#because it's shown how he was suffering by hiding behind this front

[fullscoreshenanigans]

These are still the realest tweets

Almost done reading TPN and I’m sick of all of the hot Norman this and that. In my mind he’s still just a little guy. He’s smol. A weakling (affectionate) and very soft.

He needs a hug and I want to hug him.

[missy4176]

A Last Goodbye

Cale Henituse x Reader

The room was eerily quiet, save for the faint sound of your labored breathing. The once vibrant light in your eyes had dimmed, and your skin was pale as the moonlight that seeped through the window. The end was near—you both knew it. Yet, the man by your side, the infamous slacker of the Henituse family, remained as stoic as ever.

Cale Henituse sat by your bedside, his usual indifference masking the storm raging within him. He’d always been good at hiding his emotions, mastering the art of detachment to protect himself and those he cared about. But now, as he looked at you, that carefully constructed facade was crumbling.

The man who had faced monstrous enemies, and the burden of a destiny he never wanted, now found himself powerless in the face of your impending death. He had always been the one to remain calm, calculating the best course of action with a cold, clear head. But now, his heart was heavy, weighed down by the words he had never been able to say.

“Cale…” Your voice was barely a whisper, weak and fragile. Even now, you were more concerned about him than yourself. It was just like you—selfless to the very end.

He didn’t respond immediately, just tightened his grip on your hand. He felt the frailty of your bones beneath his fingers, the warmth slipping away from your body. Cale had always hated being vulnerable, but now, he was terrified. He was about to lose the one person who saw through his indifferent mask, who loved him despite—or perhaps because of—his flaws.

“Why are you still here?” His voice was rough, almost accusing, as if trying to provoke a response that would bring back the spark in your eyes. “You should have let me go long ago. You should’ve left, but you stayed, damn it.”

You offered him a weak smile, your lips trembling. “Because I wanted to be with you… even if it was just for a little while longer.”

Cale closed his eyes, feeling the weight of guilt and regret bearing down on him. For once in his life, he couldn’t run away, couldn’t hide behind his usual apathy. He had always kept you at arm’s length, believing it was safer that way—for both of you. But now, as he watched the life slowly drain from your body, he realized just how wrong he had been.

“I was afraid,” he finally admitted, his voice cracking. He looked away, unable to meet your gaze. “I thought… if I kept my distance, you wouldn’t get hurt. I didn’t want you to suffer because of me.”

Your eyes softened with understanding. You had always known. You had seen through his cold exterior from the very beginning, recognizing the warmth he tried so hard to bury. Even now, in your final moments, you could see the love in his eyes, even if he couldn’t say the words.

“Cale,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “You don’t have to say it. I’ve always known.”

His chest tightened, and he cursed himself for his cowardice. He had faced death countless times, stared it in the face without flinching. But now, he was paralyzed with fear—not for himself, but for you. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, not like this, not when he hadn’t even had the courage to tell you how he felt.

“Please… don’t leave me,” he choked out, his voice breaking. He wasn’t supposed to be the one begging, but here he was, clutching your hand like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to this world. “I’m sorry… for everything. I should have told you… I—”

You squeezed his hand weakly, offering him one last smile. “I know, Cale. I’ve always known. It’s okay.”

Tears he hadn’t even realized were there began to fall, staining his cheeks. Cale Henituse, the man who had always kept his emotions locked away, who had never shown weakness, was now breaking apart in front of you. And it was too late. The words he had always kept buried deep within him, the feelings he had never dared to express, were now pouring out—but they came too late.

You took a shuddering breath, your eyes fluttering closed. The last thing you saw was Cale’s face, twisted with sorrow and regret. And despite the pain, despite everything, you were at peace. You had always known how he felt, even if he hadn’t been able to say it. You had loved him, and that was enough.

“Goodbye, Cale…” you whispered, your voice barely more than a breath.

And then, you were gone.

Cale sat there, still holding your hand, even as the warmth faded away. The silence was deafening, the weight of his unspoken words crushing him. He had always prided himself on his ability to outsmart his enemies, to come out on top no matter the odds. But now, for the first time, he realized he had lost the one battle that truly mattered.

He had lost you.

And with you, he had lost the chance to tell you that he loved you.

[charliedawn]

Hi! Can I request how the Slashers will react to their favorite nurse having an engagement ring on her? And they actually fell in love with her. (Also, can you add Five please 🥲, he's very much my comfort character.)

Five Hargreeves :

Five was the first to know.

He knew just by looking at you. The way you almost glowed and were smiling from ear to ear all week made him suspicious. And then, the coup de grace…The ring. He was sitting at his own private bar when you joined him and his eyes were immediately drawn to the shiny ring. Suddenly, everything clicked and he stared at the drink in his hand…his hand shaking slightly.

"…So, you found someone ?"

He was happy for you, or at least he tried to convince himself he was.

He wished you would say no. He wished you would realise how much you meant to him at that exact moment…but you didn’t.

Your smile almost burnt him when you answered affirmatively. He took a big gulp of his whiskey—savouring the burn. He knew it was impossible. You were a nurse. And he was…just a kid. You would have never seen him as anything else. And it made him rage against himself for even entertaining the idea you would ever consider a future with him. Physically, he was too young. And mentally ? He was too old…You would have never worked.

So, he smiled and raised his glass to you.

"Congratulations, Y/N. You deserve it."

Once you were out of the room, that glass went flying across the room to end up shattered against a wall…shattered like Five was.

Jack Torrance :

Jack is good at hiding his emotions—even from himself. He had spent weeks wondering if he should ask you out on a date. He had spent his time thinking and planning and rehearsing what he would say and do. He thought it would be his moment to shine and leave all the bad shit behind…But then, he saw the ring.

"Hey. That’s a…That’s a nice ring you got there."

He smiled and said he was happy for you. And you believed it. Of course you did. Because, he was a good comedian. The best. He had learnt to just drown his emotions when he died, because if he was to feel anything…He’d lose himself. He had to suffer the loss of his family, his career, his life…What was one more loss to the lot ?

However, once you were out of the room ? He lowered his glass and his shoulders shook as he gripped the glass tightly in his hand to breaking point…He was too late. Again.

"Damn it…"

That was Jack’s true reaction to the news. He was disappointed for sure. He knew he should have acted before…But, what was the point ?

What would you have done with the ghost of a past long forgotten ?

He just started drinking again and chuckled bitterly at his own misery. He had wished for a better end, but that end had just slipped through his fingers like a dream…He would maybe write about it later ? But, what was the point ? He could write his feelings, but you’d never read them.

Pennywise :

You were at the dinner table and when Pennywise sat in front of you, he could feel that something was different. The other slashers were strangely quiet, so of course he’d have to ask.

"Why is everyone so quiet ?! Please. Tell me someone died !" He snickered, but nobody answered. Finally, he looked at you and tried to find the reason for the sudden silence…You then showed him your ring.

"Pennywise. I am engaged.", you announced with a smile. His own smile dropped.

He knew perfectly well what engagement meant. He understood now why all the others were so quiet. He could read their emotions. All of them were disappointed…He just didn’t know why until you had shown the ring…

"…Congrats."

"…Thanks."

That was the most awkward congratulations you had ever heard. He glanced back at your hand. Even though he had tried to sound genuine, he couldn’t bring himself to smile again. It was the first time you had seen Pennywise so serious.

He then decided to avoid you. You didn’t understand why, but he simply vanished. He didn’t even show up at meals anymore…

When something upsets Pennywise, he tends to avoid it. So, he decided to avoid you. He knew it was a childish and nonsensical reaction to the news…But, he couldn’t being himself to care. Because, he understood perfectly the feelings of the other slashers.

He never thought he would have to deal with emotions again…But, it seemed like he was wrong.

Michael Myers :

Michael stayed silent. He had nothing to say…

Well, he normally doesn’t say much, but this time you could actually feel the awkwardness in the room. He knew he didn’t have the right to dream…but, he still did. You were the only one who truly understood him and that Myers had ever spared. He wanted you to love him. But, it didn’t matter at the end…

He wrote down on his notebook:

Congratulations.

Even you could feel that he didn’t mean it, but you didn’t comment on it. However, he didn’t expect it when you removed his mask and stared at his face—studying his features. He wasn’t smiling. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were dark.

"…Michael.", you muttered softly and raised your hand to stroke his cheek…but he grabbed it before you could.

"Don’t."

He could see the pity in your eyes and it hurt more than anything. He then retrieved his mask and walked away. He couldn’t pretend to be happy about the news. And now, you knew about his feelings too.

Bo Sinclair :

Bo was working on a car when he asked you to hand him a tool. When you did, his eyes caught the ring around your finger and he suddenly forgot all about the tool. He grabbed your arm and stared at the offensive jewel in frightening silence.

"…Bo ?", you called him after a while.

When he saw you with that ring, it made him tick and realise that you had a life outside of the hospital—one he had no idea about. And it made him mad. You had never seen him so quiet before and he didn’t answer. He finally released your arm and left without a word. After that, you had trouble catching him and when you eventually did ? His reaction wasn’t the one you expected.

"…Whatya want from me, Y/N ?! A congrats and pat on the fuckin’ back ?! Alright. Congrats ! And hope you have a great life with yer fucker !"

He took out his frustration on you. Bo usually handles his emotions with his fists and his words. But, of course he wouldn’t come to hands with you. So, he’d either ignore you or be harsh with his words. Or, he’d go out to a bar and start a fight. Anything but confront you about his feelings and confess that he was jealous.

Jason Voorhees :

Jason was angry. The moment he saw the ring on your finger, he knew what it meant. His mother had carried hers for years and he had inherited it. He thought you’d be the one carrying his ring, but it seemed he had waited too long. His reaction would first be denial before he would suddenly break everything in his path and try to start a fight with anyone he’d come across. Jason doesn’t handle emotions very well and most often than not, he’d break things in order to let his frustration out.

He spent hours in the forest chopping wood and no one dared come to check on him—except you.

"Jason…?"

He didn’t answer, but he was there. You could hear him breathing and you sighed before sitting on a log. You waited for him and soon enough, he sat down next to you and you noticed how his whole body seemed tense.

"Jason…It’s not because I am engaged that I will forget about you, you know that right ?"

He still didn’t answer. He was doing his best to remain calm and when you moved to touch his shoulder—he recoiled from your touch. It was the first time Jason was reacting this way with you. And what he did next made your eyes widen in shock. He retrieved his mother’s ring from his pocket and wordless put it in your hand.

By the time you understood what he meant to say, he was already gone.

Freddy Krueger :

"~How sweet…"

He gave you the best fake smile he could muster before turning around and leaving. Truth is ? Freddy was the less angry out of all the slashers. He doesn’t believe in marriage or engagement or anything…The only problem he had with you being engaged was that he had lost his chance getting into your pants. Or, that’s the reason he’d give to anyone who would ask. Because of course you’d be faithful. You were the only person in the hospital who ever gave a shit about him.

You were kind and honest and fuckin’ perfect. So, of course Freddy didn’t stand a chance in hell. You were the complete opposite of him. You were an angel and Freddy was a demon. And that made him love you and hate you even more. It hurt…But, it didn’t matter. Because, he was already broken to begin with.

Norman Bates :

He thought he had a chance, but the moment he saw the ring…something snapped in Norman. It started with a twitch of his jaw and suddenly, his smile was gone. There was nothing left in his gaze than an intense emptiness—a void which seemed to swallow you whole. He took a step forward and for the first time…You were scared of him.

There was something murderous in his eyes—something dark.

When he leant forward, your heart hammered in your chest, but he simply smiled knowingly before kissing your cheek.

"Congratulations, my little angel."

There was not a single word in that sentence that he truly meant, and you both knew it all too well. But, you smiled and tried to hold back the tears. You left and Norman was left with his regrets.

Penny :

"Why ?"

You turned around to face Penny. He was the last one. He didn’t understand, but his expression changed to cold numbness as he repeated.

"Why, Y/N ? You know how we all feel about you…That ring. You knew what that ring would do to us…So, why ? Why hurt us like this ?"

You had always suspected Penny to be smarter than he pretended to be…but you didn’t think he would be the first one to figure it out. Your expression softened as you tried not to cry.

"I’m sorry, Penny. Turns out I wasn’t as special as you all thought I was…"

It was simpler this way…It was better than to admit that you were scared. You thought you were past the fear…but, it seemed not. There was still a fear to be conquered. You had grown too attached to the slashers. And of course you knew how they felt about you, but so did you. You felt so strongly…but, you couldn’t do anything about it.

You were human. And you still had a life outside of the hospital. They couldn’t understand…but, you hoped that with time they’d understand. You only had one life, and you couldn’t give them false hope. You couldn’t be with them forever, and that ring was a reminder. Not only for them, but for you as well.

Penny snarled and grabbed the hand where the ring was to glare at it. He hated it. He didn’t want to see you belonging to someone else than him…It affected him more than he cared to admit.

Suddenly, he wrapped his hand around your ring finger and you suddenly felt a sharp pain. He released you, but then you heard a series of metallic sounds hitting the floor. When you looked down, your eyes widened as you saw your ring—shattered in pieces.

You looked back up at him, but he was gone.

The message was clear though.

He would never accept it…

[fanartka]

So, who on the council will be probable dead or injured? Jayce has a scenario armor, most likely he will only get a stylish scar, mental wound and strong motivation. But look at Mel Medarda's mother, Ambessa. She is stern and goes into battle, there is rage on her face, but somehow tired. Mel had her back to the window (by the way, it’s great that they lowered the dome over the council when Jayce was tried at the beginning of the story, but now they’ve forgotten about it.) and could have suffered the most. And that's why Ambessa looks so depressed through her belligerence - if her children are dead, why fight? To take revenge first, and then what? Who should I leave the inheritance to? It seems to me that a good scenario would be to cripple Mel or disfigure her wonderful beauty.

Frankly, I admired every time she showed on the screen. I like the fluidity of the panther with which she walks, how gently she manipulates everyone around, but not for the sake of an evil goal, on the contrary, she is a pacifist and a supporter of reasonable decisions. Her mind is sharper than anyone else in Arcane. Viktor could compete if his passion was politics, not science (and not Jayce, sorry, this is canon), and if his health was better. But in addition to intelligence, bribery and flattery, she skillfully used her charm and the fact that people are more willing to contact attractive people. It would be an excellent move not to kill her, but rather to deprive her of what she is accustomed to consider her inalienable weapon - beauty.

And, perhaps, deprive her of the opportunity to walk so gracefully, whitening herself with gold tattoos. Although there are cyber prostheses in this world. I think this would cause Ambessa to start tearing things apart because she will always avenge her children.

I imagine Mel hiding half her face behind a golden mask, with an exoskelkt in her beautiful back, and I can imagine how much her disposition might change when she experiences severe depression.

What I am sure of is that Mrs. Kiramman, Caitlyn's strict mother, is dead. It’s enough just to look at Caitlyn's bitter face, and there was a shot somewhere in Internet where her father looks tired of life, and in front of him lies a bouquet of white flowers, similar to a funeral one. Yes, she's definitely dead.

What about Viktor? He wasn't shown in the teaser, but I'm sure this is just to tease us even more, he will definitely be in the second season. Riot Games has stated that Arcane is now canon and that they will be rebuilding canon, but something tells me that one way or another this poor talented boy will become Machine Heralt, just this time for a different reason. I think the explosion will critically wound him, but the hex will prevent him from dying. He will be so seriously injured that there will be no other choice but to mechanize part of his body and let the hextech heal the rest. (I wonder who Jayce will rush to first when he sees their wounds, Viktor or Mel? Most likely to Mel).

And I'm sure that the creators will not disappoint us, the first season shows how bold they are in their creative expression, I think that all other studios should learn from them (yes, Marvel, I'm looking at you (how dare you be so lazy and carelessly when you wrote the story of Supreme! look at the work of Riot Games and Netflix, that's how it should be!))

In any case, I think we will have to wash ourselves with tears, but it will be done at the highest level, because the creators treat their characters like beloved children, not slaves to make money.

I'm looking forward to it, good luck to you, the characters I liked so much. I hope you remain more human Viktor than Machine Herald, poor clever boy.

[i-am-traveling-the-multifandom]

I find the complete poster quite poetic. Especially the light is very symbolic for every character. The light I believe symbolizes the consequences of their own actions. (This will be a long post so prepare for that).

Alicent stands tall and stares towards the light. Ready to face all the consequences of her actions and plotting. In my opinion, her being the one in front and not any other character shows the extents she would go to protect her family.

Aemond stands right behind Alicent basking in most of the light. He started the war when he killed Lucerys and he will face the most consequences because of his own mistake. This shows how he will be against what Alicent believes ("She holds love for the enemy") but will be on the team and will protect the others no matter what. He has a sword and is unsheathing it showing his restlessness and eagerness for war.

Aegon sits on the iron throne and shields his face with his crown trying to use his now great kingdom and army to protect himself from his inexcusable actions. But the light still comes in in the form of small rays. The consequences of his own actions breaking his family little by little until it is nothing but shreds. Shreds of happiness, shreds of the memories of his children, shreds of his once great rule, shreds of his face. All shown by these rays of sunlight.

Criston stands away from the throne light grazing his skin but not completely. Like I said earlier the light is the consequence of their own actions. Criston will suffer for his own actions but for most part he will be in misery for the side he chose. He will suffer because he chose the dowager queen and the usurper king over the Targaryen queen. That will be the reason of his ultimate downfall.

Otto is also barely touched by the light. But not because he won't face the consequences of his actions but because he is hiding. If you look at the poster he is hiding behind the throne. He will try to save himself, plot and plan but in the end he will suffer. Because he hid too long. No matter how much he tries to hide he will be grazed with the fire of the dragons.

Larys is a creep so I won't elaborate that much will have the same consequences as Otto. He will hide but, in the end, he will perish. Something to be noted is that he is not wearing the typical green attire but a dark red and black one. This may show that he is a valuable asset for the greens but not a part of them. Or this shows that he will switch sides in the end. That would be a great thing for the fans but a huge blow for team green as a whole.

Heleana stands in the darkness where no sunlight touches her. This shows that she has never done anything wrong but will face the consequences of the actions done by those around her. She will suffer because her husband usurped the queen, she will suffer because her brother killed Lucerys, she will suffer because her mother crowned Aegon, she will suffer for the faults of everyone but her.

Some other things to notice

Alicent's poster has the faith of the seven

Heleana's poster has Blood or Cheese in the background

Aegon's poster has a green flag that is torn because of the iron throne, perhaps showing how the war for the iron throne will tear the team green apart.

[fantasyinvader]

I also most feel like Hubert was designed to be another scapegoat for Edelgard. I mean, her working with TWSITD doesn't exactly make her look clean. She's involved with kidnapping, human experimentation on those without Crests, she knows they've assassinated leaders and destabilized other nations for her benefit but hides it for her own advantage, lent them aid with the attempted theft of the SotC which also ties her to manipulating Lonato's failed rebellion and all the damage he caused… she's involved with a lot of dark shit, but people try to claim that she's not responsible for what TWSITD does despite her giving them aid. So, why does Edelgard work with them? Hubert, the guy who is also the one running the secret police keeping her people in line while at times ignoring her orders. So is Edelgard responsible for what her retainer does behind her back to support her? But then her support with Hubert makes it out that she knows he does these things but doesn't care to look any deeper into how he's supporting her.

Hubert is pretty up front about what he does though, and it's his words that reveal that Ionius was a puppet of TWSITD whereas Edelgard is constantly shown to lie and manipulate others. Plus it's Hubert who makes damn sure TWSITD don't get away with what they've done in SS and VW, whereas Edelgard kept silent about them. They would have gotten away with it and returned to try again if it wasn't for Hubert, these motherfuckers who manipulated Edelgard into attempting to purge the surface of those they consider beasts (hint: it's not just the Nabateans). She'd allow the people who killed her siblings to get away just because she didn't win.

Hubert… is the moral one of the two. Let that sink in.

Plus we also have Edelgard weaponizing Jertiza's mental illness, turning him into the Death Knight with the game implying that he suffers from a split personality and DK is taking over.

[fantasma-de-la-cueva]

Guys, I know I had been posting a lot of IE stuff (bc I’m out of noragami stuff and I’m obsesed with magic soccer), but you know what? I’m still going to say this headcanon bc I started to write a fic:

I love to compare Gouenji (specially the Fifth Sector fase) with snakes. Why? Here are some reasons:

1) When he wants to be sneaky and hide or dissapear he just does and is hard to see him unless he wants to be seen (or caught off guard at certain points).

2) Despite what honosuto introducted (no hate, I will always love honosuto fiery boi) he is calm and collected, making me remind that in the chinese zodiac snakes are associated with calm, cold and calculating people. Also, snakes tend to be associated with cunning personalities and Gouenji, specially during the Go 1, had showed this with his hole plan of destroying Fifth from the inside (not only by starting the revolution, but with the ways he used to fuel it more and more, aka: investigating everything he could in the front row while keeping Daigo away from controlling soccer, confirming that Endo was, “indeed”, the person sent by Fifth to be Raimon’s coach, letting Tsurugi to play free soccer after sending him knowing that he would turn at some point, funding educational programs and managing to move a massive amount money behind Daigo’s back, offering stealthy mentorship to Raimon by allowing them to get stronger, putting the team against Teikoku to allow Endo and Kidou reunite and clean Teikoku from Fifth’s influence, therefore allowing the Revolution to have a safe space and all the mental gymnastics, lies, speeches and deceptions he was pulling over everyone inside the organization and Daigo himself to prevent them from investigating what was really happening).

3) Snakes are often represented as malicious in some cultures and stories, in others they are wise creatures that can act as mentors or helpers. Gouenji enters in the “helper” snake category. As a kid he helped the other players to resolve their problems; as adult he pressed on Raimon to make them stronger and resilent, taught Tsurugi the fire tornado and in anime taught Kurosaki the fire storm, raised multiple programs to teach kids to play soccer and prevent the collapse of Japan’s educational system, assisted Raimon during CS and thanks to him Earth could participate in the Grand Celesta Galaxy tournament.

4) Is said that snakes hold the poison and its antidote, that’s why they are related to medicine. Gouenji, during Fifth’s arc hold the poison that was corrupted soccer and had the antidote that was starting the revolution and prevent the collapse of educational system.

5) Snakes are often depicted as symbols of protection, we know how fierce protective Gouenji is, specially when is about people suffering in front of him, the people that matters to him the most and the sport he deeply loves.

6) Snakes are hated by a lot of people and tend to be reducted as nothing but a “dangerous” creatures and sometimes are seen as “evil” in a lot of stories and tales. During Go 1 Gouenji/Ishido is depicted as an intimidating, cruel man that feels pleasure in inflicting pain and terror on everyone and enjoys playing with the victims of his schemes, but the truth is that he is pretty tame compared to his coworkers, subordinates and boss (but we don’t forget how awful it was Tsurugi arrival to Raimon or ordering getting Tenma injuried). He uses the cold and ruthless mask because he has to in order to survive and make his plans work (and is shown that is painful for him to do so), but overall he isn’t as cruel as other characters tend to see him as he doesn’t want to destroy schools that dare to stand against Fifth Sector, he doesn’t like when people gets hurt because of soccer, he doesn’t show any resentment towards the idea of getting dethrowned, he enjoys to watch Raimon struggling in matches because he knows that those moments are what make the team stronge and he made his best to allow his team enjoy real soccer. The thing that makes him look “evil” is that due to his seriousness and determination to save soccer and keep control over Fifth he had resigned to play the bad guy and allowed the organization and its members to commit any crime they could. We know as viewers that is painful for him to be in that position and the characters close to him had shown concern and worriness about his well being because they know and understand his reasons to be like that, but the characters that don’t know are the ones that often trash-talk about how he is evil and doing everything he does for the sake of ambition and talk so much about how they want to make him pay, with very valid reasons. But while for the kids is normal and resonable that they wouldn’t question the adult characters didn’t cared to question or go deeper, thinking that he truly went evil until Endo appeared and investigated why his friend had, aparently, went nuts.

7) Discretion and the way snakes slither to move are often relationated concepts, so, why not?

[sonadowwiki]

Sonic and Shadow - The Moon and The World Part One

The true owners of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, the superiors at SEGA Japan, have placed intricate messages within their medias that portrays their suffering and their dream of wanting Sonadow. They did this by portraying Sonic as the Moon, the number 5, and the Hierophant (Upside-down), and portraying Shadow as the World, the number 8, and Strength (Upright) in their medias. However, starting in the middle of 2022, the signs have mostly stopped due to conflicting views of others. There are times, though, in current medias, mainly if it has to do with Sonic and/or Shadow, that the superiors are sometimes able to still put some of these symbols.

[Sonic Adventure 2 - Ending image where Shadow is in front of the world]

Overview

When observing a multiple amount of medias from the '''Sonic the Hedgehog''' franchise, a fan can notice many hints that indicate Sonic being related to The Moon and Shadow relating to The World. One of the major hints showing this is the Sonic x Shadow July 2021 Calendar Story where Sonic points towards the moon and then towards himself and how near the end, the story says the "Moon" (Sonic) watches over Shadow forever and ever. You can also often see Sonic next to the moon a lot in several medias. Some such medias are Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) at the end of the game, Movie Sonic posing in front of the moon in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 the Movie and Sonic Unleashed where the whole game had the moon important in order to turn Sonic into his Werehog form. Shadow being shown as the World can be seen at the end of Sonic Adventure 2 where an image of him in front of the world is shown when you've beaten the game.

Sonic Colors Ultimate - Ending of Credits where the Moon hides behind the World (This did not happen in the original: Sonic Colors)

Another way to figure out that Sonic and Shadow represent The Moon and The World is by finding the hidden meaning where they are related to Tarot Cards. [Click here for a site reference for Tarot Cards.] To figure this out about them, you would first need to know what numbers they represent. In the case of Sonic, his number would be 5. For Shadow, it would be 8. [Click here for a site reference for Numerology.] In order to figure these numbers out, you would have to look at a lot of context clues. One such clue would be to notice that Sonic is always around stars where he even has a theme song called, "Reach for the Stars" from Sonic Colors. In many advertisements, the number 5 also is emphasized or chosen specifically. Also, his name is five letters long. To figure out Shadow's number would take a lot more effort than Sonic's. You would first have to figure out Sonic's number and then you would have to read the description of each number to see which ones relates to Shadow the most. You would also have to know that his opposite, Infinite, is also related to figuring out his number. The way Infinite relates to this is by being one of Shadow's opposites/fakes and how the infinity symbol is like an 8 but on its side. Since an 8 can't be flipped to represent another number, it is moved to its side to represent the infinity symbol instead. Though Infinite took this symbol as his own, he is not the true infinity and is only mimicking being the infinity symbol to mimic Shadow. Shadow is the actual infinity because he is immortal, is the true 8 and is the true representation of balance. Infinite's grudge and complex against Shadow, where he wanted to be stronger and better than him after feeling inferior to him in Sonic Forces, also ties into this.

[Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon 2022 Picture - Sonic is running in front of a full moon for the Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon]

Numerology

Sonic - Number 5

To go into more detail concerning the numbers involved, we can look at what each number means. For the number 5, we can look at the site provided to see its strengths, weaknesses and personality traits:

Strengths

Curious

Adaptable

Social

Weaknesses

Non-committal

Unreliable

Directionless

Personality Traits

Flexible

Adventurous

Unpredictable

Outgoing

Social

Restless

Energetic

Independent

Inconsistent

When looking at what the number 5 represents, one can notice how closely it relates to Sonic's personality and traits. Though they closely relate to Sonic, Sonic has been shown to be overcoming his weaknesses ever so slowly in present day medias.

Shadow - Number 8

For Shadow's number, we can see that the number 8's strengths, weaknesses and personality traits are:

Strengths

Ambitious

Karmic

Enduring

Weaknesses

Materialistic

Authoritative

Entitled

Personality Traits

Accomplished

Balanced

Dedicated

Prosperous

Authoritative

Strong

Professional

Materialistic

Goal-oriented

By looking at what the number represents, one can notice that it closely relates to Shadow. Though in present day, Shadow has shied away from the weaknesses listed here for SEGA Japan has been showing him more kind and modest than how he was in the past.

Tarot Cards

After figuring out those numbers, you would then need to take those numbers and figure out what Tarot Card is the same as that number. For the number 5, that card would be The Hierophant. For the number 8, that card would be Strength. When you figure out which Tarot Cards are related to Sonic and Shadow, you would then need to know who Sonic and Shadow represent. Figuring this out would mean that we would have to look into real life things. The reason why is because Sonic is actually a representation of the company he represents. Meaning, he represents some of the employees in SEGA Japan. As to who Shadow represents, it would be someone who is always by his side helping him no matter what; someone who is his strength and support.

Sonic

The Hierophant

Now that you have those clues, we can look into each Tarot Card individually. We can start with the number 5's card, The Hierophant. For this card, the upright of it claims that a person should conform to social norms/social structures that already have a tradition. But from what we know of Sonic, he is not a type to follow what others tell him to do. He's more of someone that does what he wants and goes against what others tell him to do/social norms. So the upright of this card would not relate well with Sonic. Instead, it more tells of what struggles he goes through as others try to force him into following social norms and social traditions. We can further see this by looking at the card's reverse meaning. The reverse states that the person feels constricted or restrained by too many rules. It also states that the person wants to break through the shackles tying them down and that the person wants to do the unorthodox. The person wants to deny the social norms and to go against it instead. When looking at this reading, it matches more with the Sonic we all know. From this card, we can tell two things:

One, Sonic/the members in SEGA Japan are constantly being told to do what others think is right by following what is seen as "normal." What those normal things can be are like Sonic being traditional and forming a relationship with a female because everyone thinks he should or that it's what is expected of him.

Two, Sonic doesn't want to listen to what others claim is normal and to instead, carve his own path. Because of this, we can see that Sonic doesn't want to listen to what others tell him to do and wants to instead, do something unorthodox like liking or forming a relationship with Shadow. Which we can see the signs of this being true in many places where Sonic is shown to like spending time with Shadow (Team Sonic Racing), where Sonic is touched to hear that Shadow finds his time with him one of his most memorable memories (Twitter Takeover #5) and where Sonic is sad at the thought of Shadow forming a relationship with someone other than himself (Twitter Takeover #6).

The Moon

While we are looking at Sonic's first Tarot Card, we can also look at his second Tarot Card, which was mentioned at the beginning. That card would be The Moon. As it was stated before, to figure out how this card relates to Sonic, you would have to figure out the context clues of Sonic always being near the moon in many of his medias. There's also the obvious hint in the Sonic x Shadow July 2021 Calendar Story.

[Sonic 2 (the movie) - Movie Sonic poses in front of the moon after trying to save the city from bank robbers]

When reading about this card, it shows that there are two paths for the person. One is the path of the dog, the other is the path of the wolf. The dog path represents being civilized, while the wolf represents being wild and feral. You can see this being referenced in one of his games, Sonic Unleashed. In Sonic Unleashed, the dog path would be when he is in the sun with his regular form. The wolf path would then be his Werehog form that is with the moon. Two towers are also in shown in the card to represent good and evil. But people tend to have a hard time defining which is the good one or the bad one. In short, this card represents two possibilities for the person. The card goes on to say that the person is uncertain about things, but that is why the moon is trying to guide the person to the correct path. It also states that there may be hidden things in your life that could try to trick you. Though to follow the right path is to follow your intuition. The reverse can also apply here where it states that the person is unhappy and confused. But it also states that the person should find the courage to get through their fears and move forward.

Again, we would have to relate things to real life to get the meaning behind this card. While remembering who Sonic represents, we can see that the ones Sonic represents were confused and unhappy with their current situation due to many people trying to push rules onto them that they didn't like and didn't want to conform to. If we also take The Hierophant into account, we can see that Sonic doesn't want to follow social norms and instead, wants to be more towards his wolf path, which is being more unorthodox. That would make him more the moon than the sun, especially since Sega Japan through Sonic Team said themselves that Sonic was the moon with the July 2021 Calendar Story. That would mean that Sonic is going to take the unorthodox path and not do what people expect of him. Meaning, he won't form a relationship with someone (a female) who everyone tells him he should.

[Sonic 06 - Ending where Sonic looks at the moon]

Shadow

Strength

After looking at those two cards, we can now look at Shadow's cards. We will start with the first Tarot Card, which is Strength. When looking at what the card depicts, it says that the woman who is holding the jaws of the lion calmly shows what control and courage she has, even in the face of danger. It also depicts what grace, love and compassion the lady has as she is keeping the lion, who represents, courage, passion and desire, in check. Overall, it speaks about one's ability to be calm and collective, even in dangerous times. This reading continues on with the upright meaning of this card. Besides what has been already stated, it also states that the person is resilient, patient and compassionate to the point that the person would sacrifice themselves for other people. One other thing that it states is how the person is resilient in doing whatever the person puts their mind to. This relates well to Shadow who is goal-oriented like the number 8 said. In the reverse, it states that the person will become depressed or that they are lacking confidence in themselves. This might have the person become withdrawn from society and perhaps even jealous of other's happiness. But the card signifies that the person should regain their footing in life by regaining that confidence in themselves to re-harness their inner strength.

The way the reverse relates to Shadow can be seen through Shadow coming to help when he is needed, but also in the way he shies away from society when he is not. You can also related it to him by thinking about how Shadow was going through a crisis in his life when he lost his memories and how he regained his confidence and inner strength by moving on from Maria's death and remembering who he was. We can also relate the upright of this card to Shadow by thinking about how Shadow is confident in himself now and how he is calm and collective during situations given to him in various games/medias. He is also very resilient once he puts his mind to something. Once he decides to do something, he will follow through with it until he has achieved what he originally sought out to do. Shadow can also be seen as very kind where he goes out of his way to help others at the cost of himself like in Sonic Adventure 2 and in the Sonic x Shadow July 2021 Calendar Story.

The World

With the Strength card out of the way, we can now go to look at Shadow's second card, The World. This card generally speaks of balance, evolution in movement, success and harmony. Infinity is also mentioned in this card's depiction. Things are ever moving and changing with this card, but even though things are changing, things are kept in harmony and balance. In its upright reading, it speaks of how the person has become connected with both their inner and outer selves. It also speaks of how the person has gone through a major milestone in their life, and from that, have built up resilience towards challenges thrown the person's way. Lastly, it speaks of how the person wishes to give back to the community and make the world a better place. In the reverse, it speaks of how the person is nearing the end of their journey. Though many things have been accomplished, something feels like it's missing. It then asks the person what could that missing thing be.

Both the upright and reverse can relate to Shadow in some manner. In the upright we can see that Shadow is a person who is always changing, but we can also see him as someone who is always striving to make the world a better place. He thinks about the world and its people, despite making it seem like he doesn't care for his desire is to bring hope to humanity. In that sense, he keeps the harmony in the world as a protector of sorts. Though he does this in silence mostly, unlike Sonic. The reverse can be seen that Shadow has accomplished a lot, but hasn't found that one thing that makes him feel complete yet. As to what that could be, perhaps it's finding something that isn't easy to obtain, like love.

After looking at both of these cards, we can look at how this would relate to real life. The way this relates to real life would be that the ones who represent Sonic were looking for someone of these qualities. They wanted someone to help them through their crisis of others trying to force them to do things they didn't want. They couldn't pinpoint the problem and believe that someone with these qualities can; that someone like this can help them through their problems. In other words, Sonic has been searching for his Shadow for a very long time.

[Yui Karasuno picture of Shadow for the month of September in 2021]

As to whether this person exists or not, we can look at the monthly picture from Yui Karasuno done in September of 2021. In this image, Shadow is looking at the moon, which represents Sonic, with fondness and realization. It is since this image that whoever they believe Shadow is, has appeared for them.

Music - Sonic Songs

Another part to this whole elaborate hidden messages is that songs from the Sonic the Hedgehog series also ties into things. When you look at the songs and their lyrics, if you pay close attention, most songs don't seem to make too much sense compared to the actual game. The reason for this is because most of these songs are actually talking to someone. In other words, most of the songs that are sung are Sonic's voice talking to us, the fans, or to those he knows. An example of this is Sonic Colors, where the ending song is talking to the Shadow they were searching for. They were telling him to look at things with his heart (speak from his heart) to see their hidden messages in things like Sonic being The Moon. They wanted him to communicate with them and even knew that whoever figures out their messages, is someone who is very compassionate; is someone with a big and loving heart. They especially wanted Shadow to communicate with them because they were asking for his help in solving their problem. They even say that they're not afraid to ask for help with what they don't understand or are not sure about. You can see this by seeing the song emphasize on wanting the person with a big heart to communicate with the singer. In this song, you can see that Sonic was really hoping for Shadow to hear his voice, answer his call and know that he is listening to Shadow too.

[realm-sweet-realm]

Accretion, chapter 4

Accretion is a story that follows the rise and fall of Galactic Boss Cyrus and the fate of Team Galactic and the lives of those affected by it after its reformation under Saturn. I hope you all enjoy this.

This will be the only really long chapter for the rest of the story. Also, if you're more interested in A Road Further than this story, don't worry! The next chapter is coming out this weekend or next weekend at the latest.

---

Saturn's uneasiness did not wear off once he reached Eterna. Cyrus was oddly stiff to him from the moment they met. He gave Saturn his first job task- maintenance work on a number of old generators that clearly hadn’t been touched in years- without further explanation. A bit of research revealed to Saturn that Cyrus’ company was an old one, and that it had downsized a few years ago. That explained the unused equipment, but not why Cyrus wanted it ready for action again.

Whatever Cyrus’ bright idea was, it was taking a lot of his time. He spent most of the time he wasn’t at work cloistered in his room, stating that he was working on something important in a tone that suggested there would be no further questions on the matter. He didn’t seem annoyed with Saturn or impatient to have him move out- just distracted and tired. Some reunion this had turned out to be.

“You know,” Saturn said to him one day over dinner, “Betty learned hypnosis when she evolved. If you’re having trouble sleeping, she could help.”

“No, thank you,” Cyrus replied, “The sooner my project is finished, the better.”

“Why won’t you tell me what you’re working on?”

“You’ll see when it’s done.”

Saturn left it there. He knew how futile it was to pry answers from Cyrus when he wasn’t eager to give them. He hoped that Cyrus’ all-consuming project wasn’t simply keeping the company afloat.

It was weeks before whatever-it-was was done and Cyrus finally asked him to see it.

“Saturn, could you come with me?” Cyrus asked. “It’s about what I’ve been working on.”

“Yes,” Saturn said, not quite managing to hide his eagerness.

Cyrus led Saturn into his room, which had been strictly off-limits for Saturn since he’d moved in. They stepped between stacks of books and documents on Sinnoh myths, Sinnoh energy companies, and the criminal exploits of various evil teams. Cyrus stopped in front of the corkboard he’d been using to draft his scheme. Notes on energy companies led to plans for a terrorist organization led to document pages on legendaries led to plans for the new world, with the notes for each stage being more sparse than the last since Cyrus had removed the especially incriminating information. The corkboard hadn’t shown the entire plan to begin with, of course- that was written on his computer, protected by several layers of passwords. But this would give Saturn enough information to understand without overwhelming his mental clarity.

“Would you like to know how I acquired my company?” Cyrus asked.

“Yes,” Saturn replied. Cyrus heard the seriousness in his voice. That was no surprise- Saturn was too observant not to notice that the company was doing poorly and worry about the stability of his job because of it.

“Do you remember when we talked about the legendaries, and how they could rewrite human beings if they so chose?”

"Yes. How does that relate to this?”

Cyrus folded his arms behind his back and closed his eyes. “Months ago, I realized that it might actually be possible for a person to take that power for their own. If that were true, it would be unconscionable not to pursue it. There is little chance that there will ever be another person with my intelligence, my vision and my boldness who will come to realize that it’s possible. I’m the only chance this world has to be freed from its suffering.”

Cyrus turned to the first part of the corkboard, which was covered in notes about the various energy companies of Sinnoh. “All I needed were the resources. I begged my uncle for a chance to be a part of the family business empire. It’s true that this company is losing out to greener competitors. Under normal circumstances, it would likely be shut down within a few years. But I believe it’s my key to gathering all I’ll need for the plan. If I can gather followers, we could undermine the competing companies and make it the primary energy company in Sinnoh. Using the resulting wealth, Team Galactic can properly begin. There are details to be sorted out, but as of tonight I’m certain it’s possible.”

Silence stretched out for what felt like minutes, and Cyrus focused on the cork board, avoiding Saturn’s eyes. Had he explained himself adequately? He’d wanted to be understood. He also knew that Saturn had every reason to run from a company that would be used this way.

“Wow. That’s impressive,” Saturn said. “Why did you bother with your family before you knew this would be possible?”

“It was merely an advantageous time. Energy companies earn most in the winter, so I thought a disappointing winter would encourage my uncle to wash his hands of the company and allow someone else to take the fall for it.” Cyrus was a good liar, and anything would be preferable to the truth. “I have something to ask you. Will you join me? Will you help me to create a new and complete world?”

Saturn turned back to the board. “You know, when you talked about changing the world, I thought you’d never find something that would satisfy you. You wanted to change things that no one could. I should have known you’d find a way. And this? This looks possible. The world is messed up. It should be different. I’m in. I want to see what you’ll do.”

Cyrus smiled. “Good. Thank you for being the first member of Team Galactic.”

There were… certainly pros and cons to this. Cyrus had disappeared when he had because his time with Saturn had tempted him not to pursue this plan, to just be another person living a futile life. He’d called Saturn to move across the region because of what a good subordinate he would make. But then, why had he done it before he’d known Team Galactic would be possible? He wasn’t sure. And although Cyrus would never back away from his goals now... joy, lust, vulnerability, outright dependence... they were marginally forgivable traits in a young man without a purpose, but unacceptable in a God. He’d have to hold Saturn at an icy distance from then on to embody his ideals. He did not relish the thought.

But Saturn was more than a temptation. Saturn was diligent, responsible, trustworthy, calm, and loyal. He would be a great asset to the team.

—-

And so it began. Cyrus began speaking in various locations- first a park in Eterna City, then outside of Canalave library, and then in Oreburg. Cyrus’ voice attracted crowds, and it awed Saturn. After seeing Cyrus act and speak so robotically the past few months, seeing this passion, anger, and drive was very welcome. Saturn saw a similar angry fire in the eyes of many young people who watched him. But no one joined.

 At the end of the third day, a trio of young, rough-looking men approached Cyrus as he was preparing to leave.

“Hey, buddy,” one of the men said in a tone that made Cyrus uneasy. “We heard you were planning a team. How do we join?”

“You... wish to hear more about Team Galactic?” Cyrus said. Evil teams tended to attract rougher types. He couldn’t afford to be afraid of them.

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Um, Cyrus, I don’t think you should-” Saturn started, pulling gently at Cyrus’ arm.

“Nonsense. Everyone is welcome in Team Galactic. Let’s go.”

Cyrus left with the three men, and Saturn headed home.

It was getting late by the time Cyrus returned home, wet from the rain and intent on ducking into his room as soon as possible. Thankfully his clothes hid most of his new scrapes and bruises. He'd hate for Saturn to see him like this.

“So, how did it go?” Saturn asked.

Cyrus stopped, but kept his back turned. “Another team stole his partner. He was… not interested in joining ours,” he explained. He began to pace the room, trying futilely to hide his nosebleed with his bloody-knuckled hand.

“Um. Do you want some ice or something?” Saturn said after some hesitation.

Cyrus ignored him. “I told him that I wanted to end evil as badly as he did. He would not listen,” he growled. “I must change how I present myself. Tonight I’ll develop a list of the greatest orators in modern history, and tomorrow I will use their strategies to ensure things go differently. Who are the best speakers you can think of?”

“Well, Steven Stone for sure... Champion Diantha... give me a minute.” Saturn wracked his mind for good speakers, especially more optimistic ones.

The results of their first few days of recruitment weren’t surprising. Cyrus was good at articulating what was wrong with the world, but “Join Team Galactic and we will create a better world” didn’t cut it as a solution, especially with the word “team” hanging ominously over the enterprise. If his orator deep-dive didn’t give him the idea, Saturn would find a way to subtly give it to him later.

“Chairman Rose? And maybe you could look at how other evil teams do recruitment.”

“There are some tell-all books by ex-members I could review. But the problem remains: how to explain the new world to people incapable of understanding it?”

There was a knock at the door. Pulled from the conversation, Cyrus opened it. It was a girl who looked to be fourteen at the oldest. Wet red hair hung over her forehead and her clothes were worn out and too small for her. “You’re the one who wanted to change things, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cyrus replied.

The girl’s eyes lit up. “Good, I’ve been following you all night!”

There was an awkward silence.

“Sorry, that came out wrong. But please let me join your team. You want a world where people are kind and reasonable and don’t hurt each other for no reason anymore. Well, I want that, too. I think everyone does. I know about evil teams. I can help you!”

“We’ll take you into consideration,” Cyrus said, feeling as though he’d stumbled upon a miracle. This girl had given him a clear-as-day description of the new world that others would appreciate, and she might have some valuable knowledge. “What’s your name?”

The girl hesitated and curled her fists. “Copper. But don’t tell anyone else. My old team might be after me.”

“What do they want with you?” Cyrus asked coolly. The last thing they needed was an altercation with an evil team before theirs had even begun.

“They...um... Nothing. I left because I didn’t want to live off of other people’s greed and nastiness anymore. That’s all.”

“I see. Wait in the hallway while I discuss something with my subordinate,” Cyrus instructed.

Copper nodded and stepped out. Cyrus turned to Saturn.

“We’re not actually going to use a kid like this, are we?” Saturn asked.

“You think it would be kinder to put her back on the streets?”

“We have other options than that. We could call the police, get her in contact with her family...”

“I doubt she would allow it, if she’s who I think she is.” Cyrus brought up a photo on his Pokétch. It was of the backs of a family of four out for a walk and holding hands, seemingly taken by paparazzi. There was a short, dark-haired man, a tall, red-haired woman, and on either side of them was a red-haired young child- one boy and one girl.

“Is that Giovanni?”

“Yes. And an insider to the most successful evil team in the world would be very useful to us. She wants an idealist to follow and a more comfortable life than she’s been living. We will provide it for her. It’s that simple.”

Cyrus opened the door, where Copper was waiting. She looked up at Cyrus with big, nervous eyes.

“You may join us,” Cyrus said. “You will need a new name so that your old team doesn’t find you. Your name will be Mars, after the God of war, because you’ve been strong for too long. You won’t have to be strong much longer. I promise.”

Mars’ red eyes filled with adoration and tears. She dove in and hugged Cyrus, catching him off guard. Cyrus gave her an awkward pat on the back.

“You’ll sleep on our couch tonight,” Cyrus explained. “We’ll figure out more permanent arrangements tomorrow.”

“Thank you, thank you, I won’t let you down!” Mars insisted, head still firmly against Cyrus’ chest.

The next day, the trio went to their next speaking location. Mars had suggested a seedy area of Eterna, so they could target those who would be most eager for a change.

Mars was first to speak, and she described Cyrus as though he was a saviour. That made sense to him. That was what he was. As she spoke, he absorbed every bit of hope that she’d received from him. What she’d taken was what he would sell the masses.

Soon, their ranks filled, the old generators came back into use, and money multiplied.

---

Officer Jenny pulled up to the Eterna City office building. Two rapidash and a vespiquen in pokéballs hung from her belt, along with a radio to call for backup and a handgun to use as a last resort. She knew her mission: arrest the man who had been suspected by their detective team to be behind several recent attacks on energy companies throughout Sinnoh.

The building was unassuming, and its inside was no different- the first floor held an unoccupied lobby area that Jenny walked through uncontested aside from some odd looks from the receptionists. The next floor contained a largely young but otherwise unremarkable workforce typing at computers or fiddling with equipment. She wondered whether she was in the right place.

Jenny was about to slink up to the next floor before a man caught her arm. Jenny took her rapidash’s pokéball, preparing for another fight.

“Hey,” the man whispered, “Are you here to see the boss?”

“Yes,” Jenny replied, keeping her hand around the ball just in case.

“I’ll take you. He’s gone too far.”

It was several floors to the top, each stranger than the last. Computers gave way to strange equipment Jenny couldn’t identify. Carpets and bland wallpaper gave way to metal, chrome, and space-themed decor, like she’d stepped into a futuristic military base. Finally, they got to the boss’ office.

On the other side of the door, Cyrus and Jupiter were having their weekly meeting, which as per usual had gone into the subject of military equipment and its possible uses.

“And what is the explosion radius?” Cyrus asked, stone-faced but with rapt attention.

“twenty-five whole feet,” Jupiter explained, “which doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it is.”

“I see. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to put some of our weaponry budget towards it. Of course, that depends on whether you think you could lead Saturn and the grunts in constructing one, given the right parts.”

“I’d love to,” Jupiter replied.

“Tell me more about their construction.”

Jupiter smiled. She got the sense that Cyrus liked these meetings more than he let on. Why else have them so often, and last thing in the day so they could go late, as they so often did? Jupiter couldn’t complain either- she was getting paid to explain her passion to an interested audience. As Jupiter was about to launch into an explanation, the door slammed open.

Officer Jenny stood in the doorway, a handgun in her grip. Oh, Jupiter had known this day would come. Her good day was about to get even better.

“Cyrus Akagi, you are under arrest for multiple counts of inciting terrorism. Put your hands above your head.”

“Very well,” Cyrus replied coolly. He got up from behind his desk, put up his hands, and slowly came towards officer Jenny. The officer grew increasingly tense as her eyes moved from the untouched pokéballs on the desk to Cyrus’ unreadable face to Jupiter, who gave her a frosty sneer.

“Before you take me in, let me ask you a question: have you checked the forecast for Snowpoint today?”

Jenny grit her teeth and adjusted her grip on the gun.

“My company powers much of Sinnoh,” Cyrus continued, stopping right in front of the officer. “That includes its coldest areas. Every one of my subordinates are on strict orders to shut down energy production if I am arrested.” He took Jenny’s wrists and raised her gun to aim at his head. “Go ahead. I’m sure that the people of Snowpoint will be glad you stood against corruption when they’re contracting frostbite in their own homes. It’s been a chilly Fall. I imagine that several other towns are three, maybe four weeks away from their fate.”

The officer trembled. Behind her, the “traitorous” grunt was grinning like a maniac. Saturn appeared as well, similarly enjoying her pain. He touched her shoulder, causing her to jump.

“Would you like an escort out, miss Jenny?” Saturn asked. Defeated, the officer hung her head, put away her gun, and turned away. The three of them left, leaving Jupiter and Cyrus alone. They knew that this moment would happen. That it had happened once the company was powerful enough to leverage threats was sheer luck. And now, after two years of hiding in the shadows, the police now knew of the nature of their organization, but the response to their crimes would be slow or nonexistent so long as no one knew that Cyrus’ objective was taking over the world and not just the energy sector.

Everything changed rapidly over the next few days. Most of the Team Galactic personnel, including the commanders and Cyrus himself, moved into the Veilstone City building, which would now be not only their workplace but their home. Pokémon that had once stayed with individuals were moved to the menagerie, where they would stay when off-duty. Mars in particular had her hands full giving dozens of grunts teal bowl cuts to match their new uniforms- a space-age design that Mars had had a heavy hand in designing. The excitement helped her push past fatigue. Everything was finally coming to life around her.

Once the last grunt was finally cut, Mars ran off to see Cyrus. She’d somehow managed to convince him to wait until she was around to try on his new uniform.

"Well? What do you think?” Mars asked after he’d put it on for the first time.

Cyrus looked into the mirror. The uniform looked like something that the commander of a science fiction space vessel would wear. He folded his arms behind his back and walked back and forth in front of the mirror, giving it his best stern, hard looks.

Yes, this was perfect. He looked like a solid, uncompromising wall. And wasn’t that what everyone wanted him to be? So many fools, their lives fallen apart due to their own vice, had put their lives and decisions into his hands because they wanted someone sturdy and rational to handle them. It was arguably the smartest choice they’d ever made. Cyrus looked back to Mars, seeing the adoration on her face- adoration he was becoming more and more accustomed to.

“Well done,” he said to Mars, turning back to the mirror. Mars lit up from the validation.

Everyone rose to attention when Cyrus entered the auditorium, clearing the way to give him space as he made his way to the stage, where his commanders were lined up to the side. There was much chatter amongst the crowd, but Cyrus didn’t mind. Even if noise still had power over him, which it did not, he could stop it in an instant with a command. After taking his place on the stage, he stared at the crowd, put a finger to his lips and watched as they fell silent.

“Fellow members of Team Galactic, hear me!” Cyrus spoke into the microphone. “Each one of you here has agreed to be a part of our great mission to leave this world of strife and suffering behind us and enter a new era of peace. We would not be here today without your collective efforts.

We have now entered our second phase of operations. In this new era, the world will be aware of our ill-doings. However, they will not be aware of our cause, as it is a cause only we can understand.

There will be new rules to follow to ensure our success. Firstly, no one is allowed to leave the compound without at least one issued Pokémon. As public enemies, we must be prepared to defend our interests. Secondly, do not speak of our true mission to anyone. The longer the authorities think of my capture as more trouble than it’s worth, the fewer obstacles they will put in our path. 

Finally, there is no place among us for doubt. You will all pledge to me today. Swear to relinquish all your hope for this world and put it instead in Team Galactic. Together, we will triumph!”

The crowd cheered wildly. The commanders lined up and one by one to swear to him. The grunts followed, excited to receive his approval.

—-

“Zubat, return. Sneasel, out,” Cyrus commanded, tossing the new pokéball into the arena. The sneasel absorbed Betty’s psychic without a scratch.

“Nice switch-in,” Saturn admitted, readying a different pokéball himself. “Crogunk, your turn!” he said, throwing it.

“Pursuit,” Cyrus ordered, and his sneasel ran in and jabbed the kadabra before it had a chance to return.

Betty fell to the ground, defeated. Saturn’s crogunk was swiftly taken out shortly after with air slash.

“Well, that’s all I got,” Saturn said. He jogged over to his fainted Pokémon and used revives on them. Once Betty was up, she was cuddling into Saturn. She was nearly the height of a person now, but some things never changed. Saturn petted her but returned her as Cyrus approached- no need for her to seek affection from someone who wouldn’t give it anymore.

“You’re getting pretty good at this,” Saturn said, putting away the pokéball.

“Yes.” And with this, Cyrus had shed the last of his weakness. Learning to battle had been low on his long list of priorities, but it was a skill that every crime boss needed. The two left the arena, stepped out into the chilly night together, and headed back.

“So, Cyrus, about that new rule about Team Galactic’s Pokémon being left in the menagerie when off duty... I know you want them to be loyal to the team instead of one person, but…”

“Commanders are exempt. For now, at least.” The last thing he wanted was to reduce his best recruiter’s morale by separating her from her beloved Purugly. “However, I have a new order for you. Never speak of how you once knew me as anyone other than I am now. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Master Cyrus,” Saturn replied.

“Excellent. Good night,” Cyrus said, and they parted ways.

[dark-royals-cb]

Keeho’s Background

TW: Abandonment, verbal abuse, fighting, violence, mean and cruel parents, crying, angst

“So Kee, what about your parents? How was your life before the Shadow Realm was made?” Rowoon pondered as he looked at the king who stood in front of the large window.

Keeho was silent as he thought back in his life before he was brought to here, his home, his kingdom. Placing the cup in his hand down on the tray one of the servants had out for him he smiled at them and told them they could go rest for the day or go have some personal time. “Thank you, your majesty.” The servant mumbled before leaving.

He waited until they left before he spoke, “My life before coming here.. wasn’t a life worth remembering.. but alas.. it plagues my mind quite often.” He started, he turned to look at the painting over the fireplace, large and in a beautiful frame. The black and white contrast against the purple light that gleamed on it made him smile for a moment, “That tree.. is the one who saved me you know? I was left under it to die.. and then I heard whispering..” he began his story.

———Five Years Ago———

“You failed. Again.” A harsh voice said before glass shattered everywhere.

Keeho bowed his head, stood perfectly still with his hands in front of him, “I-I’m sorry father.. I tried.. I really did.” He spoke, voice shaky.

“You tried? Pathetic.” His father mocked, standing up he walked over until he was nose to nose with his son, “Such a disgrace to your mother and I.” He continued before lifting his hand and bringing it down, slapping Keeho roughly. Keeho stumbled for a second before he quickly fixed his posture, he’d become accustomed to the abuse his parents inflicted on him. Most days he was able to withstand it without so much as a sound, but today he was scared, upset, and overcome with anxiety.

He’d failed the one test that could earn him the freedom his desired, all because of a piece of fabric. That piece of fabric had caused him to fall and his opponent to take the advantage of knocking him down and keeping him down. He suffered a mild concussion and some bruising along his body to go with it, not to mention his mother slapping him a few times for “embarrassing” her in front of her friends.

“I’ll do better, train harder, and be stronger father. I promise.” He said, it was a promise he’d memorized and repeated hundreds of times, and everytime he did just that. He became better, trained harder, got stronger but each time something always happened and he still failed. Keeho knew it was because he was being set up by his parents each and everytime, they hated him and never wanted him in the first place.

His mother called him a mistake, a burden, something that ruined her beauty and now she had to hide behind makeup and far more lavish clothing. To his father he was a thorn, ruining the comfort of the palace. His father had lost to him in a battle, simply one of practice and he’s hated him more ever since. Keeho was never, not even once shown love or care. The servants and maid, even the regular towns people were afraid to even be near him for fear that the king and queen would punish them.

Every friend Keeho had gotten had either been “taken care of” or left him willingly to keep their own lives safe. A few of them had used him to get what they wanted and a few had even been hired by his parents to spy on him or cause him some kind of harm. How anyone could be so cruel to their own child he’ll never know..

Everything changed for the worse the day the kings right hand man had come back from a mission, only to show himself beat up and near death. The Man had lost the battle but couldn’t bare to show the shame to the king so when Keeho just so happened to show up at the wrong time on front of him he used it for his own good. Grabbing the boy by his hair he dragged him to the throne room, throwing him down.

“Your boy has committed an act of treason! He let the enemy know of my whereabouts and caused me to lose what I was after!” He yelled as he held the boy to the floor. Keeho’s eyes widened and he tried to fight him off and tell them it wasn’t true.

“So.. you went against me huh, boy? After all the good I did for you.” The king Spoke, walking over to him.

“N-No! Father I wouldn’t dare! I was here at the palace!” He pleaded, running and kneeling at his fathers feet.

The king laughed and the Queen stood up, watching intently. “Oh, boy. I know what he’s saying isn’t true but this will give me a reason to get rid of you. Treason is the highest law and no one will question why I killed my own son then.”

Keeho stared at his father before looking to his mother, “M-Mom.. please help me.. I-I’m your son…” he pleaded again but his mother simply laughed and left the room.

Keeho was then drug to a tree outside of the kingdom walls and beaten. Beaten until he couldn’t move, could barely see, and barely breath. His father stood by as this happened and then we he thought he was close to dying, they all left.

He laid there for what felt like hours, wishing and praying for death to meet him and end his pain and suffering. It never came however, only a soft voice whispering near his ear, “Your pain and suffering you must work through. I grant you a kingdom of your own, build it and show them who you are.” The voice whispered.

Soon the Shadow Realm gained a new king and two new princes.

[worksinprogress1]

The uneasiness did not wear off once he reached Eterna. Cyrus was oddly stiff to him from the moment they met. He gave Saturn his first job task- maintenance work on a number of old generators that clearly hadn’t been touched in years- without further explanation. A bit of research revealed to Saturn that Cyrus’ company was an old one, and that it had downsized a few years ago. That explained the unused equipment, but not why Cyrus wanted it ready for action again.

Whatever Cyrus’ bright idea was, it was taking a lot of his time. He spent most of the time he wasn’t at work cloistered in his room, stating that he was working on something important in a tone that suggested there would be no further questions on the matter. He didn’t seem annoyed with Saturn or impatient to have him move out- just distracted and tired. Some reunion this had turned out to be.

“You know,” Saturn said to him one day over dinner, “Betty learned hypnosis when she evolved. If you’re having trouble sleeping, she could help.”

“No, thank you,” Cyrus replied, “The sooner my project is finished, the better.”

“Why won’t you tell me what you’re working on?”

“You’ll see when it’s done.”

Saturn left it there. He knew how futile it was to pry for answers from Cyrus when he wasn’t eager to give them. He hoped that Cyrus’ all-consuming project wasn’t simply keeping the company afloat.

It was weeks before whatever-it-was was done and Cyrus finally asked him to see it.

“Saturn, could you come with me?” Cyrus asked. “It’s about what I’ve been working on.”

“Yes,” Saturn said, not quite managing to hide his eagerness.

Cyrus led Saturn into his room, which had been strictly off-limits for Saturn since he’d moved in. They stepped between stacks of books and documents on Sinnoh myths, Sinnoh energy companies, and the criminal exploits of various evil teams. Cyrus stopped in front of the corkboard he’d been using to draft his scheme. Notes on energy companies led to plans for a terrorist organization led to document pages on legendaries led to plans for the new world, with the notes for each stage being more sparse than the last since Cyrus had removed the especially incriminating information. The corkboard hadn’t shown the entire plan to begin with, of course- that was written on his computer, protected by several layers of passwords. But this would give Saturn enough information to understand without overwhelming his mental clarity.

“Would you like to know how I acquired my company?” Cyrus asked.

“Yes,” Saturn replied. Cyrus heard the seriousness in his voice. That was no surprise- Saturn was too observant not to notice that the company was doing poorly and worry about the stability of his job because of it.

“Do you remember when we talked about the legendaries, and how they could rewrite human beings if they so chose?”

"Yes. How does that relate to this?”

Cyrus folded his arms behind his back and closed his eyes. “Months ago, I realized that it might actually be possible for a person to take that power for their own. If that were true, it would be unconscionable not to pursue it. There is little chance that there will ever be another person with my intelligence, my vision and my boldness who will come to realize that it’s possible. I’m the only chance this world has to be freed from its suffering.”

Cyrus turned to the first part of the corkboard, which was covered in notes about the various energy companies of Sinnoh. “All I needed were the resources. I begged my uncle for a chance to be a part of the family business empire. It’s true that this company is losing out to greener competitors. Under normal circumstances, it would likely be shut down within a few years. But I believe it’s my key to gathering all I’ll need for the plan. If I can gather followers, we could undermine the competing companies and make it the primary energy company in Sinnoh. Using the resulting wealth, Team Galactic can properly begin. There are details to be sorted out, but as of tonight I’m certain it’s possible.”

Silence stretched out for what felt like minutes, and Cyrus focused on the cork board, avoiding Saturn’s eyes. Had he explained himself adequately? He’d wanted to be understood. He also knew that Saturn had every reason to run from a company that would be used this way.

“Wow. That’s impressive,” Saturn said. “Why did you bother with your family before you knew this would be possible?”

“It was merely an advantageous time. Energy companies earn most in the winter, so I thought a disappointing winter would encourage my uncle to wash his hands of the company and allow someone else to take the fall for it.” Cyrus was a good liar, and anything would be preferable to the truth. “I have something to ask you. Will you join me? Will you help me to create a new and complete world?”

Saturn turned back to the board. “You know, when you talked about changing the world, I thought you’d never find something that would satisfy you. You wanted to change things that no one could. I should have known you’d find a way. And this? This looks possible. The world is messed up. It should be different. I’m in. I want to see what you’ll do.”

Cyrus smiled. “Good. Thank you for being the first member of Team Galactic.”

There were… certainly pros and cons to this. Cyrus had disappeared when he had because his time with Saturn had tempted him not to pursue this plan, to just be another person living a futile life. He’d called Saturn to move across the region because of what a good subordinate he would make. But then, why had he done it before he’d known Team Galactic would be possible? He wasn’t sure. And although Cyrus would never back away from his goals now... joy, lust, vulnerability, outright dependence... they were marginally forgivable traits in a young man without a purpose, but unacceptable in a God. He’d have to hold Saturn at an icy distance from then on to embody his ideals. He did not relish the thought.

But Saturn was more than a temptation. Saturn was diligent, responsible, trustworthy, calm, and loyal. He would a great asset to the team.

—-

And so it began. Cyrus began speaking in various locations- first a park in Eterna City, then outside of Canalave library, and then in Oreburg. Cyrus’ voice attracted crowds, and it awed Saturn. After seeing Cyrus act and speak so robotically the past few months, seeing this passion, anger, and drive was very welcome. Saturn saw a similar angry fire in the eyes of many young people who watched him. But no one joined.

 At the end of the third day, an older man approached Cyrus as he was preparing to leave.

“Hey, buddy,” the man said in a gentle voice. “I heard your speech, and I get it. The world can suck sometimes. Why don’t I buy you a drink and we can talk about it?”

“You... wish to hear more about my ideas?”

The man offered Cyrus a smile. “Yeah. Sure.”

They left, and Saturn let them leave. He wasn’t going to be the one to tell Cyrus that this was not a potential recruit.

It was getting late by the time Cyrus returned home, wet from the rain and clearly intent on ducking into his room as soon as possible.

“So, how did it go?” Saturn asked.

Cyrus stopped, but kept his back turned. “He wasn’t interested,” he explained.

“Ah,” Saturn said, trying to sound as though that wasn’t a forgone conclusion.

“He pitied me,” Cyrus growled, beginning to pace around the room. “I must change in how I present myself. Tonight I’ll develop a list of the greatest orators in modern history, and tomorrow I will use their strategies to ensure things go differently. Who are the best speakers you can think of?”

“Well, Steven Stone for sure... Champion Diantha... give me a minute.” Saturn wracked his mind for good speakers, especially more optimistic ones.

The results of their first few days of recruitment weren’t surprising. Cyrus was good at articulating what was wrong with the world, but “join Team Galactic and we will create a better world” didn’t cut it as a solution, especially with the word “team” ominously hanging over the enterprise. If his orator deep-dive didn’t give him the idea, Saturn would find a way to subtly give it to him later.

“Chairman Rose? And maybe you could look at how other evil teams do recruitment.”

“There are some tell-all books by ex-members I could review. But the problem remains: how to explain the new world to people incapable of understanding it?”

There was a knock at the door. Pulled from the conversation, Cyrus opened it. It was a girl who looked to be fourteen at the oldest. Wet red hair hung over her forehead and her clothes were worn out and too small for her. “You’re the one who wanted to change things, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cyrus replied.

The girl’s eyes lit up. “Good, I’ve been following you all night!”

There was an awkward silence.

“Sorry, that came out wrong. But please let me join your team. You want a world where people are kind and reasonable and don’t hurt each other for no reason anymore. Well, I want that, too. I think everyone does. I know about evil teams. I can help you!”

“We’ll take you into consideration,” Cyrus said, feeling as though he’d stumbled upon a miracle. This girl had given him a clear-as-day description of the new world that others would appreciate, and she might have some valuable knowledge. “What’s your name?”

The girl hesitated and curled her fists. “Copper. But don’t tell anyone else. My old team might be after me.”

“What do they want with you?” Cyrus asked coolly. The last thing they needed was an altercation with an evil team before theirs had even begun.

“They...um... Nothing. I left because I didn’t want to live off of other people’s greed and nastiness anymore. That’s all.”

“I see. Wait in the hallway while I discuss something with my subordinate,” Cyrus instructed.

Copper nodded and stepped out. Cyrus turned to Saturn.

“We’re not actually going to use a kid like this, are we?” Saturn asked.

“You think it would be kinder to put her back on the streets?”

“We have other options than that. We could call the police, get her connected with her family...”

“I doubt she would allow it, if she’s who I think she is.” Cyrus brought up a photo on his Pokétch. It was of the backs of a family out for a walk, holding hands, seemingly taken by paparazzi. There was a short, dark-haired man, a tall, red-haired woman, and on either side of them was a red-haired young child- one boy and one girl.

“Is that Giovanni?”

“Yes. And an insider to the most successful evil team in the world would be very useful to us. She wants an idealist to follow and a more comfortable life than she’s been living. We will provide it for her. It’s that simple.”

Cyrus opened the door, where Copper was waiting. She looked up at Cyrus with big, nervous eyes.

“You may join us,” Cyrus said. “You will need a new name so that your old team doesn’t find you. Your name will be Mars, after the God of war, because you’ve been strong for too long. You won’t have to be strong much longer. I promise.”

Mars’ red eyes filled with adoration and tears. She dove in and hugged Cyrus, catching him off guard. Cyrus gave her an awkward pat on the back.

“You’ll sleep on our couch tonight,” Cyrus explained. “We’ll figure out more permanent arrangements tomorrow.”

“Thank you, thank you, I won’t let you down!” Mars insisted, head still firmly against Cyrus’ chest.

The next day, the trio went to their next speaking location. Mars had suggested a seedy area of Eterna, so they could target those who would be most eager for a change.

Mars was first to speak, and described Cyrus as though he was a saviour. That made sense. That was what he was. As she spoke, he absorbed every bit of hope that she’d received from him. What she’d taken was what he would sell the masses.

Soon, their ranks filled, the old generators came back into use, and money multiplied.

---

Officer Jenny pulled up to the Eterna City office building. Two rapidash and a vespiquen in pokéballs hung from her belt, along with a radio to call for backup and a handgun to use as a last resort. She knew her mission: arrest the man who had been suspected by their detective team to be behind several recent attacks on energy companies throughout Sinnoh.

The building was unassuming, and its inside was no different- the first floor held an unoccupied lobby area that Jenny walked through uncontested aside from some odd looks from the receptionists. The next floor contained a largely young but otherwise unremarkable workforce typing at computers or fiddling with equipment. She wondered whether she was in the right place.

Jenny was about to slink up to the next floor before a man caught her arm. Jenny took her rapidash’s pokéball, preparing for another fight.

“Hey,” the man whispered, “Are you here to see the boss?”

“Yes,” Jenny replied, keeping her hand around the ball just in case.

“I’ll take you. He’s gone too far.”

It was several floors to the top, each stranger than the last. Computers gave way to strange equipment Jenny couldn’t identify. Carpets and bland wallpaper gave way to metal, chrome, and space-themed decor, like she’d stepped into a futuristic military base. Finally, they got to the boss’ office.

On the other side of the door, Cyrus and Jupiter were having their weekly meeting, which as per usual had gone into the subject of military equipment and its possible uses.

“And what is the explosion radius?” Cyrus asked, stone-faced but with rapt attention.

“twenty-five whole feet,” Jupiter explained, “which doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it is.”

“I see. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to put some of our weaponry budget towards it. Of course, that depends on whether you think you could lead Saturn and the grunts in constructing one, given the right parts.”

“I’d love to,” Jupiter replied.

“Tell me more about their construction.”

Jupiter smiled. She got the sense that Cyrus liked these meetings more than he let on. Why else have them so often, and last thing in the day so they could go late, as they so often did? Jupiter couldn’t complain either- she was getting paid to explain her passion to an interested audience. As Jupiter was about to launch into an explanation, the door slammed open.

Officer Jenny stood in the doorway, a handgun in her grip. Oh, Jupiter had known this day would come. Her good day was about to get even better.

“Cyrus Akagi, you are under arrest for multiple counts of inciting terrorism. Put your hands above your head.”

“Very well,” Cyrus replied coolly. He got up from behind his desk, put up his hands, and slowly came towards officer Jenny. The officer grew increasingly tense as her eyes moved from the untouched pokéballs on the desk to Cyrus’ unreadable face to Jupiter, who gave her a frosty sneer.

“Before you take me in, let me ask you a question: have you checked the forecast for Snowpoint today?”

Jenny grit her teeth and adjusted her grip on the gun.

“My company powers much of Sinnoh,” Cyrus continued, stopping right in front of the officer. “That includes its coldest areas. Every one of my subordinates are on strict orders to shut down energy production if I am arrested.” He took Jenny’s wrists and raised her gun to aim at his head. “Go ahead. I’m sure that the people of Snowpoint will be glad you stood against corruption when they’re contracting frostbite in their own homes. It’s been a chilly Fall. I imagine that several other towns are three, maybe four weeks away from their fate.”

The officer trembled. Behind her, the “traitorous” grunt was grinning like a maniac. Saturn appeared as well, similarly enjoying her pain. He touched her shoulder, causing her to jump.

“Would you like an escort out, miss Jenny?” Saturn asked. Defeated, the officer hung her head, put away her gun, and turned away. The three of them left, leaving Jupiter and Cyrus alone. They knew that this moment would happen. That it had happened once the company was powerful enough to leverage threats was sheer luck. And now, after two years of hiding in the shadows, the police now knew of the nature of their organization, but the response to their crimes would be slow or nonexistent so long as no one knew that Cyrus’ objective was taking over the world and not just the energy sector.

Everything changed rapidly over the next few days. Most of the Team Galactic personnel, including the commanders and Cyrus himself, moved into the Veilstone City building, which would now be not only their workplace but their home. Pokémon that had once stayed with individuals were moved to the menagerie, where they would stay when off-duty. Mars in particular had her hands full giving dozens of grunts teal bowl cuts to match their new uniforms- a space-age design that Mars had had a heavy hand in designing. The excitement helped her push past fatigue. Everything was finally coming to life around her.

Once the last grunt was finally cut, Mars ran off to see Cyrus. She’d somehow managed to convince him to wait until she was around to try on his new uniform.

"Well? What do you think?” Mars asked after he’d put it on for the first time.

Cyrus looked into the mirror. The uniform looked like something that the commander of a science fiction space vessel would wear. He folded his arms behind his back and walked back and forth in front of the mirror, giving it his best stern, hard looks.

Yes, this was perfect. He looked like a solid, uncompromising wall. And wasn’t that what everyone wanted him to be? So many fools, their lives fallen apart due to their own vice, had put their lives and decisions into his hands because they wanted someone sturdy and rational to handle them. It was arguably the smartest choice they’d ever made. Cyrus looked back to Mars, seeing the adoration on her face- adoration he was becoming more and more used to seeing.

“Well done,” he said to Mars, turning back to the mirror. Mars lit up from the validation.

Everyone rose to attention when Cyrus entered the auditorium, clearing the way to give him space as he made his way to the stage, where his commanders were lined up to the side. There was much chatter amongst the crowd, but Cyrus didn’t mind. Even if noise still had power over him, which it did not, he could stop it in an instant with a command. After taking his place on the stage, he stared at the crowd, put a finger to his lips and watched as they fell silent.

“Fellow members of Team Galactic, hear me!” Cyrus spoke into the microphone. “Each one of you here has agreed to be a part of our great mission to leave this world of strife and suffering behind us and enter a new era of peace. We would not be here today without your collective efforts.

We have now entered our second phase of operations. In this new era, the world will be aware of our ill-doings. However, they will not be aware of our cause, as it is a cause only we can understand.

There will be new rules to follow to ensure our success. Firstly, no one is allowed to leave the compound without at least one issued Pokémon. As public enemies, we must be prepared to defend our interests. Secondly, do not speak of our true mission to anyone. The longer the authorities think of my capture as more trouble than it’s worth, the fewer obstacles they will put in our path. 

Finally, there is no place among us for doubt. You will all pledge to me today. Swear to relinquish all your hope for this world and put it instead in Team Galactic. Together, we will triumph!”

The crowd cheered wildly. The commanders lined up and one by one to swear to him. The grunts followed, excited to receive his approval.

—-

“Zubat, return. Sneasel, out,” Cyrus commanded, tossing the new pokéball into the arena. The sneasel absorbed Betty’s psychic without a scratch.

“Nice switch-in,” Saturn admitted, readying a different pokéball himself. “Crogunk, your turn!” he said, throwing it.

“Pursuit,” Cyrus ordered, and his sneasel ran in and jabbed the kadabra before it had a chance to return.

Betty fell to the ground, defeated. Saturn’s crogunk was swiftly taken out shortly after with air slash.

“Well, that’s all I got,” Saturn said. He jogged over to his fainted Pokémon and used revives on them. Once Betty was up, she was cuddling into Saturn. She was nearly the height of a person now, but some things never changed. Saturn petted her but returned her as Cyrus approached- no need for her to seek affection from someone who wouldn’t give it anymore.

“You’re getting pretty good at this,” Saturn said, putting away the pokéball.

“Yes.” And with this, Cyrus had shed the last of his weakness. Learning to battle had been low on his long list of priorities, but it was a skill that every crime boss needed. The two left the arena, stepped out into the chilly night together, and headed back.

“So, Cyrus, about that new rule about Team Galactic’s Pokémon being left in the menagerie when off duty... I know you want them to be loyal to the team instead of one person, but…”

“Commanders are exempt. For now, at least.” The last thing he wanted was to reduce his best recruiter’s morale by separating her from her beloved Purugly. “However, I have a new order for you. Never speak of how you once knew me as anyone other than I am now. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Master Cyrus,” Saturn replied.

“Excellent. Good night,” Cyrus said, and they parted ways.

[danger-noodle-uwu]

This is a pretty graphic idea I had but I understand if you don’t want to do it or find it too triggering.

I want to request hc’s of the Brothers + Datables (but if you do the Brothers and Datables separately than just the Brothers please) reacting to MC being summoned but MC’s covered in blood and holding a weapon like a bat or knife, because they massacred their abusive family and they don’t feel bad about it at all. Mc’s pretty emotionally hollow and they don’t show much reaction or fear to dangerous situations either since the Bros do start off threatening and rude but they relate to Mammon since he’s emotionally abused by his Bros and physically punished by Lucifer.

This is only if you feel comfy doing it and I apologize if I broke the rules and making you find it very triggering and disturbing

Trigger warning!

Mentions of blood/murder/abuse

Do not proceed if sensitive

Lucifer

At the summoning part, Lucifer would be merely worried about what type of student has diavolo choosen, pitying his taste. Though he was but a demon, weary and skittish around you.

The Avatar of pride scared of mere human?

(Though he kinda was)

Blood being spilled on the floor was common in devildom yet he was unfazed.

But now, things are different and he can't help to worry about how this weak creature will influence on his brothers.

the fallen-morningstar tried to keep you away from the entire of his brothers including himself.

He also made sure that never was anything that could be used as a potential weapon surround you.

Often the man would receive rather harsh words from you and get somewhat hurt. Yet , not a single cry reach your ears.

(Que enemies to lovers dynamic)

When the pair started dating, the raven-haired demon had already known the past and what it once held for mc...

Oh how much he wishes, he helped you instead of interrogating every movement, to regain the 'you' that your parents killed. So, he will find a solution. To find those rascals in the realm of spirits or demons and put them once again at your mercy.

Prepare yourself Mc. For a whole month of pampering and love as he will never dare repeat the mistake he made.

Mammon

As the story is, Mammon didn't encounter you first but only heard melody of your voice.

The first meet was unforgettable, he was petrified to see the blood dripping off your slender bruised figure.

One thought that he was scared however, No he was anything but scared. He had thought you were the one hurt like--you know h-how Lucifer hurts him.

He rushed towards you but was stopped by the eldest saying " They aren't hurt." And this was the first person tried who befriend you.

When your words were sweetly aimed at him and just HIM. He'd feel his heart beat racing like crazy which made him believe he thought you found him special.

He was never honest with anyone, until you showed up. His biggest fear was snapping because of the mean comments his brothers pass and you had probably done something similar.

He wanted to know. Though dense he may seem, he hoped you'd tell him.

Was it scary? Do you feared this before? Is it still scary? Do you feel emotions after this?

Yet he never asked...

When the greedy Boi and mc started dating, they told everything about their condition. Of how they snapped.

He was the most understanding of his brothers and promised to never let another one harm you. Not even you.

He loved even more since that day. Not to mention 1323433454455686 'I love you's per day.

Leviathan

Blabbering lord knows what, Leviathan had stepped out of his room even if that was to scold mammon and get his money back.

He obviously knew about the exchange program but what he didn't know was that bloody murderer would be part of it!!!

He wasn't moving when he saw the numb expression you wore and the bloody knife you had held.

Inside, he was scared shitless but he didn't know how to show it.

A mere-human had terrified The great admiral of hell's navy. What shame he was.

"Oi cut it out!" Yelled the scummy yet kind demon protectively moving between the two.

In the beginning, he felt unsafe only by your gaze and refusing to make eye contact.

And then, a good day to exit to his room. The true reason being the pearly raindrops that had littered the gardens of HOL.

He saw you... soaking wet smiling and hurting... shining brightly though it felt dim.

That day. That dammed day. He found out who truly were. A beautiful person who was just hurting and breaking.

Since then, he has been a mix of a nagging mother but also shy as if a touch-me-not.

Dating him was heavenly, he wasn't shy with touch yet words were a whole another thing to him.

He always left 'Love you's in the chats and reminders on your phone that were just a bunch of 'eat healthy' 'stay safe', etc.

And this was certain that his love will never end.

Satan

Snatching the bat from your hands, the blonde-man threatened to kill you with your own weapon if you dared to move.

And that's exactly what you wanted... to die... to end the suffering...

And he saw it.

Saw how horribly you were hurting, he knew what it felt however, he couldn't lose his composure not in front of his brothers.

Wrath is a storm which is followed by pain. He knew this. Same in your case except pain knocked the doors first.

He knew it was too early for asking. So, he kept his mouth shut. Not wishing to hurt you any further though he didn't know why he felt this way.

When you finally finished your 2nd month in your new home, things had changed as the Avatar of wrath often talked to you not about how bloody you arrived or you had killed but are you okay now?

His words were soft. So sweet.

Each time he would offer you his shoulder to cry on, you would feel your heart slowly warm up. Slightly more each-time.

Soon enough you started dating the green-eyed pact demon of yours, recalling the long lost feeling of warmth and love.

The knowledgeable one loved to show physical affection especially in front of his brothers.

Oh~ the smell of their burning envy, when he kissed the nape of your neck and complimented you.

Post-its were his favorite though.

He would often write 'Love you, kitten' 'take break,love' 'you look amazing today',etc.

Asmodues

He yelped when he saw a bloodied figure emerge from the purple haze. Are they okay?

He was concerned only till a knife was spotted next your seemingly heartless figure. Now, he was somewhat hiding behind satan in disgusted yet anxious way.

You gaze deeply disturbed him to an extent he even had nightmares of you ripping him open with same knife and had that soul-less expression.

He much like Leviathan refused to see you after the encounter but what was different, was the course of events...

He saw you arguing with Lucifer, for you refused let him hurt Mammon who curled behind you.

Asmo felt pity for you as he knew the outcome of an argument with the eldest.

"Lucifer don't hurt him, please. He already has enough bruises" Asmo says giving his sweet brother Luci the puppy eyes, hoping they would work. (Yeah they didn't)

But nonetheless Luci~ still backed out and left the hallway.

You rush for the poor injured demon, he is crying while thanking you for the save.

And there for one moment, The lustful blond saw emotion in those glassy eyes of yours. It was beautiful and aching at the same time.

Making him greedy for more...

Later the very same day, he approached you finally asking the questions his head was haunted by.

What was weird? He didn't blame you for breaking instead he complimented you for being a survivor of such harsh tortures.

Accepting his confession was the best thing you ever did.

He is open with affection especially when you both are in public to show he is yours. You are his. You belong together.

for his hunger to see those pretty eyes shine with joy is endless, he makes Mc smile with happiness and love

Beelzebub

Famished as always was the sixth born. Especially after smelling human blood.

Little did he know the blood of the now dead parents of mc, the exchange student.

He wasn't even fazed unlike his brothers. He couldn't care any less than he did nor about the blood neither about the weapon clutched in your hands.

Even if you passed insults, he wouldn't mind. Sometimes, he asks why you dislike him? And is fine even if the answer is illogical. (Don't fuckin hate him)

Numb eyes. Tears flowing freely. Cuts. Bruises. Hurting. Dying inside.

The glutton wipes the sweat off his forehead remembering the condition of yours in that horrendous nightmare.

You looked awfully similar to belphi when- when s-she died. He blamed himself and hurt himself for being so useless. Just like you do.

And then realization hits--

YOU ARE HURTING!!

He now knew why your rude words didn't hurt him because you were like belphegor trying to protect your fragile heart.

Why you look numb? because you're trying to hide the pain. Push people away so you don't get hurt when they go away.

The following day, you were gently woken by the huge teddy bear. He held a hand out for you before taking you to his room for the special breakfast.

You teared upon the sight instantly realizing that he recognized your suffering. He apologized for not noticing earlier and from now, he will be there for you.

Never in the three realms did he think he'd fall for you? Maybe he had all along just didn't notice....

Once you begin dating the orange-head, he was ecstasic and cheerful all the time. Encouraging words followed you everywhere.

He would often eat the entire fridge out. So as apology, a cupcake with sorry written on it was placed on the kitchen counter. Other days, when he won't go such extreme, carrot chips or a poison apple etc. Waited for you.

Beely is the opposite of possessive. Protective. He is Protective and supports you through the ups and downs in life. He was your true savior. A savior who never judged you for your past.

His Love is the sky, you learned to fly in.

Belphegor

He had heard the tale of how the human exchange student had shown up covered in blood with a bat in hand.

Never did he believe that it was true until seeing the monotone figure of them.

The way they spoke made them like Lucifer. Emotionless. Heartless. Ruthless. Monster.

He wanted to strangle them on spot but he was stuck within the confines of the attic.

The sloth couldn't help passing comment making mc slowly reveal the aching heart of their own-self.

Expression faultered and he saw it--No, no more like felt it. The way their tears were swallowed. The way their voice turned monotone once again to cover what had already been seen.

However, the seventh born didn't say a word, he just showed affection through body language as they couldn't touch each other yet.

After he was free from the prison of an attic, he ran to you. His star. The one that guided him out to freedom.

It felt weird dating the lazy demon. Afterall, he was doing nothing other than shoving compliments in your face and dozing off here and there.

Few months pass and things become smoother than how they were.

Now, he always compliments you but softly and sweetly. Always willing to listen to whatever you wanna rant about.

"You are my true love, Mc. The star that guides to where I belong when I'm lost."

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

Welp! That was long as hell. Anyway, thank you for the request. It kinda feels like you and my sister share the same brain cell cuz she said the same thing but like- mc ate their organs and more messy. God I hope you like it...

Good day!

[autobots-and-their-crazy-kids]

Possibly Transformers Animated Biggest Weakpoint...

…is how it pins all the blame on Optimus Prime for the Archa 7 Event! 💔🕷🕸 

For those that need a quick reminder on what the Archa 7 Event is:

*Sentinel had an idea to go to a forbidden planet that has a Decepticon Warship full of energon and wants to bring Elita and Optimus with him on this mission. 

*Elita agreed cause she was curious about the warship’s history and how it works. 

*Optimus was reluctant, but gave into peer pressure and also because he wanted to protect his ‘friends’. 

*Giant hostile alien spiders attacked them underground. 

*Optimus got lost, but found the energon. 

*Elita found Optimus. 

*Optimus told Elita to help him use the explosive energon as a weapon against the spiders. 

*It works, but all the underground caverns were starting to explode. 

*Optimus and Elita tried to escape, but Elita’s download of Optimus’ grappling ability expired and she fell. 

*Optimus tried to use his other grappling hook to reach her, but he failed. 

*Sentinel runs in in time to see Elita fall and he tries to save her, but Optimus stops Sentinel and forces them both to leave the caverns before the final explosion consumes them both.

*Elita watches this while fighting the spiders. 

*Elita downloads the spiders’ organic venom (despite Optimus’ warning) and becomes the techno-organic, Blackarachnia. 

*Optimus and Sentinel couldn’t find her on the spark radar, cause of her recently created organic half. 

*Sentinel blames everything on Optimus, like a jerk. 

*Blackarachnia blames Optimus and Sentinel, ignoring her own part in her organic spider corruption. 

*And even Optimus blames everything on Optimus. 

*Optimus says that he was the leader of the mission during his and Sentinel’s trial and takes full responsibility for what happened. 

*Ultra Magnus expels Optimus from the academy. (Although, Ultra Magnus should’ve been smart enough to figure out that it wasn’t ‘goody-two-shows’ Optimus’ idea at all and he’s clearly covering for Sentinel...)

*Optimus meets the other main characters and then later the story of TFA happens... 

Frist, let’s talk about Optimus Prime’s PTSD and depression: 

*Despite his name, Optimus rarely seems to smile or be happy in general; he’s stoic and usually hides his true emotions. 

*After Archa 7, he gains a messed up case of arachnophobia that’s so bad, even fake spider toys can trigger his PSTD memories and either startle him or cause him to attack in self-defense. 

*He’s also clearly suffering from Survivor’s Guilt, considering that he completely blames himself for what happened to Elita. 

Now, let’s talk more about how Blackarachnia and Sentinel basically gaslight Optimus: 

Sentinel Prime: 

*It was all Sentinel’s idea, but Sentinel lets Optimus take the blame for everything, including Elita’s fate. 

*Sentinel ignores his own responsibility over what happened on Archa 7 and he only says that he’s sorry that they ever went to that spider planet, after encountering Blackarachnia; Sentinel conveniently forgets to mention that they only went to Archa 7 because of him. 

*Sentinel also doesn’t seem to really care about Elita all that much anymore (even before he knew about her turning into Blackarachnia) and he was also willing to let Optimus join the Elita Guard Autobots, if Optimus makes Sentinel look good in front of Ultra Magnus... I honestly have no sympathy for this dude what so ever... he deserves worse then what he got in the end. 

Blackarachnia/Elita One:

*Yes, her being left behind is tragic and unfair, but in the end... Blackarachnia has honestly nobody to blame except for herself for her permanent transformation. 

*It may have been Sentinel’s idea, but Elita was almost just as willing to go to Archa 7. 

*Optimus warns her not to use her download ability on the organic spiders, but she does it anyway later on... Why? Why did she do that? Why the frag did she think it was a good idea to absorb spider venom?! 

*Both Elita and Blackarachnia are shown to be kinda reckless and selfish. 

*Blackarachnia also doesn’t care about the possible lives she ruins/destroys/betrays in her attempts to cure herself or experiment with science, even if they’re people that haven’t even wronged her. (Like Sari, the Dinobots, Wasp and all of Detroit...) 

*Despite this, Optimus tries offering her chances to redeem herself and even helping her find a cure, but she keeps rejecting his offers and continues to be a jerk. 

*She blames Optimus and Sentinel for everything that happened to her, but she refuses to accept her own responsibility on the Archa 7 Event. 

*Blackarachnia doesn’t truly have to forgive them, but she should at least be aware that her becoming Blackarachnia is technically her own fault. 

*She’s like the personification of that saying: “I suffered, why shouldn't they?”

Optimus Prime: 

*Now I’m gonna be honest, Optimus isn’t completely blameless; he could’ve told Ultra Magnus or one of the teachers what Elita and Sentinel were planning to do, before they did it. 

*But instead he went along with it anyway, cause he was somewhat of a pushover back then. 

*He also should’ve at least tried to find Elita’s body to give a proper funeral. 

*But other then that, he’s the one least responsible for what happened compared to the other two. 

*He told them that they shouldn’t go to the forbidden planet and he warned Elita not to use her download ability... but do either of them actually listen to him? Nope! 

*And yes, Optimus did leave Elita behind while saving Sentinel from the final energon explosion, which was a messed up thing to do... But I understand why Optimus did it; the explosion was quickly approaching and there was no way that they would’ve been able to save Elita in time... If Optimus and Sentinel went down there with Elita, all 3 of them would’ve died in the explosion (at least that’s what Optimus believes, considering that Elita does survive)... Optimus knew this and was forced to make a choice that he wasn’t happy with making... When Optimus grabbed Sentinel and forced him to leave Elita behind to save themselves, it was honestly the most realistically heroic option... 

*And yet it sometimes it feels like the show itself views Optimus as the one who was 90% in the wrong during that whole situation! 

Don’t think Ultra Magnus is free from some blame: 

*The guy is supposed to be the ruler of Cybertron and/or the ruler of the Autobots and yet he’s so stupid sometimes... 

*He made Sentinel his literal second-in-command; no smart nor sane person would do this. 

*Optimus is usually a goody-two-shoes, a rule follower (unless he feels that he needs to take action) and has the best grades in the academy and Sentinel was probably some kind of troublemaker... yet Ultra Magnus believes Optimus, when the younger Autobot lies that it was his idea to go to Archa 7?... Megatron treated Optimus with more respect then Ultra Magnus ever did, and Megatron was trying to kill Optimus! 

And so, I end this post with one last little saying: 

[edendaphne]

“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 21

>>Click here to read on Ao3<<

>>Click here to read on Wattpad<<

–––––

CHAPTER 21: IMPROVVISANDO

Music glossary: Improvvisando: with improvisation

Glossary: Wǎnshàng hǎo : Good evening Shīfù : Teacher/Master

(Mood music: Night of Beijing - Jia Peng Fang)

That evening

Marinette fidgeted with her napkin, occasionally sipping her now-lukewarm tea while sitting at the kitchen bar counter. Chat Noir sat on the stool beside her in silence, also nursing a half-emptied cup. She checked the clock for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last few minutes.

“It’s about that time. I’ll head up to my room to let Ladybug inside. Will you get the door if your visitor arrives before she does?”

“Sure,” he replied, uneasy but compliant, doing his best to avoid staring at the black eye she’d received earlier that day.

Marinette set her cup in the sink and headed upstairs, leaving Chat alone with his thoughts.

He tried to keep his fast-beating heart in check, subconsciously clenching his jaw. It was finally happening. He was going to meet “him”: The Guardian of the Miraculous.

Following the events at school earlier that day, Adrien had walked Marinette to her house, where her family invited him to stay for a cup of tea until his “ride” arrived to pick him up. Of course, he’d eagerly accepted. It was nice to interact with the family as Adrien instead of just as Chat Noir.

After leaving, he hid away and transformed so he could sneak in through Marinette’s balcony as he usually did.

Upon transforming, however, he found a series of voice mails from Ladybug that she’d left during Adrien’s attempted abduction. Her voice was frantic. He could hear the urgency and distress in her tone, and a heavy blanket of guilt settled onto his shoulders as he listened.

The first message asked him to come to their school, that it was an emergency, to please call her back as soon as possible. He chewed on his lip, wanting nothing more than to hide away in a cave in shame.

The second one must have been left right after she’d rescued Adrien and left him at the school nurse; she’d called to let Chat know the incident had passed. Then she asked if he was okay, since she hadn’t heard back from him. He sighed. Typical Ladybug, always worrying and thinking about others first, even when she was having a rough time.

The last voicemail caused a trail of ice to trickle down his spine as he listened. Ladybug informed him that she had scheduled an impromptu meeting with the Guardian at the Dupain-Cheng’s house that evening, with Marinette’s permission, and that it was of utmost importance that he attend.

He shivered as goosebumps appeared on his arms and he swallowed hard. What was the purpose of this meeting? Was he in trouble for not showing up today during ‘Adrien’s’ kidnapping? And why meet here, at the Dupain home, instead of somewhere more private and away from civilians? What was the Guardian like? Would Chat get reprimanded and treated with disdain for having been their enemy for all these years, or would he be understanding and forgiving?

More importantly, would he have to disclose his identity to him, or to both him and Ladybug, to prove his loyalty? He winced at the mere thought of it. The last thing he wanted was for Ladybug to think less of him, or to pity him. Especially after the kidnapping attempt.

Additionally, if they were to learn that Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, would they want to confront him head-on? Adrien didn’t feel ready for that, for several reasons.

First of all, would he be able to protect Ladybug, as he’d promised her? Hawkmoth had shown that he’d developed some sort of new power. Either that, or an entirely different person had become involved and was helping him. In any case, he didn’t know what exactly they were dealing with anymore.

Secondly, if the time came and he had to hurt or even kill his father, he didn’t know if he’d be able to do it. Yes, Gabriel was a monster and Adrien despised what he had become. But what if the damage was reversible and there was still a way to bring him back to normal? He just had to know, before doing something he might permanently regret.

The sudden ringing of the doorbell startled Chat out of his thoughts and he practically fell off his seat.

He ran to answer the front door, looking to make sure no one else was around. At the last second, he remembered to detransform and slip on the hood of his zip-up sweater (the one Marinette had gifted him), pulling a scarf over his nose and mouth so he wouldn’t be recognized if anyone outside were to catch a glimpse of him.

He looked out through the peephole, only to see the very top of someone’s head, balding with grey hair, and a little bit of their eyebrows.

Huh. Somehow Adrien thought the Guardian would be a bit… taller?

He turned the knob and the door opened, its squeaking hinges somehow louder than usual. Peeking out from the side like a scared tortoise, he checked to make sure the individual matched the description he was given, then stepped back to allow the door to swing open all the way. The older man stepped inside, closing it behind him.

“Hello,” Adrien said meekly, bowing his head slightly. “You must be…”

“Yes. I am Wang Fu,” he replied, bowing politely in greeting. “It is very good to see you again, Adrien Agreste.”

While Adrien’s face scarf efficiently concealed the way his jaw dropped when the elder man called him by name, there was no hiding the way his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

“W- what?!” he sputtered. “How did you—”

The man called Fu chuckled, stroking his beard. “It was a long time ago, but we’ve met before.”

Adrien lowered his scarf and frowned in concentration, falling silent for a few seconds. Then it dawned on him.

“YOU!!” he gaped. “I do remember you! It was my first day of lycée! You fell down in front of our school and I helped you up. It was you who put the cat miraculous in my bag that day, wasn’t it?”

“That is correct,” Fu confirmed.

“But why me? You could’ve picked anyone, so why did you choose someone like me?”

Fu’s smile faltered when he said this. Adrien had said “anyone”, but he could see that Fu knew what he’d actually meant. Why did you choose someone as broken as me?

The man folded his arms behind him, considering his answer. “Guardians are bestowed with several powers and abilities. One of them is to locate and select good candidates for the miraculous jewels. And so I was led to you.”

Chat grimaced in confusion. “So if you already knew it was me, why bother to ‘test’ me?”

“My powers as a guardian may lead me to a potential candidate, but ultimately the choice is still mine to make. It was a simple test, but it showed me what your first instinct would be if you saw someone in need. The answer I received was satisfactory. You were meant to be Ladybug’s Chat Noir.”

Adrien sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair. “Honestly, a couple of months ago I wouldn’t have known whether to hug you because I got to become Chat Noir, or whether to punch you because I had to become Chat Noir. But it’s because of you that I got to meet Ladybug, so I am grateful to you for that. It’s good to finally meet you. Officially.”

He extended his hand and Fu took it with a smile, giving it a firm shake.

Afterwards, Adrien’s gaze fell, brows scrunching together. “I can’t believe it. All this time, you knew. You could’ve told Ladybug who I was years ago. She could have figured out a way to take away my miraculous while I wasn’t transformed, like at school, and she would’ve had one less enemy to deal with. It would’ve––” he pursed his lips, expression full of shame, and he lifted his eyes to meet Fu’s once again, “–it would’ve made it easier for her. She would’ve suffered less if I’d been out of the picture. So why didn’t you?”

Fu’s countenance became somber, his eyes carrying years of pain and regret. He took a few moments to consider his words. “When I was a boy, barely a teenager, something terrible happened. Hundreds of innocent people died, and it was all because of me.”

Chat almost reeled back as if he’d been smacked across the face, puzzled about the sudden switch in topic. He remembered Ladybug briefly mentioning this a few months ago, on the night they danced together. He waited for Fu to elaborate.

“I was only trying to protect them,” the older man explained. “After I was orphaned as a child, the monks of the Guardian Temple took me in. They became my family. They were stern, but fair and kind. It was a tough childhood, but I was happy.” He sighed. “However, there were those who would try to steal the miraculous and use their power selfishly. It was an endless struggle. Many were lost over the years. I longed for peace. I wanted my family to be safe, I wanted us to be left alone. So I did what I thought would be a better route, an easier one; one with less hardship and bloodshed. You see, one day while I was supposed to be on guard duty, I sneaked away to where the miraculous box was kept. I put on both the ladybug and cat miraculouses and used them to make a wish: I wished that our enemies would disappear.”

The older man exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut, the memories of what came next clearly still haunting him. Adrien couldn’t help but hold his breath while he listened.

“It worked,” Fu resumed, voice quiet and slightly shaky. “But as you might have suspected, there is always a price to pay; a balance that must be maintained. Therefore, because of my wish, all the monks in our Guardian temple and the innocent people of the surrounding village were ripped away from me, along with our enemies. The wish was technically fulfilled, but I never suspected that the cost would be that high. I have had to live with that in my conscience for over a hundred years.”

He clasped his hands behind his back, appearing more vulnerable than Adrien would have ever expected. He continued, “Since that time, I have both seen and caused much death in my lifetime, protecting the miraculous box alone as the last Guardian. So, you see, if there was even one person I could save, I had to try. I wanted to trust in the miraculouses, like I should have decades ago, during my misguided attempt to control the outcome of a complicated situation.”

Adrien absently rubbed his arm, pondering Fu’s words. “Looking back,” he began, “I can see the reasoning behind a lot of Ladybug’s decisions and principles, now that I know your story.”

“Indeed. Ladybug is a remarkable young lady; I knew that even back then. When I would ask her if she was willing to risk her life for the sake of a stranger, she would say yes, every single time. If anyone can persevere for the greater good, it was her. Was it unfair of me? Probably. Have I asked too much from her? Absolutely. Have I made mistakes while trying to guide her? Yes. Many of them.” He put his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “I wanted to save you that day by giving you the cat miraculous. But I never would have guessed that it would also doom you and force you into a role of servitude. I hope that you will forgive me for this.”

Adrien’s heart pained for Fu as he admitted his guilt. “You couldn’t have known it would’ve turned out that way. It wasn’t your fault,” he insisted.

Fu shrugged. “I try to tell myself that, but I can’t quite convince myself. The situation made sense once Ladybug told me about Hawkmoth.”

“You mean, when she told you that Hawkmoth was my father?” Adrien asked.

“Yes,” Fu replied. “I had my suspicions, because it would explain your motivations, but I had no proof, no way of finding out for sure. It made sense that Hawkmoth would be Gabriel Agreste. The butterfly miraculous requires its wielder to be creative and inventive, since it relies on their ability to convert the subject’s emotions into a source of power. And he had the motivation.”

Adrien hummed in agreement.

“Additionally, such a clever and talented individual getting ahold of the cat miraculous would be incredibly dangerous. I’d be lying if I said I had never considered taking your miraculous away. But even still, it was safer to let it all play out. I didn’t want to repeat past mistakes. And if Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, your fate if you were to lose the cat miraculous would have been disastrous. Maybe it would have even alerted him about the presence of a Guardian in Paris. But now that we know the truth, we can plan accordingly.”

Adrien gulped. So Fu had considered taking his miraculous away before. “A-are you going to tell Ladybug who I am?”

Fu shook his head. “It is not up to me to decide when it will be right for there to be no more secrets between you two. I only know that it is not yet time.”

Adrien curiously tilted his head, brows furrowed in confusion. “How do you know that?”

As Fu started to answer, Adrien heard a doorknob twist open behind him and he quickly pulled his scarf back over his features.

The door opened and Ladybug’s voice exclaimed, “There you are! What are you two doing out here in the entryway?”

Adrien cleared his throat, then stammered, “R-right, pardon my manners. Please, come in.”

Fu walked past him, entering the living area. He took Ladybug’s hands between his, shaking them briefly, and said, “Wǎnshàng hǎo, Ladybug.”

With a small bow, Ladybug replied, “Wǎnshàng hǎo, shīfù. Thank you for coming at such short notice. Please, have a seat.”

Chat entered the room, having transformed now, and stepped forward to greet her.

He stopped short, realizing that he wasn’t quite sure how to greet her since last night’s development in their relationship, not to mention being very conscious of the Guardian watching them. He settled for a hug, which she returned, squeezing him tightly, and added a quick, discreet peck on his cheek. He smiled, feeling his face heat up.

Pleasantries aside and everyone seated, it was Ladybug who spoke first.

“Thank you both for being here. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

----------

A transformed Wang Fu stood at the bedroom window, curtains drawn, chanting in a language that neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir understood, holding the last of several metallic talismans he’d blessed and scattered around the room. The pair kept their eyes on him, marveling at the efficiency and care that he put into each incantation. There was something sacred, even holy about this ritual. They could feel powerful magic emanating from his form, invisible bursts of energy swirling about the room, dancing all around them in a silent symphony.

Ladybug cast a furtive glance at her partner. He’d been quiet for a little while, after learning about his attempted akumatization the night before. Ladybug had told him that it was Marinette who let her know, and that Plagg was the one who had informed her.

She’d called Master Fu before going to school to let him know what happened last night, and he promised he would figure out a solution. He’d spent all day preparing these special talismans, which would ward off akumas and keep them from entering this room. But only this room. He wasn’t strong enough to cast such a potent, long-term spell over a larger area; especially not at his age.

Fu, or rather, Jade Turtle, was silent for a few moments after placing the last charm, a silver one with indecipherable symbols carved into it, then turned around to face the couple.

“The talismans are almost done being enchanted,” he said, pretty out of breath, beads of sweat present on his brow. “There is one more thing that needs to be done. But I think I’ll need your help for this, Ladybug.”

Ladybug stepped forward in response. “Sure, Master. What is it?”

“I would do it myself, but, well… let’s just say I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“Of course Master, anything you need. Just tell me what to do.”

Fu removed his bracelet, the turtle miraculous, and turned back to his civilian self, then handed the jewelry to her. His kwami, Wayzz, floated next to them awaiting instruction.

“If you could transform with my miraculous to finish the protection spell, I’d very much appreciate it. I’ll show you what to do when you’re ready.”

The young woman gaped at him, having never transformed into any hero other than Ladybug before.

“Oh! R-really?? S-sure! No problem...” She took the bracelet hesitantly, studying it like she’d never seen it before, then excused herself to the ensuite for privacy.

In the bathroom, Ladybug detransformed and removed her earrings, handing them to Tikki for safekeeping. She put on the emerald stone bracelet, staring at it as if it might try to crawl away from her if she wasn’t careful enough.

She squeezed her eyes shut in preparation. “Wayzz, shell on.”

Jade green light shone around the bathroom, and Marinette felt the magic of the turtle miraculous engulf her form. When it passed, she gulped and opened her eyes, lifting them to the mirror to catch a glimpse of her newly transformed self.

“Whoa.”

The heroine stared at her reflection across the way. She ran her fingers over the various bits of fabric and armor, taking the time to appreciate the feel and texture. Somehow, she felt quite powerful. Tough. Solid. Almost like a sentient brick wall.

“Wow, Marinette! You look incredible!” Tikki whispered to her.

“Aww, thank you Tikki,” she replied. “It feels so different, but it’s also really cool.”

Sparing one last glance into the mirror, she finally emerged from the bathroom. Fu was seated at the desk chair across the room, taking a short breather. Chat was speaking to him in hushed tones, but turned around when he heard her re-enter the bedroom.

His jaw dropped and he gasped.

“Oh my God, you’re adorable!” Chat blurted out. He caught himself and turned tomato red, then stuttered, “Umm! S-sorry, I––”

Ladybug (Lady...turtle??) giggled, stepping forward to stand beside him once again. “Thanks,” she replied shyly, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear as she usually did when she was nervous, but her hand bumped into her suit’s hood instead. Not quite sure what to do with her hands, she folded them in front of her as she awaited further instruction.

Tikki flew in front of Master Fu, bowing her head in greeting. “It’s good to see you again, Master!”

“Likewise. I hope you are doing well,” he greeted back.

Tikki flew over to Chat Noir, to say hello to him as well. “Hello, Chat Noir! It’s nice to formally meet you,” she chirped happily.

Chat beamed and answered, “Tikki, right? It’s great to finally meet you too! I must admit, you look a little different than I thought you would.”

Tikki giggled. “Did you think I’d be more insect-like? Maybe with six legs and an exoskeleton?”

Chat shrugged timidly. “Well, I mean… Maybe…?” ‘Ladybug’ and Tikki looked at each other and snickered at his reply.

Fu smiled at their interactions fondly, recalling times spent with loved ones, allies no longer here. With a small grunt, he stood up to continue the protection ritual.

“This way, Ladybug. Chat Noir and Tikki, please stand over there; we’ll need a bit of space for this. You might feel a bit tired once this is finished, so be sure to get plenty of rest tonight,” he instructed.

Tikki perched on Chat’s shoulder as he moved towards the edge of the room. They spoke in hushed voices as Fu instructed Ladybug and had her repeat phrases from his notes.

While they waited, Chat turned to Tikki and whispered, “By the way, I wanted to thank you... for helping Ladybug and keeping safe all these years. She means a lot to me.”

If kwamis could blush, Chat was sure that’s what Tikki’s face showed at the moment. “It’s been a pleasure to be her kwami. She’s the best! I’m glad you’ve gotten to know her and see what a sweet person she is.”

Chat smiled, cheeks dusted pink. “I am too.”

------

Many minutes passed, and Ladybug and Fu finished casting the protection ward. Chat helped Fu gather his things as Ladybug excused herself to transform back to her regular hero self.

As she re-emerged from the bathroom, Chat handed her a glass of water and invited her to sit on the bed so she could catch her breath and gather back some of her energy. “Welcome back, Lily-bug,” he greeted her with a wink. Ladybug beamed at him, accepting the water and taking a seat next to him.

Fu stood beside them, having finished gathering his belongings in a satchel. As he gave Ladybug time to rest, he asked, “Do either of you have any questions about the protection ritual, or about anything else?”

Ladybug replied, “I actually do have some questions, sir.”

Fu nodded.

“Master... why did Hawkmoth attempt to akumatize Chat Noir last night? If he’s tried it before, why did he not succeed during other nights?” Ladybug’s questions came faster once she got started. “Since he tried to akumatized Chat, does that mean he knows where he lives now? Is Chat even safe here anymore? What about the Dupains? Are they gonna be okay? How much does Hawkmoth know?”

Chat looked at Fu expectantly, realizing that he, too, had those same questions.

Fu replied, “The owner of the butterfly miraculous sends out his butterflies in search of a specific strong emotion, but is not aware of their location until after the host accepts it. He is able to learn some vague details about why they are feeling that certain emotion. My guess is that he was able to locate him while he was having a nightmare. So, no. He does not know that Chat Noir lives here. His powers have limitations, just like you do with yours. He is more powerful since he is older and more experienced, but even he can’t overextend the capabilities of his miraculous.”

He paused, stroking his beard, and contemplated. Then he asked, “Did something happen last night to make your emotions different from what they normally are?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, blushing furiously, stammering as they attempted to answer without divulging too much unnecessary information.

Fu raised an eyebrow, then chuckled knowingly, raising his hands to stop them. “It’s okay, I don’t need to know the details.”

“Umm! I-it’s not what you think!”

“M-master, don’t misunderstand–”

“Y-you see–”

“What happened was…”

“My guess is–” Fu interrupted, “–That Hawkmoth sensed your great joy last night, and became enraged. He couldn’t stand the thought of you being happy because it would mean that he is in the wrong, and his pride won’t allow him to accept that.”

Chat and Ladybug fell silent, looking downcast, as the explanation both made sense yet was immensely disheartening.

“There’s something else, Master,” Ladybug spoke again. “Something happened at school today. Akumas, but they vanished without a trace. I mentioned it to you earlier today over the phone. Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

“Ah, yes. And all that remained was two white feathers?” Fu asked.

“That’s right. Could the akumas still be out there because they haven’t been purified?”

Fu shook his head. “Allow me to explain. Firstly, as Ladybug already knows, two of the miraculouses in my box went missing when the temple of the guardians was destroyed: the butterfly and the peacock. One of them fell into Hawkmoth’s hands sometime within the last few years. But after hearing about what happened at the school today, we can now confirm that Hawkmoth is currently in possession of not just one, but of both of them. Either that, or he has someone else working under him.”

“The Peacock… of course!” Ladybug gasped, voice filled with dread.

Chat looked at her, then back at Fu, waiting for him to elaborate.

“The Guardian’s Grimoire calls them ‘sentimonsters’, mystical beings created out of thin air using the peacock miraculous, which harnesses the power of emotions. They can be created and destroyed whenever the wielder desires. Usually they are simple creatures, designed to be helpers or perform smaller tasks. However, they can also be more sophisticated, even indistinguishable from other humans, although an enormous amount of energy is required to create these complex sentimonsters. One can even ‘borrow’ the appearance of an already existing person. In this case, Hawkmoth chose not to give the sentimonsters the ability to speak, so they couldn’t divulge their secrets, in the event that they were caught.”

Ladybug shuddered. “What the hell?! That is so creepy.”

“Indeed.” Fu looked over at Chat, who had remained pensive throughout this exchange. “Any thoughts, Chat Noir?”

Chat looked up at him, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say. “I… I think I remember seeing the peacock miraculous in my father’s safe once. I only caught a glimpse of it; I just thought it was some of my mom’s jewelry he kept as a memento. I had no idea it was a miraculous. Otherwise, I would’ve had Plagg help me break into the safe and taken it with me when I ran away from home. There are so many things my father never told me… I’m sorry I don’t know more.”

Ladybug reached out to hold his hand, giving it a small squeeze, which he returned.

“You’ve done more than you know, believe me,” Fu replied as he unconsciously squeezed his satchel, which contained the electronic tablet where his copy of the Grimoire was stored.

He stuck his hand in his pocket and stepped forward, handing Chat Noir a card with his cell phone number.

“Call me if you have any questions, either of you. Even if it’s the middle of the night. Wayzz will make sure I hear my phone if it rings; he’s a much lighter sleeper than I am.”

“Thank you, Master Fu,” replied Chat, smiling. “And thank you too, Wayzz.”

“Thanks, Wayzz. Thank you, Master.” said Ladybug.

“Also, I must remind you once again that your identities must remain a secret until things settle down. There are negative effects that could happen if you are revealed too soon, and I’m not sure what they could be; but it’s best not to find out.”

Ladybug frowned. “But when will that be, Master? It would be so much easier to be able to communicate without having to transform.”

Fu shrugged helplessly. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that. We must allow things to continue to develop on their own. I'm sure we’ll know when the time is right.”

Ladybug let out a displeased sigh. Chat nodded, glancing away with a worried look in his eyes. Despite Ladybug’s eagerness (and despite his own curiosity), waiting suited him just fine for now.

After saying their goodbyes, Fu left the pair behind and let himself out with a final wave. The two heroes remained in the bedroom, contemplating what had been discussed.

After sitting in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say next, a lightbulb seemed to light up inside Ladybug’s brain, and she began typing away into her yo-yo communicator. Chat watched curiously, wondering what she was up to.

Moments later, she hopped out of the bed to jot something down onto a sticky note from Chat’s desk, then walked back.

“Just because we can’t tell each other who we are doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to contact each other when we’re not transformed. Kwamis aren’t pagers, after all.”

“Pagers? What decade is this, anyway?” Chat razzed.

“Hush, you,” she mock scolded him, suppressing a smile. “ Anyway! Here’s my brand new, Chat Noir-exclusive email address,” she said, handing him the note with a wink.

Chat’s eyes lit up. “Wait, really??” He unfolded the paper as if it was a Christmas present, excited to read the contents. His eyes widened and he burst out laughing.

“ ‘The_gr8_bugaboo@yoohoo.com’ ?!”

“What, you don't think I’m great?” she teased, striking an exaggerated, Chat Noir-style pose.

Chat’s snickering only intensified and he nodded. “Oh, for sure! The greatest!” he agreed.

Ladybug smirked. “I made it just now,” she explained. “So you’re the only one who knows about it. We may not be able to hang out in person yet, but I’d still like to talk to you during the day. Plus, it’ll come in handy for emergencies.”

“Buginette you’re a genius!”

Ladybug giggled, feeling her face warm up despite herself. “M-maybe we can message each other when you have some free time? I mean… now that you don’t have to worry about getting akumatized in your own room anymore. Your bedroom’s pretty much the safest place in Paris now, thanks to Master Fu.”

“And thanks to you, as well, my dear ‘Lily-bug’,” Chat reached up to take her hand, gently pulling her down to sit next to him. “I feel much better already. And knowing I can talk to you anytime makes me feel even safer.”

She scooted closer, setting her head down on his shoulder. “Y-you know… you make me feel safe too, Kitty.”

Chat’s insides twisted into pleasant little knots, suddenly feeling rather warm. “Really?”

He felt her smile as her hand squeezed his arm, her other one sneaking across their laps to wrap her fingers around his own. “Yeah. I know we’ve only been allies for a short time, but I’ve already lost count of all the times you’ve saved me or sacrificed yourself to help others. Our partnership grows stronger every day, and I think Hawkmoth knows it. He knows we’re stronger together. And it’s only a matter of time until we can be together without these masks too, I just know it.”

He turned towards her, putting his fingers under her chin and lifting her head to have her look up at him. Their eyes met, her pupils dilating as they focused on his own, and he could see a bright blush blooming on her cheeks.

“Me too,” he whispered, as he brought their lips together.

She blissfully melted into him, letting out a small noise of contentment. She deepened the kiss, reaching behind his head to caress his hair with her slender fingers. Their kisses and breaths mingled together and they lost track of everything else around them.

A little while later, they faintly heard the grandfather clock striking the hour in the living room, then some noises as the Dupains shuffled upstairs from the bakery to get ready for bed.

Ladybug pulled back and they separated, his lips still tingling from her touch.

“I… I should probably get going soon,” she lamented with a small shrug. “It’s starting to get late.”

“Would you like me to walk you home? Or rather, to somewhere around your neighborhood?”

She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Besides, I’m closer than you might think,” she added a bit cryptically.

“I wish you could stay,” he said softly, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. He gave her nose a tiny smooch. “Just a teeeeensy bit more?” he begged, giving her the best kitten eyes he could muster.

Ladybug giggled shyly, cheeks still dusted with pink. She gave his own nose a peck, her lips soft and inviting. “Well… I guess I could stay just a little bit longer,” she said with a smirk.

“Purr- fect,” he said, capturing her lips once again.

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

Note:

Many of the events in the “Volpina” and “Collector” episodes happened in this AU, albeit heavily modified to suit the story. Adrien found the grimoire in his father’s safe, took it out to study it, and Lila stole it. Since Adrien didn’t act impressed about Lila knowing Ladybug, she didn’t magnify the lie and claim to be Ladybug’s best friend; therefore, Ladybug never showed up to call her out on her lie, and Lila was never akumatized.

However, Tikki did see the book in the dumpster and retrieved it, and Marinette showed it to Master Fu. After Gabriel discovered the book was missing and pulled Adrien out of school, Fu made a copy so that Marinette could return it to Gabriel, and Adrien was allowed to attend school again. Currently, Adrien has no idea that this is how Fu acquired his grimoire; he merely assumes that Fu has always had his own copy.

Of course, Marinette began to suspect that Gabriel might be Hawkmoth because he owned the grimoire. Gabriel akumatized himself into the Collector in order to avoid suspicion, and with Chat’s help, almost succeeded in obtaining the ladybug miraculous. Ultimately, Ladybug outsmarted him, got him to accidentally “collect” Chat, and succeeded in purifying his akuma. But by then, Gabriel had “proven” he was an innocent civilian and Ladybug dismissed his potential involvement as Hawkmoth.

----

P.S.  Another note: Certain things that are similar but not identical to canon have been in my outline since the beginning, so I apologize if they're a little confusing (such as the protection talismans being similar to Ladybug's akuma victims' lucky charms or the destruction/disappearance of the Guardian Temple)

[rknchan]

as i had promised before, finally im writing a post about my thoughts on catcf

sorry it's quite messed up, i'm gonna talk about a lot of things, compare the movie to the book and their takes on the characters and their fate. also i'd like to remind that it's all entirely subjective and based on my feelings only!! also i have seen the movie and read the book in russian translation so might have missed some details lost in translation. sorry if anything offends you, i didn't intend it and im open to discussions ,,,

AUGUSTUS GLOOP

he didn't seem to have much time and personality both in the book and in the movie? wasn't his only character trait and only vice that he eats a lot? (my highest kin) what did he even do wrong? he was told that everything in the room was edible so he actually started eating everything? what a crime

in the movie they tried to fix him or exactly make him worse and showed him being mean to charlie; but the oompaloompas don't criticize him for that but instead for being FAT AND STUPID!!!! i don't think he was that deserving his fate especially comparing him to other kids, but at the same time his punishment seemed the lightest? sure he was scared when he was sucked into the pipe, but in the end he seemed to be happy? he didn't end up that traumatized and even managed to enjoy some chocolate

VIOLET BEAUREGARD

when i watched the movie for the first time, i wondered why her song shows her as a bad person not because of her competitiveness, arrogance or obsession with victory but.... for chewing too much gum?? the book gave me the answer to this question: book violet doesn't have almost any personality aside her chewing gum addiction; it was mentioned that she holds a record for chewing gum but it wasn't really emphasized?

so i liked how they developed this part of violet in the movie making her obsessed with competitions and prizes, while leaving some details showing it's the pressure of her family which forced her to be like that. she's still a grotesque caricature supposed to be annoying but she's a much more colourful (?) and memorable character there imo.

VERUCA SALT

such a cute and annoying at the same time spoiled material gurrrrl both in the movie and the book i love her portrayal sm. also i like how her song showcases that her parents are responsible for spoiling her and they share the same punishment

and that episode in the movie when she befriended violet with a nasty smile . such an iconic moment i adored it

MIKE TEAVEE

i adored him hes such a funny little brat!!! but his song with the whole "television bad books good" message is understandable in the book but when you hear it in a MOVIE youre watching ON THE TV that makes no sense

btw i like how in the book they showcase the problem of parents who ignore their children and would rather let them spend all day in front of the tv than communicate with them. that implies mike has some family issues as well too bad it wasn't shown in the movie

WILLY WONKA

book and movie versions of wonka are quite different but i love them both equally willy is such an amazing character :c

book wonka seems to be just an easygoing guy in a constant silly goofy mood who actually cares about the children but just lets it slide as he knows they won't be harmed?

movie wonka on the other hand seems more whimsy and cursed??? he appears creepy and threatening, with some sadistic vibes even, and behind his appearance of a funny eccentric mememan making cannibalism jokes, he hides SUFFERING and deep childhood traumas

i liked how they made wonka's character more deep and dramatic, but the question is - does a character like him really need this tragic backstory? what does this twist add to the whole story? i shall return to this question a bit later

CHARLIE BUCKET

book charlie is sweet but looks like he was supposed to be an unpersonalized character so that every reader could associate him with themselves... so hes a bit bland and lacks some individuality imo :c sure we see his generosity (hes willing to share his chocolate with his starving family) and kindness (he's worried about what will happen to other kids - i almost cannot remember that in the movies) but through the course of the plot he does almost nothing but feeling qUeEr fEeLinGs about the wonders of the factory and not getting himself into trouble

in the book there's no problem in bringing all charlie's relatives to the factory - so he doesn't face the dilemma of leaving his family to become the heir of the factory or staying with his loved ones. but in the movie that's a major problem and a whole new plotline! we can see charlie's doubts and insecurity, wonka's contradictive feelings taking him over, find out the reasons behind wonka's rejection of family - and it's charlie who helps him.

this plotline is even more important for charlie's character development rather than wonka: we see charlie in action, we see how caring he is, how much he is willing to sacrifice for his family, see his sincere desire to help wonka feel happier...

the final scene gives such a warm feeling it sends me to tears,,,,, finally willy wonka is not alone...

FINAL THOUGHTS

speaking about the message of the story? i felt that the book told that one must be kind and generous to reach happiness? the movie sure has that idea too but it's sorta more focused on the importance of family and not being alone?"

once again im unsure about the book :c tbh as the protagonist doesn't have much of a personality and actions, it seemed to me at times that the message is one must be rule-following and not getting into trouble ?? also replace tv and chewing gum with youtube and idk energy drinks - and it can easily turn into a conservative pamphlet on how the new generation is bad and amoral - but it doesn't seem like one thanks to the genius of roald dahl!! his manner of writing and sense of humour is fantastic

so in conclusion i prefer the movie to the book (for the first time in my life ahhahha) but idk if they're actually worth being compared ... and of course i don't think the book is worse or anything - it's just not really my cup of tea i guess? though i still enjoyed it a lot and had a great time reading it ^^

thank you for attention!!! if you think i was wrong in some aspects feel free to correct me ,, and once again id like to remind that it's not some kind of analysis just my personal thoughts and feelings and it may differ from yours

have a nice day!

[twinklelilstarkey]

hiii can you do angst 3 with nolan please 🥰

"You shouldn't be here." - Nolan Patrick

It has been a rough week. You feel like all your movements consist of you crawling in and out of your bed. Your pillow is constantly wet with your tears and your chest is permanently tightening in the void of nothing but heartbreak.

You don’t exactly need to leave your apartment since all of your classes are still online, and your cabinets are still full enough for you to survive for a little bit longer. So, honestly, if you were to leave, it would be out of a spontaneous decision, something you’re sure won’t happen any soon.

The only bit of fresh air you’ve caught in the last few days was when you opened your bathroom window to get your shower’s steam out of the small room, yet other than that... just nothing.

Today marks 7 days since you have broken up with your boyfriend of a year and a half, Nolan.

The reason behind your break up is a complete result of the snowball effect. It all started with small fights which always ended with you apologizing and him sort of forgiving you, and with small fight after small fight, a whole shouting argument was bad enough to mark the end of your relationship.

Nolan said so much, that he now admits that not even 1% of it is true, but it was enough to break your heart and force you to walk away.

It was definitely a break up. It was no Hollywood movie argument with an open ending in which the main characters never actually say the words. You two said it, and you two agreed on ending everything and cutting all tights right there. Right in the middle of his apartment.

You feel miserable and you’ve caught yourself trying to call him at crazy hours of the night a few times already. You never ended up actually doing it, but there was a time that it was close enough for it to ring one time - not even enough for it to even reach his phone.

Your week consists in at least 3 full days of classes, which does sound awful, but you feel like everything just gets worse when you’re left to stay by yourself and with your reality. All because even though you’re not listening to what your teachers are saying, you’ve got at least some sort of noise to occupy your mind.

But, god, nights are the worst. Looking out of your window to stare at the city view is not the same anymore, having sweet or salty sneaky snacks is not the same anymore, watching your favorite show under all your blankets is not the same anymore. You’re suffering so much that you can’t find anything even slightly enjoyable.

Now, Nolan, on the other hand, has to leave his apartment. He has to work, go to the ice rink, and practice every morning. And, in reality, no matter how much his coaches are screaming in his face, he just can’t find a way to fix whatever he’s doing wrong.

For the first days, no friend of his knew about the breakup, so, they just thought he was just going a little crazy over a bad hangover or whatever. But that didn’t last long. It only took TK to ask him if the offer for the double date still stood for everyone to notice.

His silence and serious expression made his best friend frown and even stop what he was doing. He couldn’t believe he was seeing.

Travis honestly thought that Nolan hadn’t heard him for a good few seconds, but as soon as he went to make sure, Nolan just stood up and left.

He wasn’t reacting like you were. He wasn’t crying every time his brain brought him back to you, he was just staring into nothing and letting his mind work free through it. Battling his feelings away.

You still watched the Flyers’ games, even though he wasn’t spending much time on the ice, and you still wore his jersey like any other night.

Sleeping after those nights were even harder. Today is one of them.

You turn on your bed, eyeing the large window beside your bed and all the lights of the city you’re blessed to see from high above, and your mind soon travels to all the memories you own and protect.

All the times you cuddled with a sleeping or just sleepy Nolan after good or rough games while staring at the calming night. All the times you enjoyed late mornings in bed, talking about life and laughing at absolutely everything.

A soft grin plays over your lips at the light-hearted memories but at the same time, it breaks at the realization it is not your truth anymore.

You sniffle softly and blink your tears away, bringing your hands to your warm cheeks to wipe down the wetness you’ve grown so familiar to.

A soft knock on your front door fills your apartment and you quickly sit up in surprise. It’s 3 am.

It’s way too late for your landlord to come over now, right? Sinks don’t usually get fixed at this time of night... Right?

The knock repeats itself and you sigh. It won’t hurt to check.

You stand up from your bed, ignoring the mess you’re leaving behind, and you bring your hood over your head. On your way down the hallway, you wipe your face one more time to make sure that no tears are to be shown to anyone, and as soon as you’re done, you’re standing by the door.

You unlock it slowly and Nolan feels a sudden wave of cold hit the walls of his stomach as anxiety becomes evident to him, again.

The door opens slowly, creaking slightly in the silence of the night, and your eyes meet up at the same time.

You feel frozen in place while Nolan is just lost for words. He hasn’t seen you for more than he has ever before and that made his body almost go into shock.

“Wha-” You try to ask but your voice cracks a bit, “What are you doing here?”

He stands silent for a few seconds and he continuous to stare you down, analyzing your face. Eyes slightly swollen, as well as your lips, your soft sniffling. You’ve been crying.

“I wanted to talk.” He finally speaks, his deep voice breaking through the hallway harshly.

“You shouldn’t be here.” You tell him.

“I know.” He agrees, “But... Can I please come in?”

You bite the inside of your lip in thought and your hand slides over the side of the door, grabbing both of your attentions.

Hesitatingly, you take a step back and swing your door open further, giving Nolan enough space to walk in comfortingly.

He’s careful with his steps, and soon the door closes behind him again. Your apartment is still extremely comforting and warm to him. And for a second, it almost made him forget what he was doing there in the first place.

“Want to go sit?” You whisper.

He looks over his shoulder to look at you and gives you a small nod. You break your glance and decide to be the first one to walk towards the couch.

Nolan follows you and soon the two of you are seated beside one another.

Even though with straight serious looks on your faces, you two have racing hearts and sweaty hands. Everything that could make their bodies react to the situation in the middle of all this silence.

“Did I wake you up?” He firstly asks and you just shake your head.

You look down at your hands over your lap and unconsciously, you pull your sleeves over your hands, hiding them from your own eyes.

Nolan decides to start.

“I shouldn’t have said all those things.” Nolan says as he also looks down at your, now covered, hands. “I was mad and I made all of... that, up.”

The words slowly register in your mind and you force yourself to look at him in the face.

“I know it’s stupid.” He says before you can even try to talk, “I know I shouldn’t have even fought back. You were right and I was just being an idiot.”

He shakes his head, staring back into your confused eyes.

“Nol-”

“I don’t know why I even did it. It was like I didn’t want to be in the wrong when I was. It was so childish of me...” He continues, “And all the things that I called you were ju-just awful. And I want you to know what I didn’t mean any of it and that not even one of them is tru-”

He sighs in desperation, finding it ridiculous how he found himself lost in his own thoughts and just rambled all his worries in one breath. Your hands finally stop playing on your lap.

“I wish I could take everything back.” He says more slowly and calmly, “And just act like none of it happened.”

“Me too.” You agree.

He stays silent and his chest tightens at the idea of this not going as he wants to.

“I just... I’m sorry.” He whispers the last part. “You don’t have to forgive me...” He pauses, “Now or-or even ever, but I just want you to know that I am so, so, so sorry.”

You stare back at him as his words fill your ears and his soft expression of pure hurt is all that emphasizes your overthinking.

“And...” He starts again, almost as if saying sorry for talking with his eyes, “I’m also sorry for only talking to you a week later. It-it’s stupid of me. Again.”

The corners of your lips lift slightly at his last words and you swallow harshly, preparing yourself to talk. Yet you stop yourself as you don’t exactly know what to say.

You look down, biting your lip in thought, and quickly, your hands lays over Nolan’s. And even over your hoodie’s thick material, you can feel how cold they are from standing outside at the crack of dawn.

“I’m sorry too.” You whisper to him.

“You don’t need to-”

“I do.” You look back up, “I walked away during a fight and in some way, I feel like it was my fault that you exploded the way you did.”

Nolan shakes his head and you peek your fingers from your sleeves, interlacing them with Nolan’s cold ones. You bring your hand up around your conjoined hands and trace slightly over his fingers to warm them.

“Well, then I forgive you.” Nolan says to you, following your gaze down to your hands. “I really do, even if I think you didn’t do anything wrong.”

A soft grin grows over your lips and you look up at him.

“Than I forgive you too.” You say, “Just- Please, promise me that we’ll never go for that long without talking or trying to sort things out again.” You cringe slightly at your request as if there’s a possibility that he will reject.

“I promise.” He says right away.

“And that we’ll never walk away like that or break up like that.”

“That too. I promise.”

A smile finally breaks through your features and soon also did Nolan’s. You bring your hand up to his face and with a quick movement, you cup his cheek and lay your lips over his.

The kiss is simple, more of a peck if anything, but it’s longer than a normal peck.

You two pull away and Nolan is quick to kiss your cheek a couple of times before actually leaning back and look at you.

“I think we should go to bed.” You tell him with a soft smile, “It’s almost 4.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”