

We never figured out where that time magic came from, either, JJ recalled.

“Do you t’ink...” Marvin paused, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Is t’ere any way I caused it?”

“Did you ever come into contact with the crystal?” Aoife asked.

“Yes... one day, the day Distorter... used Anti to take me to...” Marvin’s voice got steadily quieter, until eventually it faded away entirely.

JJ’s eyes widened. Marvin, didn’t you see Anti in the reflection of the crystal? And then he attacked you?

“From behind...” Marvin whispered, revelation dawning on his face. “The way he got me t’at day. From behind. A-and I saw him behind me in the crystal.”

“Alright, forget what I said about old magic items being sensitive,” Aoife dismissed. “The reason Jameson saw visions while simply touching it is probably because the crystal was recently imbued with the magic at that point. By now it’s settled so it will be harder to activate.”

“You agree, t’en?” Marvin pressed. “T’at magic came from me?”

“Most likely. From what I know, the timeline seems to add up. Marvin, you’re a witch, aren’t you?”

“I’m—e-excuse me?”

“Someone who uses magickal items and rituals on a regular basis,” Aoife explained.

“I... do have my magickal cards,” Marvin said slowly. “But how do you know t’at?”

Aoife blinked. “I’m... not sure. It must have been one of my feelings.”

We always trust Aoife’s feelings, JJ said to Marvin. She did think something was wrong about those IRIS cameras, remember?

“Alrigh’, alrigh’.” Marvin decided to move on. “But what does me bein’ a... witch... have t’do with t’is whole mess?”

“That’s the question,” Aoife mused. “As a witch you don’t have magic of your own, you shouldn’t be able to imbue objects with power by yourself. Did you have your cards at that point?”

“...no.” Marvin slowly shook his head.

This is all very confusing, JJ said. But, I called you for a purpose, Aoife. How do I use the crystal ball’s magic again? To see the visions?

“Hmm.” Aoife thought about it. “Marvin. Can you touch it first? Maybe it needs... a refresh?”

“I s’pose it’s worth a try,” Marvin said, shrugging. He pushed his chair right up to the table and reached out. “Do I... pick it up?” JJ nodded, so Marvin took a deep breath and grabbed the crystal ball in both hands. He stared at his reflection on its surface.

“Do you see anything unusual?” Aoife asked quietly.

“I t’ink...” Marvin paused. “I t’ink the room behind me is diff’rent? T’ere are no bookshelves, and the walls are lighter in color.” He laughed. “T’at’s not as big a clue for the future as Anti bein’ behind me. All t’is means is I’ll be in a different room eventually.”

That’s still proof that there’s some time magic still in there, Jameson said. Aoife? Do you think I can activate it now?

“Touch it and see if you see anything,” Aoife suggested.

JJ nodded slowly. He reached out to take the crystal ball from Marvin—

An image flashed before his eyes. A single vision, one of the many he’d seen that day. Jackie, sitting at a computer screen in a dark room. Only now... now the image was clearer. Crisper. He could see more of the room, though its plain office-like appearance told him nothing. What mattered more... was the image he could see on the sleeve of the white coat Jackie was wearing. It resembled an eye, with three circles for irises.

And then it was gone.

“You saw somet’ing, didn’ you?” Marvin asked. “Your expression... went all shocked... all of a sudden.”

JJ took a deep breath, and raised his hands to sign shakily. I saw Jackie sitting in an office, at a computer. He was wearing a white coat... with IRIS’s logo on it.

“...oh,” Marvin whispered.

Well, that’s not very helpful, JJ said, trying to dismiss the shock of what he’d seen. We know Jackie is working for IRIS now.

“Sometimes it helps to think of visions as guidance, or as confirmation,” Aoife said.

“So... it’s tellin’ us t’at we shoul’ definitely find Jackie before we deal with Anti’s situation?” Marvin guessed.

Or it’s confirming that Jackie really is working for them like we thought, JJ said. Then he paused. I saw that same vision before... just less clear. Was it... always trying to tell us this...?

“It must have,” Aoife confirmed.

“If it was tellin’ us the same t’ing weeks ago... does t’at mean our future is locked...?” The expression on Marvin’s face could only be described as ‘overwhelmed by gloom.’

“Now boys,” Aoife said firmly. “That’s not true. The whole reason divination is hard for those who don’t have the natural talent is because the future is so uncertain. Having the same vision twice in a row just means it hasn’t changed yet. Or, it has, but that particular event isn’t what changed. Or it has but the meaning of the event is different now. It’s all very complicated. Don’t worry too much about the future.”

JJ blinked, as if that concept was completely foreign to him.

“We’ll work on t’at,” Marvin said hurriedly.

“In any case, it’s possible that the crystal ball won’t be able to show you visions frequently,” Aoife said. “Okay? So don’t put all your hopes on that, either.”

We’ll try, JJ said. But if we do want to see a vision, Marvin has to do it first?

“Seems like it. But really.” Aoife brought her phone close to her face and narrowed her eyes. “Try not to worry. It’s not good for you, JJ.”

JJ laughed. I’ll try. I’ll talk to you again some other time, okay?

“Okay.” Aoife leaned back again. “Goodbye, then.”

Goodbye. And with that, JJ ended the call.

———————

Schneep’s eyes were really starting to hurt. He’d been doing nothing but stare at a computer screen ever since they decided to focus their efforts on finding Jackie. Had he... gone to sleep last night? He couldn’t remember. And honestly, he didn’t feel too worse for wear if he didn’t. That scared him a little. Sure, it was helpful, but he didn’t ask for that.

He would have taken the chance to be immune to Distorter’s tricks if it was offered. But it was not offered.

“Hör auf darüber nachzudenken,” he muttered to himself. Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it. But he couldn’t help it. How could he not think about it?

By continuing to look through IRIS’s files. That’s how.

He lied to himself earlier when he said he’d done nothing but stare at the computer screen. In truth, he snuck up north yesterday to try and download more of IRIS’s database. He got some. Would it be enough? Would it be...

...

Yes. It was enough.

Schneep reread what he’d found over and over again. This was up to date, right? It was accurate, right?

Yes. Yes!

He had to call the others. He had to talk to them. Who first? Hah. He wondered that, but there was only really one option. And so he picked up his phone and dialed Rama’s number.

It rang for a long time before the other end picked up. “Who is this?” Rama asked.

Right. He’d gotten another new phone. “Rama? It is me, Henrik,” he said. “I found him.”

Rama’s attitude instantly shifted. “You did?! Where? Where is Jackie?!”

“He is stationed at an IRIS facility east of Mirygale,” Schneep said quietly. “It was converted from an old prison, like the one to the north. Recently, yes, too. I have the coordinates. For, ah, ah... for the GPS. I mean.”

“Can you text them to me?”

“Now? Yes, hold onto your... hat.” Schneep pulled the phone away from his ear and sent a text to Rama, making sure to carefully copy down the coordinates on his computer screen. “There. Did you get that?”

A moment of silence. “Yes, I did.”

“Good. We must act as soon as possible. We must act to find him and, ahhh... get him out of there. Or, stop him? He’s doing nothing, I’m sure, but IRIS has goals, and they might be... something he is helping with... not knowingly.”

“Henrik? Are you... okay?” Rama asked, sounding concerned. 

“What are you meaning? Of course I am.”

“You sound, uh... really fucking weird.”

“Am I? I mean, do I?” Schneep leaned back in his chair and stared at the motel ceiling. “I do not feel weird.”

“Well, maybe you do but you don’t realize it. How much sleep did you get last night?”

He didn’t remember. “I’m sure it was enough, I feel full of energy.”

“Yeah, ‘I’m sure it was enough’ is not how well-rested people respond to that question. Take a moment to actually look at yourself.”

“In the mirror?” Schneep asked, and giggled.

“I meant metaphorically,” Rama said seriously. “Look inward. Think about how you feel. You may think you’re full of energy, but that could just be your body running on adrenaline.”

“I don’t want to look inward, there are things there now,” Schneep whispered. “The Distorter was here. I saw him when he did not want me to. It’s because there are things there now. I have a scar on... I have them all over.”

“Henrik,” Rama said softly.

“This is not the time. We have to go get Jackie.” Schneep stood up, stumbling for a moment before something in his legs naturally corrected him. No, wait. That was just him. He did that. By himself. “I will be right where you want to meet me, and I will be there right away.”

“We can’t go get Jackie right away,” Rama said, pain in their voice. “I fucking want to, but... but apparently the IRIS facilities have themselves some strange shield around them that makes it impossible for you to see anything even when you know it’s there. Last time, when they went looking for Anti, JJ had to get a lot of other magicians to help him break that shield. So even if we go there, we can’t do anything.”

“I don’t want to do nothing.” Why did his eyes feel wet? Why did they feel... weak? He’d thought about this recently, he wondered if they were a different shade of blue. Or maybe only one? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to look into the mirror to check for sure. “I-I don’t want to do nothing,” he said again, voice breaking.

“You won’t be doing nothing. Waiting isn’t nothing.” Rama was clearly trying to reassure him, but he didn’t think it was working.

“I wait for everything,” Schneep muttered. He stood in the center of the room, one arm dangling loosely as the other pressed the phone close to his face. “I waited for so much. I wait, I wait, I wait, the only thing there was the worry, the... more than worry, the... Furcht. I cannot remember what the word is. But it was just me and it, and the wait, the wait, the wait for them to come... And then when the wait is over they take you back and it starts again, and you look at yourself, and you think... you think there is something in there that was not before... I was asleep. I was asleep. Except for the mistake. I was asleep. But I knew even before the mistake...”

“Henrik!” Rama’s shout snapped Schneep out of whatever trance he’d just slipped into. “You need to rest.”

“I don’t want to fall asleep.” Schneep’s own voice was so quiet he wasn’t sure Rama could hear him. “Even if it was better than the mistake where I was not. I don’t want to fall asleep.”

“You have to try. You cannot function without it. As I can tell just over the phone.” Rama paused. “Nothing... nothing will happen to you, okay? There won’t be anything new when you wake up.”

“...do you promise?” Schneep hated that he just asked that. Like a child looking to their parents for reassurance that there was nothing in the closet. But he... he had to. He had to have that reassurance, real or imagined.

“I promise,” Rama said. “And when we break through IRIS’s shield, I will call you to tell you. And then we can go get Jackie. Okay?”

“Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Thank you, Rama. I am sorry I’m being so... foolish.”

“You’re the least foolish person I know, Henrik.”

“...Thank you,” Schneep said again, and hung up.

So maybe he did still need sleep. And as he laid down on the bed and drifted off, that fact brought him a strange comfort.

———————

Do you think we could try tonight?

Tonight? I guess we could call an urgent meeting like we did last time. Are you sure tho? Thats really soon.

Yes. I’m sure.

“So you’ll be tryin’ t’at same spell with the Circle now, t’en?” Marvin asked, looking over at JJ in the entrance hall from his spot in the living room.

JJ nodded. I really don’t think we should waste any time.

“Because of the crystal ball visions?”

No, but they certainly didn’t help, JJ said. Will you be okay with me gone? If I recall, last time you were home alone while I was out at this, you left the house late at night on sketchy instructions from Schneep.

“I did, but t’at’s how I got my cards bask, isn’ it?” Marvin shuffled said cards on his lap. Mr. Flufflington, lying on the sofa nearby, suddenly raised his head in surprise at the shuffle sound. “Oh, sorry, Mister. Didn’ mean to wake you up. Anyway, don’ worry about me, Jems, I’m not plannin’ on goin’ anywhere.”

You weren’t planning on going anywhere last time, either, JJ pointed out.

“Well, I’m even less so now.”

JJ stared at him for a moment, then nodded. I’ll be back late again. Don’t wait for me.

“Good night, t’en. And good luck.”

Good night. JJ said that, then left, the front door locking behind him.

Well, with Marvin alone he had to figure out how to spend the rest of the night. Normally he’d read a book and then head to bed... but after earlier, he wanted to look at his cards some more. He was trying to form new patterns with them, balancing a tray across his wheelchair arms for a flat surface.

The two unknowns were bothering him. The jokers. He didn’t know why he had this nagging feeling that they were important. Was it simply because they didn’t know what their symbols meant?

Curious, he separated the two of them from the rest, lying them face-down on the tray so he could examine the runes on the back. An angled spiral with an X over it. That was a much more complicated symbol than any of the others. Did that mean it was powerful? The higher-value cards did seem to have broader concepts—and maybe more powerful runes. Jokers were wild. They could be anything. That was a sort of power.

What would happen if he tried to make a pattern with them?

Marvin debated that for a second, and then decided that nothing ventured, nothing gained. All of the successful patterns he’d found so far had needed at least one of the aces, so he grabbed the Ace of Hearts, with its rune meaning “mark” or “creation.” He placed it in between the two jokers, trying to find an arrangement where the lines on the back designs of the cards matched up. But nothing worked. Maybe he needed more cards?

He searched through the deck and found the King of Hearts. The rune on its back meant, funny enough, “heart” or “life.” Then he grabbed the Five of Hearts (“leaf” or “growth”) as well, because why not make this a heart suit party? Idly, he started messing with the five cards, shifting their positions relative to the others, bending close over—

Marvin screamed. His leg—his broken leg, it—it hurt again! “Fuck!” It was piercing, burning, sharp pain—

Instinctively, he swept a hand over the five cards, dislodging the formation they’d been in. And the pain instantly stopped. He sat there, breathing, for a moment, getting over the sudden agony and its even more sudden disappearance. Then, tentatively, he reached down and gently prodded the injury. It didn’t feel like it had rebroken. Good. Good.

“What the fucking hell was that about?” Marvin asked himself. He looked down at the cards. What pattern had they been in...? Right. The two jokers vertical on either side, with the other three horizontal and stacked on top of each other. Though he was morbidly curious to try it again, he resisted; he didn’t really feel like experiencing his leg breaking all over again. That wasn’t what happened, of course... but it certainly felt like it.

And though that probably should have warned him off from experimenting with his cards for the night, it didn’t. He merely put the jokers to the side once more and resumed. Their angled spirals seemed to shift in the corner of his eyes. Getting smaller and bigger, closing and opening.

———————

Schneep was awoken by a ringing sound. He started up, panic rushing into his heart—then realized it was his phone. Quickly he reached over to the nightstand and picked it up to check the caller ID. It was Rama again. So soon?

Wait... it wasn’t soon at all. The clock on the nightstand read 7:01... am, not pm. And there was early gray sunlight coming through the curtains. And his stomach was rumbling. When was the last time he’d eaten something?

The phone was still ringing. Sitting up, Schneep answered the call. “Hello?”

“Henrik? It’s Rama. Good morning.”

“It is morning, isn’t it?” he muttered, then laughed. “I have been asleep since you last called me.”

“Good,” they said firmly, sincerely. “It sounded like you needed it.”

“I did, I did.” Schneep nodded. “But to serious business. I can only guess you’re calling me because of Jackie.”

“Yes. Jameson and his magicians did that same spell, they found a second IRIS facility right where you said it would be. Well, it was a bit complicated, we had to actually drive out to the location first and that took a while—but after all that, it was there. We are planning on going there today. In only a couple hours if possible.”

“Good.” Schneep nodded. “Give me time to get ready and eat something.”

“You’re coming?!” Rama didn’t bother to hide their surprise. “But... your history...”

“I know,” Schneep said quietly. “But that is why I must go with you. Together we can provide Jackie with enough reasons to see sense. You can tell him why it was such a bad idea to leave... and I can tell him what IRIS is truly doing.”

Rama was silent for a moment. Then they sighed. “It’s up to you. What time would be okay with you? Nine o’clock?”

“That sounds good. Let’s meet at the park again. Will it be just the two of us?”

“No, Jameson is coming too.”

“Not Marvin, though?” Strange, Schneep would’ve thought Marvin would insist on coming even with a broken leg.

“No, he said he wanted to work on things with those magick cards of his. As for Jack and Stacy, well, Jack says someone should stay behind with Anti in case there are any developments. And Stacy has work again. She really wants to help, though. But I do not think this moment is her calling, you know?”

“I understand.” Schneep took a deep breath and stood up. “Nine o’clock at the park. I will see you there. We will finish this.”

“We will finish this,” Rama agreed. “See you then.” And they hung up.

Schneep lowered the phone. His hands were shaking. But he would do this. He would go get Jackie back.

[dors-ee]

sorry i am reblogging -hope it's ok- bc your reflexions about your art really resonate with me and help me too (I follow you on ig too and already reacted there to tell you that on another older reflexion). I don't post these days, and even when I did never was as good and as popular as you, like really really far from it. Yet I can really relate to a lot of what you're feeling. And it makes me thing about my own art and how I approach it, approach the posting thing -which I want to do- and fandom spaces too.

I am getting so tired of fandom spaces too. I know they never were perfect, and maybe my old perceptions from when i was a teen were skewed, but fandoms felt different, more welcoming, and freer before. Like... much more into creation, subjectivity, exploring stuff, than following canon so closely or some specific popular AUs. Nothing wrong with those two, but it seems they became the norm rather than just... possibilities amongst others. I have never been good at creating things distanced from me but that'd work with pple (closer to purely canon). When i have characters, a media, ship, of course I appropriate it and build my own stuff on it and have fun in the sandbox. Personally i am not motivated into just... rebuilding the same sandcastle as the canon one. or fit the mold of popular AUs. Or popular character interpretation by the loud voices in fandom. I want to play in the box and build stuff, with the material canon gives as a base yes, but not like it. and whilst before I had the fear "this is from me" and I was scared of the vulnerability of showing personal stuff, I wasn't even considering "will this fit the mold enough to even be looked at?". Now it is all i have in mind when i created. Is this too personal? too weird. Too me? Will it even get looked at if it's too not close to canon?

i used to think fandom was a meeting of people around a media and sharing our creativity. Now it doesn't feel like that anymore, and it has so much toxicity. we can't share our actual thoughts, including criticisms, but we also can't always share what we just love, and it feels like being constantly watched and constantly on edge and constantlyhaving to follow norms and molds that aren't supposed to be there. (and more this is a non exhaustive list). I'm tired of it. Fandom was my escape for so very long, but post 2020 I have seen it descend into something I don't want to be in anymore and doesn't feel safe in anymore.

What does it mean that teen me felt safer and had more fun in fandoms than 26 years old me... ? (I really had a blast back then, 10 years ago. and wasn't afraid to get doxed for syaing stuff. Like today we have to deal with potential doxxing? Death threats? bullying has always been there, I know it, and I might be wrong but I don't remember being so scared in fandoms, and I don't remember threats of doxxing or death threats, were a thing. Like bullying alone is pretty bad, I'm not saying it isn't. it is. fandom already had issues, for sure.) but anyway I am totally derailing I am so sorry, I did not mean to start talking about me 😭

But yeah your own process' reflexions really resonate with me and make me think. I am also happy to see the sketching helped you so much with feeling better with art!

I had told you on ig I did it too but for me it wasn't working so well bc I was seeing good ideas sketched and yet still felt like the urge to use them in a better way, but couldn't use them that way, for bigger more refined stuff, but I have thought on it further and tried to do it more like you with more of a "learn to let go more" mindset and it has helped me a lot too!

and I wish you the best going forward with your art again! I hope those changes you are implementing will help you too!

Some art process ramblings

I also struggle a lot with procrastinating/being scared of clean canvas/being frightened of trying something new I'm not good at so I made this motivational board on the window near my desk a while ago