#because i feel so stupid and unworthy and like everyone hates my existence and how i should be fired and killed immediately

[robinsnest2111]

tfw I find out that some problematic behaviours, thoughts, and urges I experience when in a stressful/triggering situation are actually considered black and white thinking

hmm. interesting. I wasn't aware that that's what I'm doing.

[stonerzelda]

genuinely idk about this job shituation I will probably just try to tough it out and deal with the intensely uncomfortable days going forward knowing that my fears have been confirmed and my coworker Does in fact hate me, and everyone there Does in fact fully believe me to be a legit idiot apparently unworthy of basic respect or friendliness 🫠🥴

Like I cant! I Cannot just quit ANOTHER job because I'm disliked! I tried so fckin hard, I finished my training and filled an entire notebook TO THE BRIM with every single miniscule detail of it in there thinking I would study this job like it was a fckin class so this specifically wouldn't happen!! But honest to god I did not see this coming and its making me question if maybe they're all right about me.

Like IM tired of making excuses for myself. It HAS to be me. I have to be the problem. It just doesn't make any fckin sense to me bc it's not like I'm not trying!!!!! Am I really just stupid? But then again like even if I was, is that a conceivable reason to treat someone like they're the bane of your existence when they've been nothing but kind despite that???

Idk man. Sorry for venting on main so much big time but I am soooooo lost. Like I feel so completely defeated. I'm 26 now and I have fuck all to show for it. My aspirations aren't realistic and going back to school at this age sounds like a nightmare for 1, and for 2 even if I did I really don't think it would actually yield me any results. That's just not how it works anymore.

Fack lol..

[vulnerablepoet]

Tw: stupid rant so don’t read unless you’ve a lot of time in your hand that u wanna waste

I’m so tired of this constant, invisible struggle. People say, “But you’re so high-functioning, how could you possibly be struggling?” as if having a routine or meeting expectations means I’m okay. They have no idea how much energy it takes to wear this mask, to hide the storm that rages inside me every single day. And if I dared to reveal even a fraction of it, they’d probably say I’m being dramatic, tell me to “just get over it,” or that I’m too sensitive. So I hold it all in, bury it deep to keep everyone else comfortable, while it eats me alive from the inside out.I get attached to people so easily because of this aching emptiness, this void that never seems to go away. It feels like there’s something missing, a hollow ache right in my chest that I can’t fill no matter what I do. And when someone finally makes me feel seen, loved, understood—even for a moment—I latch on. I build my world around them because, for once, I don’t feel like I’m drowning alone. But then, any slight change in their tone, a moment of distance, and my brain spirals into overdrive, telling me they don’t care, that they’re going to leave. I go from feeling on top of the world to plummeting into a pit of self-doubt and resentment, hating myself for not being “enough” to keep them around.I bend over backwards for people just to keep them in my life. I sacrifice my own needs, my boundaries, even my self-respect—whatever it takes to make sure they don’t leave. But the minute they show signs of pulling away, I fall apart. And then, inevitably, they do leave, and it confirms every fear I had that I’m unworthy, inadequate, disposable. This cycle of clinging, losing, and hurting just fuels my fear of vulnerability, until I don’t know how to let anyone in without the terror of being abandoned.It’s this endless loop, and the worst part is, I don’t even know who I am without it. The emptiness, the anxiety, the constant fear they’re all I’ve ever known. Happiness feels foreign, even dangerous, like I’m losing control if I feel too good. So I cling to misery because, at least then, I’m prepared for the worst. It’s like a twisted kind of comfort, but I hate it. I hate that I don’t know how to just be, to live without this constant weight. And every time I think maybe I’ve found someone who can help pull me out, they leave, and I’m left even more broken than before.I don’t want to feel this way. I don’t want to be this way. But I don’t know how else to exist. It’s so lonely, feeling like this, like I’m trapped in a cycle I can’t break, even though I want to. And now, I’m left clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, this person won’t leave, that they’ll see through my mess and stay. But deep down, I’m scared. Scared that I’m too much, that this pain is too heavy, and that they’ll walk away just like everyone else.

I’m so tired.

[ghostfacetheballfondler]

hi you already got a few responses but i will use any excuse possible to talk about my npd

1) yeah i feel the "believing you're better than other people" is accurate to me. specifically i feel better than others intellectually, artistically, and morally (which is funny because i only believe morality is real when i can use it to feel like i'm superior lol)

i feel like most people are either stupid or malicious when they don't agree with me, which i know isn't true logically but i can't drill that into my thick skull. and it also doesn't help that i'm sometimes right lol.

smh my head it is society's fault that i have delusions of grandeur because everyone is so much dumber than me (joke)

and like to surround myself around people who i consider having less technical skill in art than me because it makes me feel more talented and special.

a lot of the things i do is to keep ensuring myself that i am superior to most people.

why do i do it? prolly cuz my parents would always brag about me being super smart and talented to the point of insulting my peers in front of me while singing my praises and i would get in trouble if i ever didn't meet their perception of a perfect child (i.e, being average)

so i feel like it is a mix between genuinely feeling superior and there is an underlying motivation for me. really depends on the thing i feel superior about.

2) yup i love exaggerating my achievements it makes people more impressed lol. if i just said "i did x" then people wouldn't have such a positive reaction. but if i said "i did x and y and a little bit of z" then the praise they give me and the smiles on their faces is intoxicating. it allows me to control other's perception of me too.

it is also a compulsive lying thing. sometimes i overexaggerate or lie about parts of my trauma and my diesease for no reason(i'm not saying this as a way to fakeclaim myself, i have genuinely lied about this stuff before). sometimes i make up people who don't exist. sometimes i lie about what i ate for lunch for no reason, ect ect.

i think they both combine into me exaggerating my achievements and also exaggerating/lying about my life in general. i want to control the narrative around me, i want people to think about me but only in the way i want.

3) i've described it as an unstable ego which requires praise and a feeling of superiority in order for the person to function. but that's really simple, i think that's the explanation you should give to someone who knows nothing about npd while also directing them to better sources.

i would describe my own experiences as this (rambling wall of slightly venty text ahead):

i am sensitive and emotionless. i feel like a creature wearing human skin. if the illusion of me being superior is shattered, i go in the complete opposite direction; i feel inferior to everyone. "no one loves me, why am i unworthy?" i avoid certain people who are more talented than me just so i won't crash. even if i do like the people i hang out with, they have to be less talented than me or else it hurts. it hurts so much it makes me want to die. when people look at me when i enter a room, i completely believe 2 contradicting things: they all fell in love with me and they all hate me because they are jealous of how much better i am. i'm important, right? my friends like me, right? i'm not replaceable, right? i need to stop thinking that stuff or i'll get upset. i'm perfect i'm perfect i'm perfect.

a few questions for ppl with npd abt your disorder if thats ok <3

i think the criteria for npd is written in a very confusing way and more about fearmongering rather than actually helping someone identify when they have npd, so i’d like to respectfully ask for a bit of clarification. i spent a while believing ppl with npd are my enemy and i’d like to rectify my lack of knowledge on it.

Keep reading

[tsukiihime]

Heartbreak (Bakugo x Reader, Shinsou x Reader)

Hey everyone! This is my first BNHA piece, something I wrote when I was bored and thought what the hey, I’ll post it! Feedback is appreciated!

Word Count: 3.4k

Pairings: Bakugo x Reader, Shinsou x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of cyberbulling, swearing, breakup, angst, just kind of a sad piece overall?

Next Chapter

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When you started dating the Explosion Hero Dynamight, you knew that you were throwing yourself to the wolves. The media is cruel and the fans even crueller - if they deem you unworthy for their Hero then you’re in for a hell of a time - and not in a good way. But you loved Bakugo - you’ve loved him more than you’ve ever loved anyone, and for two years of your life you’ve been by his side as he  climbs through the Hero charts. 

But recently, the media has been sniffing a little too close to home. Someone has tipped the tabloids off to your existence and ravenous fans have been finding your social media day after day. Your selfies on Instagram are being bombarded with hateful comments on everything ranging from your weight to your skin color to your fashion sense, while your Twitter messages are flooded with paragraph after paragraph full of venom and vitriol. You can no longer take the headlines, the hate, the disgust being dished out at you day and day out. You beg your boyfriend to do something, anything to make the media leave you alone. Which brings you to tonight - in a heated argument with the Hero Dynamight.

“All I’m saying is that if you address the media, if you tell them that I’m your girlfriend, they might back off. I can’t do this anymore Katsuki, I can’t keep waking up and seeing this shit on my feed!” You’re so angry you’re shaking, and it’s pissing you off even more that Bakugo stares at you, unblinking and unfazed, arms crossed in indifference.

“You know I can’t do that. I do that, and my ratings plunge.” Your eyes widen in disbelief as soon as those words leave his mouth, you can’t believe he even said that. 

“Are you serious Katsuki? Is beating Deku and becoming the number one hero really worth more to you than us? Than me?” Tears threatened to spill over at any moment, your fists clenching until your nails left tiny red crescents in your skin. You stared at vermilion eyes refusing to back down, waiting with trembling lips for his answer.

“You knew what you were getting into when you started dating me. I don’t know why you need so much fuckin’ reassurance that you’re different from all those other damn extras.” That sentence sends you from angry to fuckin’ pissed in less than a second. 

You jab at his chest, practically screaming: “Excuse me? When we started dating, I was promised that you’d protect me from everything, including the media. Do you see the shit they say about me Katsuki? What they say about my body, my family, my upbringing? How they call me a slut and a whore because my Instagram has ‘Toshi on it and now I’ve been spotted with you? I can’t even visit my parents because I’m afraid they’ll follow me. I can’t go and see “Toshi because they’ll shit talk me even more! And you sit there and do nothing. Say nothing. All I want is for you to tell them the truth, that we are dating and that we are a couple.” 

Now, it’s Bakugo’s turn to bite back. “And I’m sayin’ my hands are tied. They know I’m with someone, and I lose  fans. Which means, I ain’t gonna beat that damn Deku at the rankings next month.”

“Fuck the rankings Bakugo! Can you get your head out of your ass for a second?! How in the world,” you turn to go to grab your phone, pulling up the latest headline about you on the tabloid’s website, “can you let them say this about me? Don’t you at least care that I’m being attacked on the daily?” Tears fall freely from your eyes now, and Bakugo flinches for a second, but only a second. You laugh in anger, turning away from him. “I already know the answer, Katsuki. You care more about the rankings than me. I’m in the way of your dream if you say I’m with you, so let me remove myself from the equation.” You grab a jacket, an umbrella and your phone, and put on your shoes. “It’s over Katsuki. I’m done. If you won’t say that we’re together, then we shouldn’t be together.” 

You turn to leave, and a part of you hopes that he’ll follow - that he’ll grab you and hold you tight and tell you that he loves you, loves you more than the stupid rankings and that he’ll stand by you no matter what the media says.

But he doesn’t. 

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You walk a couple of blocks to another apartment building, ring the doorbell and wait for the response to come from the other side. A deep voice responds, belonging to someone who had obviously been sleeping. “Who the hell is it?”

“‘Toshi, it’s me.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? It’s raining idiot, get in here.” The doors unlock and you make your way inside. You know this building like the back of your hand, it’s the home of your best friend and your second home. You make your way to his apartment and he’s waiting for you in the hallway - purple hair tousled and messy, body heavy with sleep and dark undereye circles accentuating violet eyes as he scratches the back of his neck. It’s a tic of his, one you know well - he’s nervous.

“A fight huh?” 

“Worse. I broke it off.” Shinsou immediately tenses at the mention of this, and if you weren’t so pissed and hurt by Bakugo you would’ve laughed. 

“Shit...I’m sorry. Come in, tell me all about it.” He steps aside and lets you into his apartment, closing the door as he prepares himself to listen to you complain until the sun rises. He agrees to help you get your things when you’re ready to return, and says you can crash at his place until you find somewhere else to stay.

You return two days later, punching in the code to the apartment you and Bakugo share - well, you supposed shared was the better word. It felt so foreign, being here after everything. Memories of the last two years flooded into your mind - lazy days where you spent all day with Katsuki on the couch doing nothing but watching horrible horror flicks and laughing the night away, those early mornings that had you waking up at five o’clock in the morning to cook pancakes while the sleepy blonde wraps his arms around your waist while teasing your culinary skills. Even the late nights when schoolwork kept you awake well into the twilight hours and your exhausted body dragged itself to the bed you and he shared, breathing in the caramel scent of the man you loved as your head hits the plush pillows and you drift off to sleep. But now, all of those memories have disappeared into the wind, replaced with the fight you and Bakugo had before you had stormed out of the house that night. He’s been texting you like mad, calling you like there is no tomorrow, but you ignore his calls. He never leaves a voicemail, so you don’t know what’s on his mind.  

As the beige door swung open, you breathed a sigh of relief that Katsuki wasn’t home. You had neither the heart nor the energy to see him after all that had happened and instead resolved yourself to get all of your things before his shift ended at his agency. You spent the next hour rounding up everything you owned - books, pictures, everything that you had room to take and that you knew you wouldn’t miss if you left it behind. When you had a breather you sent a quick text to Shinsou to let him know you were almost ready to go - and took a deep breath as you entered your bedroom. No, your former bedroom now. “That’s all it is now.” you remind yourself.

You start dumping all your clothes into trash bags and gather up pictures and toiletries that belong to you as you clean up the bedroom from one end to the other. As you grab a pile and place it on the bed, an article of clothing falls that you don’t recognize. You bend over and pick it up to inspect it closer. 

You know your clothes, all of them. But this lacy lingerie set that is discarded on the floor isn’t yours, hell, it isn’t even your size. Your throat feels like sandpaper and your nose crinkles as you drop the clothes as if burned by a flame. You can’t help but stare at it as a million things run through your mind at once: whose is it? How long has it been here? Was this before or after you and Katsuki broke up? Did he already move on? The last thought is something you know you shouldn’t dwell on, it isn’t your business what he does after you’re the one that ended the relationship. You know this and yet the tears come anyways, endless and stinging without end. Your legs give out and you fall to your knees clutching your heart as sobs fall from your lips, as your emotions bounce all over the place. The molten hot anger you felt at first is now transforming into deep sadness, all the bittersweet memories racing through your mind now replaced by images of Katsuki holding another woman, another lover just like he held you. You can’t stop as your brain formulates these what if situations - what if he was waiting for you to end it so he could be with her? You start to imagine him kissing another with the same passion he held for you. You see another in your place, eating the food that he insists on making to spoil you after a long night of homework, running their fingers through his hair as he falls asleep on their lap, and seeing another wrapped in his arms as they fall asleep together under the moonlit sky.

“I can’t stay here” you whisper to yourself, desperate to stop the tears that won’t end - desperate to feel anything but this pit of agony. You’ll take numbness over this endless heartbreak, this disappointment, this feeling of self-deprecation that tells you over and over that you weren’t good enough. “I-”

The door opens and you hear Shinsou’s voice behind you, calling your name and making his way through the hallway at the front of the apartment. “You didn’t answer my texts so I came up to check on you and-” The purple haired man freezes when he sees you, sitting on the floor with your head in your hands, sobbing uncontrollably as a waterfall of tears spill from your eyes dripping onto your fingers. You can no longer hold back your sobs as everything comes to a head - your insecurities, the hateful comments left on your social media, Katsuki’s own dismissal of your feelings as you two fought that night two days ago. Shinsou immediately drops to his knees in front of you, wrapping his arms around your frame and holding you close. “It’s okay...let it out.” You peer up at him from tear filled eyes, lunging at him to wrap your arms around his neck as you bury your face in his chest. 

“Hitoshi…” is all you’re able to say before another sob wracks your body, tears staining your cheeks and dampening Shinsou’s hoodie. You try desperately to explain why you’re crying, and why you’re so upset but you can’t find the words as your tongue feels heavy like a bunch of bricks. Indigo eyes drift to the underwear discarded behind you, anger seething in his veins as he puts two and two together. 

“Bakugo, you fucking tool.” He thinks to himself as he holds you, letting you cry out what you can’t tell him but he knows. He knows you better than anyone, just as you know him better than anyone. He remembers the vibrant little girl he met on the playground all those years ago, who spoke to him without a care even with his “villainous” quirk. He remembers your ecstatic scream as he calls you to let you know that he was able to get into the Hero Course at U.A, and he remembers you celebrating his acceptance at getting into a Hero Agency by getting blackout drunk and waking up with you in snuggled in his arms as you wear his favorite hoodie. He remembers being the one to introduce you to Bakugo at a Hero Ranking after party when you accompanied him as his plus one. He remembers how breathtaking you looked that night - an obsidian dress that hugged your figure closely, long legs accentuated by black stilettos and your plush lips painted in a ruby red hue. He remembers being the man of the hour, the hero Mindjack accompanied by a beauty on his arm, the envy of the venue. He remembers dancing with you, his most beloved childhood friend, his most precious person. He remembers watching you stride to the bar, smiling as you greet the bartender with glee and and he remembers watching you bump into Bakugo as you apologize quickly to the blonde before making your way back to him. He also remembers Bakugo following you to him, prompting him to introduce you to the man who would eventually become your boyfriend.

“If only you hadn’t bumped into him that night”, Shinsou thinks to himself, “Katsuki Bakugo, I’m going to give you a piece of my mind when I see you next.” How helpless he feels watching you cry as your heart shatters into a million pieces, how powerless he feels as he holds you tighter than he’s ever held anyone before. “C’mon, let’s get you home. I’ll take what I can and I’ll get the rest another day.” he smiles as he looks at you, giving you a small grin that he hopes makes you feel a bit better. “Don’t worry, I grabbed your Switch and your laptop, so the lazy girl hours can still happen” you punch him in the shoulder playfully as you wipe tears away on your sleeve, pouting as you roll your eyes at his lazy jokes before he continues, “and I’ll send Bakugo a text on what’s happening. You won’t have to deal with him. I promise.” It doesn’t escape his notice how you tense up when he says Bakugo, but the small smile you give at his joke makes him feel just a bit better. You stand up and press your lips to his forehead, tippy toeing to reach. “Thanks ‘Toshi. I really appreciate it, truly.” 

“Anything for my Animal Crossing buddy.” You cross your arms and give him a questioning look, eliciting a chuckle from the taller male. “I’m jus’ kiddin’. You know I’d do anything for you. And your Switch.” You laugh as you turn to grab your boxes and make your way to the front of the apartment, the lingerie that had shattered your world moments ago momentarily forgotten in the corner of you and Bakugo’s bedroom. “It’s only Bakugo’s now” you remind yourself as you walk out into the living room, “this place belongs to Bakugo only.” You take one last look at your home for the last ten months, and quickly turn on your heels to make your way to the elevator with your entire life packed into a few boxes. A small sense of regret lingers in you, but you quickly shove that aside to stop yourself from crying some more. Shinsou grabs the rest of the boxes left on the table, and places your key to the apartment on the counter next to a picture frame with the glass faced down. He then turns and follows you out the door to his car.

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The next few nights are the hardest - Shinsou’s apartment only has one bedroom, one bathroom and the living room which means you’re on the couch until you find your own place. You’ve known Shinsou since childhood and you wouldn’t mind sharing a bed but you’re so distraught from your discovery in Bakugo’s room that you want to be alone to cry it out if you need to - you already feel like a burden to Shinsou despite his protests against the idea. He’s not home tonight - on patrol around the city as you sit in the living room wrapped in a blanket and wearing his favorite hoodie. You flip through the channels and stumble across the Hero Rankings red carpet. It’s been ages since Hitoshi attended one, becoming more of an “underground hero” and avoiding the spotlight if possible. In fact, the only time he attended one was with you around the time you met Bakugo. You cringe at the thought of him, trying quickly to remove him from your mind. The rational part of your mind wants to change the channel, to watch those documentaries you love so much and wait until Shinsou gets back home but you don’t. Instead, you decide to remain on this channel, watching as heroes come and go on the red carpet with their dates and hear the host gush about each one’s accomplishments. This is torture, you know Bakugo will appear since he’s the number four Hero, you know he’ll be there and yet like a train wreck, you can’t look away. Maybe you’re curious as to what he’s up to, or maybe you want to see if he looks as miserable as you know you do. In any case, you wait with baited breath to see a pair of scarlet eyes and ash blonde hair to satiate your curiosity. A flash of green catches your attention and you see Izuku Midoriya appear on screen in front of you. Deku is the number three Hero and on his arm is his girlfriend Uraraka, another Hero ranked at number seven. You’ve met the both of them at parties you attend with Bakugo - they both received a lot of hate from “fans'' when they announced they were dating, but the love they exuded for each other made the media change their tune really fast. They truly adored one another and didn’t care if their ratings took a dive. You had wished Bakugo would do that for you, but you weren’t a Hero and you didn’t have an impressive quirk, so his agency decided that it would be better for his ratings if he kept you a secret and he agreed. At first, you didn’t mind but the comments on social media and the tabloids made you feel as if he wasn’t yours at all - instead all you felt was that he was ashamed of you. 

Then you see him. You grip the remote so hard it almost hurts, but you keep on looking anyway. There stands the number four Hero Katsuki Bakugo, wearing a red and black suit and looking as he always does - confident to the point of arrogance, a grumpy face that makes him unapproachable, arms crossed in annoyance. The cameras go off flash after flash, and the announcer goes over his stats - how many people he’s saved, his amount of solved cases, so on and so forth. You smile at his ranking, he’s gone from eleven to four in such a short amount of time, and you know he has his determination to thank for that. He works hard, that you can’t deny. 

Then you see her. You recognize her, from the tabloids and the makeup commercials. The Illusion Hero, Maboromicamie. She’s tall, beautiful, and has a gorgeous figure as well as a comfy place ranked as the number ten Hero. Her arm is linked with Bakugo’s, and he has an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close for the photoshoot. The announcer raises their voice in excitement, as a headline appears on your TV: “Dynamight and Maboromicamie an item? Seen together getting close at the awards ceremony!”

You shut off the TV and close your eyes. What were you expecting? Why did you do that? You can’t help the tears that escape, but they do. There you sit, alone in the apartment with the image of those two stuck in your head, burned into your memory. When Shinsou gets home, he says nothing and you’re grateful for it - you know he’s seen the ceremony and he knows you well enough to know that you’ve seen it too. Instead, he showers, lays down next to you, and holds you close as you cry quietly into his arms.

[themadauthorshatter]

This is probably going to be the last part for my AWWP touch up. I'll try to keep it quick and consistent.

So, where we left off, Tedros just got thrown in the dungeon, and the schools are ready for war.

This time, though, Chaddick gets put in Tedros's old position, guarding the Storian, only now he's looking for it. And Tristan, but the boys are more concerned about the pen.

How coincidental that when Filip joins, he joins Chaddick on this job.

While on this search, either Chaddick or Filip(who is Sophie, but I'm still calling him Filip because I hate School Year!Sophie.) find old drafts of that letter Tedros wrote for Agatha, saying how he was sorry for casting the spell, how he didn't see Aric's manipulation sooner, and that no matter who or what she chose, he'd understand. He didn't get why his mother left his father, but he will get why Agatha wants to stay in Gavaldon with her friend.

He ends most of these letters with, 'Regardless of what you do, who you love, or where you are, I'll always love you. I'll never forget how good of a friend you've been to me or how you saw me for more than a prince waiting to be king. Thank you for everything. I hope you find you're Ever After, one way or another.'

I'm going with Chaddick finding these letters first and taking a few before Filip finds the rest.

Chaddick hides them and tries to tell the boys what's up with Aric and hiw Tedros is being wrongly punished, but they don't listen because, in their eyes, Aric has been nothing but helpful and an honset to goodness saint.

Back with Agatha, she gets Tedros's REAL letter and learns Evelyn's plan, and realizes that she wants to write Sophie back into a witch, so either her own Evil destroys her or so another student can kill her, and earse the boys out of existence, all but ONE, so it's just her and Rafal; she'd see the other boys as weak and unworthy compared to him, and she's convinced she can bear him stronger boys, if he'll have her, which he will, in her mind.

Agatha is appalled by this and realizes that Sophie and Tedros are in serious trouble, and they need to be saved NOW.

She replies with her own letter, sending it via arrow, before running to report to Dovey and Lesso.

Back with Tedros, he goes through the same treatment as before, but Aric is more of an ass to him, feigning sympathy, mocking him by asking if he wishes Agatha was there to save him, and even saying that no one will believe him now, after everything.

Tedros has a Margaery Tyrell moment by throwing some food and water at Aric and calls him a, "vicious bastard."

Aric punches and kicks him for this, rubbing salt on the wound by calling him pathetic and saying how he'll die alone the way he deserves, just like Sophie.

"I'm nothing like her."

"Keep telling yourself that." With that, Aric leaves.

Aric leaves and Tedros tries to keep his composure, even though Aric's words are too deep to stomach.

We get the scenes with Tedros and Filip that sort of kick off a small rivalry.

As in everyone favors Filip and hates on Tedros.

Speaking of the boy, he now spends his nights shackled to the wall by his wrists to he can't try to attack Aric or anyone else.

Aric eats in front of him and talks about Filip to essentially rub salt in the wound.

One night, though, CHADDICK is the one to interrogate Tedros.

Aric puts up some resistance, but leaves to help Filip look for the Storian when Manley snaps at him.

The two friends talk, and Chaddick gives Tedros an apple before revealing he found a lot of old drafts of the letter he sent Agatha.

Tedros admits he wrote them, but is saddened that Agatha probably didn't get the one he sent.

"Wouldn't say that, if I were you, mate."

Chaddick shows Tedros Agatha's letter and reads it to him; he can't really hold stuff while locked up.

It reads that she's sorry for not believing him when they met up and that she should've made sure they were really alone. She also writes that she came to a very sickening revelation: she saw Tedros and Aric and saw herself and Sophie, one being pulled around and controlled by the other. She tells him that she will look for a way to send Sophie back to Gavaldon or have her stay in the School for Good while she and Tedros stay in Camelot. If it's not too late, she'll help him find a way to end this war between boys and girls.

She also stipulates that she can write to Sophie amd her mother.

And that she can bring Reaper with her so Tedros can get a feel for a cat's love; it was a conversation they had on one of their nightly meet ups, where Tedros admitted he'd never owned a cat because they just freaked him out.

Chaddick doesn't get the sentiment, but it makes Tedros cry because it was funny and because he'd like for that to happen, and the idea fills him with joy.

HOW COINCIDENTAL FILIP FINDS A VERY SIMILAR DRAFT OF THE LETTER.

Sophie, Sophie, Filip, who cares anymore, feels absolutely gutted by this because there might be a real chance she'll lose her friend.

It doesn't help that after saving Tedros from hetting tortured by Aric, Tedros admits that Agtha is a good friend for looking out for Sophie, given everything she's done to the both of them.

He then breaks down and admits that he was stupid because Aric and Sophie are so alike on that they trick and hurt others and he should've seen it sooner.

He then thanks Filip for being good to him, even if most of the other boys left him alone.

The Trial occurs, Tristan dies, and Filip is revealed to be Sophie.

Tedros has another mini breakdown because he trusted the person that almost made him lose his true love, but Agatha calms him down and they kiss just as the boys and girls charge at each other.

We get the ending like before and Tedros and Agatha are sent to Gavaldon.

I hope ypu guys enjoyed these touch ups, I had a really good time seeing how I could make these scenarios a little better to read.

I'm getting a little bittersweet saying goodbye to this phase, but thanks for stickim3g around to read these, really. Thank you all so much!

[weevil-wallflower]

Robotnik: Into the multiverse (part 1/?)

Word count: 12,395

A/N: a little-big story that was the result of a little roleplay me and my friends did. For some context btw, I’m going to mention who played which characters:

My characters: Zinnia Frost, Theodore Collins, Tweety & Dr Ivo Robotnik (aka Robotnik #2, who’s from another universe). @jimbotnik: Emil Sobel, Agent Stone, Dozy & Dr Robotnik (aka Robotnik #1, who’s from this universe). @blood-on-my-paws: Zonic the Zone Cop, an alternate version of Sonic. @stuffedfoxwiththewifipassword: John Constantine and Liam Constantine.

Have fun reading this convoluted mess of a story uwu. And yes, it loosely follows the movie-verse.

After Robotnik successfully made it into this universe, it took him barely an hour to locate Zinnia and his other self, along with a few unpleasant individuals. Instead of contacting them outright however, he first set up a base deep in the woods up in mountains a few miles from Zinnia’s house.

The mess that he’ll later find himself into, started with a series of text messages:

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter So Zinnia is your assistant. It seems I’ve crossed into another universe. A minor setback but it can be easily corrected.

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Precisely! You just toddle back into your universe before you ruin everything for me.

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Everyone How the FUCK did two Robotniks end up in the same universe?!

Dr Frost To: Everyone I’m sorry, what? OwO And who are you?!

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Everyone I’m a zone cop, and I have to get these guys back to their worlds...

Dr Robotnik To: Everyone Nice, TWO hedgehogs...

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Everyone I don’t get paid enough for this

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter Wait, you have your assistant but I don’t?! That’s unacceptable! I’m taking yours! She’s mine now!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Just go ahead and try. Your head will be on a pike in my personal surveillance room if you go anywhere near her. She's MINE.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter I always like a good challenge.

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Have you ever tracked another man on foot through the moonlit forest, each breath burning your lungs, adrenaline racing as you close in? Have you ever been transfixed by the light of pure, primal terror in your victim's eyes? By the hitch of their breath as the knife goes in, the one shortly followed by a scream louder than they've ever produced? Have you ever truly relished the way that their cries for mercy and their begging give way to bestial vocalizations of fatal agony?

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot I look forward to meeting you.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter That’s quite a reply. I think you should relax. You don’t need to prove anything. We both know that I am the better one of the two of us.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 So, there’s two of you now? OwO So different dimensions do exist! I’ve always been fascinated by this.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia Yes, unfortunately there is two of me. Although, you don’t exist in my universe anymore... But that can be easily rectified!

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 How exactly? OwO

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia You’ll come with me back to my universe, of course!

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 Ummm, no. Thank you for asking though.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia That wasn’t a question

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Robotnik #02 and Zinnia Do not steal people from their universes!

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Robotnik #02 If you don’t stop I’m going to arrest you

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Hedgehog cop Oh great. Another hedgehog. Just what I needed. It seems you can’t leave me alone even in another dimension! But don’t worry, I’ll deal with you later.

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Robotnik #02 I’m trying to protect the dimensions, that’s why!

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Hedgehog cop Not for long.

Zonic the Zone Cop To: Robotnik #02 I’m... I’m not gonna argue with you. But if you don’t go back to your world, I’ll take you back there

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Hedgehog cop You’re more than welcome to try.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 The other you wants to take me back to his universe. But I don’t wanna go QwQ

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia I can see that. This sad imitation of me doesn't seem to realize that I can read his messages... It looks like he takes a lot of things for granted, actually. I'm on my way to your home, and I'm sending a fleet of drones and ground cover ahead of me. Hide someplace secure, and use your boyfriend as a distraction.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 If Teddy found out there’s more of you, he’s going to have a breakdown. He already doesn’t like you 😞

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia TO HELL WITH HIM, THEN! I WON'T LET MY DOPPELGANGER STEAL YOU!!!!!!!!!

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 I don’t want to get stolen either QwQ

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot You're outclassed, you lack passion, and you're not exactly playing in your home court, either. You're unworthy of my violent tendencies.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter Bold of you to assume I’m not always prepared.

John To: Zinna Oi, just saw Robotnik at the cafe and he didn't yell "GO BACK TO BRITIAN, LIMEY TWINK" is he alright?

Dr Frost To: John Yeah, that must be the Robotnik from another universe.

John To: Zinna ...May I have his phone number?

John To: Other Robotnik I'm John Constantine. I heard you're another Robotnik, eh?

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Constantine That’s classified.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter So I see you have your assistant’s house surrounded by drones. What makes her so special that you’re willing to go out of your way to defend her, I wonder.

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Come try to find out. Oh, and don't mind the whiny, poorly dressed British man. He hates fun.

Agent Stone To: Dr Robotnik Doctor! I just spotted the blue hedgehog in the compound! He was wearing an ugly helmet. I'm not sure what that's all about...

Dr Robotnik To: Agent Stone Did you catch him? Is THAT why you're bothering me?! I'M VERY BUSY RIGHT NOW!!!

Agent Stone To: Dr Robotnik Sorry, Doctor. 😔

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 Uhhh, I saw you outside my house just now. Or was it the other you? OwO

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia I'll prove it's me! Now open up! [sends a picture of his ungloved hand, showing the fucked-up finger that Tweety gave him]

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 Oh okay, it really is you. Can’t be too sure now that there’s another one of you.

“Okay, so my agents and my machines are staked out in all of the houses in your immediate area, and all of the entryways into the subdivision are being watched. No one is coming anywhere near you without my knowledge!” Robotnik now stood in Zinnia’s living room after he proved to her that he was their Robotnik by showing her his scarred finger that her parrot gave him. Agent Stone was there as well, standing to the side, waiting for the doctor to give him further orders. 

Emil glared at him, standing at a safe distance so he won’t end up doing something he’ll regret. “The only reason I haven't kicked your ass by now is because Zinnia hates violence. You're on thin ice, Ivo!” His growl turned into a shout when the scientist picked up Dozy. “PUT MY CAT DOWN!!”

“No. He likes me. See?” He held the cat closer as if to prove his point.

Zinnia on the other hand, looked on in mild confusion before speaking up. “Okay...does this mean I won’t be going to work? Can I go anywhere at all...?”

Robotnik’s response was quick and firm. “Unless you're accompanied by me, you're not allowed to leave the house. It's for your own good!”

A feeling other than confusion washed over her. Was it worry? Fear? It was difficult to tell. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine here on my own. There’s all your agents and drones watching.”

"Zinnia, this is for your own good! Don't you want to stay in this universe with your stupid boyfriend? The other Robotnik is inferior to me, but that doesn't mean he's completely stupid...” He trailed off, while still cuddling Dozy. Said cat didn’t care what was going on. As long as he was given affection, he was content.

“Of course I want to stay here! I don’t wanna lose Teddy and my friends. And for what it’s worth, I don’t wanna lose you...” There was anxiety in her quiet voice now that she finally registered the gravity of the situation at hand.

Hearing her say that, Robotnik was overcome with a feeling he didn’t really understood. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. Quite the opposite actually. It was pleasant enough to make him put the cat down, go over to where Zinnia stood, hesitate a bit before enveloping her in a hug in spite of Emil glaring at him.

The young woman didn’t hesitate though. She instantly wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him back. She needed all the comfort she could get. “I don’t understand why he’s so interested in me...” she whispered in despair.

“AHA! FOUND YOU!” What appeared to be a blue, mobian hedgehog, suddenly appeared in Zinnia’s living room, all his attention focused on Robotnik. The hedgehog was wearing some sort of red helmet and armour. It was Zonic the Zone Cop; an inter-dimensional counterpart of Sonic.

The scientist instantly pulled out his pistol. “Ohh you sure did!” He shoved Zinnia behind him and opened fire.

“Oh my God!” The young woman gasped and quickly moved away to stand next to Emil.

“MY CHILDREN! ATTACK THAT MOBIAN!!” Apparently, a pistol wasn’t enough because with a command using his gloves, Robotnik summoned all his drones that were guarding Zinnia’s suburb, into her home in order to catch the hedgehog.

Emil on the other hand, didn’t look amused one bit. “Do you really have to call them your children?”

“What the hell is going on?!” Theodore, Zinnia’s boyfriend, stood in the open doorway, observing at the chaos. His face twisted in anger and disbelief. He never expected to see his girlfriend’s employer in her home, along with his drones, trying to capture what looked like a blue, humanoid hedgehog. ‘I just wanted a relaxing evening with Zinnia...’ 

Zinnia did not waste a single second and ran into her boyfriend’s arms, clinging to him tightly. “I don’t know!” Her voice shook with distress as he wrapped his arms around her and caressed her back to sooth her. Before he could say anything else, Emil yelled out.

“WE NEED TO GO, NOW!!” He scooped up Dozy while frantically looking around for Tweety. “Where's the bird?!” He’d decided that they must leave for their own good lest they were caught in the crossfire.

Zinnia pulled away from her boyfriend and called out to the bird. “Tweety, over here!” Seconds later, the bird flew over from wherever he happened to be perched at that moment and gracefully landed on her shoulder. And with that, her, Theodore, Emil, Dozy and Tweety were all out of the still open front door.

But before they could go farther than the walkway, a car pulled in front of her house. And inside, was Robotnik. “Your saviour is here! Get in if you want to escape.” He called out to them, a bit too enthusiastically, through the lowered side window.

“What the fuck?!” Emil exclaimed. He couldn’t believe his eyes as. There was another Robotnik!?

“Oh no! It’s him...” Zinnia whispered in fright and clung to Theodore’s arm, pressing her body as close to his as possible. She did not like the way he was looking at her, his intense dark eyes boring into her. If she’s learned anything from their Robotnik, is that he’s unpredictable. His inter-dimensional counterpart may be just as unpredictable as him, if not more. Not to mention, she knows the Robotnik of this universe. The new one however, she knew nothing about.

Theodore was just as shocked as Emil, if not more. “Zinnia what...why are there two of them??” He questioned incredulously. Judging by her reaction, it seemed she knew who he was. But who, exactly? ‘Did that crazy employer of hers clone himself or something?’

“That’s a long story...” She murmured a reply back, never taking her eyes off the other Robotnik. The man who threatened- no, promised to take her away just hours prior. And unfortunately for them, their Robotnik had dedicated all his firepower into catching Zonic, effectively leaving them helpless. Something which the inter-dimensional Robotnik had decided to use to his full advantage.

Even Zinnia’s parrot, Tweety, looked surprised upon seeing the same man that was still in the house. ‘Unless he can teleport...’ His crest was raised in attention as he observed the scientist. No...It was not the same person. He looked identical but the bird could sense that he was different.

Back inside the house, Stone had unholstered his handgun and was firing shot after shot at the hedgehog. One of those shots successfully hit his intended target, causing Zonic to be shot on his side and fall back with a pained grunt

He stood back up, not expecting the aggressive attack in the first place. “Good Chaos, I was just going to give you a warning!” Unfortunately, unlike his other self, Zonic did not possess super speed, due to which he tried and failed to dodge the other bullets. “STOP!”

“FINALLY!” Robotnik shouted in triumph. “Agent Stone, you dependable little fool...” He grabbed Zonic by the arm and roughly hauled him to his feet. “Agent Stone! Cuff him and search him for anything that even looks like a weapon.”

“NO.” Zonic shouted in protest, despite the immense pain he was in. “OH MY CHAOS I’M JUST TRYING TO PROTECT YOUR WORLDS” He tried to escape from the house but the front entrance was guarded by the drones. “Where’s my team when I need them?!”

Zinnia shot a worried look back at the chaos occurring in her house then directed her attention at her friend. “Emil, what do we do?”

“You listen to me, of course!” The other Robotnik called out to them, sounding so sure of himself.

“The last thing we need is another Ivo in our lives...” Emil moved to stand between him and Zinnia.

“I’m trying to help you, you idiot!” The doppelganger just barely stopped himself from letting out an impatient snarl. “But by all means, if you want to stay here and get killed in the crossfire, be my guest.”

Emil weighed their options. The certainly did not have to leave with Robotnik. They could leave in his car, which was right there- “They shot up my fucking car...” He clenched his fists in anger. This felt planned. “Whichever one of them did this is dead. Wait... it's... I don't hear anymore gunfire...”

“Do...do we leave with him...?” Zinnia asked, looking from Robotnik to her house and then towards Emil, uncertain of what to do.

“I don't think we should. I don't trust this one any more than the other...Let's just go back in the house for now.” Emil said, turning to face the house, to which Zinnia replied with a small “Okay...”

The Robotnik in the car inwardly cursed, seeing as they were about to go inside, and quickly stepped out of his car and made his way over to them.

Emil was ready for that as he was quick to face him. “Time to see if this one's any stronger than the real Ivo.” He grabbed a roll of quarters from his pocket and clenched his fist around it. “COME ON! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT!”

Robotnik #2 didn’t appear to be threatened one bit. Instead, he looked mildly irritated as he spoke in a deadpan voice. “If I was here to fight, you’d be dead by now.”

“Then why are you here?” Zinnia timidly spoke up despite her apprehension.

His attention switched from Emil to Zinnia. “Oh, I figured you all could use a little help to escape from my other, more volatile self.” He shrugged “innocently” and grinned down at her. It was meant to be disarming but to her it felt anything but that, causing her to unconsciously squish herself even closer to Theodore if that was even possible. His hands on her waist automatically drew her close, molding her body against his.

Robotnik stood in front of them, mesmerised by Zinnia, seeing her in the flesh after so long...It really was her. The same brown hair framing her beautiful face. The same fresh olive skin...Even the same voice. And those eyes...the very brown eyes he gazed into as he witnessed the life from them leave...His Zinnia was gone from his life, leaving a void no one could fill...Until he found her here...His fingers itched to reach out to her, brush through her silky hair, caress her soft skin. It had been far too long since he’d last had his hands on her. He comforted himself with the knowledge that he’d never have to wait this long again.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when as he noticed the pale, green-eyed man next to her draw her closer. So, this was the “poorly dressed British man” as his counterpart had put it. Robotnik’s laser focus now set on Theodore, observing him with narrowed eyes. He must be her boyfriend. Jealousy reared its ugly head but at the same time, he was gratified to know that this universe’s Robotnik and Zinnia are not together which meant he won’t have to worry about competing with his other self. After all, it’s not like he would care if his doppelganger took away the woman he does not even love.

“We already know how to deal with him. You, on the other hand? You're not one of us. Why are you even here?” Emil questioned further, pulling Robotnik out of his thoughts, to which he answered in a monotone voice, keeping a straight face, “There was a minor miscalculation in my latest experiment which transported me to this universe.” That was of course, a lie. He was not going to tell them that he had mastered inter-dimensional travel. He’s here for one thing and one thing only. And this is his only chance because Zinnia only exists in this certain universe besides his, out of many others.

“And LET me guess--you're either unable or unwilling to go back.” Emil crossed his arms, only to notice that his cat had wandered off. “WAIT! DOZY, GET BACK HERE!!”

Robotnik #2 took full advantage of that. He quickly snatched up the cat and held a knife to his throat. “That’s it! I don’t have time for this! Now you’ll all come with me! Or the cat dies!!” 

Emil saw red. “You son of a bitch...” He seethed as if he was off his meds. He looked at Zinnia and Theo.

“No, stop!” The young woman was quick to speak up. She could not let Dozy get hurt! He was just an innocent cat. “Don’t hurt him! We’ll come with you...”

“Oh, and the boyfriend stays.” Robotnik nodded his head at Theodore. That was jealousy speaking. He simply could not imagine his Zinnia being with someone else. Especially this someone. He remembered all too well how her boyfriend almost murdered her. Oh, how much he wanted to kill Theodore where he stood. But that would only upset her and make him look worse in her eyes. She already looked scared enough. Hence, it was better if the boyfriend stayed behind. That Emil guy, though? Well, he needed something to use as leverage against her if he ends up killing the cat.

Theodore obviously did not like his demand. “What?! No—” He was quick to protest but Zinnia cut him off. 

“—Theodore please!” She stared up at him pleadingly, silently begging him to do as the other Robotnik said.

Theodore internally seethed, his jaw clenching and his grip on her waist momentarily became tight enough to hurt. ‘Are they seriously going to listen to that madman because of a cat?’ His grip on Zinnia softened when he glanced down at her, genuine distress in her face. ‘Well, at least right now, it’s only the cat he’s threatening.’ He couldn’t care less what happens to the cat but who’s to say he won’t turn on any one of them afterwards?

So, Theodore nodded and, even though it pained him to do so, released his grip on his girlfriend, allowing her to step away. Emil grabbed Zinnia's hand and held it tightly for both her and his comfort. “I'll protect you, Zinny. I got your back.”

“Take care of her.” Theodore looked at him seriously. Emil nodded gravely as a reply.

“So we go then... Don’t worry, Theo. I’ll be okay...” The young woman’s doe eyes looked lovingly into his.

“Okay...I—” He was interrupted by Robotnik’s impatient growl.

“Come on! Enough of the niceties! Let’s move!” He hated the way the couple stared at one another. But even more than that, he hated how frightened Zinnia appeared. He knew his methods weren’t...conventional. Something a little like guilt tugged at his insides and he mentally swatted it away. He’d gone too far, was in too deep to be having regrets. He’d long since accepted that this was the only way.

Emil slowly approached this other Robotnik with Zinnia's hand in his, all the while keeping wary eyes trained on him.

“Get in. Now!” The doctor pressed the knife closer to Dozy to force them to move faster.

“Okay, okay! We’re going!” Zinnia scrambled to get in the car’s back seat, pulling Emil along with her.

“We're following orders. Now give me the cat.” Emil demanded once they were settled in the car.

“Not until we get to our destination. Now shut up!” Robotnik #2 yelled as he hopped in the front and carelessly deposited Dozy in the passenger seat.

Back inside the house, Zonic was cuffed and was barely able to stand upright due to the gunshot wounds he’d sustained, which were still bleeding. But he still put up a brave face. “No one’s going to listen to me, but for the sake of the balance of the multiverse, please go back to your worlds.” Stone did not like the way he spoke, however.

“Don't speak to the doctor. You don't have the privilege.” The agent kicked Zonic back into his knees.

“Excuse you, I’m an elite zone cop.” Zonic still spoke, a little too confidently for someone who was bleeding from several gunshot wounds.

“Should I kill him, doctor?” The agent asked all too eagerly.

“No, he's already been bound and incapacitated. Let's...” Robotnik paused and looked around the living room. “Where's Zinnia?”

“... WAIT DON’T GO WITH HIM! STOP!” Zonic mustered enough strength to  shout when he looked outside the still open front door to see Emil and Zinnia entering the other Robotnik’s car.

Zonic wasn’t the only one who noticed as Robotnik bellowed out, “ZINNIA! This is Emil's doing... Agent Stone! Take the blue rat back to the compound!” He ordered before marching out the front door. The doctor decided he would deal with the hedgehog later. Right now, stopping the inter-dimensional Robotnik was his priority.

The blue hedgehog coughed up blood, the crimson liquid staining his face. “F-fuck, stop! Your universes are in danger! Am I speaking Greek here?!” He choked out.

“I don’t care about the universes!” Outside, Robotnik #2 yelled back to Zonic before he turned his and looked over his shoulder at Zinnia sitting in the back. “I have everything I need now...” His voice had dropped to a low, sensual octave, the tone sending gooseflesh rippling along Zinnia’s arms and caused her to look away.

Agent Stone exited the house as well, dragging Zonic back to his SUV. “Just cooperate, and the doctor might be a little merciful with you...” He trailed off as their Robotnik fired at the other Robotnik, aiming for his head.

“Well don’t say I didn’t warn y- WHAT THE FUCK!?” Zonic let out a surprised shout as he witnessed that.

The bullet, however, missed the other doctor by inches. He cursed and hit the gas, driving off.

“You idiots will destroy your own worlds and timelines!” The hedgehog cop exclaimed. Despite being fatally injured and captured by the enemy, he cared more about the balance of the universe.

“TIME ISN'T LINEAR, YOU MORON!” Robotnik shouted back and sprinted towards his vehicle. He shoved Agent Stone aside and got in the Suburban.

“Excuse me, who is the universe expert in here? I am! I- you know what? Fuck this shit...” Seeing as no one was listening to anything he said, poor Zonic decided to just give up for now.

“Hey!” Theodore ran up to Robotnik before he could drive off. “If you’re done arguing with a blue hedgehog, you’ll notice that Zinnia and Emil have been abducted!”

“GET IN! You and Agent Stone are my gunmen!!! Get the rat into the car so I can follow them!!”

“Fine. Hand me a gun then...”

The two men did as instructed and soon, they're racing after the other Robotnik's vehicle. “AIM FOR THE TIRES!!” Their Robotnik yelled at his ‘gunmen’.

“Yes, thank you for stating the obvious.” Theodore said in a deadpan voice before he took aim through the vehicle’s window and fired the handgun.

At the very back of the Suburban, Zonic sat, mumbles a song, delirious due to blood loss before wondering out loud, “Am I dead yet?”

“Not until the doctor decides to kill you!” Agent Stone answered as a matter of fact while grinning as he opened fire as well. The hedgehog simply hummed in response.

“Damnit!” The other Robotnik swerved the car as the bullets miss by the tyres inches. “He’s not giving up, is he?”

Zinnia didn’t say anything as she got out her phone and proceeded to text her boss aka their Robotnik:

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 I have been kidnapped. In broad daylight. I’m scared QwQ

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia I'm close behind him and I'm not alone. I have a lot in store for that sad, pathetic imitation of me...

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 I’d appreciate it if there’s no bloodshed QwQ

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia Then politely ask him to pull over, and make sure you're buckled in since he'll invariably say no.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 If he’s anything like you, convincing him will be difficult OwO

Dr Robotnik To: Dr Zinnia Just try it anyway before he runs himself into a ravine!!!

Zinnia decided to take her boss’s advice and spoke up, voice a little wobbly. “Stop! You’ll end up hurting all of us!”

Robotnik #2 shouted back, enraged. “And lose you after I just got you?! Never!”

“What??” The young woman mumbled, wide-eyed and stunned to silence. She was both frightened and confused. She didn’t know what exactly he wanted from her. But judging be his behaviour towards her...she was afraid to ask...

Next to her, Emil listened in as he begun praying under his breath in mangled Hebrew, barely being able to keep himself under control.

Back in the Suburban, Robotnik #1 was seething in rage at the other Robotnik’s audacity to abduct Emil and Zinnia. He decided to text his double himself seeing as he probably did not listen to anything Zinnia had to say:

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot You have NO IDEA how badly you've fucked up...

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter Hm, by taking Zinnia? She’s just your assistant. I’m sure you can get another one.

His idiotic imitation thinks that he doesn’t care about Zinnia. But little does he know... “KEEP FIRING!! HE'S TOO STUPID TO KNOW HE'S OUTCLASSED!!!” He bellowed out to Theodore and Stone before texting him again:

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot You might have a better idea than I thought. What's the matter? Did something happen to your Zinnia?

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter I lost her... But now I have a chance to get her back. And I’m not giving up!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Ohhh... You happened to her, didn't you? You killed her!

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO!!! I loved her...

“They’re getting away!” Theodore interrupted his texting spree. A subtle hint of panic could be detected in his voice.

Robotnik floored it, the vehicle speeding up even more. “KEEP SHOOTING! I'll crash into it before I let him take them to his hell-dimension!!”

At the same moment, the other Robotnik took a sharp turn to throw them off. It caused Zinnia to jerk to the side and collide into Emil. “Just stop already! This is crazy...”

That turned out successful. Robotnik #1 barely avoided rolling the car as he swerved “You bastard...” he swore before he continued the messages to try and ‘reason’ with him aka taunt him. He does appear to be getting steadily more and more unhinged. If he can get him to stop...

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Was it your reckless driving that killed her? Your fits of rage? Your utter hatred for the world and everyone within it? Tell me

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter It’s none of your business! And don’t act like you care about her!!!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Did you hit her too hard? Did you shake her until her neck snapped? Were you paranoid? Jealous? You just couldn't stand to let her out of your sight... Death was her only relief from your suffocating grasp, and oh, how dearly you must have made her pay for that bitter end...

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter I... I never hurt her! I could never... IT WAS AN ACCUDENT!!!

The messages almost triggered a very unpleasant memory, causing the inter-dimensional Robotnik to get distressed. He barely managed to stop from colliding into another car.

“Oh my God!” Came Zinnia’s frightened cry from the back of the car. She tightly wrapped her arms around Emil held on to him for dear life.

Their Robotnik was quick to notice as he sped after his counterpart. “He's becoming distraught... Don't give up yet!!” His messages were working...

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot It's never an accident. Not with you, and not with me. You know that, Ivo. Did she have time to beg for mercy? To scream, even?

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter I loved her...

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot No. You thought that you owned her. She was simply yours. You barely understand what it means to love someone! The closest you can manage is unmitigated obsession.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter So you know how I felt. Still feel... I made a mistake, I’ll admit that. But now I have a chance to start over!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Listen to yourself! You think that she's replaceable. The woman that you've taken against her will is just a replacement part to you, isn't she? Any attempt that you make to start over will be forced at best. She'll wish that she could meet the same end as "your" Zinnia. She might even bring about her own end to escape your pathetic, crazed desperation.

The final message was the last straw. It triggered a flashback of his Zinnia dying:

=========== le flashback ===========

In San Francisco, what appeared to be a normal was interrupted by a shocking scene: an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog was running through the city at breathtaking speed while a flying machine called the Eggpod piloted by a moustached scientist dressed gave chase and fired explosive energy blasts at said hedgehog. Despite the Eggpod matching Sonic’s super speed, most of its lasers missed due to the hedgehog’s agility and instead caused immense destruction around the city. The lasers tore apart roads, blew up cars, killed and injured several innocent bystanders. Robotnik was unconcerned about all of that. That is, until one of the energy blasts struck a building a certain someone happened to be standing next to.

Zinnia had followed Robotnik to San Francisco, hoping to stop him from doing something he may come to regret. She had foolishly hoped she could stop him from putting anyone’s life at risk, including his own. But she was a bit too late. The fight, or the high-speed chase, had already begun. And Robotnik...was too far gone in his obsession and madness. He didn’t care about anything else other than capturing the hedgehog. Didn’t care who’s blood he had to spill as long as he successfully captures the hedgehog. The doctor didn’t take anyone into consideration. Not even Zinnia when she tried to knock some sense into him earlier. And that was his biggest mistake.

Zinnia stood next to the building as she looked up towards the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of the red blur that was the Eggpod. By the time she noticed one laser blast coming towards her direction, it was too late. The laser struck the building above her and the impact brought part of the structure directly down on her. The young woman had only enough time to take one retreating step before she was crushed under it. It all happened so fast.

The manic grin on Robotnik’s face was replaced by shock. At once, he stopped chasing Sonic and steered his Eggpod to where Zinnia stood earlier and brought it to a stop near the collapsed building. He hopped out and sprinted closer towards the destruction, trying to find Zinnia. When the dust cleared, he saw her lying on her back, among the wreckage, her lower half crushed under heavy rubble including an enormous metal beam. 

Zinnia whimpered in agony. Her face contorted in a grimace of pain and her breaths coming in little gasps. Her glasses laid off in the distance, the lenses broken. Everything looked blurry as if she was looking through a fogged window. She was trapped, in pain and was unable to see her surroundings well. All those feelings mixed up and panic swelled within her. Near hyperventilating, she tried to draw in deep breaths but instead, tears started spilling from her eyes and a choked sob tore from her throat. It hurt to simply breathe. Every breath she inhaled sent excruciating pain flaring through her entire body.

Her hands shook as she moved them lower and futilely tried to remove the structures pinning her to the ground. But they were too heavy. They didn’t move an inch. The simple movement caused her chest to heave in exertion and more pain flared up in her body.

“Zinnia!” Someone was calling for her. Her head weakly lolled to the side and she saw a red, blurry figure running towards her. Only when he came within three feet of her, she recognised who it was. 

“Oh no, Zinnia! No, no, no...” Robotnik got to work and managed to remove most of the debris but no matter how much he tried, he was unable to move the large metal beam. Not that it would have helped. Her lower half, including her lower spine, was already crushed. She was already losing the feelings in her legs.

“Ivo...I’m so sorry... the baby...” Zinnia weakly mumbled out while Robotnik was frantically removing the debris, immediately catching his attention.

“You’re sorry?!” He asked in disbelief as he kneeled down next to her. “Sugar plum, you don’t have anything to be sorry for!” Even while she was lying there, barely able to breath, all she cared about was the baby. He remembered how joyful she was when she discovered she was pregnant... He had never felt the need for children. But seeing her so happy like that made him happy...

The young woman shook her head in despair. “I-I lost...lost our b-baby!” she sobbed, as her hand unconsciously reached down to her belly but instead landed on the metal beam she was crushed under. She couldn’t even touch her belly. It brought even more tears to her voice.

“No, no! This is not your fault.” Robotnik reached over and held her hand. His larger one completely engulfing hers as he gave a gentle squeeze. “Don’t cry please, save your strength.”

But it was useless. What strength she previously had; it was no more. The pain in her body slowly turned to numbness. Her breathing slowed down. She only had enough strength to weakly whisper out one last sentence. “I-I... I love you...”

“And I love you! I’m so sorry! This is all my fault. I’m—”

—But alas, it was at that moment that Zinnia took her last breath and the light left her dark brown eyes, leaving then to stare vacantly up at the sky.

“—sorry... Please...forgive me.” A choked sob tore from his throat when he noticed she wasn’t breathing. “Zinnia? Zinnia...? Zinnia, please! Don’t-Don’t leave me! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

She was his wife! He was supposed to protect her! But instead, he brought upon her horrifying death. He killed her... And in spite of having all this immense wealth and power in his possession, he could not save the woman he loved. Still loves... He remembered how she cried and pleaded with him to not go after the hedgehog. How she clung to him and begged him to not go down that road. But he just brushed her aside. How could be do that? How could he stare into her tearful eyes and push her away as if she was nothing. He was so consumed by his madness and greed for more, he didn’t realise he already had the greatest gift anyone could ever have: Love. If only he’d listened to her in the first place. This would not have happened. Despite what many people believed, both him and Zinnia were so happy together. He was even starting to change for the better all because of her. And he was finally going to have something he never had but always wanted; A family. But he destroyed it before it could even have a chance to grow. He let his greed control him. And it cost him his sugar plum...He remembered how that name came about. She loves...loved plums...These thoughts and regrets were raging in his mind now. The loss he had just suffered by his own hand no less, brought upon the most overwhelming feeling of self-hatred. The likes of which he had never felt before. 

Robotnik could not tolerate to look in her blank eyes anymore. It felt as though they stared right into his wretched soul. The doctor’s hand shook as he raised it to gently close her eyes. Now if it wasn’t for the blood slowly trickling out of her nose and mouth, one would mistake her to be peacefully asleep. Oh, how he wished that was the case. He wished he could wake up and find out it was all a horrible nightmare. But alas, it was not. Now, he could do nothing but kiss her cold lips one last time, lay his head on her lifeless body and weep. He was useless.

========== flashback end ==========

So caught up he was in this horrendous memory, he didn’t notice the car to slow down and swerve until it was too late.

“If you two don't disable that fucking car he's--fuck!!”  Robotnik #1 was not just seething with rage anymore. An intense fear was crawling through him as well. The fear of not being able to stop his other self in time.

But just at that moment, Theodore was able to shoot one of the tyres. “I think I hit it...”

“God damnit! No!” The other Robotnik bellowed out in frustration as the tyres screeched and his car came to a jerking stop.

“IT'S OVER YOU SON OF A BITCH!!” Their Robotnik screeched to a halt a few feet away and he wasted no time in jumping out of the car, and sprinting toward the imposter's car.

“Oh, thank God...” Zinnia on the other hand, tried to calm her nerves as she slowly stepped out of the car, only to be grabbed by said imposter.

“Let us leave and no one needs to get hurt!” The other Robotnik snarled as he pulled Zinnia closer with both arms around her body, gripping her tightly but not enough to be painful. That however did nothing to ease the young woman’s fears. She was practically trembling.

Fortunately, Emil came to her rescue. With his face a mask of cold, focused rage, he struck Robotnik's double with a rabbit punch. The force staggered him back, making him let go of Zinnia. “No... No!” Then he remembered his gloves. Assuming both him and his counterpart had identical technology. It was worth a try... He punched a few buttons on his glove with practised ease and successfully activated the drones, commanding them to fire at the others, except Zinnia, of course.

But sadly, she still got shot in the side as she ran away. Her body seized under the white hot pain she felt, causing her to fall with a pained scream. 

Robotnik #1 tackled his doppelganger in spite of the sudden hail of bullets, and he laid into him with his fists. Zinnia's scream only stoked the rage and hatred in his eyes...

“THEO! Go grab her! I'll draw them to me!” Stone started providing cover fire the same time as Theodore bellowed out Zinnia’s name and sprinted towards where she had fallen and now laid on the road, unable to move due to the immense pain she felt in her waist’s left side.

Theodore quickly kneeled down next to her and put pressure on her wound. “Hey, I got you.”

“Oh God... it hurts...” She barely managed to speak, her eyes screwed shut and face scrunched up in pain.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. I need you to breath” her boyfriend cradled her close and kept pressure on her wound.

“Stop touching me...” She whimpered and tried to blindly push away his hands as the pressure aggravated her pain.

“Zinnia, I need to make sure you don’t bleed out. Take deep breaths.”

Back with the two Robotnik’s, the fistfight came to an end because the second Robotnik had managed to get out his taser and fired it at the first Robotnik, successfully incapacitating him and pushed him away, “GET OFF ME!”

But he wasn’t out of the water yet. Emil strode closer, his eyes as crazed as Ivo's as he stomped on the imposter's chest with all his strength which definitely fractured a rib or two. He grunted in pain before grabbing Emil’s leg, and managed to throw him off his feet and stood up.

Agent Stone noticed and took aim at the other Robotnik and nicked him in the leg, causing him to lose his footing. He looked back, enraged and directed a drone to shoot at Stone, who promptly took cover behind the car.

While the others were distracted, the other Robotnik took it as an opportunity to escape. He limped towards an abandoned car, probably left behind in a panic by a terrified civilian, hopped in and drove off. ‘Today didn’t go as planned. But I will not give up...’  While racing away in the car, he was torn up between wanting to go back and make sure Zinnia was alright, to help her but he knew if he didn’t escape now, he would never get another chance. He never expected his other self to care this much about her, to be this passionate when it came to protecting her considering she happened to be in a relationship with a man who’s not him. But it may work in his favour. Knowing this, he hoped his other self would do everything in his power to make sure she would be fine.  

Meanwhile, their Robotnik was still on the ground, barely able to breathe but he tried to struggle to his feet anyway. He was helped up to his feet by Emil, who brought him closer to Zinnia. The misty air was condensing into a soft drizzle. “Did he hit any organs? Is she gonna be alright?!” Emil frantically questioned.

“No, nothing vital. But we need to have the wound treated...” Theodore answered, worry evident in his voice.

“We... Oh Jesus... Uhh, we have a hospital wing back at the compound. I think it might be the closest place.”

“Good idea... we should move.” Honestly, the compound was the last place he wanted Zinnia to be, but looking at the condition she was in, Theodore was quick to agree.

Robotnik fell to his knees next to Zinnia, opposite of Theo. He was as pale as a burial shroud. “Zinnia...” 

“H-hey...” The young woman managed to give Robotnik a smile despite her pain when she saw how worried he looked. “I-I’ll be fine...“

Robotnik started to say something to Agent Stone, but he couldn’t get the words out. He started sobbing, and he was mortified that he could not make it stop. Seeing Zinnia like that, he was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness.

Zinnia’s eyebrows knitted together in a little worried frown. “Don’t c-cry! It wasn’t your fault!” She tried to reassure him but to avail.

“Uhh, do you... I can help you carry her if you need...” Emil asked Theodore before staring at Robotnik. In shock at the sobbing mess he’d become. “Ah Christ, Ivo!”

“No, it’s alright. I got her.” Theodore stood with Zinnia in his arms, wincing at the pained gasp she let out.

“Y-yeah, you l-look after Rob...” Zinnia told Emil, breathing heavily. “I-I’m starting to feel sick...” Nausea was creeping in.

Emil assured her while removing Dozy from the car. “Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. Stone, can you drive us?”

Agent Stone looked the SUV over for damage before answering. “I should be able to, yeah.”

“Emil... take Tweety with you too, p-please...” Zinnia requested when she noticed him getting Dozy. The poor parrot was still in the car, probably in shock after the crazy car ride.

“C'mon buddy. You can sit with me n' Dozy...” Emil cautiously held out his forearm to the cockatoo who hesitated before perching on Emil’s arm. The bird was very worried about Zinnia. She sounded like she was in distress and he could detect the smell of blood...

“Alright... let’s leave. Quickly now! The bleeding is getting worse.” Theodore hurried over to the SUV with Zinnia in his arms. He settled them both in, with her lying on his lap, making sure she was as comfortable as possible. He noticed her bleeding had gotten worse. The entire left side of her black shirt now completely soaked in her blood. He quickly removed his jacket and pressed it to her wound, causing her face to contort in pain. Hopefully, it will help slow down the bleeding.

Robotnik was very quiet as he got inside the SUV after Theo and Zinnia. He sat as near to them as possible.

“Alright, I think everyone's accounted for, right?” Emil closed the door after climbing in the front seat next to Agent Stone, who immediately had to give Dozy ear scritches before driving away.

The car ride was quiet for a while until Zonic, who had been in the back the entire time, started messing around with his communicator, trying to make any contact with his team while mumbling to himself. “Fucking idiots. This is so bad. Destroying your own universes like this... ughh.”

“Shut up back there! What are you doing?” Agent Stone called out from the front before turning to look at the man next to him. “Emil--”

“I got it...” Emil climbed out of his seat and into the very back where Zonic was and reached over. “Just gimme that... whatever that is. I don't wanna hurt you, but I will. I've had an EXTREMELY long day.”

Despite his still untreated wounds, the hedgehog oozed confidence and lazily looked at Emil. “Talking to me?” Or perhaps it was the blood loss.

Emil grabbed him by the wrist. “No, asshole! The blue alien midget behind you! Why the fuck didn't you take this off him, Stone?!” He yelled at the Agent as he tried to grab the communicator.

“Good Chaos, just take it, don’t break it! I never thought I would miss being alone in an office...” Zonic managed to send one message before Emil snatched it away. “... welp, you can take it now. And I’m a multiverse guardian, also known as a zone cop, thank you very much.”

“Pfft, whatever, space-pig. I fuckin hate cops... You're lucky Ivo wants you alive!” Emil just scoffed before returning to his seat.

“I’d rather be dead.” The hedgehog replied in a serious tone.

The silence was broken once again, by Zinnia this time. “A-Are we...t-there yet? I’m n-not feeling...so good...” She mumbled, starting to feel weaker.

“WHY AREN'T YOU DRIVING FASTER?! STEP ON IT!!” Robotnik was quick to shout at Stone. Seeing Zinnia like that...he felt so helpless...

“Hey, stay awake. We’ll be there soon, okay?” Theodore gently held her limp hand. “I’m here.”

“I feel so tired...” she just whispered in response, her eyes starting to close on their own. 

“Zinnia, no! Try to stay awake for a little longer, please.” Her boyfriend urged her.

At the same time, Robotnik was also quick to keep her from closing her eyes as he practically yelled. “NO! You can't close your eyes! Look at your boyfriend or something!”

“Hmm...” Zinnia opened her eyes weakly. “But I just want to sleep...”  The blood loss was making her feel weak and faint. But they could not let her fall asleep. Because if they did, she may never wake up...

“I know. Please stay awake for a little longer. You can sleep all you want after we get there.” Theodore squeezed her hand, trying to get her to stay awake.

“Okay guys, we're almost to the parking garage! A team of medics will be there to get her to the hospital wing.” Stone informed them as he drove past the compound gates.

“Good, we’re here...I just...wanna sleep...” Zinnia faintly mumbled.

“DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! YOU'RE STAYING AWAKE UNTIL I SAY YOU CAN FALL ASLEEP!!” Robotnik wasted no time in jumping out of the car and screamed at the nearest emt. “GET HER INTO THE HOSPITAL! QUIT STANDING AROUND!!”

Theodore was quick to exit next, carrying Zinnia in his arms and followed Robotnik towards one of the awaiting emt’s. Agent Stone must’ve called ahead and informed them of the situation.

<->-<->-<->-<->-<->

As soon as other Robotnik retreated to his hidden base and treated his injuries, he messaged his inter-dimensional counterpart. As much as he loathed to talk to him, he had to find out if Zinnia was alright. It was unlikely he would get a clear answer from him but he was desperate...:

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter How is she? Tell me she’s okay!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot Well, considering the fact that you shot her while she fled terrified from you, what do you think?

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter This would not have happened if you hadn’t intervened! Everything was fine until you showed up! Why could you not have let me taken her? You don’t even love her like I do!

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot You're right. I don't love her like you do. Maybe that's why she wanted me to protect her from you. Nothing was fine. Even you, in your delusional state, must acknowledge that she had to be threatened and coerced into entering that car with you. What would you even do if you'd gotten away with her? Please, enlighten me as to how you'd force her to love you!

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter Please... Just tell me if she’s alive or not. Nothing else matters to me more than knowing whether she’s okay.

Dr Robotnik To: Fraudulent Idiot You're an idiot. She'd say the same thing if she could.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: The Imposter “If she could”??? Is she..

Dr Robotnik [message left on read]

Back at the compound, Robotnik had moved to Zinnia’s hospital room soon after her gunshot wound was treated. He brought his work with him as well. He was not letting her out of his sight until he knows that the other Robotnik is either dead or never coming back.

Theodore sat on the hospital bed, holding Zinnia close to him while she slept and gave Robotnik a strange look. “What are you still doing here?”

Robotnik was furiously typing away at a portable workstation as he answered. “What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to work! There's a lot to do before that idiot shows up again. He's been texting me non-stop... I made it sound like she's dead.” He paused to look up at Theo and smiled grimly. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's a little unstable!”

The other man appeared a bit uncertain. “You made it sound like she’s dead...? If he’s anything like you, I don’t think that will be enough to deter him. What does he want with her anyway?”

The scientist scoffed. “He loves her, allegedly. He did something to his universe's Zinnia, and now he wants ours. He thinks that he loves her, but this is how he goes about it...” He shook his head. “If there's anything I know about myself, it's that I wouldn't know love if it slapped me in the face. I'd never pretend to know...” He fell quiet and stopped typing for a moment. Then, he went back to work.

Unaware to either of them, Zinnia was awake and was listening to their conversation. She pretended to be asleep for a little longer, lying on the bed with her body tucked against Theodore’s, trying to get the raging emotions within her to calm down.

“Do you? Love her, I mean?” Since they were speaking, Theodore took it as an opportunity to probe further.

Robotnik gave Theo a deadpan expression. “If I loved her, then she'd be about as miserable as Liz, if not more. I'm sure you've heard about what I did to her. Emil isn't a discreet person.” His answer only managed to baffle the other man even more, causing him to shake his head in confusion.

“Then why do you care about her so much?” During the time Theodore has known Robotnik, he has seen the scientist to show genuine concern for only a select few people. Zinnia being one of them.

Robotnik’s gaze shifted from Theodore to Zinnia as he looked at her sadly. “I respect her. I want her to be safe and happy. I don't want to push her away like I've done with everyone else in my life.” What Robotnik didn’t realise however, was that is exactly what love is. Zinnia on the other hand, did as she silently listened to what he said. She couldn’t help but feel content at what she heard. 

Theodore just nodded silently and decided not to inquire further.

After a few minutes of silence, Zinnia decided she was unable to fall back to sleep, despite the fatigue she felt in her entire body. She groaned and rolls to her back, immediately regretting it as pain flares up in her waist. “Ugh, what time is it?”

“Zinnia!” Robotnik's out of his seat and by her side immediately. “Stop moving around so much. A bullet tore through your body just a few hours ago! You're a doctor--tell her to stop!”

“He’s right, Zinnia. You need to be on bed rest for a few more days.” Theodore gently held her shoulder to stop her from moving too much.”

“I wanna go home...” Zinnia whispered, feeling overwhelmed, before bursting into tears, cuddling close to Theodore.

“Hey, Zinnia...” He softly whispered and gently held her closer. “It’ll be alright.”

Robotnik just watched silently from his seat by the bed and hoped she’ll be alright soon.

<->-<->-<->-<->-<->

The next day, Zinnia had not one but two unexpected visitors.

The door to the hospital room burst open and there stood John Constantine, “ZINNA HOLY FUCK!!!!!! LOOK AT MY SON!!!” He held up a little boy high in his hands in an imitation of Lion king.

The young woman was resting on her bed and was startled a bit due to John’s loud entry before she looked at the baby in wonder. “Oh my God, so cute! What’s his name?”

“Liam Mary Constantine...” John replied proudly.

Robotnik took that moment to enter the room as well, yelling at John all the while. “GET OUT OF HERE!! Can't you see she's recovering from a bullet wound?!” He noticed the baby in the other man’s hands. “Will you PLEASE remove that infant from the premises!”

“Can I hold him?” Zinnia reached out her hands towards John before looking at Robotnik with her wide, doe eyes. “He’s just a baby.”

“Be gentle, Zinna...” John ignored Robotnik and handed over little Liam to Zinnia.

“Of course!” The young woman held the baby close as she cooed. “Aww he’s so cute!” That unfortunately, prompted Robotnik to let out another outburst.

“Don't let it touch you! A newborn's immune system is weak so that child is a walking disease vector. ZINNIA'S BOYFRIEND! SAY SOMETHING!!”

“What?? It’s fine!” Theodore just gave Robotnik an amused look.

“Liam was born a few days ago, Robotnik, he's perfectly fine!!!” John shot back, smiling proudly.

The scientist growled in frustration before redirecting his attention towards Zinnia. “Fine! Just don't rupture your stitches!” Zinnia however, didn’t seem to pay attention to him as she cuddled the baby close. She noticed something very interesting. Little Liam had one blue eye and one dark brown eye. “Oohhh heterochromia! That’s neat!”

“Heh...Are you alright? What happened???” John worriedly questioned, causing Zinnia to stop smiling and turn gloomy all of a sudden. She looked to her boyfriend and he answered for her. “She got shot in an incident regarding the other Robotnik.”

“The coward fled. He couldn't bear to witness the consequences of his actions...” Robotnik seethed.

“A part of me thinks he’ll be back. After all, from what I’ve seen, you’re not one to give up easily...” Theodore shot the scientist a serious look.

“Oh bollocks. Sorry luv. Can I getcha anythin'?” John asked Zinnia, expressing his sympathy.

“Nothing really... I just want to go home...” Robotnik was quick to disagree with what she said.

“You're not safe there! He knows where you live!!”

“...I could kill 'im if ya need....” John offered, which Zinnia was highly against.

“...John please... I don’t want any bloodshed.” 

“Alrigh'...” The mage sat down on a spare chair. “So...What are we gonna do? The bastard hurt my friend, he's gonna pay.”

Robotnik spoke in a grumbling voice. “Why don't you just call him and set him on fire?”

“I would, but since your the same person I'd need his DNA so I don't set you on fire. Lock of hair, fingerprint...”

“No, no. Please, no setting anyone on fire!” Zinnia frantically shook her head.

“Alright. C-can I have my son back...??”

“Oh,” The young woman noticed she still had Liam in her arms. “Of course!” She gently handed him over to John before turning her attention towards Robotnik, her expression determined. “Oh and just so you know, if I’m staying here, so is Teddy.”

“Hm? Oh, right. The boyfriend, of course he can stay here.” The doctor was surprisingly quick to agree.

“I have a name, you know.” Theodore shot him an annoyed look, while in the background, John was talking to Liam using a baby voice. “Hello little hellion. Who’s daddy's little hellion??”

“Of course you do! Anyway,” Robotnik turned towards John. “I'm sure whoever have birth to that child would like to see him, right? I'll have one of my agents show you out.”

“Bloody rude.” John grumbled but agreed to being escorted out, waving them goodbye.

Zinnia waved back before asking Robotnik a question that had been in her mind for a while. “Hey, I just remembered, what happened to that blue hedgehog?”

“Oh, well, he's under surveillance by Agents Sobel and Stone. We need him alive right now, I'm sure he's fine.”

“Last time I saw him, he was hurt pretty badly...” She remembered how he had suffered gunshot wounds, much like her.

“I have some vet technicians working on him. He'll be fine...” The scientist clenched his fist. “He'd better be, for their sake.”

“So... why do you want him alive?”

“The off-brand me has the ability to travel between dimensions, and so does the hedgehog. I'm going to track that bastard down and strangle him with my bare hands...”

“Okay...” The young woman hesitated a bit. “Do you know why the off-brand you was after me specifically?” She already knew but wanted to see what he’ll say.

“He's under the impression that he's going to make you love him. That alone is proof that his intellect is crippled compared to mine.”

“What... but why?...” Zinnia appeared to be deep in thought. “He and the me from that universe were together?”

“So he says.” Robotnik shrugged. “Honestly? I can't imagine any version of you who's stupid enough to fall in love with me. Maybe he’s making it up because he fell for you when he saw you.”

“Hmm...I don’t think he is. He wouldn’t have risked his life like that for something made up.” She suddenly looked at him with a teasing smile. “Are you saying that I’m smart?”

He smirked, feeling so much affection for her at that moment that he didn’t know what to do except pinch her cheek. “What if he made it all up on the spot when he first saw you? And of course you're smart! I don't hire idiots!!”

She giggled while lightly batting his hand away. “I doubt that. Why would anyone make something like that up. And mayhaps I’m not as smart as you say I am, considering I do...love you. Not like that, but as a friend...I do.”

Meanwhile, Theodore was silently watching their exchange with a raised eyebrow, his expression unreadable.

Robotnik was genuinely taken aback by what Zinnia said, and it showed. He literally had no idea how to handle that unknown emotion he was feeling. He hugged her briefly before he stood up and returned to his workstation. “I should let you get done rest. You've had a long day.”

Her smile fades a bit as she looked at him worriedly. “Hey, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable...”

“I'm... I'm not uncomfortable! I just have to ensure that the knockoff version of me doesn't hijack my machines again!”

“Oh! Right, he was able to take control over your drones. Same technology probably...” Zinnia appeared to be deep in thought. “I do wonder, what exactly happened to this other version of me. He told me that I don’t exist in that universe anymore...”

“I have a few ideas as to what happened, and all of them are his doing. I know myself, and by extension I know him better than he knows himself. That man is adrift in a sea of self-delusion.” He scoffed.

“But you’re not like that... Something terrible must’ve happened for him to become this desperate...” She sighed. “So anyway, I guess I should move my stuff to my old room here. The stuff which is back at my house...”

“Not until you're recovered! Or maybe Theo can do it. It's not like he's going to be abducted!”

“Yeah, I can bring all your stuff here. No worries” Theodore readily agreed.

“Oh, and you think I can maybe... get a room with a window this time?” Zinnia asked Robotnik a bit timidly, not knowing how he would react. “My previous one doesn’t have one and it can be a bit suffocating sometimes.”

“Of course you can! And it won't just be a studio apartment, either. I'll make sure that it's nice and homey for you!” The scientist was smiling, overjoyed at the thought of having Zinnia live under his roof again.

“Really?” The young woman smiled brightly. “That would be great, if it’s not too much trouble of course!”

“Of course it isn't! You can even let Theo live with you! And... that fucking bird...”

“Oh yeah! I think he’s with Emil right now. And... I get that you still have a grudge against him. I’m sorry once again that he bit you. But look on the bright side, now we have something we can use to differentiate between you and your other self!” She giggled.

<->-<->-<->-<->-<->

The next day, Zinnia was visited by Agent Stone. She got up from her bed to greet him. After doing so, he asked about Robotnik. “Has anyone seen the doctor? I don't think he's eaten in the past 24 hours and that's upsetting...”

“He hasn’t?? He’s been so worried about me lately. I feel kinda bad. Her boss was so busy looking after her, he neglected to take care of himself.

“Right--that other doctor shot you! Are you feeling better? ... Do you think there's another Agent Stone?”

“I’m much better. It still hurts a bit but other than that, I’m okay. Hmm I don’t know actually. There could be a possibility if there’s another me.” She answered.

“Two doctors... Imagine...” Stone looked lost in his thoughts all of a sudden, which caused Zinnia to give him a deadpan look.

“Stone... please stop.”

“Sorry! I wouldn't leave this dimension anyway, not since I'm finally allowed to talk to my daughter! She's a freshman at UC Berkeley!” Agent Stone said with pride in his voice.

Upon hearing that, Zinnia perked up looked at him curiously. “Oh really? I didn’t know you had kids. What’s her name?”

“Just the one. Her name is Sina Contreras. She, well, she took her mother's name. And that's fine!” He took an old photo out of his wallet. “She's grown so much since I took this picture of her...”

The young woman smiled brightly as she took a look at the photo. “Oh, she’s adorable!”

“She really is! And she lets me call her every week now. I finally was able to give her all of the letters I'd written to her all these years--”

“Agent Stone! What are you doing in here?! You're supposed to be guarding that blue rat!!” Robotnik barged into the room.

“That’s great! I’m so happy for you--” Zinnia’s attention turned towards her boss. “Oh hey, he was telling me that you haven’t eaten anything in a while.”

“Sorry, doctor! I'll just leave now...” And with that, Agent Stone left the room.

“Please do. And I've eaten! See all of those bottles over there?!” The scientist pointed to a bunch of empty Soylent bottles on his desk that he had set up in her room.

“What?? That’s not real food! I can cook something for you if you want.” She offered.

“YOU CAN'T LEAVE YOUR BED! What if you tear your stitches? What if you fall?! You!” He pointed at Theo as soon as he entered the room. “Tell her! You're the one who's her boyfriend!”

Said boyfriend sighed in mild exasperation. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit too overprotective?”

“Yeah...like there’s no need for all the cushion mats and stuff.” Zinnia gestured around her room. Earlier, Robotnik had ordered his custodians to put down cushioned mats on the floor and padding on all the corners, as if he was having the room baby-proofed.

“Of course not! She can do whatever the hell she wants! If "Doctor Theodore" says it's alright, you can run around as much as you want!” The scientist threw up his hands and walked out of the room, only to poke his head back in a minute later. “Just don't leave the compound yet, not until I'm standing over my dead lookalike with his blood dripping from my hands.” Then finally, he left, leaving Zinnia to stare after him with wide eyes.

The silence was broken by Theodore. “Well, that was...something.”

A few hours later, after everything had finally calmed down, Zinnia received a text message while she was laying in bed and just passing time on her phone. It was from the other Robotnik:

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia Zinnia, you’re alive! That bastard made me think you were dead! But you got shot... I’m so sorry.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 It’s fine... I’m better now. But how did you find out...?

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia I saw you... with that infant... You have no idea how good it felt to see you in person yesterday, after so long...

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 Listen, I understand it was very difficult to lose your Zinnia but you have to understand that I’m not her.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia But you can be her. No, you are her.

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #2 I’m not! I don’t belong in your universe. My home is here.

Dr Ivo Robotnik To: Zinnia Here with that uptight British man who clearly doesn’t deserve you? With my other extremely more volatile self?! None of those people deserve you! I expect you to trust me and know that I know what’s best. I can look after you better than they can! That’s what I’m trying to do!

Dr Frost [left on read, feeling very scared indeed]

Dr Frost To: Dr Robotnik #1 He knows I’m alive. And that I’m here in your compound. I’m scared QwQ

Robotnik was in a room nearby, about to have a quick nap, but the moment he read Zinnia's text he was off the couch and back by her side in an instant. “He's insane if he thinks that he's going to bypass all of my automated defence systems! All of my private agents have been informed of the situation and if they see anyone who looks even a little like me then they're instructed to detain him if he can't supply them with the right passphrase. I'm going to issue your boyfriend a sidearm of his own in case I'm not here, okay? That lunatic will never get his hands on you!”

The young woman sighed sadly and nodded while sporting a very depressed expression. “So we just...wait now? I’m scared...”

"Hey..." Robotnik sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand. "We won't have to wait very long. I'm sure he has some idiotic plan to invade my compound, and he's a very rash and impatient man from what I've seen. When he finally shows his face and tries to use my own creations against me, we'll detain him and humanely dispose of him." he gave Theo a wink over Zinnia's head, and he didn't even attempt to hide the excitement he felt about the opportunity to kill his inferior self.

Zinnia looked up, still with that gloomy expression when she felt her hand being held by a larger one. She first thought it was Theodore but the feel of the glove suggested otherwise. She didn’t expect Robotnik to show this much affection towards her but then again, he’s been overly affectionate ever since she was abducted by him. She shuddered to think about the messages he sent her. She cleared her throat nervously and unconsciously squeezed his hand before speaking up. “You’re right. He has been... but he’s still basically you. He knows everything that you do. The odds right now... aren’t looking good.”

Theodore raised an eyebrow and gave the scientist an amused look but otherwise stayed silent and listened to whatever he had to say.

"He's in enemy territory though, and he knows that you don't want to leave with him. And what I've gleaned from taking with him makes me suspect that your interdimensional counterpart's demise might have been his fault. He probably lost his temper, or he treated her like an object even more than he does now... I know him better than he knows himself. Whatever his upbringing was, I can only assume that it wasn't quite like mine." His expression was grim. He didn't look at either of them. "Unlike him, I know what I am and what I'm capable of. I don't deny my true self."

“But...you don’t treat me badly,” Zinnia mumbled with a far-off in her eyes. “You both are identical...and yet different. I wonder exactly what lead him to become like this...”

Off in the distance, deep in the woods up in the mountains a few miles from Zinnia’s house was the other Robotnik. He had set up a temporary base, hidden within the mountains. Not many people travelled this far and even if some did, all they would see would be trees and land due to his cloaking device. And if for some reason they were to venture closer, his security drones would dispose of them.

The scientist himself was currently recovering from the injuries he had sustained during his fight with his other self and that strange Emil person. He has him to thank for his fractured ribs. While he recovered, he had successfully gained access into the other Robotnik’s security cameras. All his worries and rage dissipated, a soft smile replacing his frown as soon as he saw Zinnia in a hospital room, looking a bit weak and pale but alive. She was holding an infant. That image almost brought tears to his eyes as he was reminded of his late Zinnia who was expecting a child of their own. If he hadn’t screwed everything over, his Zinnia would be alive right now, along with their child. In fact, the child would be three years of age now...But he still has another chance to not only have Zinnia back but their child as well. 

’So that bastard lied to me.’ His mind went to that moment when his other self made him believe that she died. Considering he and Zinnia aren’t together in this universe, he was not expecting the response the other one showed when he abducted her. And he loathed to admit that he was unprepared for it. Looks like he’d have to hop back to his universe and get everything he needed to prepare himself for the next time. Because there will be a next time. He will never give up until he has her.

===to be continued? OwO===

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs

I haven’t done this in a while, recommending fics. But there were some fics these past couple of months that put a smile on my face, so I want to spread that joy to others. Seriously, they’re so good and I want to shove all these recs at people and have them appreciate them as much as I do. Everyone stay safe and I hope these recs make staying home easier for everyone!

-

[Fullmetal Alchemist]

maestoso by novalotypo

Edward Elric is about eleven when he stands up, makes an extended effort to knock as many books off the old bastard’s shelves as he can, and says, “Fuck the military. Al, you interested in music at all?”

Everybody's got their own ideas of retirement.

The Elrics don't even do retirement, what with the world trying to blow itself up every other month, but this shit has got to take the fucking cake.

(You want a fic that’ll make you cry tears of uncontrollable laughter? I point you to this fic. The shenanigans, the fact this is a time travel fic, the fucking headaches the Elrics cause, the I-Have-No-Fucks-To-Give attitude. Legend.)

-

[The Magnus Archives]

we raise it up by savrenim

Jonathan Sims reads a book and saves the world; although maybe the real salvation is the friends he makes along the way.

OR: in which Jon is not the only Archival monster for very long, Sasha James is competent, Tim Stoker finds some catharsis, Helen Richardson is sexy, Melanie makes a very successful youtube channel revamp, and Martin Blackwood gets to brew a lot of new friends tea.

(This is literally the most creative, fucking inspired tma fic I’ve ever read. You literally will never be able to guess what happens next and it’s just so much fun.)(Kinda Time Travel, you’ll understand what I mean if you read it, it’s so well done and amazing.)(The characterization for Sasha makes me want to weep, I’ve never seen her characterized this way before and it makes SO MUCH SENSE.)(@savrenim you are a QUEEN and you inspire me to be a better writer.)

-

[Marvel]

Crash Landing by Nyxelestia

"You could've left me there," Adrian murmured, jerking his head back towards the burning beach in the distance. "For Stark and his DODC people to find me. Liz and Doris' lives would've actually fallen apart with my arrest, and all my work to take care of them would've gone to waste. You could've just left me there...but you didn't. So I'll make you another deal."

Peter clenched his hands, fists shaking hard. "I'm giving you a second chance - but if you go back to what you were doing...I can't make any promises."

"It would be stupid of me to expect you to, after all this," Adrian said. He looked at Peter, at the hints of bruises and all the blood. He had trouble reconciling this fragile-looking kid with the superhuman who's been destroying his business, his daughter's homecoming date with the boy he'd nearly killed. "That's not my deal. My deal is, we both walk away, and neither of us say a word about any of this to Liz. Anything else - we'll cross those bridges as we come to them."

Swallowing, the boy nodded.

Instead of gift-wrapping the Vulture for Happy to find, Peter lets Mr. Toomes go.

(Honestly, I’m disappointed in the fact there’s not many Vulture-centric fics out there. This was so great and Peter was wonderfully characterized here along with Ned.)(I have a deep craving now for more Adrian Toomes fics and I blame this fic for that. I don’t regret it one bit.)

-

[The Witcher]

all some children do is work by some_stars

It's two children, he realizes as they slowly sit up. They look about eight or nine, not that he's much judge of children's ages. One is a girl, dark-haired, in a shabby dress. The other is a boy. His clothes aren't much better, and his hair isn't much lighter than the girl's, but his eyes—

His eyes, Jaskier realizes with a distant sense of horror, are gold like a cat's. His mind makes one more valiant effort to keep from connecting the obvious dots and recognizing them, and then it finally does.

"How in the unholy fuck," Jaskier says to no one, "did this shit happen?"

(So sweet it’ll give you cavities. Break your own heart reading this, I dare you.)

of music and motion and love by WriteThroughTheNight

When Jaskier was four, he slipped his mother’s watch and went to the field to gather a bouquet of dandelions. He climbed back into the yard, as stealthy as a child really cared to be, and crept over to the barn. In the barn, lived a secret. (The man he thought his father said the secret was a monster, a plague. His mother said the secret was his sister.)

OR

Jaskier comes from a far humbler background, and would really like to know why Yennefer never came back for her youngest brother.

(YENNEFER AND JASKIER AS SIBLINGS ENOUGH SAID. FIENOWPAFE)

to render it transparent by theundiagnosable

Geralt wakes up warm, peaceful, and utterly content, which is how he knows that something is severely wrong.

(Where Geralt wakes up in the future and Jaskier and Geralt live at the Coast.)(They are Disasters. What else is new.)(Everything’s lovely and emotionally repressed.)

-

[Game of Thrones]

if I give you my heart, will you promise not to break it? by janie_tangerine

Ship: Brienne/Jaime

“It’s not broken,” she protests.

“Please,” Ronnet goes on, “it’s all red. Red hearts like that are broken and their owners are either useless or more effort than they’re worth. ‘Course you would get a broken one, who else would want you?”

“It’s not,” Brienne hisses, and at that he stops talking. She realizes her voice had turned cold. Very cold. A coldness that doesn’t belong to her, she’s never sounded like that, but it seems to come from the pulsing warmth in her hands, again - “and the day I find him you’ll see he’s not broken or damaged or unworthy. And I sure as the seven hells hope no one got saddled with yours.

in which soulmates find each other through one of them having the other's heart.

or, in which Brienne gets a mostly broken one the day Jaime Lannister kills Aerys Targaryen.

(So this is a series, just want to put that out there. And I read through all of them cause I just couldn’t do otherwise. Brienne is obviously the bravest, most noble, most amazing of course. And Jaime makes me want to punch a wall because feels.)(This soulmate idea is so creatively and well done, has become one of my favorite soulmate tropes.)(There are a lot of interesting pairings in this series and the way the author went about the relationships and this expanding world has me giving all the yeses.)(Please read!!!)

-

[Gilmore Girls]

Weather Me by missgoalie75

Ship: Paris Geller/Jess Mariano

A year in the life of Paris and Jess.

(PARIS GELLER AND JESS MARIANO AT THEIR VERY BEST HOLY SHIT!!! I can hear their voices in every line, every thought, every damn interaction and I am so in love it's ridiculous. Paris in particular won me over, I have become incredibly fond of her and it's honestly brilliant! And Jess has a beautiful mind and I love him, I do. God, do I.)(missgoalie75 did it again.)

Living With It by thesaltyavocado

Ship: Lindsay Lister/Jess Mariano

#Future Fic, #Post-Season/Series Finale, #So Your Ex is Now Your Step-Cousin, #And You're Dating Her Ex's Ex!, #A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Over It

(There’s no summary, it’s a series, and I’m in LOVE. I am a sucker for really, really well done rare pairs, and this is the rarest of them all. Go for it. It’s beautiful.)(Also, the author is literally the BEST, the VERY BEST at making me want to ship people I never even thought of. They’re awesome.)(check out all their fics, I went on a spree and you should too.)

-

[The Hunger Games]

Speechless by thesaltyavocado

Ship: Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket

Effie was kind, she was warm, she offered comfort to anyone who needed it, microphones be damned. She had a reputation for generosity amongst the Victors that Haymitch hadn't paid any attention to, because he was so paranoid about showing his hand that he barely even said her name around other people, barely even acknowledged her existence. Everyone thought he hated her, Beetee had explained. Everyone knew the stories about how he'd made her cry in the sponsor's lounge at the opening of the 61st Games, how he'd blown up at Cecelia that time when she'd asked him to pass a message onto Effie for her. Is that why none of you assholes ever liked me? Haymitch had asked. No, we didn't like you because you were a prick, Beetee told him, which was fair enough.

(The best, and I mean the best fic I’ve ever read regarding this pairing. Nothing is ever going to top this. Nothing.)(The WORLDBUILDING. FUCK.)(Literally everyone is perfectly characterized in new, heartbreaking ways and I just, fuck. Fuck.)(I don’t care if you’re not into the fandom, this will make you fall in love and see the characters with new eyes and it’s absolutely stellar.)(I want to cry.)(You don’t even have to be here for the ship, just be here for the writing, characterization, the WORLDBUILDING, fucking everything.)(Please.)(This fic NEEDS more love.)(I have fallen in love with Effie Trinket.)(This is my life now.)

-

[Harry Potter]

Walkabout by thesaltyavocado for teethandstars

Ship: Hermione Granger/Sirius Black

"You are always far too handsome for your own good," Hermione says, "in any timeline."

(The author strikes again when it comes to shipping people I don’t expect to love, yet here it is. Such an interesting fic where the time travel already happened and it’s the aftermath that the fic covers.)(Again, characterization off the fucking charts and I just want to wrap myself up in their words and live there.)(A story about broken people trying to find peace within themselves.)

-

[Stranger Things]

and you hunger for the time by missgoalie75

Ship: Steve Harrington/Kali Prasad

after the battle of starcourt, steve figured the rest of the summer would involve not working, waiting for his busted ribs and face to heal, hanging out with robin and the party, and trying to ignore the panic he feels whenever he thinks about his future. All that does happen, but other unexpected things happen too.

(Bet you didn’t see this ship coming, did you? Neither did I, yet here we are.)(missgoalie75 is the gift that keeps on giving.)(But in all seriousness this is my favorite characterization of Steve, hands down.)(This fic needs more kudos and comments and basically all the love it deserves.)(God tier characterization and relationship development.)

-

[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas]

nfwmb by perennial

Ship: Eris/Proteus

The goddess of discord isn't careless enough to fall in love with a do-gooder mortal prince—unless, of course, she doesn't know it's happening.

(Okay, hear me out. I know it’s weird, I can feel the judgement coming from my screen. But I am weak in the face of rare pairings that actually work and the fact I fucking loved this movie ever since I was a kid, okay? So if anybody else loves this fandom as much as I do, stand up and take notice of this. I am here to tell you there are worthwhile fics to be read in this very, very small fandom.)

I'll keep turning down the hands that beckon me to come by deavors

Ship: Marina/Proteus/Sinbad

“Jealous?” Sinbad says, voice easily and casually mocking, but there’s something else under there, an undertone that speaks of so many things Marina isn’t even close to understanding.

“Extremely,” says Proteus, cracking a half-smile, but Marina feels like he’s not joking.

They stare at each other for a few moments. Marina’s gaze flickers between them. Sun and moon. She wishes—she doesn’t know what she wishes. Her heart is twisting again, but in a different way from before: as though it’s half-empty and longs to be full.

(You have no idea how in love I am with the idea of these three being in a poly relationship. No idea.)(I’ve been shipping all of them the moment I was introduced to the idea of polyamory relationships.)(This is THE poly ship for me.)(Nothing’s ever gonna come close. Nothing.)

-

[Crossovers]

Trust Me, I'm an Alchemist by metisket

Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice, Fullmetal Alchemist

In which Yuri Plisetsky began life with the name Edward Elric, and this has made the world of figure skating a significantly stranger and more alarming place.

“Are you saying you lived a life of crime before you began skating?” “I’m gonna have to check the statute of limitations on a couple things and get back to you on that.”

(Meme Alien Edward, Ninja Alphonse who’ll smile at you as you Perish, Disaster Gay Victor, Disaster Gay Maniac Yuuri.)(If this isn’t incentive enough, the Elrics traumatizing and delighting social media with their Life Stories and their Life of Crime.)(Feral Elrics being Feral Elrics.)(It’s the kind of fic that gets better with every chapter, cause the shenanigans just keep ESCALATING.)

[arcadiancrows]

okay

I wanna talk a bit about me, so whoever reads this be glad cus I only do this once or twice a year

and since is pride month i wanna talk about how my own mental health issues and just general personality has made me feel in some regards of how have I thought of my own gender and orientation and ofc just general expression of all those things

I've lived with depression most of my life, I struggle a lot with self-esteem, self-hatred and just general unpleasantness about living, even as I write this I feel powerless and scared of the thought of a part of me being seen

im extremely introverted and just a lonely person most days, I'm scared of interaction and when I do I can't help but think how awkward and stupid and dumb I am, how unworthy I am and how I shouldn't even exist

so yeah, a little bit of problems I should work on.

I'm also pansexual and non binary, been identifying like that for maybe a couple years, firstly as just bi, and then pan and enby

and so we come to the problem here, how does someone so scared of being themselves, goes and be who they are?

well short answer is I don't.

I'll talk about it with close people yeah, but those are few and far between

and so I've kept living like I always have and I hate every second of it

I always struggle with pride month because I just feel I am so undeserving of it

I'm so angry at myself everyday I fail to be who I am meant to be

"you're just bullshiting everyone, you are not queer, if you were you would do more stuff to help people like you, you just bring shame wherever you go, you don't deserve to exist"

I don't really have a resolution for all this, I keep feeling bad from time to time

and so I guess the only thing I have to say is that, well

sometimes this is something you have to live with

for a long ass time

and with help from your loved ones, like my girlfriend, with acceptance from within

you can get a bit better

a bit less sad

have more good days than bad ones

and so I guess that's how you go about it

you keep trying

oh and thank u to my girlfriend for helping me with the confidence to post this, I really wasn't sure but she always helps a lot when I'm having a hard time

[treason-and-plot]

ALL THE REPLIES TO SAFFRON & LIAM IN THE LIBRARY

@windermeresimblr​

Saffron, please do study. Make at least one good choice.

One of the reasons contributing to Saffy’s decision to have a sexual relationship with an older married man was that she thought it would be less detrimental to her studies than getting involved with one of her peers. She is starting to rethink that decision now, though!

@streetlightaurora​

The first snow of the year freaks everyone out but afterward, the malaise sets in and they send you into work/school probably to alleviate their own cabin fever 😅

I’m glad I got that somewhat right, I had to do quite a bit of research into Snow Days, because they are not a thing in Australia!

@pixelcurious​

You can study in the library, Saffy, two birds one stone.

@wannabecatwriter​

I don't know which of them is in the more unhealthy position tbh, her or him?

Hmmmm...that’s a very good question! 

@sweetnovember77​

Saffy does not appear to feel thrilled when Liam wants her; Saffy appears to feel thrilled because Liam makes her feel validated even though Saffy knows such validation is false. Although that’s everywhere in our culture as humans. I get it.

That’s a great observation. Saffy doesn’t particularly want Liam, but her ego still wants his adoration and his yearning, despite the rational part of brain telling her that needing such validation is false, and pathetic, with undesirable long term repercussions!

@shhhushhh​

Does this affair star to occupy her mind way to much? 🤔

Yes it does! It was only supposed to be a casual fling, but it hasn’t turned out like that. Stupid Liam had to catch feelings!

@wannabecatwriter​

Wonder how that happened.

@muses-circle​

Did his wife punch his lights out for, I dunno, getting in her light? 😂🙄

OMG!!!! STAHP!!  😂 😂 😂 

@weicyn​

Oh no 😞 i hope it wasn't his wife who hurt him!

@streetlightaurora​

I don't like his wife, but I don't like Liam either. He popped up to show Saffron his eye.

@shhhushhh​

Does his wife beat him, on top of everything else?!?!?!? 🤣🤣🤣 It would have been so hard for me to save my attraction, even if only sexual, toward him, if I was Saff.

@simcatcher​

how do you do to achieve addressing all the WRONG (i'd even say the t-word: taboo) that exists in society and still manage to make it look casual ? WHO EFFING FICTION-TALKS ABOUT GIRLS BEATIN BO-i'mma stop right there. Ahah, thank you for your writing, gives me life♥

Awww thank you dearest! I hope to delve into deeper into this topic-uncomfortable topics and people’s reactions to them have always been of great interest to me.

@windermeresimblr​

Augh, Saffy. Leave him alone, don't let him ensnare you more! Also, Liam, jesus christ, maybe stop fucking your students. (I refuse to believe he's only pulling this with Saffy. He's a creep, he probably has more victims throughout the school.)

@muses-circle​

I hate being right. ☹ But really, it's only a matter of time before this blows up in both their faces. Liam shouldn't say things like that to Saffy, it only shows his desperation and mental instability. I hope Saffy wakes up and gets out of this relationship before it goes futher south.

@muses-circle​

Also, go Liam's wife for smacking him with the phone. I'd have done much worse! 😁

@windermeresimblr​

All I want is for Saffy to find a trusted adult to spill this to so she can...i dunno, get some help? At least get Liam out of his TEACHING POSITION as he has proven himself unworthy of the whole "we trust you to teach our children and not sexually assault them" thing?

The trouble is that when you have an affair with someone you cannot tell anyone ANYTHING about it without being judged a homewrecker and labelled every terrible name under the sun...and the prevailing attitude about any problems you may have is “Well, you made your bed, now you must lie in it.” Saffron is really stuck between a rock and a hard place right now.

@windermeresimblr​

Doesn't Saffy have any friends her age, even??? (I'm sorry, I'm worried for her.)

She has a couple of friends...but since her unrequited crush on Teddy left her feeling like a fool (and also since she ‘lost’ Sybilla to Josh) she has been loath to share any details of her romantic relationships with anybody. No need to be sorry, having people ask questions about my OCs is deliriously wonderful!  

@simcatcher​

wow. lets rewind. first Anita prégnant taking drugs. now Liam getting smashed. none of this is entirely her fault, but she has no one in the world to tell her that. *or maybe, somehow, Roy ?* poor Saffy... I truly hope she finds light again ❤ about Liam... i Feel its going To end badly for him. he obviously doesn't do much To get himself out of this situation. but putting that much of a burden on a young girl is making me nauseous. "you're my only reason to live". HELL

Roy, you say....light, you say....😄

@simcatcher​

NO jesus she's not in a place where she can handle his broken self.....

Absolutely not. I think she is starting to have a quite a few regrets about this affair. She is in way over her head!

@ivorycrayon​

Um. Why is his being miserable making her fiercely glad?

Because she is starting to feel a great deal of resentment towards him. This was just supposed to be a casual, NSA fling. Now he is saying he loves her, his wife is hurt, Liam is physically hurt... Saffy is feeling that she is in way too deep, and has no idea how to extricate herself. Worst thing of all though is that she has developed some feelings for him too. Not love, but a degree of intimacy that she has never shared with anyone else. Saffy has no idea what to do, and it’s all Liam’s fault!

@shhhushhh​

I laugh out loud when I read about the phone. She didn't even make the effort to put it down and punch him with her hand!

She’s probably an Aries...

@wannabecatwriter​

I don't know if I believe his story. If it's true, though, he really needs to exit that relationship.

[yangssunglasses]

For SSM 2019, Day 10: Fox’s Wedding

Rated T

Summary: AU. When love turns into pain, all trust is gone, and the demon is at the gates demanding its pound of flesh, is there still some hope for salvation?

Available on FFnet

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The Maiden and the Fox

Chapter 1

.

In the times of peace, Konoha became a prosperous village filled with joy and laughter. Walking down a street you’d encounter many happy inhabitants. Just an hour ago, Haruno Sakura had been one of them.

Not anymore.

When she headed off to meet with Sasuke, she was almost skipping. She was going to confess her feelings to him. On the return, her gait turned into an unsteady shuffle, her shoulders slumped forward and head bent down as she stared at the ground through the pink hair covering her blotchy, wet face.

There’s no reason for me to love you and surely there’s no reason for you to love me. It’s impossible for anything to happen between us.

Sakura shuddered and sobbed, thinking about those cruel, damning words coming from his perfect lips. The rejection burned her so badly, it was rendering her soul apart. She really thought they were getting closer, that he was showing her interest that wasn’t a mere courtesy, but came from a place of affection. Did she really imagine those covert glances he gave her when he thought she wasn’t looking?

Stupid! Sasuke could never love her. She was so ashamed of herself for presuming that he would that she wished for the ground to swallow her up, never to be seen again.

And despite all the shame, the humiliation, the heartbreak, she still loved him with every fiber of her being, with every shard of her broken heart.

Sakura wiped her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She must be crazy. Or a masochist.

There was no hope in sight for her. The love for Sasuke was in her blood and she had no way to free herself from it. This pain was going to stay with her for the rest of her life and she couldn’t even fathom how she’d be able to withstand it in the days to come.

Weeks turned into months, spring gave way to a summer, and Sakura still suffered. She didn’t see Sasuke much, but every time she glimpsed his regal profile on the other side of the street, even his proud silhouette in the distance, a fresh torrent of pain took her breath away. Her heart throbbed and bled, while she gritted her teeth and carried on with her day, as if pretending she wasn’t hurting would make it better somehow. She had nothing else.

There was no cure for unrequited love.

The worst blow came unexpectedly from the mouth of her best friend.

“Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is getting married!” Ino exclaimed with excitement when they saw each other one morning.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Sakura felt as if a poisoned arrow pierced straight through her chest. She was dealt a mortal wound. She smiled and nodded mechanically as Ino narrated the story of the upcoming Uchiha wedding, but on the inside she was completely numb.

For days after, Sakura contemplated what she should do. The last vestiges of hope she’d unknowingly harboured were now gone. Countless times she fantasized about dramatically stopping the wedding. “If anyone has cause to object to the forming of this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the pries would say and she’d swoop in, declare her undying love and make Sasuke realize that he loved her back after all. Of course, in reality interrupting the ceremony would be inexcusable. Instead, she thought about a thousand times about going to him, then confessing again like a madwoman, as if repeating the same thing to him would somehow change his mind.

In the end, she did nothing.

Until something happened, a catastrophe so monumental that it shook the fundaments of the village’s existence, threatening the peace and happiness of its inhabitants.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha.

The distant rumble was the first warning; then the quakes; then, bringing a storm like nothing the village elders had seen before, the raging beast came, burning down anything in its path—crops, cattle, and people.

Their leader, the Hokage, had gone to stop the monster before it entered the village walls. Whatever he’d said or done had been successful because the Demon Fox halted his rampage.

The Hokage returned with a grim look on his face and gathered the village assembly in the central square.

“I talked to the Nine-Tailed Fox,” he announced.

“What did he say? Is he going to leave?” called the impatient voices from the crowd.

The Hokage raised his hand. “Let me speak.” When they quieted, he continued. “The Fox agreed to leave Konoha in peace and without further damage, but on one condition.”

“Well, what is it?!” someone shouted.

The Hokage took in a deep breath. “The Fox demands a human sacrifice. A virgin bride.”

The crowd exploded into shouts of disbelief and fear, followed by loud protests. No young woman wanted to be picked, no one wanted to sacrifice their daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

“Before any of you ask if anyone else would do, the answer is no. I offered myself as a sacrifice, but the Fox didn’t want me,” the Hokage told them wryly. “I hate to do this, I really do. I swore to protect you all from harm. I can’t in a good conscience pick one of the girls to do this, but we have until the dawn or the Fox will destroy Konoha. So I can only ask you to look at your friends and families, at the village we all love. Look into your hearts and make a decision that you feel is right.”

A hand rose into the air, surprising everyone. It belonged to a long-haired, immaculately dressed stern man. He was one of the clan leaders—Hyuuga Hiashi. “I volunteer my daughter Hinata. Her sacrifice for the sake of Konoha will bring a great honour to the Hyuuga clan.”

“Are you sure about this? This is your daughter you’re talking about. You will never get her back,” the Hokage warned.

Hiashi nodded. “I am certain,” he said solemnly. “It is also a duty of the Hyuuga clan to protect Konoha.”

“Very well.”

Sakura watched as Hiashi pulled his daughter to come along with him to the Hokage. She looked deathly pale and her body was trembling, but no one was paying attention to her. Some people were already leading a relieved and cheery conversation, convinced that the danger was as good as gone. Sakura didn’t know Hinata, she’d spoken to the girl less than a handful of times, but she had seen her around the village, shy and quiet and modest, always falling into the background. Now Hinata’s pale lips quivered as she cast around pleading, wild looks. This was not how a willing sacrifice looked like. Sakura also knew from Ino’s gossip about the strained relationship between Hinata and her father. It wasn’t hard to infer that Hiashi jumped at the chance to honourably get rid of a daughter he considered unworthy of the Hyuuga name.

A spark of rage ignited in Sakura’s chest and grew into a raging inferno. Before thinking of the consequences, she yelled out on the top of her lungs, “Wait!”

People turned to look at her in surprise. She stepped forward, eyes solely on the Hokage. “You don’t have to take Hinata. Take me! I volunteer!”

“It’s already decided. Hinata volunteered first,” Hiashi interjected with a frown.

“I didn’t hear her saying that. You volunteered her, Hyuuga-san. Hinata didn’t say anything at all,” Sakura rebuffed, an icy calm overtaking her, then she turned to the Hokage. “Surely I’m a better option? I made this choice on my own, without any coercion. And I guarantee that I am untouched. If someone has to be sacrificed, then pick me, not her.”

Hiashi glared at her with his unsettling milky white eyes. “You dare to rob my clan of the honour-“

“Enough,” the Hokage cut him off. “Are you certain? You have a whole life ahead of you,” he told Sakura gently.

She gave a sharp, decisive nod. “I will do this.”

The Hokage turned to address the assembly again, when she spotted Sasuke standing next to his father. Sakura averted her gaze almost instantly and put a hand over her twisting, tearing heart. “I have nothing to live for anyway,” she whispered to herself with a pained little smile.

.

.

AN: I couldn’t finish this idea in a oneshot, so this is going to be a multichapter. Sorry for low Sasuke content in the first chapter, I promise he’s going to be in the story more, even if Sakura is the main character. Let me know how you liked it :) Until next time!

[tsukikokiyomizu]

🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

Send a 🎯 to learn a random headcanon I have for my muse

//you have awakened the beast my friend. By the way, since the tags got too long... AAAA THANK YOU FOR THIS WJFMWNNFN

Hound, aka Tsukiko in the Metaverse as a Phantom Thief, absolutely adores to show off as much as possible. I mean, she has the flashy aesthetic that a heroine of Justice like herself should have, an amazing Persona that allows her to find the truth and see through the illusions created by the heart and she has people who trust and respect her by her side. So why not put that to the utmost limit? Flashy moves! Stupid one-liners! Be the Shounen Protagonist you always wanted to be!

Shadow!Tsukiko’s emotional outbursts are the things Tsukiko fears the most. Since when she was just a little kid, her father would beat her up and scream at her if she did as much as shed a tear or posed any protest to what he said, so she usually bottles up her emotions until she can’t hold it anymore and explodes by herself. So, Shadow!Tsukiko openly and loudly changes emotions with ease, showing everyone how she truly feels, which leads to lots of crying, shouting, and shouting crying. It’s what Tsukiko could never do, so at least in the dressing room inside her heart’s Opera House, she can have that peace.

While Merry shows little to no emotion near others, she’s just as sensitive—if not more—as the other Tsukikos. She has a hard time trusting anyone who isn’t Sachie with as much as a cup of water, but there is one thing she will trust to others, something that doesn’t seem that personal at first: the right to read what she has written. Normally, she keeps whatever she writes to herself until she feels confident on publishing, so for her to do something like showing a manuscript to a friend means the world. She’s trusting them with a riddle in progress, with something so fragile to her that it hurts just to have others see it, something she is very insecure about. If that ever happens, know that you must appreciate those little moments of trust she shows in her own quiet way.

Pierrot has been kidnapped all of her life, so all of her knowledge on the outside comes from the man who kidnapped her and from media, which is just manga, anime and books. Most of them, very old. Because she’s been fed with many absurd things as completely true, she has a hard time knowing what’s reality and what’s not, and it’s not uncommon for her to think everyone acts like in Victorian Era England or that elves and goblins are walking outside, at the same time super futuristic equipment can be found on the convenience store near her house. Whatever you tell her, she’ll dig it.

Feeling like she can’t trust anyone and that she’s bound to her father forever, Doll’s a tricky person. She most often than not engages in no conversation outside of her public persona, but oh boy, if you thought Tsukiko’s Shadow was emotional, you haven’t seen her angry. Mario has a horrible case of lack of control whenever she gets angry, and she’s broken many things even at school, though small. At home… she had to replace furniture many times because she had been so overwhelmed with anger she snapped. Don’t push your limits with her.

Tsune absolutely despises the Hashimoto family’s older relatives because of how lowly they treat the servants. Sure, she might be furniture, unworthy of anything, but… what did Shiori, Shion, Ryu and the others do? It’s unfair to treat them like they treat her. Even if her brother is furniture as well, he doesn’t deserve it like she does. She’s very wary of older people thanks to her experience with them.

As the aged Tsukiko who never met the Phantom Thieves at school and indeed had a lonely life until adulthood, Tantei has hardened a lot towards the concept of friendship itself. She doubts that there even are friends in this world, and if you let her talk enough, she will make that very clear through both actions and words: she trusts no one, except those who have proven to be trustworthy for long enough to be accepted by her. Despite her laid-back nature, she’s a very sad person.

Lou only accepts high-profile cases, because that way she can be better than her father. The fame he had? She’ll have the double. The cruelty he had, and the amount of crimes he committed just to solve a case completely? She’ll do it worse and even more heartlessly. This is her revenge against the world and him. The moment the Phantom Thieves get a famous target, they’re on her way. So, she starts to get even more ruthless by the time of Kamoshida’s defeat, and just gets worse from there. They’re on her way to get back at everyone, so they gotta go. The best part, to her? She only feels a slight frustration. That’s how numb she is.

Sometimes, Bea calls people by their names before they can introduce themselves, and remembers them perfectly. Other times…

“Ren??? Wait, what do you mean you’re not Ren? Why are you calling yourself Akira???????”

“HEY SKULL— uh? Isn’t that your nickname? Why are you so surprised?”

“MORGANA! …wait, why am I talking to a meowing cat?”

There’s not much one can do as a ghost bound to a street that only exists within the collective unconscious at the moment, but when there’s not visitors making her search for undying justice to come back, White tries her best to come up with riddles and mysteries. She tests the other ghosts with them to the point they get fed up with her bullshit, constantly. She’s very proud of her riddle skills, and often brags about them to whoever visits her street.

now that Tumblr won’t allow me any more pictures—

Tsukiko both loves and hates Akechi with all her might. First of all, she idolizes him as a detective (Amazing! Intelligent! Perfect! Solved cases? Can’t be bad!), but knows by experience that there’s no way he isn’t fucked up after being in the public eye being this young. And, at the same time, she feels horribly bitter towards him because he’s taken away the thing she had way before he even got near the role of a detective—it feels like he’s cheating, arriving late to the game and winning like that. Regardless, It’s Complicated.

Merry despises anyone who treats literature as something boring that they can’t like no matter the genre. It hurts a whole lot, and also pisses her off. Have they read every single literary genre from every single era? No? So how can they be sure they won’t like any book?

Shadow!Tsukiko attempts to trap the Phantom Thieves with chains into her auditorium. She does not want them to get close enough to hurt her, but she doesn’t want them to leave at all. So, she tries to put them alongside the cognitive thieves, or otherwise on the Opera’s underground, so they’ll be trapped forever near her, unable to leave her and always observing her spectacles.

[deepestuniversallove]

Why am I like this?

I have no problems whatsoever to share Mewtwo with other selfshippers and be happy to them with their Mewtwos and what stories they come up with.

So when I fell for Lotor, I naturally thought that I could do the same here, and just enjoy all the other Lotor selfships as well, but recently, my own toxic self-hate is just poisoning that. I see Lotor with other selfshippers and think “Yeah, of course he would love them more than he would ever love me. I am nothing. I am worthless. My existence is a mistake. He is a Prince, he is utter beauty and perfection, and I cannot sully him with my unworthy presence.”

I don’t know if this is my Avoidant Personality Disorder making me think that way, as naturally with this mental disorder, I will always think I am worthless and that I will be abandoned by everyone I love eventually. Honestly I don’t know what people see in me in the first place. I find myself wishing that everyone would just forget me, so it would make it easier to leave this plane of existence entirely. I am a waste of space, oxygen and other precious ressources anyway.

How can I forget Lotor? Why is he making me feel this way in the first place? The thought of trying to give him up fucking hurts, but at the same time, i cannot convince myself he would even so much as glance at me and this hurts too. Which is stupid because he is a fictional character anyhow, so it’s not like he could really show me affection in the first place.

... fuck. I wish I was different. I wish I could like myself and be more confident. How do others manage to do this? 

What is their magic trick?

And if anyone knows how to give up an F/O, I need some tips on that pronto.

I guess my biggest mistake was to watch VLD in the first place. I wish I had never laid eyes on Lotor in the first place - so I wouldn’t feel so hurt now.

[missblurose]

So...what if Artina lived?

So, as my mind tends to do, I started thinking about potential fan fic ideas. In this case, it’s Disgaea--more specifically, Disgaea 4, a series I somehow both love and hate at the same time for strange reasons. In particular, I thought of the Time Leap episode that failed to satisfy my Valvatorez x Artina urges, and what could’ve happened if Artina actually DID survive.

But my speculating was about the “original” storyline, where nary a mechanic or time traveler’s to be seen. The first thing I thought was that if Artina survived, Valvatorez would still stick around in the human world and...he’d probably die because I like to imagine that Artina would never genuinely be afraid of him no matter what he does because he’s just too nice. Or he could just be on the brink of death due to starvation when Artina goes “your pride’s not worth your life” and gives him her blood while he’s unable to resist, forcing him to (sort of) break his promise. Valzy’s naturally upset at her, but he’s also mad at himself, because not only did he fail to scare Artina, but she went out of her way to save his life despite him pretty much threatening hers. It makes him question if he’s an inept demon who never really grasped the concept of fear. He feels like they BOTH need to be punished (Artina for making him break his promise and Valvatorez for proving incapable of keeping it), so he decides that he’s going to feed off of ONLY Artina until the day that she dies, because SHE deserves it for being so willing to give up her blood and HE deserves it because he considers himself “unworthy” of even biting another human’s neck.

And Artina...is okay with that, much to his dismay.. Because SHE thinks she needs to be punished, too--not for saving Valzy’s life or not having enough common sense to be afraid for her own life, but because she felt responsible for exhausting him to the point of nearly killing himself. Then she starts thinking about that one soldier who got in trouble because she saved him and thinks she ought to receive some punishment for not thinking abou the consequences of her actions--even her good ones.

Valzy takes Artina back home to the netherworld and Fenrich, who is naturally upset with the fact that his powerful lord is much weaker now due to some human woman with no common sense. He tries to convince Valzy to change his mind and just punish Artina by killing her, or keep drinking blood from other humans since he couldn’t possibly take enough blood from a single person to even satisfy his hunger, let alone bring his strength back to what it used to be. But Valzy is willing to accept whatever consequences come from this “punishment” as something he deserves, so he instead insists that he’ll take care of Artina until one of them dies. Fenrich attempts to have Artina killed a couple of times, but it fails because Valvatorez always swoops in to save her and Fenrich, not wanting his weakened lord to be hurt, always ends up helping to foil his own schemes. Whether or not he realizes what his servant has been doing, Valzy confides to Fenrich that if Artina died, he’d pretty much just let himself die since breaking another vow would be too much for him. So Fenrich begrudgingly tolerates Artina’s presence while scheming of ways to get him to drink more blood and regain his power before he’s forced to fall to Hades.

Eventually (or inevitably?) Valvatorez tells Artina he’s going to marry her, which he insists is because it would be awkward and rude to drink her blood if she were someone else’s woman. Despite Fenrich pointing out that he could just lock her up somewhere or keep her in a tighter leash, Valzy refuses to give Artina another choice. She gets upset about it since she’s a nun and also admits that she’d rather get married to someone who loves her, he states that not every couple who gets married loves each other and that this is just another layer to their “punishment” of being together, and they spend the first months of their marriage upset with one another. But eventually (inevitably?), they make up. Artina confesses that she’s fallen in love with Valvatorez and he...promises to be a good husband and make her content. Despite Artina’s disappointment with his unromantic response, she’s happy that they’re no longer on bad terms, and at some point in the near future, they finally consummate their marriage.

Artina eventually conceives and everyone has different reactions to the news. Artina is delighted and strives to prepare things for the baby. Fenrich is worried that the child will grow up to be someone who’ll intervene in his lord’s “destiny” to rule the universe. Valvatorez aspires to take care of his little family as best as he can, and so ends of getting a job in the corrupternment (but only because more “ordinary” employers were too intimidated by his reputation to hire him), though he’ll probably wind up in Hades due to slowly losing his power. All in all, it seems like a happy ending for those two.

As for Nemo, or the man who would’ve become Nemo, I’m torn between speculating that Artina surviving the war changes nothing about his own hatred for humanity or it helps him keep hope in the kindness of people. Regardless of whether he survives the war somehow or not, he might dedicate the rest of his (after)life helping others the way Artina helped him, or simply trying to find her to make up for the trouble that he believes he caused her. Or maybe he’s able to pass on and become a Prinny without waiting four centuries.

But if he doesn’t go about wanting to end all life on earth with his stupidly long and complicated scheming, that opens up a problem with those damn aliens, because Nemo’s the one who somehow gets them to NOT blow up the earth. Perhaps something else will stop them or they’ll just not go to Earth at all, but there’s also the matter of Desco not existing because Nemo’s the one who apparently(?) supported the research that went into making her. Maybe she’d be created at a much later time, at a point where Fuka had grown out of her desire for a younger sibling or her dream to conquer the world. For that matter, who knows what sort of ripple effect hijinks this could mean for Fuka? She might have a different fate, a different personality, someone else may be born in her place or her entire family tree could be drastically altered. Emizel’s life could be different, too, as it might take even longer to stop being a brat since there’s no netherworld-ending situation that forces him to mature. Though I’m entertaining the thought of “something” happening to Hugo, forcing Emizel to live in the lowest level of the netherworld and work in Hades just to make ends meet while he plots to claw his way back to the top.

And what about the rest of the Disgaea series at large? After all, 400 years worth of a ripple effect could have an effect on a LOT of things. Maybe D1 will follow the bad ending where Lamington is killed and Laharl becomes a Prinny. Maybe that could cause the events of DD2 to follow its bad ending where the entire netherworld is destroyed because Etna and Flonne (who doesn’t have access to her Pure Flonne form) don’t’t have the power to stop Xenolith, or because angels don’t go to the netherworld to slow down the rate of its destruction since it’s unlikely ANYONE would want to go to the place where the murderer of their Seraph came from. Maybe Zenon never reincarnates, making the plot of D2 never happen and ensuring the residents of Veldime remain happy, but also dooming Zenon to continue her lonely, paranoid existence. Maybe Almaz becomes the Overlord like in that one ending for D3, which is eventually accepted by his friends and he tries to share the responsibilities with Mao, who just wants to defeat him and earn the title rightfully.

Then again, this is all stupid speculation from someone who’s sick and been up since 12AM, so who knows how likely any of this would be. I’m almost curious to see if anyone responds to this mess and has their own ideas about what could happen. All I know is...I might actually write about this.

[shinneth]

Gem Ascension Tropes (Chartreuse Diamond-specific: P - Y)

Primary General Post ✰ Full Article ✰  Primary Peri Post ✰ Primary CD Post 

Power Crystal: Like Peridot, her diamond rests on her forehead, centered within the peridot gemstone it emerged from. Both gemstones are essential to Chartreuse’s livelihood and is the source of the great power she wields.

Power Dyes Your Hair: Just slightly; the tips of her pigtails have a neon green gradient that fades into her traditional color.

Power Floats: Since she’s way smaller than her fellow Diamonds, Chartreuse can make better use of this ability to get around and doesn’t need a metal platform to do this anymore.

Power Makes Your Hair Grow: As large as her Mega Twintails are, this is definitely the case. 

Power Makes Your Voice Deep: It’s noted in the narrative that her voice is similar to Peridot’s, but lower-pitched. 

The Power of Hate: This originally stemmed from Peridot in Chapter 6 of Act III when she’s triggered by seeing (the presumed) White Diamond’s neck and has a raging desire to get back at her for how exactly she got Tricked to Death. While Peridot’s capable of summoning an energy blade similar to what White used on her, she’s not nearly strong enough to even make a scratch on White Diamond. Much to her disgust, she has to become Chartreuse in order to truly damage her foe. By adopting Peridot’s Ax-Crazy mentality, Chartreuse does quite a number on White’s neck.

Razor Wind: Already conjured by Peridot’s Heroic BSoD, shifting into Chartreuse during this only makes this a more lethal byproduct of her never-ending crying. This variant tears Homeworld’s atmosphere to shreds.

Reforged Into a Minion: She exists because Peridot had to be Left for Dead at the end of Act I, leaving her fully at White Diamond’s mercy. Granted, it took a long time for White to break her, but once she finally did, Chartreuse is the end result of this trope.

Regretful Traitor: Just as Chartreuse is starting to warm up to the idea of being a Diamond, the appearance of the Crystal Gems makes her regret the decision immediately. For a while, Chartreuse can’t bring herself to even admit to her friends that she’s Peridot, even if there wasn’t the constant threat of White Diamond hanging over them. Even though Peridot was heavily manipulated into becoming Chartreuse, it doesn’t make her any less ashamed that she submitted to White Diamond’s will at all. 

Remember That You Trust Me: Reconstructed: A week of torture and mind manipulation has caused Peridot (and Chartreuse, by extension) to realize not only the full extent of her Dark and Troubled Past, but her origins when she’s revealed by White Diamond to be an Unwitting Test Subject. When the Crystal Gems come to her rescue after she had given up hope on them ever returning, Peridot has become Chartreuse and immediately feels conflicted about what to do. At first, she feels unworthy of reuniting with her friends; Chartreuse regards her very identity as a betrayal of the highest degree. The Crystal Gems’ unfriendly reactions towards her (none knowing she’s Peridot at this time) seem to reinforce Chartreuse’s paranoia that her friends would no longer trust her enough to take her back, even if she revealed her true identity on the spot. Thus, the perceived lack of faith of the Crystal Gems compel Chartreuse to actively become their adversary… until she critically wounds Garnet on accident. While she captures her friends on White Diamond’s orders regardless, Chartreuse is now uncertain of where she truly stands – especially when by this point, Steven has figured out who she truly is and didn’t actively shun her. Combined with White’s condescending attitude that finally makes Chartreuse realize the former never gave a damn about her, she’s compelled to return to the Crystal Gems regardless of what the rest of them might think of her perceived betrayal. Once she reunites with Steven alone, Chartreuse apologizes profusely. However, Steven doesn’t hesitate to help her out; he asks Chartreuse a poignant question that solidifies her alignment from that point forward.

Chartreuse Diamond: “I’ve been more afraid of everything, lately… I’m doubting myself at every turn. I don’t really feel like me, Steven. And I gave you and everyone else so much grief because I’m so stupid and insecure and I don’t know why! Steven, I’m so sorry!”

(Steven, already embracing Chartreuse, pulls her towards him to get her attention.)

Steven: “Shh, shh. It’s gonna be alright, Peridot. Just relax for a bit, okay? I think I can help you. You trust me, right?”

Chartreuse Diamond: (smiling tearfully) “More than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Required Secondary Powers: Not powers, per se, but in order to be able to will something to happen or for something to exist, Chartreuse (and Peridot) needs to know what it is and mentally visualize it. This is Who I Am best represents this, as while Peridot is capable of teleportation, she needs to have an idea of where her destination is and visualize it. Before teleporting her group to Egypt, Steven shows coordinates and pictures to Peridot so she can accurately and precisely teleport herself and others to said destination. If she just learns the name of an obscure location without any additional information, she won’t be able to teleport there, as she has no concept of what direction to even go – let alone having a clue what her destination looks like.

Semantic Superpower

Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Downplayed when she’s introduced, as Chartreuse is going out of her way to not give her friends any hints that she’s really Peridot, and this trope one of her biggest identifiable traits. After giving up the charade, it starts to come back, although it’s still not quite as prevalent as it is when she’s Peridot.

Sexier Alter Ego: Peridot didn’t want to look like a scrawny brat anymore before she submitted to ascending, so it goes without saying she went out of her way to make sure her appearance as a Diamond would be a great departure from that.

Shadow Archetype: How Peridot perceives her Alter Ego before learning to accept her near the end of Act III.

She’s Got Legs: Didn’t have much to speak of as Peridot, which is probably why she made a point to have these when she ascended. 

Showing Off the New Body: Before the Crystal Gems return, Chartreuse is relegated to guard duty. She quickly becomes bored and decides to indulge in her appearance that she had yet to fully see until now.

Something Only They Would Say: Very narrowly averts this regarding her default Catchphrase Insult…

Chartreuse Diamond: “Is anyone else inclined to try something stupid, or can we move on? You cl– clowns are really trying my patience, because I’m considering helping you!”

Starting a New Life: Before the Crystal Gems return, Chartreuse tries to cope with her new identity and being stuck on Homeworld for good this time by interpreting her situation like this. Especially now that she’s a Diamond, Peridot realizes she really can have a life on Homeworld that’s both distinct and better than her previous life. She even tries to use her powers to see if she can make fauna grow from the ground on Homeworld by making it rain for the first time ever.

Super Mode: Chartreuse Diamond is essentially this for Peridot.

Super-Powered Alter Ego: While Peridot has power, her limitations stemming from the low-caste, low-quality Era 2 gem she emerged as greatly limits her range of abilities. Chartreuse is only limited by her imagination and her comprehension of whatever she wants to will into existence. In other words, Chartreuse is superior to Peridot in absolutely every aspect.

Swiss Army Superpower: The nature of being a power charged by will means Chartreuse (and Peridot) has almost limitless possibilities for how to utilize it. So long as she knows what she’s trying to do with her power and can picture it in her mind, Chartreuse wields the most versatile power one could ever have.

Symbol Motif Clothing: While Chartreuse’s outfit is distinct from Peridot’s in many ways, it largely shares her color scheme and is only slightly more revealing than her base form’s ensemble. However, to represent Peridot’s resignation back to her original alignment by agreeing to become Chartreuse Diamond, the new outfit has a diamond motif with nary a star to be seen – a clear contrast to Peridot’s newly-earned stars that replaced her original diamond motif (which she thankfully retains post-ascension).

Teleportation: Chartreuse can do this with her willpower, so long as she knows about and can visualize the spot she wants to teleport herself (and/or others) to.

Mass Teleportation: Does this near the end of Act III with all of the Crystal Gems in the makeshift spacecraft made by Iridescent Diamond. One moment they’re hanging around just outside of Homeworld’s orbit (before it explodes, anyway); the next, they’re back on the beach on Earth in front of the temple.

Teleportation Rescue: In an inadvertent 2-step process, Chartreuse managed to free the other Crystal Gems who were imprisoned in White Diamond’s bubbles while White Diamond herself was preoccupied with Steven, replacing them with holograms while teleporting them in a hidden corner near the ceiling. Unbeknownst to her, Lion would soon arrive at that precise spot to relocate the Crystal Gems outside the palace and back to their spaceship.

Temporarily a Villain: Her base form is the Hero Protagonist; she acts as a direct enemy of the Crystal Gems for all of one chapter (Chapter 3, Act III), then her Heel Realization towards the end of said chapter turns her back to the side of good, regardless of whether she’s Peridot or Chartreuse.

Then Let Me Be Evil: Strongly considers this in Chapter 3 of Act III after enduring hateful (albeit mostly justified) anti-Diamond slander thrown at her by the Crystal Gems, as it further convinces her they’d never take her back even if she did reveal she was Peridot all along. However, after attacking Garnet brutally to shut her up (She Knew Too Much) and damaging her far beyond what she meant to inflict, she begins Cry Laughing over her actions (as well as her own stupidity for not realizing her Mismatched Eyes were a dead giveaway for her identity) and dispatches the rest of her friends in far less violent fashion, though still maintaining an antagonistic front. What shakes her out of this is the following report to White Diamond, where Chartreuse realizes despite her ascension that she’s still regarded the same way she was as Peridot, and White’s attitude towards her mirrors Yellow’s almost perfectly. When Chartreuse realizes nothing about her really changed, she fully defies the trope.

Thought-Controlled Power: The basic definition of Chartreuse and Peridot’s ascended powers. Unlike Peridot, Chartreuse’s potential is limited only by her own imagination and comprehension.

Trapped in Villainy: Genuinely believed even when the Crystal Gems returned that there was nothing she could do without being a traitor to somebody. Being properly paranoid that her friends wouldn’t take her back now that she was a Diamond, Chartreuse genuinely felt she had no choice but to be the Crystal Gems’ enemy.

Vapor Wear: How one can define Chartreuse’s skirt – it’s almost entirely translucent, so whatever its purpose is, it certainly isn’t to cover up what’s underneath (which thankfully just the bottom half of her leotard).

Walking Spoiler: The most prevalent one of the bunch, as Chartreuse has a much bigger role in GA than her fellow spoiler characters. Being the Hero Protagonist’s Alter Ego is sort of a big deal. Even her appearance is a giant spoiler, since her design is so heavily derived from Peridot’s (and shares the same gemstone, only with a diamond merged within it).

Who’s Laughing Now?: While it’s killing Chartreuse to hurt her friends, she has an easier time doing it to Lapis than anyone else. Lapis is the only one who evades her designated pitfall trap due to being able to fly. After mocking Chartreuse and calling her a clod (which Chartreuse herself nearly used before stopping herself moments earlier), it suddenly becomes much easier for Chartreuse to give Lapis a little torture by having Lapis forcibly sucked down into her prison. Chartreuse gladly watches Lapis fall into the abyss before delivering a parting line.

Chartreuse Diamond: “Who’s the clod, now?”

You Are What You Hate: Peridot has loathed the Diamonds since her Broken Pedestal moment with Yellow Diamond. Now she’s (partially) a Diamond herself as Chartreuse, and this is one of the leading causes of Peridot’s resentment of her Alter Ego.

You’re Insane!: Her reaction to White Diamond’s proposal to perform fusion with two Diamonds – something never done before that carries a high risk of wide-scale destruction should it fail.

Your Tradition is Not Mine: After White Diamond’s self-destruction, Chartreuse is adamant that she and Pink 2.0 will not found a new Diamond Authority for Era 3. They won’t be dictators, but rather teachers and guides to help all gems forge their own path. Which is fundamentally the opposite of what the Diamond Authority did.

Youthful Freckles: Gains these on her cheeks, despite not visibly having freckles as Peridot. Word of God gave her freckles deliberately to accentuate her youth despite her overall more mature appearance compared to Peridot’s.

[xpouii]

JSE Day 11: Tie

Day 11 of the JSE artists prompts 2019 by @septic-bella​

**All previous entries are available on AO3 under the title “Mayhem” with my same username.**

Warnings: MAJOR suicide themes, self hatred and depression

           The hospital room was dark and quiet, and Chase felt at odds with himself. Something wasn’t right. Everyone else had suffered physical trauma, some of it permanently damaging, and yet Chase had been left completely alone. Was it because his psyche was already broken? Life was already half over for him, or maybe Anti was looking for Stacy and the kids. Henrik had no idea where his own family was—on purpose—after the last incident where Anti had possessed him. Chase had always been more selfish, blinded by the desire to see his children, to try and make it work with Stacy. It could still work, right?

               Please, Chase. Stacy knows what a child you are. The only thing you ever did was make those idiotic videos for your defunct YouTube channel that was just a laughing stock for ex-Viners anyway. Commentators made double the revenue from your videos that you ever did and Stacy had to work full time just to cover your ass. The kids had to have a different shitty agency babysitter every evening and twice Stacy caught one of them stealing from the house. You could never be home on time, and the kids were lucky if they saw you once or twice a week. You’ve always been the worst parent and the worst husband.

          You never matured past twelve years old and now you’re the big weepy equivalent of a drunk toddler. All you ever do is vomit, shake and complain. At least when you were drunk you were sort of funny half the time. Now you’re the least entertaining person in this entire city and that’s saying a lot. You’re a pathetic, worthless spineless worm, unworthy of being called a man, a husband, a father—you’re barely human. You massive failure. There’s so little appealing about you that it’s a shock any of the others will even give you the time of day. It’s why you always have the feeling Marvin doesn’t like you. He doesn’t like trash. Jackie is constantly worrying about you, and Henrik just wishes you would die and get it over with so he can go back to treating patients he cares about. Jameson, well, he’s the worst of all. He pities you. You’re the most pathetic person he’s ever met and he can think of nothing better to do than just tell you what you want to hear and wait for you to leave the room.

          If you aren’t careful, you’ll end up a sad, stupid puddle all alone and praying for death a long time before it comes. Once you’re sober do you think your depression will just go away? You’re gonna have to get on Henrik’s pills and they’re gonna make you tired all the time or jittery and your dick won’t work—not that it was ever anything to be impressed by. Stacy used to laugh about it with her mother, and damn does that lady ever hate you. You were never worthy of her daughter, and she would give up her own grandchildren if she could make it so you never existed. Stacy can try again with a better man, and the memory of you would no longer be a stain on the family. Why don’t you just get it over with and everyone can get back to their lives? Kill yourself and maybe this time you could try getting it right, instead of failing so hilariously. What kind of fucking moron can’t even shoot themselves in the head correctly, Chase? Who the fuck can’t get that right? You were probably too chickenshit to go through with it weren’t you? You were so selfish that you’d rather live this fucking pathetic life than give Stacy or your kids the freedom to move on. Even now, when this detoxing could kill you, you’re accepting the medication and pretending like you’re contributing at all when honestly you’re the biggest speedbump.

          Everybody is just standing around waiting on you, Chase, so what the fuck are you gonna do? Do it, Chase. Go out like a fucking man. Take that goddamn tie that Henrik left and kill yourself. You can loop it on the end of the bed, sit down on the floor and just let go. You aren’t hooked up to any monitors. Nobody is gonna come check until 3 am when they come to look in on Jack. Fuck, they might not even notice you, just step over your fucking stupid legs and go on about their day. That would suit you, just fading into the background like one of those fake skeletons at a haunted house. You’re a prop in your own life you worthless, pathetic, selfish-

          Chase screamed and jumped to his feet, his knees shaking but keeping him upright. He ran his hands through his hair, tears streaming down his face as the voice shouted again and again for him to kill himself. He looked at Jack, whimpering at the thought of leaving the others, but they were better off without him. He’d attacked Henrik, sniped at Marvin, fought Jackie and refused to get help until it almost killed him. Now Jack was lying in this bed under Henrik’s control, and Chase couldn’t even stop that. There was an absolute lack of ability to do anything inside of Chase. He picked up the silk tie, running it through his fingers. It was expensive, so it would probably do a good enough job. He’d learned about knots from his father when they’d gone out on a boat. He’d retained enough to teach his own son, although he’d never gotten old enough before Stacy had taken both the kids and gone. Maybe teaching the knots wasn’t such a good idea after all. Did depression run in his family? It was hard to tell.

          Chase paced the room again, rubbing the silk against his face. It felt good, and it reminded him of the green dress Stacy wore on the day he proposed. It had been so gorgeous. He’d been planning it for weeks, and then he had almost lost the ring. He’d always been a fuck up, but Stacy had found it endearing once. He could still see the look in her eyes that he had once mistaken for love. It was pity, or longsuffering, or outright annoyance. He knew that now, the way she’d looked at him then when he asked. She had been waiting for someone else to come along, and Chase had been her backup plan. So she’d said yes. Neither of their kids had been intentional, and she had cried both times she found out she was pregnant, but Chase had been so proud, so excited. He loved his kids so much, even though sometimes he wasn’t at home to play with them, or take care of them, but if Stacy had an emergency, he’d always come home. Just like the chickenpox.

          How long are you going to keep falling back on that fucking chickenpox story? Being a decent dad to one of your kids once doesn’t make you father of the year.

          Chase heard that in Stacy’s voice, because it had been her that said it, when he missed his daughter’s birthday party. He hadn’t meant to, but things get in the way, and time is tenuous and sometimes his phone wouldn’t remind him of things. Chase laughed bitterly at his excuses, and how even now at his lowest point he was still trying to pass the blame.

          Fucking typical, Chase. You always do this! Do you know how humiliating it was explaining to my mother why my husband wasn’t at his daughter’s birthday party? Do you know the way our friends looked at me?

               “I’m sorry, Stace,” Chase said. “I really didn’t mean to miss it. I just got caught up.”

               Caught up, right, your real passion, right? The thing that really matters to you? Well maybe Bro Average can comfort you when your daughter asks why you don’t love her, because that’s what she asked me! And I almost couldn’t convince her that you do. I almost couldn’t convince myself. It gets a lot harder every time you do this.

               “No, Stacy I love all of you! You’re my world! Don’t say things like that. I’m just… I’m just forgetful, ok? I’ll make it up to her.”

               How Chase?

               “With this,” Chase murmured, looking at the tie again, “I’m sorry, baby. You know Daddy loves you more than anything in the whole wide world. He just forgets. But he’s gonna make it up to you now, baby.”

               He walked over to his hospital bed, hands steady as he secured the silk to the bed rail; he took the bed remote and sat on the floor.

               Don’t worry, Chase; how many brides can say their husband knew how to tie a tie on their wedding day, anyway? It’s kind of romantic, but keep your eyes closed! You can’t see me in my dress!

               Chase closed his eyes, and he could smell Stacy’s perfume when she leaned in, fixing the tie around his neck. She kissed him, and he smiled, pressing down on the bed lift button.

               I love you.