#and on top of all of that. xavier gets married and has a kid a little into their first few years at arasaka. and then gets divorced not long

[mojaves]

tell us more abt gabriel & xavier. pleeeeaaase. :]

HEHEHEHE OK ok. they both started working at arasaka at around the same time, after they left college,,, they were in the background, working more in the background. basically just doing tech maintenance stuff, they werent involved in the corporation side of things. gabriel was more charming and talkative and outgoing, found it easy getting along with people there, while xavier kept to himself, didnt really speak unless spoken to. he's there to work and thats It. not to make friends.

not much happened in that time. they had their own lives, didn't get paid too much but they managed to get by somehow. and then one day little andrew colton comes along and sets up the serpent projects, which are essentially a series of projects aimed to modify a person's behaviour in order to make them an unstoppable killing machine via a chip in their brain. this went on for a few years before xavier and gabriel were brought on as subjects, as they are both fairly tall and sturdy, so had a better chance at surviving the initial stages of testing. and they desperately needed the money and a roof over their heads. so they agreed.

started off easy at first. mostly just physical tests and stuff like that. their readings were very similar, almost identical, but overall gabriel seemed to be the stronger of the two in a lot of ways. so because of that xavier was more of a Backup, while gabriel became the main teat subject, as he would be able to handle more of it. they give him a prototype, see how it affects him, tweak it until it's juuust right, and then xavier gets the significantly less buggy version of the tech and upgrades and so on

and thanks to all of that, xavier came out of it,, not like. unscathed. he's still got some lifelong complications to deal with thanks to the faulty chip, but his case is much less severe than gabriel's, as he was left almost catatonic for a good few years following an incident at the labs,,,

which then eventually leads to gabriel escaping the facility and leaving a comically gabriel shaped hole in the wall. and xavier has to go after him. and thats how they eventually break out of arasaka [:

theres so much more to their story but those are like. the KEY elements to whats going on, and how they end up where they are now,,

[thelastairsimblr]

Family Pack #3

I’m happy to share some sims with you all today! In this post, you’ll find 10 households (40 sims total), each with their own stories and biographies. All of these sims have additional Everyday outfits, skills, bonus traits, Likes and Dislikes, sexual orientations, pronouns, family dynamics, and Lifestyles. You can find them all on the gallery under my Origin ID: TheLastAirSimmer or in the tray files linked under the cut! As always, feel free to tag me if you end up using them.

Guillroy-Jeong

Some families don’t survive a divorce. That wasn’t the case for the Guillory’s; in fact, it only brought Aston and Déon closer. Déon had never considered that the fisherman was experiencing a midlife crisis until he married Willow, a joyful artist half his age. Things were tense initially, but seeing how happy she made Aston was enough to diffuse the tension until Uriel arrived. Déon wants to support this new dynamic, but a needy toddler in the mix might force them to branch out of their bubble.

Carbone

For better or worse, Greta has always been one to stand by her choices. She’s had a song in her heart from a young age, but put her dreams of being a pianist to the side once Albie was born. She works as a teacher to support her family, but hopes one day to play again. However, it would be good enough to see Albie fulfill his own dreams of becoming a professional dancer, temperamental though he may be. Like her mother and brother, Beatrice too is unapologetically developing musical aspirations.

Duggal

When Bikram and Mia wed, they agreed their careers would come first before starting a family. Their first pregnancy surprised them, but Bikram pivoted to adjust to the new circumstances. Mia, however, was eager to get back to work after the birth. As a doctor, she provided enough for Bikram to cut back at the restaurant and care for Parker. There was a cost, though; today, Parker resents Mia. Wanting to avoid repeating that mistake, Mia is keen on loving her boys, the nerdy Antwan and wary Levi.

Salamé

Being raised by Adeline had a profoundly different effect on her kids. Dasia, the eldest, often butted heads with the stubborn matriarch and found comfort in her high school sweetheart Imman. Baqil, the obvious favorite, stayed on the set path and wants to make her proud (coffee is his best friend when it comes to staying on top of his classes). Having married and had kids too young, Dasia and Imman reluctantly moved in and Adeline has since been keen on taking control of the girls’ rearing.

Lavigne-Jarrah

Falling for an artist was not at all what Rahim had planned. As an engineer, he values structure and practicality, but Gabrielle offers him a new lens to see the world through. This interior designer also takes note from her husband and has adopted his attention to detail in her own work. Their daughter Francesca has her moms’ creative spirit and shows promise (even if she focuses more on boys in her class than her painting skills) and Xavier is more interested in gaming than being book smart.

Newkirk

Landon had made many futile attempts to woo his high school crush Johanna, but it wasn’t until he sang a song for her on his guitar that she noticed him. They remain together today, accepting of the others’ quirks. Johanna can often fly off the handle, but Landon is always there to ease her mind. They try to do their part to save the world and instill ecofriendly values in their kids; lessons that young Averie has taken in good spirits. The unpredictable Reagan, however, is a different story.

Tillman

Not long ago, Siobhan was living her dream; traveling and performing music with her friends. But creative differences led to a massive falling out and the band split up. Now directionless, she moved in with her older sister Bianca, who was happy to reconnect after years apart (and maybe get some help with her two boys) but Siobhan may as well be a third child. Desmond and Cale love having their aunt around though, and it’s nice at times to get a reprieve so Bianca can focus on her meditation.

Oertel

A woman of science with a lot of love to give, Sandra knew early on that she wanted to have a child and give them the warm upbringing that she never had. Despite not having a partner, she decided to undergo in-vitro fertilization. She certainly did a good job of instilling Jonas with a high level of confidence (almost to a point of arrogance) and even as a grown man, he has Sandra wrapped around his finger. He doesn’t take his studies seriously, but has a passion for all things outdoors.

Kwame-Zhang

Lily and Daphanie were ready to take on San Myshuno and on their way to becoming a power couple. Or so Lily thought, until Daphanie changed course. After adopting the girls, Daphanie drove a hard bargain on moving to a quieter part of town. She was able to adjust as a fashion designer, sending off submissions from the comfort of her home. Lily however finds herself commuting to the city, unwilling to forfeit her spot as an up-and-coming food critic, despite missing quality time with her family.

Silva-Ortiz

Gustavo takes his values seriously and expects others to do the same. Quite a negotiator, his wife Flavia is able to use her husbands’ political network to pass her green initiatives around town. Though cohesive as a pair, they differed in their parenting styles; Flavia always trusted her sons’ judgement while Gustavo often quarreled with their eldest Robbie, who only wants to party. Averse to conflict, Paolo does as he’s told, even forgoing his own wants to throw himself fully into his studies.

[spottheantisemitism]

"what if the X-men were black?" is a racist, antisemitic and anti-intersectional screed that 2013 tumblr fell in love with

Published in 2013 this made rounds of OG tumblr and made Bobby of Pencilscratchins draw all her Jewish X-men characters as brown.

Erik because he has Romani heritage (which is realistic and based and accurate to some comics).

Anon go kick rocks with your colorism! YOU read holocaust testimonies!

Also fun fact Nazi Germany did not understand black and brown the way Americans do so it was based on ethnicity and not color, a brown Jew and a pale white passing Jew were seen as one and the same to the Nazis

Guess which article she linked

It's this one!

But said Kitty was Latine because "the quintessential X-girl of the 70s shouldn't be white"

Kitty already is a queer woman of color because she's Jewish. Jews are POC. Bobby what the hell? Are you implying she's only coded non-white because she's Jewish or Mutant? what the hell?!

(BTW Bobby left Tumblr around Covid but if you send her hate asks because of this essay you'll end up on spot-the-antisemitism blocklist for harrasment)

Where did she get this "Jews are white and should be race lifted?" stuff? Why from Orion!

Top paragraph is fine!

antisemitism is written the gentile way that supports a racist eugenicist, off to a bad start.

Sexism is not covered? OH explain Storm's arcs of misogynoir or Jean's and Maddy's arc of going insane because she has the power of a god but is forced to be housewife and marry her sweetheart and have kids

Ableism is not explored? I'm sorry what about XAVIER'S ENTIRE ARC OF ABLIEST SELF HATRED AND OVERCOMING IT IN THE PREQUELS? The first class all being rich talented codedly disabled kids going to a prep school for the gifted. Disabled people really liking non human passing characters like Nightcrawler (and hating Xavier since he's too assimilationist to many). I'm sorry why do people fall for such blatant lies? the mentor of the X-men is literally canonically disabled and Orion has the GALL to claim ableism is not explored.

_ Genosha is half fall of south Africa Apartheid and half the establishment of the state of Israel hence why the metaphor is so messy and problematic

_ Yes that number is deliberately "like the holocaust but worse" because Morrison likes their holocaust appopriation

_ Why didn't you mention it's an allegory for Gay conversion therapy torture because Bryan Singer is gay?

_ Yes Legacy Virus is Mutant Aids good job on your media literacy finally kicking in Orion

It's racism AND antisemitism but your "antisemtism doesn't exist in america" ass doesn't get that

I do hate "mutie" as slur and the way Kitty thinks it's comparable to antisemtic and anti-black slurs and USES them to make a point, so yeah something Orion and I agree on.

The sequence used is of Stevie Hunter the human ally character who like Xavier started teaching after she became disabled. She IS used as prop here to say Kitty is right in calling her the n-word (Claremont is racist sometimes).

But Orion can't tell her apart from Storm. Buddy if you can't tell the ONLY two black women in this comic apart, you're the racist.

OK they're both props but it proves you never actually read the comics or you can't tell fictional black women apart neither of which is a good look

(Cole also points out the Kitty and Magneto are not White but Jewish he is dogpiled and called a fake fan for this (see below))

Keep Shyminksy out of your mouth you racist fake fan

OH NO! I hate this!

So you decided to go with the colorist idea that the man is darker and the innocent girl in need of protecting is lighter. Gross colorism worthy of a Hollywood action movie where the black guy dies

"Local black man can't related to white disabled teens facing ableism and makes it about racism so he can relate to it" is giving gamergate chud energy to me

If you can't see why a Russian man is almost killed by a mob of xenophobic red blooded Americans and HAVE to make this about anti-black racism that's on you and your misunderstanding of the way Russians were hated during the cold war.

Oh you are race swapping x-men while shitting on Psylocke who the result of basically the same idea? How hypocritical

Dwayne McDuffe does have a point but your quote does not utilize his point in any way.

Then DON'T raceswap Wolverine if he becomes the angry black man. Think before you can X-men racism and tokenism WORSE with your race-swapping

NO THEY DON'T strawman rejected

Ah yes! Magneto, famously a very white man whose childhood was full of white privilege/ Sarcasm

One of the co-authors of the website has the gall to double down on calling Magneto white:

"as a REAL fan you're fake fan, antisemitism doesn't exist and Holocaust survivor Jews are white" - this racist defending his token black friend's racist screed because some guy called Cole DARED call Orion on his bullshit

*"I didn't like that the X-men were about white passing and invislbe disability so I made about anti black racism" also "judiasm is just a religion" canard

**Again leave Shyminksy and Morrison's good takes alone

***Yeah you get Luke Cage, that's how you get the racism of bad Luke Cage comics. You ain't inventing the racist wheel here

Orion I hate your take, I hate your misunderstanding of antisemitism and ableism that makes the two main factions tick, I hate your self centerness, I hate your racist and antisemitic co-writer making excuses for you and I REALLY hate that this did to the 2013 X-fandom what Lily Orchard did to the 2019 Steven Universe fandom and we can still see people using your bullshit arguments today

Oh and Cole? thank you for your service you're the real hero of this story, hated and feared for daring to call out the establishment

[pompyoly]

Redacted Headcannons pt 2

As Gavin and FL get older, Gavin alternates his appearance to make it seem like he is aging too(he knows FL is gonna die someday he just won’t accept it)

Sam thinks about what could happen after he and Darlin left the house of Solaire

Gavin, Asher, and Guy sometimes wear croptops and paint their nails

Huxley doesn’t work out he’s just naturally buff, but he does drink protein shakes or smoothies and go on morning runs

All of the D.A.M.N. crew is used to Gavin making out with FL anytime anywhere

Darlin sometimes gets scars that they don’t even know about until Sam points out that he can smell the blood on them

Milo had a mullet but decided to cut it after he accidentally cut too much off(he wore a beanie until it grew back close enough to make it into a mullet

Darlin is academically smart, but people’s opinions about them cause them to lash out and make bad decisions

Gavin has an incubus mark on his lower abdomen

Darlin would often avoid hangouts with the wolf pack due to feeling unwanted

Cutie felt conflicted and confused when Geordi got mad at them for reading his mind, causing them to stop using their powers when Geordi left

Porter stares at Treasure when they sleep not in a creepy way but more of an admiring type of way

Milo snaps at sweetheart but always feels bad and apologizes after especially when he’s not mad at them(he can tell when he goes too far when their aura changes a different color)

Lovely and Vincent play hide and seek in the woods(it drives Vincent’s primal instincts, making it more fun)

Darlin isn’t good with kids they don’t hate them they just aren’t used to being around them(the kids in the pack think they’re cool and berates them with questions)

Freelancer always includes coworker whenever the D.A.M.N. crew hang out no matter what they’re doing

Sam gives advice that he learned growing up in the South (he often gets looked at like he’s crazy but the advice does work)

Darlin's parents were in the pack but got banished due to abuse towards Darlin, who later got adopted by Gabe and Mrs. Shaw

Guy laughs about things at the worst times, and Honey hits him to try and get him to stop even though they think it’s funny too

Baabe helps Asher dye his hair, even helping him cut it if it gets long enough

Darlin and Asher are naturally fast even without their werewolf abilities

Milo and Darlin don’t wanna get married(they don’t care about traditional marriages, but they do have promise rings)

Darlin tilts their heads, and death stares at Alexis whenever she’s around(they have thought about just punching her and dealing with the consequences later but never acted on it due to Sam and David telling them to "behave"

FL celebrates Xavier’s birthday with Huxley

Sweetheart's dad worked in the department and died on the job, sweetheart carries a picture of him in their car

Asher only eats puffy chips and refuses to eat anything else

Sweetheart has a model walk with top tier fashion taste(they hate the color orange on clothes)

Micheal once asked Angel if they could try and get back together, and David stopped him before he could even finish his sentence(Micheal fumbled HARD)

Milo’s father hates interspecies only accepting sweetheart for the sake of Milo but once got into an argument with Darlin over Sam(Marie apologized on his behalf, and Darlin and her have a good relationship)

Damien got confused when FL accidentally mentioned Caelum, and FL just told him that he was a friend of theirs and Gavin’s(Caelums their adopted son)

Darlin has a fear of abandonment they had a panic attack the first time Sam and them got into a serious argument about Darlins recklessness

[nysocboy]

School Spirits: Ghost girl, her gay bff, and their buds solve the mystery.

I'm a sucker for teenage ghost stories, as long as they are comedies, so I reviewed the first episode of School Spirits on Netflix

Maddie (Peyton List) wakes up in the boiler room of her high school.  Her blood is splattered around.  But that's not the worst part: she's dead!  She can't touch or move anything.  She can see and hear the living , but they can't see or hear her.  And she can't leave the campus!  

Her self-appointed guide is Charlie (Nick Pugliese, center), a gay kid who died in the school during the 1990s (peanut allergy, not hate crime).  He advises her to not try to remember how she died, since she can't change anything: no communication with the living is possible. But don't ghosts communicate with people all the time?  Maybe in the next episode.  And becoming fixated on the past is dangerous: some band members who died in a bus crash many years ago are obsessively performing the school fight song, over and over.

Charlie introduces Maddie to some other ghosts from various decades, notably Wally (Milo Mannheim, top photo and right), who died on the football field, and wishes that he had managed to shower first;  and the Goth Kirsten, who was murdered by her guidance counselor.  

Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman), a teacher who died in the school, offers regular group therapy, with regular homework ("write your obituary").  This doesn't get boring after 20 years because ghosts don't experience time in the same way that the living do.  He also advises Maddie to resist checking up on her living friends, as they will gradually forget her and move on.

Of course, Maddie doesn't listen.  She tries to recall events leading up to her death: first, she made plans with her BFFs, Simon (Kristian Ventura) and Nicole, to see Carrie that night.  

Her boyfriend Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) was skipping class, and texted her to join him for a smooch session in his car.  She talked him into going to the movie.  They met the others after class with the tickets.  And that's it.

Out in the living world, Maddie's body has not been found, so she gets "missing person" posters and "thoughts and prayers" in class.  The BFFs think that this is ridiculous: they should be out looking for her.  Suddenly Xavier's bag flies open: he has Maddie's cell phone!  Why didn't he tell anyone for the last three days?  This makes him the prime suspect in her murder. The sheriff (Ian Tracey, left), who also happens to be his Dad, arrests him.

Beefcake: Charlie's "office" is the shower room in the boy's gym, where he can watch an endless parade of butts.

Gay Characters: Charlie, and maybe Maddie's living bff, Simon. A future episode shows us Charlie’s high school boyfriend, Emilio, who is now all grown up, married to another guy, and teaching at the schoo (played as an adult by Andres Soto, seen here doing...um)

The Mystery:  "Who killed Maddie, and why?"  It's obviously not Xavier or one of her bffs, and those are the major living characters introduced to date.  I also hope that we have some subplots involving the other ghosts.

My Grade: A-

The NSFW version of this review, with Andres Soto desnudo, is on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends. (No connection to the show: it's just where I put NSFW reviews).

[dirtyvulture]

😎 I have had this idea kicking around in my head what if wolverine R had a high society boy that she was friends with and both of their families were close business partners. It wasn’t uncommon for the high society families/ businesses partners to arrange marriages with their children back then or to have their children meet regularly in the summers/ winters with the hope and expectations of their children to marry one day. I don’t think that R was in a arranged ( though R’s mother might have suggested it but R’s Father denied it) marriage but in a situation where She and this boy were to meet regularly in the summer/ winters growing up with the hope and expectation that they would one day marry . That when R came of age in her season introduction to high society that the boy would be one of the top suitors coming to call upon the Howlett’s to court R .

The boy’s name Quincy  Morris Jr but he went by “ Kit” Morris ……. When R was annoyed with him she called him Kitten . It was also because he called her “ princess” or “little song bird” ( many other names) . Both she and Kit were skinny and  scrawny little kids , he was a couple of years older then her( like two to three years older) . He was always a bit taller ( it was barely noticeable that height difference, maybe an inch or two) than R as well. Kit is from America and the two were always shooting off letters back and forth. When they were together they were always getting into trouble and mischief, they would run around and play all kinds games that they made up. Doing all the things that they ( Her mother and the more sticker for the rules stuff) didn’t want R to do because she was frail and sickly or it wasn’t deemed lady like . He fell for r being in love with R before he even knew what love was, R cared deeply about him and he was her friend. R loved him but never knew what kind of love she had for Kit . He always told R that he WILL MARRY R and R rolled her eyes telling him “ Yeah sure … when you tower over me in height and you get all big and strong like a ox .” Kit looked at her seriously one day sitting by the lake at the Howlett estate telling her that they WOULDN’T make R’s parents mistakes, R wouldn’t be like her cold mother and Kit will love her with everything he has . Kit would make her happy.

The  adventure book that wolverine R loves that had the character that R would get that name of YN from and that she would change her name from Jane Howlett to YN , that came from Kit as it was a gift for her birthday. R took the name of the book character because she loved that character, longed for adventure of her own and to conceal her own identity ( everything that I had mentioned about this before) but also because she wanted a tie to her dear friend. Kit and his family were due to visit a little bit after that night that R’s mutation hit and both were so excited to see the other but never will again. Kit and his family found the aftermath telling the police, Kit’s heart broke at the fact that was no trace of R ( then Jane Howlett ) but never stopped looking for R . I think she ran to America was subconsciously looking for the morris family ( more specifically Kit) for safety and comfort like she always did. ( Important side note Jane Howlett was never suspected of murder or was a person of interest. She was just a missing person .)

Then nearly two centuries later R is in walking the halls of Charles  Xavier school and out of the corner of her eye R keeps seeing a tall blonde man that bares a striking resemblance to ….. someone . R can’t quite put her finger on it and it’s driving her up the wall and VERY TIME she looks at the man head on he is NEVER THERE!!!!!! R just stakes her head , maybe she is just seeing ghosts or echoes of the past. Maybe she is just tired , after all she has been sleeping very lately after all.

I will leave Sharing the information that Kit was always very protective over R their whole lives, always wanting her safe and happy .

The name Kit didn't sound familiar to me and even though I googled it...were you trying to base him off of an existing character?

I can't keep up with all the characters sometimes...who are you referring to in the present timeline that looks like this Kit guy?

[gerec]

I posted 3,935 times in 2022

270 posts created (7%)

3,665 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@amazinglybeautifulphotography

@fullmetalcarer

@akasanata

@gerec

I tagged 3,925 of my posts in 2022

#fanart - 562 posts

#travel - 517 posts

#cherik - 498 posts

#food porn - 323 posts

#spoilers - 273 posts

#colours - 237 posts

#gerec rambles - 225 posts

#comics - 214 posts

#s1 - 214 posts

#the mandalorian - 200 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#they're not saying 'work' like a chore but rather that you need to both put effort and kindness into the relationship to nurture and make i

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

do you have fic recs where Charles has a secondary mutation that allows him to get pregnant? I read your fic My Name is Max and loved it so much, I’m now craving more fics like it!!

Hi Anon! I'm so glad. you enjoyed MNIM and I'm happy to share some of my mpreg faves! These are all canon, mutation related fics (I didn't include any alpha/omega recs) with Charles as the one with the pregnancy (though there are lots of excellent mpreg!Erik fics in the fandom too)!!!

What Not To Expect When You’re Not Expecting It by thehoyden

A Logical Progression by cloudyjenn

An Earlier Heaven by Regann

This far but no further by niniblack

Runs In The Family by Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan) 

Your Baby is My Supermagnet (My Baby is Your Drug) by Unforgotten

Your Choice Begat Mine by TwilightDeviant

And here are some mpreg aus that you might enjoy:

Runs In The Family by Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan) 

Charles Xavier's Baby by Gerec

Do You Love Me by cgf_kat

Das Salz des Vergnügens by melonbutterfly

All the King's Man by Pookaseraph

Twice in One Lifetime by Gerec

59 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

#4

Cherik 63 & 84 please!

63. injury 84. at the hospital

Of all the things Erik expected when he woke up that morning, it was definitely not ending up in the hospital with bruised ribs and a broken leg. He hadn't even made it to the office, with the accident happening not ten minutes into his morning commute, the little kid darting out into oncoming traffic right in his path.

If not for his mutation, and Erik using every bit of his ability to throw the car (and himself) out of the child's way things would have ended much more tragically than just him spending a few weeks recuperating in bed.

The other thing he hadn't expected was to wake up with his ex husband at his bedside, looking pale as a ghost as he held Erik's hand.

"You're here. They called you?"

Charles chuckled, a thin, watery sound that reminded him too much of their fights before he'd walked out of Erik's life and out of their marriage. "They called Edie and she called me. She's on her way; caught the first flight she could out of Frankfurt."

"Oh." He shifted a little and winced, his ribs protesting even with the drugs he'd been given. "What about the little girl? Is she alright?"

That really should have been his first question, but Charles always did have a way of distracting him, filling every thought in his head with his mere presence. It had been that way when they dated, and when they were married, and apparently even now...after.

"She's fine, Erik. You saved her life," Charles said, warm and tender as he brushed the hair from his forehead. "You almost died doing it, but yes, she's perfectly alright."

"Good." He looped his fingers through Charles' and closed his eyes, and let himself be vulnerable for just a moment; letting himself ask for what he wanted - what he's always needed from the love of his life. "Stay with me?"

Charles smiled and brushed a kiss to his cheek. "Always."

Drop a ship (or threesome, poly, etc.) along with 2 to 4 elements in my askbox to request a mini fic!

65 notes - Posted May 15, 2022

#3

No but seriously I can not believe they put Sir Pat Stew in the Multiverse of Madness trailer fuck me

67 notes - Posted February 13, 2022

#2

hi! what do you suggest as the must read fics for someone who is just starting to read cherik fics?

Hi Anon,

1. @earnestly-endlessly put a list together recently to answer this question and I think it's an excellent place for you to start :D

2. I was also asked once to give my top 5 fics in the xmen fandom, and you can find the answer here (5 canon fics and 5 aus)!

3. Feel free also to browse the gerec's fic rec tag on my blog, where you'll find my recs for all manner of xmen/cherik fics usually by a particular trope or au :D

Finally, here are a few that didn't appear on lists 1 and 2 but I highly recommend!!!

Blood and Steel and Miles Between by dreamlittleyo

(Post-movie AU.) On a beach in Cuba, Charles manages to talk Erik down from the edge. But even after the missiles have been diverted, compromise is impossible. There are two different futures to build, and Erik and Charles will always be separated by their principles. But when Charles is kidnapped and the X-Men can't find him, Erik will get him back no matter the consequences.

Meanwhile, trapped alone in his mind for the first time in his life, Charles comes face to face with the truth about what and who he wants. When convictions stand in direct opposition to the heart, which will prevail?

Spy Games by manic_intent

Prompt: Burn Notice AU, with Erik Lehnsherr as the spy and Charles as the trigger-happy ex boyfriend. Erik is burned for unknown reasons in Mexico and wakes up in New York City. Somehow, he needs to raise $500,000, in order to find out -why-.

Playing With Fire by professor

Charles is a detective determined to catch a serial killer.

If the serial killer doesn't catch him first.

of shuttered and scented rooms by pearl_o

It can wait. It can wait long enough for this. It's been years, now, since Erik last touched Charles like this. He has never been one to throw away an opportunity.

Math Reasons by pearl_o, pocky_slash

"Mom says Erik always knows what he wants, it just sometimes takes him a little while to actually realize it," Ruth said.

Charles fell in love with Erik the first night they met, the first week of freshman year. Two years of friendship, adventures, arguments, hijinks, secrets, and summer visits later, Erik is starting to catch up.

98 notes - Posted January 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

445 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[funnygirlthatbelle]

 Because @jadesabre301 enables me in the best ways possible, here’s perhaps far too many details about the college au aka the good timeline and how we want things to go down post campaign as the happily ever after for Parci and Breena.

Since the kids are all currently in high school, the relevant info begins when they all finally get to college since the guys are slightly older* and the girls get to the capital as well. They’re all living in the same apartment building with two apartments across from one another**. Breena enters college with a boyfriend named Xavier- a guy who went to another school in town and is a fellow incoming freshman. Close to the end of their first semester, Breena discovers that he is cheating on her. And to add insult to injury, she forgot her keys and is locked out of her apartment sobbing, only to be discovered by the one and only Parcival Valerian Lurin Harnell Sopral von Meer aka Parci aka one of the most important people in her entire life. He’s exceptionally sweet even for him and in the days after this, Breena’s thoughts morph from “I’d like to date someone like Parci” to “I’d like to date Parci.” Meanwhile, Parci realizes that his affections towards Breena are less platonic than he’s thought in the past.

This begins what is known as the Year of Pining. Esther knows how Parci feels. Ezekiel knows how Breena feels. Parci spends the entire summer break on top of a mountain communing with a ghost so that he doesn’t have to see or talk to anyone. The mutual pining is off the charts.

It takes until the next year’s winter solstice when, after much pressure from Esther, Parci asks Breena to his father’s company’s*** winter gala. She accepts, and by the time classes resume, they are a couple! They date for the rest of the time they’re in college and it’s a grand old time- Parci gets his masters at the same time Breena gets her bachelors that’s like a triple major and a minor because she genuinely couldn’t decide between multiple earth sciences and also photography.

As they’re discussing what comes next and what Parci’s phd track might look like, he gets invited by a wizard they know from their adventures to apprentice for a year. It’s a wonderful opportunity with two major problems: one, Breena just got her dream job as a wildlife photographer for Fosbian Geographic**** and absolutely does not want to give that up and two, the apprenticeship would be in Breena’s childhood hometown where there is boatloads of trauma and also her mother*****. So they go long distance for a bit, and it sucks. During this time, Breena realizes that this is who she wants to spend the rest of her life with****** and so they start building their lives with that goal in mind.

Fifteen years post-campaign and ten years into their relationship, they get married at the summer camp where they met. It’s very cute but also we’re talking about possibly making changes to that fic so i’m not gonna go into detail here.

About five years later, Mal and Ezekiel’s daughter Amelia Precious Thompson is born- specifically, she is born with the inherent magic one might expect from the daughter of a dragon. So, naturally, as the relative with counterspell, Uncle Parci becomes the babysitter of choice*******. And being around a baby often makes them start considering expanding their own family, though it takes them a while to make any decisions and a bit longer for any results to occur.

But when they do, Salvator Finian Leroy von Meer is born! His birthday is March 9th, he has his mama’s skintone and hair color (though his father’s green eyes and gills), and is a nerd even in a family of nerds. He very much takes after his father personality wise and has interests in magic and robotics.

Two years later on October 25th, Mavis Abigail Esther von Meer is born! She looks more like a sea elf than her brother (though no gills), but more than her parents, takes after her Aunt Esther. Which is to say, she’s a goth with a strong sense of justice and an even more complicated relationship with capitalism than her father********.

And then, three years later, in a pregnancy so bad that any thought of other children was immediately gone came the twins Guinevere Selena Eleanor von Meer and Celza Morgana Ziva von Meer*********. born on June 13th, they are a 50/50 split between looking like each parent. Behavior wise, it’s an entirely different story. Gwen is a shy, sweet nature lover like her mama. Celza is as chaotic as she is intelligent, and her punk phase never really ends- not entirely dissimilar to Aunt Mal.

I could go on and on and on about these kids and the stuff we’ve figured out about this family- sexualities, what classes each kid might pursue should they become an adventurer, a specific imagined scenario regarding Mavis’ psych class and a professor who did not think through talking about the Dunkel Hill Five in front of the daughter of two of them- I could go on forever but honestly I’m aware that this is already a lot and so I’m just gonna thank you if you actually read all of this lol.

*Mal is currently 42 in game but is also a dragon so her age is... funky, to say the least.

** At some point, Ezekiel moves out of the guys’ apartment as he becomes a ceo and Esther moves in but exact dates have never been figured out.

***Elario von Meer is wizard Walt Disney; this isn’t strictly relevant but i love the phrase wizard Walt Disney too much not to include it.

****It has been pointed out to me that there was no need to change the name of National Geographic but it’s too late I did it.

*****At some point during his apprenticeship, Parci and Breena’s mom Patricia get into a very intense, public fight at a grocery store where he’s accused of stealing Breena away from her- it gets ugly.

******She also adopts a stray old man cat with a tragic backstory named Mr. Whiskers- this is never relevant to the story but I love him with all my heart.

*******Breena is Amelia’s godmother, there is no other godparent. If anything happens, she’s going to live with the von Meer’s, but Parci and Ezekiel love to tease each other.

*********Complicated relationship with capitalism is a direct quote from his character sheet; I am not including all the things they do to fuck with capitalism in this but let’s just say they do not fuck around when it comes to philanthropy.

************In part a show of affection and in part to get the last laugh, Ezekiel is godfather to the twins.

[miraculousdeservesbetter2024]

List of Miraculous AUs I’ve Thought of Over Time 2

Lady Luck (Ladybug! Sabrina) AU

This AU says it all. In this AU, Sabrina becomes Ladybug by accident. A coming of age story where Sabrina gains confidence, finds out who her true friends are while making new ones.

Custom! Queen Bee AU

AU where Chloe decides to take matters into her own hands. She becomes the anti hero, Queen Bee in order to save Paris herself. So she goes to the gym, gets self defense training, gets top notch Queen Bee suit and legit gear. She becomes an anti hero.

Another Marinette Harem AU

Basically just a joke/funny AU, where everyone in class has a crush on Marinette, so they go to great lengths to impress her.

Reverse Chloe! Lila AU

An AU that’s based on the fan theories before season 3. Marinette befriends Lila as an effort of showing her the right path. This one might play into the Scarabella & Onyx Kitty AU.

Tables Turned AU

Most likely takes place after Truth and Lies. AU where things take a different route when Kagami starts to gain feelings for Marinette and Luka starts to fall for Adrien.

BEE Miraculous! AU

AU where Zoe Lee meets Queen Bee from another dimension, in which this queen bee is a redeemed Chloe Bourgeois. Along the way, she also meets other bee superheroes from other universes, like Golden Bee (Marinette), King Bee (Adrien), Yellow Jacket (Alix) etc.

Our “Hate and Love” story AU

A Chloenette AU where Chloe starts to lose everything. As time goes on, the only person that she really has left to go to is Marinette. This AU is based off the “enemies, to hesitant friends, to friends, and to lovers” trope.

Enough! AU

AU where Chloe goes too far in hurting Marinette. Everyone, even Adrien and Sabrina turns on her, refusing to acknowledge her or put up with her. This could play into the Our “Hate and Love” story AU.

Next Generation AU

Just basically a AU where the kids of our heroes become the new heroes of Paris.

Marinette x Adrien - Emma - Ladybug Miraculous

Lila - Xavier - Cat Miraculous

Alya x Nino - Janine - Fox Miraculous

Chloe x Alix - Phoebe - Bee Miraculous

Wayhem x His boyfriend- Doug - Turtle Miraculous

Ivan x Mylene - male child

Luka x Sabrina - female child

Marc x Nathaniel - no children

Kagami x ??? (idk yet)

Juleka x Rose x Prince Ali (maybe)

Kim x Ordine x Max (maybe)

Just some ideas in progress for now.

After the previous show’s end, Lila was registered into a psychiatric ward and was released in her 20’s. From that time and the new show’s present day, she’s married, rich and has a son named Xavier, who is ironically the new Cat Noir.

There’s a new Hawkmoth the the future. They are female.

Marinette has succeeded in her dreams to become a fashion designer. Adrien has a new career: a playwright.

Chloe is redeemed and a good family friend to the Agrestes.

Marinette/Adrien, Ayla/Nino, Luka/Sabrina and Chloe/Alix’s kids are very good friends.

You Matter To Me AU

A Sabrinette AU that takes place during Evillustrator. Basically just a “what if” situation if Sabrina gave Marinette a chance to make up with her.

Money Can’t Buy Love AU

Another Chloe redemption AU where Andre is arrested and taken out of office. Bustier takes her in after the incident.

The Snake & The Dog AU

A Lukabrina AU. Luka and Sabrina accidentally meet at the hotel one day and unintentionally spark up a conversation. Luka invites Sabrina to his and Juleka’s birthday party, without knowing that she’s friends with Chloe. Though leaving everyone puzzled, Luka continues to talk and interact with Sabrina when he finds out from them, leaving Sabrina to make up ways to see him, giving her more confidence in the long run and finally gaining more respect for herself.

Let me know if you guys want to know more about these AUs. Ask about any one you like!

[awigglycultist]

(Slight spoilers for Elite Force below, but, like, the show genuinely ruins both shows so eh)

(Death tw)

Okay so it never actually happened in Elite Force because one of the characters supposedly kicked the bucket as far as we know which I will never not be mad about especially since Mighty Med still had an entire story line that needed to be completed that was completely brushed aside for EF and also the character I'm talking about was by far one of the best characters in the entire show and I'm getting offtopic but you feel my anger and pain.

(Death tw end)

Anyway, his name is Doctor Horace Diaz, he's the head of Mighty Med and is also the superhero Caduceo. He's a goofball and I love him.

Now, in Lab Rats, I am going to hope you know who Douglas Davenport is and skip the explanation of all of that. He's a chaotic mess and I love him.

A very long time ago I made a dumb post about "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if Horace and Douglas got together?" and created a shipname for them (Dorace). At the time I had yet to realize that jokingly shipping something always leads to actually shipping it, and, uh, I think me, blue, and cinnamonzor popularized it through random headcanons and a bunch of quotes submitted to the incorrect quotes blog.

Their entire dynamic is just "I would never say that my husband is a bitch and that I don't like him, I could never. My husband is a bitch!! And I love him VERY MUCH!!" and "I have very high standards and-" *guy 2 trips down a float of stairs and proceeds to burn his hand on the kitchen stove somehow* "I want that one" except you can't tell who is saying what because it works equally for both of them. They're adorable idiots, your honor.

They are both on opposite ends of the chaotic good spectrum, which means that dates usually end in either crimes or cuddles and sometimes both. They are also both incredibly smart so they have the ability to get away with a lot of the shit that they pull.

They also both have a bunch of kids so they are the Dad Duo™. They are pretty good parents most of the time and put Donald to more shame than he already has. They're just so amazing, your honor.

(Abuse tw)

Douglas is already incredibly queer coded in canon, too, is the thing. I'm, like, 99% sure that Giselle in Season 4 of Lab Rats was added just to straighten him out a bit, which, like Moira McTaggert to Charles Xavier, it didn't fucking work.

Anyway, throughout Season 3 of the show, while Douglas is still evil, he's working alongside this guy named Victor Krane, and WOO BOY ARE THESE TWO GAY.

They went as Brad and Angelina for Halloween, there are many cases of which Douglas talks to and about Krane as if they have been dating and depending on how you look at it even MARRIED, and they're just gay.

But also, like, on top of all of this, it has been outright said and implied many times that Krane tortured Douglas?? Which would be a fine little "ha ha deranged villain" joke for a show aimed at a bunch of 8-12 year olds if it wasn't for the fact that they have a HEAVILY QUEER CODED RELATIONSHIP. Douglas talks about how Krane regularly electrocuted him in one episode while Donald is messing with him and it's played off for laughs but just??? It's not funny.

Anyway what I'm trying to say is that this man also 100% has a bunch of issues that he needs to work through and probably projects these issues onto Horace in some way or another. He's just scared of a relationship in general, and actually being in one, as great as it is, is outright terrifying and he feels like he's walking on egg shells.

[Please note that I'm not trying to turn actual abuse into something that is purely explored to cause romantic relationship tension and that having trouble with it is crazy and makes the victim a bad person. I have explored these things in many other ways with this character, and recognize that, with real people, it is so much more varied than this. Felt like this should be specified.]

(Abuse tw end)

(Death tw again)

Now, back to Horace, I mentioned earlier that Horace is a goofball. And, like, I mean this way too literally. Again, I do understand that this is a show aimed at 8-12 year olds, but god damn sometimes it's just unsettling and straight up concerning.

Like, there's this one time in the show where everyone in Mighty Med is almost killed due to some mind control thing and then when they all snap out of it, the first thing Horace does is either start a conga line or start a game of limbo (I forget which one because the other happened at a different time).

Also, the way he treats his nephew isn't ideal, to put it lightly, but there are some moments where he proves that he genuinely does care about him. He also reiterates throughout the series that one of the reasons that he doesn't treat Alan (his newphew) is that he doesn't believe that he's enough of a father to him because he's not his real father. In the end it just kind of creates the effect that he's trying to distance himself from those closest to him.

The most important detail that I haven't mentioned yet is that he's immortal. Like, actually immortal. Really immortal. 3,006 years old immortal. He's had to live for such a long time, watching the people that he's grown close to continuously die, time and time again, while he's stuck jut not being able to die.

So, my point is that Horace is definitely not as sunshine-y as he seems and the way he acts on a regular basis could very well, at least partly, just be a coping mechanism of some sort. After living for so long, it makes sense that he has trouble being able to become close to people.

(Death tw end again)

Basically, there's a lot of angst potential with these two as well as fluff.

This got way longer than intended, so sorry about that.

(@blueskiesandstarrynights is actually the reason that more than half of the stuff in this ask is actually in the ask. If you scroll through the Dorace tag on here you'll find all our posts discussing these two.)

OMG I FORGOT ABOUT HORACE

Yes I totally support this

(also it's totally fine that this was long)

[starrynite7114]

tea party (daddy angel)

A/N: Ello everyone! Here I am, trying my best to survive finals the best way I know how, writing my feelings away. This is a fluffy one since I just need this to survive finals and work. I’m trying to make my way through my requests, if you’ve made a request, I’m trying my best to write it! I apologize for it taking so long, I get side tracked and I’m just the worst at times. But fret not, I will finish your requests soon!

Anyone else going through finals, let’s finish strong!

Also, the way you love me part two and two weeks notice are the next to be updated. I will not post any other updates till I update these two stories! 

Love you all! 

10 days till Christmas!

Groupchat for updates! Please join since the tags could be a bit iffy at times!

If you would like to be added to the tag list, please let me know!

Masterlist

Word count: 3109

Warnings: NONE! FLUFF!

CREDITS TO THE ORIGINAL GIF MAKER! <3

You looked at Emilia as she looked around the scrapyard, looking for her favorite person, of the week. The five year old was the spitting image of you with the personality of her father. You followed after her, the sunset making the heat of the desert that much bearable, which was why you were at the scrapyard. Going further in where the clubhouse was, Emilia spotted her favorite person, Creeper.

“Tio!” She exclaimed loudly causing the Mayan men that were outside to look over at her. They all looked at one another before they groaned when she added the name. “Cree!” Creeper was not sometbing Emilia could pronounce that well two years ago and Cree just stuck.

Creeper flipped the rest of the guys the bird before making his way over to Emilia and meeting her half way.

“Hola princesa,” he kissed her cheek, making Emilia squeal in delight.

“How am I not ever a favorite?” Angel question, a pout on his face as you greeted him with a kiss and a hug. 

“Your daddy, you’re always the favorite.” You knew that was partially true. Angel was Emilia’s forever favorite, but with her Tio’s it was a rotating system. 

“Not true, she favors you over me.” Angel wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head. 

“For this week, she’s playing us baby. Emilia knows the game.” You watched as Emilia animatedly spoke to Creeper and Riz about the latest toys she received. “She has them wrapped around her finger.”

“She has all of us wrapped around her finger.” Angel chuckled. He kissed the top of your head one more time before walking over to join them. 

“Mommy!” You heard your eldest, Xavier call for you.

You turned to face your eight year old and he ran straight to you. A chuckle escape your lips as he wrapped his arms around you, careful with your portruding belly. 

“Hi baby sister.” He softly patted your belly, you smiled as you felt the baby kick. You were six months pregnant and you were ecstatic to be pregnant again. You and Angel always wanted a big family, but you knew after these two, you were done. You just haven’t told Angel you were having twins. 

“How you know it’s a baby sister?” You wrapped an around around his shoulder as you both make your way to Emilia who had Angel, Creeper, Riz and Bishop all around her. 

“It’s big brother instinct.” He proudly told you. 

Xavier was the spitting image of Angel with a mixture of yours and his personality. The quiet, mild tempered eldest was everything you and Angel could dream of as a big brother. He dotted over Emilia and did whatever his baby sister wanted. 

‘As long as she’s smiling then that’s all that matters.’ 

Your little man was too wise for his years, it was the reason the other members always messed with Angel that it didn’t seem like Xavier was his kid. But they just didn’t know the mature side of Angel. He was always goofy, but Angel could be as wise as Coco and Ezekiel when he wanted to be. He just decided to fit the mold that was carved for him, it made him feel unpredictable, except with you. The way you read him so well used to frustrate him, but now, he saw the benefits. It still annoyed him especially when you what to do to get him out of his funk. Sometimes he wanted to stay in his funk, but you wouldn’t let him.

‘We’re a team. Pout all you want by expect you outside in twenty minutes ready to spend the day with me and the kids. Club business is club business. In our home, we matter most. Club business stay outside.’ Then you would pause a mischievous smirk on your face whenever you two would have this talk. ‘But if you want to take out your frustrations on me in the privacy of our room, then we can do that too daddy.’

He would be a goner and this was why you were pregnant with baby #3.

You and Angel have been together for over ten years and married for four. Angel could never admit why it took so long for him to pop the question. It was the age at first, too young to marry, even though you two had Xavier two years in your relationship. Then being in danger came to play. Being almost kidnapped almost tore you two apart, but before it could become permanent, Angel snapped out of his stupor and stayed put. Emilia came then. 

When she turned two, on your anniversary, Angel popped the question and the rest has been history. 

“Xavi!” Emilia broke away from Creeper and went to her forever favorite, her big brother Xavier. You’re not sure how you two were so lucky that Xavier and Emilia were as close as they were, but you never questioned it. The two were inseparable and they both had such a hard time whenever Xavier had to school and two year old Emilia had to say goodbye to her older brother for a few hours.

“Mia,” he fondly wrapped his arms around her. Mia was his nickname, no one else’s, not even daddy or mommy could call her that. It was for Xavi alone. 

“Xavi, I invited daddy, Tio Creep and Tio Riz to our tea party!” There was no need to invite Xavier, he was always there, no matter what. Everyone else was invited to their tea party. “Mommy, you can come too.”

“Why thank you for inviting me Emmy.” You laughed. 

“What about me sweetheart? I don’t get invited?” Bishop crouched down to be Emilia’s eye level.

“Daddy said you’re too old to have a tea party with us.” 

Everyone held back their laughter as Bishop looked up at Angel.

“Kids, say the silliest things.” Angel chuckled nervously as he steered Emilia away from Bishop. “I think she misunderstood, I said you have important matters to attend to prez.”

“Yeah, okay dipshit.” Bishop smacked Angel upside the head.

“Jar!” Emilia yelled out.

No one was allowed to swear around Emilia. It was a rule made since she absorbed everyone’s words.

Every. Single. One. 

“How was the OB appointment?” Angel questioned, caressing your belly.

“Good, the baby is doing well.” You corrected babies in your head, but you kept it to yourself. You wanted to keep it between you and Angel, you wanted to tell him when you were all home.

“You really don’t want to find out what we’re having?” It was a hoax deal you made with Angel. You knew what you two were having, but again, you wanted to surprise him.

“Babe, don’t you like the element of surprise?” You wrapped your arms around Angel’s neck, giving him your infamous pout that Emilia inherited from you.

“Oh fuck no baby, not the pout.” Angel groaned. “Fine, happy wife, happy life.”

“I knew you would see it my way.” You kissed him, hearing your kids groan.

“Hey, when you get your first girlfriend, mama and I are gonna be groaning like that too.” Angel warned Xavier. He turned to his little princess and shook his head. “No relationship for you, girl or boy.”

“Angel!” 

You were cooking dinner for the night, your house was a full house once again. Once a week, your home was basically the center location for the Mayans to have dinner. You loved hosting your second family and you knew the kids loved having their family over, especially Emilia since before dinner, they all had a tea party. It was always amusing to see some of the Mayans men gathered around her coffee table, playing with Emilia.

“You need help mommy?” Xavier broke away from the group, making sure you were good. Ever since you became pregnant, Xavier was your little shadow while Angel was your big, sometimes annoying shadow. Pregnancies were difficult for you, but Angel could be over the top. Your little man tried to give you your space as much  as he could, but whatever you needed, he got for you.

“I’m good baby boy, go back to the tea party, Emmy doesn’t like being away from you.” You advised him.

“It’s okay, daddy and the other tio’s have been occupied.” 

You gave him an odd look before closing the oven door and walking over to the technically divided living room and kitchen. There on the floor all around the table was Angel, Creeper, Riz and new one Bishop, who was being taught proper tea etiquette.

Bishop ran Templo, but Emilia Marisol Reyes ran this Reyes household, followed after you of course. You could see the other members holding back their laughter as Emilia shook her head vehemently when Bishop just tried to drink from the tea cup without holding it properly.

Angel tried to mask his laughter with a cough, but Bishop shot him a look.

“Tio Ish! You’re not paying attention to me. I’m the princess and this is my royal tea party.” The pout on her lips made Bishop sigh.

“Sorry princesa, Tio is new at this.” Bishop held his hand out so that Emilia could put his hand on his. “Lo siento.”

“Okay, since you’re my favorite.” She smiled such a bright smile, Bishop felt accomplished for the day.

“Hey, wait a minute, I’m her favorite!” Creeper interjected. 

“Be quiet, I’ve never been the favorite.” Bishop glared at the Mayan’s road captain who immediately zipped his mouth.

Angel looked over at you, giving you a wink. You playfully rolled your eyes and continued cooking.

“When you drink, you have to lift your pinky up like this.” Emilia proceeded to demonstrate for Bishop. “And you have to drink slowly since it’s hot.” She turned to Angel and scooted closer to Bishop. “Daddy always burns himself because he mostly pays attention to mommy when we play.” It was a failed attempt at whispering that made the men at the table laugh.

Angel excused himself from the party and let Xavier take his seat. He walked over to you, his muscular arms wrapping around you, his hands resting on your stomach.

“Hey mami,” he placed a kiss on your neck, nuzzling you.

“Hey,” you leaned your head to the side to touch his. 

“You good?”

“Angel, don’t make me strangle you.” You threatened Angel at least twice a day. It didn’t matter to him since it was endearing.

“Like with my head in between your thighs?”

You laughed, playfully elbowing your husband. “See this is why I’m pregnant.”

“And? I told you, basketball team.” He turned you to face him. The smile on Angel’s face always got you in trouble, but there was no other partner in crime you would choose to get in trouble with or to be in love with. 

“Unless you start popping babies, I might be all tapped out after this one.” You truly were. Twins were going to be crazy and the last thing you needed was another bundle of joy after them. You love having kids with Angel, but you had to be mindful as well. 

“Come on mi amor, at least two more.”

You laughed in your head. After he finds out you’re carrying twins, he may not feel the same.

“Daddy! It’s my time, mommy is cooking! You said not to bother mommy while she cooks.” You both heard Emilia call out.

You and Angel looked at one another and laugh. He kissed you once again before placing a kiss on your stomach. He walked over to Emilia and sat beside his little princesa. 

“As a new member, you must tell us your favorite person.” It was a rule Emilia made up. Anyone new who joined the tea party had to tell everyone who their favorite person was, and there was only one answer. 

Emilia.

Bishop chuckled. “Of course it’s you princesa.”

The smile on Emilia’s face was priceless. As soon as Emilia came in this world, everyone knew that the Mayans men were going to be suckers for her. And they were right. Emilia was not bratty and for such a young child, knew her boundaries. She pushed it from time to time, but you and Angel always put your foot down when she did.

“You’re my favorite too! Forever and ever!”

All the men shared a look, they knew that the statement was valid, until Taza came back from visiting family.

Her one true favorite who braided her hair and gave her anything she wanted. She may have a new favorite every week, but Taza would always be the person she was drawn to.

“Mommy said that we should all wear tiara’s,” she paused for a moment and looked at you as you peaked over at them again. “Headbands as it is proper, hair wear for tea parties.”

The men looked at you and you held your hands up. “Head wear baby. And don’t look at me, we’ve seen several tea parties and a majority of them the guest wear head wear. It’s fancy after all and, Emilia is your princesa.”

“Baby, some tea parties don’t have it. You don’t want to mess Tio Riz’s beautiful hair.” Angel pointed out.

Emilia turned to Riz, those puppy dog eyes of hers immediately encapturing him.

“Anything for you,” Riz put on the the tiara that she referred to as head wear.

The men followed suit and the tea party continued. Dinner went off without a hitch and now, you were leaning against the headboard with Angel massaging your aching feet.

“Baby, you’re so good at this.” You threw your head back, loving the feel of Angel’s fingers against your feet.

“Sometimes, I feel like you married me because I got the magic fingers.” The mischievous smirk on his face hinted that his meaning was anything but innocent. “My fingers always got you moaning.”

“You’re too much at times.” You laughed, throwing a pillow at him.

Angel easily dodged it and joined in with your laughter. 

“Thank you.”

You looked down at Angel and raised an eyebrow at his thankfulness. “For what?”

“For our family, for accepting my family.” Angel always wondered why you decided to stick by him.

“What? Of course. Angel, we’ve been together for so long. I know why you tried to push me away, but you’re lucky I’m sure a wonderful and forgiving woman.” You blew him a kiss and he smiled. 

“I’m lucky to have you mi corazon. You’re the love of my life.” The way his eyes softened as he looked up at you, you returned his gaze with the same softness.

“You’re the love of my life too.”

Angel crawled over to you, kissing you. He was on his side, your face turned towards him. His hand was on your belly as it always was when you were pregnant. Angel loved it when you were pregnant. Knowing you two created something together, it always made his heart swell.

He was a man who never thought he deserved anything, but everytime he looked at you and your two kids, he knew that this was made for him, he was where he was supposed to be. He may be a bastard, but God was forgiving.

“Did you really not find out what we’re having?” Angel found it peculiar since you didn’t want to be surprised. You wanted to know so you could plan. And he went with whatever you wanted.

You hit your lip and placed your hands on top of his that we’re resting on your belly.

“We’re having a boy.” The smile that spread across his face was just priceless. You loved seeing Angel’s smile, you always made it your mission to keep that smile on his face. “And a girl.”

“Another boy, guess we’re out numbering you. Wait we’re tied cause we’re having a girl.” Your words finally sunk in and he looked at you with the most confused face. “Bring that back one more time. We’re having a boy and a girl?”

You’re eyes welled up as you nodded your head. The disbelief, yet the happiness on Angel’s face was unmistakenable. 

“Baby, holy fuck.” He looked down at your six month only belly. “Twins? Fuck, my Olympic swimmers are champions.”

“Angel! You’re such a dork.” You wiped the few tears that came down, you blamed hormones but Angel always said you cried easily.

“Don’t lie baby, all of our children was like one shot done.” His ego impressed you, but also annoyed you. But you also loved this big goof. “Baby, twins, fuck. And you want to stop after them?”

“Let’s give it a few years, let’s revisit.” You kissed the tip of his nose.

“Emilia was with you, I’m surprised she didn’t shout it out.” Angel then began to worry. Emilia was used to being the only girl. He didn’t want his baby girl to feel replaced, just like how he felt with EZ. “Shit, what if Emmy doesn’t want a baby sister?”

“Doesn’t want a baby sister? She’s already planning their shared room. Emilia is going to be a great big sister, just like Xavier is such a good big brother. You want to know why?”

Angel looked at you, waiting for your answer.

“Cause they see how much their daddy loves their Tio EZ. They loved seeing you two together and I do as well.”

Angel began to tear up then, burying his face at the crook of your neck. Emilia already had the MC at the palm of her hands, another girl? It was going to be a sweet disaster for the MC.

You couldn’t even think of what would happen once Emilia and your unborn baby girl was going to bring home boyfriends, when tea parties would no longer be their go to but actually parties.

“Shit, more tea parties.” Angel broke you away from your thoughts. 

You laughed. “Shut up, you know you secretly love them.”

And he did. Angel wanted to cherish the moments the Emilia still wanted to be a daddy’s girl. He wanted to cherish the moments where it was still cool to hang out with daddy. He knew eventually that won’t be the case, but he tried not to think of that.

“Can we have a baby every few years, just so we can always have a full house?”

“Again, unless you’re popping them, that’s a no for me.” 

If you were being honest, Angel would eventually get you to agree. You wanted a big family and honestly, with the support you had, there was nothing wrong with having a big family. 

More tea party guests. 

=================

tagged list: @justahopelessssromantic : @carlaangel86 : @woahitslucyylu : @encounterthepast : @enamoured-x : @anangelwhodidntfall : @briana-mishell24 : @bribri-82 : @chibsytelford : @agirllovespancakes  : @twistnet : @everyhowlmarksthedead : @trulysuccubus : @jadert15 : @sammskellington : @cind-in-real-life :  @onmyspookysblock : @sadeyesgf : @thickemadame : @summertimesadnesswithadashofsass : @gemini0410 : @elcococruz : @samcrobae : @sesamepancakes : @iambabyharry : @blackmissfrizzle : @mrs-losa : @1-800-imagines : @phoenixhalliwell : @lady-pswrld : @dazzledamazon  : @getyourcrayoncas : @fvckthisbxtchup : @lukealvxz : @scuzmunkie : @lilac-tea-time : @danie1432 : @cocotheclown : @soaronmywings : @my-rosegold-soul : @buttercup812 : @un-poetryy : @angelreyesgirl : @sheeshgivemeabreak : @vicmackeybullshxt : @bigcreatorwombatdreamer : @khyharah : @strawberrywritings : @cherry-icetea : @fuzzy-jellyfish : @losolvidad0s : @brownsugarcoffy : @courtrae89 : @prdsdjarin : @blessedboo : @marvelmaree : @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat : @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead : @thesandbeneathmytoes : @dark-twisted-and-mechanical-mind : @maddie-georges : @pearlkitten33  : @incorrect-mcdanno : @that-chick212 : @imanerdychubbyqueen : @60shannon : @deeandbobbymcgee : @marquelapage : @justlikebreathing : @mindless-x-dreaming : @thesewordsareallihavetogive : @wiccanmetallicrose : @appropriate-writers-name : @likedovesinthewnd : @admirehermind : @krysiewithak : @helli4nthus : @robbosvgdens : @scuzmunkie : @proudlittlewitchbitch

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - The King and Queen of Hearts

The existence of this episode just baffles me, as it undermines so much of what season three was trying to accomplish. 

Summary:  Rapunzel continues to try and restore the memories of her parents, King Frederic and Queen Arianna, and hopes to use the journal of Herz Der Sonne to remind them, but they do not understand the significance. Arianna still lusts for adventure, while Frederic cannot get over his obsession of egg collecting. Rapunzel recruits her friends to try and set up the perfect date for them and while they cannot find anything in common personality wise, they share a mutual love for Rapunzel. However, King Trevor arrives with the intent to woo Arianna using an ocean crystal he found.

So What Exactly Is the History Here? 

We have no context for this sudden love triangle. All we know is that Trevor hates Frederic because he’s still in love with Arianna who wound up marrying him instead. 

But like, I don't know why Arianna married Frederic. I don’t know why Trevor is still hung up on her years later. Did she actually choose Frederic or was it an arranged marriage cause that’s what royalty did back then? Was she having an affair with Trevor this whole time but couldn’t/wouldn’t leave because of duty? Was she and Trevor pining star crossed lovers, or is Trevor just an incel? 

I know what the story wants me to assume; that Arianna deeply loves Frederic and that Trevor is just a jackass loser; but the series has done such a poor job of making Frederic likable and giving him and Arianna any sort of chemistry that I’m inclined to side with Trevor. 

For all we know, he may be trying to rescue Arianna from both her memory loss and her abusive relationship while at it. Especially now that she’s no longer needed as a ruler and has no reason to stay in Corona. 

Why Not Just Use the Potion from Rapunzel: Day One? 

While any Varian cameo is appreciated, it doesn’t add thing to the story. In fact it only raises more questions. We already had a cure for the memory loss, why aren’t we using it? 

Even if we write it off as Rapunzel no longer having that particular Saporian spellbook on hand, she still has a whole dungeon full of actual Saporians who know magic that she could gain information from! There’s also Xavier, who already knows everything under the sun about Saporian/Coronian history and magic and owns spellbooks galore. You’re telling me he just has mood potions lying around but can’t brew up a cure for memory loss? 

Then there’s also the fact that the amnesia spell doesn’t work on Rapunzel’s parents the same as it did on Rapunzel and we’re never given a reason why. Like just some basic consistence is all I ask show. 

I also can’t figure out what Varian is even trying to do here. Where’s is the science to this? What does strawberry goop and lighting have to do with memory? It’s just a cheap reference to Frankenstein and nothing more.  

We’re Already Pass Seven Months Since Rapunzel’s Return. 

Ok, I have gotten into frequent debates with people about the timeline of season three. Many a story board artist and writer on the show have came forward and stated that season three was only one year. But the very existence of this episode disproves them! 

If you remember season one, Hearts Day took place after the Goodwill Festival, but before Queen for a Day. Even when putting episodes back into their intended production order that still remains true. 

Hearts Day has to be at least seven months past Rapunzel’s birthday, if not eight months, because the Goodwill Festival is six months past and her parent’s anniversary (QfaD) is nine months past. 

Now Rapunzel’s Return has to be Rapunzel’s 20th birthday because season two was a full year, and even if you say it’s not, then that still doesn’t explain Once a Handmaiden (the Goodwill Festival) coming after this episode.  

And no you can’t move the episodes around, Once a Handmaiden has be the second to last episode of the series and Under Raps always comes after Rapunzel’s Enemy in any order you watch the series in. 

No matter how you slice it, we’re missing a birthday episode for Rapunzel and season three has to be more than a year; a year and a half at the very least, if not two full years.  

Look I’m not trying to be disrespectful of the talented artists who worked on this show, but their word isn’t law. The very fact that they’ve had to tell us the timeline after the series was over with indicates bad writing, and the very fact that the show itself contradicts them indicates either a lack of communication behind the scenes or a lack of editorial oversight. Either option is just poor management. 

We Have Yet Another Failed Narrative Promise! 

Are we seeing a pattern yet? 

This is the third time in a row where the episode flat out states that Rapunzel needs to learn something and then, just, never has her learn it; four if you count her non-apology to Varian. Instead the show rewards her for her bad behavior by just giving her want she wants on a sliver platter for no adequate reason. 

In fact, one could argue that this episode is the worst offender in the show because divorce is a real thing real kids have to go through. Children that will undoubtedly watch the series. 

How upsetting would it be to such a child to watch Rapunzel force her parents back together  with zero consequences and realize that they can’t do that in real life? It can potentially feed into misplaced delusions or make them even more bitter, either way it’s unhealthy and super irresponsible to tackle such subject matter in this way. Even Sesame Street handled the topic of divorce better than this supposedly ‘mature’ show. 

It’s a Castle! Why Can’t Frederic Get His Own Room?

Frederic is the king. He still technically owns everything even if he’s not the one still in charge. He could have his pick of any room so why is he forcing himself on Eugene? Hell he doesn’t even have to stay in the castle. As pointed out during The Return of the King review, there’s other accommodations within the kingdom that’s suited for royalty. Why not head up to that mountain retreat?  

This is a Really Bad Message 

I understand that this is meant to be a joke, because of how ridiculously over the top it is, but because the series gives Rapunzel what she wants in the end without ever having her acknowledge how she is wrong here, it winds up validating her toxic world view anyways.

Divorce is not inherently a bad thing. We should be working towards both normalizing it and promoting healthy coping mechanisms for those that go through it, adult and child alike. What Rapunzel is doing here is just repeating puritanical fearmongering. And while I can understand why she might behave in this way, I don't understand why the show refuses to call her out on it. Or any of the other million bad behaviors she displays repeatedly through out the show... like the example below for instance... 

Why Am I Suppose to Like Rapunzel Again? 

It’s like the writers don’t understand that a joke can damage a character, especially if it’s overplayed. Super sweet upbeat Rapunzel snapping because she finally met someone who was annoying or a situation she couldn’t just solve with a positive attitude was funny maybe like the first time; but we’re three seasons in and this is supposedly her closest loved ones.  

Look at them! They’re fucking terrified of her! All they did was point out that she maybe should do her job and deal with real problems instead of poking her nose into her parents business where it doesn’t belong! And this brat is now the ruler of the whole kingdom!? No one can legally stand up to her. 

Like where’s the Eugene that stood up to her in Under Raps for trying this same bullshit? Why hasn’t she learned her lesson? She also pulled this same bullying tactic on young Lance and teen Eugene two episodes. Cass left her ass, supposedly, because of her bossy thoughtless ways. And this is also the same woman who abused a child back in season one and still has never acknowledged it. 

Yes characters should be flawed, but they should also face real consequences for their actions, and if they’re a protagonist they need to learn and grow past their flaws. 

I actively started to dislike Rapunzel after this scene. I already felt something was off way back in the season three opener, but this is the point where I stopped and went “What the fuck?” She used to be my second favorite character behind Varian. I didn’t go into this wanting to hate her, even after this episode I still held out hope that they were trying to purposefully lead up to some sort of falling out with everyone and with Rapunzel having to own up to her bullshit in order to win. You know like a classic third act “the hero is now alone due to their past mistakes” type story. But Nope! 

There’s no pay off for any of this. Rapunzel is just mean for the sake of being mean in season three, and no one is aloud to call her out on it. She’s now the same type person as Frederic, a tyrant. That’s not a good development! 

She’s Literally Bullying Her Own Parents Now, and I’m Suppose to Find that Funny? 

Yes, Frederic is her abuser, and yes some people might find this scene cathartic if they hate him. But this isn’t actually calling out his past abuse. It’s just Rapunzel treating a now powerless old man with that same abuse and denying him bodily autonomy. An old man who has both less political rights and less power within the relationship than her; since due to his memory loss he is now dependent upon her. 

In the real world it’s the equivalent of picking on an Alzheimer's patient who is in your care. I don’t give a shit how much of dick they were before the illness set in, you don’t fucking do that!  

Why Should I Want Arianna and Frederic To Be a Couple? 

The show has done nothing to sell this relationship. In fact one could argue that the show is trying to purposefully sabotage it. 

Before the memory loss Frederic was proven to be abusive, to the point where even his own wife was afraid of him and wouldn’t stand up to him. Meanwhile Arianna was shown to be a shell of her former self who’d all but given up upon the things she actually enjoyed in life. And now that they both have had a second chance they have even less motive to stay together. 

Look at Arianna up there? She’s clearly not enjoying her time with him. While he doesn’t want to engage in anything that she likes. I mean a couple doesn’t have to share their interests in everything, but there still has to be some sort of connection and the series just does not give us that connection. 

There’s no reason why they should stay together. They no longer have any commitment or duty to fulfill as rulers and their daughter is fully grown. Contrary to what Rapunzel says, the kingdom isn’t going to fall apart if they separate. It actually would probably better for everyone, including Rapunzel, if they got divorced. At least then she’d have to grow up somewhat and stop being a controlling asshat.  

Why is Attila Here?

I thought Attila got a job running his own bakery and that it was Lance who became the new cook at the Snuggly Duckling? Even if you argued that Attila was just doing Rapunzel a solid that still wouldn’t explain who is running the place when Lance isn’t there. 

If you’re going to set up developments like that then you need to either stick with them or give an on screen reason for why these previous developments are no longer relevant. Flat out ignoring them like this is just lazy. 

Lance’s New Outfit is the Best Thing About the Episode, and It’s Also a Complete Waste.

Lance deserved a new outfit because the team was too lazy to give him one for season two, even during the island arc. This however is a waste because it doesn’t add anything to the narrative. People were paid to make this thing for it to only show up for a few seconds of screen time. 

This Whole Exchange Is Gross. 

Oh let me count the ways in which this is so, so stupid. 

Neither Rapunzel nor Frederic has ever proven themselves “thoughtful and responsible.” In fact both of them being irresponsible is intentionally a plot point in the main story arc.

How would either Frederic or Arianna know any of this? Not only have they lost their memories, but they didn’t raise Rapunzel themselves and those traits aren’t inherited; they are taught. 

Gushing over your grown daughter isn’t a point of connection! 

Why would anyone be compelled to kiss a practical stranger, that they previously didn’t even like, just because they both admire some woman they also barely know and happen to be related to? What is the thought process behind this? “Oh we made that? Then lets make another one!” What the fuck show? I’m ace and even I know that’s not a normal thing to get titillated over. 

The Series Turns Frederic Into a Literal Baby In a Last Ditch Effort to Make Him Likable 

The whole point behind the amnesia plot was to absolve Frederic of his past wrong doings. You can’t call out an old man with Alzheimer's for being a dictator, I suppose. (not like that’s ever stopped me from criticizing Ronald Reagan, tho)  But from there the series then takes it one step further and actually infantilizes both Frederic and Arianna, because Chris assumes that if he makes Fredric as pathetic as possible the audience won't hate him any more. Well guess what, it didn’t work. Frederic isn’t suddenly a poor woobie just because he’s useless now. That’s not how that works.  

Rapunzel Literally Physically Assaults a Person, Kidnaps Them, Threatens Them With Even More Bodily Harm, and Causes an International Incident; All Because They Asked Her Mom Out On a Date! 

You can’t hear it in the screen shots, but there’s very clearly a clanging sound to indicate that Rapunzel just wacked Trevor upside the head and knocked him out. 

Let me repeat, a Disney protagonist just committed armed assault against a guy, simply because she doesn’t respect her own mother.

What the Fuck!!!???

Arianna is fully grown woman. She is perfectly capable of making her own choices and she agreed of her own volition to go out with him. In fact she’s the one who asked Trevor if she could come along on his sea voyage. It’s not Rapunzel’s place to interfere with that. 

Secondly, Rapunzel shouldn’t get a free pass to attack people just because she’s doesn’t like them. And she most assuredly shouldn’t get to write off her cruelty as justice because she's royalty! What the hell? You just turned one of your official princesses into a literal tyrant for the sake of a joke, Disney! 

Where the fuck was the oversight on this show!? 

And to top it all off, Trevor is a ruler of a competing kingdom. This could easily have been deemed an act of war. Thankfully for everyone involved Trevor has far more sense and compassion than Rapunzel and doesn’t push the matter. 

Yes that’s right! The intentionally annoying prat and comedic antagonist is a more upstanding person than the main heroine! Let that sink in! 

Wait, If Laws Don’t Apply Out In the Ocean, Then Why Did Eugene and Max Have Jurisdiction to Arrest Lady Caine in Peril on the High Seas? 

Max shoved this same rule book into Eugene’s face when Eugene rightfully questioned if it was his job to arrest the mutineers. This book said that it was not only his job, but that he was also legally required to stop any and all ‘wrongdoing’ no matter where he was at nor whether he was on duty or not. While also failing to specify what ‘wrongdoing’ entailed. 

Now that’s very problematic and ridiculous for a whole host of reasons that I’ve already covered back in my review of Peril on the High Seas, but this scene now adds a whole new layer of stupidity to the mix. 

If zero laws apply out in open waters than yes, Eugene and Max were acting out of their jurisdiction. Not only that, but the pervious dumb rule regarding their duties is also now null and void. So, Justice For Lady Caine! 

Oh, but were not done yet, cause it gets dumber. 

If laws, including marriage don't apply, then getting married while out at sea also would not apply. Thereby rendering Trevor’s plan useless, unless they got married back in Equis. Which if they did that, it would bypass the entire pointless rule book completely because Equis is not subject to Corona’s laws anyways. 

There’s not even any ‘inter-kingdom’ laws that they would be subject too because Equis isn’t a part of the seven kingdoms. Any treaty they did previously have with Corona would be something else entirely, and Trevor would be within his rights to end such an agreement.     

Also Trevor is a king. He can do whatever the fuck he wants. Same goes for Arianna.

Ummm, No You Don’t Rapunzel

Trevor can’t marry Arianna without her agreement to it. It’s already been established that she’s physically capable of taking care of herself and she’s also mature enough to make her own decisions. If she did wind up marrying him it’d be because it’s her fucking choice to and Rapunzel has zero right to interfere with that.  

There’s no one to rescue here. Rapunzel has no reason to go chasing after her mom. All this is doing is denying a grown woman agency over her own life. Why should I or anyone, root for Rapunzel here? 

You Do Know That Arianna Has More Than Just Two Choices Here, Don't Ya Show?

Arianna doesn’t have to be in any relationship. That’s also an option. While I personally like Trevor, this shouldn’t be a choice between him or Frederic. The show should be asking what Arianna, as a character, would want for her life, instead of just shoehorning her into just being a wife for someone else. 

I still don’t know what Arianna really wants in life, but I do know that being a domestic housewife and a queen does not suit her. She doesn’t actually like being tied down with commitments and responsibilities. She’s repeatedly indicated over and over again that she feels uncomfortable in her role. 

But the show reduces her into trophy to win and turns her into a damsel in distress multiple times. Then it further neuters her so that she complacently walks back into that life over and over again for no logical reason. She’s treated not as a person but as a prop.    

Really, Arianna? Are You Really Sure About That? 

These aren’t Arianna’s words. They’re Chris’s. 

Arianna has shown zero interest in Frederic up to this point. The closest they got was during that creepy boat scene where they just jumped to almost kissing for no real reason.  While before now Arianna was making actual goo-goo eyes at Trevor earlier, before Raps stepped in and broke them up.  

They actually do have things in common and had a genuine point of connection. They even almost kissed themselves until Raps started being a dick. No forced and icky conversations about their grown children needed here folks!

While I still firmly believe Arianna should just be single, the show does far more to convince me that she and Trevor should be together more so than her and Frederic. Everything about this scene on the boat feels forced and hollow because it doesn’t ring true to what was previously established. 

This just isn’t good writing. It’s the animation equivalent of a six year old smashing their Barbie dolls faces together and shouting “now kiss!”, all because a middle aged man couldn’t get over they fact people didn’t like his self insert. 

No, wait, I apologize. That’s being mean to six year olds. They usually have more interesting plots and established characterization than this.  

Hey, Remember When the Series Villainized an Orphan For Stealing This Stupid Book? 

Yeah, stealing the book was treason and the mains ruined a child’s life over it, but apparently it just doesn’t matter any more cause no one seems to give a shit about Trevor taking it. Like, yes, as the king of another kingdom, Trevor isn’t beholden to Frederic’s bullshit, but you would think that the characters would treat this as a bigger deal than what they do, given how they responded previously to it being taken.

Unless Rapunzel was just talking out of her ass back during The Alchemist Returns. That’s also quite possible.  

This Literally Has Nothing To Do With You Rapunzel 

Just because Rapunzel herself is a woman, doesn’t mean that stealing the agency of another female character isn’t misogynist. Especially when their both written by primarily men.  

Every guy who was involved with the writing of the episode, should be fucking ashamed of themselves!!! 

So What Exactly Has Trevor Done Wrong Up To This Point? 

Yes, the story board artists and voice actors do a lot of heavy lifting here to try and make Trevor seem like a creep. Arianna’s body language and tone of voice when dealing with him here will be very familiar to a lot of women, I’m sure. I know what it’s like to have a stalker and not know how to turn them down because you’ve been trained all your life to ‘be polite and nice” to people, and I’m not unique in that regard. 

But here’s the thing, it’s not set up properly. There’s nothing backing this sudden shift in the characters’ dynamic. Up till now Trevor has been a perfect gentlemen. Sure he was over the top as always, and you could call it an act when regarding his politeness to Frederic, but he seemed to genuinely respect and admire Arianna and clearly desires genuine affection in return from her. Why would he suddenly stop behaving in a way that worked for him and start talking over her instead? 

Also why wouldn’t Arianna just tell him no to begin with if that’s what she wants? She had no trouble speaking her mind before now. But that begs the question why she wouldn’t return his feelings as well, because as stated above, she clearly showed interest in him previously. 

This is So Fucking Forced

Yeah, okay, you’re daughter has no reason to be here to begin with, disrespected your wishes, and attacked Trevor first. At this point I’d argue he has a right to retaliate. Especially since, if Rapunzel was allowed to board, you know she’d just attack him again, because she knows no other way to resolve conflicts other than to hit people very hard.  

Arianna’s actions here only make sense if she’s kept in the dark about what an awful human being her daughter really is. That’s poor writing. 

Also, having a woman just punch people while denying them actually agency and choice within the plot is not ‘girl power.’ It’s fucking misogyny!

How Does Doing the Bare Minimum, and Just Showing Basic Human Decency Count As ‘True Love’? 

What was she suppose to do? Let him drown? I mean I wouldn’t, and I despise the man. Not to mention anyone else could have done the same thing. They’re all right there. If Lance had jumped to the rescue would Trevor have proclaim them lovers too? 

Trevor Is Still the Better Man Here

Here he is rescuing Rapunzel even after she treated him like shit. 

Best. King. Period. 

This Still Doesn’t Redeem Frederic 

So through out the episode Frederic has inexpiably shown an obsession for eggs. He now collects them even though this was never an established trait before now. But whatever. He’s just been through something traumatic and looking for something to ground himself.  Far be it from me to make fun of someone else’s special interest. If you like to collet eggs than good for you. Go live your life to fullest. 

That’s more respectful than how the show handles it, as everyone dismiss his interest and it’s treated like a joke through out the episode. Only to have said obsession save the day. But this isn’t here to teach the others about respecting other people’s hobbies, oh no, it’s here to try and give Frederic a big hero moment so you’ll cheer for him. 

Except one nice thing does not erase his past actions! I don’t care what your hobby is, if you deliberately try to cause grievous harm to people you’re and asshole! And you will continue to be an asshole until you can admit what you’ve done wrong and try your best to make up for it. 

I Hope You Made Back Up Copies of The Tunnel Maps 

A bunch of people are more upset over this development than I am, because it is a historical artifact and preserving the past is important. But the only story function the book held was a map to the tunnels, and said tunnels were never utilized properly through out the entire show. 

To this day people still don’t understand that they’re meant connect the island to Old Corona or that Herz Der Sonne is the one who built them into order to invade Saporia because the show is so bad at its world building. And come season three, they’re all but irrelevant anyways. Such a wasted concept. 

Once Again the Whole ‘Memory Loss’ Subplot Is a Copout 

Ok that’s not how the spell worked previously, but that’s not what I’m taking issue with here. 

If the whole point behind the amnesia plot twist was to sweep Frederic’s awfulness under the rug, then I expect his past actions to be addressed once he’s regained his memories. They are not. 

This episodes reverses the very thing that the season was trying to achieve and just hopes the audience is too stupid/attention deficient to notice. Well guess what, we noticed and we’re far smarter than you Chris. 

Conclusion

I don’t understand the point of this episode. It shoots everything season three is trying to do in the foot. It screws up the timeline, makes Rapunzel even more of an irredeemable dickhead while preventing her from learning yet another needed lesson, undermines Arianna as a character once again, and it puts Frederic back in the crosshairs of the audience’s scrutiny. 

Oh and look, it’s written by the same guy who wrote Rapunzel’s Return. Why am I not surprised.  

Anyways another one down and only 15 more to go. You can support my continued marathon by dropping a tip in my ko-fi if you wish. I’m currently back to job hunting yet again and anything you can give is appreciated. 

https://ko-fi.com/rachelbethhines

[twistedtummies2]

The Mad Doctor of Night Raven (Commission)

Another commission; this is from the same person who created Tock Crockwork and Caelyum in past stories. This time, we introduce another OC of theirs: Xavier Madoc, based on The Mad Doctor from Epic Mickey. This is also my first time properly writing for Idia and Ortho! :D

--------------------------------------------

“You sure this is everything you need, me hearties?”

“Nya! It better be! Some of this is heavy!” You smirked as you adjusted the box of electronic equipment in your arms. You checked on your companions, who were carrying similar boxes. To your right strolled Grim, the fire-eared, trident-tailed, cat-like imp. He was carrying a very small box - fitting for his size - while yours was more medium sized. A box matching the size of yours was in the arms of your more human comrade: a tall, slender young man with long, fuschia-colored dreadlocks, dressed all in brown. “Thanks for the help, Cael,” you said to him gratefully. Caelyum De Macabre shrugged cheerily. “Don’t mention it!” he chuckled. “For one thing, helping you get this stuff was part of my job at the Mystery Shop. Sam prides himself on having everything; if I couldn’t find something like all this, he might dock my pay.” “Would he?” you blinked. “Probably not, but he MIGHT,” huffed Cael. “And as for carrying some of this…” His smile became more bashful. “...I owe you both. If it weren’t for you all...I might not have been able to reconcile with Mia.” “How is she, by the way?” you asked, tilting your head, then smirked teasingly. “Have you proposed yet?” “Well...um...yes and no?” chuckled Cael, pausing to flick a stray dreadlock out of his face before continuing. “We had a talk about that, actually, and...we decided it would be best to wait to get married till after I finished school.” “Well, as soon as you have your wedding, make sure you guys send me and Grim an invite!” Cael nodded to say he would, then both of you paused as you heard a sort of growly groan come from Grim. “Having trouble, Little Monster?” Cael asked, tilting his own head this time. “I wish people would stop calling me that,” grumbled the imp, and continued to march onward, tail flicking angrily behind him as the blue flames in his ears crackled faintly. “I’ve got it. The Great Grim won’t be defeated by a box!” He paused, blinked, then mumbled: “That’s something I didn’t think I’d say today…” Both yourself and Caelyum snickered.

“Why’d the otaku guy ask for all this, anyway?” Cael asked as the three of you continued on. “It’s for the science expo!” Grim said. “Science expo?” frowned Caelyum. “Idia’s final exam,” you nodded, and explained: “Crowley is holding a science expo here in a couple of weeks, and Idia has to create something for it for one of his classes.” “Well...cool, but why are YOU guys getting it?” “Because the thought of leaving his room multiple times to take multiple trips nearly made Idia have a heart attack,” you answered, dryly. Cael blinked...then sighed. “Yeah,” he muttered. “From what little I’ve seen of Shroud, that sounds about right.” “I hope he appreciates the help,” huffed Grim, and bounced the box of equipment in his little arms as he continued to march forward, moving ahead of you both. “It’s not easy hauling all this from the Mystery Shop all the way Igni-YIPE!” Grim let out a shrill yelp, and fell back onto his bunce; he’d bumped into something, which hit the floor with a crash. The box full of equipment fell to the ground. Yourself and Cael quickly but carefully put down your own boxes and hurried to gather the fallen items and inspect them swiftly, while Grim growled and rubbed his sore haunches. “Nothing’s damaged,” Cael sighed with relief. “Are you alright, Grim?” you asked. “No,” pouted Grim. “My dignity is wounded, and it’s hard keeping it intact as it is.” You smirked affectionately. “Oh my gosh!” exclaimed a new voice. “Are you okay?!” The three of you looked up to see a new figure rushing towards you all. The figure was a young man, dressed in the black-and-blue, informal, leather-jacket-clad dorm costume of Ignihyde. His skin was pale, and he had moppish hair, which had been dyed mint green with blue tips. His eyes were heterochromatic, and similarly colored: one was emerald, the other cobalt. He was somewhat gangly in build, yet handsome in features. “Nya...I’m not hurt, if that’s what you mean,” Grim muttered out, stumbling back onto his hindpaws and dusting off his fur. “I wasn’t talking to you!” the young man snapped, catching Grim off-guard...then knelt down to what Grim had bumped into. “Abe! Abe, are you okay?” The figured Grim had bumped into, you soon realized, was a robot. It was dressed like a porter, and - in contrast to the synthetic skin and almost fully human appearance of Ortho Shroud - had a decidedly mechanical, industrial look: all metal plates and gear-twisting joints. Its face was mask-like, with two yellow lamps for eyes. The robot shook its head with a whirring noise, as if to clear it, then the mute bot - it had no mouth - nodded to the young Ignihyde student. The mint-eyed boy sighed with relief, and smiled at the bot as if it were an old friend, patting its shoulder. Then, he glared at Grim almost childishly. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going?!” the lad snapped. “Me?!” snapped Grim, stomping one foot angrily, ear-fire flaring up. “Your stupid robot was the one who bumped into me!” The green-and-blue-haired youth gasped, looking deeply offended, and hugged Abe close. “Don’t listen to the mean little raccoon, Abe,” he crooned to the bot, stroking the back of its head like it was his child. “You’re perfect just the way you are.” “I AM NOT A RACCOON!” screamed Grim. “I don’t even LOOK like one; why does everyone keep calling me that?!” The student from Ignihyde was too busy fawning over his robot like it was a spoiled child to answer. The robot squirmed, its yellow eyes flickering; you got the feeling that if a machine had the power to blush, Abe would have been doing so from all the attention. Grim pouted and grumbled while yourself and Caelyum stepped closer to address the newcomer, who helped the robot to its feet. The machine called Abe clattered and clanked a bit as the young man pulled a screwdriver out of his pocket and began to check over the mechanical wonder’s form. “Buddy, I keep telling you, you have to make sure to look both ways,” whispered the young scientist. “Maybe some of your circuits need rewiring; it’s like your memory bank has a hole or two in it somewhere. Tch. My fault for using-” “Excuse me,” you spoke up. “Who are you?” The Ignihyde student looked to you...then smiled. “Oh, hey there!” he said, waving with the hand that held the screwdriver. “Name’s Xavier. Xavier Madoc, if you, ah, wanna get all formal and stuff, heh. I’m a, uh, first year here in the dorm. I was just taking my buddy Abe here for a tour around the campus!” He patted his robot’s back; Abe stumbled forward, and rubbed his arm, looking a little nervous as he nodded to you in greeting. Sensing the AI’s anxiety, you gave a disarming smile of your own and bowed your head in return. This seemed to make Abe perk up a bit. “Nice to meet you both,” you said. “Speak for yourself,” mumbled Grim. “Hey, not Abe’s fault you’re an imperfect specimen of biology,” frowned Xavier. Before either yourself or Grim could point out Abe was clearly not a perfect machine, either, Xavier’s eyes lit up with recognition as he noticed the other member of the party. “Oh, it’s you again! Kale, yeah?” “Cael,” De Macabre corrected, with a mild smile. “Is this your presentation for the science expo?” “Pffft! Oh-ho, yeah, like...c’mon. Making artificial life? That’s, like, SO twenty years ago,” Xavier snorted. “Nope! I’ve got somethin’ a whole lot bigger in mind! It’s gonna REALLY put me on the map!” “After how much all those parts cost you, I should hope so,” mumbled Caelyum. “Hold on, back up,” you said, giving a  “time out” gesture. “The two of you know each other?” “Only peripherally,” admitted the shopkeeper’s aid. “Just like you guys, I helped Xavier pick out some items for his project.”

“Cool,” you commented. “They work perfectly, by the way!” Xavier butted in, and then giddlily clapped his hands. “Ohhhh, this is gonna Rock. The. World. Like, if there was a world, and my new invention could hold it, it would just…” He made explosive noises as he mimed shaking something in his hands, then puffed them out with a long, whining “Aaaaaah!” noise. “...That would be it,” he declared, grinning from ear to ear. “Nothing is gonna top this one, nothing!” “Well, you seem pretty confident,” you chuckled. “Trust me, if there’s one thing I know...well, actually, I know, like, a lot of things, I guess?” Xavier frowned, turning his eyes heavenward as he counted on his fingers. “I mean, there’s, like mechanical engineering, alchemy, anatomy, welding, potion making, computer science...basically, yeah, if there’s one thing I can do, it’s how to make something awesome. With SCIENCE!” The last word was spoken with great melodrama, complete with Xavier lifting one hand theatrically, throwing his head back with pride and puffing out his chest arrogantly. Abe seemed to roll his eyes at his creator’s hammy attitude. “I wouldn’t get too cocky,” Cael said warningly, as he stepped back to lift his box up off the floor. “Yeah! Especially with all this to contend with,” Grim grinned a little smugly, picking his own box back up as well. Xavier frowned as he saw you lift the third and final box, now looking both curious and perhaps borderline suspicious. “Yeah, about that...what’s with all the toys?” he said, pointing to the box with a slight frown, as if the items within were beneath him. “Is there, like, a kid entering the expo, or are you cleaning out trash…?” You blinked, and the three in your party shared looks. The strange part about that comment was it didn’t sound like it was meant to be an insult. Xavier seriously seemed to see the tools in the boxes as inferior. “These are for Idia. Your dorm head,” you said, slowly. Xavier’s eyes widened, and so did his smile. “Oh! Oh, COOL! So, wait, holdupholdupholdup...you’re saying Idia Shroud - THE Idia Shroud - is gonna come outta his hideout and tussle with the muscle at the contest?” “That’s...one way of putting it, yep,” you answered unsteadily. “That’s TERRIFIC!” Xavier exclaimed, clapping his hands and bouncing on his heels with giddy delight. Abe tilted his head with curiosity, and Xavier, noticing the robot’s reaction, decided to explain. “When I beat Idia, that’ll be, like, the best thing ever!” Madoc told Abe. “I can finally show just how perfect and brilliant my machines are! Abe, it’s gonna be DA BOMB! HA HA HA!” Xavier cackled with almost unhinged delight, pumping his fists. Abe turned his lamplike eyes towards your group. You see what I have to put up with? he seemed to be saying. “Be wary,” Caelyum warned. “You shouldn’t underestimate Shroud: he’s dorm head for a reason. He literally made his own brother, you know; have you made anything that impressive before?” Xavier looked to Cael...and his smile fell. A sudden coldness came over his expression, and his eyes narrowed. “Are you saying my machines aren’t impressive?” he whispered, his voice lowering an octave. “No, I don’t think he’s saying that at all!” you interrupted, sensing the tension and wanting to cut it short. “Just...um...Idia’s not half bad either, you know.” Xavier smirked, but his eyes were still glittering like emerald daggers. “Hmph. He may be dorm head, but he’s got nothing on The Madoc,” Xavier boasted, jabbing a thumb at himself...then, his eyes brightened, and his whole being became exuberant once more. “Hey! Hey, you should totally come see the expo! All of you! That’d be great!” “Then we could see you win, huh?” you smirked right back, already sensing his thoughts. “Well...or see the others lose,” he said with a sinister laugh. “Your choice of how you wanna word it.” “Nya...that seems a jerky way to put it,” grumbled Grim, but no one paid attention to him. “Well, Crowley is probably gonna ask us to do something there anyways, with his track record,” you muttered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw you there.” “Perfect,” smiled Xavier, then cocked his head innocently. “Uh...right, I, ah...yeah, just realized I never got who YOU were?” You gave your name quickly. “I’m Prefect of the Ramshackle Dorm,” you explained, and pointed to Grim. “This is Grim.” “Aww...nice that your dorm allows pets.” Grim looked like he was pondering the many ways he coil make life excruciatingly painful for Xavier Madoc. “Why do you say that?” Cael spoke up. “Does yours not?” “Honestly, I dunno,” shrugged Xavier. “I’ve never had a pet. Never wanted one, really.” He tapped Abe on the chest; the robot - who had been staring off at something on a wall - jumped at the clanking on his abdomen. “I just deal with machines,” he said. “Pets are so...fussy. And unpredictable. You have to feed them and clean up their mess...my machines are clean and easy to handle. A machine can’t leave you or get sick; if there’s a malfunction, just a touch of oil or a twist of a wrench, and it’s all fixed, usually! And, hey, if something breaks, I can just rebuild it!” Abe looked hurt. “Oh, not you, buddy,” Xavier chuckled, patting his metal shoulder. “You’re irreplaceable.” Abe seemed to smile, but since he had no visible lips, you couldn’t tell. “I think it’s a good thing to have pets,” Caelyum argued, then gave a joking smile. “Maybe you should buy a lab rat or something?” Xavier shuddered. “Right, and be around animals AND people? Thanks, I think I’ll pass.” “And you were teasing Idia about leaving HIS hideout?” Grim taunted. Xavier glared at him. “I’m not scared of people,” he protested. “I just...don’t like crowds. I don’t like most people, either.” “You seem to be chatting easily with us,” you observed. “Well...yeah, but…no offense, I’m not gonna be inviting you to my lab anytime soon,” Xavier smiled weakly. “I like my privacy, that’s all.” You weren’t quite sure how to respond to that. “Speaking of,” Xavier went on, without waiting to see if you WOULD respond, “I gotta get back to work: I’ve gotta work out some clibrations for my new invention, then maybe see about modifying Abe’s storage banks, not to mention figuring out a few blueprints for future projects…” “Jeeze, don’t you do anything fun?!” Grim exclaimed. “Science IS fun,” huffed Xavier, sticking his nose up snootily. “And I don’t see a reason to stand here and be insulted by a furball.” While Grim sputtered, offended, Xavier looked to Abe. “Come, my friend!” he called out, theatrically. “Back to the laboratory!” Abe saluted, and he and his creator turned on their heels before marching away. The metallic footsteps of the robot echoed down the hall for several seconds after they vanished from sight. “I don’t like him,” grumbled Grim. “We gathered that,” Caelyum smirked. “He seems...eccentric,” you murmured, then shook your head. “Then again, I guess it’d be hard to find anybody at this school who ISN’T at least a little bit odd.” “He seemed like a good sort to me,” Cael nodded, then frowned thoughtfully. “Perhaps a bit too sure of himself for his own good...not to mention a little too antisocial…” “Hey, I’ve dealt with Idia; trust me, that was nothing on the antisocial level,” you scoffed, as the three of you went down a side passage and headed off to find Idia’s room. “That’s not quite what I mean,” mumbled Caelyum, and then went on, aloud. “You know the donation jar at the Mystery Shop?” “You mean for the Medical Center?” “Yeah,” Cael said. “He didn’t donate anything. That’s not surprising, I guess, and it wouldn’t have really bothered me at all - donations from customers are hit and miss, always - but when I asked him if he’d like to make a donation, his response was…unsettling.” “Nya?” Grim meowed, one ear flicking with curiosity. “And what did he say?” “He said, ‘Sorry, but there are too many people out there to worry about the sick ones.’” You blinked...then scowled. “Okay...that’s...not very nice...and a little confusing,” you murmured. “Yeah,” Caelyum said. “The weirdest part was he then started rambling about the machines in the Medical Center. He seemed more interested in how the machines worked than what they actually did to help people.” You glanced back over your shoulder. Now, you were starting to feel worried. A person that strange, that obsessed, and that sure of his own superiority… ...Suddenly, Xavier’s eccentricities were starting to take a more sinister undercurrent. “Let’s just forget about him,” snorted Grim. “Come on, the scaredy-cat’s waiting!” “Right,” you muttered, then shook your head to clear it, and picked up the pace, this time taking the lead yourself. “Come on, you two...if Idia’s going to have any shot at that science expo - Madoc or no Madoc - he’ll need these parts.’

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Several weeks later, the science expo at Night Raven College commenced. Various students from across the campus were readying their inventions and projects. You had been right, of course: the Headmaster had, indeed, demanded that you attend the expo. As custodians, your job was to help those preparing their experiments, and to clean up any messes that might come up. By some miracle, not a drop of an acid, nor a bit of any base, had yet to stain the floor, and nothing solid had broken. Of course, that could change at any time, so yourself and Grim wandered around the expo, peeking at different experiments on display. A lot of what was being shown you didn’t fully understand - science had never been your strongest point - and, truth be told, the majority of the students involved were not ones you knew personally. There were, however, two familiar faces you were hoping to see. “Nya...where are the Shrouds?” meowed Grim, flicking his tail from side to side and blinking his big blue-green eyes up at you. “Shouldn’t Idia and Ortho have set up their panel already.” “Yeah, they should have,” you nodded. “Maybe they just didn’t get things ready in time?” “Not the way I heard it.” The voice caught your attention, and both yourself and Grim smiled as you saw who it belonged to. “Oh, Cael! So you came here after all, huh?” you grinned. “Yup. I actually invited Mia, but she couldn’t make it; some kind of royal business,” the shopkeeper’s assistant shrugged. “I wanted to see how the items Sam and I sold were being used, so I asked him if I could get out of my job at the Mystery Shop a few hours early to check things out.” “I see. I’m sorry to hear Mia couldn’t make it,” you said, sympathetically. Caelyum smiled gently. “For years I lived without her,” he said, faintly. “Even if we’re not together, my heart will always be with her...and hers with mine…” “Ugh...gag me,” sneered Grim. “You don’t have to make it sound so dramatic, you know; you’re a bigger ham than the guys at Pomefiore!” Cael blushed and you giggled. “Anyway...Ortho told me he and Idia had finished their work,” Caelyum informed you and the imp. “They actually have it stored here at the hall, since they felt that would make it easier for transport and setup.” “That’s strange, then. Even Idia usually isn’t late for these things,” you murmured, looking a little concerned. “He’s not?” Cael asked, curiously. “I would have thought, with his reputation, he would try his hardest to avoid them.” “Well, Idia usually has Ortho attend the Dorm Leader Meetings - and other events - and then uses his computer to do a voice stream from his room,” you explained. “That way he can make his presentations without having to face the crowds directly. There should be no reason for at least one of them to not be-” “Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Thank you!” “Idon’twannagoIdon’twannagoIdon’twannagohelphelphelp…!” Grim turned around fast at the sound of the familiar voices, and tugged on your leg, pointing in the direction they were coming from. Both you and Cael quickly looked in the direction he had indicated, and saw the crowd of students and helpful staff members parting… ...Revealing the form of Ortho Shroud, who all but skipped merrily along through the campus convention hall where the expo was being held, dragging along what looked like an enormous black-and-blue bag. You quickly realized the “enormous bag” was really Idia Shroud, who was lying belly down on the floor. His dead-white hands were holding up his hoodie in a steel-knuckled grip, while his glowing blue, ethereal hair spilled across the floor from under it. Ortho noticed your group soon enough; his cybernetic eyes widened, and he waved, trotting over to three of you. You looked to Caelyum, who was staring bug-eyed, stunned by the bizarre tableaux. You had to admit, it said something that, somehow, you were a lot less weirded out. “Hi ya, Prefect!” Ortho chirped in his electronic way, as he stopped a few feet away from your trio. You could see that, now at a standstill, Idia was shaking like a leaf. “Uhhhh...hi,” you greeted awkwardly. “Nya! Why are you two so late?” Grim grimaced. “And what exactly is going on?” Cael asked, sounding like he was trying not to shout that out in confusion. “Oh! Well, um, Big Brother’s thingamajig that he uses for remote conference? It, uh...kinda had a malfunction,” Ortho said, an embarrassed smile flickering behind the mask-like apparatus on his android face. “Malfunction?” the three of you repeated, looking at each other, and then back at Ortho. “Yeah,” Ortho said, and scratched the back of his head. “My brother convinced a stray cat into our room so he could give it some food...but when he tried to snuggle it, it bolted back out the window, and knocked the device off a table and onto the floor. We...didn’t have time to fix it.” A keening whine from Idia made it hard from you to determine if you should laugh or just feel sorry for the poor, anxious noble son. “Yeesh...and that’s what all this is about, huh?” “Yep!” Ortho siad, cheerily. “Big Brother still has to attend his final for the class, after all! So I made sure to get him here with enough time to set up shop!” Ortho’s chest was puffed out with pride; you swore, if he had a tail, it would have been wagging like a puppy’s. You couldn’t help but smile, even as Grim and Cael both rolled their eyes, crossing their arms over their chests. “Well, good job, Ortho; that’s being responsible!” you said, and playfully patted the boy-like droid’s head; you would never understand how that fire-like hair DIDN’T burn your fingers, but no matter. “I’m sure once he’s done having a panic attack, he’ll be proud of you.” Ortho giggled happily and his eyes crinkled with another sweet “smile.” You now turned your attention to Idia, as Ortho released his leg. The instant, Idia felt his leg being let go, he stopped shaking and froze. Slowly, he rolled onto his back...and huge amber yellow eyes, glowing like warning lights, peered out from behind the hoodie. Idia took one look at the crowd in the hall, and the faces looking at him...and squeaked like a mouse before hiding his face. He clumsily tried to get to his feet and run away...only to let out a shrill, strangled sound as he tripped on his own feet and fell over. Ortho let out an “eep!” and rushed to catch hold of his brother before the computer genius could eat tile. “Nervous, Idia?” Grim drawled with a smirk. Cael couldn’t help but chuckle as Idia whimpered with terror, quivering once again. ��P-People,” came Idia’s voice behind his hood. “Too...t-too many people...please...t-take me back to my room...I-I’d rather watch the English dubbing of Ghost Stories than do this…heck, I’d rather play Iron Gear: Survive than be here...!” “Not till you finish your presentation,” Ortho said. “Come on, Big Brother! Show everybody how cool you are!” “I don’t wanna be cool!” Idia nearly sobbed. “Please, not this! Not…” He gulped and nearly choked on the next words. “...T-Talking to people...having them judge me...no, no, not that…” Idia shook his head behind his hood stubbornly. Ortho looked at you helplessly. You sighed and knelt down to Idia’s level. You cautiously reached out to the trembling socially anxious scientist, who whimpered as he felt your hands brush against him, and curled up tightly, as if afraid of being struck. With a sympathetic smile, you carefully parted his hands and pulled down his hood. His face now fully exposed to the outside world, Idia blinked his giant yellow eyes at you with real fear. His dark lips were trembling, and you swore those golden irises were getting a little misty as he looked on the verge of crying with fear. You could hear his shark-like teeth chattering as if winter had come early that year. “Idia,” you said softly, “It’s got to be done, and you’re the only one who can do it.” “Why is that?” peeped Idia, childishly. “Because it’s YOUR creation, Idia,” you said, with an encouraging smile. “No one knows it better than you do.” “Yeah! It’s not like we can talk about all this science-y junk!” Grim broke in...then subsided when Idia reacted by looking hurt, while Ortho gave him an almost murderous glare. “The presentation only has to be a few minutes long,” Cael thought to put in helpfully. “A few SECONDS is too much!” Idia said, and hurried to try and hide his face again...but you prevented it with your hands as you carefully held his wrists. His black-nailed fingers twitched with mortal dread as he looked into your earnest, honest eyes. “Idia, does Ortho know anything about the project?” “Well...n-no, not enough to tell them everything,” Idia admitted, squirming uncomfortably and almost guiltily, like a child admitting he’d stolen five cookies from the cookie jar. “Is there anybody else who could give the presentation on your behalf, with the knowledge you have?” Idia blinked. Those last few words seemed to have stirred something in his breast, and he looked at you anew, blinking a few times, as realization dawned on his pale face. “...No...I guess not,” he said, softly. “Well then?” you urged, tenderly, raising one eyebrow. Idia bit his lip; his sharp teeth almost drew blood. (Almost.) “...But...b-but I’m scared,” he cheeped out, like a wounded baby bird. It took all your willpower not to kiss his forehead. How could a denizen of the Underworld be so friggin’ cute?! “It’s okay to be scared,” you assured him. “Being brave means doing things even though you are scared.” “No, being brave means enduring unpleasant situations without showing fear,” Idia droned. “That’s literally in the dictionary.” “And how brave do you think the Lord of the Underworld was when he fought the Mighty Hercules?” “A lot braver than I am!” Idia replied, without missing a beat, and promptly hid his face again, rolling onto his side, like a child refusing to get out of bed. “I’m not doing it!” You bit your own lip, and looked around awkwardly. A LOT of people were staring, and that was only going to make Idia feel worse. You had to pacify this quickly. “Mr. Shroud.” You blinked up at Caelyum, who knelt down beside you with a reassuring smile of his own. Idia peeked out of his hoodie timidly. “Wh-What?” “Once this is over, I’d be happy to give you a free Jumbo Jar of Jelly Babies from the Mystery Shop as a reward for your efforts,” Cael offered. Idia’s eyes went wide at the mention of so much candy. “...F-Free?” “Yes,” Cael nodded. “I’ll just put my own money back into the shop to make up the expense. BUT,” he said, in a stern, almost parental tone, holding up one finger, “You have to at least try to make your presentation first.” Idia licked his lips, but he still looked uncertain. “...What if they don’t like my creation, though?” he whispered, shivering a little. “They’ll love it, Big Brother!” Ortho declared. “It’s the best thing ever! You’re so smart, it has to be!” “And all three of us,” you thought to add, “Will be there. Myself, Cael, and Grim: we’ll be watching and cheering you on.” Idia squirmed again. “...The watching part I could live without, but…” Finally, at long last...he gave a scared, small, hesitant smile. “...The cheering part...I-I’d appreciate it,” he chuckled, and seemed to perk up a bit. “And, h-hey...I get lots of candy out of it, yeah?” “Sugary gummies galore,” winked Caelyum. Idia paused once more, and took a deep breath, before finally relenting: “F-Fine...I’ll...I’ll try not to screw up...” “That’s the spirit, Brother!” cheered Ortho joyously, and helped Idia to his feet. Idia gave a nervous nod to his brother, then gave you a shy wave and a smile that showed just a hint of his pointed teeth, as the young android led him away to another part of the hall. Both yourself and Caelyum stood to your full heights and sighed with relief. “Sam’s gonna kill me,” he mumbled. “He gets pretty strict with inventory; I think it’s the con-man in him…” “Just don’t make a deal with him, and you’ll be fine,” Grim giggled. “You know, maybe another incentive we could have used was a chance for ‘snuggle time’ with a certain ‘Little Monster,’” you said, airily, giving Grim a teasing smile. The cat-like little beast blushed bright red, and his ears flared up. “Th-That’s not funny, Minion!” he snapped, huffishly, while Cael chortled merrily at the thought. Just then, another laugh was heard from the far end of the hall; you recognized it instantly. “Xavier?” you murmured, remembering the strange scientist from a few weeks ago. “Sounds like the judging has begun,” Caelyum remarked, as he noticed a group of official-looking gentlemen, along with some students, gathered in the area. “Nya! Let’s go see what’s up!” Grim suggested, and loped off on all fours to do exactly that. You and Caelyum shrugged to each other, and followed at a casual pace. You soon came to the panel hosted by Xavier. To one side stood Abe, who had traded out his porter’s costume for a buttoned-up labcoat...although, amusing, he still wore his porter’s cap upon his head. The mechanical man’s mask-like, expressionless, featureless face somehow still managed to look rather bashful as he waved shyly at the mob that now surrounded the corner spot. It was Xavier Madoc himself, however, who most arrested your attention. He stood in front of a table, over which was draped a light gray table cloth...and on top of that was a large, oddly-shaped...something. No one could tell what, exactly, for a second tablecloth - also colored gray - was covering it. Xavier was dressed in a long labcoat, which stretched past his knees and halfway down his shins. Underneath this, the eccentric inventor wore blue jeans and white tennis shoes; the former was held up by a peculiar teal-colored belt. A light gray midriff shirt, with black pinstripes, was perhaps the weirdest part of his ensemble; emblazoned on his chest, upon this shirt, was an unusual design: a black-stenciled image that, on one side, resembled a skull, while the other side resembled a clockwork gear, the two parts meshed together unsettlingly. With his wild, wide grin and the way he bowed to the crowd - more like a circus ringmaster than a distinguished scholar - one couldn’t help but find him a most uncommon figure. “Ladies and gentlemen...and undecided!” he greeted, and laughed at his own joke (no one else did, but he didn’t seem to care) before continuing: “Allow me to introduce myself: I am Xavier Madoc! Also, allow me to introduce my trusty counterpart, Abe! His name stands for Assistant Bot Extraordinaire. Yeah, ha, not the most, uh...SCIENTIFIC name I could’ve come up with, but what can I say? I liked the acronym.” Abe rolled his electronic eyes and nodded to the judges, who nodded back before refocusing on Xavier, who rubbed his eyes as he moved to the opposite side of the table from Abe. “Friends and colleagues of science, let us talk about emotions, shall we?” he began, still speaking in an almost carnival-esque tone of voice, which made Cael roll his eyes and scoff. “He sounds almost like Sam at times,” the Swamplands native mumbled. You and Grim smiled at him, then looked back at Xavier as he began his spiel. “Emotions are a fickle thing,” Madoc said, lifting a finger in emphasis. “Emotions can be our strength, but they can also be our weakness. What a beautiful world it would be if we could all be logical, without those...pesky things like jealousy or greed to spur us in the wrong direction. Even here, in a school of black magic, love is just as revered as vengeance. There is a reason, of course...two, really. One, I would argue, is human frailty. We cannot help ourselves; we are, very tragically, made to be feeling creatures more often than thinkers. But another is perhaps more practical, in this particular world...and that, my friends, is that we need it as fuel. Magic is a powerful entity in our world, arguably more than science, and while it is not uncommon for the two to mesh together, no one has found a way to properly harness the power of the human spirit that allows our magic to work. Well, my friends...I, Xavier Madoc, have found the solution to that quandary!” So saying, Xavier through out both arms in a grand gesture and sang out: “TA-DA!” Silence. Nothing happened. The judges and the crowd just stared at Xavier awkwardly. Xavier blinked, then looked to Abe, who was looking around the room blithely. He frowned and whistled, getting the droid’s attention. “Abe,” he said, and pointed to the table. “You’ll want to take off the tablecloth on that cue, ‘kay, buddy?” Abe nodded, and scooted closer to the table. “Thank you,” whispered Xavier, and tried again, louder: “TA-DA!” A horrible grinding sound was heard as Abe grabbed the tablecloth on the table, nearly knocking over the item under the second veil as he gave it a tug. Xavier yelped for him to stop, and swooped in just in time to right the object before it could crash to the floor. You forced yourself not to laugh; Grim and Caelyum were not inclined to do the same. “So much for ‘the perfection of machines,’ huh?” the fluffy little imp whispered. “Hush!” you scolded...but internally, you conceded he had a point. Abe shuffled sheepishly as Xavier brushed his mint-and-cerulean bangs from his face and gave him an impatient, toothy smile. The dark doctor-in-training could hear some of the crowd snickering, and he hated it. “Not THAT tablecloth,” he said through clenched teeth, and pointed to the device under the covering. “THIS tablecloth. Got it?” Abe nodded, looking like a scared child. “Thank you,” Xavier sighed in frustration, and took a deep breath before trying one more time: “TA-DA!” Finally, Abe swirled off the right tablecloth with great panache. Underneath it was unveiled a strange machine, about the size and shape of the average backpack. Most of it was covered in white leather, but several mechanical apparatuses were jutting from it. Among these were two large copper tanks on either side, several steel cylinders, and two long tubes of tough, transparent rubber, which led from one of the sets of caps into the copper tanks. Two beige-colored leather straps were attached, and it was into these straps that Xavier slipped his long, lanky arms, putting the strange pack on his back. “Introducing my newest invention!” Xavier declared with a beaming, proud smile. “The Emotion Reservoir Power Converter - or ERPC, if you want to shorten it. We can’t all have cool acronyms like Abe, heh...ANYWAY! I would argue that negative emotions have more importance here than positive ones: Blot is the result of an overabundance of black magic use, and much of dark wizardry involves the channeling of negative power. The ERPC can drain small doses of negative emotional energy directly from the subject, and then convert them into magical energy, without the user suffering a state of Overblot!” “Can you give us a demonstration?” one of the judges spoke up. He was a portly man, with spectacles perched upon a crooked nose. “I hoped you would ask that, Dr. Alcott,” Xavier answered with a Devil-May-Care wink, then looked to his robotic companion. “Abe? The book, please!” The robot nodded, and reached into the folds of his labcoat, before handing his creator a small book with a bright pink cover. On it was the title “Princess Pony and the Island of Fluffy Squirrels,” by Lorina Faustus. Xavier blushed bright red and swatted at Abe, who hurriedly put the book away while giggles and chuckles once again came from the audience. “I told you not to…! THE OTHER BOOK, ABE!” Abe quickly fished a second book out: this was a black leatherbound volume with the image of a galaxy festooning its front. Xavier took it and sighed, shaking his head before flipping to a bookmarked page. “Here,” he declared, pointing at the page in question and tapping it with a finger, “Is an excellent example. Keep in mind, gentlemen and ladies, I am but a first year here. The spell I’m about to perform is typically a fourth-year level spell, and I have taken no classes on the subject. Should you wish for confirmation of this later, simply consult the members of the staff on standby today.” Xavier thus cleared his throat, and lifted one hand, extending his thin fingers towards the ceiling before mumbling the incantation in the book. He closed his eyes, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth, trying to concentrate...his fingers clawed as he flexed them, arm trembling as he forced all the power he could muster into his spellcasting… A dim, murky cloud of purple - shapeless and formless - hovered over the heads of the judges. Specks and blotches of many hues, like splatters of watercolor on a half-burned piece of parchment, appeared and disappeared...before, finally, Xavier gasped and relinquished the attempt, and the colors all faded, the cloud dissipating in an instant. “Haaaaah...a-as you can...ahem...as you can s-see,” Xavier gasped out, wiping some sweat from his brow. “That was hardly an easy task, gentleman...and hardly a good demonstration of that spell. Thankfully, my new invention can allow me to ‘upgrade’ my abilities, through use of my Unique Magic…” He lifted his left hand, the one that he had first used to try and enact the spell, and flexed his fingers as he recited his magic words. “...Paint & Thinner.” There was a flash of turquoise-toned light...and suddenly, Xavier’s left arm had undergone a startling and somewhat disquieting transformation. The fingers and thumb of his left hand had turned into a set of what looked like syringes, the needles resembling claws, his whole hand now seemingly mechanical and metallic. “My power,” Xavier smirked, flexing his taloned hand, “Allows me to extract emotion from a person. This is the ‘Thinner’ part of the equation. The emotional energy is converted to a liquid state. I can, of course, also return the emotions to their original owners, in a gaseous state: this is the ‘Paint’ aspect. Now, I know this is, uh...you know...a little freaky, but...I’m going to need a volunteer.” He handed the spellbook to Abe and added: “My assistant doesn’t exactly have veins to target.” Naturally, at first, nobody stepped forward. Xavier’s expression shifted, and he started to seem crestfallen, perhaps even a little scared… You sighed, shook your head, and stepped closer, raising one arm. “I volunteer,” you said. Xavier grinned, and nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Prefect,” he said, and addressed the audience as - with the clinical care of a master surgeon - he pulled you closer by one arm. “Everyone watch closely, please.” He then looked back at you; his voice was the professional, bland calm of a medical expert as he said the timeless refrain: “This won’t hurt a bit.” The syringes were inserted into your arm. You closed your eyes, trying to relax, remembering all the injections you had gotten. You did not feel the slightest prick as they did their work, and soon, bright green fluid - the color of some toxic acid - was drawn from your very body into the syringe fingers. “Sit down,” whispered Xavier, in the same clinical, almost cold tone, easing you into a nearby chair which Abe had prepared. His actions seemed more dismissive than in the vein of proper bedside manners. You sank into it gratefully. You felt...lightheaded. Cold. Almost ill. You didn’t know it at the time, but before the congregation of onlookers, your skin had suddenly turned very, very pale, and your hair and eyes had lost all color. Even your clothes seemed to have become more faded, causing you to look like a monochrome character from a black-and-white movie. You hoped the sickening, hollow sensation inside you wouldn’t last long as Xavier turned to the audience again. “Generally speaking, draining the emotion from the victim will leave them feeling weakened; enough power drawn can lead to them being rendered unconscious. My machine allows me to withdraw more than I would usually be able to manage in a single dose without even touching the subject, should I wish...but for safety purposes, I think we had better focus on the OUTPUT demonstration. Observe…” He closed his eyes...and suddenly, the syringes emptied, as if the power was being drawn through his arm and into his core...then, the same green fluid bubbled through the pipes, and a slosh came from the copper tanks as your emotions filled them with liquid energy. “Now,” said Xavier, and waved a hand for Abe to open the book and show him the page, as his syringe hand lifted to the ceiling. “Let’s see if the emotional energy I’ve drained from my volunteer can be converted to enough magical power, via the ERPC, for the spell I attempted earlier. Remember, everybody: first year here…” Once again, Xavier lifted his hand to the ceiling...and this time, as he spoke the incantation, the purple cloud became a beautiful circle of deep indigo, revealing the boundless reaches of outer space. Splashes of color became perfect images of planets and stars, so real in appearance one swore they could touch them. In fact, one student DID try to touch one...and yelped, as the sun actually burnt their finger slightly. “Careful,” chuckled Xavier, and then flexed his fingers...and the beautiful image disappeared. He then turned to the judges and, without a word, bowed. He had rested his case. The judges seemed most impressed. Dr. Alcott and the others applauded and smiled, looking quite pleased. However, they had other presentations to attend to, and after a few more perfunctory questions, they moved on. As the judges moved on, and the crowd went with them, Xavier looked two, kneeling down to look at your face. You felt dizzy and queasy, and the look on his face indicated he could tell. He extended his fingers. “Breathe normally,” he instructed, and a faint blue mist poured from the needle like fingers...and you sighed as you felt the ill feeling go away. Steadily, the color flooded back into your being at the same time. “Oh, dear Gods...wh-what was that?” “That was what it was like to be drained of emotional energy,” Xavier said, and gave an anxious sort of smile. “Pretty icky, huh?” “You said it,” you grumbled. “That was a bold decision, Prefect,” Cael observed, as Grim nodded in agreement. Both he and the imp looked rather concerned; they had lingered behind to check on you. Abe placed a mute hand upon your shoulder. You glanced up briefly at the featureless mechanical man, then smiled weakly back at your friends. “Well, he needed someone...who else would have done it?” you reasoned, then shuddered. “I really don’t like needles though…” “Not my fault it’s how my power works,” chuckled Xavier, but obligingly lifted his hand and spoke the counter-curse: “Thinner & Paint.” Another flash of blue-green light, and his hand returned to normal. He gave it a shake, then extended it to you. “Thank you for the help,” he said, sincerely. “Gotta admit, I didn’t expect anybody to put their best foot forward for me like that…” “I’m glad I could start a new custom,” you said, and shook his hand before shakily standing up. “I still don’t feel quite ready for work though…” “Give it a couple short minutes, and it’ll wear off on its own,” Xavier said sweetly. Just then, more applause came...louder than before. The four of you looked; Xavier frowned and the rest of you perked up as you realized who the next contender was… “The Shrouds!” exclaimed Grim. “Let’s see what they are up to,” suggested Cael. “Right,” you nodded, then smiled at Xavier. “Really cool invention. I hope you win!” Xavier’s eyes widened as he looked back at you, seemingly taken aback by the compliment and well-wishes...then smiled awkwardly. “Heh...uh...th-thanks, um...enjoy the rest of the expo. I mean, no one else is gonna be as awesome, but...you know…” You just laughed, and joined your friends, giving Xavier a wave as you strolled towards the Shrouds’ panel. You never noticed how Xavier’s smile faded into a cold, almost lifeless expression behind you while your back turned away. “No one else is gonna be as awesome,” he whispered to himself, forebodingly. Unaware of the ominous moment that had passed, your gaggle descended with the rest of the onlookers to see what the Head of Ignihyde and his “Baby Brother” had in store. Said “Baby Brother” was brushing humming in a vocoded-sounding way (he WAS an android, after all) as he brushed down a machine on the table. The device was not hidden by anything, the way Xavier’s power pack had been, which meant you and all and sundry could take a peek at it. It was...difficult to describe. The shape of the thing vaguely resembled a small ice maker, colored black and gray, but with three glass tubes on the top, each filled with strange fluids in primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. While Ortho dusted it off, Idia, was standing off to one side; his knees were almost knocking together, and his fingers fiddled endlessly with the dangling pullstrings of his hoodie as he stared at the judges, brow bathed in cold sweat. “Okay, Brother-o’-mine!” cheered Ortho, and looked to Idia happily. “It’s all set.” Idia said nothing. He didn’t move. He stared straight ahead, like a statue, still focused unblinkingly on the judges. “Uh...brother?” Idia whimpered, still frozen and shaking. “BROTHER!” shouted Ortho, fire-hair flaring up and turning orange for a second as he stomped his foot in frustration. Idia yelped and jumped about a foot in the air. “IWASN’TTHINKINGABOUTHIDING!” he exclaimed in a jabbering sort of way...then blinked when he saw Ortho’s pouty expression. (How the android could pout with no visible lips was anyone’s guess.) He flushed; Idia never blushed red or pink, but his cheeks turned a sort of bluish-purple color. “C’mon!” Ortho urged, and gestured towards the group. “They’re waiting.” This did not seem to encourage Idia, who flinched and looked nervously at the impatient judges. “I...um...uh...w-well, uh...aha...er…” You frowned, glancing with concern at Grim and Caelyum; the former matched your expression, while the other mostly looked bored. This was not going well. A thought came to you, and you stepped forward slightly. Idia must have heard your approach, because his eyes quickly darted to see you, and the encouraging smile you gave. Suddenly, he seemed to relax...but only VERY slightly. Idia was the sort to fear he was BREATHING too loudly and that would get on people’s nerves, he could only be so calm. Still, it helped enough for him to clear his throat and begin talking. “Ahem...s-sorry, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, with a nervous smile, tapping his fingers together childishly. “I’m, ah...not used to this sort of...front and center kinda thing, heh...honestly, I wish I were hiding under my blankets right now...BUT! But, ah...I think the device I’ve made will at least be of interest…” So saying, Idia seemed to pluck up some courage. Your own smile widened as he placed a hand on the machine, and his stance straightened. If there was one thing that Shroud could talk about with SOME pride, it was his work. “I don’t need to tell all you that, uh...th-that the source of magic for m-many wizards and witches is their magic crystals, right? Right. So, ah...I, well...I got to thinking: the problem with the crystals is they can...well...run out. We have to mine for them, we have to dig for them, and there’s always a chance that someday...y’know...th-there might not be any left. Which would...kinda suck, ha. SO! I decided to try and create SYNTHETIC crystals…” He tapped the tubes on the top of the machine. “With these three simple potion compounds, mixed together in the right order, I can...well...do that. Using this machine.” “Would you say there are other advantages to this idea?” Dr. Alcott spoke up. “Oh, y-yes!” Idia said, starting to smile as he realized he had someone’s interest, though he seemed a bit nervous when he noticed the way the other judges scribbled some quick notes down. “Ahem...yes, sir. See, with synthetic crystals, not only do you not need to dig them up, but...well...if you have these compounds, and this machine, you can make as many as you like.” “Well, yes,” Dr. Alcott nodded, “But are they any more advantageous than natural crystals?” Idia paused, as if to think on his answer, then nodded slowly. “There is one other thing,” he said, almost shyly. (Well...there was no “almost” about it, this was Idia Shroud, but you gave him the benefit of the wiggle room anyway.) He paused before steadily elaborating: “Synthetic crystals do have a couple of weaknesses. They are not as physically strong as natural ones, for a start, the same way synthetic gems are not as strong as real jewels. You also can’t make them as large as natural crystals, because with the compounds being used, they can become unstable. But, at the average size of the average magic crystal…” He pointed to the one he wore himself, on his arm, before continuing. “...It can actually last longer than a natural crystal. It...well...um...I don’t know how to explain it, actually, but my experiments have shown that...well...you can use them for a longer period of time before worrying about Overblotting.” “Well, that’s definitely an advantage,” smiled Dr. Alcott, seemingly impressed, then turned serious as he scratched a few notes down before speaking again: “Can we see how this machine works?” “Y-Yes! Yes, of course!” nodded Idia...then tapped Ortho on the shoulder. “Little brother? Um...w-would you do the honors?” He then added in a whisper, “I’ll probably mess up…” Your smile became slightly less proud: Idia was still Idia. Ortho just giggled. “You can’t mess up turning the machine on, Big Brother!” he teased quietly, but still obeyed, pressing a button on the contraption. A loud whirring sound was heard, and the potions in the tubes bubbled and then began to lessen in volume; you could hear the sound of fluid being stirred and mixed, followed by the low humming buzz of another item either cooling or heating the stuff inside the machine… ...It only took about two minutes - during which the judges’ attention was raptly focused on the device, and several in the crowd mumbled to one another with interest - and then, with a rattle and a clatter, a teardrop-shaped, transparent, pale blue crystal dropped into a tray inside the machine. Idia opened the lid and pulled the crystal out of the tray, holding it up for everyone to see, then offered it to the judges, who inspected it closely. Finally, Dr. Alcott handed the artificial crystal back to Idia with a smile. “Fine work, young Master Shroud,” he nodded in approval. “Fine work indeed.” The other judges and the audience applauded. Idia smiled bashfully, tucking his head down and mouthing a quiet word of thanks as he hugged the crystal to his chest. Ortho, noticing the way his brother was shaking, gave him an encouraging hug as the mob and the judges - still chatting betwixt themselves - moved away. Once again, yourself and your friends stepped forward, all of you wearing matching grins. “I’m so proud of you!” you cheered, and gave Idia a hug. You felt the eldest Shroud freeze up in your embrace, and couldn’t help but smile still wider; Idia, bless his heart, still wasn’t used to much physical interaction, and you could feel him starting to twitch. You gave him a very gentle, comforting squeeze, and rubbed his back reassuringly. Only then did his arms steadily move upwards to gingerly return the hug. “Nya!” Grim called out happily, trotting over with a wide grin, purring up at the fire-haired Ignihyde head. “You did a lot better than I expected!” “An interesting invention, too,” Cael complimented. “I’m sure you’ll end up with first place!” “Oh, I-I dunno,” mumbled Idia, rubbing one arm and squirming slightly with embarrassment. “I thought Madoc had a pretty cool creation, too…” “His was neat,” nodded Grim, “But I think yours is better.” “His energy converter DID have one noticeable issue,” Cael thought to add, glancing back towards Xavier’s panel - by now, the odd scientist and his assistant had turned their attention away, and were seemingly polishing the power pack. “It depends on HIM in order to work. No one else would be able to use it: it’s not something you can mass produce, because no one else has his Unique Magic.” “That’s true,” Ortho spoke up. “But hey! The basic idea isn’t bad; with a little adjusting, he could make it something really special for everyone to use!” “If he cares enough to try,” mumbled Grim; he subsided at the look you gave him. “It’s up to the judges, and the contest has just started,” you said, crisply, then smiled at Idia once more. “Whatever happens, you did good. Don’t doubt that.” Idia smiled sweetly. “Th-thank you,” he whispered, then glanced at the crystal in his hand and back up at you...before offering it cautiously. “Would you...like a souvenir? Heh…” You chuckled, and took the crystal, placing it in your pocket. “Sure,” you said. “Thanks, Idia.” “Y-You’re w-w-welcome,” stuttered Idia, looking like he was scared of feeling too happy. He paused and cleared his throat with a cough before reaching into his hoodie’s pocket, pulling out his cell phone. “Well, um...I wanna catch up with a new show I’m watching, so...I’m, uh...y’know...gonna go find a nice, safe corner till the judgment call comes, and...well…ju st, uh...exist, heh…” “Can I watch with you, Big Brother?” Ortho peeped hopefully. “Sure,” Idia said with a smile and a nod, then gave you the same gestures before scurrying away, looking like he couldn’t wait to get away from everything that had the power to breathe. Yourself and your two companions chuckled and gave a collective mock salute to the Shroud brothers, as Ortho followed Idia quickly. Then, still chattering amongst yourselves, you hurried to rejoin the group and see what else was at the exposition… None of you were aware of Xavier Madoc’s eyes following the mob’s movements, before glancing back at Idia’s device. One could have sworn his one green eye flashed.

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The exposition had come to an end, and after two hours of deliberation, the judges were ready to deliver their verdict. The contestants had lined up on either side of the room, while the audience sat in chairs before a podium. Yourself, Caelyum, and Grim all took seats in the second row (the front row had filled up too quickly) and watched as Dr. Alcott approached the podium, adjusting his spectacles and shuffling some papers in his hands. You glanced to the right. Along with the other contenders at the expo, Idia and Xavier were naturally lined up, both on the same side of the hall. Xavier stood with a cocksure smile, arms crossed, while Idia was nervously twiddling his fingers, biting his lip with his dagger-like teeth. He looked towards Xavier and smiled nervously. “S-So, uh...may the best man win, huh?” he said, awkwardly. Xavier didn’t even look at the dorm head as he narrowed his eyes and simply said, “Don’t worry. I will.” Idia looked a bit befuddled. Abe and Ortho - who stood beside their corresponding creators - looked at each other and shrugged. The sound of Dr. Alcott brought your attention back to the podium. “It’s time,” Cael and Grim murmured at the same time, as the lead judge addressed the audience, crooked nose pointed high. “Friends of science,” the doctor began, “I am not one for grand speeches or over-sentimentalizing the talents we’ve seen on display here today. Virtually every experiment we viewed today, every invention created or formula concocted, was of interest.As far as those doing this for an assignment go, my supposition is you will all pass with flying colors. However, there can only be one winner: one person to leave this exposition a proper champion.” He snapped his fingers and one of the other judges stepped up beside him, and handed him a trophy, with a golden ornament resembling a ringed planet. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Dr. Alcott intoned, “The winner of the Annual Science Expo is…” Xavier smirked, and straightened up his labcoat, taking a deep breath, as if ready to thank everyone… “...Mr. Idia Shroud!” Xavier froze, the smile seemingly slapped from his face as his eyes widened. Idia’s eyes widened too, and he gasped in surprise as the crowd applauded. One could almost see tears in his eyes as he realized what had happened. Yourself and your party cheered as Ortho nudged Idia up to the podium to accept his trophy, which he did with trembling fingers. You were grinning from ear to ear, and so was Idia; his shark-toothed smile had never been wider, you felt, nor more genuine in nature. His amber eyes sparkled like a pair of glittering gold coins. As Dr. Alcott began to congratulate Shroud - who was hugging the trophy to his chest almost like a teddy bear - you turned to see the other contenders. Most of them - including Abe - were clapping politely. The only exceptions were Ortho, who was literally dancing with joy… ...And Xavier Madoc. He looked absolutely livid. His face was almost as red as Riddle Rosehearts’ could get, his fists clenched, one eye twitching as he gritted his teeth angrily. His mismatched eyes were burning… You felt your blood run cold as the blue eye was surrounded by a matching aura. “Grim!” you hissed, tapping the feline-like creature on the side. Grim turned fast...and his ears flattened back and he mewed as he saw droplets of ink dripping from the magic crystal Xavier wore… “Oh, no,” he gulped nervously. “What’s wrong?” Caelyum whispered...then frozen when he saw the same. “Oh, barnacles...is that…?” “Overblot,” you replied, gravely. “Here we go again…” Just as Dr. Alcott shook Idia’s hand, and was about to dismiss him, Xavier suddenly let out a screeching cry of apoplectic rage, which startled everyone present. All eyes watched as the white labcoat of the first-year science master flapped behind him like the wings of a huge war bird, as he flew back towards his panel, and hurriedly strapped the ERPC to his back. “Unacceptable!” he shouted. “I will not allow it! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! No one outsmarts me! NOBODY! My machines are perfect! My work is superior in every way! And if you doubt that - if ANYONE STILL doubts that…!” A feral grin came to his face as he extended one arm. “...Then I’ll just have to prove otherwise, won’t I? Paint & Thinner.” A flash of turquoise light was immediately followed by an explosive sound. KA-ZAM! A gale wind ripped through the hall, as a swirl of black mist surrounded Xavier Madoc; you cursed violently under your breath as blue and green light burst through pockets in the spiraling cloud of inky darkness. No doubt Xavier’s strong emotions and the level of magic he had put out earlier had blended together, and with the power pack on, he could burn through magic and cause damage with greater force and strength than you could guess. “Brace yourselves!” you called to Caelyum and Grim, as everyone else in the hall dove or ducked for cover. “This isn’t gonna be easy!” “Is it ever?!” Grim yowled, while Cael simply squinted, watching with you as the mist began to clear… ...And soon, you could see the change that had come over Xavier Madoc. The right side of his body had seemingly not changed at all...but the left was another story. Not only was there now a blue aura surrounding his left eye, not to mention the metallic, syringe-tipped left hand...but his whole left side seemed to have become a cyborganic nightmare. The left side of his face was covered in metal plates, and his entire left arm and leg had become robotic in nature; the clothes on the left side of his body were seemingly frayed and shredded, exposing portions of a metal chest and clockwork-esque innards. In-between the joints of his limbs and face, black ink oozed like oil. Xavier’s one green eye was feral looking; bloodshot with a pinprick pupil. He grinned in a manic way, and let out a cackling laugh that rebounded off the hall walls. “HA HA HA HA HA! You dared to overlook my creations?! You spurned my talents, eh?! Then let me show just how powerful I can REALLY become!” he roared, and the ERPC roared to life as he thrust out his syringe hand. “I told you, I can extend my unique abilities without proximity! So now...NOW, ALL OF YOU, GIVE ME YOUR POWER!” In horrific fashion, the needles extended...and five members in the crowd collapsed as they were pricked, turning gray and pallid. Their entire being became monochrome as, in a split second, all emotion was drained from them and into Xavier’s being. Xavier shot out his claws again, the protracting talons jabbing into another five people and rendering them the same. Now, panic set in, and people screamed as they raced for the door. “Don’t leave in such a rush!” laughed Madoc, and snapped the fingers of his one human hand. The doors suddenly shifted, becoming solid walls, and all the windows clicked as they were locked into place. “The party’s just beginning!” Xavier’s claws lunged at you now, but yourself, Grim, and Cael all quickly dropped, ducking the attack. Three other people who had been standing behind you, along with two more, were drained in your stead. Xavier shuddered, a toxic aura surrounding him as the tanks were filled with more and more emotional energy. “More...MORE!” he bellowed. “If I can’t have your respect, I will have your rage...your despair...your panice...fuel me! FUEL ME!” Idia and Dr. Alcott ducked behind the podium with twin yelps. Ortho hurried to check on his brother, and barely avoided the needles as they shot out. The other judges weren’t so lucky, and crumpled in an unconscious, grayscale-colored heap as their emotions were drained. Abe rushed forward to try and stop his creator, desperately grabbing hold of Xavier’s one human arm. Xavier snarled, gnashing his teeth. “Imbecile and traitor!” he roared into the droid’s pleading face. “I have no further use for YOU!” Xavier jerked away his human hand, then, with a sneer, thrust it out again...and - THOOM! - a magical shockwave slammed into Abe’s chest, sending the robot flying. He crashed down beside your trio, the three of you still lying on the ground as Xavier continued to stick his needles into everyone who moved. The room was in a panic, the other contestants’ creations smashing on the floor as people dove for cover. Slowly, Xavier began to make his way through the hall, laughing dementedly. “All this over a freaking trophy?!” hissed Grim. “I think there’s got to be more to it,” mumbled Caelyum. Abe nodded, as if to confirm this, and then gave you a look as if to ask, Now what? This was the burning question; you had to figure out a way to keep Xavier from hurting more people, as well as remove the power pack. As long as he still had the converter on, his power wouldn’t drop. He could potentially stay in Overblot for a much longer period of time, burning the power almost as quickly as he got it...growing just strong enough to overwhelm… “Okay, I’ve got a plan,” you said at last, and whispered to your compatriots. “Listen closely…” Xavier, meanwhile, grinned as he approached a group of people, huddled together. “Let’s try an experiment,” he hissed, a mad grin on the young doctor’s face as he lifted his syringe hand. “I now know how swiftly I can drain an organism...now, can I make it more slow and painful?” He cackled, his victims babbling pleas for him to stop as he lifted his hand, preparing to shoot out the razor-sharp needles and drain them dry. “Every emotion in your body...slowly siphoning into mine...let’s see how long it can really-” FWOOSH! “Nya! Back off, crazy-coat!” Xavier jumped back with an almost animalistic sneer, and swirled his ragged cape around as he looked towards the source of the fire that had distracted him. Grim was standing in a ready pose, balls of blue flame held in each forepaw as he smirked challengingly. “Insufferable hairball!” shouted Xavier. “I WILL NOT BE DENIED! I WILL HAVE MORE POWER!” He lunged at Grim, swiping with his robotic talons, but Grim moved aside quickly. As Xavier plunged towards him, a loud smashing sound was heard from behind. The mad doctor turned quickly, and his one good eye widened in surprise as he saw that Abe had kicked a hole clear through the wall, and was ushering people through the hole and out of the area, Idia and Dr. Alcott leading those still conscious to safety. “NO!” shouted Xavier, and shot out his needles...but he was just too late as Abe blocked him, giving him a determined glare as they scratched helplessly against his armored plating. Then, giving Xavier an almost pitying expression, the robot leapt through the hole himself. Xavier moved to try and give pursuit, but Grim thrust out his arms, and formed a wide ring of fire that blocked the scientist’s path. “You think this will stop me?!” Xavier bellowed. “You can’t defeat me! My invention gives me power beyond yours!” “Good to know. I’d hate to have to refund anything.” Xavier stopped short and glanced about, trying to find the source of Caelyum’s voice...before, suddenly, he felt a strange sensation brushing up against his legs. He looked down...and screamed in a mixture of panic and rage as a horde of marble white Locker Crabs began to swarm over him, their pincers latching onto parts of his clothing and the edges of his inkstained metal carapace, trying to drag him to the floor. “GET OFF ME, YOU CRETINOUS CRUSTACEANS!” yelled Xavier, trying to kick and swat away the crabs, unaware of the shadow that stepped through a gap that formed in the flames, and approached from behind. The crabs snipped their claws at the leather straps holding the ERPC in place. Xavier slapped them away...then jerked as, suddenly, the weight of his invention was pulled away. “WHAT?!” he spat, and turned around fast, pupils pinpricks as he saw you jump backwards, holding the device in your hands. “NO! NO, YOU-GACK!” He hit the floors as the crabs tripped him up. You scampered back through the gap in the flames, which Grim soon closed up. The little monster was jumping up and down, pumping his forepaws/fists and cheering. “NYA! Get ‘im, Cael! Pin ‘im down!” the cat called. “We’ve won now!” A low laugh from under the swarm of Locker Crabs knocked the smile from Grim’s face. “Won? Hardly. I’m still getting warmed up!” ZAM! Xavier sent out another shockwave with a loud shout. You toppled onto your back, the ERPC falling from your hands and thunking onto the floor. The crabs scattered, and the flames were extinguished as Grim was sent rolling across the hall. You quickly sat back up...and shuddered. Xavier loomed over you, the acid-colored aura around him showing his fury as trails of spilling ink traced his steps. You snatched up the ERPC and scrambled to your feet, making a dash for the whole in the wall. “NOT SO FAST!” roared Madoc, and lifted his human hand. He screamed some foreign incantation, and the shattered section was suddenly patched up, the debris flying back into place, stitching together like a jigsaw puzzle’s corners. You swerved and made a dash for a window; you could break it, after all, even if it was locked. Xavier snarled out another incantation, however...and teleported directly in front of you. You skidded to a halt, but not fast enough as he grabbed hold of your arm with one hand, and lifted his syringe claws, a wild grin on his cyborganic face. “HA HA HA!” he cackled. “What a foolish attempt that was! You truly thought you could defeat me?! I will drain you till your very soul is rendered inert! Nothing can resist my power! With the ERPC, I can remain like this for eternity! And when the world grovels at my feet, I will build more machines! BRILLIANT machines! My mechanical creations will-!” FWOOMPH! A burst of flame slammed into Xavier, bowling him over and singing his labcoat. You fell back down and scrambled away as you held tightly to the power pack. Xavier snarled as he stood back up, his mechanical pieces clicking and sparking...as the two of you saw who had re-entered the room. It was Idia Shroud; Ortho had evidently picked the lock on one of the windows, and the pair had climbed through. Idia was visibly trembling, but tried his hardest to look brave, twists of orange curling through his ethereal blue hairdo. “Leave. Them. Alone,” Idia intoned. Madoc sneered. “First you steal my prize, now you RUIN MY MONOLOGUE?!” he yelled. “Alright! Just for that, I WILL OBLITERATE YOU!” Xavier charged at Idia, but the head of Ignihyde narrowed his eyes, gritting his sharp, jagged teeth. His hand shook as he held it, as if showing doubt… ...Then, his stance and expression hardened, and the shaking stopped. Just as Xavier Madoc leapt through the air, swiping his syringe claws through the air...he snapped his fingers. KRAK-KOOM! An explosive blast of fire and noise, like a grenade had gone off, erupted directly before Madoc. The explosion sent the mad scientist flying backwards, his labcoat tattered and scorched, black marks on his skull plates. Xavier cried out as he slammed headfirst into a wall...then crumpled to the floor, and fell still. He was out like a light. The mad doctor was done. You sighed with relief and stood up as Ortho cheered. “WOO-HOO! Way to go, Big Brother!” he exclaimed, and gave Idia a smack on the back. The hunched head of Ignihyde flinched and smiled shyly at his artificial sibling. “It was nothing,” he whispered faintly, visibly blushing. “Are you okay, Prefect?” Ortho asked. “I’m fine,” you nodded as you approached them, and glanced around. “Where are the others?” Right on cue, a low growl was heard. The three of you looked to see Grim was just sitting up, massaging his skull after evidently banging his head during his tumble. “Me-owwwww…! That creep hits way too hard!” he moaned out. “Did anybody get the number on that-MREOWR?!” He was cut off as Idia scooped the imp up and began to snuggle him, crooning and planting chaste, loving kisses on his head. “Awwww, the poor wittle kitty!” he cooed sympathetically. “Did you get an ouchie? Did the mean cyborg hurt you, huh?” “HISSSSS! I’M FINE!” Grim spat, kicking and squirming. “L-Lemme go! For the last time, I DON’T LIKE SNUGGLES, STOP!” Idia just let out a happy hum, squeezing Grim, repeatedly crooning, “Awww, poor thing, you poor little dear…!” over and over again. Ortho giggled sweetly, while you just rolled your eyes and smiled. A skittering sound heralded the reappearance of Caelyum, who reformed out of a pillar of white sand crabs. He stumbled on his feet as he returned to his normal state, and you placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “You okay?” you whispered. “No,” mumbled Cael, and smiled wearily. “When I use the power that way, a fraction of my will - my mind - is in every single crab. I feel like I just got thrown through the loop-the-loop of a roller coaster seventeen times.” You gently patted his shoulder and smiled back, gratefully. “Walk it off, matey,” you said softly with a wink. Cael chuckled. “Aye,” he nodded, as your group moved to look down at the defeated Xavier Madoc. “I will.” For several seconds, the ink-leaking cyborg lay on the ground, unmoving. But that was alright: none of you were expecting him to move. By now, you knew the drill of how things worked after Overblot...and sure enough, after a few seconds, wisps of silvery-white mist began to drift up from the defeated scientist, as his whole body began to glow a blinding white. All of you shielded your eyes from the light, watching as the mist began to spiral, and soon enough, images formed in the center of the floating cloud. Pictures from the past… “Dad! Dad, look at this!” A tall, thin man in white, with a pointed goatee, looked down from the workbench he was stationed at. He smiled as a small boy - with mismatched eyes of blue and green - came waddling into the room, holding a piece of paper. “What is it, Xavier?” “I made a blueprint, dad! I wanna make a robot! Like one of yours!” squeaked the young Xavier, and held out the paper to his father. “Do you think it’s any good, Dad? Do ya? Huh?” The older man lifted the paper and looked; he chuckled at the untidy crayon scrawl drawn on the page, the acronym “A.B.E.” accompanying a childish drawing of a metal man in a porter’s outfit. “Not a bad idea, Xavier,” he complimented his son, and handed the “blueprint” back to its creator before ruffling his son’s hair. “You’ll make a fine inventor, at this rate.” Xavier giggled, playfully swatting at his father’s hand, then gave him a wide but shy smile. “You promise?” he peeped. “Could I...could I be as good as you, Dad?” “No,” the man answered, and leaned down, kissing his son’s forehead. “You’ll be even better.” The child’s happy hum was interrupted by the shifting of time, as a new image spun into view: Xavier was a little older now, and working in a laboratory. He whistled as he fitted a screw into place on a device he was building...only to freeze as he heard voices coming from outside the shop. Curious, he trotted over to the door, and peeked outside. He could see the shadows of two men, arguing not so far away, and heard what they were saying. One of them he recognized as his father’s voice… “Oscar, you can’t be serious!” “I’m sorry, Xander,” the other voice said. “All I know is that Charles got to me first. What would that tell you?” “That Charles is a faster runner,” droned Xander. Xavier giggled softly, but clapped a hand over his mouth to avoid being heard. “Very funny,” Oscar’s voice drawled. “I’m serious, Oscar. You KNOW me, we’ve worked together for years! Are you going to take his word over mine?” “Right now, I haven’t got a choice. His patent has been in development at my company for a while; all that’s left are i’s to dot and t’s to cross. Even if what you say is true, Xander, he finished his work more quickly; I’m not seeing a lot of incentive here.” A pause. “...So that’s it then?” came the terse voice of Xavier’s father. “What about my family, Oscar? What about my son?” “Relax, Xander. You’ll come up with more inventions, you always do, and I’ll be just as willing to buy!” “Forget it. I’ll find another person to sell to.” Another pause. “...Okay. Okay. If that’s how you feel about it,” came Oscar’s weak reply. “Goodbye, Xander.” “Goodbye, Oscar. Tell Charlie he knows where to stuff it.” Oscar’s shadow disappeared, and a few moments later, the sound of a door was heard opening and closing. Xander was heard sighing, and Xavier saw his father’s silhouette slump into a nearby chair. Curious, the boy trundled out of the room to his father’s side; the older inventor was sitting with his head in his hands, massaging his brow. “Dad?” peeped Xavier. “What was all that?” Xander blinked at his son. “Oh. You...heard that, huh?” Xavier nodded slowly. Xander blinked...then sighed and picked his child up, placing him in his lap. “Listen to this, Xavier, because it’s very important,” said the doctor to his son. “Not all inventors are good. You must guard your inventions well, and you must always do your best to make sure no one can top you. People will try to steal what you make, people will look for weaknesses in it. Never let them find any way to stop you.” He placed a hand under his son’s chin and gave a sad smile. “You’ll be brilliant someday...but with brilliance comes danger. You can’t trust anyone, understand?” “I can trust you.” “Of course,” chuckled Xander. “And I can trust my machines,” added Xavier. “Well, yes, but a machine isn’t a person,” Xander said. “Machines only exist to follow their programming. Machines will always do what they’re supposed to. Machines will only let you down if people making them make mistakes. People aren’t like that: people are flawed, and people are foolish. They will pass you over and cheat you if they find a way or reason. Never let that happen. Okay?” “Okay, Dad. I’ll do my best.” The scene shifted again. Xavier was now much older, nearly the same age as he was now. Abe now stood at his side as he worked on a project in his laboratory, building a new machine. “This is going to be the greatest thing ever!” he cheered, grinning to his mechanical companion, who nodded in happy agreement. “Just think of how much fun the science fair will be with this completed! Ha Ha! Man, Abe, we have this in the bag!” “Hi, Xavier!” The pair looked towards a new face that had entered the lab: a fellow youngster in red. “Oh, hey, Gus! What’s up? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the science fair?” “I haven’t figured out what to do yet,” sighed the boy sadly, then smiled weakly. “So, uh...I thought, well...maybe you could help me come up with an idea. I mean...you’re like a billion times better at this stuff, heh…” “Sure, I can help!” smiled Xavier, helpfully, and clapped his hands together, dusting them off, waving for Abe to go fetch a few books. As the robot marched off, the teen in red noticed the item on the workbench. “Hey, what’s that?” “Huh? Oh! It’s my project for the science fair. Looks pretty cool, right?” “Yeah! What’s it do?” Xavier explained quickly. The lad looked envious of his science-savvy friend. “Wow...I’ll never figure out how you can do all that stuff...you’ve gotta be the best inventor ever!” “Awww,” blushed Xavier. “It’s just a knack.” “Can you show me how you make it?” the teen asked, hesitantly. “Sure, if you want,” Xavier said, blithely shrugging and smiling. “Then I’ll help you figure out what you’ll do yourself. Sound fair?” The boy smirked; Xavier didn’t notice the cunning in his eyes. “Yeah. That sounds fair,” the classmate answered. The scenario changed once more. Xavier now glared with absolute hatred at the boy in red...who was smiling, chest puffed out with pride, as he showed off his machine to the judges, who cheered and applauded. It was a machine identical to the one Xavier had made...and the boy had made it first. Xavier had been forced to change his plans, and the experiment he’d come up with at the last minute had been sub-par. The cheat got first place. Xavier got nothing. Xavier snarled, fists clenching as the boy in red smirked in a sidelong way at him, and mouthed the word, “Sucker,” before continuing to bask in adulation. Xavier Madoc scowled as he packed up his items. He was shaking a little. “You can’t trust anyone,” he whispered to himself. “Well, you’ll see...you’ll ALL see...I’ll come up with something no one else can top. I will PROVE to you how good my science is. Just wait and see…” His mismatched eyes burned as he turned his back on the laughing classmates and applauding teachers...and stalked back to his lab. Alone. With his machines. “...I don’t need anybody. Just my machines.”

The mist cleared and evaporated, and the white light faded...revealing Xavier Madoc had changed back to normal on the floor. He was still unconscious, but the glow was gone from his blue eye, and the machinery parts had vanished. Silence reigned for a few seconds. This was not unheard of. By now, you had accepted there was always a “digestion period” where everyone was taking in what they’d just learned. This time, however...the silence stayed unbroken. No one spoke a word, looking like they were trying to properly form thoughts, even as Xavier began to stir again. As he did, he reached out with a hand, fumblingly, mumbling incoherently… ...And froze as someone knelt down and took that hand. Xavier looked up...and seemed stunned when he stared into the wide yellow eyes of Idia Shroud. For a moment, the two looked at each other...then Xavier pulled away with a sneer. “Cheat,” he hissed. “I never cheated,” whispered Idia, sounding surprisingly confident for once...confident, but careful. “It’s not that no one recognized you, Xavier; no one was trying to neglect you. It’s just...there could only be one winner. And I happened to be it.” “It wasn’t an easy decision, either,” added Ortho. “Oh, no?” Xavier grimaced, looking skeptical. “No,” Idia answered. “Dr. Alcott spoke to me before I returned: you would have been second place. Your invention really impressed him and the other judges, they just...felt mine was more easy to use widespread. Yours needed a few tweaks for them to give it the topmost prize.” “They said they couldn’t have asked for a better start to the expo than you,” added Ortho, in a quiet, helpful voice. The bitterness in Xavier’s face had faded slightly, leaving his expression blank and cold. He turned away quietly, and hugged himself, curling up against the wall. “You can’t shut yourself out because of one bad incident,” whispered Caelyum. “Trust me: I know what it’s like when you seal off your heart. It doesn’t get pretty.” “No one is invincible,” added Grim. “Well...except for me, but...that’s because I’m awesome.” You rolled your eyes at the hubris of “The Great Grim,” and knelt down beside Idia, looking into the heterochromatic eyes of the mad scientist. “Just because you’re brilliant doesn’t mean everything is going to be perfect. Similarly,” you said, “Just because one person did something terrible, it doesn’t mean you can shun all people. Everyone and everything has flaws. The important thing is to learn from them.” Xavier furrowed his brow and looked down at the floor for several seconds...then looked back up at both of you. “...I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I...I shouldn’t have lost control. That was...that was childish of me. And...I’m sorry for what I did.” He looked to Idia and smiled shyly. “Your invention was...not too bad.” “Thank you,” Idia said, with a slight blush, and helped the scientist to his feet. Just then, the sound of metallic footsteps echoed out. The group of you turned...and Xavier’s heart seemed to sink as he saw Abe re-enter the hall, yellow eyes fixed on his creator. “Abe, I’m so, SO sorry,” Xavier said, seriously. “I shouldn’t have-EEP!” He was cut off as the metal man crushed him in a solid bear hug, nuzzling his steel cheek against his creator’s hair. Ortho and Grim both giggled, while yourself and Caelyum smirked. Idia, for his part, didn’t seem to know what to make of the scene. “I think he already forgives you,” you said teasingly. Abe nodded to show this was the case. It was obvious he was just happy his maker was back to normal. Xavier smiled bashfully and gestured for the metal man to put him down, then looked to Idia. “So, uh...y-you’re the head of the dorm,” he said, and rubbed his arm. “Do you, uh...like...have any ideas on how to make the ERPC better? More...accessible?” “I can think of something. You know...maybe,” Idia said with a timid smile. “I mean...I’m r-really not the best choice, I...I got the whole idea for MY thing from an anime-” “Anime?” Xavier asked, and perked up visibly. “What anime?” “Oh! Uh...Magica Marocca. It’s...um...a Magic Girl series? You, ah, probably don’t know what that is-” “YOU WATCH MAGICA MAROCCA?!” Idia blinked, stunned, at the sudden look of exuberant excitement on Xavier’s face. “You...you’ve seen it?” the otaku nearly squeaked out. “I love that series!” exclaimed Xavier. “I mean...okay, it’s not, like, the GREATEST thing, in terms of story? Kinda rushed...but I really love the art style, a-and the way it plays with the themes and ideas of a typical Magic Girl series! It’s like Watchmen, but for...that!” Idia looked like he’d just found his soulmate. “I feel the same way! A-And have you seen Glitter Cure?” “Rascal is one of THE best villains ever.” “I AGREE!” squealed Idia, clapping giddily, that wide, almost manic smile you saw so rarely stretching across his face, matching Xavier’s instantly. “Oh, my gosh, no one EVER knows about that one! This is great!” “It is!” nodded Xavier eagerly...then took his turn to blush. “Um...d’ya think we can...oh...I-I dunno...maybe watch some together?” “I mean...only if you want to,” peeped Idia, ducking his head anxiously. “I’m...n-not used to people who...WANT to watch it with me, heh...normally I-I can only talk about it online…” “I’d like to watch it with you,” Xavier promised. “And...and we can talk about our inventions in the meantime. Does...does that sound fair?” Idia nodded slowly, and began to smile wider once more. “Yeah...yeah, it sounds like a plan,” he said, then looked to Ortho. “Is...is it okay with you, Little Brother?” Ortho gaped. “...You’re asking me if YOU can have a VISITOR in the apartment?” “Yes.” “Like...you WANT to HANG OUT WITH SOMEONE?” “Yuh-huh.” “...Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my Big Brother?” You snickered. So did Xavier, as Idia smiled awkwardly. “You wanna come with, Abe?” the mad scientist asked his robotic companion, who saluted in response. “Great!” Idia laughed. “Let’s go then!” And with unusual, uncharacteristic joy, the otaku and the eccentric sauntered off together, their androids following them as the exit door reformed and they left the convention hall. You smiled. “Well,” you sighed happily. “All’s well that end’s well. Looks like Idia’s found a new friend at last.” “I’m happy for them,” smiled Caelyum. “Finding a person who you can connect with is important.” “Uh-huh,” nodded Grim. “Now, there’s just one problem.” “What’s that?” both you and Cael asked. Grim wordlessly pointed to the mess of chairs, scorch marks, busted machines, and dented walls that the hall had become. You went pale. “...Ohhhhh...right...I forgot...we’re the janitors.” “Uh-huh,” Grim said again, drably. “Well, good luck with that!” Caelyum chirped, and began to saunter off towards the door. “Hey! HEY! Where are you going?!” snapped Grim. “Back to the Mystery Shop,” Cael called over his shoulders. “I have a job of my own to do, me hearties! Take care!” “But-!” Your call was unanswered. Cael disappeared, leaving you and Grim standing alone in the mess. You both looked around, then at each other. “...Grim?” “Yeah, Minion?” “It’s moments like these where I wonder if helping people is worth it.” “I never wonder, Minion,” sighed Grim. “Moments like these, I know it isn’t.”

Your feet shuffled as you went to find the broom and dust pan. From saving the day to cleaning up the wreckage, a Prefect’s work was never done.

The End

[oldhecd]

Sully’s Squad

These are the people in Sully’s innermost circle  and are immutable across all his various verses unless explicitly stated. All but Sophia are NPCs, though open to being played by others if anyone is interested in doing so.

Full Name: Theodore “Teddy” Sullivan            

Relationship: Older Brother            

Thick as the thieves they’d grow up to be ever since childhood, the two have an unshakeable bond. He and Teddy were both introduced to the world of crime from a young age, and while Sully remained a direct part of it, Teddy shifted the focus of his hustle to working from within the opposition; he got a job in the GCPD in the pocket of the Falcones. He’s also not above giving his baby brother a tip here and there.  

@shesgotliesfordays

Full Name:Sophia “Sophie” Sullivan nee Solano        

Relationship: Wife (Seperated)            

Sully has stolen more than a few women’s hearts in his day, but the first one that’s ever managed to get her mitts on his is Sophia Solano. He caught her trying to pull a fast one on Teddy, and while Sully was impressed by her level of game, he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. Despite interfering with her mark, it turned out the fascination was mutual. They tumbled headfirst into a reckless romance and married far too quickly than either was really prepared for. It didn’t take long for things to fall apart (Sully’s career wasn’t conducive to married life and settling down never fit Sophie right), but the love between the two never faded. Even though Sophie travels all over, the two still meet up every now and again. No other woman has ever touched him in quite the same way, even all these years later. They’re exactly right and exactly wrong for each other in all the best and worst ways. Even though they just can’t seem to make it work, she always finds her way back to Gotham right around Sully’s birthday and for just those 24 hours they act like it’s old times all over again.

Full Name: Nathaniel Banks

Relationship: Biological Son

A few months after one of Sophie’s birthday visits, Sully got the call that she was having a kid. They both knew neither of them was quite fit to be a parent, and it was decided that they’d give their little boy up. Being placed with the Banks family in Metropolis, Nathaniel has grown up ignorant of his birth parents’ identities, and Sully has made sure it stays that way. Despite checking in on the boy now and again, Sully feels that keeping his son as far away from his life as possible is the best thing that can be done for him.

Full Name: Ezekiel “Geeky Zeke” Blackburn

Relationship: Childhood Best Friend/Personal Tech Guy/CEO of Sullivan Incorporated.            

Sully’s best friend and confidant. Sully and Zeke grew up together, and while Zeke never involved himself in the crime-focused life Sully indulged in, he never knocked his friend’s hustle. From a young age, Zeke showed an aptitude for tinkering, and as they got older and Sully gained more and more resources he supported his friend’s desire to hone his craft. When Sully decided to take up the mantle of The Triggerman, he enlisted Zeke’s help in making sure he was prepared. Zeke has never had any interest in putting his skills to use for any of the other various rogues of the city, so Sully’s gear has always been top notch and unique to him. In exchange, Sully has always made sure his day one is well compensated.

Full Name: Xavier “Mr. X” Dalton      

Relationship: Friend/Attorney/Fixer      

As he made designs on taking both his criminal and legitimate pursuits to greater heights, Sully recognized that he was going to need someone to watch his back and help him navigate the legality or lack thereof of his actions. He discovered Xavier Dalton as a young but stellar lawyer, known for having a spotless record no matter the client or severity of the crime(s). Sully was quick to snatch him up and Mr. X, as he came to be called, has been watching Sully’s back ever since.

Full Name: Marcus “1 Cent” Booth      

Relationship: Friend/Colleague      

Sully and Marcus met when both were doing work for Two-Face. The two simply hit it off an got to chilling even after Sully’s job for Dent was up. He’s one of the few in Sully’s inner circle that knows just how wild it is to work for the crazies Gotham has to offer. Sully took to calling him “1 Cent” as a nod to their mutual former employer and the fact that Marcus was just a small part of the whole.

Full Name: Tremaine “Payday/Trey” Patterson      

Relationship: Friend/Mentee      

While hanging around some of his seedier contacts, Sully caught wind of a couple of up and comers that pulled off some pretty big scores practically out of nowhere. He followed their budding career for a bit before, to his surprise, they tracked him down. They’d heard about his reputation and wanted to check him out for themselves. He ultimately took the two of them under his wing and helped find a balance between the money they were making and managing the attention they were getting before it got out of hand. Payday earned his name for his focus on consistently making more money, though his greed was tempered through his time with Sully.

Full Name: Michael “Ponyboy” Curtis      

Relationship: Friend/Mentee      

Ponyboy and Payday have been attached at the hip practically from birth. Their parents were all friends, so the two naturally grew up together. Whether it was getting in trouble or getting paid, the two have always done it together. He’s the more friendly and calm of the two of them, but is no less capable or dedicated when it comes to pulling jobs. He has always heeded Sully’s guidance most closely.

Full Name: Luther Pearce “Terminator” Sammuels

Relationship: Bodyguard/Head of Security at Sullivan Incorporated

Luther is a consummate professional, and one of the few in the inner circle who isn’t in any way involved in Sully’s less than legal activities. He’s aware of them, but focuses solely on his job of keeping Sully alive when he’s showing his face in public and that things are running smooth at the company. Nicknamed “Terminator” for his icy disposition and unwavering dedication to his objectives, Luther has more than shown himself to be money well spent.

Full Name: Lauryn “Clemency” Jacobs

Relationship: Driver/Informant

Lauryn started as one of Sully’s youngbloods; learning from him and honing her skills as she navigated the Gotham underworld. The two grew quite close during her tutelage, and though she has long since ‘graduated’, she chose to remain by Sully’ side. Publicly, she is his driver when he needs to go to whatever big public events, but her primary job is as his top informant. Even while out of the game, Sully prefers to keep close tabs on what’s going on, and Lauryn is the person he trusts most to keep him up to date. She also keeps eyes and ears out for any potential jobs that need doing, in case Sully decides to stretch his legs again.

[luverofralts]

Post Arkhelios

Just as Abe and Roman were about to head for the bus station, Abe got an urgent text from Lucy that he needed to come back to the house immediately. Roman had insisted that he leave it and stick to the plan, but Abe couldn’t bring himself to leave without knowing if something important was happening. Maybe Lucy had decided to send them off with a hug or money for bus tickets. He would miss out on so many family moments when he and Roman left. Who knows when he’d see her next? It just made sense to see her again before he left.

However, it wasn’t Lucy who was waiting for him. Elaine had left work to come home when she received Oriana’s worried phone call after her own call from Jolanda. The Rivales were spreading this story relentlessly around Arkhelios, and Elaine needed to be home to do damage control. Was she so bad at mothering that she had been completely blindsided by this? How had she not seen the signs? She thought of the worn teddy bear long abandoned in her former home. How had history repeated itself without her knowing?

“Abraham Helios-Chun you have a lot of explaining to do!” she shouted as she saw her son approach.

Abe nearly died on the spot. Whether it was out of shame, or fear he couldn’t tell. He was dead either way. Thank the watcher that Roman was waiting for him at the station and hadn’t come. They decided that saying goodbye to Lucy would probably go better if Roman wasn’t around to rile her up.

“Hi Mom,” he managed to squeak. “You’re home early from work.”

Elaine’s resolve crumbled when she saw the fear in her son’s eyes. It transported her right back to when she was his own age. She pulled her son into a tight hug and closed her eyes. She wouldn’t be her father. She would take care of this.

“How did this happen, and how long has it been going on?”

Wanda stopped to once again pick up the garbage can outside of her brother’s home. It had been a stressful day at work, as no one could stop talking about the love life of two teenagers they barely knew. Roman was her nephew now, and it bothered her to hear the entire town bad mouth him. So one kid ran away from school and knocked up his boyfriend. What did that matter to the entire town? Shouldn’t they be focused on increasing immigration to Arkhelios and solving three murders? The Bellamys were beside themselves looking for Roman, and Wanda wanted no part in that drama. She had her own brother to worry about.

Melvin was playing with the twins when she arrived, and she scooped up Dorian happily. She was rooting for Roman and Abe, but they were kids and the adults in Arkhelios couldn’t stop working to make Arkhelios a better place for those kids to live.

She loved visiting her nephews, especially now that her mother wasn’t around to ruin the experience. Hunter desparately wanted to start a family now that they were married, but Wanda wasn’t quite ready. She wanted to enjoy her marriage for a while without juggling her work and family even more so. Plus there was a nagging feeling in the back of her brain that felt like this desire for kids was being influenced by Hunter’s father. Salem had made no secret about his hopes for Adam and Omar to start families immediately after he made his move on city council, and the last thing Wanda wanted was to make Salem happy. Even Roman was producing little Bellamys now; she wanted to hold out until she had a better idea of what kind of family she had married into.

Sheldon had cleaned up most of her mother’s room, but there was one survivor of her mother’s animal hoarding remaining. She fed the little animal while Melvin was busy, trying not to look at too many of her mother’s belongings. Peggy had been a hard woman to love, but Wanda had still loved her in her own way. Losing Zane on top of everything hurt more than she could even admit. He had been so young. His girlfriend Ulyssa was off taking the world by storm, and he was dead. None of it made any sense.

Moving on from that loss was turning into one of the hardest things Wanda could imagine. It was only her and Melvin now, and Melvin had been acting strangely lately. Maybe the pressure she was putting him under to solve those murders was unfair. She knew just a bit of magic, and the crime scene photos from their house set off all kinds of magical red flags to her. She would have to do more research on weird occult phenomenons just in case it became relevant to the case. Melvin wouldn’t know how to approach any of that, and her spectral assistant could only do much without her direction.

When the twins were asleep, Wanda sat her brother down for tea and a sisterly chat.

“You seem really tired lately,” she remarked. She took a long sip of her drink. “I’m sorry if I’ve been too hard on you lately. It’s just hard not understanding what happened here, why it happened, or if it could happen again. It really messes with your head, and it’s a lot to put on you. Especially when you still live here with your family.”

Melvin sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.

“It is hard,” he admitted. He swirled the tea in his cup absentmindedly. “I hope to find a break in the case every day, but I’ve still got nothing.” He placed the cup back on the table and cleared his throat.

“I found out who my father is. Who he was,” Melvin announced. Wanda gasped. She had never really expected to ever know the missing half of her family tree.

“How?”

“Mom had a letter among her things that Sheldon found. You, me and Zane are all half-siblings. I guess I owe you $20 on that bet.”

“No wonder you’ve been so distracted lately. I didn’t think we’d ever find out.” She tried to gauge where he was emotionally with this revelation, but his face was unreadable. For the first time in her life, Wanda had no idea what her brother was feeling. “Who was it?”

“Xavier Chun.”

“Huh.” That was a surprise. He’d seemed so happy with his wife. Her mother always did have a way with married men though. “I would never have guessed. Him and Mom? Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“I guess that makes you Abe’s uncle. Your nephew is rather infamous at the moment. Ian too.” She trailed off as the implications of this began to form before her. “You have a half-brother. You and I aren’t all we have left as family; you have a brother that I don’t. That Zane didn’t have either. This is so messed up.”

Melvin nodded.

“Just think, you don’t know who your father is, and you married someone who never knew his birth parents until fairly recently. What if you’re related? Arkhelios is a small place.”

Wanda’s eyes widened in horror as she thought about just how little she knew about her own family tree. If Melvin had a half-brother that they had grown up not realizing was related to him, she could have any number of siblings of her own hiding in plain sight. What had kept Melvin from accidentally dating Ian all this time? Would her mom have intervened if he had?

“It looks like I’m getting a DNA test tomorrow,” she groaned. “Thanks Mom, even when you’re dead you’re still making life difficult.”

[the-breath-in-air]

Fixing "Boy Erased" (2018)

I recently decided to watch Boy Erased (2018) again, now that we're a couple years out from its initial release (and hype). And I came away with some thoughts.

First, something I think worked. You know that scene near the end, when Jared (Lucas Hedges) is trying to leave the conversion camp and he's racing through corridors and whatnot. That whole sequence works, but there's one moment that really stands out.

Jared attempts to get his phone and Michael (one of the 'camp counselors') tries to physically wrestle it away from him. There's a bit of a fight but eventually Jared makes his way to the bathroom and he calls his mom to come take him away. He then emerges from the bathroom and says to Victor Sykes (who runs the camp), "If you, or anyone else puts their hands on me, I have witnesses." Victor puts up his hands and says, "Nobody's gonna put their hands on you. Why would anybody do that? Come and sit. We're gonna wait for your mom, okay?" Then there's a hard cut to this:

Victor Sykes and Brandon literally laying their hands on Jared and praying. And I love that juxtaposition because it brings to light the violence inherent in this situation. They're restraining him through enforced religious acts. There's violence in this prayer.

And on top of that, it serves as a pretty good metaphor for the whole film. Jared's parents (especially his mother) believe they're helping but really they're hurting. They can't see the violence of their actions in sending him to the camp.

If only the rest of the film was working on this level.

Problem the first: Audience as observer. The film is really about observing its subject, Jared, as he experiences these events. But it isn't about giving us any insight into his perspective or interiority as he does so. The camera is looking at Jared more often that it is revealing to us what he's seeing. Perhaps the most obvious example of this issue is with the perfume ad scene. Jared is on a run and he comes across a perfume ad on the side of a bus stop with a bare chested buff guy. The camera shows us the ad, and then the rest of the scene has the camera (and thus, the audience) placed some distance away as we see Jared first touch the ad, then throw a rock at the ad, and then scream "fuck you" at it repeatedly. The ad itself isn't salacious enough to illicit that kind of response in the average audience-goer, and the camera is so disconnected from Jared's experience that we aren't really gaining insight into why this ad is affecting him in such a strong way. It ends up making it so that scene really does not work.

This isn't to critique Lucas Hedges's performance in that scene. It's more to say that all the other elements of that scene make it feel ridiculous - because the audience has not been guided toward viewing that ad in the same way that Jared does in that moment.

The second problem: Casting. To be absolutely clear, this is not a knock against any of the actors performances. On the contrary, I think everyone was pretty dang exceptional. Rather, it's more a conversation about casting choices. Two of those choices really stand out as somewhat misguided: Xavier Dolan as Jon and Emily Hinkler as Lee.

Turns out Emily Hinkler is a nonbinary actress. Lee (the character) is a cis guy who is conspicuously unmasculine. (If you've seen the movie - he's the one who gets hit in the head with a baseball). Casting a nonbinary actress as a cis boy at a conversion camp feels a bit off on it's own in that a conversion camp would be forcing people to adhere to assigned genders at birth. But I could get behind it as a sort of statement, like, a casting decision as direct opposition to the enforced gender binary of a conversion camp. i.e. Why should the movie adhere to the oppressive gender binary that the camp would? However, by casting a nonbinary actress as the least conventionally masculine character - it actually feels like it ends up reinforcing the binary. Lee's defining trait is that he's small and unmanly and, afaik, he's the only one of the male characters who is not portrayed by a cis man.

My issue with Xavier Dolan's casting is much simpler: Jon feels like he was written as a teenager and Xavier Dolan was approaching 30 when this was filmed. Maybe it wouldn't have bugged me so much if I didn't already know who Xavier Dolan was when watching the movie? Like, maybe if you watch it without knowing the actor's age, it works better? But also, the character feels like a teen but isn't explicitly stated to be a teen. So whenever he was on screen I kept wondering if actually part of Jon's situation is meant to be that he is 30 but stuck in a sort-of adolescence due to his relationship with his abusive father. Or did they just cast Xavier Dolan to portray a teenager?

This brings me to the third problem: Not enough of the ensemble. Jared, and thus the audience, spends proportionally, little screen time with the other people at the camp. They are rarely shown talking to each other - especially outside the restrictive observation of the camp's 'counselors.' This could be part of the point - i.e. that the camp is so isolating - but that isolation wasn't really highlighted by the camera/scenes/dialogue...so it really feels more like it's just an oversight. The movie focuses on Jared and his individual story and so the rest just fell by the wayside.

This is really unfortunate because there are some (potentially) great characters in there, especially Jon and Gary. Jon went through the program once before and is now back for a second time. We don't know what happened to make him come back. He appears to be 30-ish but he's staying at a hotel with his abusive father. He is completely invested in the program and treats his sexuality like an addiction. He has even taken it upon himself to forego all physical contact with other men (not even a handshake). His self-loathing is at once horrifying and heartbreaking.

In contrast, Gary (Troye Sivan) knows the entire program is bullshit, but he's playing along for his own survival. He's over 18; he lived with his boyfriend for a year prior to coming to the camp. So that begs the question of how his family convinced him to enter to the program. Also, Gary's so invested in his own survival, that he stays silent and is complacent in the abuse and violence he witnesses against others in the camp. He is both a victim and a bystander (at times).

I think this film would've really benefited from spending more time with these characters (as well as Sarah, portrayed by Jesse LaTourette, and Cameron, portrayed by Britton Sear) in the camp and seeing how they all interacted with each other. Give us a sense of their different contexts and perspectives - and give us a better sense of the ways that conversion camps disempower the people sent there (even people like Gary, who knows it's bullshit). It's the thing that makes all the other movies about conversion camps work so well.

Which brings us to the fourth problem: the ending. If we spend more time with the ensemble, we'd either end up with a really long movie or we'd have to cut out something else. Well, folks, we can cut about 10 minutes off the end. Everything after the dinner Jared has with his mother post-escape can go. The climax of the film is when Jared finally decides to leave the camp. The resolution comes when his mother places herself in opposition to Jared's father (which she had never done before) and decides that she's going to take Jared home. And the emotional resolution comes when she admits to Jared that they made a mistake and that they harmed him by sending him to the camp.

Everything after that is extraneous. We don't really need to see Jared living in a city with a boyfriend, or see him begin to reconcile with his father. His relationship with his father was never the emotional core for the film. Boy Erased is, in some ways, a movie about self-actualization and that's the sort of movie that's best to end with something a bit open-ended. Y'know...a sort of end-that's-just-the-beginning kind of thing. Because the story of Jared falling in love and dating and moving out and gaining the self-confidence to confront his father - well that's a whole other movie. And here it gets shoved into the epilogue, which does the whole thing a real disservice.

Then there are the informational cards at the end. Two stick out as being particularly frustrating. One, "The real Victor Sykes left L.I.A. in 2008. He now lives in Texas, with his husband," feels irrelevant and unnecessary. The audience cares about what happened to Gerrard Conley (who wrote the story and whom Jared is based off of). But why do we care about what happened to the real guy who ran the camp? We don't...except for the jab about him now being married to a man - which feels like it's a more significant point for the cis straight people in the audience than for anyone queer. Turns-out-ex-gay-pastor-was-actually-just-gay-the-whole-time is not revelatory, I gotta say.

Then there's also this:

The emphasis about conversion therapy "practiced on minors," feels a bit disconnected from the film we just watched - which emphasized how abusive and traumatizing it is, even for adults. And in the U.S., all states currently legally allow conversion therapy for anyone 18+. Only Washington D.C. has banned it. And that, to me, is equally egregious, yet it isn't mentioned. The film itself challenges the notion that it's somehow okay for this to be practiced on adults because it's ostensibly their "choice," and then the info cards at the end shy away from that stance by focusing on kids.

I think the thing I find most frustrating about this movie, is the wasted potential. As I said at the beginning of this, there are some moments that really stand out in how they use the medium to convey meaning. There are some choices in how the film uses light and brightness (or lack thereof), that are pretty dang good, too. But ultimately, it's a film I feel so detached from and I think some of what I explained above is part of why.