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gatitties · 2 years ago

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Hi! I wanted to ask if you’d consider doing a continuation of “Not in my world” specifically with the kid pirates?

─Kid Pirates x isekaed!student!reader

─Summary: one of many battles where you didn't want to get involved but end up saving the day

─Warnings: none

Part one / Part two

Yeah maybe I have something more for them (it's not because they're my favorite crew… no 😶)

You sighed letting your body settle into the chair, letting the warm rays of the sun give your skin a satisfying tingle, if you ignored the constant threats to your life and a whole ship full of sweaty men of dubious hygiene, you could have this like a vacation in the Caribbean, you know, a post-graduation vacation.

Only you didn't finish your studies and the only thing that seemed like a vacation was that you didn't have homework, exams or schedules to keep an eye on. The rest was just stressful, but at least you had a lot of control with this type of situation, something useful you had learned in all your years as a student and that is to manage and cope with anxiety attacks, a bit sad though.

"We are under attack!"

You closed your eyes biting your inner cheek, the worst thing about being here is that Kid seemed to pick a fight with every pirate he saw, resulting in many attacks towards them, and inevitably towards you, you were a bit calmer since you started training in self defense but that wouldn't make you go on the attack.

"Are you going inside?"

"No, I just go to the bathroom and right away I'll smash someone's head, yeah, of course I'll go inside."

Killer shrugged, you were always hiding inside so he didn't really care about that, neither did the others as they seemed much more focused on the fight, however you would always get a disappointed look from the captain, did you care? No, your life was not made for fighting and if you could avoid it you would.

You spent most of it inside the doctor's room where you thought you would be safe because no one would think to hide any kind of loot here, unluckily one of the enemies was looking for some medical supplies to heal.

You just remained silent looking at each other, you took advantage of the moment of strange silence to grab a chair and throw it at his legs, unfortunately he kicked it to pieces, but you managed to move in time to dodge the sword that flew towards your shoulder.

You muttered a lot of curses while dodging every possible blow, you got a few cuts but nothing that could kill you, you decided to go outside as it would probably be easier to lose that guy in a crowd, even if it meant going headlong into the lion's den.

Luckily your lack of presence did the job on its own and the guy who started attacking you inside got lost in another battle on his way outside, you sighed in relief, standing on the sidelines as you watched everyone beat each other to near death. You shuddered at the sight of so much violence that you never seemed to adjust to.

A little problem about you in this world is that the whole thing about devil fruits and powers had you fascinated, you could see anyone using their power and your brain would just go off, just looking at how surreal it looks, which happened to you right now as you watched Kid play with metal in the air like it was nothing.

"Watch your surroundings! You can't get distracted in the middle of a battlefield."

Wire used his trident to parry a stray arrow heading straight for your head, you sweated nervously at this, giving the tall man a tight smile who sighed in relief that he had arrived on time. Even though the main four had an eye on you ever since you came dodging that guy, they eventually got used to your weird (for them) pacifist behavior and appreciated the help you sometimes gave them.

"At this pace of life I'm going to go bald…"

You muttered biting your nails, impatient for all this altercation to end once and for all, it was taking longer than usual to finish off those pirates, apparently the enemy's cannons were the biggest problem that no one seemed to be able to take care of.

"Damn… I always have to find the solutions myself."

You ran dodging most of them, reaching the ropes that joined both boats to go towards the opposite, Heat seemed to notice your actions and helped you by removing some men that you couldn't shoot down, the other boat was practically deserted, only the gunners firing, luckily too focused on their task that you were able to knock them unconscious with a blow to the neck.

You had never seen much less work with cannons in your old life but… if before most of the things you touched broke you just have to use your power of stupidity to break this, not even two minutes later you were just trying to understand how turning it on because it didn't have a fuse and you accidentally broke them, job done successfully, being a walking disaster was your greatest achievement in life, at least being clumsy helped you.

The problem was that when you wanted to go back all the enemies seemed defeated and of course going back to their ship to run away after the beating, the ropes were cut and they cornered you on the edge of the rail, your best option would be to jump, maybe with some luckily no sea monster would be found around here although with some corpses and blood in the sea… you weren't so sure.

"Do you trust me?!"

You didn't need to turn your head to know whose voice it was, Kid yelled from afar, without being able to see him you knew he was enjoying your internal struggle about what the hell to do when you seemed to be between a rock and a hard place, you swallowed, breathed deep, you took a step back climbing on the rail and before any of that crew could touch you a single hair your body plunged into the ocean in a dizzying way, if it were another less stressful situation, maybe you would have enjoyed the feeling, but not now that your heart was in your throat.

After your leap of faith (little though it was) you felt a tug at your waist, your body began to move towards Kid's outstretched hand, you quickly connected the dots and understood why they were so insistent that you wear the metal belt you wear now.

"Looks like we're going to have a big celebration today, don't you think?"

Kid released you once he was able to grab you in his arms, smiling cheekily to see how you were completely disheveled, with a completely exhausted look, you gave him the middle finger, getting out of there to your makeshift room, but not before answering him.

"Fuck off, I need a vacation from my vacation to get over this trauma."

"You're just being dramatic."

"Yeah… whatever, don't talk to me for a week, I need peace of mind and a lot of incense."

Killer chuckled quietly as he watched you slam the door shut, the others seemed just as amused by your attitude, deciding to leave you alone as they toasted to you for not chickening out and helping for once in one of their battles, you just hope they don't think that this will happen more often.

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aamon-char · 7 months ago

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Two dialogues lines between Gortash and Durge that stood out to me. Spoilers.

Act 3 and when I first heard them I was intrigued.

"we promised to stay out of each other's business".

And

"The people will follow any religion without question".

Seemed to me like Gortash was quoting us back to ourselves! It's how the delivery and overall tone landed with me and then I found more about the Durge/Gortash back story that fed this head cannon of mine.

There is a letter where Durge writes the people will follow any religion and a part of me thinks durge in their own way looks down at their cult as toys and accomplishments with how easy they were to get. And the way the cult supposedly worshipped Durge strongly on their own separated from Bhaal could cause Durge to further to see how mailable people are by worship.

Possible headcanon events based on in game events: Durge was resurrecting the cult before Gortash. G discovered them and makes contact. Maybe at some point Durge could have encouraged Gort in aspects of growing a cult and then again when they began the absolute. Lots of other dynamics that could've been at play if Durge said that to Gortash.

Other line, "we promised to stay out of each other's business." Gortash went out of his way to get in contact with Durge and go on a heist to get back their torture racks. That's starting a relationship by knowing about and offering to help Durge with honoring Bhaal. Very much getting involved in our business.

Gortash and Durge connect over reviving a cult. Gortash and Durge talk about their dreams? (Low key cute) Obvi bc of bhaal and bane and their plans for us, but how that convo happens it fun to think about. Talking in depth about Orin, which is canon, and also Orin saying the Gortash could always get in our head with a few words?? Like hello?

There is so much they could've bonded over and another post I saw pointed out loneliness. Wiki even was like, they were as close to friends that G and D could get!

All that aside, yeah ofc it is a tactic to dispell responsibility for not saving Durge or stopping Orin. But the whole convo Gortash is asking for an alliance, oath, and demonstrating how much he knows about the situation previously with Orin. Again could be explained that as an orchestrator he would make it his business to ensure the plan.

But it really seems based on actual canon and now my head cannon that there was a time when a line had to be drawn. And I think Durge could have said that to Gortash to draw that line.

When where and why is an intriguing concept.

#dark urge #bg3 #bg3 durge #durge #durgetash #bg3 spoilers #bg3 act 3 spoilers #bg3 act 3 #orin the red #bhaalspawn #bhaal #durgetash nation #durgetash be rent free in my head like

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harlequinoccult · 25 days ago

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ok well w that answer to my last ramble i hope you won't mind me coming back and rambling MORE-

the thing with Ariel "Vulpine" Fox (remember i said he has a Thing w foxes? his surname might have smth to do w that) is that, at his core, he is not a character that really fits into the vibes of slsq. and i love putting my ocs into Situations where they Do Not Really Fit In, because it forces me to think outside the box and go "ok, but what if they find themselves in that Situation anyway? how do i work with that while still keeping their character mostly intact?". and the mix of slsq and Vulpine is just * chefs kiss * especially delicious to me, bc Ariel always had a few screws loose, but he's always been a bit too level-headed to really lean into his innate madness, and slsq gives me the opportunity to really fuck with him and i love that-

Ariel's whole Thing is really that he's the perfect vigilante character. he would never make the profile of a serial killer. a killer, yes, oh he has no problem with killing you see, but it's usually done with some greater objective in mind. even in slsq im sure he's going to be extremely picky with his victims. the thing that really sets him off and makes him believe Murder Is Ok is injustice. because unfortunately for him, Ari has an unparalleled amount of empathy, which causes him to make some... contradictory decisions during his life. really, it all depends on who has earned his wrath. he will never kill poor people or people in need, in fact he usually goes out of his way to help them every single time, but put a cop in front of him and they're going to have the most slow, painful, cruel death possible.

there might be exceptions to the "no killing poor ppl/ppl in need" rule tho, if the person in question is an abuser who does nothing but inflict suffering on others and poison the local community with their toxicity. funnily enough, Carter fits the profile of Ariel's victims fucking perfectly, im honestly still thinking of a reason why he didn't kill Carter sooner other than "he didn't have enough time to do it". other people he'll definitely go after is the rich and corrupt politicians, which, not the best decisions for his anonymity or his safety, but if he's gonna get killing you bet your ass he'll try to cause some form of change while at it.

another thing he hates, has always hated and always will, is abuse of authority (which is why in his mind a good cop is always a dead cop). he has a general problem w authority even without the abusing part, especially hates when he's stripped of his autonomy and forced to do smth against his will (he IMMEDIATELY hates The Host on principle, and its going to get worse from here). he's always been a brat over being ordered around, even if he HAS to do what he's being told to do he's going to do it HIS way and fuck you if you have a problem w that. what matters is that he got the job done, isnt it? (i genuinely dont know how Carter managed to put up w him, those two together is a TERRIBLE mix)

most of all this does have to do w how he grew up, really. Ari is cannonically british (by which i mean, in my head he has a rlly subtle posh british accent that gets stronger the angrier he gets, which is even funnier to me bc the angrier he gets the more he swears and it usually involves a lot of FOCK and FOCKIN' and BLOODY being thrown around. like i get why OD would enjoy riling him up i rlly do-) which doesn't rlly have that much impact into his slsq story bc im not british and ik nothing abt britain but he is an immigrant and that's a lil bit important. to me. anyway-

he grew up in a very poor, very religious community somewhere in monarchy land (england), and was an extremely difficult, some would even say demonic, child. he's always had anger issues but it was MUCH worse when he was little (growing up he learns to deal w them to the point that getting him actually, truly angry without touching on what triggers him is extremely hard. good luck OD, his reaction to your annoying ass is mostly gonna be a sigh and a twitch of his fingers). his religious trauma, unlike w OD, has nothing to do w surviving catholic school (he went to a public school, somehow managed to be a massive nerd AND a delinquent at the same time, always had the highest notes of his class and was still despised by the teachers for being "disrespectful") and more w growing up surrounded by extremely religious people and realizing quite soon that praying did nothing to help w the systematic oppression they all were being crushed by. it only got worse when he started questioning the teachings of the church, growing more frustrated as he tried to get his peers to "see reason", and finally lost all hope when he went through his second exorcism (first one happened whem he was still very small, which im sure didn't fuck him up in any way whatsoever). has never entered a church since then, still knows some prayers that were burned into his brain and he can't forget no matter how hard he tries, genuinely believes that god never existed and if he did then he's fucking dead, and has a fascination w satanic symbols to this day that will probably never go away.

he had a somewhat mixed reputation growing up. in his tween years, he used the fact that he was considered "demonic" when little to scare and fuck with people who otherwise might have caused him problems. he got into constant fights in his childhood and his teen years, both because bullies would wrongly assume he'd be an easy target and then get punched and bitten and scratched until they cried, or because he was trying to protect someone else from being bullied. soon figured out that just not engaging unless someone else threw the first punch was a good way to de-escalate situations and keep him from getting in too much trouble (since he wouldn't be the one who "started it"), which was what made him begin to develop his stoic attitude. he started learning to control his anger because the people he wanted to protect were scared of him bc of his tendency to lash out, and because he realized that being in control of his emotions meant that he would fuck up less in high stress situations and make it easier to calm the people around him as well.

he got in constant trouble w the local authorities, being continuously searched and brought into the police station for a p big list of petty crimes (vandalism, theft, underage drinking, drug use, trespassing, public indecency, etc), but noticed that he was treated much more leniently than his POC friends who did much less shit than he did. which was also when his hatred for cops solidified.

life wasn't easy on him. he did a lot of questionable shit to get by, and he knows a lot of people in the same situations as him, so his morals are extremely gray as a consequence of it. he's not going to judge you for doing a bad. everyone does what they can to survive and survival is not a noble thing. he's extremely lenient w things that most ppl find unacceptable, and has a very clear understanding in his mind that everything is situational. which is why murder can be ok, and cannibalism can be ok, and any number of horrible things humans do can be justifiable and acceptable no matter what society says.

so he's not going to judge anyone on the cast of slsq for doing the things they do if they can justify it. but i can also very clearly see him killing the ones that do it just for the sake of it. with one exception: he will never murder the one he loves.

which is why i am sooooo excited to pair him up w OD, the one that kills p much without discrimination, and watch all the loopholes he forms in his mind to try and justify to himself why he's turning a blind eye to someone killing innocent people. he might try to nudge OD into having a smidge more of a standard, but if OD threatens to leave bc of it or gets too annoyed he's dropping it in a second. who knows, maybe OD is the one who might be able to convince him to drop the good guy "act" instead. who needs morals when you have love amirite?

i wouldn't say Vulpine is a yandere (there's too much effort to make sure that he and his loved one(s) are equals in every possible way for that i think), but with the borderline unhealthy, undying, nearly desperate devotion he develops for the ppl he falls for i think it's a pretty close thing tbh. he would do anything for his lover. anything. and he expects nothing in return. he just wants them to be happy, no matter what.

anyway uuuuhh there's so much more i can say abt Vulpine, i didnt even touch on his relationship w substance abuse or when he got arrested or his family, but this is already enormous, so have some specific slsq stuff instead (all of this is p much slsq specific tbh, Ari's backstory changes a lot depending on what story i decide to put him next, but some plot beats and traumas always stay the same): his mask of choice is similar to Cold's, a blank black mask, and his weapon of choice is a hunting knife. his specialty is informant (i was very tempted to make him a jack of all trades, bc one of his main characteristics is his adaptability, but i could NEVER envision him accepting doing that much for Carter. he would rather die), as mentioned previously his personality type is going to be apathetic w a side of caustic (still dont know if that's the right name but oh well), his clothing style is punk and practical and he wore ripped jeans for this bc he didn't know what he was getting himself into and he's soooo mad he didn't wear his cargo pants instead. he's actually kinda similar to Cold when it comes to superficial personality traits (stays quiet and observant most of the time, stealth killer, has a whole thing going on w shadows and anonymity and the mask, also exudes a intimidating aura that often scares people and gives him negative charisma. another reason he's not a jack of all trades is bc he'd make for an AWFUL bait)

and when in deep romance, if OD keeps trying to annoy him, he'll just kiss them to shut them up. it might just end up encouraging that kind of behavior long therm, but it works as a short therm solution so he doesn't rlly care-

(pt 1.)

Oh there is so much I could say that would veer into major spoilers for Overdose's route and beyond.

The Caustic personality is cynical, bitter, and sarcastic. Aggressive options will be separate and compatible with every personality type (aggressive doormats have been...interesting to write. imagine the most neurotic chihuahua-)

And concerning mc and Carter....there aren't a lot of job opportunities in Newcreed that aren't y'know, soul crushing drudgery, no matter what your relationship with Carter was, it was enough to pay rent if mc lived alone, or enough to afford necessities if they lived with the bastard.

And getting into Newcreed itself, The city is rotten. Crime rate is so high and the mayor doesn't do shit, the police don't do shit and the roads are fucked, but hey, expansive public transit and rent is low as hell. A lot of people immigrate to Newcreed (Cold and Sweetheart and his family are examples of this) because its a cheap place to live and the barriers for employment are little to none.

#i must stress that Newcreed police are even more useless than other cities police #yet are paid exorbitantly well.#slasher mcs

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the-snake-and-the-statue · 5 months ago

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[100%].

[Lazy writing incoming]

Hexe continues floating through the hall as normal, as if she was not just frozen for god knows how long. She doesn't even realize it, as if time for her has simply resumed.

Nothing seems out of place. The twins see her and quickly duck out of view, Achilles watches her leave with hatred in his eye.... nothing out of the ordinary, she's acting... well, normal.

Slyn is sitting at his desk when she teleports in, sitting on his bed.

"Hello, Slyn."

Slyn jumps and turns around, brandishing a small dagger at her. She tilts her head.

".... oh-" he drops out of his chair and kneels at Hexe's feet. "Greetings, my queen.... apologies, you scared me...."

"I am aware."

He tries to act as if he doesn't want to run up and kiss her but also run away at the same time. Hexe's blank expression curls into a frown.

"Something has just occurred. And I want to know what it is."

".... m-my queen, I do not know what you are speaking of-"

"Don't fucking play dumb like this, Slyn. Someone forgot to clean the gold glitter by the stables."

Of course they fucking forgot, he thinks as his heart drops.

The dagger slips from Slyn's hands and flies into Hexe's, as if magnetized. She inspects the blade, a trickle of blood dripping down the metal and onto her finger.

"For once, I do not know what has happened. Something in the kingdom feels... different. More hopeful."

"That can not be. That is not allowed. So I implore you to tell me...... what. Happened."

Slyn adjusts his sleeve a bit, looking down.

"I've been in my room for the whole day, don't ask me."

"You are the king, Slyn. A king does not isolate in his room, cutting his arms for menial situations involving those whom do matter."

Slyn winces. Of course she knew.

He feels sharp nails trace the back of his neck before they grab his hair with an iron grip, holding him down as Hexe leers over him. Slyn feels a shiver flood down his spine, a mix of fear and excitement.

"You are more attentive than this, Slyn. You know something. So I will give you another chance to be a good king and tell me...."

"What. Happened."

"............."

Slyn stares up into her eyes. His are dead and dull, with just the smallest hint of affection as she glares at him.

He continues to bite his tongue.

"...... Ah. I see how it is."

She throws him against the wall harshly. Slyn grunts in pain before prying his eyes open.... everything is cold. He can't see anything easily, from how dark and cold the room is.

.... this isn't my room....? He thinks, falling to the ground. The snakes of his hands land on something wet and rough.... carpet? No.... moss.

Hexe teleports in front of Slyn. She takes off her hat, and the only illusion of disguise disappears to unveil the shadowed monster beneath.

Her voice is hollow, warped, and full of so much anger as she speaks.

"I'm finished trying to restore you to your former glory. You have fallen too far.... and now you shall pay the price for your negligence."

Vaga quickly tells Samuel once he comes across the glitter, and they burn it with Celio's help. It's only 10 minutes after Hexe unfroze.

"Do you think she noticed?" Vaga whispers to his brother and friend.

"I dunno.... maybe."

"But then wouldn't we all be getting punished r'now? She's a loose cannon, she'd totally be punishing us all if she thought something was up."

Vaga and Sammy look at each other apprehensively.

"....... guess not. Maybe she didn't notice."

"I hope not..."

Eventually they go their separate ways... no punishments. No screaming. No torture. Everything seems calm.......

No one can hear anything from the dungeon though.

#today is a lazy writing day #but i had to get this done #so whatever #trainerofthebeasts #theswantwins #hissingrule #dragonquest #asthewitchdecrees #tw self harm

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lyledebeast · 9 months ago

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Bleeding Villains and Bloody Heroes

@malicious-compliance-esq's comments on my last meta regarding General Cornwallis's "clean broadcloth, perhaps, but bloody hands all the same" owing to Tavington doing the dirty work for him got me thinking about the role actual blood plays in this movie.

For all the violent situations they both end up in, prior to the final scene, the only blood we see on Benjamin Martin is other men's, and the only blood we ever see on William Tavington is his own. This stands in striking contrast to the rest of the movie, in which the only gore the camera shows us is on Patriot bodies: the cannon balls ripping off heads and legs, the torn and bleeding men in the Continental field hospital. Contrast them with the British soldiers, whose causes of instantaneous death include gunshot, tomahawking, bumping, and, apparently, surprise? (Brandon F's video analyzing the ambush scene is a resource I highly recommend). Regardless of the method, once a British solider is hit, the movie is done with him in almost every case. These deaths are presented as flippant in comparison to the noble sacrifice and suffering of the Patriot soldiers.

Tavington is the exception to this rule. Not only does he take a lot more killing, like a lot more, than his brothers in arms, but he takes a good bit of damage prior to that. There is blood on his face in a deleted scene in the officers' tent that initially looks like it could be someone else's, but a closer shot reveals a cut on his cheek to be the most likely source. There is blood on his shirt in another deleted scene from Gabriel's bullet grazing his side. Finally, there is blood oozing between his lower teeth as he says his final line, mostly likely from a cut in his mouth after being violently thrown from his horse. I don't think anyone involved in the making of this movie would argue that Tavington's blood represents his commitment to the cause of British dominance in the American colonies or even to his own aspirations. If that is not the case, though, then blood is clearly a signifier of very different things depending on where it is and whose it is.

Still, seeing Tavington bleed reminds me of an exchange between my other favorite villain of all time and the hero in that text. In Shakespeare's Othello, when Iago's machinations are revealed, Othello tells him, "If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee," and stabs him (Act. V, scene ii). Iago replies, "I bleed, Sir, but not killed." Iago is not a devil; none of Shakespeare's numerous memorable villains are. They are deeply flawed people with human desires taken to destructive extremes. The difference between the two villains is that Iago is one character in a play full of deeply flawed people with human desires whose flaws he utilizes in his destructive extremes: Othello's gullibility, Cassio's vanity, and Roderigo's stupidity. All of these characters, though, are so much less malevolent than Iago that he appears monstrous in comparison even as he remains very much human. In contrast to the cannon--and musket, bayonet, tomahawk, and shock--fodder the other British soldiers constitute, Tavington's injuries render him more human. He is fleshed out in the most literal possible sense.

At the same time, Martin becoming increasingly drenched in British blood over the course of an afternoon while not sustaining a single scratch himself makes him somewhat monstrous. Even without showing the audience where all that blood is coming from, that most of it is from a man who is unable to fight back compromises Martin's heroism in a way it arguably never recovers from. When Tavington does fight back, and then some, the injuries Martin takes are in service of vengeance, not the Patriot war effort. As far as the cause of American independence goes, well, he has no skin in that game. Literally.

#the patriot #william tavington #benjamin martin #shakespeare #othello #iago #blood #i can't believe i'm pairing The Bard with this shitty movie #2001 me would be delighted

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elleinmotion · 1 year ago

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Out of curiosity is Lucerys at all aware of the "rumors" around Daemon's involvement in Lady Rhea's death. Did Jace or someone else tell him about it when he started his correspondence with Alyssa or is it kinda like the whole 'Strong' situation and just Not Spoken Of in that household.

hello darling!!! thank you for the ask!

if Lucerys is in any remote sense of the word "aware" of what's swirling around his step-dad slash great uncle's alleged uxoricide of Rhea Royce, it's likely not believed as gospel and chalked up to a malicious rumor and total poppycock, another one of the tall tales built up around the infamous Rogue Prince.

even then, the rumor likely isn't circulated at all in the household on Dragonstone (I myself wouldn't traffic in rumors about spousal murder and suspected criminal acts if my head of household or boss had a fire-breathing lizard the size of an A380 and was known for his loose cannon demeanor).

we gave that "it's a known rumor but not spoken about" a nod with Rhaena and Alyssa's interaction in an earlier chapter. they know the topic is somewhat sensitive considering the rumors, but I'm sure most of the Team Black kids don't believe that their father/step-father/great-uncle could do such a thing as harm or kill a woman in cold blood

(yet)

also, it's far removed in time that many have forgotten the circumstances surrounding Rhea's death overall. Luke wasn't alive then, neither was Jace or any of Rhaenyra's boys since Rhea died prior to Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding.

But with the Royce words being We Remember, it's unlikely folk that held Rhea in high regard are going to let it fall out of living memory; Graves builds Rhea up as highly regarded both locally to Runestone denizens and at a macro level in the Vale to include having Jeyne Arryn's regard.

the timing of Rhea's death and the manner of it was enough to have some doubt the circumstances. we see that in the show when Gerold, bold old Gerold, comes to the wedding feast and accuses Daemon outright (with the absolute balls and conviction to do it in front of the king himself) before withdrawing when Daemon starts suggesting he's due to press his spousal inheritance rights for Runestone with Jeyne at the Eyrie.

just imagining an off screen aside way back in the beginning of Graves where Rhaenyra told Daemon that Lucerys was corresponding with "the Royce girl" and Daemon thinking internally with so much exasperation '...oh that sodding, sheep infested mess of the Bronze Bitch comes back to haunt me'

get nae nae'd, Daemon

#my fics #asks #two graves inspo

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wavy-splash-factor-topics · 2 months ago

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My Top 5 Sonic Characters: #5, Vector the Crocodile

Introduction

While Vector first appeared in Knuckles' Chaotix (with a strange origin involving God; I'm not making this up), Heroes was the game I started to appreciate his character. The development team re-imagined the Chaotix trio, and their personalities are clearer than in their first game appearance. Charmy's hyperactive, Espio's tranquil and proper, and Vector's sometimes loud; he's easygoing and the natural team leader. Sonic Heroes showcases this well with Chaotix's motto, "We don't turn down any job that pays!" He's focused and won't let anything distract them from the work, whether it's that Slot Machines at Casino Park or the Eggman's cannons at Bullet Station that Charmy wants to play with. He might have the temptation, like when he wants to ride one of Eggman's battleships in Egg Fleet, but puts the job first, showcasing his responsibility.

Character Dynamics with the Sonic Cast

Another trait I like about his character is his dynamic with other Sonic characters. I'll dive into his dynamic with the other members of the Chaotix members later because I believe that's one of his more notable characteristics. For now, I'll be talking about some other characters first, beginning with Miles "Tails" Prower.

I'm all for the small details in storytelling, and Team Sonic Racing's story presents this well to me. While Vector looks like he's here for the prize money, that's part of the reason for joining the race. Tails asks him to complete a request: find and discover Dodon Pa's motivations. Why Tails doesn't let his team know? Here's why. Sonic's having too much fun in the competition and might not believe there's a reason to be worried. Knuckles can be hot-headed sometimes. So having Vector investigate while keeping a low profile isn't a bad idea on Tails' end.

"What is it? Do you mean Dodon Pa and Eggman? But what's the use of worrying in that?" (Sonic says this in the game's Japanese version when discussing with Silver in Haunted Castle.)

Another detail I like about this interaction is it reminds me of the classic era. At the end of Knuckles' Chaotix, Sonic and Tails do end up appearing at the end of the game in the Tornado to see what the commotion was all about in Newtrogic High Zone, and this is where they have their first encounter with Mighty and Team Chaotix. While I wish we could see more of the classic interactions between the characters (It's more of a possibility as SEGA wants to bring back the classic era), I still appreciate this detail that elevates this moment. Even in the IDW comics, Tails and Vector have a common interest in detective work and solving mysteries. Tails even refer to Vector as "old chum," showcasing their history and how they have known each other since the classic days.

Speaking of history, he and Knuckles the Echidna go back since Knuckles' Chaotix. When the Babylon Rouges steal some relics from Marble Garden in IDW's misadventures arc, Knuckles goes to the Chaotix first. Why not Sonic and Amy? He can work with those two, but they tease him occasionally. The interactions here are subtle but showcase their dynamic well. Vector sticks to the Chaotix's motto, "We don't turn down a job that pays," and he has known Knuckles since the classic days. While Knuckles knows Vector can be a bit goofy sometimes, he trusts Vector and the rest of the Chaotix when handling certain situations. The three also respect his pride more than Sonic and Amy do.

Let's move on to Team Chaotix. One of Vector's defining moments as a character is with his team. I'll start with Charmy, then Espio. Charmy's energetic, and while he sometimes gets into trouble with Vector, he means well. It makes sense from Charmy's perspective because of the locations they visit. Imagine you're a little kid seeing pinball machines as big as buildings, grinding rails at a canyon, and smashing up evil robots; Charmy's excitement is understandable. Vector gets annoyed at Charmy's liveliness, and leads to funny moments involving the two.

In Ocean Palace:

Espio: The foe is asleep... Let's proceed slowly... Everyone, keep your voices low...

Charmy: OKAY!

Vector: WHAT'RE YA DOIN? KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!

It's played for laughs because Charmy's just teasing Vector, but the two genuinely do care for each other. Vector values Charmy's abilities when searching for clues for their clients in games like Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog. He's also fully aware of Charmy's excitement during adventures and appreciates his enthusiasm. Vector cares a lot for him and sees Charmy as a true friend, and anything bad happens to him, well... I talk about that specific moment with Espio.

With Espio, Vector knows he's a dependable friend and believes in his skills as a ninja. Espio acts as the voice of reason, and while he gets annoyed at Vector's childish side sometimes, he trusts his instincts as a leader when handling clients or during a dangerous situation. However, during the Metal Virus, when Charmy got infected trying to save a citizen of Seaside City, Vector couldn't think straight, and Espio was there to be by his side. When they eventually find Charmy because the Chaotix don't leave one of their own behind, things turn for the worse. Due to a monkey civilian not understanding the full context of the Metal Virus, his infection sends others into a panic, causing Charmy's containment pod to break. While trying to escape the commotion, Charmy is about to infect more people until Vector sacrifices himself to ensure Espio and the others have a chance to defeat the Metal Virus once and for all. Vector sends Espio off with a smile, and all Espio can do is look on in silence, tearing up over his friend. Whoa. Of all the Metal Virus infections, in my opinion, Vector's the one that almost made me tear up. Even as I write this, tears are filling up in my eyes over this moment.

Conclusion

I could go about his diverse abilities (Sonic Roar, Hammer Down, how he has a pack of gum strong enough to carry the Chaotix) and the fun moments with the Sonic cast. However, I wanted to highlight the rare and unique moments of why I love his character. With a strong sense of duty and the teamwork presented with the rest of the Sonic cast, Vector is one of my favorites because he's a true team player. He's sometimes goofy and can act irrationally sometimes. However, he stays loyal to the Chaotix's cause of helping their clients while assisting others in need.

#vector the crocodile #team chaotix #sonic the hedgehog #sonic characters #sonic fanart #sonic heroes #team sonic racing

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etherealninfa · 11 months ago

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THE FIRST DATE. Inspector Gadget X Oc fanfic. (CannonXOc) Chapter 1: "The assistant".

preliminary notes: The next fanfic is based on the Inspector Gadget series from 1983. This is a cannon X Oc fanfic. This has been translated from Spanish (my native language) to English. So I apologize if, at times, my vocabulary is very basic. I translated this with the help of my own knowledge of English and with the help of online translators. The original Spanish version of this fanfic is published on Wattpad, I leave the link here in case anyone wants to read it in that language. https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/351610192-la-primera-cita-inspector-gadgetxoc-%2B18

Summary: Ninfa has been the assistant of the most important inspector of the Metro City for some few years ago and that time working together has made her fall deeply in love with him. She has never confessed her feelings for fear of ruining her friendship and professional relationship with Gadget.

One day the evil Dr. Claw decides to set a trap for Inspector Gadget, which will cause them both to get involved in a peculiar situation were Ninfa will hear an unexpected confession from his boss.

Chapter 1: The assistant.

Ninfa's POV:

Like every day, the alarm went off an hour before I started getting ready. The sky was still dark but it was almost time for the sun to decide to peek out and dry the dew from the leaves. I turned on my light and almost automatically took my diary from among the objects on my nightstand and began to write:

"I cannot swear with certainty whether there was any other revelation in my dreams more than his constant image in my head; but, what I am sure of, is the vast time that has passed since I last wrote about him in these pages. The problem It's the continuous state of immobility between us: without any change in the way he sees me or the way he talks to me. Still... every day I feel a pang of nervousness and happiness before arriving at work... before to see him.

Gadget is my boss so it is normal that everything remains as it has been until now, although deep down, I have the hope that one day I could write something very different and beautiful concerning the both of us: something that could be a beautiful memory, to read after several years together and happy. Or, the other option instead, would simply be to see this diary become a testimony prior to my trip to teraphy if my lovebstory turns out to culminate in an end worthy of being represented in some dramatic tragedy."

How ashamed I feel to say it and, at the same time, how liberated I am. I feel like a little girl experiencing her first love affair, and even more so because the only person aware of my secret is that: a little girl. It's Penny, Gadget's niece. At her young age she is very intelligent and knew how to read my feelings about her uncle. Maybe I was too obvious about that. I remember the first time she and I talked about it:

-Ninfa, you like Uncle Gadget, right?- she asked me, almost knowing the answer.

-Of course not, Penny! That would be crazy. I don't understand what makes you think that.- I answered, obviously nervous.

-Mmmm... Maybe because of the way you stare at him, how much you care about him and the jealousy that you clearly express when you see him interested in some other woman... I don't know, that and many other things I seen.- she smiled at me.

-Well, with the last thing you said, what does it matter if I feel that?-silence- If that were the case... your uncle would never see me that way. He has already made it very clear every time another woman is involved in one of our missions. Even...even though they work for MAD and our goal is to arrest them, there he is always flirting with them and doesn't listen to reason. He says: "Oh, no she is so beautiful to be bad."-sigh.

-Don't worry... I think that, more than that, Uncle Gadget tends to get totally absorbed with his work. It's something very important to him. Also, you are his assistant and perhaps that is what keeps him distant. Just because he doesn't say it doesn't mean he doesn't feel the same as you.

-Will you keep the secret, Penny? Please.

-Don't worry, I won't tell him anything.

Since then, I have never touched on that topic with anyone else. Penny had become my confidant; Someone who wouldn't miss the slightest opportunity to joke with me about it. She laughed every time when she saw my face completely reddened by the simple fact of mentioning something about Gadget or raising some romantic situation between him and me. Part of it made me uncomfortable but I couldn't help but feel happy and smile like a fool just imagining the possibility of having something with him.

******

After writing I'm going to take a shower, I still had plenty of time. My name is Ninfa, I am 27 years old, I work as Inspector Gadget's assistant and I has been in love with him for a long time. I think it's already pretty clear. Shortly before I graduated from the police academy, he had already set his sights on me. From time to time he would go along with other officers to witness the students' exams and, most of the time, he would act as an evaluator and since he has been very important always, everyone was trying to impress him. I would be lying to you if I told you that I wasn't trying to do the same. I just didn't like to express it or being so obvious. I preferred keep that desire like I now do the same protecting my feelings under lock and key, in the depths of my heart.

The atmosphere itself became heavy and competitive between everyone when Gadget was around. As soon as they saw the opportunity to talk to him, they all let themselves go in swarms. Several times I wanted to be part of all that hubbub but it overwhelmed me so much and it was better for me to go away from there. so from afar, I always observed him so willing to pay attention to each one who approached him. He looked so confident and proud as he told about his life and his work as part of the police. Perhaps that admiration was already the first shoots of my future infatuation that only took a few pinches of closeness to begin to germinate. And I, distant but so aware of his movements, did not suspect that I would soon have my long-awaited meeting with him.

It happened after a physical test on a circuit; followed by a simulation of confrontation with criminals. In the latter, who was playing the role of a criminal during my turn had managed to take my gun and immediately went behind me to attack me. However, since I was younger than now I have had considerable training and knowledge in martial arts, which gave me resources to successfully confront my aggressor until I managed to subdue him. Despite having solved the problem, letting me steal the gun was something that might not have helped my grade at all; Still, without my knowledge, Gadget asked my superiors for their opinion of me and took a look at my entire academic history and other files. They called me and it was there that I was able to meet him for the first time. As I was in my last months as a student, he did not hesitate to offer me the position as his assistant. And I am here now.

I finished getting ready and ran as quickly as possible to the office. Generally we always meet there waiting for some order from Chief Quimby but there are times when we are both off duty and we still have to be prepared in case an emergency happens. I always try to arrive earlier than him to have everything ready and inform him of the tasks or news of the day.

On that occasion everything seemed, strangely, very calm but at the time I couldn't notice it. Since there wasn't much to prepare, I simply started to boil water in case, upon arriving, my boss wanted a coffee. While I turned on the coffee maker and grab the spoons, sugar, and some cups, I couldn't help but feel anxious thinking about the moment when he would appear through the door; I could already imagine his kind and innocent smile as he greets me.

******

After several minutes, Gadget finally arrived. Everything was just as I had described it before: he said good morning to me, he went to his chair and asked me to update him on everything that was important for the next few hours. I offered him a cup of coffee and he accepted it. I turned to prepare it while my chest was beating very quickly and strongly. I felt the heat of red that was giving color my cheeks. There were so many emotions that I was beginning to feel overwhelmed but at the same time I enjoyed it.

-Here's his coffee, inspector- I told him, placing the cup in front of him on the desk.

-Thank you, Ninfa- he replied.

I could also notice a certain blush barely appearing on his face the moment he sipped the coffee; but I did not want to take that possible natural reaction as a sign of something that, perhaps, were simple illusions fueled by my dreams. The thought of seeing Gadget nervous with me seemed so far away; so I wasn't going to allow my mind to play tricks on me. That had always been my position until that last moment, but what happened next took me by surprise and clouded my vision so much that I couldn't see everything that was about to happen between the two of us the next hours: something that, without spoil the surprise, I not even would have imagined among all the possible scenarios described in the confessions in my diary.

-And... How has your morning been? -he asked me after taking a first sip of coffee.

-Everything is calm and uneventful.-I smiled at him-and...how is your morning?

-Well, everything is quite normal, I guess.-He answered. -Well...- he remained silent for a few moments, as if he hesitated to say what he had in mind.

-Something happens?

-Nothing, don't worry Ninfa-soft laugh-Just a few things that have turned over in my head but it's nothing to worry about.

He looked a little tense and restless but without exaggerating. It was strange to see him insecure. I have to admit that Gadget was a bit clumsy but he couldn't be accused of being a coward. He never hesitate when taking actions and decisions. The same thing happened when it came to talking about something necessary. So it was strange to see him that way. With that in mind, I didn't press the issue any further. And, just when I thought that the rest of the day was going to continue with the same tranquility, the ringing of the inspector's secret phone gave a twist to that morning:

-Hello? -He answered his phone-Chief Quimby? I'm here at the police station... okay, I'm going there.-he ended the call and turned to see me-Chief Quimby wants to see me in his office. I'll be back in a few moments, okay? -Without further ado, he left for where Chief Quimby was waiting for him.

Gadget's POV:

I had no idea what specifically Chief Quimby had planned, but I was pretty sure it was about Ninfa, my assistant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called me to talk privately. For a few weeks now, the chief and I had been discussing her and her future as a member of the Metro City police force for some time. Since she arrived here, she has never gone unnoticed and certain events that have occurred in recent months have caused her to be in the crosshairs of certain high-ranking members of the institution.

-It's me, boss, can I come in?- I said after knocking on the door of Chief Quimby's office.

-Come in, Gadget. Take a sit.

-Have you made a decision, Boss?- I asked as I sat down.

-Yeah. It is obvious that your assistant has worked very well during the years that he has been part of the team. Despite her young age, it is surprising what she has achieved in such a short time. The truth is it would be unfair not to give her this opportunity, she easily qualifies for the position we have in mind.

-Do you mean...

-Yes, that same one. I know it's impressive, but you more than anyone know about the requirements and you can't deny that she achieve them to the letter. Of course, she will have to take the exam but it is only a necessary procedure, it is obvious that she will pass it without problems.

-You're right, boss.

-Well, I think we can break the news now. I'll let you start with that, you're her immediate boss so I think it would be good if you were to announce it first. -He argued while lighting his pipe. -That was all, Gadget, you can leave and don't forget to send me the latest report of the arrest you carried out. .

-I understood.

******

On the way back to where Ninfa was, I thought about everything my head was trying to process at that moment. It wasn't the first time that such valuable information was at my disposal but this time it felt so different from the rest. It was like if, deep inside, I didn't feel ready to talk to Ninfa about this. I simply couldn't...but it was my obligation and it would be a breach of it and something very selfish on my part if I didn't do it as soon as possible, as Chief Quimby ordered me to do.

The morning heat was nice and I was a total mess inside. From here, and without needing to be in front of her, I could see Ninfa waiting in the office. I stood in front of the door and breathed to force my face to change to a friendlier one. I turned the knob and found myself in front of her again: she was drinking some coffee with vanilla, the way she liked it. Our eyes met once I was walking into the office.

-Everything in order, boss?- She asked me, getting up from her seat.

-Yes, Chief Quimby is very happy after our last victory. So much so that...I have a feeling he's been recommending you for a promotion.

-A... a promotion?- She said, very surprised.

-Yes, you know: you can have a higher rank. It's really not something common for someone your age but, based on your skills the last few months...I'm sure that the Boss will consider without hesitation my recommendations regarding you and the higher ups will not doubt his word.-smile-Maybe ...you may be the agency's most important inspector in the future, who knows. I think... - I said with all the sincerity in the world - you would be a very good inspector, if you ask me. You are brave, intelligent and have the ability to think quickly when needed.

She looked at me for a few moments in silence. I could see how her expression changed, but I couldn't define it as a happy face, rather as a face full of melancholy.

-Oh...so...that means I won't be working with you anymore? -She asked me somewhat distressed.

I couldn't help but feel some compassion when I saw that unconventional response. I expected that she would be excited about this possibility that several here aspired to without stopping to think about her old and soon-to-be ex-boss. But I could feel that, in our case, that might be expected because of how close Ninfa and I became by working as a great team; not only on missions but also outside of work.

-Come here- I said, placing my hand on her shoulder.-You've done a very good job since you arrived a few years ago, and you deserve to be rewarded for that. I'm not suggesting we won't meet again, I just think you could be the future inspector and who knows, I even know you could be the station leader. You don't have to feel pressure...I think.

-But... you... you wouldn't have any problems if I stopped being your assistant? -she said, getting closer to me.

She was very close at this point, as if she, with that action, was seeking some comfort; and, I admit, that did not bother me. On the contrary, I liked that attention.

******

Due to our work, it is obvious that Ninfa and I spend most of the time together. The closeness and trust that we have placed in each other has created the bond that we have today: one that has managed to transcend, to a certain extent, beyond the professional. I have felt the need to involve Ninfa in my life, which means that she has been part of moments that I would only share with those who are closest to me, such as my little niece Penny and my dog Brian. Ninfa has been present on several travels, parties and many other moments dedicated to my family. She and Penny got along so well, to the point that Ninfa has become something of a role model for my niece. So seeing her react that way to the news was something that affected me and warmed my heart.

-Of course I wouldn't like someone else to take your position as my assistant either. You are the only person I consider my right hand. We make a good team as inspector and assistant...but I also know that it is something that you deserve and that deep down you want, that's why there is nothing more important to me than doing what is best for you.

She just looked at me with those same eyes of disbelief. With a glow that implored me to hold her and prevent the inevitable from happening; and with all my years of experience in life and my skills in reading people, I already suspected, in part, what maybe was really going on but, honestly, I didn't dare to accept it. Not because I didn't like it but maybe... our positions at work didn't allow me to take another step; but maybe...just maybe the fact that Ninfa wpuld not be longer my subordinate and takes a rank equivalent to mine...maybe it will be an opportunity to have a free path, I thought. She probably didn't see it that way now. If she accepts that promotion, we would no longer be see each other every day like we have until now, I know; but that would open the possibility of seeing each other in another way. I only needed to confirm what I had sensed for a long time; so I approached her until our faces were a little closer together:

-Did I forget to mention that you are a charming person in every way?-I said in a softer tone of voice. -I haven't said anything about how friendly you are and the great relationship you have with everyone at the institution. You deserve every bit of the praise you receive, Ninfa. And maybe... maybe also something extra, if you know what I mean. -I smiled slightly at her and watched to see if she noticed the closeness of her body to mine.

-Something extra?-She asked, with her brown eyes wide open.

I looked into those big eyes and gently took her closer. I figured I could open up a little more about it. Soon there would be nothing stopping me from taking things to another level.

-You know...I can't describe it, but there's something there.-I was very nervous, I admit it-You and I connected, don't you feel the same way?

- Inspector... I...- is the only thing she could say, nervous and with her cheeks red.

I made our faces even closer.

-Ninfa, you don't have to be scared. We both know what I mean and if you don't...-I said as my heart beat faster. Our lips almost touched each time I moved closer to her. -I just want...- my mouth was so close to hers-I just want...

Just then, someone knocked on the door...

-to be continued...-

Well, this is the first chapter, I hope you like it. Sorry for my english. Hope to have the second chapter soon. heart and comment if you liked it <3 tell me if you want a tag in the next chapter and also if you have some doubts feel free to send all to my asks.

#inspector gadget #inspector gadget 1983 #go gadget #go gadget go #inspector gadget fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #oc x canon #oc x cannon #oc insert #ocs #my ships #shipping

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brave-symphonia · 2 years ago

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Been thinking about MAG 163 today, because of @a-mag-a-day reaching this episode. I normally don’t find the time to make a post for the episode, but this episode is really good. And maybe I’ll find more time with the S5 episodes, since I love them all.

It’s the first glimpse we get of the changed world after everything happens, and even though I tend to not like Slaughter statements, the more I listen to this one, the more I love it.

Like, an endless battlefield against a cruel unknown enemy, a battle where you can never die, because that would be a mercy, and the pain of the war never ends, where you might be fed into a tank where the only thing to relieve the heat and pain is to fire the cannon, leading to the pain of others on the battlefield.

And then there’s the fact that they mention the people who will see bodies piled high in their name and how they finally have a battlefield for their desires.

It really is just pure random violence against everyone involved in the domain, forever. And that’s what the Slaughter is. And it’s such a good first example of these domains being a pure distilled form of fear.

And it just feels so descriptive. The line about waters that are turned red and black from the oil and blood that fills them is such a good line. And the line about how Charlie’s friend turned to him, gave a thumbs up, and had their head explode from a bullet.

It all just gives such a clear image of what this domain is.

And then that line about how Ishaan was offered a choice to join the army, but it was a choice between poverty or this, so there really isn’t a choice in that. And what that could be trying to say about people that join the army because they don’t really have another choice with their situation.

Then that line about how the people receiving medical attention and the ones not being seen are the same, neither side is more injured, there’s just no room, and the others just have to wait outside, never receiving help.

The entire episode just feels so good, and I love how they toy with the world to better illustrate what a domain of the Slaughter would look like.

#zack listens to podcasts #zack listens to tma #the slaughter #mag 163 #in the trenches

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threewaysdivided · 1 year ago

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I just wanted to say: I love your art and especially your banner rn by talos! also your fic as well thank you for creating everything that you do for people, it’s awesome!

Second: what’s something that you’ve been chewing on lately, story wise? What character conflict, or plot point can you tell me about (that doesn’t spoil too much of course)? I wanna hear your thoughts about the characters you write and your head-cannons on them too! Just spit some word vomit at me!

Thank you!

My current banner art is actually a crop of the first paired piece I ever did to go with my Deathly Weapons fic. (Specifically Chapter 11, which I still have a soft spot for since it’s one of earliest chapters that really let me lean into scratching the thing-I-haven’t-seen-too-often-in-fanfic itch.)

I recently got my hands on a discounted Wacom (my digital art process got tanked a few years ago when my poor art-compatible hybrid tablet-laptop was tragically taken from us by a cracked motherboard) so I’m looking forward to getting into a faster art workflow again and maybe putting some new pieces out more easily. I’d like to do more comic art pieces for the Chapter 18 mission, and there’s a silly little concept drawing for the planned Mission 5 that might be new-blog-banner material if it turns out nicely. We’ll have to see how that goes.

As for what I’ve been chewing on story-wise lately… I’ve sort of been all over the place. I’m still on burnout recovery so I’ve been letting myself move non-sequentially, working on the bits my brain feels like focussing on rather than trying to force creativity where the juice isn’t flowing. (One of the things about being my type of writing-nerd is that “self-indulgent” for me means a story with plenty of material to analyse, which is very fun as a reader but has created a lot of work for myself as the writer. As mentioned in another post, I have a full-blown TV-show-style story-bible for this one.)

Recently, my authorial ping-pong-ing has been going into a fair bit of spoiler territory. There are some chunks of the Act III endgame plan which are underdeveloped in the specifics of what the big-boss bad-guys’ plan is, whether I want to involve the Anti-Ecto Acts more, and the logistics of both the counter-strategy our heroes are planning to use and how to make its more action-heavy parts look cool in writing. When I’m not doing that I’ve been focussing a lot on the upcoming Wally-centric chapters, which are a set I’ve been wanting to keep schtum about since there’s a small potential spoiler mixed in and I don’t want to risk giving the game up or pre-setting people’s expectations before they have a chance to blind read (even if a few people have already made some close guesses in the comments). It puts me in a bit of an odd-spot right now because the chapters I’m drafting are an immediate spoiler, the later sections I’m working on are a major spoiler and there’s a good chance that a lot of the character stuff going on in the middle won’t make a whole lot of coherent sense without prior context because of how I like to layer foreshadowing/development.

That said, Wally-centric chapters mean Wally thoughts, and of those I have plenty to share:

First of all, I want to establish that I really do like Wally as a character. The DW chapter set comprising Flashpoints through to Equilibrium is going to explore and develop some of his flaws and insecurities, which means he isn’t going to be looking his best, but it’s not meant to be a Ron The Death Eater situation. He’s just a complex person, and taking him warts and all means sometimes you have to get up close and personal on the warts.

Something that I’m maybe a bit over-conscious of when reviewing my DW story notes is worrying about letting Wally slide into just being punching-bag joke-fodder. Wally is quippy, irreverent, a little tactless and prone to being a bit of an impulsive goober who sometimes gets possessed by teenage boner-brain, which makes him easy to fall back on as a default source of incidental levity (whether cracking the joke or being the punchline). Because I’m now writing an 8-character ensemble where most non-focal characters only get a few lines per conversation, it’s easy for characters to slide into being defined by their strongest surface level trait(s)… and something I worry about with Wally is that his availability as a source of jokes runs the risk of Flanderisation into a disposable Scrappy/ Flirty Comic Relief, which isn’t his character. Wally is actually really important – not just for his scientific book-smarts but for his perceptiveness, earnestness and ability to function as one of the emotional barometers for the squad – so I always have it in the back of my mind to make sure I include enough moments that actually demonstrate those qualities and the other characters’ appreciation of them/ their friendship, so that it counterbalances the more light-hearted goofery.

I think he’s walking the same tightrope as Sokka from Avatar: the Last Airbender – yes, he tends to take the L more often than the others for comedy purposes and sometimes he gets stuck with supremely dumb side-plots for the sake of tonal balance, but to claim that it’s the entirety of his characterisation really misses the point by a wide mile.

On that note, I actually really like the decision YJ!Animated decided to go with in its first and only season (ahem) in giving Wally a normal and functional family background. I know that’s not the typical background for his comics counterparts (and no shade on other fan-writers who want to write AUs exploring the abuse dynamic, those are really interesting stories) but I think it was a smart deviation for the purposes of a large ensemble, and offered a fair bit of potential for cast-balance. It lets him serve an important role as the normal one – not only as an easy window into what the current lives of ordinary middle-class civilians look like (which is good because ordinary people are who our heroes are donning the masks to protect) but also as a touch-stone for the others, most of whom either come from different cultures or from very atypical backgrounds. Even if we discount the Impure Atlantean with military training, the ostracised White Martian and the Half-Alien clone-weapon, the other members of this line-up are an orphaned circus acrobat adopted by a billionaire, a girl from a dangerously dysfunctional criminal household where she was forced to fight her sibling, and a fledgling sorceress raised by an overprotective single Dad. The others might intellectually understand what a “normal” childhood and family look like but they don’t necessarily know it as intuitively and intimately as Wally does. That normality gives Wally the potential to be a more stable foundation for the others, a source of emotional contrast and of a necessary wholesome mundanity. That is a good thing for the Team to have. I think it also speaks volumes to the heart of his character. For this Wally, the Flash and heroism weren’t an escape from a bad personal situation. His life was actually pretty comfy and privileged - he didn’t experience a brutal wakeup to the injustices of the world or some other personal call to action. This is a Wally who opted into the game because he loves the players and sincerely believes in their values and mission. And while that might mean he has a more romanticised idea of what heroism entails – and will probably face some rough shocks down the line as that rosy vision runs into those more brutal realities – it also means he brings a sincere hopefulness to the job that is less hardened than a lot of his roughed-up, pre-jaded peers. Underneath the teen sarcasm and surface-level lancer/smart-guy traits, this Wally has as much power to be a stealth-Heart as any of his Flash!counterparts.

Something else I find interesting when using Wally is how a lot of his strengths and flaws feed into each other – and I think this alternate backstory is part of it. For all of his good heart Wally can come off as insensitive, and I think some of that could be read as a product of living a more charmed life. I think he’s susceptible to a thing that a lot of real people do – universalising their own personal experience as the default – and that while he is canonically a geek and somewhat genre-savvy about hero cliches, he’s a geek about in-universe media so he probably doesn’t think to apply those tropes to “real people” like himself or his colleagues. While this Wally is a skeptic, he’s not a cynic, and I think he might forget how much of an outlier he is in a world where things like living parents and loving parents are often mutually exclusive. He’s smart enough to connect dots but there’s a little blind-spot where he simply might not think to until one of the others jabs an elbow into his ribs, because his default view on humanity is in some ways a little kinder than typical due to that small but still significant amount of privilege.

At the same time, Wally is also someone who has probably run into (or watched his mentor run into) a lamp-post at high-speed at least once in his career. He contains multitudes and among those multitudes is an endless capacity for some absolute Looney-Tunes nonsense, which the world is 100% better off for having.

I love him, your honour.

#striking the balance between silly and genuine with Wally is a challenge but you gotta have both #young justice: deathly weapons #YJ:DW Meta #young justice #young justice (animated)#Young Justice Season 1 #Wally West #Kid Flash #DC Comics #potatoeofwisdom #3WD Answers

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unwaveringblade · 11 months ago

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@bravewolfvesperia from here!

Leon had been prepared to adjust to a difference in administrative structure or culture when he was first assigned to this bilateral exchange problem as Seinegald's representative knight. But even while expecting change, the political dynamics of Zaphias had been...peculiar.

The 'guilds,' for one, was a bit of a shock. Although Leon could recognize the value of decentralized groups that could act quickly and fill in the gaps when needed, that didn't change the fact that they are essentially rogue organizations, separate from the authority of the Empire. There were inherent risks to such a thing, not helped by the fact that the tensions which ran between the guilds and imperial knights were plain to see. And yet people told him that these tensions are better now than they were before.

For Leon, who had worked within the imperial system of Seinegald's knights his whole life, it seemed unthinkable to allow the guilds this much power and influence. And yet, it was...difficult to deny that they had likely come to being out of necessity. Even during the short periods of time Leon spent in Zaphias, he'd taken notice of the shift in attitude held towards those of the Royal Quarter versus the Lower Quarter. Signs of class divide were nothing new to Leon, but it was much more pronounced here than what he was used to seeing.

Is this the trajectory Neuestadt is heading towards? Not that Fitzgald is any of his business, necessarily, but...

It is a troubling thought.

In any case, his job here is not to ponder the unusual dynamics of the city; it is simply to assist the knights wherever he is needed, and Leon had been putting himself and his sword to good use during the weeks he'd spent in Zaphias. Sometimes, though he'd arrive at the scene of the crime only to find that the issue had already been solved by one enigmatic Yuri Lowell — who, at this point, is at least willing to be straightforward about his involvement in such things.

Now, he surveys the sight before him with furrowed brows before letting out a sigh. Leon felt predisposed to being wary towards guild members like Yuri, who by the very nature of their non-imperial positions felt a bit like a loose cannon, but he wasn't about to look a gifted horse in the mouth when the horse was plainly doing good. "You've taken care of the issue, presumably without breaking any laws." As far as he can see, anyways. "I have no stake in your city's domestic politics, and I see no reason to be 'at your throat' in this case. Regardless of what the...norm may be around here."

It's clear from Leon's tone that he still didn't fully understand these long-running tensions, but he didn't think he needed to understand in order to do the job he'd been assigned. "But now that you've chased off the perpetrators before I could see for myself — tell me, is the situation actually resolved? Or should I expect them to appear a few days later to start another brawl elsewhere?"

#[ leon being a foreign exchange knight sounds good! i'm a bit muddled on my vesperia lore and need a refresher #so it's probably better for me to bring leon from his own canon #he will observe the guilds vs knights dynamics with interest ]#bravewolfvesperia

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veliseraptor · 2 years ago

Note

Head Cannon ask! What do you think would have happened if Jiang Cheng found out about the Golden Core transfer during the Burial Mounds settlement days (before Jin Zixuan's death but after the staged fight)? What would have changed? What wouldn't have changed?

increasingly I am realizing about myself that my response to "what would change if [x thing happened]" is often really "depends on what you want it to change" because there's a lot of potential flexibility while retaining plausible causality, but if we're talking about how I'd want things to change I think my favorite version of this situation is to make the answer "absolutely nothing! :D at least in the short term" because in general that's my favorite flavor of pre-Wei Wuxian's death canon divergences. love that "it was all fucked and even knowing the truth couldn't stop it" misery.

because...yeah, while I think there are things that would change, in some ways the momentum at that point is such that Wei Wuxian is still ultimately screwed, and the question is what Jiang Cheng does about it, and I don't know how much he would feel capable of doing about it, because whatever he does he's going to run into the wall of "siding with Wei Wuxian about the Wen puts the entire Jiang Sect at risk of going against everybody else while he's still in a position of relative weakness, and Wei Wuxian isn't going to give up on the Wen."

and that's if it's as simple as Jiang Cheng knowing about the core transfer helping repair their relationship, and at that point I don't know that it would. I think there would still be a massive explosion about the lying and the unilateral decision and a lot of anger and hurt from Jiang Cheng, and a lot of Wei Wuxian reacting badly to that either by withdrawing further, which is likely to make Jiang Cheng feel abandoned and decide that he's not going to further intrude where he's not wanted, fine :(, or, because Wei Wuxian at this point is at peak volatile and unstable, he'll lash out defensively, quite possibly in service of driving Jiang Cheng away because he perceives that as the safer option but also probably because he'd be hurt by Jiang Cheng's anger and upset with him. like...the problem with the core transfer reveal is that it in no way fixes anything immediately, or even in the short term: I think it opens a possibility to help repairs to their relationship down the line, but in the immediate aftermath nobody involved is in a position to have a calm, reasonable conversation, and everyone is feeling very hurt and defensive. and the Burial Mounds Settlement time frame is not exactly a time of low tensions in the surrounding society or general emotional/mental well-being on the part of the characters.

it's possible that there would be some calculus change on the point of Wen Qing and Wen Ning and Jiang Cheng's feeling of indebtedness toward them, but I don't know that that would matter either? I don't think Jiang Cheng ever really believes that resurrecting Wen Ning is a good idea, and not just because of anti-Wen bias on his part but also just because Resurrected Corpses Bad is kind of a firm tenet of the world they live in, actually, and Wen Qing is never going to abandon her baby brother or the rest of her people, and throwing in with all of the Wen again puts the Jiang Sect potentially in the firing line, and Jiang Cheng has a responsibility toward all of those people, not just Wei Wuxian.

so like. there's a version where Jiang Cheng tries to essentially kidnap Wei Wuxian and drag him out before he ends up as Public Enemy #1, but I don't think he would do that prior to Jin Zixuan's death (because Jiang Cheng never wants to force people to choose him, even 'for their own good' - this is actually one of the sharpest divergences I think between Wei Wuxian's approach to problems and Jiang Cheng's approach to problems, but that's another post. And after Jin Zixuan's death things get...much harder. Maybe he could capture and imprison Wei Wuxian and convince everybody to just kill the Wens and leave Wei Wuxian alive and imprisoned, but again...I don't think he'd really want to do that unless Wei Wuxian agreed to it, and Wei Wuxian would never agree.

so I kind of see this where things ultimately go the same way, most likely, at least in broad strokes: with respect to the demise of Jin Zixuan/Jin Zixun, Wei Wuxian and the rest of the Wens, and quite probably still Jiang Yanli as well.

I think ultimately it would be more likely to change things post-resurrection, when Jiang Cheng (a) has had a lot of time to chew on everything and get even more emotionally tied up in knots, but differently than in canon, and (b) the situation is less...untenably awful in political ways entirely external to interpersonal conflicts. I think this is an alternate universe where he's at least potentially more likely to be less hostile toward Lan Wangji (though I'm not confident of that, for a few different reasons) and definitely more likely to be ready to treat Wei Wuxian as something other than an enemy (but I'm not sure how Wei Wuxian would react to that).

anyway my feeling on this like so many potential fix it situations is that it's most fun if the thing you might think would make things better maybe makes one or two things better but doesn't fix a lot of other things and makes a bunch of other stuff even more complicated and messy. :D

#conversating #flamingwell #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #the sad queer cultivators show #aggressively headcanons

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phantom-of-the-ruckus · 2 years ago

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Ambition

Summary: In an attempt to escape imminent danger, Sarabeth (Beth) Jenkins finds herself debating face-to-face with the leader of the creatures regarding what brought them together in the first place:

Ambition

Pairing: None/mentioned Boyfriend

Note: As part of the lore, all versions of Scout doesn't really have a same of her own, instead she and all her versions are referred as:

Scout 0.1 (Scout prime)

Scout 2.0 (Space buns Scout)

Scout 2.3 (Royal Violet Scout)

Scout 2.4 (British invasion Scout)

Scout 2.5 (Red Hair Scout)

So, in this universe Beth and O. Scout shared a small moment where Scout tells Beth that she never really had a name of her own. So Beth asks her what name would she like, Scout tells Beth to pick a meaningful name so she chooses Hannah (which I'll eventually reveal why it's meaningful) and Scout adores it. So Hannah is my Scout's name, but just to take baby steps she goes by the Nickname blue Scout)

This is also to explain the whole name your puppet thingy in the "Duality of AUs" which I share with @dolly-royal

Note 2: I'm very tempted to do a lore shorts (like this) for the main AU but is placed in the Alphabet, yet...I got another fic to give some background to another key player that doesn't start with a B.

Who knows, but I'll call it "Betrayal" BTW along with bashing Randy (who is just there in the game cannon but I'm bashing him for no reason djjdjdjdd)

Rhyming may not be that good (I'm bad at it )

Part 2 is in the process!!!

Sarabeth Jenkins held her breath tight while embracing her unconscious friend, Hannah (or blue Scout), within her arms. Her heart was thumping heavily as she glanced at the dark corners of the warehouse. She could see the dim white light of the sock puppets patrolling around. There were more sock puppets than the last time she and Hannah intended to escape after the scientist puppet, Riley Ruckus, (who also seemed to be the second in command of the warehouse) failed to murder them through her mutant-thingy dog. This was obviously due to the fact that Beth escaped her operation and took an unconscious Hannah when an emergency caught Riley’s attention. Now Riley was desperate-no raging over to find the duo.

Now Beth was walking on a thin fragile thread within life and death. She could already hear Anthony's teasing to make the situation less stressful with something like "Well, babe, now you're on the Muppet’s list of most wanted." That curled a little smile on her lips

Grrrrr

Yet... the imaginary voice of her missing boyfriend (potentially dead) wasn't enough to ease her fear. The hissing and growling of the sock puppets were increasing by the second, and it would not take long until she was found. So, she armed herself with bravery and prayed that she could keep her profile as low as possible since any other "Handeemen" could be nearby.

Hisssss

“I'll get you and Tony out of this place, Kiddo. Even if I die..." She muttered as she accommodated Scout inside a pocket in the inner side of her jacket and making sure she was fitted safely.

Beth took a long side before stretching her legs wide open and bent her knees. She leaned her thin body toward and placed her hands on the ground and raised her head. Her headset a goal to reach

Run. Run as if the devil was chasing you, and don't look back until you reached safety.

Run as if the devil was behind you, Beth, just like your grandmother used to say…

Beth closed her eyes and muttered a little prayer, then she sprang and ran forward.

The former dim white light was turning into a furious shade of red along with that horrid "hisss" sound that plagued the place. Her steps started to dilute with the furious scratches of the sock creatures. Beth only increased her speed.

"DID YOU IDIOT CREATURES FOUND HER YET?" She could hear Riley's voice from the distance. There were some illegible sounds. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR THEN? GIVE ME HER FUCKING HEAD OR I'LL MAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PAY!"

Well, Riley's involvement would certainly take a toll on Beth's escape plans. It was just two hours ago, or it seemed to be, after she ran from Riley's surgery table. Beth was less than willing to risk getting caught again by Riley, since that was basically asking for Riley to do live surgery on her without any safety precautions (in order words submerging her into actual torture)

Running was still required for her survival, but now Beth had to take quick action before Riley found her or any of the sock puppets managed to get capture her. So, Beth simply relied on her instincts. She wasn't a CrossFit runner like her aunt Sophie, or the smartest gal like great cousin Sabrina, but Sarabeth Olivia Jenkins had the wits to use brute force out all the Kruber girls (probably it was from the Jenkins' side of her family, mostly her papa)

As she would love to think herself as a goodie two shoe girls, Beth got to admit back in her stupid Christian college she was no stranger to punch or wrestling. Of course, that she wasn't going around picking random fights, they usually related to someone messing to her temper enough or insult her to the point that her counselor suggesting she take some anger management sessions for fighting. Apparently, anger was a major cause of her fight response.

Sadly, Beth was more afraid than angry with the puppets to get her into fighting. It of course wouldn't take her far enough, but nonetheless it would feel nice to beat the shit out of Riley's experiments.

Well, leaving her revenge fantasies aside, Beth focused on an opportunity to cause a distraction idiotic enough to get everyone's eyes on her momentarily. Why did it have to be idiotic? Well, for starters she broke into the warehouse like an idiotic teen (or well an idiotic adult for that matter) because her, more than likely insane, editor told her it would make a great story. Let alone, Beth acting like an impulsive idiot also led her to gain the enmity of Riley herself.

Well, a bunch of impulsive idiotic choices let her here in the first place, so why not use it?

Seeing an opportunity on some tables nearby, Beth made a quick jump landing on the tables, causing the sock puppets to startle momentarily in confusion. Without hesitation, she flipped the table and pulled towards herself as she back down to the nearest door in hand and entering. To her dismay the door led to some destroyed corridors, along with some unpleasant hissing. In a quick thinking, Beth dragged the nearest cabinet to block the entrance that she came in. Her heart began to rage as she could see some yellow lights coming right at her.

Panicking, Beth started to scan the room in hopes for another safe exit, or something to prevent her to be found. There were mostly some old cabinets made to hold the old VHS tapes, some junk from the past glory days in the show's run, and one particular sparkling cabinet that caught her attention. It was slightly rusty but seemed one of those cabinets/lockers that were meant to store equipment like athletic or props; but also.... big enough to hide a human or two (depending on the height and space.) It was perfect, but across from where she was.

The sock puppets from the previous room started to violent push the door causing the cabinet behind her to shake and start to drop some episodes that it was holding. This was a slap from life that her time was running out short. Holding her breath as tight as she could; she gently started to tip toe her way to the cabinet, occasionally hiding behind some props or cabinets on the floor when she could see some yellow light. Slowly she was reaching her goal as the sock puppets were getting closer, and the ones that were initially following her began to calm down once they push the cabinet down holding the door.

Beth probably should be terrified of the last fact, but she couldn't help but smile at the idiocy of the sock creatures trying to open the door fully but being stopped by the cabinet on the floor. This frustration caused their eyes to change from a vivid yellow to a white light as they close the door in frustration, seemingly forgetting about their main target. So, there was something less to worry about.

As seemingly as smart as Riley was, her creations weren't the exactly smartest creatures in the warehouse or well the most patient…

Beth thought with a sly smirk before focusing on escaping the other group of sock puppets who just entered the wide space. Their eyes were shinning amber, and their pace was slightly faster by the minute. Thankfully bed was hiding behind the cabinets placed diagonally against each other. Still, it was far too dangerous to continue on her trail. In quick thinking, Beth turned slightly peaked from the little hole the cabinets made to see how actually close the sock puppets were.

They were far enough not to notice her, but alert enough to notice if Beth was tiptoeing to another hiding place.

Perhaps those folks could use a little deception. It worked in movies, and these guys aren't exactly smart...

There wasn't much to her current surrounding than some VHS tapes of some episodes. They weren't hefty and were small enough to be thrown. She picked the "Mike Master's something" and the "Marching band" episodes. She placed one under her right arm to hold, while the remaining one was to help with her left. Beth slowly began to slide, momentarily stopping for some light scanning on her direction, or some hissing increasing, until she reached the other side of the cabinet. She peaked to check if the way was clear before throwing the VHS tape as far as she could. This called the attention of the sock puppets who immediately ran towards the direction of the VHS tape.

Beth took this opportunity to go as far as she could to get as closer to the cabinet as possible. She hid behind a chest of cabinets once the sock puppets lost interest in the VHS tape and continue looking for her from that direction. They were far enough to not noticed she was tiptoeing, but Beth was afraid entering the metal cabinet was going to make enough to give away her cover. So, she decided to wait a little until the Sock puppets calmed down to throw the remaining VHS tape.

Throw it, hide, wait. Don't hesitate or wait until they notice it. If you wait, they'll find you, Jenkins, and you're dead for good...

Throw it.

muaaaaaarrrrrr

Hide.

Hisssssss

Wait.

Stomp! stomp!

No hesitation or she'll be dead....

The amber colored light was changing directions...

Don't hesitate, Beth....

The pacing of the creatures was increasing....

Do it for Hannah. Do it for Tony. Do it for yourself if you want to stay alive, dumbass...

Her heart was racing, as her palms started to sweat...

This is your chance, Jenkins. Hold your breath and throw the tape...

Three....two...one.... THROW IT!

Furiously, Beth threw the tape as hard as she could before clumsily making her way to the cabinet as the Sock puppets rushed towards the last tape. She quietly entered the metal cabinet and gently locked the door. She covered her mouth and pulled herself together. Yellow and red lights were shinning around her direction. She forced her eyes open as she fought the urge to close them shut. Her heart was pounding so hard, that it seemed that in a manner of minutes it would jump out of her chest.

Hisssss!

She could hear and feel the disgusting breath of the sock puppets nearby. Beth trembled in fear but did her hardest not to make a sound. The lights were getting closer, and she became pale when an amber light illuminated the small crevices of the cabinet. The sock puppets were right in front of her, and she was defenseless. The light remained there for a while and Beth felt like she was about to die in any second. Then...

The yellow light started to slowly fade into a creamy yellow color until it eventually turned white. It disappeared as the hissing dissolved. Beth allowed herself to breathe quietly and smile. She was alive. She was fucking alive and actually managed to not get caught. Still, it was far too early to celebrate victory as she was far from being actually safe. She had no clue if the sock puppets were still around or if it was even safe to leave her hiding place. One familiar voice pretty much summed it up.

"Did y'all find that Dolly around?" It was the questionable sweet voice of another Handeemen. Daisy Danger. Beth never actually got to see her around but was unlucky enough to hear her screeching after Beth and Hannah escaped Rosco. This time, Daisy was much calmer than before (or appeared to be.) Found that to be more disturbing than the mad scientist of the group threatening to cut her open. The voice of Daisy continued talking. "Well, let's round up the others this time, I think Ms. Sara went towards the east side of this ground."

Beth quivered at being called "Ms. Sara." In all honestly, she preferred to be called Beth...

Letting her annoyance aside, Beth focused on an important part mentioned by Daisy: The East side of the ground. What the hell did she meant by that?! The East side of this ground? As Beth was concerned, she was going South, so that meant that Daisy was unknowingly giving her a chance to escape? Well, there was a chance that it could be a trap. Riley was growing frustrated with Beth and Hannah's success on her tests to the point that she purposely made them fail with a test created for that purposely solely. That was enough to let Beth know these puppets were not about to play a fair game with her.

Or it seemed that Riley Ruckus was.

So, hesitantly, Beth silently waited in silence for a sign or a sound. She did think about leaning toward and peak around, but all she could imagine was Daisy waiting for her and dragging her around. It was best to hope for a sound in the now seemingly silent room to hear a sound indicating that danger was gone. Luckily, Daisy was once again nice enough to deliver good news.

"What are you, dim head buffoon, waitin' for Ms. Sarah to quit?" The voice of Daisy, now slightly upset, asked. "Don't you stand there waitin' to make a spin. Riley won't be too happy about this because she's pitchin' a hissy fit. So, I suggest that you move, or I'll have you buried down quick!"

Then some hissing and steps followed until they became illegible into the distance. Beth couldn't help but grin knowing Danger was finally gone at last. She took Hannah out of her pocket and gave her a big embraced as she did her hardest not to laugh or make another loud sound.

"A hissy pitch indeed!" Beth muttered humorously. Although she was born and raised in the North, she was no stranger to Southern slang (Since her late Gradmama Rosemary was from the South) to know Daisy was saying Riley was having a temper tantrum of some sort.

After letting herself quietly chuckle a bit, Beth stared at Hannah momentarily and let a sigh she was holding into. There were lucky to survive that round up, but who knows what other trick upon the sleeve those bastards had? Or what other disgusting creature was lying there, in plain sight at the studio. The warehouse was basically a shop of horrors, or some sort of haunted house, but the dangers were actually real

Let alone the fact that it was the place part of the Vox Veritas crew: Kelly, Mike, Roger, Veronica, and Randal (Randy) disappeared...along with her Anthony...

"We better keep moving, Hannah..." Beth muttered as she gently opened the cabinet door. She gave a quick peek to make sure it was safe, before proceeding to leave.

Daisy was going East, who knew where the others went. Riley was near the North, so it was best to avoid that sight. In process of elimination, which meant that either Nick was West or South, so it was a 50/50 chance to encounter him. Beth decided to continue her way to the South since she was basically going that way when she hid in the cabinet, so why not just continue her way. This time, she made sure to be more silently than ever.

Definitively not wishing to stay long in the open destroyed corridors, Beth began to scan around looking for some sort of room or exit. It was really hard to tell the names based on the weird puppet language they developed, so it kinda felt like that unsolvable puzzle of the two guards and the door. There was no guarantee that she would cross a safe room, but it wasn't as if she actually had a choice.

She took a peculiar metal door and entered it. She closed it by turning some wheel, then she took a nearby metal pipe on the floor and forced it into the little hole in the door. That would prevent others from reaching in from the other side. Well, that also would make an escape through that door impossible, but it was a risk worth taking.

After making sure the door was lock, Beth turned around to see the new room she found herself in. It was wide, and slightly dark but not enough to make it hard to walk. She noticed there were a lot of tables with sewing machines, needles, and threads along with some felt and cotton. There were also some mannequins, the ones that were used to make clothing or costumes. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was in the sewing department, or what was of the sewing department considering the puppets changed a lot of the abandoned studio.

"This is actually a pretty decent area." Beth muttered to Hannah as she looked around. No taxidermy drops, no blood. It was tranquil. "We better stay alert if a puppet is nearby, but let's also take a moment to rest. All that running and close deaths made me lose my breath."

Hannah, of course, didn't response. She was unconscious (as far as Riley mentioned), so there were no quick comments or cursing from her part. As much as frustrating it was to keep her friend quiet, Hannah did make the whole escape to the scientist bitch and her creations for fun.

Hopefully, Beth would find a way to figure out how to wake up Hannah. Until now, she would just have to sit in a corner of the room as she regained back her energy and think what she would do next. Hiding was a good survival tactic, but how the hell was she even going to escape with a whole army, or whatever those sock thingies were meant to be, were after her.

Let alone, how was she even meant to explain a living puppet?

Or well...how was she going to keep Scout alive without taking Beth's life force as well?

Well...how did those puppets work anyways?

Rosco didn't necessarily rely on having a hand shoved inside him to work, or that dog, crap thing she previously saw at Riley's lab. Well, they did have human parts of course, but to what extent? The puppets did rely on a living creature to live but...she hardly believed that those creations were made out living creatures.

"You guys just keep making your whole "Being alive" thing more confusing, you know?" Beth chuckled as she examined Hannah. "I do wonder if you could actually live without...you know being stuck in my hand..."

Well, if Hannah was unconscious, that meant that she could actually live without Beth. Still, she never really saw any creatures with their half body. The only creatures that walked without the use of humans (hosts) were Riley's monstrous creations. Well, they were the ones with a whole bo-

A whole body.

How those things worked was still a mystery, but it seemed to be far related to how humans actually work (Beth did not wish to remember those felt organs in the operating room lying around.) Well, looking back and the function of humans...if they were cut in half, they wouldn't live enough due to rapid blood loss due to the wide-open space. They didn't necessarily need limbs to live, but areas functional enough for their survival.

Sock puppets were functional without limps, so there was that similarity to humans.

"Since you have organs or seem to do." Beth muttered wincing at the slight memory of the felt organs. "That means that space you have for a hand to be in place is leaving our organs or whatever is inside you is leaving you vulnerable unless you have something that closes it."

Hence, why she was originally sewn to her hand, and of course to avoid the puppet living the host. Still, Beth was not going to sew Hannah back into her hand...

Yet...there was some material around that could lead them to a more satisfying and safer solution....

"Well, it appears that you and I are safe at the moment." Beth commented glancing around the room. She rose herself and walked up to a nearby table. "How about we calm ourselves down and let me give you a hand, not in the literal sense, when you wake up. You have been through a lot, and I think you deserve some help as well..."

Back in her stupid Christian college, her counselor suggested that Beth took into a relaxing hobby to deal with her anger positively. Beth ended up being placed in the costuming class for the theater department. So, she got some alright sewing skills, not the best, but good enough to patch up her clothing. Hopefully those skills would be enough to patch some legs to Hannah (in hopes they were functional enough for her to the point that she would live without having to rely on Beth)

It took a couple of trials, but the end result was pleasant. Hannah had some tiny legs and a pair of blue shorts sewn permanently. It wasn't perfect, but it was cute enough for Hannah, and a reliving activity to ease Beth's fears. Now, with an upgraded Hannah. Beth proceeded to carefully continue her way. She slowly started to figure out she was in another portion of the studio, so each puppet was probably patrolling in search for her. Why the sewing department was not patrolled as quickly responded when she noticed it was shorted that it seemed.

In a matter of minutes, Beth pretty much reached the end. It was a close room, and the other exits just led to open corridors, or rooms without any particular doors. So, this was some sort of trap for intruders since they would be easily surrounded by all sides.

That was a hit to Beth's survival, but thankfully she got a hand on the "game" the puppets usually played with her. Giving a quick glance to each door and hearing for the least amount hissing, muttering, or steps, Beth proceeded to the door to the right, which led to what it seemed to be an old stage. She took a nearby chair and placed it against the door. It wouldn't do much, but it would be helpful enough.

"I wonder why these guys bothered to keep the stages. I know Mortimer wants to bring his show back but...but like...That is not going to look pretty." Beth huffed as she walked around, avoiding some broken props, and trash.

She started to look for something she would defend herself, or something useful to distract any enemy nearby. She could improvise something for her advantage, yet there wasn't a lot for her to use, or something that wasn't loud enough to call the attention of her enemies. Still, still she had the hiding spots of her Tony so she could use and figure out what to do next. Now, she had to focus on keeping her, and Hannah alive.

"There must be something here..." Beth muttered as she walked around carefully examining her surroundings. "C'mon, Mr. Gubberson. I am sure you had something useful around here..."

Thomp!

What the fuck was that?

Thomp! Thomp!

It couldn't be a sock puppet.... Sock puppets were lighter than this...

Sniff... Sniff...grrrrrrr...

That growl... Beth heard that growl before...

"Rosco, calm down my pet!" A more than unwelcoming familiar voice muttered in disapproval, which caused Beth's skin to go white as shivers ran down her spine. "Be patient, my boy, we will find and make her pay..."

That was the undeniable voice of Riley, and if she was scolding Rosco that only meant that he was around too. That just added up to Beth's numerous problems, let alone a great disadvantage of her survival. Dogs had great sense of hearing and smell, what...what could make a living puppet dog any different? If Beth was able to hear him smelling, that only meant that he was-

Woof! woof!

Shit!

"She must be nearby, lead the way my pet and let's get her dead!" Riley laughed in delight.

Well, there was just one thing to do, and it was run and hide. Without even thinking twice, Beth was already sprinting trying to hide herself in the process as she would hear Rosco's claws scratching the floor. He was far faster than she was, and Riley knew it. Afraid, Beth began to make wide turns pushing everything she could to delay Rosco. This was slightly helpful as she could hear Riley getting frustrated.

She decided to increase her distance, while losing her breath at the moment, until Riley made a frustrated comment that she lost Beth and Hannah.

Feeling like she was about to faint at any second, Beth took the quickest turn to her avail. This ended being a dead end, but there was a cart covered in a cloth with sufficient space for her to hide behind. She carefully jumped inside and attempted in vain to catch her breath without being too loud. Rosco's steps were getting closer, and Beth basically ran into a dead end of a labyrinth. Things went just downhill when she heard some hisses.

Carefully peaking she forced a hand against her mouth to keep her from screaming. A group of angry rats were approaching her, causing Beth to clumsily back down and pull the cloth off the cart. It was either God's mercy or her luck that the action did not get Riley or Rosco's attention, or how Sarabeth even managed not to scream when a human hand dropped in her lap.

Ironically, this disturbing act of mercy, proved to be helpful enough as when Beth automatically threw the hand away, the rats went for it.

The fate did also give her the middle finger, since that called the attention of Riley who ordered Rosco to go to the corner Beth was. Let alone, that unluckiness was not enough for life, since one of the rats decided that Beth was a far better snack than the hand. Beth was so not going to touch another hand, but she was too terrified to even do something.

That was went her brain activated her fight sense, and she took the disgusting creature of hell with her bare hands and covered with the cloth so it could not sink its teeth and bite her. The animal of course fought, but Beth was too afraid to even do something about it.

Until Rosco reminded her that he was a dog after all, meaning that when the other rats sense him and started to run, he well...

"GRRRR! ROSCO, DON'T YOU CHASE THEM! OW!" Riley yelled in pain. "CONCENTRATE IN- OW! ROSCO FOCUS ON THE SACK OF MEAT NOT- OOOOOW! DON'T CHASE THE RATS!"

She could hear a struggle within Riley and Rosco, but also some exciting barking from the canine and the terrified squeaks of the rats. That only meant that Rosco wanted to chase off the rats like any dog would do, and since Riley often changed from her host to work on the lab to using Rosco....that gave Beth a devilish idea

"Sorry not sorry" Beth told herself as she carefully took the rat and rose herself up. Riley was thankfully just too blocks away from her, trying desperately to get Rosco's attention.

Beth put the rat down and apologized to God for what she was going to do (although she didn't really felt guilty) She gently tiptoe her way out of the corner, while making sure the rat was silent before placing it on the ground. Then with as much force as she had, she kicked the creature flying up to Rosco and landing in front of him. Riley turned towards her and was about to say something well then...

"WOOOF!" Rosco barked in excitement as the rat began to run as fast as it could. Riley froze in horror when in the blink of an Eye Rosco was already chasing off the rat with all the force he had.

"ROSCO STOP! BAAAAD DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" Riley's panicked cries dissolved into the distance and Beth started to chuckle maniacally in both terror and amusement.

Her plan actually worked, but also it was hilarious as fuck.

"I am so fucking dead..." Beth muttered to herself as her laughter dried down.

If Riley hated her for escaping her TWICE, Beth pretty much earned an arch nemesis because Riley would want to tear her apart after making Rosco dragging her. At least there was a use to those godawful experiments. A pretty hilarious one in fact. That actually made her wonder if this was not the first time Rosco leaned into his dog's instincts and fucked up any of Riley's research or experiments?

She could probably ask Hannah once she found a way to wake her up. In the meantime, Beth opted to look for a safe place to make a good plan and hide from the Handeemen and its creatures.

Knowing that Rosco would eventually return into finding her, Beth turned entered another door near her. It had some scribbles or puppet language, she couldn't even figure what it was, but at this rate she was willing to even go back to human resources again (The fact that the puppets had a sick sense of humor as beyond her) Anything would just be sufficient. As long as she didn't have to make a run from another pu-

"This is a restricted area, you know? Well, it was in plain show before." A vaguely familiar British voice spoke. Beth froze in place as the door shut behind her. Mortimer humorously took a sip of his cup. "Oh, you look so much like your dear late great aunt! Come and take a seat, I promise not to taunt."

#originally posted on ao3 #hello puppets #Sarabeth “Beth” Jenkins (OC)#Beth Jenkins (OC)#anthony pierson #mortimer handee #riley ruckus #daisy danger #scout hello puppets #oc x cannon #no sock puppet rats were harmed in the making of ambition

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