#also gonna save a backup my blog just to be sure so take this as a reminder to do it with yours too👍

[littledesertfox]

Also just a short info I might be a bit inactive during January as I have a shitload of assignment deadlines coming up. I'd love to share more about Fritz Bayerlein now that that big post is finally out of the way but that may have to way for a while </3 Not going to deactivate or anything, but I might not come online for a while if I find it puts additional stress on me. You're still welcome to interact, comment, send asks etc my responses just might be slow(er than usual)

[go-blitz-go]

So today started off weird. Got a knock on my door from a dead woman. Turns out the dead Robin has been Red Hood all along. That’s crazy. Anyways, she paid me twenty bucks, some brass knuckles, and a red hood costume to take her place at dinner with Batman so I totally did. The suit is legit. Gonna send it to my tailor with some notes for my next one.

Oh! She also let me know that I have made just… So many enemies apparently, and that my attempts to win over Red Claw have not in fact been working. Apparently she’s gonna use my head as a trophy to woo an Amazon, and honestly I’m flattered. If I thought I stood a chance, I’d probably steal her girl to give her a reason for all the hate.

Speaking of unwarranted hate, Red Hood also clued me in that Livewire thinks I stole her shtick, and that my fan blog has garnered me a stalker. Killer Frost is like… totally obsessed with me. She even left me a love letter. 💌 ❄️🧊

So now I not only have to worry about Ninjas and assassins, I’ve got two very pretty dangerous meta humans out to get me. One of whom actually fights speedsters so I may want to smooth that over sooner rather than later.

Anyways, I get all suited up for this Batman dinner and he doesn’t even show. We find out the NEW Robin has been kidnapped by Joker but Batman is busy with Bane.

We know the location so I head over there. The group was given a plane but take offs and landings take time and there’s no time for all that.

I get there first (obviously) and sure enough the Joker is full on looney tunes. She’s about to maim and slaughter this kid and she fully thinks he’s her dead son. (Apparently this happened with other Robin as well.)

Well I’ve been told time and again “the joker is dangerous” and “call for backup” but nobody else was there and my new idiot friend was in danger and the psycho had a bone saw. So screw Batman, I was gonna get in there. She’s not too perceptive so I was able to take all the knives, saws, cutty, and stabby things in the building and dump them in a vat of acid. So maybe I didn’t singlehandedly save the day but I at least kept him from getting his wings clipped.

It was about that time the others finally showed up. Loudly. So it was also that time that the Joker pulled a gun on me and I decided it was time to start making some more serious moves. I untied Robin and moved him waaaaayyy out of the danger zone. But close enough to keep an eye on.

Maqueshift just went straight in there like a mad woman and fist fought the psycho. The mannequin and a new nightwing? (Some kind of batman related perdon) helped out too but it was overshadowed by our unhinged lantern friend attacking The Joker with glowing clones of her dead son.

Dracula called her out and was promptly attacked by a terrifying psycho in an owl mask who apparently was the dead son, but not dead, and grown up. Superman showed up about this time and made light work of the situation. We got Robin to a hospital. The Joker and the owl dude got put in a secure jail and The Green Arrow wants to “talk”. I’m probably about to get hit with a restraining order or a cease and desist.

Oh! And there was just… SO MUCH fear toxin. But Batman said he’d handle it. He was lookin… pretty rough… so I found out that he’s not a hugger.

[santajp]

Hey random question!! I've been following your blog, and really have been liking your photography! How did you get so good? Like, I know part of photography is right place and time, but you just make everything look beautiful?? Honestly excited to see more! Please keep takin pictures! Also, did you know there's another name for a portrait photo? When the subject is you, it's called beauty! No matter the angle or lighting.

Awww! Thanks for liking the photos and shooting a question! X3

As for how I got so good, I was far from born with anything. I had to learn all this stuff, but I'd say a big thing that helped me wanna learn more was a photographer who was way older than me and much more experienced giving me a personal moment to see him in action. Now I personally had already done photography with my phone and had only recently gotten a bigger camera (*a phone is a fine starting point since many basic ideas of a good photo are the same no matter what you use), but a quote that will always stick with me was, "You are smarter than the camera." In a basic sense, he meant to stop using all the automatic features and really get to know the ins and outs of the tool you used, but in a grander sense, it made me finally get what taking a photo was, less of the camera doing it for me and more of me trying to capture the world in my own way and through things I cared about.

From there I learned how to change the lighting and posing of my photos alongside what made a photo stand out and be pretty, by school classes and many, many photos that were not good enough. Much of my subjects for photos were things I found pretty anyway, which made the job change to capturing that. I wanted to pose my toy bear in funny situations, bring my camera on any nature walk I could take, snap shots of any city, and try to capture anything I found value in. I've ran outside when many others were simply doing their usual lives, myself going crazy in a parking lot over how great the sky looked after my last class, almost baffled at how you could just not look at it, or taken walks for no other reason than to get more photos. I have pictures of my friends, even if I don't speak much to them anymore, family I rarely see, pets I have lost, and so many things from all the places I've been to. ( All of these photos are saved in multiple places by the way! Be safe with your backups! >:] )

So, to answer your question in a long and sappy way, the main way I got good was through others and by simply living with my camera by my side. There are most certainly technical things, and you must practice, but that finding of meaning is the biggest aspect of doing any kind of art I've found.

I can draw, but only if I've seen others that inspire or a world which gives the process of doing so meaning. I can learn more along the way of drawing my OCs a million times too!

I can play a song, but only if the notes make me hear a depth that can simply be to please the ears or make me dance or laugh. I'm not a Vylet Pony level artist, but I sure as hell am not gonna stop learning music from a lack of current skill beacuse I have too many songs I love that make me wanna make one too.

And I can write, but only if what I'm writing gives me the motivation to put my thoughts into words, gives me the want to make more for myself rather than force my mind to for a grade. Then I also can only write seeing how others put their thoughts into words, how they give out their own feelings through these weird mixings of letters. Like this whole ass post for example (lol), I write when I care about what I'm trying to say and getting it out to others from my weird brain.

For any kind of art, the thing that stands out is love and passion. There are so many ways to show and do it, no matter what anyone says, but if you love the art, I trust you'll be fine. Furthermore, live a little! Use your life in what you create, and if one thing doesn't work out, switch gears and keep on running! I doubted my photos many times, and I still do way too much, but whenever that happens, I just keep living until I see a flower that is too good to miss, and then I am back on the horse by leaning down with my camera ready. Is it being stubborn? Oh absolutely, but is it how I got this far? Yes, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Lastly, your portrait photo definition is a tad bit off. Though I like the spirit, and it is absolutely right. Just remember it has two definitions rather than only one, but don't worry. All you need to do for the second one is change that 'you' to a 'me', beacuse acting as if you aren't beautiful is lying to the world.

[chicoriii]

Season 4, Episode 17 - Larme Ultime (Rocketear)

So this is a DjiWifi episode from which comes a screenshot I've seen over a month ago (I think). It's good they got it, before season 4 started I really wanted it to happen and to see a kiss between Nino and Alya in it (but that didn't happen and I don't get why, only the main pairing is allowed to kiss in this show or what?), but now I could not be excited about it anymore, because I'm sick of Alya and I'm not able to hide it. Yes, I'm biased, but I'm just a normal viewer and I have right to dislike her favouritism.

My the biggest thought after watching this is that it looks like since Optigami, Alya is not only a deuteragonist, like I said in my post about Sentibubbler, she's actually more like a co-protagonist now. That was an extremely Alya-centric episode (even more than Lie was was about Adrien, as it was mostly Ladybug who saved the world like almost always, also because Chat sacrificed himself again), while in Optigami and this one she has screentime comparable to Marinette. I'm still trying to avoid spoilers (so please, don't tell what's going to happen in the next episodes, I don't want to know), but I'm sure that either 15 or 16 is also highly about her, because we've seen the new Rena's suit in this episode and it looked like it wasn't the first episode with it. But really, I won't be surprised if Alya has lots of screentime in both episodes and all others to the end of the show as well. I don't think Adrien is ever going to get as much special treatment like Alya. :/ The creators have never been as nice to him.

Didn't the writes have enough ideas for another story arcs? And thanks to it they were able to save money, because then creators could just reuse old models of villains more than before. Have anyone noticed that S4 has even fewer number of completely new characters than previous seasons? The scientist seen at the start of the episode has detailed model, so she had to be akumatised in any of the previous unreleased episodes (or one of the next ones). And why she looks a lot like Alya, is she her relative? If yes, you know what that means? Another excuse to make an episode full of the fox wielder, because, you know, it’s not like she already got enough occasions to shine in S4. 

Speaking of Rena Rouge's new suit. What a waste, it would be great for a potential chameleon Miraculous, so it seems it won't be ever created for canon. So bad, I think it's one of the coolest animal, so a Miraculous based on it would be awesome. It could one from an African Miracle Box which should appear, since they are planning making an African special. The suit is good and all, but I still feel disappointed that it's not the superpower of a chameleon Miraculous. :(

Why is Nino acting over the top out of nowhere? I like film noir atmosphere, fedoras and especially jazz music full of saxophones (my favourite music genre and instrument), but it looks totally ridiculous when he's like that. I thought it's Marinette's speciality, and he beat her in that category. I'm not trying to say it's a a bad thing, it just feels weird seeing Nino like that. And since I love jazz, I would like to listen to that film noir-esque music more once I got 5.1 audio, since it was hardly heard in the episode. It didn't sound much interesting, but it's too early to judge it seriously.

Too bad they had written the main conflict in the episode using one of the biggest romantic cliche - misunderstanding in which one character see and\or hear something, but not the whole thing, so said character interprets it wrong. Motifs like that are rather annoying, so it's good something similar haven't happened in the Love Square's arc (yet at least). Though I have a big issue with how they write it this season and I'm going to make a post about it (is anyone interested?).

The akuma is one the ugliest and has one of the most laziest power ever. Really? He shoots using tear bullets and does nothing more? I know many people hate Bubbler's design, but no matter how silly it looks, it was much more creative than this.

And of course the whole thing with Alya remembering the whole conversation with Chat Noir was extremely far-fetched. The could think about something more believable, but I'm not surprised it happened, since I think this season is generally more lazy written than previous ones.

On the other hand, I'm surprised that Marinette is actually aware that Shadow Moth should not know that Alya is still Rena Rouge. It seems that the whole episode 15 (or 16) is about they trying to figure out what to do with that problem.  I won't be surprised if Alya would do it all by herself like it happened with protecting charms in Mr Pigeon 72, because it's completely normal that a random person who has never met Fu is better at decrypting the grimoire than someone who has been trained to be a guardian to some extend :/ Still I think they should not be sure that camouflage mode would solve the problem completely. From what I understand the new suit doesn’t make her completely invisible to others. Rena could be seen by anyone who takes a photo of her and then post in on the internet (it won't be believable that she's the only one crazy about superheroes in Paris). But at least they tried to do something and Marinette sees the danger to some extend. It’s something new.

It's not like Alya is careful, she's completely reckless (and they think she's a good reporter material? Don't make me laugh) and she still thinks more about her own fun in being the superheroine than safety of herself or the world. But of course, it's not gonna happen, because plot armor is very strong in this show. I really had a feeling that she acted like a little child in the first minutes of the episode. She's unable to see that her situation is not a joke. She should be all happy that Marinette still lets her to keep the fox Miraculous. She really lacks humility and I see it clearly since Optigami at least. Besides, Marinette ignores another red flags, that Alya is taking pictures of herself in the new suit no one is supposed to see and thinking about posting them on Ladyblog (was Bunnix right that Alya is able to reveal Miraculous secrets on her blog because of her overenthusiasm and lack of ability of seeing consequences of her actions?).

By the way, now I think, if Alya can't keep in secret that she's still Rena Rouge from Nino (which happens because it's needed for the plot), so how could she be all fine with keeping in secret other facts like that Ladybug gave her the fox permanently and she knows her identity (which isn't happening because the plot doesn't require it)? She still has to lie on Nino because of these secrets.

They are making Marinette a big hypocrite this season. Since she revealed herself to Alya, it's been shown that secret identities rule was bullshit from the start, but Marinette is still saying that heroes can't reveal their identities to anyone. What? What has she done before like not revealing herself to someone, so how she dares keep saying about how crucial is keeping secrets from everyone? Sorry writers, I can't take that rule seriously anymore since Alya knows and no one should. Because Marinette told Alya, she could tell it to other persons she trust as well. What's the difference between her best friend and the rest of the people in the world? Is Alya the only person she trusts? In fact, revealing herself to Sabine, for example, would be much better choice. She's actually wise and mature unlike Alya and her secrets would be much more safe with her mother.

I've seen Chat Blanc again on TV recently and I remembered one thing Ladybug told to Bunnix there: "The best-kept secrets are the ones you never share." (Google Translate says that the line is exactly the same in the French original). Some episodes later, she isn't thinking twice if she should tell all the guardian secrets to Alya. Okay, she revealed her identity because of being too emotional in that exact moment, but then when she calmed down, she should be able to think if telling all the Miraculous secrets is a good idea. The other hypocritical thing is telling Chloé "you can't be Queen Bee anymore, because Hawk Moth knows your identity" but still calling the other heroes whose identities have been exposed.

So I can't even blame Alya for telling Nino the truth if the guardian herself is not following her own rules. Not to mention, Marinette doesn't address wrong things Alya is doing at all, so no wonder she feels she could do anything, she won't get punished, no matter what. After all, it's not the first moment in which she does something her best friend forbid her.

And we can say the show has been confirmed that Nino is even worse at keeping secrets, especially in crisis situations, so why people wanted to see Adrien revealing himself to Nino? It's obvious that he would tell Adrien's secret to Alya and maybe some other people as well.

I thought that since S3 finale Adrien is supposed to know identities of every backup hero from seasons 2 and 3 and I was ready to be salty about that as well. But yes, actually after purification of Miracle Queen's akuma, brainwashed heroes didn't detransform. They were forgotten completely and we don't even know what happened with them exactly. I suppose Ladybug took their Miraculous when Chat Noir wasn't there anymore.

Adrien has every right to be angry at Ladybug, she treats him so badly, since Alya knows her own secrets and she doesn't even have the guts to admit that. But I'm going to say about my the biggest issue in the Chat Noir and Ladybug's situation in another post, I hope I would write before the next episode airs.

[yumpty-dumpty-inactive]

mutual appreciation post <3!! (again this was from memory so sorry if i missed anyone!!)

---

@mikachuchu - because like YES? you are literally so sweet, the good vibes just spill out all over your page. even though we just became mutuals 5 minutes ago, you are so fucking precious I cannot take it. you literally are the best oml please hug me-

@scorpius-major - *squeals* artemis you are such a good writer,, I literally cannot take it. I hope we can become better friends and write with each other in the future <3! also can i please order some artemis hugs ;___;?

@fiona782 - BWAHAHAHA,, toge, rui, and megumi are all mine, and you can go suck it (u__u) don't worry this is all a joke,, we're like sisters/siblings lmfao

@alberivh - VEILLE AKSKSASKA,, angst is my love and so are you. literally, you are so sweet,, but aren't afraid to speak your mind and I love that!! I look up to you a lot <33!

@anon8d - you literally ask the cutest questions like, tf, I demand platonic cuddles siR (but seriously you deserve more love oml >__<)

@mayple - BWAHAHAHAHA,, WE'RE FUCKING TROLLS HAHA. LITERALLY. (also thanks for the codes you saved my life and got me C1 xinyan o__o) but seriously I love you sm and I hope you get ganyu,, also eat some of your food,, you have way to much damn it-

@yoimiyas-wife - HAHA FUCK YOU. (she has too much luck,, it isn't fair. seriously, she got yoimiya at 21 pity AFTER GETTING AYAKA. LIKE,, WHAT? THEN SHE GOT THUNDERING PULSE. LIKE,, SORRY BUT WHAT??)

@chichikoi - but like,, I literally love you?? chibi albedo,,, mmm. also i have some diluc fluff in the works,, would you like a pinch of angst added into that? :0? but in all seriousness, I fucking love you sm and you need more love. you are so positive, and every time i see you post i just go: >__<

@eternism - JADE MY CUDDLE BUG LOVE,,, jade is literally sitting next to me with our 10 cats named yoimiya, sayu, kokomi, baal, albedo, thoma, kazuha, tomo, sara, and yae. we have smoothies and are cuddling,, not clickbait at all. ANYWAYS, jade i love how sweet and positive you are,, you never fail to answer a message, ask, and your writing is amazing. you are gentle, kind, and just overall an amazing person <33

@xiaosmoon - ERI!! eri my dear your writing is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! I am blown away every time. you never fail to shock me, and I love it. I love seeing how kindly you interact with your followers, and I hope we can become better friends in the future <3

@witch-hazels-musings - HAZEL. I am so excited to start our little project <3!! I absolutely ADORE you and your blog, and just talking with you makes my day better! you're just so positive and sweet,, I feel safe talking with you,, like i can be myself! that is rare, and i hope you know how special and amazing you are <3!!

@catcze - CATTE!! AA,, I LOVE READING YOUR WORKS! YOU'RE SUCH AN AMAZING WRITER, and our talks are weird as not gonna lie,, anyways, you are literally the definition of a summer day, so fun and full of exciting adventures! you're so kind to your followers, and i think you use the "<3" more than you say thoma. just know i adore you and your writing, and will continue to be your mutual and follower for years to come <3!!

@y2nderez - AHAHAHAHA,, TROLL. but literally, you're pretty asf however, even though our talks are cursed and terrible in general, i still love you bestie *awkwardly gives thumbs up* xx

@homesnorky - AA! MY BELOVED SNAIL ANON... hehe,, love you <33

@aquamarine-eyed-girl - i fucking love you so much give me platonic hugs and cuddles rn,, you are literally so supportive and kind, everything you submit into my inbox makes my day, and you sure do know how to make someone smile. i love you sm, and i hope you stick around in the future <3!!

@lavender-cloudz - LAVVIE MY LOVE,, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH HELP I CANNOT EVEN- *faints*

@dilucbar - AERI!! we haven't talked in so long,, we should fix that :\. anyways, you are literally kinder and more fun than yoimiya. i literally ADORE chatting with you,, even if it's about the most random shit ever, i love it, and i hope we'll continue to be best friends in the future <3!!

@jooninya - AAA! MY GOTH BESTIE,, I LOVE YA. OUR MATCHING DISCORD PFP'S ARE LITERALLY WEIRD BUT COOL,, even if they don't EXACTLY match :0! literally, you are so positive, and i love arguing with you about scaramouche (JKJK ASKASKSA-) 8|! we need to chat more, we're slipping through the cracks my dear ;___;

@heaven-dissolution - you. are. the. fucking. best. i. literally. love. you. so. DAMN. MUCH. *screeches* LITERALLY. you're just so to pleasant to talk to,, and i can tell you really have a passion for writing! you know what i say? follow that passion! anytime you ever need backup i'm always ready to whoop some ass. I know you genuinely care for me and will have my back, which is why I will forever have yours.

@kazuhasbunny - ELI!! aaa i love chatting with you so much!! you're literally the easiest person to talk to,, and i feel like i can talk about literally anything with you and we'll have a fun conversation!! love you,, have a good day <33

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: January 28th, 2021 (Part 1)

And we’re back with many more ask answers! Thank you for waiting.

Is lizzie/the main character tripping over a rock a random event in barbecue? or does it require certain choices? i picked the same choices in multiple different playthroughs but ended up with three different outcomes (1. nothing happens 2. liz trips 3. i trip)

Yep! It’s completely random. Just a little moment of life you don’t have control over, haha.

wait just double checking you stated that derek would be another romantic interest you can pursue in step 4 right??? im just asking cuz hes my fav character 

oh wait and btw i was the one that asked the question about derek being in the step 4 just now, and will you have to pay extra for like a dlc or something bc i play the free version rn and i just wanted to check!! 

Yeah, you will eventually be able to romance him, but unfortunately it is a paid DLC. Cove is the only love interest who’s entirely free-to-play. You can  follow our social media for when we giveaways for a chance to win a key for it, though.

i know that y’all said the step 3 dlc and step 4 will be released early 2021, is there any update to that? for example, a rough amount of days/weeks until release? no pressure at all, i’m super excited!! <3 

The Step 3 DLC will be about in maybe two-two and half months or so. Step 4, we’re not entirely sure. Maybe a few months after the Step 3. We don’t want to give set dates until we’re really close to the release since otherwise we wouldn’t be able to 100% guarantee them.

First off love the game. Second I'm a little confused on how the nsfw dlc is gonna work. Because based on some stuff you've said it sounds like a patreon only thing and others make me think it could be an itch/steam thing after the fact? Would you mind clarifying for me 😅. Also if it's a patreon only thing do you need to become one before it's released? 

It’s not going to be on Steam/Itch. The actual game of Our Life is safe for teens with no adult content. Any 18+ stuff we’re releasing is separate bonus content. Right now the only for sure plan is having it available through Patreon. If there’s another hosting site that’s not Steam or Itch that’d be easier for people than Patreon we might consider uploading it there too, but nothing else is set.

If you want the bonus Moment you’d have to join once it’s already out or sometime after the release. Joining now would get you our current rewards, but wouldn’t get you future content that’s coming later.

this is probably an awkward question and i apologize, feel free not to answer, but i just wanted to address the elephant in the room....will step 4 acknowledge covid/2020 world events?? i kind of hope not bc i'd like to just exist in a fictional version of the world where things are happy in this quaint seaside town and the world isn't falling apart, but i'd understand if there are some references to it. just thought i'd ask so i can Prepare if that makes sense

Step 4 isn’t going to include Covid or even reference it. When we set Step 4 in that year we definitely didn’t know there’d be a global pandemic during it. It’s too late to move the timeframe earlier or later, but we’re not going to make Step 4 stressful for anyone because the real world became so much more stressful. The universe of Our Life will just be an even more idealized place than it was before.

hiiiii! i'm really sorry if this is a bother. i was just curious if cove has a canon setting for each step, like is it canon that he stays candid the whole game and is super sporty for instance and the rest are variations? thank you for your time!

None of those settings are canon. They’re all equally valid.

I love the game and Cove so much that I ended up spending most of the holidays playing it. Definitely worth it! Idk if you're taking suggestions/criticisms, but I chose the peach skin tone and seeing it written as "my peach skin" in the game broke immersion for me because I kept thinking it was referring to the fruit instead of my skin color. I think that skin color is most commonly referred to as "fair" but "peachy" or "rosy" would work too if you're looking for a different word 

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’ll change it to “peachy” in the next update!

So I accidentally overwrote a save file with a different one, is there any way I can recover that save? 

Sadly, there isn’t. Not unless you had a backup of the actual save file files in a separate location you can get. I’m really sorry. You can try using the skip feature to quickly speed through the game and get back to where you were though.

Do you try to maintain the color scheme for the clothing throughout the years in Our Life? 

Yes, though in hindsight not as much as I wished I did, haha. It could’ve been a little more cohesive. It was a bit too broad in my opinion.

I noticed that Cliff mentions he wasn’t much older than Cove before finding out he was going to be a father when he finds MC in bed with Cove during Part 3 so doesn’t that Cliff and Kyra were teenage/young parents? 

Yeah, Cliff was nineteen and Kyra was eighteen when Cove was born. They were just a couple of kids.

Does Cove have a favourite holiday? 

It changes depending on the year. Around Step 1 he’s not a huge fan of a lot of holidays because he’s not together with his whole family for them. But once he’s older and Kyra comes around more, he starts appreciating major family holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas more than other holidays because he knows how it feels not to have that. Though summer vacation is of course his most favorite all the time, if that counts as a “holiday”.

I tried to join your patreon but I can’t seem to? The website keeps saying something went wrong and to try again. 

I’m sorry you’re having trouble! I think contacting Patreon support would probably be the best option if the joining process itself is having issues.

How much is it to become a part of your Patreon? I don’t have a lot of money currently but would love to help you out more than just buying the games and dlcs. 

Aw, I appreciate you wanting to support but the Patreon is really optional. You don’t need to push yourself to join if you don’t have extra funds for it. To still answer the question, the tiers are $1, $5, $10, $15, and $20 in USD. Each come with different perks.

I had this idea for a future daughter for the MC and Cove being named "Poppy", after the flowers on their hill~

That’s a really sweet idea! I’m sure Cove would be a fan.

So if you don't mind me asking, how do you get Cove to propose to you in Step 4 and not the other way around? 

I’m afraid that’d be too big of a spoiler to give away before the epilogue’s release, at least in terms of specifics. Generally you’ll just have to be patient and try not to propose first, haha.

will we get to move in with cove in step 4 😮?? or is that a secret 

You can be living together with Cove in Step 4! Though you wouldn’t get to see the place itself. That’s up to your imagination.

Is it bad that I'm completely in love with Cove's dad... What I gotta pay to romance Cliff 😭 (I don't mean as Jamie because that would be wack) 

That’ll cost one million 20 twenty dollar bills, haha. I’m really glad you like him, though sadly we aren’t able to make a separate game where you can romance Cliff. I wish we had enough time to make tons of new scenes/extra stories in the Our Life world, but it just takes too long. Maybe people will make fanworks about it.

—–

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog  

[random-mha-thoughts]

No Idea (Bakugou x Reader)

Pairing: Bakugou x Reader

Anon asked:  "yooo sketch was so cute and he was so in character! if you're taking requests could you write a fic where basically all of 1a is at the dorms besides the reader who's patrolling and she gets attacked by dabi and has to fight him off alone meanwhile 1a and dadzawa watch from the dorms via news channel? bonus points for a water quirk reader! you can match the reader up with either deku or bakugou!"

Genre: Action, angst/comfort

Word count: 2,005

Tags:  @yuki-osaki​ @liviitehe​ @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog​ 

a/n: Basically this entire ask is describing just a portion of what I’m preparing for my multi-chapter Todoroki fic that I’ve already teased about for my 500 followers special, you can call it maybe an alternate pathway, or a separate continuity that helps to characterize my OC.  And I guess this one is well-timed because I just hit 1K yesterday?? I don’t know how it happened either tbh There will be a special event and a separate mushy post to come, but thank you all so so so much from the bottom of my heart.

This ended up longer than I expected, but that’s okay because I haven’t posted in a few days and I had time today to bang it out in one sitting.  I know this request came from a fluff like Sketch, so I hope you also like angst because that’s my specialty ;) (not to mention I was waiting for someone to request something angsty because I’ve had that photo saved and ready to use it for the LONGEST time).  Thank you for requesting it anon!

"Kinda sucks being out on patrol on the weekend," I sigh to myself, biting into my taiyaki.  "But it isn't all bad I guess."

Mirko had called me out to do a quick patrol this weekend.  This part of the city has been pretty quiet lately, and I don't mind showing my face.  A few passerby's wave at me and I respond in kind.  I like this part of the job, being the hero that everyone knows, respects, and trusts to protect them.  It gives me more drive to save them in time of crises.

"Blue!" a middle school girl walks by and waves.

"Hi, Mina," I smile and wave back.  "Going home from cram school?"

"Yup!" she flashes me a toothy grin.  "Dad's making dinner tonight for once!  It's Mom's birthday!"

"That's wonderful," my smile softens.  "Wish her happy birthday for me, okay?  And get home quick before she worries!"

"I will!" the girl runs off down the sidewalk, waving behind her.

So cute, I think, watching her small figure weave through the crowd of people.  I swallow the last bite of my fish treat and continue on my patrol.  Thankfully, it's another laid back day: I direct a few lost pedestrians to their destinations, make small talk with more familiar faces, help a few elderly carry groceries to their houses, and the like.  I'm content with the mundane flow of a lazy Sunday afternoon.

While talking to a grocery store employee, a sudden explosion in the alley across the street breaks routine.

"Everyone get inside the nearest building or run as far as you can!" I scream out instructions to the citizens nearest to me as I keep an eye on the alley for the next explosion and help anyone within reach to look for cover.  That explosion wasn't normal, I know those blue flames like the back of my hand.

Looks like my Sunday stroll is over.  I dial on my phone as I thread through the frightened crowd toward the alley.  "Mirko san, I might need backup.  There's a very high possibility that the League is involved here, but I'll confirm-"

Right when I'm within a few yards of the alley's opening, another bright blue light flashes, triggering the surrounding crowd to scream and run away faster.  I assist a few others, waiting for the smoke to clear.  A silhouette appears amidst the dark fog, and I know exactly who it is.

"I'm confirming, it's-"

Before I can finish, the shadow stretches out its hand towards me and blasts flames straight at me.  Immediately, I put up a water shield in front of me, then start building it wider so the people near and behind me can get away without damage.  I already know what happens when something - or someone - touches those dangerous blue flames.

"It's-It's Dabi of the League," I force myself to say, the name burning as it rolls off my tongue.  "He appears to be alone."

"Roger.  Try to apprehend him by yourself before I get there!  I'll hurry over as soon as possible!" my mentor responds and cuts the call.

I make sure everyone within the immediate area is evacuated from the streets, scanning every inch wildly for stragglers.  Heat increases around the me suddenly, and darting my head back around shows the fire eating through my water defense without faltering.  Before it completely penetrates my defense, I jump over to the side behind a car, right before a giant hole is ripped in my shield.

I catch my breath calling the water back towards me into my water nodes and compartments in my hero suit.

"Looks like you've improved a lot since the last time I saw you, (Y/n) (L/n)."

His menacing yet familiar voice as he drags out my full name sends shivers up my spine.  Damn it, of all the villains, I had to face him!

"Aw, don't be shy now, I know you're happy to see me too."  His voice moves towards my left.  "We don't even get to see each other anymore."

"I'd prefer it that way," I snap, readying myself for another inevitable attack.

"You better give me a good fight, little one."

His voice-!

At the last second before hearing the crash, I jump out from in front of my cover, the intense heat from the blue flames just millimeters from burning my fingertips.  Dabi had jumped onto the top of the car, his voice being evenly split in both of ears signalling that he had moved from my left to right behind me in the nick of time or else I'd be ashes.

I finally got a good look at his face.  The stitches and staples etched into his face down to his chest and arms are all-too-familiar, along with his raven black hair and turquoise eyes.

"Reminiscing?" his head tilts, gravely voice taunting.  "I don't think you have time to do that."

I sprint off and around for more cover as he throws more fire pillars from his hands, trying to find a fire hydrant of water fountain to give me more material to work with.  Otherwise, I'm only limited to manipulating what's in the air and the stores in my costume.  To my dismay, there's nothing around.

All I have to do is slowly manipulate the water particles around him and condense them over his hands to stop his quirk temporarily.  That's the plan in my head that I'm going for.  But he's way ahead of me, predicting all my moves and constantly jumping to move away from where I've gathered the water particles and forcing me to start over, leaving me to dodge him and put some distance between us.

"I already know all your plans, you can't defeat me that easily by yourself," Dabi mocks me.

I'm at the end of my rope.  It's difficult to keep running and there just isn't enough water in the air to work for a fast attack.  I dodge another one of his attacks and wrack my brain to think of a different strategy.  My mind can only come up with one all or nothing plan, but if it doesn't work, I'll be done for quickly.

It's a risk I have to take.  I slowly start collecting as much water as I can into my suit and immediately around me.  Knock him out as quickly as possible, face him head on.  I take a deep breath.  My body shakes from exhaustion, anticipation, and fear.  I'll have to use my body's own water storage to help me, making this plan dangerous.

Right when Dabi's about to burn me at my new hiding spot I jump out and summon all the water I've stored to mobilize.  Drown him!  A sphere of water forms just around his head.  In his moment of shocked hesitation before he strikes, I force the water to go down his airway to suffocate him.  He catches wind of exactly what I'm doing somehow, raising his hands to send another blast at me.  I summon another set of water from my costume stores to surround his hands to keep the explosion tamed.  Come on, fall unconscious already!

But it's curtains for me.  He's summoning a larger blast to his hands, neutralizing my watery protection around them and I don't have enough stored up to replenish it.  Desperately, I start using up the water inside my body.  Damn it hurry up!  I can't-!

I feel myself reach my limit just as he completely disintegrates my water seal with an explosion, sending me flying backwards down the street until I roll to a stop.  I'm exhausted, I can feel my blood pressure and heart rate dropping, and I'm too weak to try anything else.

Through my dizzied vision, Dabi staggers towards me, coughing and sputtering.  "Damn kid, you really almost had me."

It didn't work, I'm a failure.  I don't have the energy to say anything back.

"Get your hands off her!" a female voice resounds, and stomps reverberate through the ground.

"That's my cue."  I crack open an eye to see him smirk down at me before using his quirk to lift himself off the ground.  "Until we meet again, (Y/n) (L/n)."  He rocket away without a hitch.

Damn it...

After waking up in the emergency ward attached to an IV for my severe dehydration, Mirko tells me Dabi got away and she rushed me right over to the hospital to treat me since I was unconscious.  They won't let me leave until I've replenished all my stores and my urine's clear.

"Also, your teacher's coming to get you," my mentor adds.

Aizawa is going to kill me.

"OI!  WHICH ROOM IS IT?!"

Oh for fuck's sake, I know who else is gonna kill me.

Bakugou stomps in, his head trying to be held back by Aizawa's capture weapon to no avail.

"YOU DUMBASS-!" my boyfriend starts off before the scarf comes over his mouth to muffle his screams.

"This is a hospital, control yourself," Aizawa grits at him deathly and walks next to my hospital bed.  "I guess you did the best you could, but I won't praise you for almost getting yourself killed.  It was a good strategy, it would've worked if you had backup."  He pats my head before smirking.  "Bakugou was about to cry when you collapsed."

"SENSEI!"

"I'll leave you two alone to talk."

Him and Mirko step outside the room, leaving my high-strung boyfriend to rush me.  "Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was, you dumbass?!  You almost got yourself kill, look where you ended up...!"

I drown out his screaming, noticing how bloodshot his crimson eyes are from crying.  He was so worried about me.  I reach my hand up weakly and touch his cheek, cutting his reprimanding screams off short suddenly.  If I had the tears to cry, I would.  Instead, I offer him a tired, melancholy stare of affection.  "I'm sorry," I manage out.  "I know I said I wouldn't use up my own body's water, but I didn't want to die, Katsuki."

The aggression melts away from him face and his hand reaches up to hold mine.  "I guess it was instinctive," he admits, closing his eyes and I feel him start to tremble.  "Why would you face a villain like that alone?"

"I called for backup-"

"You should've stalled for as long as you could!" he sobs out, gripping my hand tighter.

My own body starts to well up, feeling the tickle in my eyes but no tears can escape.  "I tried," is my soft reply.  "I'm sorry."

Bakugou envelopes my body in his, trembling warmth blanketing me with his high emotions.  "What would I have done without you?  When I saw you get hit by that explosion, I almost lost it.  Did you think about how I would feel if you pulled something like that and didn't survive it?"

I feebly return his embrace, tangling my fingers in his puffy hair to comfort the sobs wracking his body.  "I'm here, Katsuki.  I could have been in a worse condition, but I'm still here now."

His trembling and cries slow down to a calming end, and he remains wrapping me with his affection.  "You did well, except the almost dying thing, I guess.  I'm proud of you for holding your own as long as you did against a villain like him."

"Wow, a compliment?  You must have really been shaken up," I poke fun at him to lighten the mood.

"I can be nice..." he mumbles into my neck.  "You better drink a whole ton of water so we can go back together.  Everyone else is worried about you too."

My mind wanders back to Dabi.  I'll have to face him again eventually, and he knows what I'll try to do in the future.  I'll need to be ready.  But until then, I have a hotheaded Pomeranian boyfriend to comfort me from my past and build towards my - hopefully, our - future.

~

Sequel

[cherrypieships]

the amusement park: chapter one

A/N: Hi all! This is my first fic posted here on my self ship blog! I’m really proud of this story, it’s gonna be a two-parter.

Ship: davey jacobs x pepper simmons (s/i), featuring my best friend V and my gf Khourey and their respective f/os, race higgins and jack kelly!

Summary: Some of the newsies head to Canobie lake's haunted house/amusement park. Pepper and Davey are the only non-couple.

The backseat of Race’s mom’s minivan was one of the last places Pepper wanted to be at 7 o’clock on a Friday morning. Yet here she was, awaiting their arrival to Canobie Lake Park’s annual Screemfest as she got crammed in next to Davey Jacobs.

Not that she disliked Davey. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Pepper liked Davey a whole lot. And that was exactly the problem. Here she was, in such close proximity to him that their knees knocked together every time Violet hit a pothole, harbouring a gigantic crush on her best friend. And everyone in the car knew beside him. And they were totally fifth- and sixth-wheeling on this trip.

It was fine.

Besides, Pepper was willing to endure a few hours pining quietly if it meant she could go on some sick roller coasters. So she sucked it up and tucked quietly into her seat.

Mickey turned around from the middle row and handed Pepper a piece of her chocolate croissant. “You cold back there?” She asked, wild red curls framing her face as she spoke.

After popping the pastry into her mouth, Pepper shrugged. “I’m fucking always cold.”

Jack tugged his hat up from where it rested over his eyes. “That is a fair point, she is always cold.” He said pointedly, and yelped when Pepper flicked the back of his head.

“I have poor circulation, dickhead.” She whined.

Race snickered from the passenger seat. “Good thing my dickhead doesn’t have poor circulation.” He quipped.

Though Pepper couldn’t see it, she could feel Violet rolling their eyes at their boyfriend. “I’m gonna file for divorce, Race.” They picked up their coffee and took a brief sip. “And I’m taking the kids.”

Beside her, Davey was digging around in the duffel bag he’d brought for the ride. He’d described it to Pepper as a ‘Minor Catastrophe Bag’, with a tiny first aid kit, nail clippers, some snacks, ibuprofen, pads, and a pair of tweezers. As much as she would have loved to gently bully him for being such a mother hen, she knew she’d be thanking him later through an inevitable headache. He straightened, finally, and emerged with a sweater. “Um, if you’re really cold,” He held it out to her. “You can wear this. It’s my backup but I’m pretty warm.” He said.

Pepper took the sweater in both hands with a gentle smile, trying to ignore the soft brush of his fingertips against hers. “You sure?” As much as she would love to immediately engulf herself in his clothes, it was Mid-October and she didn’t want to steal Davey’s source of warmth from him.

Like usual, he waved off her gentle concern. “I have my jacket and I’m wearing layers.” He explained, pushing the sweater towards her.

She took it in her hands, hoping and praying that the heat in her face wasn’t visible. “If you insist.” The teasing was playful, as it always had been. Their friendship had existed for years, the product of a few friend groups merging and discovering that they fit like puzzle pieces. Davey always gave up his cherry Starbursts to Pepper because they were her favorite. Pepper let Davey borrow her favorite poetry books. They spent summers at the pool together. Had napped, cried, laughed, celebrated together for what seemed like forever.

So why did wearing his clothes make her so much more flustered than anything before?

She slid the sweater on, enveloping herself in his scent- oh Christ she was dying- and did actually feel much better. Even though the dark blue didn’t exactly match her outfit.

Davey smiled at her. “When will you learn to dress for the weather?” He admonished gently.

“That’s why I keep you around.” Pepper said, rather than admitting that she was just forgetful and liked her outfit too much.

“Davey’s new occupation: Pepper’s coat rack.” Violet chimed in, handing their phone to Race to switch the song that was playing.

Davey sighed. “I’m really putting that college education to good use.”

The rest of the car ride went by relatively quickly, much to Pepper’s delight. They hopped out into the cool autumn air, cracked their cramped joints, and headed into the park. Davey thankfully left most of his supplies in the trunk of the minivan (save for the ibuprofen he’d managed to sneak into Pepper’s purse just in case), so they’d made it through security and into the place without much fuss as well.

Jack, ever the natural born leader of the bunch, snagged a map and immediately started planning their route for the day. He unfurled it in front of the group and, as Mickey curled into his side, eyed the pathways and rollercoasters thoughtfully. “So do you guys wanna start at the front and work our way back? Or the other way around?”

There was a beat of silence as everyone worked the thought over. “We should just head towards the back, I think everyone’s gotta start testing the rides first anyway.” Mickey piped up first.

Davey nodded. “Gives us more time.” He added.

They made the trek towards the back of the park, Mickey and Jack leading with the map.

Race sidled up beside Pepper and hip-checked her. “You been to these haunted houses before?” He asked, making reference to the night-time festivities. Once the sun set, the park released creepily-costumed actors to scare those who stayed, and previously blocked-off areas were transformed into small haunted houses. Truthfully, Pepper had never been to any haunted house, let alone ones set up at an amusement park.

So, she shook her head. “It’s my first haunted house, actually.” Something she’d confided in Mickey and Vi about.

Race feigned a gasp. “Well ain’t this a hell of a place to start!” He elbowed her, and she returned the gesture, their own weird little handshake.

“Are you serious?” Davey asked, his own elbow catching her shoulder, fucking ow, he’s bony.

Pepper nodded. “I was too scared when I was a kid, and then when I stopped being a baby, all that stuff with my mom happened, so I just never went.”

Davey hummed in acknowledgement, evidently eager to skip past the whole ‘my-mom-is-ill’ conversation. “Ah, well. If you need a buddy, I’m sure we’ll be left alone. Together.” He said, his head tilting to their friends, who had once again broken off into couples, leaving them to their own devices.

Shoving the impending smile down, she nodded. “I’m sure we will.”

“Well, we have a good, um,” He checked the watch on his wrist (the one with the brown leather strap that he wore with every outfit, even if Pepper told him it didn’t match, or that it was too clunky.) “Like, ten hours before we need to even think about that.”

She crumpled into a fit of giggles. “Perfect. I’m sure we’ll spend that time wisely.” She swatted his arm as he shoved his watch in front of her face.

---

They did not.

Six and a half hours later, the group stood in line at one of the concession stands, staring at the menu and nodding to the song playing in the background; some mid-2010s Kesha track that was making Vi go absolutely crazy.

Jack squinted at the chalkboard. “They don’t even have chicken tenders here?” He nudged Race. “They don’t even have chicken tenders here.”

Race nodded slowly, also squinting. Pepper wondered, briefly, if the pair needed glasses or if they were just trying to look contemplative. “Mickey’s gonna call it homophobic, you know.” He said.

“It is!” Mickey called dutifully from the table they had snagged for the gang to inevitably sit at. “I’ll take some cheese fries though!” To which Jack nodded and stepped up to the worker behind the plexiglass, beginning to list off the group’s orders.

Vi’s voice floated through Pepper’s ears. “Oh what a shame that you came here with someone,” they approached her, eyes closed and hands up by their shoulders as they got all the way into their performance. “My god, if they have candy apples at a stall somewhere, I’m gonna go buckwild.” They said suddenly, snapping out of their trance to stare at Pepper expectantly.

Before she could say anything, though, Davey stole the words from her mouth. “You are allergic to apples, V.” He chided, maybe more kindly than Pepper would have put it, but she was willing to overlook it for the sake of the way a small smile pulled at his mouth.

Violet dropped their hands. “Only a little bit.” They argued.

“A little bit allergic.” Davey repeated, and Pepper pressed her lips together firmly to fight off the grin at the exasperation in his voice.

“To apples, yes.” They nodded, and, evidently done with arguing, turned to keep Mickey company at the table.

Davey turned to Pepper, disbelief crossing his features. “Can you believe-”

“Yes.” She cut him off. “Yes I absolutely can believe it.” Pepper said, digging through her memory of the times V had pulled some similar shit; eating eleven mozzarella sticks despite their lactose intolerance, buying a Panic! At The Disco vinyl despite wanting Brendon Urie dead, and spending $40 on a Funko Pop figure of Spiderman Noir for no real reason other than some guy at a convention told them to.

Jack turned to his friends. “Okay I did the ordering, someone else has to do the collecting.” He announced, shoving the receipt with the order number on it towards Davey, who had inadvertently become Second In Command. Then, with a signature Jack Kelly Smug Smile, he stalked off to where V and Mickey were seated, Race following behind.

Great, Pepper thought, another conveniently timed moment alone with Davey. Briefly, she wondered if her friends had planned this ahead of time, and then she came to her senses and realized that yes, of course they had. Those conniving little weasels had been conspiring to get Davey to like her since senior prom.

She still remembered the way Mickey had shoved Davey at her when a slow song came on that night. Work Song by Hozier had drifted over the speakers, and V’s elbow caught her in the ribs as they growled a furious “Dance with him or I’ll fucking kill you.” and skipped off to sway with Racer. Pepper had stood on the dance floor, gaping as she watched Jack wink at Vi. Those two never got along about anything.

Davey’s hand had entered her field of vision, skin almost glowing under the light of the mirrorball. He’d smiled sheepishly, admitted that this was one of his favorite songs, and asked if she’d like to share a dance.

The strange thing was, she didn’t actually like Davey before that. At least she thought she didn’t. It wasn’t until she was cradled close to his chest, breathing in the smell of his soap and some soft, powdery cologne he frequented, that she found her heart pounding and her palms going clammy. And when he’d started humming against her hair, one hand in hers and the other around her waist, she knew she was absolutely fucked.

She’d started thinking about it and, yeah, it made sense to want to be with Davey. Handsome Davey, who sometimes made her laugh until soda came out her nose, and whose affinity for children’s cartoons made him the ideal conversation partner. Three years later, she was still in love with him.

And it was all her stupid, evil friends’ faults.

Back in the present, Davey tucked his hands in his pockets, his lips twisting as he lost himself in thought. “We’re gonna have so much shit to carry.” He murmured, exasperated at being the ones left behind.

“We sure are. At least you and Jack ordered drinks, so that’s more stuff to spill.” She twisted a long strand of hair around her finger.

Davey scoffed good-naturedly. “Yeah well you made me leave my water bottle in the car so I needed to be hydrated somehow.”

Pepper kicked at his shin with the toe of her sneaker. “And a caramel hot chocolate is the best way to stay hydrated?” She grinned up at him, watching him tuck the receipt into his back pocket and start moving for the pick-up window as the drink in question was called out.

He hummed in assent. “You bet it is.” He picked up the paper cup, taking a short sip and licking at his bottom lip. Pepper ignored the urge to run her thumb across it.

She must have been staring, because after a second, Davey held the cup out towards her. He didn’t say anything, didn’t need to. She loved chocolate and caramel, and always ran cold. He knew there was no way she’d have turned down a sip if he’d offered, so he must have decided to save his breath. She took the cup in her hands, the warmth emanating from it seeping pleasingly into her palms, and took a sip as well, subconsciously hoping to taste more than the drink. She licked her lips.

Davey watched her intently. He opened his mouth, ready to say something to her, when the order bell rang out. “Order sixty-nine!” The college girl behind the counter announced.

“Oh, fuck yes.” Race cackled from the table. V leaned into him, trying to hide their own laughter as Mickey gave him a high-five.

Pepper sighed, she should’ve known that would be their luck. The pair of them moved forward, Davey pushing in front of her to grab the tray before she could even reach for it. “I got it.” He mumbled, holding onto the plastic tray like a nervous Disney-Channel-Original-Movie teenager. “Grab the drinks, don’t worry about it.” And then he smiled up at her, a closed-lipped little smile that made her heart race as she picked up Jack’s orange soda.

Behind her, someone clicked their tongue. Pepper turned, making immediate eye contact with an older lady with greying black hair and soft folds in her skin, who gave her a knowing smile. “And they say chivalry is dead. You got yourself a sweet one, honey.” She said, then winked.

Pepper’s jaw went slack trying to think of a response. She turned back to Davey, whose eyebrows were so far up his face that they were basically in his hairline. “Oh God,” he said simply, “Um, thank you, ma’am.”

The woman laughed softly, leaned over and patted Pepper’s shoulder as if she knew something Pepper didn’t, and then disappeared into the line to order food.

There was a long, silent moment, where Pepper was racking her brain, searching every corner for something to say that would shift the air, move the mood from awkward to playful with a joke of some sort. She looked at him again, and he was staring at her, unblinking. There was a funny look on his face- regret maybe- his eyebrows low and his eyes a little soft. She wondered, distantly, if he was realizing that she was in love with him; if it was a look of pity-

“Hurry up with my goddamn cheese fries!” Mickey yelled, their hunger obviously taking control over their inhibition.

Without a second thought, Pepper turned on her heel and walked to where their friends were, leaving Davey and the unnerving encounter behind.

[criminalminds4days]

Family Matters | Chapter 10: Believer

Hello everyone!

I apologize for my lack of posting. I have barely survived midterms and I have found myself with a writers block once more. I am hopefully going to be able to give myself a little break between the end of the semester and after finals and the beginning of my summer courses. Thankfully I only have 2 summer classes so hopefully that will make it easier to post. 

I have some announcements coming up soon and I will hopefully finish writing the missing chapters for this story and only have to post and edit. So far, I have not been able to edit anymore so I apologize for any grammatical error. 

I really hope you are enjoying reading the story because I had a really great time writing it. Hope you have a great weekend!

I apologize for constant flashbacks but they are important to the plot, I promise!

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 4k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog​

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(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 10: Believer

"Very well, this seems like a good start." She said as she finished reading his confession. She moved towards the camera and turned it off, signaling that she would be taking the paper and would adhere to her part of the deal.

"What is she doing?" Spencer whispered to Emily. "Without a video confession, the written one can be considered coerced. We would be back at square one."

"There is the surveillance camera, genius."

"Of course she has a backup plan." He looked at the black camera, smiling at the knowledge.

"Now tell me, who left you, was it, mom or dad?"

"My dad." She readjusted in her seat. "How many victims did you kill total. We've found five, but it seems to me that is a low number for someone as angry as you."

"Fifteen, some of them are lost in the desert, some are by the arches, they should be found fairly soon." He shrugged and continued to look at her. "Why did he leave?"

"My mother got pregnant when she was young. It was a mistake, they didn't love each other. They married because of me, so it was only a matter of time before they broke, and break they did." She fought the urge to look back, hoping that nobody aside from Hotch would review the security tape. "Did you kill your father?"

"First one. He's in the arches, his favorite place in the world."

"Did your mom not accept his apology?"

"Well, he didn't really apologize until I had a gun to his head, but my mother was always kind, so she forgave him."

"Why did you kill him then?"

"I didn't forgive him." He winked at her. "Did you look for him?"

"I did."

"And?"

"That's your fourth question."

"I don't care, I want to know."

"He is dead. As dead as can be." She said out loud for the first time. "I hired a private investigator and found he crashed his car two years after he left us."

"Karma is a bitch."

"Why keep killing if you got rid of him?"

"For the same reason, you joined the FBI." He smiled at her, "to show my dad that he wasn't gonna dictate my life. That I was not going to let him be my end goal."

"It seems to me he is. You tracked him down, killed him. For some that might be enough. But you never got closure so you decided to pray on people who made mistakes. Where did you find them?"

"I worked at a counselors office."

"Well, that is rather obvious now. Maybe you should have gotten some help yourself." She stood, ready to leave the room, "hope you enjoy prison." She turned to exit the room.

"My final question, if you had found him, what would you have said?"

"I don't know." She responded.

"Bullshit."

"Well, I couldn't  ask him why  he left because I already know that, so I don't really know what I would have said." She turned to him, "what did you tell him?"

"I told him trousers weren't his thing." He stood, the handcuffs falling from his hands as his smile grew wider. "You should really be more careful with what you leave laying here, doctor."She reached for her gun but everything happened so fast she had no time to fire it. He seemed to run into the wall, only this one was not as hard as it seemed and a giant chunk collapsed as he made his way through, and just like that he had exited the station. Prentiss and Reid rushed in and through the now giant hole in the station but the man was nowhere to be found. Lucas Heavensbee had just vanished on her watch.

"Fuck!" She yelled and made her way to the office, the team was now making their way to the interrogation room but stopped in their tracks as they saw her approach. "I need access to the security cameras, now." She moved towards the security office and asked for the feed of the last couple of weeks to be played, there she found there were about three days missing. "He planned this, and someone helped him. He knew exactly what he was doing. That bastard played us!" She rushed out and into an SUV, driving directly to his house that was now under surveillance. She looked around, looking for anything that would indicate he had been there. It was fast to spot it, he had managed to slide through the police cars and left a note for her.

I just wanted to make sure you knew this had nothing to do with you doctor, but I simply can't let my father win. I am sure we will hear from each other, and then we can converse from one orphan to another. Until then.

She was ready to show the note to them, as Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid made their way through the house. The note was still crumpled in her hand, but as the local police entered she decided against it. The two agents were the best people she had ever met, she knew it since the moment she joined the FBI, and she knew they were trying to make her feel better about the whole situation, but there were some things she couldn't get past. This man had killed fifteen people and kidnapped so many more and he had slipped right through her fingers. He had made a fool of her, and she would be damned if she didn't catch him. Telling Emily and Spencer would worry them, and they would be on her case about it becoming an obsession, just like she had done after their first case.

One year ago (I think?)

Her leg bounced as she drove with the social worker and two of her co-workers. This was her first big assignment, and she wasn't sure she would measure up. It was also important to note that while Emily and she tended to get along well, Spencer and she hadn't spoken almost at all since the sweater incident.

"Should I introduce you as FBI agents?"

"No, I think it's best if we come as social workers, there is less hostility." Prentiss' said as she gave both Reid and her their fake badges. She placed her FBI ID inside her bag and took a deep breath, it was a simple mission, they would be in and out.

Never, and I mean never, say something will be easy, as this almost assures you that is not the case. The social worker, whose name was Daisy, had been shot and was now dead. They had become trapped in the middle of a war between the cult leaders and the local police. It's as if the universe wished to remind her just how much bad luck she could have.

She heard them talking to the FBI, and food had been delivered so she assumed they had implanted microphones. Now they had to find a way to communicate with them and let them know what they had concluded.

"Which one of you is it?" The man said as he pointed a gun at them.

"Are we playing tag?" She asked stupidly, earning a glare from her partners.

"Do you think this is a joke? Which one of you is the FBI agent?" She turned to look at the woman and man, trying her hardest not to freak out.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer asked, clearly nervous.

"I will ask you one more time, and if none of you tell me I will not hesitate to shoot all three of you. Which one is the FBI agent?"

She saw Emily stir and knew she had to act fast if she wanted to save her. "I am." She said before either of them could stop her. "I'm the FBI agent. Though I'm fairly new so I don't really have that many secrets to tell. I was barely cleared to be on the field. If you really think about it, I'm not very helpful, so I think maybe if you let it slide I could-" she felt a fist connect with her right cheekbone, silencing her.

"Take her to the back." He instructed one of the men. She gave one last reassuring glance to her teammates, hoping this wouldn't be the last time she saw them.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the door to the room she was in opened and Ben came in. You would think that having a name like Benjamin wouldn't exactly command respect, but she wasn't one to judge cults.

"Why are you here?"

"Because you told your men to lock me here." He slapped her across the face.

"Who sent you?"

"My boss?" Her response was received with another slap.

"Do you think this is a joke?"

"I think that you need to feel powerful because a part of you knows you're not enough." She spoke hoping her team could hear part of their discovery, even if she was receiving punches from the man as she continued. "You think you can get away with stuff because you prayed on the week, but deep down you know that there are people here who could stand up to you, and if they did you would be done for." She felt a warm liquid fall from her lips as he continued to beat her. "I know you pray on young girls. You're nothing more than a pedophile that uses the bible as a way to manipulate women to give their children to you." As she fell he started kicking her and she tried to avoid making noise, but the pain was too much. "This is nothing, I've dealt with worse." She spoke, hoping they would understand. "I've dealt with much worse, this is nothing."

"Who do you think you are?!" The man said, enraged at her defiance.

"Nobody, just the one person that knows you better than you know yourself." That earned her the hardest hit, and she knew she wouldn't be conscious for much longer, she had to let them know. "Your suicide won't work, there are people that are skeptical and you know it. This isn't about God, or even your preferences, this is about you Ben, and how you are so terrified to go back to prison you are willing to kill your followers to avoid it, because you know they would see right through your act, you are nothing but a coward." The last kick took place and the man left the room. "Don't change the plan, I'm okay." She whispered, hoping they could hear her, wishing that even if she died right then and there, they could save the people trapped in this church.

When she woke, a woman was there tending her wounds. "Be careful, I think you might have some broken ribs."

"Don't tell Ben, he might come and finish me off" she joked, but the woman gave her a pointed look as if letting her know that was a possibility. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"I don't know, maybe a couple of hours. They will come and get you for the ceremony, use you as an example."

"That's okay, I've always wanted to be one of those."

"This is not a joke girl, he's dangerous."

"I know. The trick is to have nothing to lose."

"Well, I have a daughter."

"Ben's wife, right?" The woman flinched at the mention. "You're not okay with that, are you?" And then, the pieces of the puzzle fit together. "You made the call, didn't you?" Before the woman could confirm her suspicion, a man entered and pulled her up, not worrying if her body ached, and took her to the church. She used the door frame to help her stabilize herself and took in the sight before her. It was still light, but with the time she lost she couldn't be sure how much time they actually had left. Emily and her locked eyes and she approached, her eyes full of worry, but her facial expression was one of pure anger and hatred. "On a scale of one to ten, how much do you hate me?"

"How could you lie to us?" She asked, and as the men made their way to the front, her tone didn't change, but her questions did. "Are you crazy? Why would you do such a stupid thing? They could have killed you."

"I know, but it was either me or all three of us. Besides, I'm fine. We need you and Reid on the inside."

"This is reckless behavior."

"I know, but you were about to do the same."

"I have experience."

"Exactly, I can be a scapegoat."

"You are the most stubborn person I have ever met."

"I know, it's a gift. Now listen, I think there are mics, in the food, and if I'm right, I think I have been able to feed some information to the team, but we need to figure out when this massive suicide will take place."

Emily nodded and gave her an apologetic look before shoving her harshly. She fought the urge not to wince but it was almost impossible with her broken ribs. "You are a disgrace to this country, and I hope whoever you work for knows that they will not get away with it."

Ben looked over and stared at her, and despite her pain and the fear of another beating, she stared him down, letting him know that he would not get the best of her. She was gonna save as many people as possible and he could suck it. He was just another man who thought they were invisible because they weren't afraid to beat you up.

Spencer observed the interaction and the defiance she had amazed him. Despite the bruises and the swelling of her eye, not once did she lower her gaze or show any sign of weakness. Never in his life had he felt so attracted to someone as he did right then and there, but now was not the time to daydream of your coworkers, especially when they could be on the verge of dying.

As the day progressed, she continued to look for ways to tell the team, finally resorting to using the window to write a message. When she was younger she used to huff into a window to create fog and used it to write, so she did the same, letting the team know she could possibly convince some people to exit and they could come in after.

"What are you doing?" The woman from earlier spoke as she entered the room.

"If I'm gonna die, I might as well go doing something I like. Fog drawings." She said and covered her work. "Listen, don't ask me how I know this, but the FBI might strike tonight and if they do, he's not gonna cooperate, we need to get as many people as possible out."

"No, I can't do that."

"Please, I know you're scared, I'm terrified right now. I might have peed my pants earlier today, but that's not the point. The point is we need to save as many people as possible. Please help me get them out." Through the window she saw a figure, holding three fingers up. She nodded and turned back to the woman.

"Three a.m.?"

"You saw him too?"

"Yeah, one would think the FBI would be a little more discrete."

"We have our moments. Now please, make sure to get everyone out before then." The woman sighed and nodded, agreeing to the plan. "And one more thing, the people I came with, how are they?"

"Are they also agents?"

"No, of course not. I just dragged them into this and feel responsible for them. They are good people."

"The man seems to be fascinated by Ben, and vice versa. The woman keeps pacing around as if hoping for enlightenment. She has talked to some people though."

"Okay good. Please make sure to get them out too." After she left and closed the door, the woman sat down, her injuries making it hard to breathe. "I don't know where I am, or how to get out, but that will not change the plans okay? I need to make sure all these people are safe."

She wished she could hear someone ensuring her that would be the case, but there was no answer. She felt herself get dizzy and knew there was definitely internal damage that would take time to heal. Turns out her mother was wrong, money couldn't get you out of everything. It felt like an eternity, but she knew the time was approaching. She saw and more and more dark figures gathered around the church. She even caught a glimpse of Derek, who seemed to be looking around, as if hoping he could find her. She huffed one last time and wrote a message to him.

The door opened and nobody came in. She knew what it meant, so she gathered her remaining strength and walked out. Everything was dark and she could hear Spencer's voice coming from the main room. She followed it and stopped as she noticed him trying to talk a man down from placing explosives. She cursed under her breath. She stepped forward only to be pulled back by someone.

"Don't even think about it." The man said.

"Derek, we need to help him."

"I know, I'll go, join the rest. Everyone is already out."

"But-"

"Go!" She began walking out before it all happened. Reid ran towards them and Derek pulled the both of them to the nearest and hopefully safest area before a sharp pain on her head made her vision blurry and soon after she lost consciousness.

"I think she will appreciate it if you showered." She heard someone say, once she finally regained consciousness.

"Well, then she can tell me that herself." Another voice responded.

"Emily, you and Spencer have been here for a week. You need to go to the hotel and rest. At least the kid has been using the shower."

"I am not leaving until she wakes up. That includes leaving to bathe."

"Neither am I." A third voice added to the mix. "Though I can't say the same thing about avoiding water."

"How am I supposed to leave if I can't trust the two of you to take care of yourselves?"

"Easy, your flight leaves in less than an hour and you are still here. Unless you want to be paying fees you will get out of here."

There was a sigh of resignation before the voice spoke once more. "Reid, you're in charge until she wakes up. Then she's in charge."

"You're gonna put the one of us that was hit in the head 'in charge'? What does that even mean?" The female voice complained.

"I have made my decision. Maybe if you showered, things would be different." The voice faded, and the steps of the person became less clear, so she assumed the person was leaving.

"I think Morgan is right, you should take a shower."

"Don't make me hurt you, Reid."

"It was just a suggestion."

She didn't want to interrupt their banter, but her urge to sneeze was bigger, so she let her body do its thing. Though it is important to let you know that sneezing with broken ribs is horrible.

"She's awake!" Emily screamed and launched herself onto the bed. She started crying from pain after the action. "You're so happy you're crying!"

"Prentiss, that might be because you just jumped on her ribs." The man clarified as he stood, placing his hand on hers. The feeling was foreign, but she could let it slide once.

"I am so sorry! But I am so happy you're awake."

"What happened?"

"After the explosion, you hit your head, and because you already had injuries your body gave out, exhausted. Thankfully the ambulance was already there and we could rush you to the hospital. You've been sleeping for a good week." He explained.

"Well, then I don't get a lazy day for another three months." She joked and the two joined her. "How are the believers?"

"They're all safe and accounted for. Sadly we lost Ben's wife."

"Does her mom know?"

"Yes, but she wanted me to tell you she doesn't blame you and hopes you do get better." There was a moment of silence, as she processed the message, as well as her guilt.

"And I want you to know I ate your Jell-O." This caused her to laugh again. No matter how painful it felt, she was glad to be alive.

"Remind me to never get stuck in a hospital under the care of Spencer Reid. He'll eat my Jell-O."

"Let's make it a no trip to the hospital policy."

"Do I need to remind you where we work?" The woman shook her head, and both of them looked at her with a heartwarming smile. "I hate to break this moment, but please go shower, Prentiss."

"Ugh, fine." She placed a kiss on her forehead and moved out. "Reid, if anything happens, call me. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Got it."

She walked out and the two remained silent for a couple of minutes. Their hands were still together and she squeezed it to get his attention. "How are you doing? I wasn't the only one that got caught in the blast."

"I'm good. Morgan and I barely had a scratch, they cleared us that same day."

"That's good. What about the rest of the team?"

"They are all good. They wanted to stay but they had another case, Hotch said your family was out of reach so Emily and I refused to leave. Morgan also stayed behind but they called him up today, without three agents they needed all the help they could get."

"You guys didn't need to stay." She assured him. His grip on her hand tightened, enough to let her know he wasn't letting go, but not enough to hurt her.

"You could've died. Because of me."

"That's not true and you know it."

"I should've said I was the agent."

"We both know the reason he didn't kill me was that I'm a woman. You wouldn't have been so lucky."

"Still."

"Reid, listen to me. This is not your fault, and this is not Emily's fault either. I knew what I was getting into, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"You are one stubborn woman."

"I know." She smiled at him, "now please go find me some Jell-O."

He laughed, but nodded, letting go of her hand. Just before he exited the room he turned and gave her the most endearing look she had ever seen, "thank you, for saving our lives. I'll never forget that."

"Good, that way I can ask for favors at any time." They both chuckled and he left the room hunting for the dessert.

The reality in her brain, however, was not as calm as she portrayed. For months she had obsessed over what she had done wrong, and she had spent sleepless nights thanks to her recurring nightmare, in which Ben didn't hesitate to pull the trigger, and as she watched Spencer and Emily's bodies lie in a pool of blood. This alone was enough to make her train and perfect her skills, to the point of complete exhaustion. She wasn't going to fail, not again.

That was until Lucas Heavensbee had brought her right back to her dark hole.

[shardminds]

okay i know in the grand scheme of things it’s been about 5 minutes since i got into spn and about 4.5 seconds since i started following spn blogs on tumblr but i just want 2 share some stuff re: what i would have liked to happen in my ideal ending. spoilers below.

number 1, sam and eileen endgame. after losing her in 15x18 and trying so hard to hold it together, sam’s quite obviously devvo’d. man’s a mess but he can’t let himself fall apart. 15x19 happens and everyone chuck disintegrated faster than communion wafers comes back and the FIRST thing sam does? calls eileen. high tails it out of there. speed limits who? there’s a heartwarming moment. maybe an ‘i love you’ or maybe not but it’s touching and heart wrenching and everyone cries and it’s nice. there you go, sam winchester. not only did you help save the world, but you got a happy ending in the process. eileen moves into the mol bunker. don’t @ me. she’s also great with miracle. and, in the long run, kids.  

number 2, deancas. my whole thing is, if they didn’t want canon deancas ending, why have cas confess? like i get the empty deal and i understand ‘happiness isn’t in the having, it’s in just being. it’s in just saying it’ but... if u didn’t want people to swarm on the possibility of deancas... why include it at all? especially for it to never be mentioned again. for cas, a man/angel/being of celestial intent that had spent like... 12(?) years at this point in sam and dean’s lives. you’re gonna tell me they just... let him sacrifice himself and then dip? ok. seems we have been watching different shows. or the same show from different perspectives. so, hear me out. dean says it back. maybe not in as many words or he pulls a hans solo ‘i know’. okay so they beat the shit out of The Literal Abrahamic God later to supercharge jack faster than shotgunning three monster energy mango locos ever could and leave chuck belly up in the mud like the invertebrate he proved himself to be and jack is Thee God now and dean just straight up asks. give that to me. give me the “please, jack.” and dean, so close to breaking, holding himself together with nothing but pure strength of will and residual adrenaline. give me jack’s reluctance, give me his admission of not wanting to mutate into the same megalomaniac chuck proved himself to be,using the winchesters as chess pieces in his own game. give me his humanity. the parts he inherited from kelly. give me his humanity and his grief and his loss and—castiel was his father, for fucks sake! he lost a father and a mother and he’s about to lose the only family he ever had. yes, he’ll be omnipresent—a perk of the job—but he’ll never be there in the way they want. so let him do this. there’s like a whole genesis parallel, you know all ‘the lord said let there be light, and there was light’ only not as on the nose as that. jack’s one selfish act before he himself, combined with amara, ascends. he does his whole speech. i’ll be in every drop of falling rain etc etc and then he dips. only, he’s gone and when dean turns around. cas is there. boom. 

there’s no kiss. no explicit ‘hello look at this confirmed gay angel and his human hunter ??sexual friend making out’ because that too much too fast. dean has spent the past 15 seasons trying to unfuck himself from the damage john winchester left behind (the nun hunt on his 17th birthday? lebanon? i will meet john winchester in the pit.) and as close as he is to finally just allowing himself to be himself, he’s not quite there yet. but the relief on his face. the—i’m gonna say it—love in his expression. cas’s confession clearly affected him, just look at 15x18. maybe dean doesn’t know what that means yet. maybe he does. but there’s a hug. an embrace. one of those that says ‘i don’t know why or how i like you, fruity little angel man, but i do and i’m not letting go’. it lasts a beat too long. maybe there’s tears. i’ll leave that up to jackles jacting joices.

number 3, michael sacrifices himself to save adam. OKAY SO THE WHOLE MICHAEL STORYLINE IN 15x19? BULLSHIT. especially with the adamichael scene in 15x08? where it is canonically confirmed that, after spending a real life decade (which is OVER ONE THOUSAND YEARS in hell time. 4 months = 40 years so 10 years or 120 months = 1200 years) trapped in the cage together, they became friends and shared control of the vessel. michael considered adam his guide on earth. michael. MICHAEL. M I C H A E L. seeing how spn painted him as one of, if not, THE most powerful and fearsome angel? man’s whipped. and then he loses adam when chuck has his thanos snap moment. imagine sharing a vessel with someone for twelve. hundred. years. and then being completely alone in a world you don’t know. how maddening for there to be only silence in your head. the fact that they then rammed this bs of him being jealous of lucifer for being ‘daddy’s favourite’ was exactly that. bullshit. no no no, my friends. michael was playing his own game; crossing the winchesters for chuck but actually, crossing chuck for his own gain. he learns of the winchesters plan to utilise the fact that jack is the power hungry equivalent of a shamwow and uses that to his own gain. i haven’t figured out the particulars but when chuck beats the shit out of michael, he kills the angel but leaves the vessel (think like jack at the end of s14). michael the winchesters think michael died a snivelling god fearing soldier. and then, when jack does his whole thing, up wakes adam. the winchesters take him in and explain what went down when he, you know. and adam lets them know that no, michaels not like that etc etc he did it for me etc he did it to save me. michael’s fall was imperative to the destruction of god. and, for that, he will always be remembered. adam’s not a hunter, but he stays at the bunker anyway. he has nowhere else to go. 

number 4, episode 15x20. what do you mean dean and sam both die? not in this universe i carry inside my head they don’t! this episode is just a bunch of scenes from throughout the years. you might think it boring but i think it’s great and this is my post so u can’t tell me what 2 do. dean opens up a bar for hunters a la 14x10 and has pictures on all the walls of all the fallen hunters and friends that have helped them throughout the years. you want a picture on the wall for a friend you lost? sure! just bring a photo and tack it on up there. out of sight, kept to the wall of the office, they keep pictures of the non-humans that helped. it’s private. a reminder. sam and eileen stop by a couple times a week if they can. jody and donna make the rounds with the girls too if work allows. or they come on their own. the girls are old enough to take care of themselves now. claire pops in when she can, always bringing a present for cas (despite him reprimanding her for doing so) and dean is always happy to see her. she doesn’t text enough. 

sam sets up the bunker as a base for hunters again, trying to get a system up and running like before where hunters can check in and get help and use the weapons and resources they have for cases. 

they don’t deal with heaven anymore. they haven’t seen jack since he disappeared but they also haven’t had any angel troubles either. maybe it’s because there are so few. castiel helps a lot as he still has his grace—although he’s still unable to teleport and he seems to be aging, trapped in some kind of space between. not angel and not human and definitely not nephilim. he’s powerful and powerless at the same time. he doesn’t complain about this, knowing what it means. it’s a kindness. 

rowena is also on side, mostly, although she has her own gain in mind always. they have the stray demon that pops up every now and again but she– uh... prefers to make an example of them using her own methods. sam has learned not to question it. she teases him incessantly, as usual. 

also, stay at home dad sam. eileen jumps back into hunting. they’ve had conversations—arguments—about it before. he doesn’t want to turn into his father, driven mad chasing mary’s ghost if something were to happen. she refuses to even entertain the thought of that. yelling “you are a lot of things, sam winchester. your father is not one of them.” and at the end of the day, there’s a mutual trust there and he knows she won’t put herself in unnecessary risk, and he 100% roped dean in to jumping on as backup if and when she needs it. the kid(s) are raised love and cherished and surrounded by family. sam also learns how to sign one handed with a baby on his hip. it’s adorable.

anyway we never have to find out about heaven because no one dies thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[sapphire-weapon]

I’m too shy to talk off anon but I’m so glad to find some Rufus thirst solidarity here. I was a bit bummed he didn’t have much spotlight in this part but his boss fight made up for it (those lines he says 🥵). Unless squareenix makes more drastic changes, imagine if Junon is in the next episode and hope we’ll see more of him

don’t be shy! you’re more than welcome here. i’ve met so many new people in the past two weeks because this blog has become a hub for all of us to gather and thirst. please feel free to use me as a soundboard for ur thoughts and thirst.

that having been said

I’M GONNA TALK ABOUT SPOILERS IN MY RESPONSE so i’m putting it under a cut. it’s vague spoilers about the remake and explicit spoilers for OG and the compilation.

i am pretty sure that squenix is going to keep making drastic changes. the entire point of the final chapter of the remake was to throw out the rest of the OG’s script and to let the audience know that things are going to be Very Different moving forward.

but i also think that we’re going to be seeing a lot more of him. the truth is that rufus didn’t really do much in OG. his role in the OG (beyond midgar) is basically:

1. making us play through the parade section (which even i didn’t like doing, those mechanics were ass)

2. saving the party at the north crater

3. trying to execute barret & tifa

4. trying to blow up meteor with a rocket (which really actually was scarlet’s idea but rufus signed off on it because he was literally out of ideas at that point).

5. killing sapphire & diamond weapon

6. destroying the barrier around the north crater

considering how long the OG is and how much actually happens in that game, rufus’s role is pretty fucking limited. and also considering how BIG OF A DEAL the remake made shinra, he would have to play a bigger role just by default. shinra really falls into background noise after midgar in the original game, but midgar in the OG is 4 hours maximum. this was a 30-hour tribute to shinra’s power and villainy that can’t just be pushed aside in the following games.

but since i DO believe that the subsequent games are going to heavily diverge from canon, we have to take a look at rufus’s character as a whole and what he did in the entire rest of the compilation, too.

in before crisis, he:

1. funded avalanche and fed them with info

prior to and during advent children, he:

1. anonymously opens hospitals after meteorfall and oversees the distribution of painkillers and medicine to people suffering from geostigma

2. excavates jenova’s head, keeps it hidden on his person at a danger to his own life, and eventually destroys it so that the villains cannot win

3. plays excellent politics with kadaj to buy cloud and co. time

4. gives cloud assistance & backup in the form of the turks, even after cloud shoots him down and tells him to go fuck himself

and in dirge of cerberus, he:

1. anonymously funds the WRO

if you look at every list as a whole, the number of rufus’s heroic actions vastly outnumber his villainous ones. the only truly villainous thing he does is try to execute barret & tifa, but as i said in my last post, even that could’ve been a ploy. he filled the role of a villain in a narrative sense in OG (and to some extent, before crisis), but it was only because his selfish motivations at the time. he doesn’t become actually selfless until after diamond weapon blows up his office.

considering the fact that the remake has already stripped him of his callousness and his selfish motivations (as far as we know – maybe it’ll come up in the sequel, but i really tend to doubt it), the fact that the turks have consciences real goddamn early in the grand scheme of things now, and looking at what squenix did with his character in the later compilation, i really think we’re going to see him take a more active role in the remake sequels as either an antihero or a reluctant ally.

in order to do this, squenix has to give him more screentime. they have to re-establish his character completely, because he will no longer be a selfish dickhead villain who falls from grace and eventually is redeemed. he’ll be something else entirely.

which is really goddamn interesting. they’ve kept his confidence, his poise, his charisma, and his ego, so he’s still the same character, he just won’t play the same role. which means squenix has to do the work with him in order for the audience not just to buy it, but to understand who he is and where he’s coming from.

i’m looking forward to it. i’ve always felt that rufus had it in him to actually be a great leader, but by the time that he realizes it, shinra’s done and gone. it will be a lot of fun to see it actually come to pass this time around.

[flowerfan2]

Group Texts Are Ridiculous (Or, Five-0 Starts a Group Text) - Chapter 4

Hi all!  Here’s Chapter 4 (of 5); then there will be an epilogue/short follow-up in the series, and possibly more.  If you’re enjoying this, could you please re-blog it?  I’m trying to figure out whether it is still worth posting fic on tumblr as it seems the large majority (almost all? 99%?) of my readers are on A03.

Many thanks, and enjoy this one (which could also be titled “Danny’s Kiss Is Magic”).

McDanno, T, A03, 7,500 words so far

Chapter 4

August 4, 2020

DW:  Ok, I just sent you what I could put together.

SM:  Thanks, I appreciate it.

DW:  Be smart about it, though.  

SM:  What’s that supposed to mean?

DW:  Have a game plan.  Think before you act.

SM:  Are you implying I’m not capable of carrying this out?

DW:  I know you, you get carried away.

 SM:  So I’m too impulsive?

 DW:  You said it, not me.

 SM:  I hardly think it’s relevant here.

 DW:  Fine, whatever.  Get yourself killed.  See if I care.

 TR:  Cough.  Group text.

 SM:  Hey, Tani.  What’s up?

 TR:  Not much.  Just minding my own business here at headquarters.  

 JG:  You guys should probably take me out of this group now.

 SM:  Any good cases?

 TR:  Pretty quiet, actually.  Except for the stomping coming from Danny’s office.  Towards mine.  I better get off the phone.

  <b>August 5, 2020</b>

 JR:  Saw the texts from yesterday.  Are we helping Steve with an op?

 DW:  “We” aren’t helping Steve with anything.  

 JR:  Okay.  But you know I’ll help out, if there’s anything you need.  

 DW:  Thanks, Junior.  Focus on the perp you’ve got in the back seat of your car for now.

 JR:  Yes sir.

 TR:  You know we’d all help.  Even Grover, I bet.

 DW:  While I appreciate the offer, what I’d really like is to get a confession in the case we’re actually working at this very moment.

 TR:  So, what, you want us to bring this guy in so you can talk to him?

 DW:  Something like that, yes.

 LG:  You’re really getting the hang of this boss thing, Danny.

 DW:  **middle finger emoji**

  <b>August 15, 2020</b>

 LG:  Is Danny with any of you guys?

 TR:  Nope.  He left RumFire before we even ordered a second round.  Seemed distracted.

 LG:  Where did he go?  He’s not answering his phone.

 TR:  I don’t know, home, I guess?

 <i>TR changed the name of the group text to</i> <b>Danny please answer your phone</b>

 LG:  Is Junior there?  Can he check?

 JR:  I’m at Tani’s.  What’s wrong?

 LG:  I got a call from Kono.  I need to find Danny.

 QL:  I can go over to Steve’s place and see if Danny’s there, I’m closest.

 LG:  Thanks, Quinn.  Go now.

 JR:  He might be at headquarters.  

 LG:  It’s past midnight on a Friday.  I doubt paperwork is that interesting.

 JR:  Sometimes he hangs out there, on the couch.

 LG:  Are you telling me he’s sleeping at the office, Junior?

 JR:  He didn’t want me to tell anyone.  I guess the house seems kind of weird without Steve.

 LG:  We’ll come back to that – for now, one of you get over to headquarters and see if Danny’s there.

 TR:  Lou, what are you not telling us?  What’s wrong with Kono?

 LG:  Kono’s fine, just find Danny.  

 TR:  Is she still hunting down sex traffickers?  Oh fuck, I bet Steve was helping her with an op.  That’s what those texts from Danny were about, sending Steve intel.

 JR:  Is Steve ok?  Does he need our help?

 LG:  Calm down, Junior.  You’re not going anywhere.

 QL:  I’m at the house.  I used the key in the hiding place when Danny didn’t answer the door right away. Eddie’s not much of a guard dog, he’s just licking me.

 LG:  He knows you.  Is Danny there?

 QL:  Hang on, I’m going upstairs.  He’s not going to jump around a corner and shoot me, is he?

 LG:  Let’s hope not.

 QL:  Okay, Danny’s here, he was just asleep.  But he’s awake now.  

 LG:  Tell him to call Kono immediately.

 QL:  He’s doing it now.

 TR:  Quinn, what is she saying?  What’s going on?

 QL:  He didn’t tell me.  Did you know Danny gets dressed crazy fast?

 QL: He’s got a go bag under his bed. Not sure they’ll let him take those guns on the plane.

 TR:  Ask him if we can help.  We can meet him at the airport.

 QL:  Too late, he’s gone.  

 TR:  Is Steve okay?

 QL:  I don’t know.  Damn.

 LG:  Sit down and breathe, Quinn.  

 QL:  I’m all right.  But shit. I’ve never seen Danny look like that.

 LG:  Like what?

 QL:  Terrified.

  <b>August 17, 2020</b>

 JR:  Ok, how long do we wait before we call in the calvary?

 JR:  *cavalry

 TR:  Backup?

 JR:  Yes.  

 TR:  We don’t even know where they are.

 JR:  Other than Danny rented a car at the airport in Seattle yesterday morning.

 TR:  How do we know that, exactly?  And why didn’t you tell me?

 JR:  You didn’t ask.  And Jerry is tracing Danny’s credit card.

 TR:  This is nuts.

 JR:  I’m gonna go to Seattle.  I’ll call Danny when I get there.  If I’m already there, he won’t tell me to stay home.

 LG:  No, but I’ll tell you, right now.  Stay where you are.

 JR:  This group text thing may have been a mistake.

 TR:  You think?

 LG:  Just listen for a minute. I heard from Kono.  No need for backup.

 TR:  Are you going to tell us more or what?  

 KK:  Guys, Steve is ok, and so is Danny.  You can relax.

 LG:  Kono, these kids are going to bite my head off if you don’t give them some details.

 KK:  First off we’re sorry we didn’t get in touch sooner – Danny wanted me to call Lou last night as soon as Steve was out of danger, but then things got a little hairy.

 QL:  But now?

 KK:  It’s all good.

 LG:  Maybe you should start from the beginning?

 KK:  Too long to text the whole thing, but you know Steve was helping me on an op.  One of the people financing a sex trafficking ring was rumored to be in the area, and we set him up.  During the take down Steve got hurt, but he’s going to be okay.

 TR:  What happened?

 KK:  He kind of jumped through a plate glass window and out of a building to get away from a bomb.  But we caught the bad guy, so he’s pretty pleased with himself.

 TR:  I see why Danny is particularly annoyed when I do that kind of thing.

 KK:  Steve got pretty banged up, and some glass got in his eye, but the doctors say he’s doing well now.  Had to have surgery last night, though, there was some internal bleeding they didn’t catch right away.

 JR:  Why isn’t Steve texting us, or Danny?

 KK:  They’re both asleep.  It was kind of a tough night for both of them.

 KK:  [Photo - SteveandDanny.jpg – 8.17.2020]

 TR:  Awww.  Danny looks so small.  Look at him tucked in there between Steve’s side and the bed railing, all snuggled up against Steve.  

 KK:  Doesn’t he look tiny?  I know people always say patients in hospital beds look small, but with Danny slotted in there right next to him, Steve looks normal sized.

 LG:  Actually he looks like he crashed through a plate glass window, but I suppose that’s normal for him.

 QL:  Steve’s holding on to Danny even in his sleep.  I’m dying here.

 JR:  Is it ok to ask if Steve’s gonna lose his eye?  That bandage looks serious.

 KK:  So far the doc says it should heal, with minimal vision loss. But it’s too soon to tell for sure. He might need another surgery.

 TR:  I’m saving this picture forever.  I can’t believe the hospital staff let Danny climb into bed with Steve.

 KK:  By the time this happened Danny really didn’t care what anyone else had to say on the subject.  

 TR:  I can imagine.

 KK:  You guys could have given me a heads’ up, you know.  Would have saved some drama yesterday.

 LG:  What do you mean?

 KK:  Danny barreled in here looking for Steve, calling himself his partner, and then there was a bit of a scuffle about what partner meant.  

 TR:  Well, they’re not exactly partner-partners.  Just work partners.

 KK:  You sure?

 TR:  They’re pretty touchy-feely, but they certainly don’t share a bed.

 JR:  Usually.  Unless I’m in the guest room when Danny’s over.

 TR:  Excuse me?

 JR:  The couch is bad for Danny’s back, and Steve refused to let me give up my room for Danny.  So they both sleep in Steve’s room.

 TR:  Were you ever going to mention this?  Or is this one of those respect for your superior officer things?

 JR:  I plead the fifth.

 KK:  Well the cat’s out of the bag now.

 JR:  I don’t think we should assume they’re together, not until they tell us.

 KK:  Okay, but after seeing the big ol’ kiss Danny planted on Steve in front of the entire ICU, I’m feeling fairly confident this isn’t platonic anymore.

 KK:  Steve’s reaction was priceless, too.  He grinned like you wouldn’t believe, brighter than the Hawaii sun, and then pulled Danny down to kiss him back.  

 LG:  Hot damn.

 TR changed the name of the group text to Danny’s Kiss Is Magic

[five-wow]

considering what we now know, one of the last of these i might ever get to do: i watched 10.18! thoughts under the cut.

the previously on reminds us of adam’s yakuza problems, so i was braced for that, and then we get an establishing shot of the mcgarrett house instead! and suddenly steve is ironing a shirt on a towel in his kitchen again, and for a moment i was extremely confused because this is very clearly not the same shot as in the valentine’s episode but it’s also... the same thing?

BUT THEN, of course, we get steve raising a finger and going “don’t” just before we’re shown that danny is SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER WATCHING HIM, again i might add, and danny hasn’t even said anything yet but steve is already defensive and claiming that he likes ironing (which i love, that is a wonderful headcanon) and as far as déjà vus go, this is one i do not mind in the slightest. this is, in fact, the exact content i come here for.

okay wait, EVEN BETTER, danny seems to be sitting on the counter... reading a book? he is... in the kitchen, reading (writing in? idk) a book (in a room where there are zero chairs, which is usually where people locate their asses when they read books), while steve is also in the kitchen, ironing a shirt? dear lord. danny moved in and suddenly eddie wasn’t the only guy following steve from room to room in his own house anymore, i guess.

waiiit, steve is going on a date with emma. that is. not bad, just, so very confusing. (potentially very much a lie, omfg. that kind of confusing.)

HAH. i’m not the only one who went “?���, because danny doesn’t believe steve either.

fdjkfd steve asks alexa for his schedule to prove he’s telling the truth but what this really proves is that if it’s a lie, steve had the foresight and intention to put a fake appointment in his calendar, which i would in no way put past him. that’s the easiest thing in the world.

also, danny casually dropping in that he bought alexa for steve? i??? danny is just “casually” hanging out in rooms steve is hanging out in while it makes no sense for danny to be there, buying steve presents, pulling steve’s pigtails by questioning everything he does when he gets the chance, and that’s? that’s normal now?

junior!!! junior pops into the kitchen!

and he’s GOT A DATE TOO, which is a) WONDERFUL and b) a reason for danny to start describing tani which is fascinating and c) a reason for steve to say “well you know what, i think it’s great that you and tani are giving it a go, bud”, which is super cute and it’s A+ to know they have steve’s official stamp of approval (i mean, he’s their boss, that could’ve somehow gotten awkward), but also leads to a shot we get of danny pulling a face that’s kind of “ugh” and “yeah right” mixed into one and just. you know where i’m going with this. if you’re on this blog and you’ve read this post all the way to this point you definitely know where i’m going with this, but yes, this is absolutely danny mentally yelling that it sure is great THEY’RE giving it a go, steve, and doesn’t that potentially inspire you to ruminate on something going on in your own life, like, say, how you feel about your best friend and partner who also works on the taskforce with you and has a big mouth and whose name is oddly close to tani, actually, for that matter?

steve gets a call about shots fired at adam’s building and i’m just now realizing i’m only two minutes into this episode. i’ve spent at least ten times the amount of time rambling that i have watching anything. gonna need to shake that up a little bit.

fdjkfd lou and hpd enter adam’s apartment and they find at least three guys in actual gear, all dead, and adam curled up on the floor in what looks like sleep clothes, with blood all over him, and a) is adam literally superman now? but also b) even if i do accept that it’s possible he killed all of those guys before they managed to hit him anywhere vital even once, then how did he get smeared in blood that evenly all over? did he roll around on the floor before he curled up in the corner? i’m not an expert, but i feel like that’s not how a person would look after fighting off three attackers and presumably shooting most of them.

oh BOY. adam, with a crazy glint in his eyes: “i’ve been trying to dismantle kenji’s operation for months now. and i finally have the evidence to do it.” i both unexpectedly like this, and already low key hate it for how it’s probably going to be used as the show’s way of clearing adam from all the completely bonkers things he’s been doing all on his own with zero authorization or backup and bringing him back into the fold of five-0 as a somehow still trusted team member.

oh dang. opening credits do their thing, and then there’s no pause to check whether there’s even actually any actual evidence on that thumb drive adam was holding, but we just jump to swat, adam, lou and junior rolling up to kenji’s house and engaging in a huge shootout.

adam is now the lone dude pursuing kenji through the dark woods, who is also alone, of course. they brawl, adam gets the upper hand, and he gets a chance to shoot kenji which he doesn’t take, and then he calls for emts (good! this is good!) and extremely dramatically tells kenji “you were right not to trust me. i was working for five-0 the whole time”, and it just sounds like such a weird brag at this point. so i guess adam never went to the bad side again, suddenly? he just... keeps pretending he does over and over, and the criminals on this very small island keep being stupid enough to trust him, which honestly, is on them.

adam keeps bragging and oh gosh, tell me there’s a twist here and this is not just his victory lap. there’s so much of the episode left that something has to go very wrong about adam’s nice plan to wrap it all up neatly.

aha! it’s implied that letting kenji live might go badly for adam because kenji has information about adam that is bad for him. they did not completley forget that adam did crime stuff!

noelani seems to be at a funeral and we meet her parents and they don’t exactly seem super proud of her achievements, which i think we were told in the past, but now we’re shown, and it hurts my heart.

oh noooo. noelani gets to the open casket and immediately finds marks on the body that she clearly thinks are suspicious. that’s! not going to go well, gosh.

fdjkfdjkf adam and steve are in steve’s office and steve basically just went “so your plan to fight the yakuza was to join the yakuza” and adam very seriously goes “yes.”

steve is very not happy and adam doesn’t truly seem to grasp why and then steve’s phone rings and there’s a case, which is very nice timing for adam. saved by the bell.

so five-0 is on a ship that got robbed by pirates but it’s all very mysterious, and then they realize there might still be a pirate on board and they split into search parties and it’s junior and tani as one (who start talking about their missed date), and steve and danny as the other (who are not shown talking about dates, but who knows), and just. i love watching both of those duos work together, and the junior-tani vs steve-danny parallel is once again very in your face, hah.

tani gets locked in a kitchen with the pirate and junior is outside freaking out and that’s angsty but then junior and steve finally break through the door in a combined effort and they and danny rush in, only to find tani has already solved the problem without their help. YES. GOOD CONTENT.

jkfdfjdk over on the island, quinn is now helping noelani intimidate the coroner who wrote a bad report on noelani’s uncle’s death and that is ALSO very good content.

dfjdk lou welcomes most of the team back to hq and asks “anybody left pining”, which he follows up with the rest of a sentence about the high seas, but UH. YES. i know some people who might be pining.

lots of plot stuff happens and it’s genuinely interesting to watch, but also, oh my god, quinn and noelani are making me cry.

fjdkfd tani goes to meet one of the guys from the magnum pi crossover and he says he’s still waiting to hear back from quinn about the dinner he was hoping to have with her, and i like that because my lesbian quinn headcanon is still going strong.

quinn and noelani encounter a teen trying to get out of gang life who might be on a wealthy person’s hitlist, and my first thought is just. put the kid in the mcgarrett house. not only will he be instantly adopted by steve (and thereby gain a complicated network of siblings), but he’ll also be living in a place where he’s protected by not one, not two, but three members of five-0, two of whom are former seals. just. aside from the dire lack of beds, it would be so good.

jfkdslf, steve, danny and junior find the pirates and a room full of bags of powder that looks like drugs but probably isn’t, seeing as it killed the pirates, and then a small army rolls up outside and starts shooting at them, forcing them to take cover in the room with the powder, which starts dusting the air as the bags get shot. i love how the writers made the circumstances work here, omg.

I LOVE THE WAY THAT PLAYED OUT EVEN MORE, because it made a) for a very interesting shootout with clear stakes, and b) for a somehow both hilarious and potentially super angsty moment when danny is fairly affected by the powder, which has to bring up some bad sarin gas memories for him, and then steve shoots one last bad guy right over danny’s head and danny’s ears are ringing and he yells something and steve doesn’t understand him and just kind of pats his back in comfort, which in turn gives me strong driving-a-nuclear-bomb-through-the-woods, name-your-restaurant-Steve’s-please flashbacks, oh my gosh.

tani makes a REALLY LAME PIRATE JOKE and i LOVE HER.

quinn got the whole team together at a bar so noelani wouldn’t be sitting at home alone!!! the type of supportive female friendship i want to see!!!

and then quinn wants noelani to come dancing with her, but the magnum pi guy shows up and noelani tells him that maybe he could take her place. GAY QUINN IS SOARING. also, poor woman. this has strong vibes of danny setting steve up half against his will.

tani and junior watch quinn and the guy dance and decide to join and/or dance fight them in the best conversation ever, and it looks they’re all having SO MUCH FUN and it makes my heart happy.

what ALSO makes my heart happy is how much i enjoyed this episode, because i thought there would be a lot of yakuza stuff after that “previously on” and the beginning, but adam just kind of disappeared after his talk with steve, and suddenly there were two entirely unrelated plots which were both very neat and gave me so, so many character interactions i adored, ahh, how wonderful. i love season 10 so much.

[southernbell91]

Some Secrets are Better left Dead Chapter 2

I groaned as I rolled over, reaching for my phone, the Golden Girls theme song playing for the 3rd time this morning, Wade was anything if not persistent. “What!?” I croaked into the phone, my dry throat painfully obvious.

“Is that any way to talk to someone who has an order of Donuts and Coffee on it’s way to your front door as we speak?” My Best friend Wade asked feigning annoyance. “Now get your ass out of bed before the grub hub guy eats your Birthday breakfast.”

“Birthday?” I mumbled, glancing at my phone checking the date, sure enough March 9th. “Oh shit” I whispered seeing the excess amount of notifications on my phone. “Seriously, it’s the same day every fucking year, after 24 of them you would think you would have this figured out. Remind me, how are you the smart one again?” he asked sarcastically.

“Shut up” I grumbled, climbing out of bed after hearing a light knock at the door.”and Thanks for Breakfast Wade,I gotta run I’ll talk to you later”

“Anytime Ace, at least one of us remembered. Oh and Happy Birthday”. After taking the food, and thanking the driver I plopped down on the couch to catch up on the morning news.

I was mindlessly scrolling through my social media, listening to the News when the newscaster caught my attention.

“Tony Stark steps down as head of Stark Industries, former assistant Pepper Potts named CEO” She says.

  Now, why in the hell would Billionaire Tony Stark pass running his company over to a glorified secretary? I rewound the clip while chugging my coffee watching for any hints of anything strange, well stranger than the segment itself. The Video showed Tony at some Gala, cheesing it up for the camera as usual, a fiery redhead on his arm. Stark was a notorious playboy, aside from his assistant he seemed to have a different woman on his arm for every event he attended. The clip also showed Starks massive tower in the heart of New York City, it was his newest project and had only gotten completed a few years ago when he moved his company here from California, after having changed his focus from Military grade weapons to energy, there were rumors already that stark was working on a new facility somewhere but no one had managed to lock down a location, yet. After watching the clip 3 more times I decided I had my new project, I was going to get to the bottom of Starks strange behavior. What could it be Illness? Midlife Crisis? Maybe even blackmail? Whatever it is im going to get to the bottom of it.

 I jumped from the couch and started working on getting ready to head to the office, putting my shoulder length chestnut brown hair into a high ponytail tossed on a vintage Tee and some jeans and slid on my blue converse, my signature work look, then I was out the door. 

       25 minutes later I strolled into my office at the Midtown Journal, a woman on a Mission. I knew I wouldn’t have long to prep for our weekly assignment meeting,  so I sat down and started digging. I started with known associates, business and other. Pepper his assistant was an obvious one, along with his Driver slash Security Happy Hogan but other than the basics there wasn’t a whole lot there, at least not on the surface. I looked into Tony’s former business partner Obadiah Staine but came up empty, his departure from the company had been very sudden 3 years ago, right around the time of the switch from Weapons to Energy and he hadn’t really been heard from publicly since, definitely something to look into. A few more quick social searches showed that Stark had suddenly been seen hanging out with notorious Scientist Dr.Bruce Banner, that was strange. Banner had vanished off the face of the planet a few years ago after an experiment gone wrong and had only resurfaced in the last 6 months or so.   I started scrolling through a collection of pictures of Tony from the last year and was surprised to see that redhead again at least a dozen times, who was she and why was she important enough to be seen with Tony “I don’t wear the same thing twice” Stark? Definitely something to look into. Glancing at the clock I quickly saved everything I could into a file aptly named “Mr Money Bags” and jotted down some notes to mention to my editor and headed towards the conference room for our weekly Meeting. Being one of the only investigative Journalists on the team had its perks, it afforded me more time to dig into my article, I wasn’t a slave to a deadline like everyone else working on weekly prints, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have to still sit through these boring meetings while everyone presented their assignments for the week.     An hour into the meeting, 35 minutes of which was spent listening to the Sports columnist and entertainment editor argue over who should cover some game that involved the husband of some Pop singer or something, it was finally my turn to present. I straightened up in my seat practically twitching with nerves over this prospective article. Uncovering the truth about Tony Stark could not only put our Little newspaper on the map, but throw myself and our staff to the next level, but I wasn’t blind to the fact that Tony was also one of the wealthiest men in the world and that fact alone made him dangerous.     Dean, along with his brother Sam, was the Editor in Chief of the paper and the one who gave me my big break, Sam was more like friendly competition given he was the other Investigative journalist on staff. I glanced from Dean to Sam and back to Dean before speaking.     “It was announced on the news this morning that Tony Stark is stepping down as CEO of Stark Enterprises, now before you go giving me that look hear me out.” I Said, noticing Deans expression shifted, as if he was prepared to argue. The Financial editor glared at me, probably mad I scooped his story. “Stark is stepping down and handing over his fortune 500 company to his assistant Pepper Potts. That strike anyone else here as strange?” I asked glancing around the room. A few heads nodded others looked confused themselves, Deans expression was unreadable as he let me continue. “Something is going on there, of all the people to pass it to why her and why now? I wanna do some digging and see if I can’t find the bigger story behind this sudden change. I want to unearth everything I can about Tony Stark and blow this story out of the water.”  I finished, watching Dean for any type of reaction. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam move slightly before he finally spoke. “You realize this could be nothing right? Also, digging into a man as powerful as Stark could be dangerous, why don’t you let”   “No!” I cut him off quickly, “I can handle it Sam, i'm not passing this story off to you, besides don’t you have some Slumlord to shake down or something?” I added rolling my eyes, irritated he would suggest I just hand off an assignment like this.

“Look im just saying Layla, you already have a laundry list of Enemies and I would hate for” “And Im sure starks list is bigger Sam” I cut him off again, glaring daggers at the shaggy haired brunette.

“Alright alright” Dean cut in, finally speaking. “You get 14 Days, come up with something Substantial in 2 weeks or I pass this story off to Sam. And It should go without saying but let me remind you to be careful”

I nodded, happy I won this confrontation, another 25 minutes later assignments had been passed out and we left the meeting everyone going our separate ways, I rushed straight to my office ready to jump into this.   Moments after I sat behind my desk I heard a light tap, looking up dean was standing in my doorway arms crossed leaning against the frame.   “ I know you’re determined to turn this into a story, I just wanted to remind you to stay safe. Sometimes the story isn’t worth risking everything.” “As Henry Anatole Grunwald Said “Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” You may think im crazy Dean, but I feel it there’s a story here and Im gonna prove it.” He must have seen the determination on my face because after a heavy sigh he conceded “Ok, let me know if you need anything. I’ll do whatever I can to help you find the story. And if you need backup don’t hesitate to take Sam, I know he annoys you but he’s nearly as good a journalist as you, just don’t tell him I said that.” He added. I chuckled at his confession and nodded, “Thanks, I’ll let you know if something comes up.” He gave my a quick nod and tapped the door frame a few times before backing out the room, I fired my computer back up and sighed.   I’ve got work to do. 

Masterlist

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[prisma-does-things]

My Interpretation of Daganronpa V3′s ending (plus extra goodies)

Hey everyone! Long time no see, but I think I may finally have time to do things regularly now. I’m gonna try and split this blog across Writblr/Fic, Danganronpa, and Edits so we’ll see how this goes, lol. I’ll have a new intro out sooooon!

Anyways onto what you clicked for:

This is a compilation theory of my interpretation of DRV3’s ending. I can justify why I think anything I say here if you want me to, but if I wrote down evidence for everything here it’d literally be 100 pages long so if you wanna discuss just ask me! Some of these things are just straight up indulgent but that’s the fun of interpretations!

1 | The Beginning of Team Danganronpa

After the events of DR3, and I mean LONG after the events of DR3--like at least a century--Hope’s Peak Academy has been diluted into a small and insignificant government program, totally out of the way of society. Talent isn’t as much of a big deal anymore and everyone’s chill now. The concepts of hope and despair, Junko and company are reduced to stories and paragraphs in history text-books.

Eventually, and slowly, the stories of the killing games entered into the world of fiction. The idea of the ultimate clash between Hope and Despair was quite enticing, and so Team Danganronpa was created to make these ideas come to life on the screen.. Reenactments, roleplays, museums, you name it and Team Danganronpa had a part in it. The hardships of the past lead to inspiration for the people of the present. Hope and despair became little aesthetics and concepts for people to attach themselves too, like coping mechanisms. 

However, as society grew to appreciate this, it grew more and more perverse. The reenactments became more and more realistic, and the people consuming it cared less and less about the specifics. All they cared for was the mindless and constant clash between Hope and Despair. Good or bad. It wasn’t even despair that society was experiencing, more like a perverted sense of sentimentality. If it sounds like I copied that I did, that quote was from Undertale.

2 | The New Killing Game

Anyways, at the rate things were going, it was inevitable that Team Danganronpa would eventually start recreating killing games using actual students, probably a combination of scouted out individuals and volunteers with actual murders. Remember that this is a society that bounced back from a near-end of the world decision, they’re all recovering, even the kids that were raised by the survivors. 

And please note that when I’m talking about the society in the Danganronpa world I don’t think that it applies to the fandom AT AL. In fact I think the society in DR is the exact opposite of the fandom, but let’s keep going.

3 | Rantaro’s Plan

We really don’t know the amount of ‘Seasons’ there’s been, but we’ll just call this one ‘Season 52’. Season 52 stares a whole new story continuing from the ‘fictional’ stories of Hope’s Peak. The only two members of this group that we know are Rantaro Amami...and Kaede Akamatsu, the two that chose to sacrifice themselves at the end of the 52nd killing game. Rantaro and Kaede both get survivor perks for their troubles, and the other two survivors are allowed to have their memories replaced so they can return to society with their sanity. Rantaro and Kaede can leave to the real world too, but they will be brought back for the next season, which is planned to be a sequel featuring them as the fan favorites.

Luckily for Rantaro, this is the perfect situation for his plan to destroy Team Danganronpa for good. Everyone else in the world is generally repulsed by Team DR’s actions, but their reliance on them is too great for them to break away or do much of anything.

He starts out by getting in contact with Kaede’s twin sister, we’ll just call her Haru as a temporary name. Rantaro needs to pitch a good plot for the next season, since it’s a sequel he’ll have the advantage in knowing where everything is, including the one weakness of the seasons mastermind. Because Kaede, being positive and bright, and Maru, being cynical and rude, are polar opposites, a twin vs. twin plot seems like the perfect thing to pitch to Team Danganronpa. 

In addition Rantaro also adds Shuichi Saihara and Tsumugi Shirogane to his little squad. Shuichi’s mind is analytical, but he lacks confidence. Rantaro knows Team DR enough to predict what they’ll do with him, so he becomes Rantaro’s backup. He adds Tsumugi only because she and Kaede were dating-A and he thinks she’ll make a good first victim, letting Rantaro get a bit more time to find the mastermind and convince the world to fight against Team DR.

 4 | Scouting of the other members

Before any of this, back when he was recording his Survivor Perk, he made sure to structure it in a way that would motivate a Rantaro in a killing game to get out and survive another game so he could try again. He really wanted to cover all of his bases, he was dealing with a huge corporation by now after all.

In another sect, Kaito Momota and Maki Harukawa, who are both dating, join in with Rantaro’s idea. And, somewhere entirely different, a prince by the name of Kokichi Oma, and his personal maid, Kirumi Tojo, are both scouted and kidnapped by Team Danganronpa for the next killing game. A shy but sweet mechanic whose father is friends with the Queen of the kingdom, Miu Iruma, decides to volunteer.

After much planning from Rantaro’s group, they strategically get everyone in the 53rd killing game, lying on their audition tapes...well-everyone except for Maru. Team DR accepts the whole twin vs. twin plot, and they start modification of the sets, making them seem dilapidated and old to show a passage of time. Right on the cusp of the plans success, Kaede succumbs to her guilt. After seeing the horrors of the killing game her spirit is broken, and soon before the game’s beginning, she commits suicide. The final note she leaves to her sister asks her to end the killing games, despite their differences. 

Without a twin to complete the plot, Team DR is forced to improvise. They bring out a beta for a project they were planning, a robot named K1-B0, or Keebo. Keebo’s purpose was to be the audience's eyes, something suggested by Miu to give her friends an advantage in ending the game. 

5 | The Start of Season 53

Finally, the killing game starts. 

The 16 students are brought to Team DR one way or another. Maru is especially shocked, as she’s never participated in a killing game before, but is treated like she did. Everyone’s memory is replaced, save for Rantaro who’s allowed to keep a set few memories that would’ve worked well for the sequel plan. Everyone wakes up in the lockers, with Maru waking up next to Shuichi, now forced to take the identity of Kaede. She tries to get the hang of her sister’s personality, as we see in pregame, but eventually her entire identity is replaced with a Flashback light when she receives her talent. You could also describe it as an Ultimate Revival if you wanted to. Maru becomes Kaede Akamatsu, now able to fulfill the role that her sister is now unable to.

After the events of the prologue (Which is called Ultimate Revival by the way, I don’t want you to miss that wordplay) Tsumugi wakes up in a locker, right next to Keebo. Something not even Rantaro accounted for happened, Tsumugi was chosen to be the mastermind. Not Kokichi or even himself like he was expecting. However, Team DR saw Tsumugi as a perfect candidate for a mastermind, as her obsession with fiction was seen as relatable. She was a perfect reflection of what society had become.

Tsumugi’s mind was barely touched by the Flashback lights, but all of her relationships with her friends and girlfriend were replaced. Upon waking up and seeing Keebo, he explains to her that they’re currently in a spaceship that was supposed to take off ages ago and the outside world is inhospitable. Panicking, she sets K1-B0 into it’s ‘friendly’ mode and lets him go off and talk with the others, entirely forgetting about his set role as a future traitor, as well as the Flashback Light machine. 

However, K1-B0 was set to teach the mastermind how to do their job, and now without that information in their memory, Tsumugi doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. All she knows right now is that she has some involvement with the mastermind. As a result, the Monokubs, another set of helpers, also have no idea what they’re doing and have to rely on Monokuma, an AI the mastermind can’t control, for instruction.

6 | Tsumugi as the Mastermind

Tsumugi ends up wandering around, stopping and staring at an odd dragon statue. That’s when Shuichi and Kaede find her in-game. Tsumugi can’t explain why, but Kaede touching her cheeks made her feel all fluttery inside. After their ‘first’ interaction together, Tsumugi takes note of the big round ball in the dragon’s hand. 

The first motive, The First Blood Perk, comes around, along with the time limit soon after. The pressure of this definitely scares Tsumugi, but she wants to see Kaede get out okay, especially since she feels inspired by her.

At some point Tsumugi goes to the bathroom and discovers the hidden room entirely by accident. Once into the room with Motherkuma, she asks about the whereabouts of Kaede, and Motherkuma gives her details about her and Shuichi’s plan. Wanting to help out, but not wanting to seem suspicious, she gets about the bathroom a.s.a.p and goes back to blending in. She’s planning to get Kaede out as soon as she can, but she doesn’t know if she can do it.

Time goes on, and eventually that really loud music starts playing. Tsumugi knows Kaede’s gonna make a move, so she rushes to the hidden room in the library again and starts her own little plan. After stealing a shot put ball from the warehouse, something she did out of inspiration from the dragon, Tsumugi opens up the hidden door in the library to see Rantaro lying crumpled on the floor by the bookshelf.

Without thinking, she smashed the ball into Rantaro’s head and finished him off. She initially thought him to be the mastermind, but after checking his survivor perk she realizes that there’s a lot more to Rantaro, and this game, than she realizes. Desperate for more time to solve the mystery, she rushed back with everyone else to get on with the investigation.

7 | The First Trial

As the investigation rolled around, she started panicking. She formed a quick alibi in the form of her cospox, but planned to explain herself more in the class trial. She wasn’t quite ready to face reality yet. She knew Monokuma was supposed to punish her, so she let herself act like she was innocent until the time came. 

Once the class trial DID come around, she realized what Kaede was doing. Once Monokuma declared the voting right, she was confused, but took it as an opportunity to defeat the Mastermind. Her death made her distraught, but she bit her tongue and promised to solve it for Kaede’s sake.

The night of the Class Trial, she went back into her secret room when she was greeted by a Flashback Light. This one, on top of the one everyone else received, was built to make her be a more efficient mastermind. 

8 | The Trials After…

Trials 2-4 were largely the same. Just after each Class Trial, Tsumugi was given a different special Flashback Light to get her to question everything around her more, specifically targeting the idea that everything Danganronpa, including Hope’s Peak, isn’t actually real. Monokuma had been no help, fully content holding the truth over her and making her dance around to find it. I don’t have any idea what those Flashback Lights could’ve been, but I DO know that one of the ones meant for Tsumugi was nabbed by Angie in chapter 3. Tsumugi planned for her to find it, but didn’t expect her to destroy it.

By Chapter 4, Tsumugi asked Monokuma to show the “outside world” for the first time, confirming what Keebo said. During this time, she fully believed the scene outside to be real, mostly because she had no other evidence to disprove it. After this, Tsumugi decided to start a plan of her own that she’d enact by herself.

9 | Tsumugi’s Plan

Before getting a look at the Neo World Program in Chapter 4, Tsumugi used a Flashback light on herself to replace the memory of her seeing the outside world with her doing something else. This was because she needed a fresh reaction to seeing the outside world, but also because she needed to avoid Kokichi, who was definitely the closest to being able to figure her out and expose her.The other one she needed to keep an eye on was Shuichi, who could also figure her out if he ever caught his suspicions. In her desperation she never noticed the secret of the Flashback Lights, which lead to her replacing memories instead of erasing them like she was excepting. 

The next step of her plan involved her overhearing Kokichi and Miu’s plan to create the Electro hammers. She knew they’d be used to escape the ship at some point, and with a fresh reaction everything would be in place for the next step, which was getting Oma killed to give herself time to figure everything else out so she could finally come clean. Of course, since she really believed the world outside was destroyed, she really just wanted to trick everyone into not committing any murders. That just happened to mean getting rid of Kokichi. 

With all of this in mind, she wrote down her plan and used the Flashback light on herself. After having her memories erased, she went through the game as normal until trial 4 passed. Luckily for her, it gave her just the motivation she needed to want to kill Kokichi. She wasn’t quite able to see through Kokichi’s mask, she was blinded by a mix of power, confusion, and rage by then. 

Immediately after trial 4, she was hit with her usual mastermind Flashback Light, however this one made her remember something extra important, the script of season 53.  

Tsumugi actually wrote herself a fake set of plans as part of her plans. That was the whole ‘script’ thing she was talking about in chapter 6. She set the plans up so that way she truly believed she was the mastermind. She was taking the risk of Kokichi finding her, but she figured the confusion would throw off any secretive actions she could’ve done. The reason why she did this was to give herself confidence. If she made herself think that everything in her plan was already set to happen, she’d believe in herself enough to make it so. 

Going into Chapter 5 now, after seeing the outside world for the ‘first time’ she blended in with everyone else, but she did know that Kokichi wasn’t actually the Mastermind as she read the script she made for herself. Tsumugi didn’t plan for this, but it did help her out because it got everyone to go again Kokichi. 

After trial 5, and his sacrifice, Tsumugi was hit with her final flashback light. This one made her ‘remember’ her time as a part of Team Danganronpa. This didn’t mess with her plan too much, as she already knew that something would happen to her head before she made herself forget the secret of the outside world. However, after all of those lights..her head couldn’t take much more. There was too much stuff going on in her head, too many confusing contradictions for her to process. She ignored this originally because she thought that the Flashback Lights erased and created memories instead of replacing them, but it was too late. Keebo started destroying the academy, something she DEFINITELY didn’t plan for.

10 | The Final Trial

Without any way of solving the mystery of Team DR, she scrambled around and put together a class trial of her own, leaving the shot-put ball Kaede used in the trash for Shuichi to find later. All of her attempts came crashing down, but she was able to convince Monokuma to shamble together something to make season 53 end with a ‘good climax’. 

Trial 6 starts, and after Tsumugi’s found out as the mastermind, she uses a series of Nanokumas to help her cosplay. By now she believes that the stories of Hope’s Peak are fiction, so she’s able to cosplay them...and only them...all she wants. She doesn’t know anything about Team DR’s history, so she makes it all up, including the titles of the seasons, which she shambles together from her favorite fandoms. Monokuma plays along, and even adds in a huge audience set to make it look like everyone’s watching. In fact he’s so wrapped up in how good everything’s doing that he doesn’t realize Tsumugi’s baiting Shuichi into helping her.

During trial 6, she even brings up the motive that no one had a chance to see in chapter 5, the Pre-Game tapes they did when they were together ages ago. 

By presenting herself as an ultimate evil, Tsumugi took Shuichi’s will to find the truth and twisted it so that he’d end up finding what she wanted him to. She wanted Shuichi to discover the truth, that fiction can change the world. 

At the end of it all, Tsumugi allowed herself to be killed, succumbing to the after effects of the Flashback Lights and letting herself be consumed by the lies. Believing herself now to be some kind of replacement to Junko Enoshima, and thus a ‘cosplay-cat killer’, she allows herself to be killed and finally rest. She wanted to admit what she did more carefully, to say a final goodbye or at least hint to the fact that she meant to help them, but she couldn’t. 

Shuchi, Maki, and Himiko all survive, finally able to leave Danganronpa together. Team DR allows it, as it feels satisfying, but they do look forwards to seeing the 3 of them try to truly end Danganronpa for good. Tsumugi doesn’t know what’s on the other side of the End-Wall, but she trusts in her friends to face that truth.

11 | Conclusion 

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this read/arrangement of evidence for what I think happened behind the scenes of Danganronpa V3! This took sooo much thinking it’s not even funny. Seriously I spent at least 4 full school periods doing nothing but thinking and taking notes. A lot of this is indulgent, specifically the parts with Kokichi being a prince and the whole Kaede + Kaede Twin Sister switch, I just thought those were neat. 

I didn’t say it there but I think that The Ultimate Talent Development Plan was actually two things. The first was a board game released alongside Season 53 featuring all the characters, and the second was actually a real program, sorta like the Izuru project. I don’t really wanna consider the implications of what this could do to my interpretation though, lol. 

But yeah, V3’s ending is really important to me. It upsets me wayy more than it should when people consider it to be stupid or lazy or insulting to the audience of the games. I think what they were trying to do with the ending was both stupid ambitious and super cool. Killing Harmony is like...my 2nd favorite piece of media ever. It’s so important to me, and as a storyteller I totally respect them for what they did with the ending. The idea of using the enjoyment of the franchise against the player was so brutal and effective for me. Danganronpa helped me grow as a person, and being undermined and told the emotional connection I had with everyone was all just bullshit hurt. Buuuut then Tsumugi and Shuichi helped me realize that even if it is just a bunch of silly bullshit, the emotional response that it gave me...and all the happiness I got from it, that’s all real. Ain’t no black and white bear taking that from me.

So yeah, thanks for reading.

Thanks for everything, Danganronpa.

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 14: The Dark Master Crashes the Wedding

Episode 14 of the fanfic inspired on Sanders Sides, created by Thomas Sanders and Joan with the Foster Dawg Team. This episode has two radically different moods in the story. It all starts with the happiness and romance that a wedding is expected to bring... and then switches to a dark and tragic second part. Spoilers ahead, but I already warn that this is going to be the last appearance for one of the Sides in this fanfic. It’s not one of the main Sides, if it helps to calm you down, although each passing is sad, no matter the importance of the character.

When I was writing, I got into the mood by listening to different songs depending on the part that I was writing. For the part of the wedding, I had in mind “Sally’s Song/Simply Meant to Be” from Nightmare before Christmas. For the second part, I had “There’s a Place for Us”, from West Side Story, both in their reprise forms. They both are mentioned in the story as a homage.

Writing a story is in many ways the same as reading it from another author, even more intense sometimes. You just get into the story and live it as if you really were there, and to be honest, I got on the verge of tearing up after I finished writing the last lines last night. Thank God Thomas came to the rescue and published the Turn-Based Fights short right before I went to bed, as that helped me get rid of my sad mood before I fell asleep. (Yes, I know in Spain it was 4 a.m. when Thomas released this short, but in Spain we’re famous for not knowing the meaning of the word “late”, after all, here at 10 p.m. in the summer, the sky is still light blue, it’s one of the problems of not living in the correct time zone in this country, but I’ll rant about that another time)

Okay, time to start with the story. I hope that, despite the story having a sad second part, you’re still able to enjoy it. If you want to read previous entries of the fanfic to get the full context of the story, you can find them right here. And remember that this fic follows the Sanders Sides canon up to Embarrasing Phases, and goes on its own after that. And that’s it. Until next time.

SYNOPSIS: It’s the big day for Roman and Virgil. They’re finally getting married and all his friends are ready for it. But the Dark Master is ready to wreak havoc and Deceit is the victim of his evil plot. Thomas, the Sides and Joan will try to rescue him, but it is a dangerous mission where their lives will be at risk.

P.S. If you happen to read these entries chronollogically through my blog, know that the following episode to this one, the 15th, was accidentally deleted. I immediately reuploaded it from a backup, but that caused for it to be out of order. You can find it after episode 17. Sorry for the inconvenience.

WARNINGS: Already said it plenty of times, and this is a spoiler. This is a sad and angsty episode where one of the non-main Sides is going to die. It also contains a lot of Prinxiety throughout the episode, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point after several episodes exploring this ship.There is a scene of slight violence where one of the Sides is seemlingly strangled and another one suffers the fatal attack that takes him down. More mentions to the physical mistreatment that the Dark Sides suffered in the past while they were in the Dark Realm.

EPISODE INDEX

[There’s a sign that reads “Previously on Sanders Sides”. Roman is in his room, in front of the camera]

ROMAN: Greetings, everyone. As I’m in charge of the flashbacks in this Mind Palace, the director has asked me to show you some important scenes that happened in previous videos. So here they go.

[a scene from episode 12 is shown, it’s Wrath in Virgil’s room right after Virgil’s transformation into a Light Side]

WRATH: [taking a deep breath, then calmer, but still nervous] Something’s happened in the Dark Realm! I heard a huge noise, as if something was falling apart! I went to check it out and I couldn’t believe my eyes! Virgil, your room in the Dark Realm has disappeared. It is gone!

[next scene, in the living room, Thomas and Wrath are talking]

THOMAS: …Wrath. If Virgil’s room is gone, what happened to all the stuff that was in there?

WRATH: Have you ever watched Doctor Who, Thomas?

THOMAS: Have I ever watched Doctor Who? That’s like asking me if I have ever sung a song, Wrath.

WRATH: Well, do you remember how the TARDIS, in special situations where it needed extra power, it burned rooms inside of it to gain extra energy? It’s something similar. The room that belonged to Virgil was “burnt” and its remains converted into energy for the Mind Palace.

THOMAS: With everything in it?

WRATH: Not everything. If there was something important that needed to be saved, it would have been moved to where it is supposed to be, Virgil’s room in the Light Realm. The rest, of course, should probably be gone, but I can’t be certain of that, anyway. It is the first time that something like this has happened in the Mind Palace and I’m only theorizing.

[next scene, in the Dark Realm, in the empty void where Virgil’s room in the Dark Realm used to be. Deceit, Wrath and Honesty are sitting down there, looking at the void]

HONESTY: So this is all that is left of Virgil’s old room?

WRATH: Yes, it is…

HONESTY: [pointing at something] Um… what is that over there?

DECEIT: What?

[Honesty gets up and approaches what he has seen. Then comes back. It’s Virgil’s old black hoodie]

HONESTY: Didn’t this belong to Virgil?

[Deceit and Wrath stand up. Honesty gives the hoodie to Deceit]

DECEIT: Yes. It’s the hoodie he used to wear when he was in panther form, and the first hoodie he used when he acquired his emo form.

HONESTY: I think it would be appropriate that you kept it, Deceit.

DECEIT: Me?

HONESTY: Virgil’s obviously never gonna need it anymore. He seems pretty happy with his purple hoodie. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you kept it.

DECEIT: Yes… I guess so.

WRATH: What I wonder is how this didn’t burn with the rest of the room or reappear in Virgil’s present room. It just stayed there, forgotten…

DECEIT: I don’t know. But I’m glad that it didn’t go. Thanks for having the keen eye of spotting it, Honesty. You are a good friend.

HONESTY: The closest you’ll ever have. We’re like one after all, literally before and figuratively now.

[back to the present]

ROMAN: And that’s the flashback. Why have I shown you these dialogues, you say? As if I knew! I’m not even supposed to know anything of this as I wasn’t present, but I’m in charge of the flashbacks, so now I know, [mischievous smile] and they don’t know that I know. What use could I give to this information? We’ll see… [malicious over the top laughter, then as if he suddenly remembered something, he takes out from a pocket a pendrive] Oh, yes! The director also gave me these cute little pendrive, and told me to push the red button after I ended with the flashbacks. He also asked me to look carefully at the pendrive when I pressed the button. Of course I will do as he says, what could go wrong…?

[Roman pushes the button and the pendrive emits a red flash in the same fashion of a neuralyzer from Men in Black, and Roman goes stiff and serious, while the pendrive quickly burns and becomes dust that falls down from Roman’s hand. Then, five seconds later, Roman shakes his head.]

ROMAN: [confused] What was I talking about? I forgot everything I was… Oh, never mind, it probably wasn’t important, just roll the title screen.

[intro sequence]

[Thomas, Joan and Talyn are dressed in formal clothes]

THOMAS: What is up, everybody? Well, here we are. I can’t believe it but today is the day. Roman and Virgil are getting married and I can’t believe it.

ROMAN: [rising up, with an excited voice and a wide smile] Me neither!

THOMAS: Roman, what are you doing here? You should already be in the Royal Castle! And you haven’t even got dressed! What are you waiting for? I…

ROMAN: Relax, Thomama Sanders. There’s plenty of time yet.

THOMAS: But what if Virgil rises up now? It’s bad luck if any of you sees each other before the wedding!

ROMAN: Okay, okay, I got it, relax. I just came in for one last check out. Where are the others?

THOMAS: Patton is helping Virgil to get dressed. He’s taken his groomsman’s duties very seriously.

ROMAN: Can Patton really do anything seriously? Okay… Oh, hello, Joan, hello, Talyn. Did you fix Talyn’s trouble to get there?

JOAN: Yes. I have been practicing hypnosis all last week with Talyn’s books and videos, and yesterday we synchronized their brainwaves with Thomas’. Now they can enter the Mind Palace.

TALYN: Yes, we visited Patton’s room. It was wild.

THOMAS: But you already know, Roman. Don’t you remember that I told you to stay in autopilot when we did the sync to avoid what happened the last time?

ROMAN: Oh, yes, you’re right. Sorry, I’m so nervous I forget things… And what about the others, Honesty, Wrath, Deceit…?

THOMAS: Honesty and Wrath are already in Sandersia, on their way to the castle. I haven’t been able to contact Deceit yet. He’s been in autopilot for the whole last month.

ROMAN: A whole month in autopilot? Is there something wrong with him? Does he even know we’re marrying today? Oh, my goodness, I…

THOMAS: Roman, please, relax, or you’re not gonna get to the wedding alive… Don’t worry about anything else and go get dressed and then to the castle! I’ll take care of going to Deceit’s room to warn him.

ROMAN: Okay, Thomas, I trust this in you… [sinks down] See you there, guys!

THOMAS: Okay. Joan, Talyn, wait for me here while I get to Deceit’s room. It will only be a minute.

JOAN: Okay, Thomas, we’ll be waiting.

[Thomas concentrates and sinks down. There’s a white flash and he appears in Deceit’s room in the Light Realm. Everything’s there as Deceit left it, with the lights off and things getting dust]

THOMAS: Okay, suddenly I’m feeling a little worried… Deceit!? Deceit, are you there? Can you hear me? [no response] Oh, of course he can’t hear me, he’s in autopilot. I think I should go get some help. I’ll go to Patton’s room. I hate to bother Virgil, but this is an emergency…

[Thomas sinks down, there’s a white flash and he appears in Patton’s room. Patton is in Virgil’s spot, next to a folding screen behind which there’s Virgil. Patton’s wearing a light blue tuxedo with a silver cat on the flap]

THOMAS: Hello, guys.

PATTON: Oh, hello, Thomas.

VIRGIL: [voice behind the screen] Hi, Thomas. Sorry I can’t get out now. Patton insists on keeping my outfit a surprise for everyone.

THOMAS: It’s okay, Virgil. I don’t want spoilers either. I came here because I need your help, Patton.

PATTON: What is it, kiddo?

THOMAS: I can’t find Deceit anywhere. He’s been in autopilot for the whole month and, of course, he can’t hear me when I call him. I went to his room, but it’s empty, as if he hadn’t been there for the whole month.

PATTON: Really? That’s weird…

VIRGIL: I see… He must have gone to his room in the Dark Realm.

THOMAS: That’s gonna be a problem, then. Wrath and Honesty are already on their way to the castle, and they’re the only ones who could have taken me there safely…

PATTON: I can help you get there, Thomas. Since the Dark Master left, it’s no longer so difficult to get in and out of the Dark Realm. But I’m a little busy helping Virgil…

VIRGIL: It’s okay, dad, I think I can manage to put on a bow-tie on my own. Go get Deceit.

PATTON: Are you sure?

VIRGIL: Yes, go dad. It’s important for me too cause I want all my friends at my wedding. But be careful, just in case.

PATTON: Okay, Virgil, if you say so. Are you ready, Thomas?

THOMAS: Yes, I’m ready.

PATTON: Let’s go, then.

[Patton and Thomas sink down, then there’s a black flash and they appear in Deceit’s room in the Dark Realm. It all looks dark and gloomy, more than usual on the Dark Realm]

THOMAS: I don’t like this… I think there’s something wrong going on here…

PATTON: I think so too, Thomas… Okay, I’ll call him since he can only hear my voice while in autopilot.

THOMAS: Thank you, Patton.

PATTON: Deceit? Deceit, where are you, kiddo?

[Deceit appears. He’s wearing Virgil’s old black hoodie and sunglasses]

THOMAS: There you are… Why the sunglasses? It’s very dark in here… And is that Virgil’s old jacket?

DECEIT: [cold voice] Yes, it is… What do you want?

THOMAS: [a little surprised by Deceit’s tone of voice] Um… yes, today it’s Roman and Virgil’s wedding. Everybody is getting dressed and ready. You should be getting ready too, there’s no time to waste…

DECEIT: I’m not going, Thomas.

THOMAS: What? Why not?

DECEIT: I’m not feeling too well lately. I’d rather stay in bed. Send my congratulations to the grooms and my apologies.

THOMAS: But Deceit, Virgil really wanted you to be there…

DECEIT: I guess so, but I can’t Thomas. I tell you that I’m a little sick. It must be the flu.

THOMAS: The flu? Sides can get flu?

DECEIT: I don’t want all the guests to get infected. [coughs a little] See? You shouldn’t even be here either. Go, before I spread it onto you too!

THOMAS: Okay, as you wish, Deceit…

[when Thomas is looking at Patton and Patton at Thomas, Deceit suddenly lets go a little hurtful groan that only lasts for half a second]

THOMAS: What was that, are you okay?

DECEIT: [clears throat] Yes, I’m… I’m okay, it’s… the headache caused by the flu, don’t worry.

THOMAS: Are you sure you don’t need help?

DECEIT: [a little angry] I said I’ll be okay! Go away to your wedding already!

THOMAS: Okay, okay, as you wish, Deceit. Let’s go, Patton.

PATTON: Okay, Thomas. Bye, Deceit, get well soon. I’ll bring you some chicken soup after the wedding.

[Patton and Thomas sink down. Deceit shows a malevolent smirk]

DECEIT: [evil voice] That was close… I just need a few minutes more… then they’ll know of me… [giggles evilly]

[there’s a white flash and Thomas and Patton arrive to Patton’s room]

PATTON: Okay, we’re back, son.

VIRGIL: [still behind the folding screen] Did you get to talk to Deceit?

THOMAS: Yes, Virgil. I’m afraid he’s not going to the wedding.

VIRGIL: [pops only his head out of the screen, he looks surprised] What? Why?

THOMAS: He says he’s got the flu and doesn’t want everyone to get infected.

VIRGIL: That’s absurd… Sides don’t get infected with mundane viruses.

THOMAS: He had to be. He was wearing your old black jacket and sunglasses, and he certainly looked in pain because of a headache. I guess he was feeling cold with fever and the light was hurting his eyes. I’m not sure if he’s gonna be okay all alone…

VIRGIL: My old black jacket? You must be wrong. My black jacket is in my wardrobe, in my room, it has always been there, and it was still there a moment ago when I started getting dressed.

THOMAS: Well, then it must be a copy he summoned for himself, I guess, because that certainly looked like your old black jacket. It’s unmistakable.

VIRGIL: [face and voice of realization] …Oh… [a little dejected] I think I get it…

THOMAS: What is it?

VIRGIL: [hides his head behind the screen, then with a little sad voice] Never mind, Thomas. If Deceit doesn’t want to come, I can’t force him… Besides, I think it’s better this way, for both of us.

THOMAS: Did I miss something?

VIRGIL: [trying to return to his usual tone of voice] Don’t worry, Thomas. I’ll be fine. Now, go get Joan and Talyn and get on your way to the castle. I’m almost ready.

THOMAS: Okay, but are you okay?

VIRGIL: Yes, Thomas, don’t worry about me. It’s my day now and I’m gonna live the heck out of it.

THOMAS: Okay, if you say so… See you at the wedding, guys.

PATTON: See ya, kiddo!

[Thomas sinks down, then he appears in the living room with Joan and Talyn]

THOMAS: Okay, let’s go, pals.

JOAN: Did you take care of calling Deceit?

THOMAS: Yes, but he’s not coming. He said he’d got the flu, but Virgil pointed out that’s impossible, so, for some reason, he doesn’t want to attend the wedding and invented an excuse to skip it.

JOAN: Well, it’s Deceit, after all. Lying is expected from him.

THOMAS: Yes, but lately he had learned to control himself in regards of lying. I don’t understand what’s wrong with him. I suspect that Virgil knows more than me on that matter, but I don’t want to invade their privacy. We’ll think about that later. Now it’s time to party. Are you ready, pals?

TALYN: Yes, Thomas.

THOMAS: Then, let’s go, to Roman’s room, and then to Sandersia.

[Thomas, Joan and Talyn sink down. Then they appear on Roman’s room. They go to the door and enter Sandersia. A carriage is waiting for them. They jump in, and in no time, they’re in front of the Royal Castle]

TALYN: I wish traffic was so fast in real life…

THOMAS: Yeah… Okay, let’s get in. We need to find our seats.

[They enter the castle. Some guards greet Thomas and lead the way into the throne room. A long red carpet has been placed in the middle of the room, from the door to the throne, where a small altar with the royal shield has been placed, flanked by two bouquets of roses, one of red roses and the other of purple roses. Benches have been placed at both sides of the carpet. Thomas is taken to the front seat, next to Logan, Wrath and Honesty. Joan and Talyn are sitting just behind. The rest of the seats are occupied by different characters from Thomas’ works, all wearing formal clothes]

THOMAS: You guys, can you believe I’m nervous? And I’m not even the one who’s marrying.

LOGAN: Well, in a way, you are, Thomas. It’s two parts of you who are getting married after all.

THOMAS: Yes, you’re right, I guess. Thanks for getting me more nervous, Logan…

LOGAN: You’re welcome.

WRATH: This is all so beautiful… I love roses.

HONESTY: I like them too. But I would have placed some white roses in between the red ones.

WRATH: Because Roman wears white and red?

HONESTY: Because it would have reminded me of the Tudor Rose, the national flower of England, my homeland.

WRATH: Oh… fair point… [makes a pause, then sighs] I hope I don’t start crying like a child when the wedding starts. I’m a crybaby when I get emotional, you know…

HONESTY: Fear not, Wrath. No matter how loud you cry, I think Patton is gonna cry louder today, so no one’s gonna stare at you.

LOGAN: By the way, does anybody know where’s Deceit? The wedding will start any minute now.

THOMAS: He’s not coming, Logan.

HONESTY: What?

THOMAS: He says he’s got the flu and prefers to stay in bed. I think he’s lying, because Virgil said that Sides don’t get flu. There’s also this weird detail.

HONESTY: What is it?

THOMAS: He was wearing Virgil’s old black jacket.

HONESTY: Oh… I think I understand…

THOMAS: You do?

HONESTY: Yes, but this concerns Deceit only and he should be the one explaining it, if he wants to.

THOMAS: Okay… but do you know where did Deceit get that jacket from?

HONESTY: He did not steal it from Virgil if that worries you. You see, I saw it in the remnants of Virgil’s old room in the Dark Realm and I gave it to Deceit so he could keep it.

THOMAS: This is getting weirder by the minute…

HONESTY: Why do you say that?

THOMAS: Virgil says that his jacket is in his wardrobe, and now you tell me that you found an exact replica of the jacket in the Dark Realm? What is this all about?

HONESTY: A replica of the jacket? That’s odd…

THOMAS: I wonder who put it in there…

[music of trumpets stops the conversation. All the guests stand up and look at the door. Through the door, Roman enters in. He’s dressed with a majestic princely gala uniform, white with a red sash that has seven gold medals hooked on it in a straight line along the sash. Each medal has a sparkling gem set on it, in order, a red ruby, an orange garnet, a yellow citrine, a green emerald, a light blue topaz, an indigo tanzanite and a purple amethyst. He’s carrying a bouquet containing red carnations. He’s also wearing a long red cape and the royal crown, and above the sash, on the left side of his chest, the royal shield in red velvet, with the castle embroidered in golden thread. While the trumpets play a fanfare that seems to be Sandersia’s official hymn, Roman solemnly walks through the hall escorted by his brother, the Prince Guy, until he gets next to the altar. He then turns around and looks at Thomas with a face of pride and happiness, and smiles at him. Thomas has to clean a tear off his eye.]

THOMAS: He’s looking gorgeous. More princely than I’ve ever seen him before. And gayer than I’ve ever seen him before in both senses of the word, although he could always be gayer, of course.

HONESTY: I love the detail of the gemstones. It’s like he wants to keep us next to his heart in this moment so important in his life…

LOGAN: Oh… I just thought he was simply putting in his chest the rainbow flag in the form of gems, but your interpretation is also valid, Hon.

[Roman looks at the empty seat where Deceit was supposed to sit down, then looks at Thomas with an interrogating face. Thomas shakes his head and silently says with his lips “I’ll tell you later”. Roman shows a slightly confused and sad face but says nothing]

THOMAS: [a little angry] Deceit is ruining Roman and Virgil’s mood. This wedding is not being perfect, and it’s his fault. He should have come to the wedding.

WRATH: Please, don’t be too harsh on him, Thomas. You’d understand if you knew the whole story.

[Thomas has no time to respond, as, again, music is heard. This time, a little orchestra on a side of the hall plays an instrumental version of “Simply Meant to Be”, from Nightmare before Christmas. Virgil then makes his entrance into the hall, with Patton holding his arm next to him. He’s wearing a purple tuxedo with a matching bow-tie, and he’s wearing a hood with an extremely long cape on the back that looks like a dress train, finished in black roses on the edge. He’s carrying a bouquet made of black tulips and purple lavenders. They walk slowly, heading to the altar, where Roman looks at his groom with a face of emotion and a tender, loving smile. Virgil smiles back at him from afar. Patton’s eyes start watering and soon streams of tears fall down his cheeks. When they reach the altar, Patton takes Virgil’s hand and gives it to Roman, who holds it gently, as if afraid of crumbling it like a dry flower. They look at each other, for a moment as if the rest of the world wasn’t there. Then, they join both of their flower bouquets in a single one, leave it on top of the altar and stand looking at the altar, where now the Prince Guy is standing. Music then stops]

PRINCE GUY: Distinguished guests. As the regent of the Principality of Sandersia, and therefore the highest authority besides the Royal Prince himself, I have been asked to perform this ceremony to join Prince Roman and Virgil Sanders in wedlock. If anyone in this hall knows of any reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.

[he makes a pause, there’s silence in the room and no one speaks]

PRINCE GUY: It is now time for the grooms to read their personal vows that they’ve written for each other. Roman, you go first.

ROMAN: [takes out a piece of paper, clears his throat and starts reading] Dear Virgil. I hereby promise you to be your shield in your moments of hurt, to be your sword in your moments of fear, to be your source of courage in your moments of doubt, to be your warmth in your moments of cold, and above else I promise to provide you love enough for two in the moments you cease to love yourself. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.

PRINCE GUY: Virgil?

VIRGIL: [also reading from a paper] Roman, I promise you to be by your side in each adventure you take on, to stand by you in the moments you feel not so glittery, to remind you of your common sense in the moments you become too much overdramatic, to step out of my comfort zone and fight my fears when you need me to, and to try and complement you in life as much as I can. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.

PRINCE GUY: Very well, hold both of each other’s hands now and look at each other in the eye. [Roman and Virgil do so, smiling lovingly at each other] Roman, do you take Virgil to be your husband, to love and to cherish for as long as you both shall live?

ROMAN: I do.

PRINCE GUY: Virgil, do you take Roman to be your husband, to love and to cherish for as long as you both shall live?

VIRGIL: I do.

PRINCE GUY: Who’s got the rings?

[nobody speaks]

VIRGIL: [low voice looking at Patton with a slightly anxious face] Dad… He means you!

PATTON: Oh, sorry, kiddo, I got so emotional I didn’t hear. [there are some muffled giggles in the room, Patton takes the rings out of a pocket in his jacket and hands them to the grooms] Here they are.

PRINCE GUY: Very good. Roman, place the ring on Virgil’s finger, while you read this [shows him a book]

ROMAN: [reading while putting the ring on Virgil’s finger] With this ring, Virgil, I thee wed, and I promise to love and respect you in sickness and health, in richness and poorness, in good times and bad, until death do us part.

PRINCE GUY: Now you, Virgil, place the ring on Romans’ finger, while you read this.

VIRGIL: [reading while putting the ring on Roman’s finger] With this ring, Roman, I thee wed, and I promise to love and respect you in sickness and health, in richness and poorness, in good times and bad, until death do us part.

PRINCE GUY: You have expressed your free consent in front of witnesses to be joined in wedlock, so by the power vested on me by the state of Sandersia, I now pronounce you married partners. You may now kiss each other.

[Roman takes down Virgil’s hood and smiles lovingly at his husband, then they both kiss while all the guests in the hall start applauding and cheering]

THOMAS: Beautiful. Simply beautiful, from start to finish.

PRINCE GUY: Long live Prince Roman! Long live Prince Virgil! Long live Sandersia!

THOMAS: Oh, that’ s right! Now that Virgil has married a prince, that makes him a prince too. Who would have thought?

[Suddenly, the door opens, and Deceit enters the hall. He’s still wearing the black jacket and sunglasses. Roman and Virgil look at Deceit]

ROMAN: Wow, Deceit, you are late! The wedding is over already!

DECEIT: [evil mixed with fake sad voice] Is that so? Awww… What a pity… I’m terribly… terribly… sorry…

VIRGIL: Something’s wrong in here…

DECEIT: But of course, don’t let my absence upset you, guys. [claps his hands three times slowly] Congratulations!

[Honesty notices that Wrath’s whole body is shaking like jelly and he has a face of endless horror]

HONESTY: Wrath, what’s wrong with you?

WRATH: I… I would never forget that tone of voice… We’re doomed! It’s… him!

LOGAN: Him? But… that can’t be…

VIRGIL: Yes, he is, Logan, I recognize him too! It’s the Dark Master! What have you done to Deceit? And how dare you to show up at my wedding without an invitation!?

[Deceit takes his glasses off and shows that his eyes are indeed red, like the Dark Master’s. He smiles with a diabolic grin]

ROMAN: [to the guests] Okay, everyone get out of the hall, this is dangerous for you. There’s a door behind the throne on the left that will let you get out of the castle. [to the Dark Master] Dark Master, let them go, they’re innocent people. It’s us you want, right?

DARK MASTER: [unconcerned] Yeah… all of them can go… I’m only interested in the Sides.

ROMAN: You too, brother, help them get out safely.

PRINCE GUY: But I want to fight alongside you if I must, Roman.

ROMAN: Please, brother, this is a matter of the Sanders Sides. I need you to take care of the guests and lead them to safety. This is the best way you can help me right now. Should something happen to me, you’re the only one who could defend them in case of trouble and assume the crown.

PRINCE GUY: Okay, if you say so… But please, be careful… [to the guests] Okay, everyone, follow me this way, quickly, but without panicking. Don’t run, and don’t form a block at the door.

JOAN: What about Talyn and me?

THOMAS: Joan, you and Talyn must go with the guests. This could be dangerous. You can’t go back to the living room without me, and I can’t take you there right now, so wait for us outside.

TALYN: Okay, be careful, Thomas. You too, guys.

[All the guests start walking to the back door, while the Prince Guy makes sure they go in a single file, as calmly as they can. When they’re all out, the Prince Guy gives a last worried glance to Roman, who smiles and nods at him. Then Prince Guy gets out and closes the door behind him. Roman takes off the cape and Virgil takes off the hood, and Thomas and the other Sides step closer to them in the center of the hall]

DARK MASTER: So, here we are again… But this time you can’t use your rainbow tricks against me.

VIRGIL: Okay, Dark Master, you can shift back to your real form.

DARK MASTER: Who says I’m shape-shifting? This is the real Deceit you’re looking at. I’m controlling his body.

VIRGIL: What? Then set him free at once!

DARK MASTER: [evil threatening voice] Make me…

THOMAS: How could you take control of his body?

DARK MASTER: Oh, it was easy… a heart in love is so easy to manipulate… I just had to concentrate the remnants of my body to form a copy of Virgil’s jacket, appear “casually” in front of him, and he couldn’t resist to wear me, [mocking voice] as if he thought having his jacket was a substitute of the love he was being denied and he would never have…

VIRGIL: [with a ferocious glance of anger] You… you… [looks at Patton then back at the Dark Master] you, motherfreaker!

ROMAN: What is he talking about, Virgil?

VIRGIL: Well, I only recently knew that Deceit was in love with me, and not because he wanted to confess or anything, he was respectful of our relation. I told him that I loved you and that I could never give him the kind of love he wanted. And that monster has used that against him!

THOMAS: [to Wrath and Honesty] Now I get what you meant with “the whole story”, you guys. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge him…

DARK MASTER: Of course, I needed to be sure that my plan would work. It was a happy coincidence that Roman was bitten by a Sanders Sprite. That inspired me to send what you called a Dark Sprite to invade Virgil. I knew that he would inhibit himself to get free of the Sprite, and I knew Roman would do what he did. Virgil turning into a Light Side, was just the finishing touch, to make sure Deceit’s possibilities with Virgil would fall down from few to none. That would make him more eager to keep the jacket, trying to comfort himself, and finally wear it. [evil grin] And it worked.

HONESTY: So, you had it all planned from the beginning…

DARK MASTER: Deceit’s body is full of my own energy, as you remember from when I restored him back then, so from the moment he put the jacket on, I started taking control. Up to this morning, he tried to resist me. This morning he made his last try of getting free, right when Thomas and Patton were there, trying to ask them for help, but now, he’s just a tiny little piece of this body, the rest is all me. And the funniest thing is he’s trapped inside of me, totally conscious of everything it’s happening. He’s watching and hearing us as we speak, unable to do anything. I can feel him still struggling and yelling in despair. Revenge is so sweet when it works.

THOMAS: That little groan earlier… That was the real Deceit? [yelling] Dark Master! Let Deceit go! Right now!

DARK MASTER: Forget it. Now Deceit’s mine. If you want him back… look for me in the Dark Realm. I’ll be waiting in Deceit’s room, if you have what it takes, of course.

[Deceit throws a dark ray aimed at Thomas. Thomas extends his white shield like he did the last time, to repel the attack. When he retreats the shield, the Dark Master is nowhere in sight]

THOMAS: He’s gone!

PATTON: Thomas, what are we gonna do?

VIRGIL: That dang Dark Master. He’s never gonna let us live happily ever after!

ROMAN: We’ll think of something… And we’ll bring Deceit back. He’s one of us, we’re not leaving him behind!

[The door opens again. The Sides look at it with a face of tension and ready to jump into action. Then there enter Joan and Talyn]

THOMAS: Oh, Joan, Talyn, it’s you…

JOAN: Yes, it’s me. Is everything okay here? We saw a dark cloud getting out of the castle and going far away real fast, and…

THOMAS: Yes, we are okay… But the Dark Master has Deceit in his hands.

JOAN: Oh, f… [bleep], that’s too bad. What are you going to do?

ROMAN: I think it’s clear we’ve got to cancel the wedding celebration, don’t you think, Virgil?

VIRGIL: Yes, that can wait. We need to regroup and make a plan to get Deceit back and send that… [looks at Patton again, afraid of saying bad words in front of his father] motherfreaker… back to where he came from. But I hate that he’s screwed up our wedding, Roman.

ROMAN: In a way, he didn’t. When he showed up, we were already married, and that’s what matters, right?

VIRGIL: Yes, I guess so.

ROMAN: And don’t worry, when it’s all over, we’re gonna have our banquet, and of course we’re not gonna skip our honeymoon…

VIRGIL: [smiling at Roman, with a sweet, loving smile, but with his eyes reflecting his inner worrying about his friend] I can’t wait…

THOMAS: Guys, you’ll have to wait right now. It’s time we get back home and start planning. Joan, how are the guests doing?

JOAN: They’re fine. Roman’s brother has already placed them in carriages to take them back to their homes, as he was seeing clear that the banquet was being canceled, of course.

TALYN: He’s now taking care of the last guests, but he left the royal carriage at the door so that we could use it when we were ready.

THOMAS: Then let’s go home, guys.

[Thomas and the others get out of the castle and into the carriage, and soon they’re at the door to Roman’s room]

ROMAN: Patton, if you dare to throw up again in the carriage, I’m gonna kill you…

PATTON: It’s okay, kiddo, the last time I had just eaten a cookie and the fast trip didn’t let it agree with me. But now I’m okay.

[The gang gets out of the carriage and in Roman’s room]

ROMAN: Before we go back, I think we should wear something more comfortable, don’t you think, Virgil?

VIRGIL: Yes…

[Roman and Virgil change their clothes back to their usual outfits. The rest of the Sides except Thomas, Joan and Talyn also change their formal clothes back to their usual outfits]

ROMAN: That’s more like it. Let’s go back now, guys.

THOMAS: I wish I could change clothes as fast as you do. This suit is not the best outfit to jump into action…

[Then they sink down and go back to the living room]

THOMAS: Now what?

LOGAN: Let’s think about it carefully. What did Deceit do to get possessed by the Dark Master?

THOMAS: He put on the fake black jacket, of course. If we believe the Dark Master.

WRATH: Oh, the Dark Master is a boaster. He thinks he’s already won. He’s not afraid of bragging about his intelligence and letting everyone know about how good his perfect plan is. He was saying the truth.

LOGAN: If everything was started when he put the jacket on… by logic, everything should be fixed if we take the jacket off him.

THOMAS: That could work, but it’s easier said than done, Logan. I don’t think he’s gonna let us get close enough to him and tell him “May I have your coat, sir?”

ROMAN: I think we should just attack him! I’d get him on a one on one fight and force him to release Deceit!

VIRGIL: Roman, that’s not a good idea at all. Remember he’s in Deceit’s body. If we hurt him, we’re hurting Deceit too. And also, you don’t know how powerful he is. I don’t want to become a widow right after I got married! That would just be too dark and gloomy even for me!

ROMAN: You’re right… But what could we do then?

WRATH: I’ve got an idea. Maybe if someone… distracted him, another one could come closer from behind and take the jacket off him when he least expects it.

HONESTY: That could work…

LOGAN: I don’t know… Something tells me this is a bad idea…

WRATH: Well, Logan, you’re Thomas’ mind. Have you got any better ideas?

LOGAN: No, I don’t! But intuition tells me that… we’re gonna regret doing this, one way or another.

WRATH: Deceit is my best friend, and I’m tired of getting scared of the Dark Master like a hopeless rabbit in front of a hawk! I’m gonna face my fears head on, here and now! Yes, there’s a risk to take, but, even if I’m scared to death of him, I’m willing to take that risk if that helps us save Deceit!

HONESTY: I’ll be the one approaching from behind. You guys, will distract him.

PATTON: But kiddos, if he sees all of us except Honesty, won’t he be suspicious that something’s going on?

HONESTY: Maybe… But I think I have a solution for that. Roman, you are the character creator, right?

ROMAN: Yes, I am.

HONESTY: Could you create a character in the flesh that looks exactly like me? Some sort of illusion that would trick the Dark Master into thinking that I’m with you?

ROMAN: I think I know what you’re thinking about… and I think it could work. Yes, I can do it. But, unfortunately, outside of Sandersia, my creations do not last in the flesh for too long. You will have just a few minutes, and then your clone will vanish.

HONESTY: A few minutes is all that we need. Right, Wrath?

WRATH: Right.

VIRGIL: Do not underestimate that vicious rat. He could be hiding an ace up his sleeve.

THOMAS: And I don’t like what Logan said. He’s holding my intuition and, the last time, he was right when he said out of intuition that Virgil was in danger. If he says now that something’s gonna come out wrong, I’d listen to him.

LOGAN: However, Thomas, intuition can fail, as I told you the last time… I don’t know, I don’t like this plan at all… but maybe it’s the only plan we’re gonna be able to make. And unfortunately, we don’t have much time, I’m afraid.

ROMAN: Guys, there’s one thing I didn’t think about…

WRATH: What is it?

ROMAN: I can create a clone of Honesty… but with so little time, I wouldn’t be able to create a personality for him, a back story, motivations for his existence… everything that makes a character alive, in one word. That means that I can create it… but he would be a lifeless, static dummy that would attract suspicion.

HONESTY: Well, that’s gonna be a problem. Isn’t there any solution?

ROMAN: There is… but I don’t want to put your friends in danger, Thomas.

THOMAS: My friends?

JOAN: You mean us? If there’s anything we can do to help, you can count on us, Roman.

THOMAS: Wait a minute…

JOAN: What can I do to help, Roman?

ROMAN: Okay… I could create Honesty’s clone around your body. It would be as if I shifted you into Honesty’s shape, so to speak. Once I did that, you could be able to impersonate Honesty’s way of speaking and quirks. You are a good actor, after all, and I can’t think on anyone else to do this better than you.

JOAN: Okay… I think I can do it.

HONESTY: Are you sure, Joan? We don’t want to put you in danger and we don’t want to force you into doing anything.

JOAN: I’m sure, Honesty.

THOMAS: Wait a second. I don’t want to put my friends in danger, isn’t there another way?

JOAN: Thomas, I’m doing this on my own free will. I want to help. Besides, you know there is no other way.

ROMAN: Okay… The time constraint is the same as I said before, though. We only have a few minutes, and then Joan’s disguise will disappear, so whatever we do, we must do it quickly. Are you ready, Joan?

JOAN: Yes, I am ready.

[Roman points at Honesty, then points at Joan and closes his eyes. In a few seconds, Joan transforms into Honesty’s shape]

JOAN: Whoa…

HONESTY: Okay, quick rehearsal. Can you impersonate my way of speaking?

JOAN: [imitating Honesty’s posh British accent, and speaking with Honesty’s voice] I think I can, gentleman…

HONESTY: Not bad. Let’s hope it’s enough to trick the Dark Master… Okay, guys. You go first. I’ll wait hiding, until the moment arrives. Good luck, gentlemen and gentlefolk.

TALYN: Joan, please, be careful.

JOAN: I will, Talyn, I promise.

THOMAS: Don’t be afraid, Talyn. I’ll take care of them, I won’t let anything happen to them, even if I have to give my life for them.

JOAN: Don’t say that, Thomas. We all must make it out of there in one piece.

THOMAS: We’ll try…. No, we will! Okay, let’s go get our friend back.

[everyone sinks down. Talyn stays there, sitting on the couch with a worried face. There’s a black flash, and the gang rises up at Deceit’s room. The Dark Master, in Deceit’s body, is waiting for them]

DARK MASTER: So… you had the guts of coming, after all…

THOMAS: We’re not leaving our friend behind, Dark Master, what did you expect?

DARK MASTER: Yeah, you’re right, I didn’t expect any intelligence coming from you at this point, to be honest.

THOMAS: Okay, we’re here. What do you want?

DARK MASTER: What do I want? What I have always wanted, Light Master. I want to take your place, and be in charge of this Mind Palace.

WRATH: Thomas, don’t do it! He would do horrible things to all of us, as he has always done!

DARK MASTER: [threatening] Oh, little Gummy Bear… You have no idea of the true meaning of the word “horrible”. Not yet, at least…

WRATH: Oh, but I do, Dark Master. My life has been a hell when I was at your service. And I’m not going back to that! Not ever!

DARK MASTER: Be careful with what you wish for, Wrath. Some wishes come true… in the most unpleasant ways…

JOAN: [as Honesty] Is that supposed to be a threat, uh… gentleman?

DARK MASTER: A threat? Of course not… It’s just a warning from an old… friend.

[the real Honesty appears a few steps behind the Dark Master, he looks at Wrath and nods at him, as if asking him to keep on talking. Wrath and the rest of the Sides act as if he wasn’t there. Honesty starts taking little steps approaching the Dark Master from behind while Wrath is speaking]

WRATH: Friend? [yelling] Friend!? You don’t even know the meaning of the word “friend”! You never had any friends! Only slaves you used for your own benefit! The scars of your whipping in my back still hurt sometimes when the weather is humid, which is a lot of time here in Florida! I didn’t have any respect for you! I only had fear! But that fear is gone forever! You will never be the Master of anything again, and as my name is Ira, I will make sure of that if I have anything to say about it!

THOMAS: Ira? Your name is Ira?

IRA: Yes, Thomas, that’s my name. It’s based on the Roman deities that instilled fury and anger into humans.

ROMAN: And also, “ira” is the Spanish word for wrath, I’m just saying it.

IRA: And I swear you do not want to see me angry, Dark Master!

[The Dark Master starts laughing loudly]

IRA: What are you laughing at?

DARK MASTER: This is such a funny stand-up comedy act I’m watching right now. Congratulations, Wrath… I mean, Ira. You have truly delivered a wonderful show…

[Honesty jumps at the Dark Master. The Dark Master quickly turns back and grabs Honesty by the throat with one hand]

DARK MASTER: …but! As great as this comedy act has been… [points at Joan with his free hand, and their costume disappears revealing their true form] …it’s time for the curtains to fall down.

[All the Sides, especially Wrath, look at the Dark Master with an expression of horror]

DARK MASTER: Did you really think I couldn’t see through the mask your friend was carrying, Light Master? Did you seriously think I was so easy to fool? Well, you’re gonna pay the price of your daring. Starting with this Englishman in New York…

[the Dark Master looks at Honesty with a ferocious face and lifts him, leaving him suspended in the air hanging from the Dark Master’s hand over his throat. Honesty shakes his whole body trying to break free, but the Dark Master has him well hold and starts pressing his hand around Honesty’s neck, making it difficult for him to breath]

THOMAS: Stop it! Let him go! Stop it!

DARK MASTER: Surrender yourself then, Light Master, or all of your friends will perish, one by one!

THOMAS: Okay, okay! You win, Dark Master! I’ll do whatever you want, but please don’t hurt my friends! I beg you!

[The Dark Master puts Honesty back down, but doesn’t let him go]

DARK MASTER: Then surrender your powers to me. Now!

THOMAS: I don’t know how to do that.

DARK MASTER: Just approach to me, Light Master… and I’ll do the rest…

[Thomas starts walking slowly towards the Dark Master, who grins with a devious smile. Ira then shows a face of horror, and suddenly changes it for a determined face of anger]

IRA: No! I won’t let that happen! Never!

[Ira roars with a bear roar and runs to the Dark Master. The Dark Master rises his hand towards Ira and a black glow appears on his finger]

THOMAS: No! Don’t do that! Nooo!

[a black ray comes from his hand and impacts on Ira’s chest. Ira shows a face of pain, then falls down to the floor]

HONESTY: Ira! Nooo!

DARK MASTER: I told you, Ira. You wished for never being at my service again, and now your wish has been granted! Don’t say I’m not merciful! [smiles with a malevolent grin]

[Logan and Roman run towards Ira]

LOGAN: He’s still breathing, Thomas, but with difficulty!

[Honesty shows a face of anger, makes a quick movement and grabs the Dark Master with both hands. Then Honesty’s body starts glowing white]

DARK MASTER: [in shock] Wait, what? What are you doing?

HONESTY: If I have to fall down… I’ll take you down with me!

THOMAS: Honesty! What are you doing!?

HONESTY: What has to be done, Thomas! Step back!

[Thomas steps back. Then the glow around Honesty’s body gets so intense that everyone gets blinded. Then there’s a sound of an explosion, but no one can see what’s happened. After a few moments, the light disappears. There’s now only the Dark Master and no sight of Honesty]

THOMAS: What has happened!?

DARK MASTER: That fool! Did he really think that by blowing himself up, he could destroy me? He just saved me some time, as now I don’t have to destroy him myself, that’s all!

VIRGIL: That can’t be! First Ira, now Honesty…

PATTON: This can’t be happening! This has to be a nightmare!

DARK MASTER: Let’s see… who wants to be next…? I know. Virgil also has pending accounts with me… It’s only appropriate that he comes next!

ROMAN: [rising his samurai sword and putting himself between Virgil and the Dark Master] Over my dead body, you murderer!

DARK MASTER: Oh, so you volunteer instead as tribute? Okay, I’m not picky…

[he rises his hand pointing at Roman. A black glow starts appearing on his finger]

THOMAS: [in despair] No, please, don’t!

[suddenly the black glow disappears. The Dark Master’s whole body starts shaking as if he was suddenly struggling for some reason]

DARK MASTER: What… what is… happening…?

[suddenly his eyes turn back from red to human and snake, as usual in Deceit, and Honesty’s voice is heard from him]

HONESTY: Hurry, Thomas, hurry!

THOMAS: Honesty? Is that you? You’re alive?

HONESTY: Quickly! Take the jacket off now! The Dark Master could dominate Deceit… but he can’t dominate two Sides in the same body at the same time! Hurry up before it’s too late!

DARK MASTER: What!? No! Don’t you dare!

[Thomas rushes to the Dark Master and takes the jacket off. The jacket starts levitating off Thomas’ hands and changes its form into a translucent version of the Dark Master’s real body, that is, a doppelganger of Thomas with red eyes. At that moment, Deceit recovers control of his body]

DECEIT: [struggling to breath] Oh, my goodness… I’m free at last!

DARK MASTER: [horrified] You won’t get away with this!

[Thomas and the Sides regroup in front of the Dark Master]

THOMAS: We need to do the rainbow attack again… but we can’t without Ira…

IRA: [getting up with some effort] I can do this!

LOGAN: Are you sure? You shouldn’t rise up!

IRA: I tell you I can do this! Let’s go!

[The Sides and Thomas get in position. Thomas concentrates and white light appears around his hands, then the Sides hold his back and a ball of light of the seven colors of the rainbow forms in Thomas’ hands]

DARK MASTER: [horrified] Not again! Not again!

[Thomas shoots a rainbow ray at the Dark Master, who this time is not strong enough to stop it, and the ray hits him]

VIRGIL: Go back to the hell you ran away from, Dark Master!

DARK MASTER: I’ll be back again! You’ll see! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

[there’s an explosion of the colors of the rainbow. After it fades away, the Dark Master is gone]

IRA: We did it… We did it!

THOMAS: Yes, we did it! The Dark Master is gone again! I hope this time it’s for good!

IRA: [smiles] We really did it…

[Ira suddenly falls down to the ground]

THOMAS: [scared] Ira!

[all the Sides gather around Ira]

LOGAN: Please, guys, step back, let him breath!

[they all step back except Deceit who kneels next to him]

IRA: [weak voice, with loud breathing between each pause] Deceit… are you okay?

DECEIT: Yes… Yes, I’m okay, thanks to you.

IRA: And Honesty?

HONESTY: [speaking through Deceit’s body] I’m also okay and well, Ira.

IRA: I’m glad… I’m sorry that you had to give up your body… Now you’re trapped together again…

HONESTY: It’s okay, Ira. This is how we were born, and maybe this is how we’re meant to be. It’s a good company after all and to be honest I missed being together with Deceit…

IRA: But the corruption…

DECEIT: That’s okay… When Honesty did that glowing thing… there was a reaction that turned all the Dark Energy in my body into Light Energy. Now we’re both Light Sides and we can coexist together permanently.

IRA: I’m happy for you… So, when I’m gone… the Dark Sides will be gone forever… Maybe it’s better this way… No more Light Sides or Dark Sides… only Sides, and that’s enough…

DECEIT: Don’t say that! You’re not going to die! You’ll get better!

IRA: [weak smile] Liar, liar, pants on fire… It’s like in that musical movie… in the West Side Story movie… remember? Tony and Maria sang that they would find a way for them to be together… Virgil found his place with Roman… you found your place with Honesty… I wish there was a place for me too… but Tony and Maria couldn’t find it… and now neither can I… [starts weakly singing to the tune of the West Side Story song, as if he was suddenly delirious] there’s a place… for us… somewhere, a place for us… hold my hand and we’re halfway there… hold my hand and I’ll take you there… Somehow… Someday… Some…

[he doesn’t finish, as his body goes still, as if he had suddenly fallen asleep… but he hasn’t. Patton starts crying and hugs Logan, who tries to comfort him, also with tears running down his cheeks. Virgil’s cheeks also get full of black tears from his makeup, and Roman hugs him, trying to contain crying. Thomas and Joan look at the scene too stunned to react. Deceit doesn’t say a word. He just closes Ira’s eyes and puts his hands together. Just as he does so, a green mist comes out of Ira’s body as it becomes translucent, and then disappears. The green mist then flies away until it gets lost in the distance]

THOMAS: What happened? Where did he go?

DECEIT: He’s turned into part of the Mind Palace’s energy…

THOMAS: What does that mean?

DECEIT: You still need anger in your life, Thomas. Ira is gone, but with his remnants, the Mind Palace is going to create a new Side to assume that aspect of you.

THOMAS: So Ira will be back?

DECEIT: No… Ira is gone forever. It will be a new different Side, with his own different personality. Who he is and when he will appear, we don’t know. It may be in a few days, a few months, even a few years… who knows, but it won’t be Ira. And it’s all my fault…

THOMAS: It’s the Dark Master’s fault, not yours.

DECEIT: This is my punishment for wishing things that I’m not allowed to have.

HONESTY: In any case, Deceit, it would be my fault. I was the one who gave you that bloody jacket. I also faced my punishment with the loss of my own body.

DECEIT: I’m sorry…

VIRGIL: It’s not your fault, guys. Honesty, you didn’t know what was going to happen. And Deceit… I don’t love you the way you love me… but everybody has the right to love, and it’s not your fault that you love me. You don’t choose who you love. Love just touches whomever it wants whenever it pleases him. And I don’t take being loved as an offense at all, as long as you don’t want to convince me to love you in return, which you never did in the first place, so we’re fine.

ROMAN: He speaks for both of us, Deceit.

DECEIT: I’m so sorry, you guys… If only there was a way to fix everything that has happened because of me… [his voice breaks] …but there isn’t.

[Deceit starts crying and the rest of the Sides soon follow up. Thomas looks at the camera with tears in his eyes]

THOMAS: [with a sad voice] I think it’s better to end the video right here for now, if you excuse us… Until next time, take it easy guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out…

[there’s no end card, only a black and white tinted in green still image of Ira around the previous videos, the subscribe button and the featured fander images, then black screen and silence]