#but it was too long and i wanted some of the original flair

[cobaltfluff]

cooking with nai

[erythriina]

Crozier: Stage manager. Runs an extremely tight ship; rehearsals start and end on time, and woe betide you if you show up late. Suffers no fools, especially when it comes to safety. Fell in love with theatre as a young kid, but became jaded after years of running into educational, financial, ‘who do you know’ barriers and dealing with the kind of bigots and assholes you only get in this industry.

Fitzjames: Originally Franklin’s AD, but is officially promoted to director when Franklin has to step down for health reasons. Used to be an actor—and a pretty good one!—but moved to directing because it seemed more prestigious and respectable. In the end, he wouldn’t choose to go back, but he will twist your ear with stories of his time trodding the boards. Studied on scholarship, does everything possible to keep this a secret.

( I went back on forth on switching these two roles, with Crozier as director and Fitzjames as SM, because in canon Crozier technically outranks JFJ. In the end though I think this is more fitting, since JFJ and Franklin may have big ideas, but Crozier is the one with his head firmly in the reality of the situation; as the SM and as Franklin’s canon second, his job (whether he gets to do it or not) is to reign him in, to make sure what he wants to happen is both feasible and safe. )

Blanky: Production manager. His job is to get the things necessary for JFJ and Crozier to do their jobs. He and Crozier have worked together for years and are a tight unit.

Little: Originally the technical director, (essentially the head of the scenic department: lights, sound, set, costumes, props). Becomes official AD when JFJ becomes official director. Briefly enjoys a stint as acting stage manager in Crozier’s stead, and by ‘enjoys’ I mean he hated every moment of it.

Jopson: Wardrobe head. Woe unto anyone who eats in costume. He and Crozier have worked together before—they come as a pair—so he becomes the unofficial liaison bw Crozier and the rest of the prod team (it’s a “dad likes you best” sort of situation). Crozier eventually asks him to become acting ASM (they didn’t have one before; Franklin didn’t think it was necessary). Did some acting as a kid/teen, but prefers production; if you hound him enough when he’s in a good mood, he will, after a long sigh, perform the most perfect triple time step you’ve ever seen.

Hodgson: Dramaturg and I won’t elaborate. Is also the fight captain when it’s called for, and is extremely good at it; he’s great at teaching one-on-one and encouraging the actors while still prioritizing safety, and his flair for the dramatic lends itself incredibly well to choreographing fights. He does, however, tend to lose it and make poor decisions when given any more solo responsibility than that.

Irving: Scenographer, in charge of the overall design of the production. Stressed out 24/7. Keeps absolutely pristine and lovingly detailed piece lists, is very good with the maths for measurements. Seems too uptight for such a creative job, but in actuality is very creative, just also very shy.

Tozer: Master carpenter. He didn’t start as master carp, but his superiors kept leaving and now he has more responsibility than he expected. Outwardly seems like he doesn’t give much of a fuck, but takes pride in his work. Main operator of the power tools; will box your ears if he catches you using them without proper PPE.

Hickey: Just kind of hangs around the scene shop most of the time. Presumably he’s in charge of gluing various bits of wood together, or something. Irving once caught him hooking up with his boyfriend behind the wall of old plywood backgrounds. Later, when Irving has an ‘accident’ one night whilst working late alone in the shop, Hickey is somehow the first on the scene…

Peglar: Master electrician, head of lights and sound. Doesn’t get to do it often, but adores operating the theater’s single spotlight (getting to it involves some climbing that OSHA would not approve of). Can untangle a mass of wires faster than anyone else and knows what each and every one of them goes to. Closest he ever got to performance was dipping his toe into standup comedy (iykyk. sorry honey you fit the type)

Silna: Perennial unwilling house manager, because her family owns the place and her dad always makes her. Basically in charge of the space as a whole. Not a huge fan of her job, but finds some amusement/comfort in getting to sit in the shadows and watch the prod team bicker and make fools of themselves, bc it makes her feel competent in comparison.

[lucagray813]

Shadow Clones

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 3,132

Main Characters: Rumble, Savage, MK

Minor Characters: Macaque, Wukong, Mei, Sandy, Tang, Pigsy

Relationships: None, hints of Shadowpeach if you really want it tho

Summary: All MK had wanted was an explanation for why his clones had minds of their own, meeting Macaque's clones does not provide him with any answers.

Additional Tags: Hijinks & shenanigans, light-headed, Rumble & Savage are called Xīng & Huì

CW: None

Link to AO3 Version

----

"Hey, Macaque?"

The grunt of acknowledgement from the branch he was currently dozing on was all the go ahead MK needed, "So, you know how I've got some, er, unique clones?"

In a lazy drawl he responded, "Can't say that I do."

Undeterred MK continued, counting off on his fingers, "Yeah, I've got my food guy, my art guy, my porty guy but when I asked Monkey King why they were like that he said I should come ask you?"

He had been surprised that Monkey King would defer to Macaque on anything but given how gleefully he had, MK suspected it was less to do with any respect for Macaque's knowledge and because there was something embarrassing that was about to come to light.

The tip of Macaque's tail gave an irritated little flick before he sighed heavily. But he didn't even open his eyes as he raised a hand towards the sky and clicked his fingers, two shadows separated from him and travelled down the tree until they stopped in front of MK as two perfect circles. Unbothered, Macaque said to no-one, "Alright, have fun you two. Try not to traumatize anyone too badly."

MK took a cautionary step backwards as two forms rose from the ground and he looked between them with increasing alarm. Fully formed, they were clearly two clones but while the resemblance was undeniable they each had a distinctive sense of style.

The one smiling somewhat devilishly at him looked... Well, actually he looked really good. His hair, his outfit, his vibe - it was all so well put together. MK actually felt a little underdressed looking at him.

He was much preferable to look at than the other shadow monkey that stared at him with no emotion on his face whatsoever. His dress sense was simple, efficient and dark. There wasn't a spec of colour on him.

Wary, he called out to the original, "Macaque...?"

Macaque lazily raised a hand in the air and waved it over the brightly dressed clone first before gesturing to the rest of them in order, "Xīng, Huì - MK. MK - Xīng, Huì. Knock yourselves out."

Xīng grinned and bowed with no small amount of flair, "MK, the Monkie Kid. The pleasure is all ours."

Still unsure what to make of the situation, he did his best to be polite, even if the way Huì continued to stare unblinkingly unnerved him, "Er, yeah. Nice to meet both of you. You're both clones?"

Xīng stood and made his way over, throwing a friendly arm around his shoulders, "Sure are. How about we gather up your buddies and we'll put on a show for you?"

"What do you mean a- Gah!" MK startled at the silent appearance of Huì on his other side. He clutched at his chest as he unsubtly asked Xīng, "Is he, uh, I mean, does he...?"

Xīng patted his shoulder before forcing him to start walking forward, Huì walked silently beside them, "He's the strong, silent type. Don't you worry though, he won't do you any harm. Not as long as you stick with me."

MK edged ever so slightly closer to him before throwing a desperate look over his shoulder at Macaque.

He was not at all reassured by the grin on his face.

----

During the short walk back to where he'd left his friends on the beach he had learnt that Huì couldn't speak but that didn't seem to be a problem as Xīng could speak enough for two. MK had barely gotten a word in but, in all honesty, he'd been too focused on keeping a wary eye on Huì to really even try and offer any intelligent responses.

When the three of them emerged from the trees, it was not to the delight of everyone waiting for them.

Pigsy pinched the bridge of his nose, "MK..."

Mei was slightly less tactful, "Ugh, why are there two of him? One is more than enough."

Tang nodded decisively beside her, looking more than a little nervous. Sandy was the only one that didn't seem at all put off by the two renditions of Macaque beside him.

He ducked under Xīng's arm and moved closer to his friends, "I know, I know! I went to ask him about the clone thing and this was how he responded! So, I guess we're stuck with them for just now?"

Xīng commented dryly behind him, "You know, I'm beginning to think we're not welcome here. We didn't even get a chance to introduce ourselves."

MK turned around and did a double take, "When did you change your outfit?"

Xīng held up a corner of his coat and asked coyly, "Why? Do you like it?"

Mei walked up beside MK, and eyed the clones suspiciously, "Ok, so what's their deal then?"

"They say their names are Xīng and Huì, and I guess they're Macaque's equivalent of Porty MK?"

Xīng clicked his tongue, "You know, clones or not, it's pretty rude to talk about someone as if they aren't there. Can't you see how much you're upsetting Huì? He's a sensitive soul."

They all looked at Huì, who stared back with dead, emotionless eyes. Deciding it was better to err on the side of caution MK apologised, "Er, sorry, Huì? We didn't mean to upset you...?"

Huì didn't so much as blink but Xīng nodded, "That's better. Now..."

He disappeared into the shadows only to reappear sitting on top of the picnic table they'd set up, oddly in yet another new outfit, "What do you lot do for fun around here?"

Mei whistled, "Damn, that is actually one nice dress. Where'd you get it?"

Xīng just smiled and clicked his fingers. A miasma of shadow tendrils quickly wound their way up and around Mei and when they disappeared she was wearing a similar dress with her hair put up in a matching hairpin.

Mei had looked fairly alarmed at the shadows but it was almost immediately forgotten about as she picked up the skirt of the dress and started to turn this way and that, "Hey, not bad! You got it in green and white?"

A click and a flash of shadows later and she had what she requested. He even summoned a full length mirror that stuck out of the sand so she could check it out properly, "Damn, you even did my hair! Do you know how much of a pain it is to put up like this?" She turned to Xīng, "Hey, can you put it up in, like, a french braid bun?"

It was done in the blink of an eye and Mei was delighted, "You know what, I take it back, this Macaque has already outranked the original in my books."

Xīng laughed, "High praise. Anyone else want a costume change? What about you, big guy?"

Sandy actually looked a little hopeful, "Well, it's sort of hard to find clothes in my size... But I've always really wanted to try on one of those fancy three piece suits...?"

Sandy blinked down at himself before gasping and rushing to the mirror, looking exceptionally pleased with his outfit and posing this way and that before bringing his hands to his face, "I should put braids in my beard more often!"

Admittedly, a little won over, MK also looked towards Xīng hopefully. Xīng just stood up on the table and grinned, "How about that show I promised?"

They all had to dive out of the way as the shadows suddenly converged to raise something massive from the ground but they faded away to reveal an extravagant catwalk. Mei vibrated with excitement beside him, "Oh my god, yes! Hold on! We need music! We need a film crew! We need an audience!"

MK grinned and reached for his hair, "Coming right up!"

The only thing MK didn't have confidence in creating was a camera, well he could make one but he wasn't sure how they would actually get the videos from it, but Mei eagerly volunteered her phone. Entrusting it to the MK clone crew.

Xīng was clearly ecstatic about the additions to the stage and by the time they were backstage he was taking it all very seriously, directing clones and doing up hair and outfits as if he was born to do it.

Mei nudged MK, "Dude, this is totally Theatre Macaque. I bet he came into existence the same way Porty MK did."

He could totally see it, a shadow clone forgotten in a theatre hall that decided he was going to make this his entire personality. Honestly, MK was kind of here for it, so far he was way more fun than the actual Macaque.

Xīng was clearly both the star of the show and the director. No outfit was too outlandish for him and he absolutely went for broke when he struck a pose at the end of the runway. He would shout out directions for everyone else, demanding they be just as bold and brave.

It was a lot of fun but by the end of it they were sweating and exhausted. MK thinks they had all been taken aback by the dangerous look in Xīng's eye when they suggested they called it quits but it was quickly replaced by a cheerful declaration that they needed a finale - last walk down the aisle, no holds barred!

MK had sighed a breath of relief, for a second there he thought he was going to go all "the Porty never ends" on them, but it all ended on a high! Once MK had dismissed his clones, they had all gathered around Mei's phone to watch the highlights.

The review was cut short by Tang's frightened scream but to be fair to him, MK probably would have reacted the same way if Huì had materialised beside him like that.

Mei eyed him up, before addressing Xīng, "Alright, we get your deal, but what's with creepy here?"

Xīng smiled as he walked around and threw an arm over Huì's shoulder, "Creepy? Huì? What are you talking about? He's just a little guy."

Pigsy scoffed, "Oh yeah, he's a real charmer. The unnerving silence, the dead eyes, the total lack of emotion - he's not creepy at all."

Xīng grinned mischievously, "Oh? You hear that, Huì? Your natural charms aren't doing it for them. How about you treat them to a smile?"

The five of them couldn't put enough distance between them and Huì.

"Why does he have so many teeth!?"

"Oh my god, they're like knives!"

"Those eyes...! It's like staring into the abyss, into the unending void!"

Xīng looked entirely amused. He patted Huì's shoulder before approaching them, "Well, that doesn't bode well for the favour I wanted to ask you."

Bravely, MK stuttered, "Wh-What favour?"

"You see, Huì and I don't get to come out and play very often and you've all done me such a kindness by putting on a show. But Huì hasn't had a chance to have any fun yet."

Tang gripped Pigsy's arm, "What does he do for fun? Steal people's souls?"

Xīng laughed, "Of course not. What Huì loves more than anything else is a good fight! If you brave heroes would be willing to indulge him it would just mean the world to us!"

Mei seemed to regain her courage, "A fight? Against all five of us? A bit overkill, isn't it? I mean, I could totally take Macaque by myself!"

Xīng pandered to her, "Oh, I don't doubt it but who knows when we'll be let out again and Huì loves a challenge."

The five of them exchanged a look before huddling together, Mei kicked them off, "We could totally take him."

Tang shook his head, "No way. We're being baited. That... thing is straight from my nightmares!"

It took a little back and forth but eventually they turned back to Xīng, and MK spoke for them, "Alright, we'll do it! But on the condition we can keep all the clothes from the fashion show."

Xīng's grin was unsettling, "Deal." He clicked his fingers and a rack of all the clothes from today materialized beside them.

He then gestured for them to follow him, "Well, come on then. I know the perfect place for your fight."

Pigsy looked a little unnerved, "Why don't we just fight here?"

"Oh no, no, no. That would have been like having our show without a proper stage. You have to give Huì his chance to shine."

Warily they all followed after Xīng and Huì until they arrived at a large but empty hall hidden not too far from Monkey King's vault. The door creaked open to reveal a room in pitch darkness.

Tang immediately backed away, "Nuh-uh. No way. Not happening. I'm not fighting in the dark!"

Xīng simply clicked his fingers and a number of shadow portals opened on the ceiling, a single lightbulb hanging from a wire emerged from each of them to create cones of light.

They reluctantly followed the clones in as Pigsy gruffly complained, "You couldn't have gotten better lights?"

Xīng hummed, "We're shadow clones, I'm simply evening the playing field."

Despite the overwhelming odds in their favour, all of them were undoubtedly uneasy as they took up their positions under one of the spotlights, while Huì stood across from them just behind another.

Xīng leaned casually against a wall, "Everybody ready?"

They all nodded grimly, their eyes not leaving their opponent.

"Wonderful. One last thing then. Huì? Don't eat them."

MK let out a strangled, "Wait. What!?"

He saw Huì's terrifying grin for just a moment before all put two of the lightbulbs shattered above them, eliciting more than one terrified scream. The two that were left started to swing unnaturally.

The next five minutes could only be described as a real life horror movie. No amount of fighting ability could save them as one by one they were picked off, dragged into the shadows by horrifying flashes of teeth. He couldn't even run, walls suddenly appearing to cut him off and turn him around as he tried to escape.

In sheer terror he held a hand in the air and a ball of pure light erupted to banish every shadow from the room. He breathed heavily as he looked around to see his friends picking themselves up from the floor, shielding their eyes, while trying to figure out what was going on.

He startled as he heard Xīng shout, "We're outside! Lights too bright for us!"

Mei groaned, "It's too bright for us too. Can you turn it down MK?"

Tang quickly added, "Just a little! Do not turn it off!"

"Er, I'm not sure how?"

Pigsy just forged ahead to the door, "Let's just get out of here!"

Everyone scrambled after him and it was to great relief when they saw the blue sky above them. MK dismissed the ball of light and turned to the others, "Are you ok!?"

Sandy nodded, "Shaken up but not hurt."

The sentiment was shared, no-one had a scratch on them, but god knows none of them were going to sleep easy tonight.

He swung around at Xīng's voice, "Ah, what a performance! You five really know how to make a shadow clone feel alive!"

Mei was incensed and she started to match towards him menacingly, "How could you do that to us!? That was so messed up! We agreed to a fight, not a-!"

She stopped short as Huì stood in front of Xīng defensively. Xīng grinned over his shoulder, "Forgive him, he's a little protective. What were you saying?"

She didn't move closer but she was not deterred from letting her displeasure known, "I can't believe you would set us up like that! That wasn't a fight! It was a horror movie!"

Xīng did not look apologetic as he took a step to stand beside Huì so he could lean an elbow on his shoulder, "Ah, I'm sorry for misleading you but no-one ever lets Huì play with them if I tell them the truth."

Mei cursed him out as she stomped away, "MK, get these two out of here! I don't want to see their faces ever again!"

Xīng held up his hands, "No need to show us out. We've had our fun." He took a bow, before offering, "But for the record, we are genuinely grateful to you for accommodating us today. C'mon Huì, let's go."

They sunk into the shadows and disappeared.

----

Macaque sighed as he felt trouble reform on the ground below him, "Did you have fun?"

Xīng responded, "Oh, we had a great time. Shame we never get called for an encore but to be fair Huì is a hard act to follow."

He opened his eyes and peered down at Huì, "You take a bite out of anyone?"

Xīng answered, "Nah, he was good. The bird and rodent population may have taken a sharp hit today though."

Wukong better not give him shit for that, there's no way he'd sent MK to him and not known what he was getting him in for, and it wasn't Huì's fault that the hunger of the shadows he embodied couldn't be satisfied.

"You both done for the day then?"

Xīng stretched, "Yeah, let us out again soon though. We never even got to see Wukong - you know he's my favourite model."

Macaque raised an eyebrow, "I'm not stopping you."

"Next time. Huì needs a break. All this sunlight takes a toll on him."

He shrugged, "Fair enough."

The two sank back into the shadows and rejoined his magic. He just snuggled back against the tree, planning to finish this day as he started it - doing absolutely nothing.

----

MK couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You what!? How can you prefer Huì to Xīng?"

Monkey King made a face, "Ugh, Xīng is so annoying. Changing your clothes a hundred times a day, pestering you to put on a show, quoting poetry, randomly bursting into song. I'll take Huì any day, he's basically just a big puppy."

"He's literally a monster!?"

"A monster? Nah. The real monster is Xīng - he's so bossy! A real shame that the two of them are a package deal."

Momentarily distracted from Monkey King's terrible taste in shadow clones, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Hm? Ah, Macaque can't summon just one of them. It's both of them or neither."

"What? Why?"

Monkey King shrugged, "No idea. But I wouldn't waste too much time thinking about it. Macaque summons them like once a millennium, usually just to annoy me. You won't see them again."

He couldn't say he was upset about that but he still couldn't get over Monkey King's preferences, "But Huì? Really?"

--End--

[A/N - I did my best to illustrate what Xīng and Huì look like here - the post also provides a few additional details about them both if you want to know more! 😁]

LMK Fanfic Masterlist

[redfoxwritesstuff]

For Eternity, Chapter 2 of 13

Alastor x Angel!Wife Oc (Isabel) Rated: Adult - this fic contains content inappropriate for minors. Chapter Warnings: Suggestions of sexual assault

Masterlist AO3 KoFi

“Welcome back, Ladies!” Alastor was in the hotel lobby as soon as the doors opened. “How did your ill-fated endeavor go?” 

“Bad.” Vaggie answered, not wanting to talk about any of it. The less people that knew her angelic origin story, the better in her mind. 

“Alastor?” Charlie tried to find the similarities between the man in the picture she had spent most of the trip home looking at and the one standing before her. 

“Whatever can I do for you?” He was in front of her in a heartbeat, leaning into her space slightly, hands planted on his cane as was his way.

“I think maybe I have something for you?” Charlie held out the silver pocket watch. 

“Angelic steel?” He asked as he stepped closer, eyebrow cocked in curiosity. “As a pocket watch? What a silly trinket to bring back. Pocket watches were a thing of the past long before my day.”

“It was given to me. A woman, she asked me to give it to you. At least, I think you’re who it’s for. Maybe there’s another Alastor? Or one who isn’t dead yet. Or one that already had their soul destroyed. Or-”

Alastor bounced the watch in his hand a few times, enjoying the weight of a well made pocket watch in the palm of his hand. Wristwatches had indeed replaced the pocket by in his time on earth. Still, they had an elegance he had favored in life that few knew about. 

They made handy trinkets to fiddle with. In life, he’d run his thumb over the faceplate of the watch his wife had gotten him while he stalked his victims… or while he sat through pointless meetings. 

She had gotten it for him as a gift early in their marriage, upon discovering his rather modest personal collection. It’s weight lived in his pocket during those few short months they had spent together. In the time after her death however, he had wore the faceplate smooth, running his thumb over it again and again as he went about his daily life. 

Alastor froze as he opened the watch. A face he had spent what felt like eternity trying to forget looked up at him.

He had hoped that was where she was. He had feared she had already perished in hell, having been damned for one wrong thought or some childhood action like so many of the weakest sinners in the realm. 

Static jumbled his voice, radio filter going heavy, “Where did you get this?” 

“A woman, she gave it to me.” A shiver ran up Charlie’s spine as Alastor clicked closed the watch and slipped it in his pocket, moving without a trace of the dangerous flair of power he had displayed. “Do you- is she-”

“My wife.” He confirmed. Though they had been separated in death, he wouldn’t deny her. He had spent decades trying and failing to forget her, but he would never deny her outright. 

“You had a wife?” Angel was too shocked to add any quips to his question. Alastor having a wife ment that surely, at some point he had an interest in more than just himself. “Does that mean that you do-”

“I advise you to speak carefully,” Words came nearly lost in static as shadows deepened, lights dimmed and Alastor’s back twisted and his neck turned far more than should have been possible so Angel was faced with his terrifying face. 

“What is she like?” Charlie was eager to settle the mood and learn more of the woman who she had only gotten to meet for a fleeting moment.

“She was sweet as honey. A woman truly deserving of Heaven.”

“How’ed she end up with a fella like you?” Angel stuck his neck out to ask the question on everyone’s mind, not having enough sense of self preservation to keep his mouth shut after the first warning. 

“I was far from deserving of her,” Alastor felt like such didn’t need saying. “We had family connections pushing us together. Is she well?” 

Charlie hesitated, her mind replaying the way Adam manhandled the wisp of a woman. 

“She’s in Heaven.” Vaggie answered, as if that was an answer. 

Alastor accepted it with a nod, “I thank you for bringing me her trinket.” 

“She said to tell you that she loved you,” Charlie blurted out. “No, that’s not exactly it. She would always love you, that was it. I didn’t have a chance to talk to her but she said she would wait forever for you.”

The wide toothed smile on Alastor’s face closed, pulling tight, “She shouldn’t.”

“You can try for redemption.” Charlie felt renewed hope for him. He had someone to be redeemed for!

“No, thank you.” Alastor’s smile grew again, cut wide by his sharp teeth. “I am hardly the man she knew. I thank you again, for the trinket, and carrying my Isabel’s message. Good Night.”

~~~~~<3

Adam was in a rage as he threw her against the wall. Isabel wished for nothing more than to die. If this was heaven, she didn’t want to be here. 

“What were you talking about!”

“I just wanted to find him.” She whimpered in the face of Adam’s rage. He was held up as the perfect man, the first man. If he was placed next to the man she loved though, he couldn’t even live up to his shadow. 

“He’s a disgusting Sinner!” Adam grabbed her again. “Why do you hold out for him? You could have me, the original dick.”

“You’ll never be half the man he was!” 

Adam threw her on the floor and loomed over her. “Take what I am willing to give you,” His hand grasped her ankle and pulled her toward him as she tried to get away. “And I will make you forget him.” 

“You’re as much a sinner as anyone in hell!” She kicked at him, “This is no Heaven. This is but a beautiful blasphemous lie. This is Hell!” 

~~~~~<3

Alastor sat in Rosie’s parlor, teacup of rich warm blood swirling as he was lost in his thoughts. Across from him sat his dearest friend in Hell. Her territory was a refuge for him, somewhere without cameras and where those who would spread idle gossip about him were not eager to wander inside.

“Alastor Dear, As glad as I am to see your face, what troubles you?” 

Rosie had been sitting in silence, watching him. She waited patiently for him to open up before her soft prodding, though she wouldn’t dare push or pry. Maintaining a friendship with her often chaotic fellow Overlord took some delicacy and respect for his many boundaries and walls.

“My wife,” Alastor’s smile was subdued yet ever present even as the weight of his punishment in hell crashed over him once again. 

It was a weight he had long ago gotten used to. He had learned to thrive under but when he was forced to remember this part of his living life, it was a stone around his neck that threatened to try to drown him. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he would let it.

He needed to once again cast aside the stone. She was where she belonged and he would never be with her again. So what if she waited for him? So what if she still loved him? She didn’t know the sins he carried. He needed to throw her memory aside, once again, and leave the past in the past. 

There was nothing that could be done to change anything. 

She sat back in her chair, back perfectly straight and empty eyes wide. Sure, she had been privy to the fact that at one time, he had been married but most gave up such ownership over their spouse after a few decades, referring to them as former, ex or late.

It was easy to assume due to his apparent lack of romantic or sexual drive that he had mentally divorced himself from the relationship long ago, shed the shackles that societal expectations bound him with in his life. They hadn’t spoken explicitly about his preferences or desires, it wouldn’t be proper, but she had a way of knowing these things. 

Or at least, she had thought she did.

The idea that taking a wife had been anything more meaningful to him than the socially expected and proper thing to do hadn’t crossed even her mind. All things exist in a spectrum, she supposed, and matters of the heart were rarely anything less than complex. 

Alastor placed a open pocket watch on the table between them after she was all but certain that he wasn’t going to discuss the matter further, “She’s in Heaven.” 

“How did you get this?” She asked, picking the silver watch, gleaming in a way things in hell rarely did, and examining the picture inside. 

It was hand sketched and ever so detailed. Crafting the image clearly took a significant amount of time. Someone had slaved over the artwork inside for a great many hours to produce something that had near photo results. 

“Is this-?” 

“My Darling and I, the day we wed.” Alastor confirmed. “She had always been a talented artist, though I’d say her skills have progressed significantly in the decades since she left my side.” 

“It’s very good,” Rosie said, “You made a lovely couple.” 

“Our Darling Princess delivered it when she returned from Heaven,” Alastor took a long pull from his teacup. “A gift from Isabel.”

“I’m so sorry, Alastor.” She slid the watch back toward him, not sure what the proper thing to say to him in that moment was. 

“No need, my dear friend.” He absently responded as he pocketed the watch, sparing a moment to run his thumb over the faceplate hiding the picture inside. “No need. She is where she belongs, as am I.” 

“Yet it weighs on you,” Rosie pointed out, “You long for her?”

“Perhaps.” Alastor wasn’t fond of the questioning but thankfully, Rosie did so with tact and respect. It was something lacking from the hotel residents who struggled to picture him caring for anyone, let alone as a husband. “She is safe, as she should be.”

“It’s a relief then?” Rosie asked, plucking a lady finger from the plate between them. “To know she didn’t parish in an extermination?” 

It hadn’t occurred to her that he had been looking for, hunting for anything more than the powerful demons he killed as he arose to power. Perhaps there had been a bit of something else driving the events of those days. Now wasn’t the time to ask however.

“To know that she is where she belongs,” Alastor countered.

“Which isn’t with you?” Rosie delicately tried to untangle the complexities of her dear friend. 

“Which is somewhere safe,” Alastor corrected. “You know just as well as I, Hell chews up and spits out those who are not savage enough to earn respect and take power.” 

~~~~~<3

Sulfur stung her nose as the portal to Hell opened. This was her chance, she had humored Adam though it had made her skin crawl to get to this moment. Adam wasn’t an intelligent man but still, it wasn’t easy to allow him to believe that she was finally willing to entertain his advances, his hands on her. 

It was too much to hope for that he would know anything about her husband but he was her ticket to where he was. It was common knowledge that Adam took his warrior angles between Heaven and Hell in order to protect the gates. 

There’s no way she could convince Adam to take her with him. Manipulation wasn’t her strength in the slightest. Just pretending to accept Adams advances was challenging enough. 

It wasn’t for nothing at least. It had gotten her here, standing at the front of the select crowd who would see off Adam and his warriors to the mighty battle as the citizens of Hell once again rose up to try and overtake the gates. This was a war only a select few knew about and being one of those few took work. 

Golden sparks kicked to life in the air in front of the army. Sparks grew, swirling to life into a large portal from what had started as a pinprick. Adam offered her a cocky grin that she did not return before he lead the first wave of his army though.

This was her chance, Isabel knew. It was now or never. If she let this chance pass by, she wouldn’t get another. 

Counting, Isabel prepared herself to do something she knew she could never come back from. 

One. Looking in the distance she saw her Mother-in-law nod her blessing. How she had managed to get that close, Isabel would never be able to ask her. Everything she had learned, everything she had feared, everything she had experienced in Heaven, she had shared with her dear Alastor’s mother. If anyone knew how much being separated from him was torture to her, it would be his mother. 

Two. She fluttered out her wings, tensing muscles and ruffling feathers. To pull this off she needed every feather in place. She needed every muscle to propel her forward before anyone could stop her. Hopefully at least. 

Three. One last deep breath of the cleanest air she would ever breathe as the hot sulphuric air wafted into heaven from the open portal. Just a few more rows of the army were left. 

 Now. She ran, long dress clutched in one fist as she hiked the hemline up to her knees, wishing she had worn the dip hemline she had favored instead of the ankle long hemline Adam liked. She had to manage without getting caught. She had to make it through and out of reach of the angels while she fell. 

One powerful beat after the other allowed her to pick up speed as she ran forward, going as fast as her legs would carry her. Then she was going faster, feet grazing the stone floors as she shot forward into the stream of deadly angel warriors.

Fingers grazed the feathers of her wings in a startled attempt to stop her as she shot away from the army. For a moment, she was disorientated. 

They were supposed to be high above hell, defending the gates from one of the frequent uprisings. She had planned to fall, hoping to miss the battle and fall fairly safely.

Instead, the portal all but threw her out into the battle near the grounds of Hell. This wasn’t right but Isabel had no time to get her feet under her. The air burned her lungs as she gulped  air as her wings beat with all the strength she could manage. 

Dodging out from the army, a black tentacle nearly knocked her out of the air. She had to get away from here, where ever here was before she could do anything else. Flying from rooftop to rooftop, she did everything she could to try and put distance between her and the battle without drawing attention to herself.

Once the fighting was over, she would look for him. First she had to find somewhere safer to wait out the violent fighting taking place around the large building. Surely, everyone would be paying attention to the battle and one lone angel wouldn’t draw too much attention, right?

~~~~~<3

TagList: @catticora, @alastor-simp

[hes-back-from-the-dead]

Here are some different drafts and the process of working on my own poster for the SPO poster project! Long post below!

My initial concept was to have the poster be heavily grafitti'd as a sort of fun little gag towards my headcanon of the Snes and Wii iterations of him being different characters and how frequently the fandom bullies his design.

I then got sad cause I realized I'd put a lot of work into making the poster, and Aran himself, look really good and I didn't wanna hide either. So I decided to make it an open invitation for others to fuck around with their own posters!

I ended up being pretty indecisive on what I wanted to do for the graffiti itself- I had far too many ideas.

I obviously got the stache, brows, crossed eyes, and stink lines form the contender intro for Aran but I thought I'd add my own touches like silly shit people did in my server (playing tic tac toe on his massive forehead) and generally what I think Wii Aran would do to mock his counterpart.

The original iteration ended up too mean especially with all the fat comments, so switching them for more varied words ended up looking much better! 'Men gotta be fart, stupid, and hideous' is my favorite line.

To translate some other insults: Jackeen means a city person, usually mocking Dubliners. Dryshite just means boring.

In the final set, Wii Aran also has another piece of graffiti on the wall- it's meant to invoke spray paint but I didn't do too well here. This is far from the first time he's made a mockery of branch B's Aran and it won't be the last.

As for the plain poster- from the original, the biggest changes are the background of the portrait and his blurb. Yes I'm aware he has no ear holes I can't draw them I'm sorry.

I kinda HATE the way the background is tbh- the spo manual already makes everyone ugly as shit- there's no need to make it worse lmao.

I went with bricks spattered with dirt and blood to evoke a feeling of being in a back alley fight. My original attempt was garbage but then I found this simple brick brush that made my entire life easier.

I wanted to give him a black eye and bloody nose too but it ended up being too hard for me to figure out.

Tbh I don't like the original blurb- it feels clunky and empty all at once. I tried to go with a snappier rendition of the same main ideas while adding a bit of flair and appreciation for how he is in SPO.

The hardest bit of the whole process was probably figuring out all the strange quirks of the text. It looks good but damn is it hard to replicate.

My favorite part was playing around with all the layers and ways I could use effects- a filter or two really does a lot to add to the feeling of a poster. And for one last bit of funsies, here's the poster without any effects vs all of them. (I lost the version with highlighting on his face, whoops!)

I'm really happy with this piece and how quickly I finished it! I think it's a really good sign for my progress in digital art! If you've got questions, feel free to ask in the replies!

[charlie-lec-stories]

Patience and 1/2 of Double Trouble // CL16

Pairing: Charles Leclerc / Original Female Character

Summary: Charles knew that having his little brother, Arthur, in F1 with him was going to be chaotic, what he didn't expect was to have to deal with Arthur's best friend too.

Warnings: None, this is the fluffiest story on Earth.

Author’s Note: I keep finding old stories that fit this account and I find myself to lazy to keep editing the longer story I started, so this is another one-shot for you guys. Rate: PG.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Patience. That was one word that had marked Charles Leclerc's personality for as long as he's been alive. Whenever he wanted something he worked for it, no matter how long it took him to get it. If there was a problem, he could think it through and solve it. His older brother, Lorenzo, has always said that it was a bless to look after Charles growing up, he was easy, giving Lorenzo the time to run around chasing the younger child, Arthur, who was the troublemaker of the family. After Charles and Arthur got into racing, Lorenzo ended up following Arthur around, making sure that he stayed out of trouble, while Charles, as patiently as always, worked his way up to the top. Even though they couldn't spend every second together, Charles was fully aware of the hard work that Lorenzo had to put up with looking after Arthur. It didn't matter the age, the boy was constantly up to something and his older brothers were used to it. Charles tried to stop by and stay with Arthur while Lorenzo took some time off. The middle Leclerc felt confident that he already could read his little brother's mind and stay a step ahead whenever Arthur was planning something. Still, he sometimes found himself surprised by his brother, like that time Arthur improvised a ladder with a glue gun and a dozen pool noodles (don't ask why he had them, Charles doesn't even know) and escaped the house through the first-floor-window of his room in the middle of the night to go to a party he was told he couldn't go. Or that other time Arthur tried to learn how to flip pancakes by throwing them up in the air with the pan and ended up covering the kitchen with pancake batter, the three brothers having to spend five hours cleaning up the mess before their mother got back home. There were a lot more of chaotic moments in "Arthur's criminal record" - as Lorenzo calls it - and Charles had managed to stay patient through them all. But after all, he's only human, and at some point he finally lost it.

Arthur finally found his equal in F3, another driver called Y/N. She was everything Arthur was: cunning and energetic, with a love for mischief and a flair for the dramatic. She was the most amazing and terrible girl Charles had ever met, both at the same time. He loved her, loved her friendship with Arthur and thought the world of her but at the same time, the "crime rate" in the Leclerc's household had went exponentially higher with her presence on their lives. The Leclerc family even called the duo "Double Trouble".

"I'm starting to believe that you're trying to kill yourselves". Charles stated and followed it with a sigh as he placed the first aid kit on the kitchen island. The other two just looked at him sheepishly. "But seriously, what the hell were you thinking? Shoving each other around on the stairs? Really?". Charles was making himself a coffee while he listened to them laughing hysterically when he heard the loud thud. He ran to the living room, only to find them both on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, Arthur grabbing his arm and Y/N with a crimson spot on her face.

"She started it!". Arthur accused his friend quickly, while holding up the icepack on his arm.

"Traitor". She mumbled and then winced when Charles placed the gauze with hydrogen peroxide over the little cut on her forehead.

"Stay still". Charles instructed her when she started moving away. "I want to get you cleaned up before this gets infected. You are lucky that you just fell a few steps. This could have ended up way worse".

"She's fine. It's not like it's the first time this happened anyways". Charles stopped his movements at his brother's words.

"What?". If looks could kill, Arthur would be six feet under. "Are you telling me that this happened before?"

"No, it hasn't. He doesn't know what he's talking about". The girl looked at her best friend with a 'what were you thinking' face and Charles decided to cut the subject short.

"Just, please, stop doing dangerous shit". The other two nodded their heads fervently and Charles left another long sigh out.

Of course, they never stopped. Through their whole time in F3 and F2 they kept getting themselves into trouble: burning a kitchen tablecloth when "fixing" the toaster (that they broke themselves in the first place), making a hole on Arthur's bedroom door while playing with a homemade air-soft gun (Charles is still trying to understand how they made it), blowing up the lawn mower by playing with its engine (they wanted to learn how to make it more powerful), breaking the TV while playing "real life goat simulator" (and accidentally smashing into it), and many more. But Charles' least favourite has to be when he had to pick them up from the police station because they fell into a fountain (again shoving each other playfully) and the police thought they were under the influence. Arthur called him from the station, asking for him to pick them up. Charles was already in F1 and was well known around Monte Carlo, he talked to the arresting officer and after they were tested and proved they weren't drunk or worse - just stupid, as Charles stated to the officer - they were free to go. In exchange for some pictures and autographs, the officers agreed not to leak the little incident to the press. It wasn't exactly bad PR, it was a really funny story, but Charles wanted to make sure his mother never found out.

When she wasn't blowing something up with Arthur, Charles actually enjoyed his time with Y/N. She was funny, hot, smart and charming. He had this little crush on her, nothing he found too concerning since he knew that she was off-limits, but serious enough to make him worry about her more than other people normally would. He was usually spoiling her and scolding his younger brother whenever he had to save them from another trouble they got themselves into and Arthur started to suspect that he liked her. Even if it was childish, the younger Leclerc was jealous, she was his friend and Charles was going to steal her attention if they started dating. It wasn't like with her other boyfriends, she spent most of her time with him and his family at his house, if they dated she would be all over Charles and stop spending time with him whenever she visited. With this idea in mind, Arthur did whatever he could to keep his friend oblivious to Charles' crush on her. She dated a few guys while Charles kept his distance and Arthur was happy whenever she confessed little crushes on guys that weren't his brother. Things were alright, they were still Double Trouble and Charles kept saving them with unwavering patience.

Time passed and both, Arthur and Y/N, made it into F1. Y/N driving for McLaren alongside Oscar Piastri and Arthur getting the 2nd seat in Ferrari, Charles' team. For their first season Y/N was single again, her last relationship just a bad memory. With this new promotion to F1, keeping Charles away from his friend was getting more and more difficult for Arthur. By then, he had a contradicted opinion about his brother and best friend dating, a part of him hated the idea and felt threatened, the other find them rather cute together and was aware of how happy they could make each other. His older brother was always around, and whenever she visited Arthur at the garage, Charles would constantly get her attention, but he had learned to deal with that... mostly. Still, even if with age came maturity and he grew more open to the idea, his jealous side shone from time to time. Usually, when Charles played hero and Y/N was all over him. They were still getting into trouble and Charles was there to play his "Ferrari golden boy" card to save them. Since there was no way of getting rid of Charles, he decided that he'd stop getting into trouble so Charles wouldn't be around them too much.

"I think this must taste like shit". Y/N said handing Arthur her tuna sandwich, she loved tuna, but this time she had to admit that it smelled bad. The younger Leclerc smelled it and made a face of disgust.

"I'm not taking a bite of that". She placed the food on the table and shuddered.

"Me neither". Then, she smiled devilishly. "We should put it on Max's bag. He hates tuna". At any other time, Arthur would be totally down for that, messing with Max Verstappen had been their main and favourite entertainment since the start of the season. Even the fans knew that he was their target and joked about it a lot. Max was cool with it and even found their little pranks kind of cute. He was about to deny the offer and be a good boy when he heard the voice he was expecting to avoid.

"What are you two up to?". Charles asked walking to the table then sat next to his brother.

"Nothing good". Y/N replied, honestly.

"Disappointed but not surprised". Charles followed that with a chuckle.

"We should get going, Charles, we have things to do before the race". Arthur said quickly. It was one of those days when he didn't want to have to fight for his friend's attention.

The three of them started walking towards the garages, Charles and Y/N chatting happily about their plans for summer break, which was just around the corner, not even once including the younger Leclerc in the conversation. Arthur was getting bored, they weren't even dating and he was already feeling excluded. Part of him felt bad, it was a long time since he felt like that, he was getting better with his possessiveness. But he was having a really chill day, having lunch with Y/N and getting ready for the race, and Charles had to appear out of nowhere and annoy the hell out of him. The thing is, being a good kid wasn't in Arthur's DNA and even if he tried, he just couldn't help himself. He did the only thing he knew always worked to get his friend's attention: a mess. He tapped on her shoulder and when she turned around to face him, he squeezed his water bottle and sparkled water on her face. Y/N fell backwards, Charles catching her swiftly before she hit the ground, still, her focus wasn't on Charles but on Arthur.

"You brought this on yourself". She said as she tried to launch herself at her friend. Charles quickly sneaked his arm around her and pulled her back against him, raising his other arm at Arthur, an accusing pointed finger directed at the blond.

"Ah ah ah". Charles warned, Arthur backing up. "Stop this before it gets out of hand". Y/N exited his grip and he put himself in front of her fast to stop her too. The two troublemakers ignored him completely, looking at each other defiantly. With Charles in between them, Arthur tried to sparkle some water again but Y/N moved out of the way. They tried a few more unsuccessful attacks and Charles finally accepted that it was useless to try and stop them. He moved away and Y/N took it as her chance to attack Arthur, who stopped her hand on time and moved it towards Charles' direction, half of the water bottle spilling onto his back. The two stopped on their tracks, fully aware that they were in trouble. Charles turned around slowly, an annoyed expression plastered on his face, the water running down his body from his shoulders to his feet. Arthur grew a smug smile on his face, not even caring about the consequences anymore, Y/N on the other hand, had her eyes open wide like a dear in front of a car. Charles was usually the one cleaning up their mess, not the one they messed up, this couldn't be good. The middle Leclerc lost the last bit of patience he had left. Without uttering a word, Charles grabbed both of their water bottles and quickly poured them over their heads, walking away with same pissed off expression he had when he first faced them. Charles had never gotten mad at them before. Scold them? Yes, all the time, but he was never actually angry.

Even if Arthur and her spent the rest of the day laughing about the water incident, she felt kind of guilty for getting Charles into their little war. He gave them the cold shoulder for the rest of the day and she couldn't stand it. Apparently, the middle Leclerc had interviews and their water attack meant a whole new outfit and hair and make-up touch up, things Charles hated to do and that made him waste a lot of time. For once, he was angry at them. Y/N understood their situation as the following silent agreement: They kept their mess within themselves and Charles helped them out from a safe distance. With this, she felt like that agreement was violated. He had to deal with the consequences of their actions himself and that wasn't part of the deal. She had to make things right. She owned him that.

After the race, won by Max (again), Y/N walked to Charles hotel room, hoping to get the chance to apologize before he went out to the party to celebrate his P2. She was already dressed for the occasion and was hoping that Charles wasn't pissed off enough to forbid her and Arthur from attending the party. Thinking about it, she couldn't blame him if he did. She knocked a few times, her hands trembling. It wasn't her first time alone with Charles, but it was the first since she admitted to herself she had a crush on him. And it was that crush that made her so scared of his reaction. She didn't want him to be mad at her, she wanted him to like her, even if it was just as Arthur's best friend. The funny and lovely Charles she was used to wasn't the one that opened the door, his face clearly showing his discomfort with her presence, making her rethink about her idea of apologizing right then and there. She knew that they had reached the limit of Charles' patience and she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what laid beyond that limit.

"What do you want?". He asked, coldly. He wasn't actually that pissed off, but he didn't need another mess when he was celebrating a new podium. And he knew she was trouble.

"I just wanted to say congrats on the podium and...". She trailed off, playing with her hands and looking at everywhere but him. He softened a little at the sight.

"Come in". He moved away from the door to let her in. She walked inside the room, stopping in front of him. She stole a look at his outfit, black jeans and white buttoned up shirt that had the three upper ones undone. He looked amazing without even trying and she was doing the best she could not to stare too much. The strong scent of his cologne was the only thing that entered her body when she breathed in, leaving her almost dizzy.

"I'm sorry. You know? About today. We were kinda rude and well, I never told you I was sorry. Really dick move from us, from me...". She continued rambling a little. Damn, it was so hard to focus when all she could perceive from the world in that moment was just him. She looked so adorable he couldn't even be mad at her anymore.

"It's fine. No hard feelings". He assured her. She nodded and looked up at him. He was an arms length away, she wanted to close the gap, to grab his face and smash her lips against his, but he was off-limits and she knew it. "It was still not as bad as picking you up from the police station".

"I already apologized for that". She giggled. "We are lucky to have you around, saving our asses". Charles could feel that something was different. He had finally gotten mad at her, stopped treating her like a kid and she was owning it up. Maybe they were ready to face other challenges more than just silly pranks and stupid and unnecessary arrests. Maybe, just maybe, they were ready to be something more, in a more mature form. It was his time to get them into trouble and Arthur's time to deal with it. He moved closed and her breath itched in her throat. They were almost chest to chest, him looking down at her with that mischief that usually clouded her eyes.

"You are trouble, you know that?". He asked close to her face. She couldn't find it within herself to answer. His hands went to her hips, moving her towards the wall and pinning her against it. Their lips ghosted each other for a moment before he finally kissed her. It was as good as they imagined it, and they imagined it a lot. Hands touching, teeth pulling, hips grinding. All the pent up tension from the last two and a half years out in a few minutes that felt like hours. When they broke it up, they were panting for air.

"Arthur's not gonna like this". She said, guilt setting in her stomach.

"He'll survive". He placed his hand on her cheek, making her look at him. She was worried but she also knew that, with some time, her friend would understand. Charles reached down and kissed her again.

They knew they would be alright, after all, even if she was trouble, he was a patient man.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka]

This collab has been in the works for some time now and we’re finally ready to share with you the first chapter! @kultavalo and I have giggled for many a moons over these two love birds so we hope you enjoy them just as much as we do 🥰

*Read on AO3

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Danny Wagner *sweet sweet slash

Warnings and tags: 18+ ONLY! No minors need be present where Finn and I are involved! Some slight angst, idiots pinning and flirting, fluuuffff, more tags to be added later

Word count: 2.7k

Omne Trium Perfectum, everything that comes in threes is perfect.

What a beautiful phrase, though anything in Latin did tend to have that effect.

It was something Danny often thought about ever since he heard it read aloud from a book Jake was reading in their shared space on the bus between two seemingly identical cities.

The more he thought about it the more it did very well seem that everything that came in threes was indeed perfect: the sun, the moon, and the stars. Melody, rhythm, and harmony. The three musketeers, the three wise men, the holy trinity, hell even bacon lettuce and tomato…

Though he’d been close with the Kiszkas for a very long time, Danny still sometimes struggled to find where he fit in. Josh, Jake, and Sam- everything in threes is perfect.

Even despite their constant corrections of interviewers, their heartening attempts to include him, Danny still had this nagging feeling in the back of his head that he would always be just on the outside looking in. Of course that was until three times he and Josh kissed, and by the third time he knew he was right where he belonged.

𖤓 - ☾ - ☆

The mall was quiet. The giant plastic ice cream cone that slowly turned near the entrance to the food court hummed softly in its rotations. A pack of moms with strollers had invaded the benches near the central fountain and a group of kids who were quite clearly supposed to be in school right now shot them nervous glances from their huddled corner near the Hot Topic.

It wasn’t often that Josh and Danny got to spend some quality time with just the two of them. Often either Sam or Jake or both would tag along on whatever adventure they might go on, not wanting to miss out on any potential fun.

But honestly this trip to the mall was not exactly the kind of quality time or adventure anyone was actually thrilled about.

Earlier that day Josh had received quite a scolding from Jen, their makeup artist. He had been secretly dipping into her stash of white eyeliners after he had run out of the one tiny pencil he had brought on tour himself.

In his defense Josh had never expected that he would enjoy wearing the simple white dots that were all his current skill level would allow on a daily basis. The original idea had been to only apply them for interviews and more casual public outings where he still had to look the rockstar part. But the more he practiced and perfected his symmetrical application, the more he started to add the tiny bits of flair to his daily outfits. They made him feel pretty. The pencil he had brought lasted about two weeks.

He really thought Jen wouldn’t notice. It was just one pencil out of her giant kit! But in his ignorance Josh had inadvertently grabbed the most expensive item out of the whole bunch and Jen had definitely noticed.

She had cornered him in the dining room of the hotel during breakfast that morning. It had just been him and Danny at their table, sleepily blinking into their cereal as they tried to wake themselves up enough to actually go out and enjoy their day off between shows. Neither boy had noticed her angrily stomp up to them until it was too late.

She slammed her hand down on the table, rattling the cups and bowls and startling the two half asleep musicians.

“Joshua Michael Kiszka.” she hissed as she held up the stump of what used to be a full white eyeliner pencil.

“I know your mother raised you better than to steal so would you care to explain to me what this is supposed to be?”

Fear gripped Josh’s heart. Jen was one of the most gentle and loving people he knew. No matter what kind of shenanigans he pulled or how bratty he acted she always treated him kindly and with a smile. So the fact that she now looked like she was about to strangle him truly made him think carefully about his next words.

“Uhm…” was all he managed to stutter out before she put up a hand to silence him.

“Don’t even start with me, young man. Do you have any idea how expensive this pencil is?”

Josh simply shook his head slowly. He’d never really thought about the price of makeup, the shitty little pencil he got at CVS was just a few bucks, but the look on Jen’s face told him that had not been the case for the one he’d so carelessly nicked from her beautycase.

“Forty five dollars.” she spat at him and all the color in Josh’s face drained. He didn’t even know eyeliner could be that expensive.

“You better get me a new one Josh.” Jen continued, “Or you can do your own makeup for the rest of the tour.”

Danny, who had been trying to stay as quiet as possible and had just focussed on finishing his cereal and getting the hell out of dodge as quickly as possible let out a tiny snicker at that. He instantly regretted letting the small noise escape his lips when Jen turned her burning gaze to him.

“And you!” She pointed an accusing finger at Danny but quickly lowered it when she realized he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

“You better go with him and make sure he doesn’t fuck up more.” she grumbled before storming back off to her room, leaving the two boys stunned in her wake.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that angry before” Danny mumbled into his coffee cup as Josh dropped his face into his hands in shame.

“Yeah me neither.” Josh’s voice was muffled but Danny could still make out the words.

“You gotta help me Danny, I really fucked up this time.” he sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Danny sighed as he finished the last of his coffee. This wasn’t exactly what he had planned for his one day off in over a week, but he couldn’t let Josh down. Something about those big brown eyes that pleadingly stared at him from between those fingers made him incapable of saying no.

“Fine, but you owe me one.”

***

They'd hijacked a runner van and taken a trip to the nearest mall.

Soft jazz echoed through the almost abandoned halls and promenade as Josh and Danny made their way from shop to shop. The search for the insanely overpriced pencil had started frantically. Jen had left the stump Josh had tried to sneak back into her kit on the breakfast table and the boys had been smart enough to bring it with them for reference.

It didn't take long for him to get distracted however.

Besides his own impulse purchase of the white eyeliner during an unrelated CVS run, Josh had never actually been inside a makeup store. He had no idea about the wealth of products that were available and the wide assortment of colors and sparkles blew his mind.

Danny tried to keep him on track for the first hour or so but he had to admit trying out all the different shades of eyeshadow on the back of his hands was pretty fun.

“Do you think we should get Jen a new eyeshadow palette as well?” Josh had asked once both of his hands were covered in colorful swatches.

“You know, as an apology?” He continued as he swiped a new color onto Danny's wrist, having run out of space on his own skin.

Danny shot him a halfhearted frown but in all fairness the glittery purple Josh had put on him did look good against his skin.

“We don't have to do anything. If you'll remember I didn't steal anything. If you wanna buy her something extra to make up for your crimes feel free. I'm just here to keep you out of more trouble.” Danny said as he jokingly swiped a line of silver powder across Josh’s cheek.

Josh snorted out a laugh as he swatted Danny's hand away from his face.

“And you're doing a marvelous job at it darling.” He laughed as he turned back to the array of makeup in front of him, loading up his fingers with 10 new colors to try.

Danny knew Josh joked when he called him pet names. He called everyone darling, it wasn't anything special.

But the way his stomach felt… like there was a tiny firecracker that went off in his abdomen when the word hit his ears. It still made him feel special…

Danny quickly locked that feeling back in the corner of his brain he had labeled “for future consideration”. A corner he had established a few years ago when one random Tuesday in August he had looked at Josh and something in the way the sun hit him in that moment made his stomach flip over twice.

Danny wasn't sure when the time for consideration would arrive. It certainly wouldn't be right now though, walking towards the lipstick counter, about to tell Josh he probably shouldn't swatch the chapstick straight on his lips.

“Josh, I don't think that's very hygienic.” Danny hissed into his ear while he scanned the area for any employees who might have spotted them and deemed this the final transgression worthy of kicking them out of the store. They still hadn’t found that ridiculously overpriced pencil they were looking for in the first place.

Josh simply let out a huff and rolled his eyes.

“Calm down, I’m gonna buy it. It tastes like watermelon though!” he said as he absentmindedly threw the tube into the shopping basket Danny was holding.

After about another hour of swatching, searching, and Danny herding Josh through the aisles like a toddler who might eat all the crayons in art class, they finally found the elusive white eyeliner pencil.

Jen hadn’t lied, it really was fortyfive dollars. It seemed like a ridiculous price to Danny but Josh bought two anyway. One for her and one for him so she wouldn’t kick his ass for stealing again.

After their quest was complete the two men decided to reward themselves with milkshakes and look at their respective hauls in the food court.

“Can you get me a chocolate with whipped cream shake?” Josh asked as he walked towards the nearest table, typing on his phone as he took a seat, practically ignoring Danny.

“Absolutely the fuck not.” Danny said with a huff which made Josh look up in surprise. The confused look on his face was honestly adorable but Danny didn’t let that influence him.

“I sacrificed my free day to come along with you. You used both my arms as swatch central, and I’m carrying both of our bags. You get me a milkshake.” Danny laughed. He wasn’t actually angry at Josh but someone needed to reign in the diva on occasion.

The pouty look Josh shot at him was almost enough to sway his determination but Danny put his foot down. He did do all of those things for Josh and there was no reason why he shouldn’t receive a little bit of gratitude for it.

Josh let out a dramatic sigh when he realized Danny wasn’t wavering but he did get up and started walking towards the shake shop.

“Don’t you want to know my order?” Danny asked as Josh walked off but he simply waved and said “I know what you like.”

Danny pretended his stomach didn’t shoot up into his throat at those words. He took a seat at the table Josh had picked and started rifling through their shopping bags. their quest had started with just one pencil but they had ended up with so much more. Eyeshadow and blush palettes, mascara, nail polish, lipstick. They could have put together their own beauty kits at this point.

Danny lazily looked over it all as he waited for Josh to return. They had bought so much sparkly shit. He didn’t even know what half of it was for but he was sure he could figure it out with some help from google and youtube.

Out of the corner of his eye, still slightly stuck in the plastic bag Danny spotted an item he did know how to use however. The chapstick Josh had said tasted like watermelon.

He grabbed the tiny tube and pulled the cap off. The strong, sweet smell of artificial watermelon immediately penetrated his nostrils. It was a fairly intense but nonetheless pleasant smell.

Danny absentmindedly pressed the chapstick to his lips, wanting to see for himself if the smell actually matched the flavor or if it would simply taste like vaseline.

He had to admit he wasn’t disappointed. The chapstick truly did taste like a watermelon candy.

“I don’t think that’s very hygienic.” Josh's mocking voice spoke from right next to him, slightly startling Danny.

Josh simply chuckled as he set down the tray carrying the two giant milkshakes he had purchased.

“Now it’s almost like we kissed.” he grinned at Danny as he took a sip from his own cup and pushed the other towards the drummer.

Danny’s eyes went wide and all he could stammer out was a shaky “Wh-what?”

Josh shrugged as he popped the clear plastic dome off of his cup and used his straw to mix the whipped cream through his drink. He barely even looked up at Danny as he continued speaking.

“That’s what they say, when you share chapstick it’s like you kissed. ‘Cause your lips touched the same surface.”

Danny stared at Josh for a long quiet moment. Josh hardly seemed to notice, too busy with mixing his drink to the perfect consistency.

Eventually the self preservation mechanism in Danny’s brain took over and he quickly took a sip of his own milkshake to break the awkwardness.

The taste that hit his tongue was simultaneously nothing like he expected and everything he knew he wanted.

“I didn’t know they made watermelon milkshakes.”

“I told you. I know what you like.”

Danny tried to hide his blush behind his giant cup but honestly it was hardly necessary. Josh had grabbed the nearest eyeshadow palette and was intensely studying the shimmering colors.

Once they had finished their drinks they decided it was time to head back to the hotel.

They had seen pretty much all the tiny mall had to offer and Danny was set on spending whatever remained of his free day soaking in the jacuzzi tub his room had granted him access to. If he spent some of that soaking time thinking about a certain frontman and getting himself off, well that was between him and the bathwater.

Josh had texted the van driver while they were still at the food court so by the time they’d found the correct mall exit they only had to wait for another ten minutes to be picked up.

The sun was shining bright and there was a small patch of grass next to the pick-up area. Josh quickly kicked his sandals off and sighed contently as his bare feet touched the grass. With his eyes closed and his face turned to the sun Josh didn’t notice Danny staring at him.

There was a reason everyone compared Josh to the sun. He radiated a certain kind of light that was simply undeniable. Right now Josh seemed to be recharging, soaking up the few rays of direct sunlight he could get to make his own glow shine brighter once more. Danny loved staring at that glow, even if he could only do it in secret. Whenever he could bask in those little rays of Josh’s sunlight he felt like a starving man finally being fed.

It wasn’t too long before the van showed up and Josh reluctantly put his shoes back on, threw his bags in the trunk, and joined Danny in the backseat.

Josh patted his pockets as the van started driving, seemingly looking for something. He turned in his seat and hooked his arm over the headrest, trying to reach something in the trunk.

Danny looked at him in confusion but before he could ask what he was doing Josh turned back. He huffed, looked at Danny, and kissed him straight on the lips.

Danny’s brain short circuited.

It only lasted a second. Honestly it was over before he even realized what had happened.

He simply blinked at Josh in confusion, hoping that somehow the morse code his eyes were spelling out conveyed his question of “what just happened” to the other man.

It seemingly worked cause Josh simply shrugged and said “my lips were dry. The chapstick is in the bag in the trunk but you’re still wearing it. I’m simply getting back what I paid for Daniel, don’t look so surprised. If anything, this whole trip today should have taught you that stealing doesn’t work.”

He pulled out his phone and half heartedly started scrolling through instagram, ignoring Danny’s still shocked gaze.

Josh had kissed him. On the mouth. Like it was nothing.

Danny's stomach was in his throat and his heart was in his ears and Josh was just looking at his phone.

The watermelon flavored tube of chapstick burned a hole into the pocket of his pants.

𖤓 - ☾ - ☆

Tags: @sanguinebats @gracev0609

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[wyfy-meltdown]

Here is the updated Shinoha design & info sheet ✧⁠*⁠。

I'm a lot happier with this design, so please let me know what you think!

More info below the cut

Basic Information:

Name: Shinoha Murofushi

Age: 16

Height: 5'6

Wish: "My ultimate dream could come true... If that's the case, then I want to get revenge on those bastards!"

Weapon: Dual Swords

Power: The ability to store and release attacks back at an enemy*

Soul Gem: Wing (top), scales (bottom)

Witch: Nemesis

*She can only absorb attacks that hit her and still gets hurt from attacks that hit her. She can store damage for as long as she likes, but once she releases it, she will release all damage she has stored. Her releasing an attack back at an attacker will affect the attacker the same way it affected her. Ex: enemy breaks Shinoha's arm, Shinoha releases her damage, enemy's arm is broken and enemy experiences the same pain Shinoha did.

Personality:

She's very standoffish and closed off from other people. She spends as much time in her room as she possibly can to the point of owning a mini fridge and cutting her own hair. She sleeps all day and is most awake at night, however she's always tired. Anytime she leaves the house, she covers up completely in baggy clothes and face masks. Although she has no particular hobbies or interests, she spends a lot of time watching tv and surfing the internet. She rarely speaks to others, and has a habit of judging people. It's very difficult for her to connect with other people, as she's very distrustful and always presumes the worst. She never vocally expresses her problems with people, and bottles up her emotions untill she explodes. Her calm face and meek disposition hides her violent thoughts and self-loathing. Becoming a magical girl has given her an outlet to express her emotions, but she's gradually getting more and more unstable.

Design Breakdown:

For the redesign, I leaned more into the "angel" theming and I think it helped a lot! Her shoes are modeled after ballet shoes (dancers "fly"), and I added white ribbons to give her some more magical girl flair. I managed to get the shoulder cloak working like how I originally wanted to, and added a half green half white wing pattern. The underdress is a simple white dress that's longer in the back; it was inspired by angelcore fashion. Her overdress was originally going to be a darker shade of green, but it looked too similar to her hair colour, and so I used the cloak colour; The shape of the edges is meant to look like rounded wings. I made her hair half green half black and also made it more choppy looking (to add to the fact she cuts her own hair). I think the half/half hair design makes her look a lot cooler and more distinctive, as well as ties her to Komoe more (Komoe has half/half eyes, Shinoha has half/half hair). I fixed her halo ponytail tie, and added a facial scar, and replaced the gloves with cuffs.

The soul gem shape got changed to a wing both due to the stronger angel theming and due to the bellflower not looking very good. The swords are the same (minus colour and shape changes), but I accidentally made the blades slightly too thick!

Trivia:

She didn't believe in magical girls at all, but after much pestering convincing from Komoe, she unseriously made a wish

Her damage absorbing ability causes her to endanger herself in fights

Originally her plan was to kill her bullies, but she opted to torment them with her power instead

Komoe always insists on giving Shinoha grief seeds, groceries, and other gifts

[clockwise-works]

"Power Couple"

So I know I had posted my Link design for this AU just a week or so ago, but truthfully I was really unhappy with how it turned out. I decided to play around with the posing, and used different brushes and colors. I didn't want to just do Link though, so surprise! You get a Mipha with it! I've got my thought process below the cut for anyone interested.

So for Link I didn't really want to change much from my last design. It was really just the art style and posing I didn't like. I DID decide to give into my demons and gave him a cape. The idea is that it's long enough for him to cover his arm up when in towns / conceal his identity from Ganondorf and Astor. It's also big enough for the two to share on particularly cold nights. I also added some knight's guards for his boots. I felt the bottom half of the original design was simply too boring, so I included it to add a little flair to his boots. I then added patches to his pants to show just how devastating the fight was WaterBlight was, every patch, scar, and tear a spot he was struck.

I then gave him a shield made of light from the Light Secret Stone. My idea is that since Link was unable to defend himself initially from Ganondorf's Gloom, he uses the Light Stone to make a shield to properly defend himself. The shield's design is a mix between the Hyrulean and Zora shields, symbolizing him dual upbringing in this AU. I wanted to include the Shield's design without the glow affect but have seemingly lost the file :( If anyone is interested I could redraw it and post it another time.

The stone ALSO slows down his arm's death, essentially counterbalancing the Gloom infection. His arm did take substantial damage up until that point though, as it as seemingly withered down drastically, and will definitely need amputation after the war. I then gave Mipha the Water Secret Stone, and for them it's the first one they find. The idea is that WaterBlight, after "defeating" Mipha and Link, makes a break to the Water Temple to steal the Secret Stone. In the process he uses the temple to rain hellfire upon the Zora, an attempt by Astor the cripple the closest army to Hyrule.

For Mipha's design I was initially disappointed. The original idea was to give her pieces of Zonai armor that she and Link find on the sky islands above Zora's Domain, but unfortunately TotK has like NO good actual armors. So I decided to just go with Zora's guard armor, the idea being her father REFUSING to allow his daughter and son to rejoin the fight so soon after WaterBlight unless she properly protected herself. I then removed and or damaged parts of her jewelry, most likely lost during her battle in Vah Ruta.

To give her more than just Zora's guard armor, I gave her a belt that holds a bunch of Elixers to use on their journey, and a pouch containing medical supplies and rations. I gave her Link's hairband because I imagined a scene of her disappointed that she lost one of her mother's bracelets, so Link gave it to Mipha to cheer her up. It doesn't really compare, he knows this, but she appreciated it. I then gave her the Amber Earrings to give her better defense.

Finally, the scars and bandages. While Mipha DOES have healing magic, at this point of the story she is practically drained. For frame of reference, she had been healing herself multiple times during the WaterBlight battle (a fight that lasted hours), AND THEN subconsciously used her magic to keep her and Link alive just barely when they escaped Vah Ruta and drifted down the Rutala River until the fleeing Zoras found them. Her magic healed their most egregious wounds, but multiple scars were left behind. Maybe she could force herself to heal more, but Link nor any of the Zora would allow her to push herself too far.

[gold-rhine]

In an ideal universe where your wish fulfillment came true... any particular characters (including npcs) you'd like Kaeya to interact with when he gets there?

by wish fulfillment i assume you mean "kaeya moves to sumeru". to proper answer, i need to explain my pet crack theory which is Kaeya and Candace are related. buckle up babes

ok, so, we know chlothar is one of kaeya's ancestors. look at this pasty ugly dude. he did NOT produce the hottest man in the game by in-breeding with other pasty khaenriah nobles from same bloodlines. and we know it had to be same bloodline or kid gets hilichurled.

where are kaeya's hot genetics are coming from??? the darker skin?? blue eyes, dark blue hair?? like they could've at least give him the same brown skin tone to match, but no. and genshin matches relatives OBSESSIVELY. hot genetics HAVE to come from somewhere.

sumeru is near khaenriah. deshret's civilization is connected to khaenriah in canon, we know for a fact some of the survivors became part of khaenriah. deshret's civilization was also highly advanced AND fucked with the abyss. it's all not crack, thats just stating canon facts. so like it doesn't seem to me as a stretch to guess that the khaenriah's noble bloodline originated from Deshret. like, a lot of ppl connected to the desert have rhombs in their pupils, which we know is the main visible sign of this bloodline. like, thats not precisely khaenriah diamonds, but its fucking close, ok?

and Candace is canonically a direct descendent of Deshret himself. Brown skin - check, blue eye color - check, dark midnight blue hair - check, hotness - hell yeah check.

if you catch my drift, i think khaenriah's main noble bloodline, the one that is not hilichurled, hailed from deshret. their only choice to get a normal, non-cursed kid was to find the descendants of the same bloodline who did not leave desert for khaenriah and so were not cursed, and it's Candace's family. booom babyy

so in ideal world, Candace and Kaeya realize they're distant cousins bc she's like Alberich? My aunt married some shady dude named Alberich, was that your dad? like all kaeya always wanted was to belong, and here he finally will have family that is not trying to use him OR repressed anger issue catholics. and nahida let even scara to redeem after he tried to murder her. kaeya could finally come clean and just live as himself.

and he would be so needed too, like the desert ppl are in turmoil process of integrating with sumeru, criminals are overrunning aaru village. and who keeps treasure hoarders in mond in check with nothing but three dumb sergeants and a smile? kaeya would sort that shit out in a month. seriously, i had to go to liyue to farm treasure hoarders, there are no roaming mobs of them in mond. kaeya would also be the best liason to akademiya, growing up with nobility and being used to political games as mond's spymaster.

after this premise, there is literally not a single character in sumeru it would not be fun to see kaeya interacting with. he and dehya are immediately besties, they met on a shopping trip where candace was helping him choose his new skin outfit, and this same evening drunk dehya is princess carrying him out of tavern. he can amplify cyno's horrible puns into a weapon of mass destruction and tighnari can't even hate him, bc he also made ppl stop eating poisonous mushrooms by spreading rumors that if you eat too much of them, their spores will grow inside of and mindcontrol you. its absolute bullshit, but it worked, goddamit. kaeya could solve kaveh and alhaitham's communication problems in one evening at a bar, but he wouldn't, bc he's a little shit and he thinks its entertaining to watch and he's curious how long its gonna take them by themselves, but he would give them trollish little nudges. also, in nilou's tropue he would finally have a proper bohemian scene to exercise his flair for dramatics and inspire several epic poems by being a heartbreaker.

tldr little desert village has neither rich nobility nor grand destiny he's supposed to fulfill, but it has ppl who will accept and appreciate him, and i think realizing that he doesn't have to choose between a coinflip of bad and awful and learning to live for himself instead is one of kaeya's arcs best possible resolutions

[throwmeabonepleaseandthankyou]

I'm bored so I'm sending you an ask lol

Can I have some Underswap headcanons? I've been thinking about them a lot lately since I've never written anything for this AU, yet.

If an adult human fell into the Underground, do you think the bone brothers would react similarly to their Undertale counterparts? Or would there be differences and why? Everyone interprets them differently it seems but I'm also curious about how you see their personalities.

Underswap vs Undertale : what's the difference?

Even with the fact everyone is "swapped", they still hold some traits from their original selves. Sans will always be the older brother, and Papyrus the youngest.

Now, they also have different traits too compared to their alternate versions, and even have a few that they don't. Like with Cobalt, he's really bad at cooking, even though Papyrus can cook and Sans can make hotdogs and the such.

Honey is interesting in his own aspect too, as he's not entirely lazy. He cleans around the house, but is allergic to dust. Ironic for a monster, huh?

While Cobalt is super energetic, Honey is barely able to lift a finger unless he needs to.

They have a pretty tight bond, but not as close-knit as Sans and Papyrus or Oak and Willow. Due to Cobalt always running off to try to fight and provide for Honey, it caused their relationship to be more like a cool uncle and nephew rather than brothers.

Cobalt is really touch starved, but cannot for the life of him stand still for long enough to get comfortable for a cuddle session. Honey is just dead weight the second he falls asleep, and he's a big skelly, so he's sorta heavy(Most Sanses stand at about 4'8-5'6 while the Papyrus's are usually at 5'11-6'8).

Also, Cobalt really really likes fluffy things and Honey prefers the cold over heat.

As for a human falling, they would act about the same as the OGs, but with more flair + Honey is more sassy than Sans is.

That's all I can really say due to me wanting things to asked and figured out on your own rather than dumping everything in one blog. It's just not as interesting that way.

[pinkberrytea]

30 Questions for Your Tav!

From this post!

Your Tav as a Companion

1. What would your Tav’s greetings be (at different levels of approval)?

Negative

“Hm… hm…” “Hm, yes?” “Er…”

Neutral

“Oh, hello.” “Hm? Oh, I’m sorry, did you need something?” “Yes? How can I help?”

Medium

“Oh, you’re here!” “Oh! Is there anything I can do for you?” “Hey, you!”

Flirting

“Hm? Oh! Oh… h-hi!” “You’re here! I-I mean, what can I do for you?” “H-hello! Wait, does my face look weird? Ugh, please don’t stare!” “I was just thinking of you! O-oh, I’m sorry, did I say that out loud?”

Partnered

“Yes, love? Whatever it is you need of me, I’m yours.” “Oh, my love, just gazing upon you makes my chest feel so tight…” “Is such happiness really possible? Sometimes it doesn't feel real...” “Oh, darling…”

Bhaal’s Chosen

“This body is but a vessel. Words are useless.”

Broken up

“Oh, uh… hi.” “Please... please don't.”

2. Describe their tent setup! What’s on the outside? The inside?

Mav’s tent would probably be very humble and barebones at first, since she never really owned anything prior to her abduction. However, with time, I could see her trying to spruce it up with stuff she finds along the way, maybe decorate it with candles and flowers, books, pillows, cute stuffed animals Karlach would get her as gifts. Needless to say, it’s Mav, so the color palette would consist of mainly whites and reds!

3. What would their character quest be titled? Why?

Since she’s Durge the boring answer would be “The Dark Urge”, of course, but if I were to give it a Mav flair, maybe something like “Bloody Rose” could work?

4. What would your Tav’s romance scenes look like? How many would they have?

Oh, this is a fun one! I’m guessing Mav would have three romance scenes, one for each Act:

Act 1

Once the player raises her approval enough, a dialogue option will become available when speaking to Mav, something along the lines of “Careful there… a less charitable soul might mistake your overfamiliarity for flirting.” She would blush in response, and ask if it bothers the player that she’s been trying to get closer to them. If the player replies it doesn’t, then she’ll ask them to meet her later, and the next long rest, she’ll have an exclamation mark over her head. Upon speaking to her, the scene will trigger: she will take the player to a secluded place in the forest, where they can take a walk and talk in private. After some light banter, she’ll start by saying that from the moment she left the Nautiloid, she’s been stuck in a living nightmare, and everything terrifies her, most of all herself—this darkness within her that she still knows not the source of, and her past, a shadow looming threateningly over her. “But with you… I feel safe. Safe from myself.” The player is then prompted to choose whether to say they’re scared of her too, kiss her, or pick up a flower and tuck it behind her ear. The first option ends the scene (and the romance—bby gurl is hurt 😔); the second initiates some soft lovemaking in a field of flowers; and the third gets the player +15 approval with her after she gives them the sweetest little giggle and a peck on the cheek (the player may initiate lovemaking with her here as well by asking if she’d be okay with it).

Act 2

Since she’s Durge, Mav’s Act 2 romance scene would have to be tied to Durge’s Act 2 resist scene. It wouldn’t be that different from the original, except the player would witness the scene from the perspective of the love interest being woken up—they’d have to pass a persuasion check to get her to admit what Sceleritas has told her (if they don’t, rather than murdering them she’ll run away and spend the night by herself, and in the morning, end the romance while claiming she doesn’t want to risk anything like this happening ever again). After hearing what she has to say, they’d then tie her up and stay by her side throughout the night, whispering words of comfort in her ears. Once the Urge leaves her, she’ll be incredibly thankful and ask the player if she can hug them—if they agree, they’ll become partnered with her!

Act 3

Mav’s Act 3 romance scene varies greatly depending on whether she has resisted the Urge or become Bhaal’s Chosen—in the latter case, she won’t be herself anymore, the real Mav will be dead. However, the Urge will allow the player to use her body if they so wish; if the player accepts, this will immediately trigger a scene where they engage in rough, bloody sex with her on top of the altar at the Bhaal Temple. By the end of it, they’ll have to pass a perception check to stop her from sticking Bloodthirst inside their chest.

If she has resisted, then instead she’ll be crying quietly at camp, and the player can offer to comfort her—they’ll then take a romantic bath together under the soft moonlight, during which the player helps Mav wash away all the dried blood while making sweet love to her. The morning after, she’ll thank them for trusting her, for seeing the good in her even through all the darkness. “You cared, even when I had already given up on myself. I’m yours, body, mind and soul. For however long you’ll have me, I’ll be there. This I promise.”

5. Describe their idle animations!

Playing with her hair while idly rocking her body back and forth, tail swishing leisurely.

Sitting on a chair near her tent while sipping on some tea and reading a book (and nearly spilling the tea over the book at times).

Picking up a flower and tucking it behind her ear, only to then panic thinking someone is watching her and taking it off immediately.

Bending over to pet Scratch and the owlbear cub.

Looking at the player like she means to walk towards them, hesitating, trying again and then giving up.

6. How would the player go about meeting them in Act 1? What is their introduction?

Mav would be kneeling by one of the dead bodies at the Nautiloid crash site, holding her head with both of her hands, covered in blood. As soon as the player approached her, instead of scurrying off or attacking, she’d jump into their arms crying while saying something along the lines of “Dead… dead… they’re all dead… I’m scared…” Welp, see the mousy little weirdo with the big wet doe eyes and the offputting and unstable disposition (who may or may not be a tad homicidal)? Congrats, she’s your problem now!

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

Mav is Durge, so her arc would be pretty much what we already see in-game. However, unlike with her canon counterpart, the Urge is a separate entity from herself. If she does decide to embrace Bhaal, this will thus result in a complete erasure of her individuality—instead, she will become an avatar for the Lord of Murder, and Mav as the player knows her will be no more.

8. After Act 3, what does their life look like? What are they talking about at the reunion party?

This varies a little depending on whether Astarion has ascended or not—if he hasn’t, then the spawn will be gone and they’ll be traveling the world looking for a way for him to be in the sun. While they do eventually settle down and realize that their life together, however imperfect, is already happy enough as is, at the time of the party, they’re still out and about, staying awake throughout the night and then sleeping during the day. Mav is his own personal blood bag, and it becomes rare for him to feed on anyone else that not her.

If he has ascended, then they’ll also be traveling, but for entirely different reasons! Mav wants to see the world, and he is more than happy to indulge her, pampered little consort that she is. He puts his plans of taking over Baldur’s Gate on hold for her; while Mav knows that she cannot get him to give up on them completely, she does try to gently distract him from his ambitions, wanting nothing more than for him to realize that living eternally in each other’s arm is in itself a privilege unlike any other.

In both cases, she is his light in the darkness, the trembling flame keeping him from being consumed by the shadows, albeit in different ways. And in both cases, they adore each other deeply and are attached at the hip, codependent to a fault. At the party, she doesn’t talk much about herself, unless prompted; the others can tell though, that she loves him, he loves her back, and they’re each other’s home—this will never change.

Back to Basics

9. What’s the significance behind your Tav’s name?

Mav actually has two different names! Sol, the name given to her by her foster parents, means “sun” in Latin, so that’s a simple one. As for Mavka, her real name, it means “the dead” in Old Slavic. Mavkas are a type of nymph or female spirit in Ukrainian folklore, known for luring young men to their deaths, although their evil is not always intentional. I like the contrast between the two names, I think it encapsulates her duality well!

10. Does your Tav have a last name? Is there a meaning behind it?

Mav was adopted into the Provoss clan, an upper class family hailing from Baldur’s Gate, whose patriarch, Sigurd Provoss, was a fervent follower of Tyr. He’d take her in under the pretense of raising a devilish child into a devout woman, yet as time passed, his fanaticism would consume him completely, to such extent that he’d forsake all else in his fixation with dominating her, including the family business. This would inevitably result in major losses to the Provoss’ now abandoned cattle herds—by the time of their untimely demise, the clan had been facing near destitution.

11. What is your Tav’s go-to comfort food?

Mav loves sweets foods, especially berries and milk tea!

12. Does your Tav have any tattoos or scars? Why?

Despite Mav’s torture at the hands of Kressa, the tadpole would prevent her from becoming scarred then; her only scar thus dates back to when she was still a child, resulting from the first in a series of events that would culminate in her awakening as Bhaal’s Chosen. Specifically, the base of her left horn has a nasty scar on the spot where it meets her skin, though it’s usually concealed under her hair. It was made by her own foster sister, who’d ambush her one day in an alleyway alongside a group of friends, brandishing a rock: “We’re family, right? Yet we don’t look alike at all. I mean, look at you—you’re a foul-blood! As your sister, I’d be doing you a kindness by ripping off those hideous things on your head.” They’d then hold her down and start hitting her with the rock, cutting a gash across her forehead—at that moment, Mav would finally give herself to the Urge, losing consciousness momentarily only to wake up with blood on her hands and the ground beneath her painted red with the innards of her attackers, who’d all been brutally murdered.

13. What is your Tav’s main color palette? Why do they choose those colors?

Mav is a whites and reds girlie through and through—she probably gravitates towards reds in particular due to her Bhaalist origins.

14. Where are they from? What was home like?

Mav is from Baldur's Gate, born and raised!

15. Is your Tav more likely to fight/flight/freeze/fawn?

Freeze, at first. Depending on the situation, also fawn.

16. What do they do for fun, when not adventuring? What are their hobbies?

Mav loves reading, mostly poetry and sugary sweet romance novels. The cheesier, the better!

17. Do they have any enemies outside of the main plot? Any friends?

Outside of the main plot, not really. None alive, anyway.

18. Where/with whom do they feel safest?

With Astarion—he is her safe haven, her anchor, her shield.

19. What is their MBTI Type?

ISFJ-T (Defender)

Deep Dives

20. What is their relationship to touch? Do they shy away from it? Do they need it to feel present?

Mav is very cuddly (and touch starved). Bear hugs, head pats, nose rubs, forehead kisses, she loves it all, though she doesn’t typically initiate pda—girlie is a bit shy!

21. Describe a defining moment from their past, which makes them who they are today!

The demise of her foster family by her own hand—or rather, by the Urge, as she was but a passenger inside her own body then, forced to helplessly watch them die one by one, crying out her name while begging for mercy.

22. How is your Tav’s relationship with their family? Their parents?

Mav’s foster family was terribly abusive towards her, her father most of all. He was obsessed with her, to the point of insanity, and this would in turn earn her the resentment of her foster mother and sisters—who truth be told, he’d treat horribly as well, yet when at one point Mav tried to bond with her mother over his victimization of them by telling her about his nightly visits to her room, instead of compassion and understanding, she was met with a slap across the cheek: “Don’t you dare speak of this, not now, not ever. Ungrateful child.” Her real family was of course not much better; Bhaal, her true Father, saw her as a means to an end, a sacrificial lamb, made to be consumed and then cast aside as soon as she was no longer of use to him.

23. How does your Tav act in situations of stress? In moments of peace?

In moments of peace, Mav’s presence is comforting to those around her; in situations of stress, she tends to either freeze or look to others for help.

24. What does your Tav consider to be their own biggest character flaw?

Mav is painfully self-aware and knows full well that most of the time, she comes across as too clingy and gullible. Her thirst for connection also makes her rather prone to selfishness and hypocrisy; she’s willing to forsake her morals entirely for those she loves. In that same vein, she hates that she cannot just let herself be kind without associating any so-called selfless acts with her overwhelming need for acceptance.

25. What is something they would die on a hill over?

Her love and devotion to Astarion. Especially as his consort, she will not allow others to imply she is not by his side of her own volition: “Please don’t patronize me. You think I don’t know what I’m doing? That I’m some damsel in distress? I know you mean well, but please don’t pretend that you understand this. That you understand us. You don’t. No one does.”

26. Give us one of your Tav’s secrets!

Mav actually can’t hold her liquor at all, so she usually abstains because she’s terrified of making a fool of herself. She will cry, puke, ask everyone if they love her, beg for their forgiveness, lean on them and fall asleep, drool all over their clothes. Her cheeks also become super flushed—Astarion thinks it’s adorable, and a bit hilarious.

27. What is the worst thing they’ve ever done/said to someone they love?

Nothing. When confronted by Karlach about choosing Astarion over her, Mav would say nothing. She was lying in her tent then—instead of apologizing, giving an excuse, saying anything at all, she’d hide under her blankets and start sobbing quietly, like the heartless coward she is. Karlach would forgive her eventually, though Mav still doesn’t believe herself worthy of such grace; of such love.

28. Describe a smell that reminds your Tav of childhood.

The metallic stench of stale blood.

29. What fears keep them up at night?

Herself; the Urge.

30. What does your Tav want more than anything?

To be loved. Deeply. Unconditionally. Forever. For good.

[teaweltzer]

I'm so curious about sprout, what's her lore? How does she utilize her powers? Why does she have fangs and mushrooms growing out of her?

She's such a unique and cool character! I really adore her design too (how did you come up with her design too, like it really inspires me to make my own dnd druids more creepy lol).

She's got so much and so little going on tbh! And I don't know anything about her backstory before she was reborn until it gets revealed in games. Lore wise, she was killed and but reborn via mushrooms inhabiting her body then found by a Vistani family who loves her and she loves them. Tho uh.. her new parents had to deal with a very feral scared teenager for a bit. She's only been reborn for less than half a year. Plus Sprout doesn't remember anything from before, and in game can probably deduct that she died (no clue how or why tho yet), and which domain she is maybe from originally. Her mushrooms being made from the Mists is a very new realization as well.

Power wise is standard druid stuff, but with the obvious mushroom flair due to her whole... thing & being a Circle of Spores. She does do some punchy stuff cause her Vistani mom is a monk! As for the fangs, her favorite cantrip is Primal Savagery, but I like the idea of her getting baby fangs from her overabundant use of it. Just her downside right now is being majorly necrotic or acid/poison type damage spells, that's not very effective against all the undead/ghosts we've been up against! She just wants to bite things & make it hurt!

Concept wise, i had an idea for a reborn via mushrooms druid a long time ago with the same visual concept, but went being a teenager route. I think I pitched the idea to my DM as 'being the NPC child adventuring parties like to adopt.' But then Sprout was given a very cool family who found her and raised her back to health so now she's just with the party as a request from her dad to stay behind so maybe she could learn/remember things about herself. Which.. okay dad, but she's not enjoying the crisis' so far!

The idea of her has grown cause I love my DM and we spitball stuff a lot. I do always enjoy thinking of the idea that Stefan & Ana (her Vistani parents) not being able to have kids & the Mists just give them a feral teenager.

[aloneditee]

Sephiran and Zelgius Timeline UPDATED

Instead of just having a jumbled idea of the timeline of sephiran and zelgius's relationship I decided I was going to spend my day off writing up my idea of how their timeline works based on cannon information with my own little headcannon flair because i can and you can't stop me.

*THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO @theia-eos FOR COMMENTING WITH THE RADIANT DAWN ARTBOOK TIMELINE I HAVE USED IT TO UPDATE THIS TIMELINE WITH MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION* I also had to remove some sentences because tumblr gave me a fuckin character limit while editing this for some reason

Key:

Bold = explicit canon

unbold = rough estimate canon/ guess

italics = headcanon

urple = sephzelg highlight reel (gay thoughts)

red = year

Complete timeline after the keep reading thing:

625: Misaha’s assassination and the serenes massacre → lehran villain arc. Lehran presents the medallion to ashnard and enters daeins service under the guise of a “wise man”

626: “daeins sudden change” → this is likely when the bloodpact began its effects and the deaths of the daein royal family. I THINK THIS IS WHEN SEPHIRAN AND ZELGIUS MET

Zelgius was serving in the Daein army under general Gawain for a few years. While sephiran is serving as a wise man under ashnard's father he meets zelgius and zelgius confides in him and they agree to be with each other when zelgius eventually leaves the daien army.

Later that year Gawain dips out of Daein with Elena. Zelgius despairs that his Master left him. Zelgius would then enter sephirans service.

627: Ashnard becomes the king of daein, (This was originally when I thought zelgius joins sephiran but I found out Gawain actually left BEFORE Ashnard became king according to the radiant dawn artbook).

I assume Sephiran leaves Ashnards service after Ashnard gets what he wants. Seph doesnt fuck with his bad vibes.

627~635: Sephiran and Zelgius do a bit of travelling and make plans for big evil or something. Sephiran still being a travelling sage and zelgius being a knight not connected to any army until he joins the Begnion military perhaps a decade later

During this time sephiran scaffolds information about himself and his past to zelgius. I do genuinely think that sephiran eventually opens up about everything to zelgius (and vice versa) including him being lehran and the origin of the branded.

634: assuming ike is around 7 when his mom died, this would be around the time point where Gawain touched the medallion and lehran and zelgius saw the aftermath. 

The reason why I think ike is 7 years old here (*he's born in 628*) is because that is how old soren would have been too according to his own timeline (based on his support convos), and those two met the day before the gawain medallion shenanigan occurred

Idrk when seph and zel join begnion as dukes. Based off of the artbook zelgius was actually born into a begnion family before fleeing to daein so maybe he reclaimed the cador family name or something. Sephiran claimed to be from a long line of mages (Persis) and somehow become a noble through this so called mage lineage.

637: sephzelg 10 yr anniversary

635: Sanaki is born. Sephiran may or may not be a senator at this stage

Sephiran begins to rise up the senate ranks through rizz and zelgius rises up the army ranks

At some point between 635-640: sanakis parents are killed by the senate probably

640: sanaki (5 years old) becomes the empress of begnion and sephiran becomes the “senate leader” aka prime minister 

the event lekain talks about when sanaki would stfu during formal proceedings and they discover sephiran has insane babysitting skills occurs right after sanaki becomes the empress i think

645: beginning of mad kings war. At this point in time sephiran and zelgius would have been together for around 18-19 years

Black knight shenanigans. Sephiran travels tellius and gathers intel

Sepiran gets captured in crimea by daein military, probably waited for zelgius to go save him hence why he wouldnt fucking move when ike rescued him lmao

Black knight scraps ranulf, sephiran steps in and tells black knight to stand down

Sephiran eventually returns to begnion, tells everyone to get their fucking shit together, sends zelgius to go help ike (black knight still be existing). Zelgius’ group stays in daein while ikes group goes to crimea. BK does multiple warcrimes in the meant

646: Nados castle falls on the black knight. Sephiran rescues him and uses is epic healing skills to get zelgius to recover before the battle between ikes team and ashnard in the final chapter

646: End mad kings war. Sephiran annoys the shit out of ike by laughing at him for no reason. The black knight is “defeated”. Sephzelg 20 year anniversary aww

646-648: new evil world ending plan just launched

648: war part 2 electric boogaloo

Summer 648: Black knight return arc, sephiran is set to go to daein and tell jarod to stop being a cunt or something but gets thrown in jail before he got the chance to????

Autumn 648: Sephiran captured by the senate while zelgius is at war doing war stuff

Zelgius saves sephiran from jail part 2 electric boogaloo and the two of them start a cheeky uprising in bengion.

Zelgius and sephiran made a pact to die together in the tower. I think they made this agreement way in advance and they knew that was the end goal no matter what happens.

Winter 648: zelgius vs ike gay on gay violence. Zelgius dies. Sephiran either also dies or lives. pain and suffering

~1848: Ashunera returns. Lehran may or may not be there to greet her. Hope he dies soon

[pincurchinpostulator]

BASELESS LEGENDS Z-A SPECULATION TIME!

On the assumption we're supposed to be pronouncing it "Z to A", would that mean we are returning to a beginning of some sort? The origins of modern Lumiose City? The popular use of Mega Evolution? The (re)discovery of Infinity Energy? Or maybe its plot revolves around fully evolved Pokemon returning to their beginnings?

The Fletchling in the final shot follows the arc that the Talonflame took in the shot before it. It was probably just visual flair, but I want to entertain the possibility that this is the first hint to the plot of the game. Infinity Energy's connection to evolution was a big theme of Gen 6, and now would be the perfect time to revisit it. Maybe part of the plot involves Pokemon evolution getting messed with somehow?

I'm imagining the problem starts with Pokemon's evolutionary states in flux. Some getting devolved like their energy is being taken away. Others getting engorged with energy, powering them up or causing them to evolve. This sudden change causes a spiked aggression, making Alphas more common. The equivalent to the Noble Pokemon end up mega evolving and becoming enraged due to not having a trainer with a keystone to balance them out.

If Z-A is set in the past once again, this could be when knowledge that mega evolution can be controlled with the help of a trainer is spread. Much like in Legends Arceus, people would be fearful and afraid of these rampant mega evolved Pokemon. The hopes of a city made for Pokemon and people coming to a halt until the protagonist comes in and calms the raging mons with the help of Korrina's ancestors. It would help reconcile the Alola dex entries and Mystery Dungeon with what was established in Gen 6 (which the Gen 6 anime kinda implied was already the case).

We know Zygarde is going to be involved in this, and the chaos following Pokemon's evolutionary states going in flux seems like the sort of ecological disaster it would be concerned about.

(This is assuming that they don't go a completely different direction instead of retreading similar ground obviously. Also, Zygarde getting drained and having to gather its cores would be a good way to have it with you from the beginning, but the Raidons already did that and this is getting waaay too long already.)