#by the way! as you might have notice i tried writing omega's dialogue in all caps this time

[solar-wing]

⚣ Jealousy Is A Disease 🟢

⚣🟢 A/N → DON'T ASK ME WHY, I DON'T KNOW OKAY! I just can't write a Hal Jordan fic without making it about his incessant need to be better than Superman. I'M TRYING OKAY! anyway, hope you like it. WARNINGS: 18+ MDNI | Omegaverse | Major Dub-Con Themes | M-Preg Themes | Penetrative Sex | Fingering | Overstimulation | Alpha Hal Jordan | JL Omega Male Reader |

⚣🟢 Summary → Y/N's knows he's got a little heat brewing between him and Superman, but something is going to get in the way of that. He should've known better than to have entered into any sort of arrangement with Hal Jordan. Not only was the man super cocky and sarcastic, but he was literally green with envy.

⚣🟢 Words → 3.7K

REBLOGS & replies are appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🟢

The Watchtower had been relatively quiet.

Y/N had been talking with Clark about some matters related to supervillains' plots, potential recruits, and a bunch of other mumbo jumbo that he wasn't really paying attention to because he was too busy eyeing the Kryptonian's body. The Omega knew his heat was getting close and that he would probably have to take some time off soon to deal with it.

But, it didn't stop him from imagining Clark's large and muscled body over his while they rutted against each other all sweaty and hot and-

"Y/N? You ok there?" Clark's voice interrupted his thoughts, the Omega blushing when he saw the look on the man's face. He had noticed his staring and it had probably led him to realize the nature of his thoughts.

The Kryptonian had a knowing smirk on his face, though. He'd been more or less aware of the Omega's attraction towards him, and it definitely wasn't one-sided. Clark may not have been an Alpha by nature of his Kryptonian biology, but it didn't mean he didn't consider himself to be one in many aspects. He certainly had the physique of one, and he did have a few...kinks that came with the territory.

"I-I'm sorry, I got a little distracted." Y/N chuckled nervously, feeling his cheeks heating up. He didn't know how the Kryptonian would react to his blatant display of lust, but he didn't think it would be bad. Clark was always so nice to him and he had a good sense of humor. Plus, the Omega really wanted to know what was under those suits.

"Don't worry about it. You know I get distracted too sometimes." The Kryptonian smiled, his eyes lingering on Y/N's flushed face before traveling down the length of his body. The Omega suit was one for the books, the tight-fitting material leaving nothing to the imagination. Y/N looked damn good, and he knew it.

"So, uh, what were we talking about again?" Y/N asked, clearing his throat.

While the two continued their little flirtatious and flustered dialogue, neither of them was aware of the presence watching them through the door, his eyes under his green mask narrowing in anger and jealousy.

Later that night, Y/N was getting ready to head home. His heat was coming closer and closer, and he knew he had to spend his next few days in his apartment and away from everyone.

As the Omega neared the Zeta Gateway that would take him back to the Hall of Justice, his arm was suddenly snatched and he was pulled into an empty room. Y/N was ready to fight whoever it was, but a familiar scent invaded his senses.

"Hey there, sexy. Missed me?" Green Lantern smirked as he looked down at the Omega's shocked face.

"Hal! What the hell are you doing?" Y/N whispered. "Someone might see us!"

"I was just thinking that maybe we could have a little fun before you go home. It's not like anyone's gonna come here at this hour." Hal said as he moved closer to Y/N, backing him toward the wall.

"I have to go. My heat's coming up." The Omega said, stopping him before he could make any more moves.

"You always say that. And then we end up fucking anyway."

"Not this time. I need to rest. It's going to be a very intense one." Y/N tried to reason, but the Alpha wasn't having it.

"C'mon, baby. Just one more time." Hal whispered in his ear, his breath sending shivers down Y/N's spine. "Let me have a taste."

The Alpha leaned forward and began kissing and biting Y/N's neck, his hands moving to grip his waist. The Omega could feel his arousal getting excited at the stimulation, but he had to stay strong. He knew his body would crave an Alpha's touch during his heat, and there was a certain blue and red-wearing superhero that he was more interested in.

"H-Hal, no! Stop!" Y/N said, pushing him away. "No more of this. I'm not gonna let you fuck me anymore, understand?"

"What the hell's gotten into you?" The Alpha growled. "You're always begging for it, and now you're pushing me away?"

"Yeah, well, things change." Y/N sighed, moving to leave the room. "Just stay away from me."

"Who is it, huh?" Hal asked, blocking his way.

"It's not like that," Y/N said, knowing full well he was lying through his teeth, "It's just that I think we should keep things strictly professional from now on."

"Bullshit. You weren't concerned about keeping things professional all the times I fingered you during meetings. Or all the times you sucked me off in the training room."

"Hal, I–"

"Did you care about professionalism when I fucked your tight little cunt while Batman was right outside that door? Or when you rode my dick in the showers? Huh?" Hal said, his voice raising a bit.

"Quit it, Hal. You're being rid–"

"Or all the close calls we had when I knotted you without a condom, and you thought you were gonna get pregnant? I bet you were hoping for it, weren't you?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Y/N shouted, his patience running thin. "I don't have time for your bullshit, Jordan. Now, move."

"Oh, now you're giving me orders? Is that how it is?" Hal growled, his own Alpha pheromones responding.

"Will you please shut the fuck up?!" Y/N growled, his scent turning sour. He couldn't believe the nerve of this man!

"No, you shut the fuck up! You're acting like a whore who's too good for me." Hal growled, his scent becoming heavier with the stench of anger.

"A whore, huh? I'm a whore for letting you fuck me whenever you wanted, and now I'm a whore for wanting to stop the fuck-fest, is that it? You're the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who was all up on me in the first place, so don't play the victim."

"You're such a fucking tease. You act like a slut and then you expect me to leave you alone?"

"Yeah, and I'm also an Omega who could easily have an Alpha whenever I want. Don't forget that."

Hal clearly didn't like the mention of that. He was an Alpha, Air Force pilot and a Green Lantern. He wasn't supposed to be a side dish.

"I'm not someone you can fuck whenever you're bored, Y/N." The Alpha growled, his scent spiking.

"Well, guess what, Jordan, I'm not your toy either. We both had our fun, but I'm done with this. I don't want you anymore, and I certainly don't need you. So, move."

Before Y/N could move an inch, Hal lunged at him, tackling him to the conference table in the middle of the room. The two of them started wrestling and fighting, the Omega's pheromones spiking as he did his best to keep his body in check while trying to get the upper hand.

The fight didn't last long, though.

Y/N was soon pinned underneath the Alpha, his wrists in a tight grip above his head. Hal's free hand was holding his chin, forcing him to look at him.

"I can't believe you'd say something like that to me. After everything we've been through." The Alpha said, his voice low.

"Let go of me." Y/N struggled, trying to get out of the Alpha's hold.

"Not until you admit that you want me. That you're mine."

"In your dreams, Jordan. I don't belong to you. I'm not some prize that you can claim."

"I can do whatever I want. I'm an Alpha and I'm Green Lantern," Hal smirked, his grip on Y/N's wrists tightening as he rubbed the hard-on throbbing under his suit against the weaker male, "And you're an Omega. My Omega. You're gonna submit."

"You're not my Alpha, and you may be Green Lantern, but you'll never be Superman," Y/N said, ignoring the pleasurable tingles running through his body from the Alpha grinding against him while sporting his spiteful little smirk at the Alpha, "You'll never be him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hal questioned with a growl.

"I know you're jealous of him, Hal. You put on this cocky, self-assured facade, but deep down, you hate that Superman is everything you wish you could be. He's not even technically an Alpha and yet, everyone respects him. Everyone trusts him. He's the perfect hero, and you're not."

"You're wrong."

Y/N could see he was hitting some nerves, and despite the warnings in his head telling him to stop, he couldn't, "Am I? So why is it that every time he's near me, you're always watching me? Always trying to get my attention. You're always trying to assert your dominance as if that's going to make me want you more."

"Stop talking," Hal ordered, not even realizing how he was slowly grinding his hard erection against the Omega's slick dripping heat, the friction from their uniforms making it all the more pleasurable.

"You're always going on and on about how you're an Alpha and Superman's not, and yet, he's the first person who comes to mind when anyone thinks of a traditional or a perfect Alpha."

"That's enough."

"And what does that say about you, Hal?"

"Shut the fuck up!" The Alpha roared, his scent becoming suffocating as he tightened his hold on Y/N's wrists, his hips rutting faster and harder against the Omega's crotch.

"You're a disgrace to the Green Lantern Corps, Hal. And you're a disgrace to the Air Force." Y/N continued, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and lust as he stared at the Alpha above him.

"That's not true," Hal said, his voice faltering slightly.

"Is it? Because the way I see it, you're nothing more than a second-rate Green Lantern, a third-rate Alpha, and a fifth-rate superhero," The Omega ended, a venom to his words as he tauntingly smiled at the Alpha rutting against his body, his scent sweetening as his orgasm arrived already due to the increasingly sensitive state of his body from his heat approaching.

"SHUT UP!"

Hal lost control, his instincts taking over as he ripped the fabric of Y/N's suit. He couldn't stand the disrespect and the insults, and he needed to make the Omega eat his words. He needed to show he was better than the Kryptonian. He had to himself as the stronger Alpha, as the only Alpha.

He needed to prove that he was the best.

Y/N's moans were music to his ears, his slick coating his fingers as he pushed two digits inside the smaller male's tight cunt, the Alpha growling in arousal as the warmth wrapped around him. The Omega had to grip the edges of the table that he could reach to keep himself steady as his body rocked with overwhelming stimulation from Hal's fingers entering him so roughly while he was still in the middle of his first orgasm.

"A-ah, fuck ... ! H-Hal, stop.." Y/N moaned, his legs shaking as his walls fluttered around the Alpha's fingers.

His hand was around the Omega's throat, squeezing tightly as he forced him to look at him, "Don't you ever say those things to me again. Do you hear me? I'm not a failure. I'm not a failure."

"You are...a failure." Y/N choked out, his eyes watering.

At this point, the Omega had slowly given into his body's most primal desires, his mindset slowly slipping into that of a sex-crazed, needy little shit who just wanted to get fucked and knotted, thanks to his heat.

The Alpha snarled at the insult, his fingers thrusting deeper and harder. His thumb rubbed circles around the Omega's nub, the bundle of nerves sending jolts of pleasure up the smaller male's body. His focus had become solely on proving himself. He needed to show the Omega who was in charge.

"Stop saying that! Stop it! You're lying!" Hal growled, his pace quickening.

"Y-you're a f-failure. You'll...never be Superman," Y/N panted, his mind growing clouded. "You'll never b-be my A-Alpha."

"I'll be your Alpha. I'll be better than him. Better than any of them."

Within just another few minutes, The Alpha pulled another mind-shattering orgasm from the Omega, his scent heavy and intoxicating. He pulled out his fingers, licking his lips as he watched the mixed slick and cum dripping from them. He moved his hand up to the Omega's mouth, smearing the wetness across his lips.

"Suck them."

"No..." Y/N whimpered, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Do it. Now." Hal demanded, his grip on the Omega's neck tightening.

The squeeze against the smaller male's neck had his mouth opening with a quiet yelp in reflex, allowing the Alpha's fingers to enter. The taste was sweet and salty, and the Alpha couldn't help but growl in arousal as he watched the Omega suck his digits clean.

"That's it, baby. Get them nice and clean. You like the taste of your body, don't you?"

Once the Alpha had pulled his fingers out, the Omega's eyes were glazed over. His scent was so strong and thick, and it was almost enough to make the Alpha's knees weak. He wasn't done yet, though. He still needed to show no one was better than him.

Especially not Superman.

Hal ripped the front of his Green Lantern uniform open (it was okay, it magically came on and off anyway), exposing his toned chest and abs. His cock sprung free, already leaking precum. He positioned himself at the Omega's entrance, his tip rubbing against the wet entrance.

"Look at me." The Alpha growled, grabbing the Omega's chin.

Y/N's gaze was half-lidded, his pupils blown wide. His skin was flushed and his breathing was heavy. He could feel the Alpha's cock throbbing against him, the tip catching on his rim every so often.

"Still think I'm a failure? Still think I'm not good enough?" Hal growled.

"You're not..."

Y/N cried out as the Alpha entered him roughly, the sudden intrusion making him clench around the thick shaft. His body was overly sensitive, and the feeling of being filled was almost too much. He couldn't stop his hips from rolling forward, his thighs shaking.

"Oh, God...!"

"Doesn't seem like I'm a failure, does it?"

"Fuck...Hal, please, I can't take it.." Y/N begged, his body trembling.

"No, you'll take it. You'll take every inch of me." The Alpha growled, his hands gripping the Omega's waist as he began thrusting in and out, his pace fast and rough.

"No, please, Hal...stop, I can't...!"

"You can, and you will."

Hal's fingers dug into Y/N's sides, his thrusts growing faster and harder. His eyes were trained on the Omega's face, taking in the sight of his tear-stained cheeks and the drool dripping from his lips. The scent coming from the smaller male was so sweet and tempting, the Alpha's nostrils flaring as he breathed it in.

"Fuck, you're always so tight. Such a good little Omega for me."

"N-no, I'm not...I'm not..."

"Yes, you are. You're mine. My Omega."

The Alpha leaned forward, his teeth grazing the Omega's neck. He could feel the smaller male's pulse-quickening, his body shivering as the Alpha's warm breath ghosted across his skin.

"You're mine, Y/N. No one else's."

"H-Hal..."

"You're gonna be my mate, and you're gonna carry my seed and give me my first kid. I deserve it. I'm a better Alpha than any of them."

"N-nh ... ah ... n-no."

"Yes, you will. I'll fill you up with my cum, and I'll make sure it takes."

Hal leaned down over the Omega's body, his front pressing against the smaller male's chest as he continued his relentless assault on his cunt. His thrusts were deep and hard, the sound of their skin slapping together filling the air.

"Mine...mine...mine." The Alpha growled, his lips ghosting over the Omega's jaw and neck.

"H-Hal, please...it h-hurts." Y/N choked out, tears rolling down his cheeks as his hands clawed at the Alpha's wrist.

"Yeah, that's right. Beg. Who's a third-rate Alpha now, huh? Who's a failure now, Y/N?" Hal snarled while nipping the Omega's jaw and neck, the sound of the conference table creaking and groaning under their weight.

Y/N had already been through his third climax at this point, his body overstimulated and sore all over from the Alpha's rough treatment. He couldn't think straight, his mind overwhelmed by the pleasure and pain coursing through him.

"H-Hal, no, s-stop, p-plea–"

The Omega's cries were cut off by the Alpha's hand wrapping around his throat, squeezing tightly.

"Shut the fuck up. I'll let you breathe and talk when you're ready to admit who you belong to. Not before."

"H-Hal..."

The Alpha's hips were slamming into the Omega's, the sound of their bodies coming together echoing throughout the room. His knot was swelling, his thrusts growing more and more erratic.

Hal had never fucked him so brutally before, landing a harsh slap on the side of his bottom every so often while squeezing his neck even tighter. His insides felt like they were on fire, his walls clenching and throbbing around the Alpha's length.

"All that talk earlier and now look at you, crying and begging for me to stop. What happened to you thinking I'm a failure, huh? Did you change your mind?"

"I-I d-didn't. Y-you're a f-failure." Y/N managed to choke out despite his oxygen-deprived brain.

The Alpha's thrusts grew even harder, his knot catching on the Omega's rim every so often. He was close, his cock pulsating and throbbing inside the smaller male. He leaned up to stare the smaller male in the face, preparing to breed the smart-mouth brat while glaring at him through his mask.

"I can't wait to see Superman's face when you're round with my kid, knowing that you'll be mine and no one else's. And it'd better be a boy and an Alpha, or we'll be right back where we started," Hal growled, his grip on the Omega's throat tightening once more.

He continued hammering away at the Omega's heat, getting closer and closer to his end while Y/N approached his fourth, "Hope you weren't planning on having that weak Kryptonian with you during your heat. Because I'm gonna fuck you until you're pregnant, and then you're not gonna leave my side until I know you're carrying my child."

"P-perv..." Y/N weakly muttered, the Alpha's thrusts hitting his sweet spot repeatedly as he was forced to look into the Alpha's mask.

"Say what you want, but you know you're mine. And don't think I'm not going to punish you for those words earlier. I'll have you gagged and tied to the bed until you're carrying my kid. No protection this time."

Despite the lack of air in his lungs, Y/N, through the cloggy fog of his sex-muddled brain managed to mutter out one more thing before meeting his fate on the Green Lantern's knot, "I'd rather have Superman's kid than your failure spawn."

And just like that, Hal's grip on his throat tightened and his knot swelled and caught inside the Omega's hot cavern, his cock releasing his hot load while he growled, "That's it. You're gonna get it now."

Hal's knot kept his cum from spilling out of the Omega's throbbing walls, his grip tightening even more around the Omega's neck as he choked the life out of the smaller male.

The seething anger across Hal's face as he bred the Omega with his cum while he struggled to breathe was the last thing Y/N saw before blacking out.

While Y/N slipped into unconsciousness, Hal got the eerie feeling he was being watched, turning to see a trail of a familiar red cape through the small window in the door.

Superman.

The Alpha felt a sense of accomplishment and superiority, smirking as his hand squeezed the Omega's neck and the other ran down his body, settling at the base of his stomach, "Don't worry, Y/N, I'll take care of you. I'll prove to you who's the best Alpha. Just you wait."

When his knot finally deflated, Hal pulled out his limp cock from the Omega's sloppy hole. He watched as his cum spilled out of the smaller male's pink and puffy cunt, his fingers scooping some up. He pushed it back inside, his smirk growing wider.

He re-formed his entire suit while doing his best to cover him before slinging his unconscious form over his shoulder, making his way out of the room and the Hall. He was going to have his Omega, whether he liked it or not.

He was going to breed him and make him bear his child, and no one was going to stop him.

Hal had been walking for a few minutes when a large gust of wind nearly knocked him over, Superman standing before him, his expression unreadable, "What the hell do you want, Kryptonian?"

"Give him to me."

"No."

"That wasn't a request, Jordan," Clark growled, his eyes narrowing, "Give him to me."

"I don't think so. I'm the only Alpha here, and I'm going to take him back home. I'll show him that I'm the better man. And there's nothing you can do but accept it," Hal said, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Like hell, I am," Clark said, his eyes glowing red.

Hal barely had time to react before the Omega was ripped from his shoulder and cradled in Superman's arms, "What the hell?! Get your hands off him, you bastard!"

"I'm not the bastard, Hal. That title goes to you," Clark growled, his tone cold, "Now, stay away from Y/N. If I find out you've touched him again, I'll personally deliver your ring back to Oa myself. Got it?"

The Green Lantern was left speechless, watching as the Kryptonian flew off with the Omega. He was pissed, and he knew he had to get him back. He wouldn't let Superman steal what was rightfully his.

"Alright, then. Round three it is, fly-boy."

☀️ | Hal Jordan/Green Lantern | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[thequeerdungeonfanfiction]

Broken Routine

I’m playing with writing styles. This isn’t my norm, so it might not continue like this, if it continues.  Either way--enjoy! Fandom: Stranger Things Pairing: Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington World: A/B/O Note: Italics means dialogue, depending on the situation.

Wake Up - 5:00AM.

Start the coffee. Listen to it drip and gurgle. Float in the aroma of cheap coffee beans and count the equally cheap tiles until the sound of his father’s door creaks open.

Yes, sir. No, sir. 

Tread lightly because there are only so many split lips and bruises he can shrug off in practice. Hold his hand out. Accept the pills and the lecture of how disappointing he is for presenting the way he did. Yes, sir. Swallow the pills dry and only leave the room when he’s dismissed to make sure Max is up, as a responsible brother should.

Snarl through her door about getting the fuck up because they can’t be late, barely flinch when the sound of something hits the wood. Look back at the kitchen. Maybe he didn’t hear. Maybe he didn’t notice–

He did.

Fuck.

So much for showing up without another busted mouth.

Susan is asleep. She worked the night shift. Doesn’t he have any respect? Yes, sir, no, sir. The familiar burn of a backhand, Neil’s military ring, anger bubbling under his skin.

You’re almost of age, son–

Panic. Nausea.

What am I going to do with you–

Swallow blood. Don’t spit it on the floor.

Maybe the highest bidder. That’s all you’re good for.

Anger draining into fear, full body chills, disbelief.

I have friends, William, who would pay a pretty penny for you.

Swallow bile, the urge to vomit. Yes, sir, no, sir. A flash of red–Max is ready to go to school. His only saving grace.

Get out of my sight.

Get out of the house. Don’t run. Predators chase prey that run. Turn the engine over. Blast Black Sabbath. 

What was Neil talking about–

Shut the fuck up, Maxine. It’s none of your business.

If she’s lucky, she’ll present alpha.

No pills. No hiding. No flinching whenever an alpha gets too close.

No fronting to ensure staying hidden.

Park. Get out. Listen to Max bitch about having to board over to the middle school. Flip her off.

Catch sight of Steve Harrington–resident alpha shoved off his throne.

Winter. Pine. A bonfire. 

Addictive. Dizzying. 

Off limits.

Off limits.

Tell his instincts that.

Sneer. Front. Grin at the mild look of disgust on Harrington’s face.

Off. Limits.

Keep looking, Harrington. You’ll never get a piece of this.

Not even if you were an omega, Hargrove.

Cackle. Ignore the pit of oil and anger churning in his gut.

Lick his teeth, step close, secretly breathe in Harrington’s scent. Drown in it. Keep it for later.

Maybe steal a sweater, if he can, for his isolated heats in his military-esque bedroom.

If I was an omega, Harrington? I wouldn’t fuck a has been.

A flash of hurt, then disgust again. 

Twist on his heel. Walk away.

Harrington must be in a mood. Billy stumbles back, surprised by the yank on his jacket. Turns so their faces are close, breaths mingling, eyes nearly level.

King Steve, huh–

Definitely a mood. Billy hits the ground, his breath spilling out of him. Tastes more blood. Spits it out instead of swallowing. Harrington steps close, leans down. Billy twists, tries to roll to his feet, grunts when Harrington’s hand shoves to his chest and pins him to the ground.

If you aren’t an omega, Hargrove, what’s that scent coming off of you?

Pills. Did he check the pills? The grooves? The numbers?

Would his father actually–

Sugar pills? How long?

Panic.

We need to get you out of here. Harrington, local fucking hero, golden babysitter, goody two-shoes.

Sneer. Throw a punch, awkward from the ground. Harrington catches it, shoves his arm down.

You smell like rosewater, Hargrove. Let’s go.

Neil’s threat, fresh in his mind. Of age. Highest bidder.

Hargrove.

Fear. Visceral.

Shit, we gotta get you outta here. Get up.

Get up. Get up. Get up.

Get up, boy.

He wouldn’t.

Neil would.

[solalunar-eclipse]

45.06°N, 1.656°E

Summary: Rouge deserves more cool.

Word count: about 4200 words

Author’s Note: Hopefully my writing abilities haven’t deteriorated too much over the hiatus- but either way, please enjoy! (Side note: this is technically set after Scars You Can’t See, but it isn’t vital to read that if you haven’t already)

...

It was truly a beautiful day outside in Empire City. Puffy clouds drifted across a rich blue sky, a light breeze pushing them along as the sun shone down brightly- just enough to bring the temperature up to a comfortable range. Its rays shimmered upon one of the many tall, silvery buildings that this city was known for, threatening to leave a temporary mark on the vision of anyone who looked at it for too long. This particular building advertised itself as an insurance company’s headquarters, and it looked perfectly in place amongst all the other skyscrapers in the city.

The activities going on inside, however, were anything but ‘in place’.

Near the very top of the towering structure, a bat sat in front of a wall-sized computer screen, her black-gloved fingers flying across the keyboard. Firewalls and security systems fell like sandcastles swept out by the tide- no corner of this building was safe when she was in control. Identity checks meant nothing to her, passwords were a breeze, and two-factor authentication? A joke.

Rouge smiled in satisfaction, taking a break to stretch out her fingers now that she was successfully through the various measures designed to keep hackers like her out of these computers. With a click of the mouse and a few keys tapped, the various sums of money the people who worked here had stolen began to make their way back to their rightful owners’ bank accounts.

After all, this building didn’t actually house an insurance company. That was just a cover story for the real business here- draining the cash out of innocent people’s funds. Rouge had been determined to stop this as soon as she’d learned about it before any more people got hurt (when she stole it was usually from rich people who could afford to have one of many diamonds go missing- this was just cruel!), and now she’d successfully completed about half the job. Just returning the money wasn’t quite enough, of course- this scheme had been running for over a year now, and it was about time someone put a stop to it for good. 

That was where her friends came in.

While she manned the cameras, Shadow and Omega were grabbing plenty of physical evidence from the various offices throughout the building- more than enough to incriminate everyone who worked here. Rouge’s job was mostly to ensure that they could get what they needed without any serious trouble. It might be a difficult task, considering that Omega was set on blowing up most of the tech stored here...but she was prepared to deal with that.

The bat leaned back in her chair, catching a quick glimpse of herself in the window as she did so. Ever since they’d left G.U.N., a great perk (in addition to the lack of association with a corrupt military organization, obviously) was that they could wear whatever they wanted on the job. Before, Rouge had really been pushing it on ‘formality’ with her jumpsuit alone, and even then she hadn’t been allowed to wear anything else while on the job for the sake of ‘consistency’.

Now, in a drastic change from her usual style, she wore a tight black leather jumpsuit over a purple shirt, complete with white gloves and high-heeled boots. The latter two had neon blue accents, too, providing a burst of color as well as an actual light source to see by- perfect for dark missions.

Shadow and Omega hadn’t been allowed any personal effects re: clothing before due to the fact that a few too many supervisors saw them as weapons and not people. Rouge had of course argued against this, but there was only so much one person could do.

Now, though, the bat had insisted that both of her friends get more clothing- ‘if nothing else then to stick it to them’ were her exact words- and they had both taken to it quite well after an initial period of hesitancy. Omega in particular had been quite devastated (and then promptly offended) upon discovering that no leather jackets were currently produced in his specific size. Eventually, however, he was placated with the offer of a fedora, claiming it made him look ‘VERY MYSTERIOUS’. He had now taken to collecting hats as well as weaponry.

Shadow could fit into a leather jacket, on the other hand, and consequently owned about five of them, three of which he’d bought within the same week. Today he wore one with red stitching, and while he hadn’t had anything to say about it, Rouge had caught him admiring it in the mirror before the mission (at which point he scowled, blushed green to his ears, and teleported away).

Right now, though, he and Omega were quietly discussing which documents to take and which ones to leave behind. It would raise suspicions far too quickly if the criminals inhabiting this building came back to discover a completely bare office, after all, so they only took several receipts of major transactions as well as a list of the bank account numbers that had been hacked- and some future targets as well.

(Was this whole thing illegal? Kind of. Did anyone really mind so long as they were helping others? Not really. After all, Tails was totally not old enough to fly a plane, but at this point the government had basically thrown up their hands and said ‘whatever I guess’, so it was fine.)

“ROUGE.” Omega said suddenly, making the bat stop her musing and drop her feet from the desk. “THIS IS IMPORTANT.”

“Yeah, hon? What is it?” she asked, ready to deal with any problems that might arise.

“MY HAT KEEPS FALLING OFF. I REQUIRE SOME SORT OF METHOD TO KEEP IT ON.”

The bat sighed and gave a relieved laugh as Shadow hissed, “Omega! This is a serious mission!”

“It’s alright, Shadow. Omega, we’ll find some double-sided tape or something when we get home, alright?”

The robot paused for a moment, thinking. “THIS IS ACCEPTABLE.”

As Rouge watched, they gathered up the rest of the items and began to move towards the lobby. Today was an off day for the ‘business’, so most of the hallways would be empty. The secretary out front would take his usual break to go get lunch in two minutes as well, giving them a clear chance to escape.

And of course that was when everything went wrong.

It turned out that leaving G.U.N. (while the right idea) wasn’t without its occasional disadvantages. If they’d still been part of the military organization, then they would’ve had the resources to figure out that these criminals were more than a little paranoid, so their security system ran diagnostics every hour on the dot. When it discovered the hacking, it locked Rouge’s access to any other computer terminal and then restricted every single application on that one computer.

These people weren’t exactly beginners when it came to computers, after all.

The bat jumped out of her chair the second her computer glitched and froze, panicked. “Guys. Guys, get out of here right now.” she said urgently into her microphone. “I can bust out a window but you two have to go right now-”

She froze as, on the screen, multiple armed guards and two gigantic mechs dropped down onto the ground level and pointed their guns at Shadow and Omega. The robot moved to cover the hybrid’s back as Shadow pulled his favorite katana sword out of its scabbard.

Rouge refused to sit and watch another minute, kicking the door off its hinges hard enough to slam it against the opposite wall and tearing down the hallway to save her teammates.

Shadow and Omega fought well in the meantime, managing to take out one of the mechs and several guards too. Occasionally, Shadow even curled up and was promptly fired out of his friend’s cannon at top speed, turning into a deadly projectile all by himself.

Eventually, though, one of the guards got too smart and pulled out a stun gun, shocking Omega long enough to put the robot temporarily out of commission. Shadow spun around to defend his friend, using the Chaos Emerald he’d brought along to deliver a devastating blow- but he had nobody to watch his back now, and it barely took a minute before the mech found an opening to slam him into the wall as he dealt with the guards.

Shadow dropped to the ground weakly, temporarily unconscious. Omega was still struggling to get his systems back online.

Rouge, meanwhile, was furious.

The bat rushed to the balcony overlooking the lobby from the third floor, her teeth bared as she watched the mech move into position, prepared to bring its giant fist down on Shadow’s unmoving body. Flipping over the railing, she free-fell the three stories to the ground, slamming both heels into the marble and leaving a long crack across the floor. She snatched up the Emerald from the tile where it had fallen out of Shadow’s quills, holding it tightly in her hand. 

“Leave him alone. Now.” she snarled.

When the mech pilot gave her nothing more than a cursory glance, raising the steel fist higher, Rouge charged.

An ultrasonic shriek exploded from her lungs, making every other human in the room double over and clutch their ears. At the exact same time, the glass in the extra-tall windows of the lobby vibrated, cracked, and then shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Rouge didn’t see any of that. Rouge didn’t care about any of that. All she could see was the hedgehog she’d come to care about so much about to be crushed by someone who barely even knew his name.

She jumped up and whirled around in the air, the power of her wings suddenly (strangely) strong enough to send the mech swaying backwards slightly, before lashing out with a kick that dented the chestplate of the thing and hit it hard enough to-

-and Rouge’s eyes widened-

-to send it flying through the shattered windows and down the street that the building faced, so far that it became nothing more than a speck in the horizon.

This was, incidentally, a mech that weighed over two tons. 

Omega, near the other end of the room, silently thanked every inventor that had ever lived (aside from Eggman) that he had powered back on in time to see this.

Rouge, however, didn’t spare more than a second to think about it, instead dropping to her knees to check on Shadow. The moment she pressed the Chaos Emerald back into his hand, the hybrid’s eyes began to open slowly.

“Ugh….what happened…?”

“That moron of a pilot smacked you into a wall, hon. Are you gonna be okay?” Rouge asked, scanning his face for any sign of a concussion.

Shadow blinked twice, then suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. “...Rouge? Are you sure you’re alright?” 

The bat frowned, confused, looking over herself. “Yeah, hon, I’m….”

She froze.

While Rouge had seen many strange things in her time, the sight of her lower legs and feet glowing bright purple was certainly a first.

As she jumped back from Shadow in surprise, she let go of the Chaos Emerald in his hand, making the aura surrounding her fade. “What...what was that?”

“YOU WERE SO COOL. THAT IS WHAT THAT WAS.” Omega declared, hauling himself to his feet and walking over. “YOU BEGAN TO GLOW AND KICKED THAT INFERIOR CREATION SEVERAL MILES AWAY. THE ONLY REGRET IN THIS SCENARIO IS THAT YOU WERE UNABLE TO CONTINUE DESTROYING YOUR ENEMIES, AS THERE WAS ONLY ONE OF THEM.”

Shadow looked up at her in surprise and- was that a little bit of awe? “I should have known you’d be able to use Chaos powers!” he said, shaking his head as he got to his feet. “Incredible...it’s no wonder you’re so resilient in battle.”

Rouge pointedly ignored the light flush on her face from all of this praise. “Well, we’ve got what we came for, so there. We’ll leave all of this evidence-” and clearly she wasn’t just talking about the papers- “for that new organization the government’s setting up. What’s it called again?”

Omega shrugged- an odd motion with his bulky shoulders. “THEY’RE STILL DECIDING. HOPEFULLY IT TURNS OUT TO BE SOMETHING COOL.”

“Well, whatever their name is, it’s their job now to deal with all this.” Rouge said, gesturing around at the general mess.

At that moment, the secretary returned with his food, only to stop dead in his tracks and stare at the three members of Team Dark amongst the wreckage of two gigantic robots and a lot of broken glass.

The bat ‘s face split into a wide, wicked grin, pointing directly at him. “And you’ll be the one to explain it to them!”

(It took one extremely short chase to retrieve the man- who foolishly thought he could lose Shadow and Rouge in the alleyways- before he was tied to one of the disgustingly ostentatious pillars by Omega. The team then went home and spent the next two hours watching Rouge glow and then break things…mostly things she meant to hit.)

…

Several days later, her team and Sonic's crew (plus Amy Rose) were in a different city, dealing with the usual biweekly Eggman attack. This one seemed, unfortunately, to not have most of the weak spots that usually came into play when fighting one of his giant robots, as both the power source and the mad scientist in question were heavily guarded.

However, after a particularly well-timed attack from Omega, Amy, and Knuckles all at once, Rouge spotted a panel that was currently rather dented and bent open with some wiring spilling out, and knew exactly what to do.

“Shadow! Omega! Cover me!” she shouted, leaping into the air and soaring towards the robot.

Immediately, she saw several smaller robots explode in her periphery, having fallen victim to the deadly lasers and Chaos Spears that her friends used. Her focus was on one thing and one thing only, though- making it up to that panel.

The moment Rouge latched on, she pulled open the panel the rest of the way and began to rewire the machine at an impressive pace. While she might not be the same kind of tech expert as Tails, who built devices and wrote code most people with a PhD couldn’t understand if they tried, one thing she certainly knew was how to make computers do what she wanted.

Eventually, though, Eggman caught on to what she was doing and tried to swat her off his mech with its two giant metal fists. “What do you think you’re doing down there with my robot?” he shouted, swinging at her wildly.

Suddenly, one of the fists in question promptly vanished, replaced by a smoking hole and a bunch of wires where a functioning steel hand was supposed to be. Rouge, startled, looked around for what could possibly have caused this- and promptly relaxed upon seeing Omega retracting his biggest laser cannon (which was glowing red-hot) back into his chassis with a glare up at his creator.

Thankfully, he’d also provided just the distraction she needed to rewire the last few parts, at which point she jumped off just as the robot began to spin wildly...and then its entire midsection exploded, launching the command center with Eggman still inside a good fifty feet into the air.

The bat landed on the ground to cheers from her friends and took a dramatic bow. Omega clapped a hand on her shoulder in a friendly way (which meant he only knocked the wind out of her and didn’t shove her several feet deep into the asphalt) as Shadow looked on with his arms folded, but still clearly proud.

“Wow, Rouge!” Tails exclaimed, his eyes wide and smile wider. “I didn’t realize you knew your way around that kind of tech that well- you should totally stop by my lab sometime!”

The bat shrugged. “It comes with the job, that’s all.” she insisted, but internally she was more than a little surprised- it still didn’t quite come naturally to her to consider that people would be impressed by what she did. All G.U.N. had ever told her was that she’d done ‘as well as was expected’, which made it seem like her skills were just average. Seeing someone who she’d mostly considered an acquaintance telling her how incredible her skills were when to her it was just ‘something I can do’ was...pretty nice, actually.

Rouge offered him a quick grin as the other three heroes came rushing up to her in varying states of surprise and excitement. “I just might take you up on that offer sometime.”

…

A week after that, Team Dark was spending time at the Station Square mall together- a common occurrence for them. It had good clothes, tolerable food, and most importantly lots of jewelry stores. They were here today because Rouge’s favorite was having a sale, and she refused to miss out on any opportunity to shop for gems.

After about an hour of looking around in the store (most of which was spent attempting to prevent Rouge from emptying said store and/or sneaking things out from inside locked cases), the three finally left with about four tiny bags of jewelry, which Omega wore hooked over his fingers. “THIS SEEMS WASTEFUL, BUT ALSO AMUSING.” he’d commented, at which point the bat riding on his shoulder gasped in mock outrage and began to vehemently defend the store’s choices.

They hadn’t gone more than a few steps, though, before she heard some gasps and squeals somewhere off to the left. She sighed. Some people seemed to have this odd hero-worship thing around Shadow, but the attention only made him feel awkward, so it looked like she’d have to play guard as usual here. Drifting down from her perch as the three young women approached, she said, “Alright, ladies, what are you here for?”

The bravest of the three moved forward, clutching something in her hands. “Uh…”

Rouge prepared herself to say no on behalf of her friend, to hear complaints like ‘why can’t we talk to Shadow?? You suck”, but then-

“...can you sign this poster, please?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t— wait, what?”

The bat stared at the poster, her eyes wide. A picture of herself looked right back at her, a smirk spread across her printed self’s face as jewels dripped from the hand not resting on her hip.

The photo was rather outdated now, having been taken not long after the ARK disaster. Post-crisis, Sonic had insisted that everyone (except for Eggman, since he’d caused that whole mess in the first place) get recognition for trying to save the planet together...and that included her. 

Rouge and Sonic had both been wearing Shadow’s inhibitor rings during that photo shoot. It was their way of making sure that even though he wasn’t with them any longer, even though nobody would really remember who he was, he’d still live on in some little way without a big announcement.

She took the poster quickly, shaking off old memories, and gave them a genuine smile- rare for strangers. “Of course, hon!” she said, taking the offered pen and signing her name with a flourish and a little heart.

The one who’d asked promptly squealed and clutched at the poster, a big grin on her face. “Oh wow, thank you sooo much!” she gushed. “You know, you’re, like, my hero, right? Everyone always just, like, says that you can’t look good and be a real hero at the same time, you’re either a sell-out or too serious...but, you’re, like, both?? And that’s just so, y’know, empowering? To see someone looking fabulous and being a hero, but like not taking any nasty comments about it?”

Both her friends agreed eagerly, and Rouge found herself blushing just a little at all this praise. “If either of you have anything else, I could write something on those too,” she offered, still feeling a little bit bewildered at the moment.

This earned her two simultaneous squeals of “Really?!” followed by a lot of frantic searching for paper. Rouge was more than happy to sign her name there too, even adding a little message to each of them- and to the poster for good measure. As the three fans cheered, snapped a quick selfie with her (which was something she so wasn’t used to either), and then rushed off with a “thank you so much!!” Rouge found herself still smiling as she turned to walk back to her friends.

Shadow and Omega had moved a little ways away during all of the fuss, and now they were sporting similarly pleased expressions with more than a little bit of smugness mixed in. “SEE?” Omega asked, and Rouge could tell he’d be smirking if he were able to do so. “WE HAVE TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT YOU ARE EXCEPTIONALLY COOL. YOU DIDN’T BELIEVE US THEN, THOUGH….DO YOU NOW?” He stopped there and somehow promptly assumed an even stronger I-told-you-so air than before.

“Maybe you’ll even get your own fanclub before long...oh, wait. Look what I just found.” Shadow added, tossing his phone over to her. Only the faintest of smirks was visible on his face (they were in public, after all) as Rouge stared at the screen proclaiming the current website to be “The Official Rouge Fansite (anyone feel free to join!!)”.

The bat found herself blushing to her ears, flattered and surprised by all of the support she hadn’t known existed until now.

Omega picked her up and set her on his shoulder, turning his head to look up at his friend. “COOL PEOPLE LIKE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WALK PLACES.”

“And-” Shadow added, slinging the bags she’d acquired at the store over her shoulder. “-cool people like you shouldn’t have to carry anything either.”

Rouge wondered briefly if her grin might strain her face if it grew much wider. Leaping down for a moment, she hovered in the air just long enough to ruffle the quills on top of Shadow’s head before perching back on Omega’s shoulder and patting the robot fondly. “You two dorks are the best.” she said warmly.

Shadow huffed and began to walk on ahead, clearly embarrassed. “DORK.” Omega called after the hedgehog, his eyes brightening by about fifteen percent in good humor. 

“She called you one too, you know.” Shadow replied without looking back.

“YES, BUT YOUR DORKINESS IS MORE OBVIOUS.” Omega declared, by now shouting across several stores as Rouge tried to stifle a laugh.

“If you don’t catch up and stop talking I’ll hide all the hats in your favorite store and you’ll never find them.” the hybrid growled.

Rouge promptly discovered that Omega, despite weighing a thousand pounds, could in fact move quite quickly when threatened with the loss of a chance to add to his new clothing collection. The robot fired all of his boosters at once, sending them flying down that particular wing of the mall and nearly slamming into a wall in the process.

After a spirited chase that lasted over five minutes (along with lots of shouts of “get him, Omega!” and jumping off balconies and general taunting), the group was promptly escorted out of the mall without a chance to enjoy the store they’d started the ‘fight’ over in the first place.

Rouge watched her two friends sulk for a minute before smirking suddenly. 

“Guess what?” she asked, stepping back to look at both of them.

When she had their attention, she pulled out a nice new summer outfit with a laugh…from that same place.

“You didn’t.” Shadow said, staring at the clothing.

“OH, SHE DID.” 

Rouge then proceeded to pull both a cool hat in all gold and a nice blue bomber jacket out from behind her back as well, her smile widening even more. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you two at all. Or forgotten to pay, either.” she added quickly with a sigh. She soon shifted to watching with delight, though, as Shadow’s eyes widened considerably and Omega’s head whirled to fixate on her hand. 

“HAND IT OVER.” he ordered, holding out his clawed, metallic fingers insistently.

“Well...since you asked so rudely...no.” Rouge replied, before leaping into the sky with a grin.

“What?” Shadow gasped.

The robot’s eyes narrowed. “DON’T YOU DARE.”

Rouge flew higher at that. “Oh, but I do dare.” She wheeled around and began to fly off at top speed, snickering at the sound of indignant shouts behind her. Soon enough, she heard the swish-swish of Shadow’s skates and the clanking of Omega not far behind.

They might be able to catch her eventually, she mused, soaring through a gap between buildings- she wasn’t that fast, really. It wouldn’t be easy for them at all, though. 

After all, Rouge was just as powerful as they were, in her own way.

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Thoughts on Deltarune Chapter 2

I wasn't even intending to write a Deltarune post, but here we are!

Have some extended ramblings/theorizing about Undertale, Deltarune, and the role of the "Player" vs character agency.

[Warning: full spoilers for ALL routes in both Undertale and Deltarune!]

.

Frisk’s Agency in Undertale

So I'm not sure how common this is nowadays (I haven't been following Undertale theories for a while), but I personally prefer the interpretation that there is no "Player" as an in-universe force in Undertale. I think it's a far more elegant story if the fourth wall isn't broken.

I'm also fond of the Narrator Chara and "Chara isn't pure evil until Murder Route teaches them to be" interpretations too.

And, of course, the third plank bridging those two is that I don't see Frisk as a just a pure, innocent cinnamon roll.

Because I like the story best when it's Frisk who chooses mercy or murder. It gives Frisk a much more complex character, if they are allowed to have the capacity for both immense kindness and immense cruelty. It even gives them an interesting implied character arc, if you take the natural progression path of True Pacifist > Murder Fun Times > Soulless Pacifist.

Just like Flowey, Frisk first tried to use their powers of Determination for good, but eventually they also grew curious and began to see the world as a game. And then they went too far and ultimately regretted it. Regretted it so much, in fact, that they were willing to sell their soul for just a chance to fix it.

After all, it's not you, the "Player," whose SOUL Chara wants. It's you, Frisk.

I also dislike the idea of an in-universe "Player" because that implies that "Frisk" is nothing but an empty shell - on ALL routes. All of those heartwarming moments in the True Pacifist route? All of the silly Flirt actions? Yeah, that's not Frisk, that's just as much the "Player" puppeting some poor kid's body as the events of the Bad Times.

Who knows what Frisk is truly like if their every action - good or ill - is controlled by some unseen, eldritch force? Now Frisk no longer has any characterization.

And given that said force overrides Frisk's agency, then isn't the "Player" evil no matter which route you take? It's become a story where they only "moral" choice is never to pick up the game at all. Hrm.

Anyway, but that's all Undertale. Which brings me to...

What the heck is going on in Deltarune?

Unlike Frisk=the Red SOUL in Undertale, we don't seem to control Kris=the Red SOUL in Deltarune. The game repeatedly underlines that the player only controls the Red SOUL, not Kris.

(Though, with stuff like the sound of the bathroom faucet only being audible when Kris's actual body is nearby - it seems like even when separated, the Red SOUL may still be perceiving through Kris's other senses besides sight...?)

With Spamton's dialogue and Kris's reaction after the non-Weird NEO fight, there's also a lot more emphasis in Deltarune of Kris (and the rest of the party!) being puppeted by some other force. And that's on top of all the stuff in the first chapter highlighting Kris/the Red SOUL's lack of agency.

Because of all those hints, Deltarune seems to be much more explicitly pointing toward that dark interpretation of Undertale - that the "Player"/Red SOUL is removing Kris's agency, regardless of route.

Indeed, I'm somewhat intrigued by the possibility that we/the Red SOUL might be forcing Kris to act nice just as much as we force them to act cruel. The way that Kris deliberately removes the Red SOUL in order to do some very suspicious actions might support that. As do some comments in Chapter 1, like characters in the post-Dark World walkaround noting how Kris is being less weird and more inquisitive than usual. Maybe Kris is the Knight and the Red SOUL is possessing them to undo their evil actions. Maybe the real Kris doesn't want to be friends with Susie and Ralsei at all!

But taking that interpretation to such an extreme also doesn't quite fit. Why does Kris slash the tires on Toriel's car? The only reason I can think of is that they want to keep Susie at their house. And why does Kris create the Dark World in their house? Is Kris creating the fountains because they want to have fun with friends? Especially right after the chapter emphasized how great the Dark World adventures were, that seems very likely.

There are also some smaller details too, of Kris interpreting the Red SOUL's input with their own spin (like saying things sarcastically), or of Kris chatting in a friendly way with Ralsei which the player/SOUL can't influence.

So, I'm pretty sure that even outside of the Red SOUL's control, Kris genuinely does like their friends.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of hints this chapter that Something Bad happened to Kris, Noelle, Dess, and Asriel when they went exploring in the forest by the graveyard. Most likely, they went into that ominous bunker south of the town. Is that incident related to Kris’s current strangeness?

And then, and THEN, there's the Snow Mercy route. That route seems to imply that the Red SOUL is both evil, and very much not Kris. Noelle says Kris isn't like themself, that their voice changes strangely, and she can still hear the creepy voice even when Kris is downed.

How to make sense of this all?

A Theory on Kris and the Red SOUL

One idea is that as scary and zombie-like as Kris looks without the SOUL, they're probably a nice, if lonely kid who desperately wants friends after their big brother went to college. (And possibly after something traumatic happened to them/their neighbor.) They're creating the Dark Worlds for the sake of fun and escapism.

But the Red SOUL puts an end to Kris's happy fantasies. Indeed, if the Red SOUL gives up, "the world is covered in darkness." So without the Red SOUL, would Kris simply keep creating fountains...? (What ARE the fountains, why can Kris and theoretically any Lightener create them?)

Maybe in the normal route, the Red SOUL is trying to gently help Kris move on and accept reality in some way. At the very least, I suspect Ralsei is working toward this goal.

But in that case... that's a pretty strange way for the Red SOUL to go about it, forcibly taking control of Kris to the point that the kid notices and seems to greatly resent it.

But what if the Red SOUL didn't have a choice about this arrangement either?

After all, the Red SOUL's customized vessel was discarded at the start of Chapter 1... and it was placed into Kris instead.

Here's a question: will Kris die if they're without a SOUL for too long?

Because there are an awful lot of moments in these games where characters break free of something they are bound to, but it doesn't end well: -Spamton collapses when his strings are cut. -The Darkeners can move freely outside their origin world for a while, but eventually turn to statues if they stay in another world. -Regardless of whether Berdly removes the Queen’s wires himself, he's exhausted and unable to fight any more after being under her control. -And when Kris takes the Red SOUL out of their body, their movements become slow and clumsy. Like it's a struggle for them to move at all.

Meanwhile in Undertale, post-Pacifist Asriel could maintain his form to say goodbye, but without SOUL(s), he inevitably returns to being Flowey.

So here's a theory: Kris died and/or lost their original soul. Perhaps due to some action/inaction on Noelle's part in the exploration incident. And as a last-ditch resort to keep them alive, the Red SOUL was somehow implanted in Kris.

(Also maybe Dess died/went missing at the same time...?)

And now, the Red SOUL the only thing keeping Kris around. 

But just like in Undertale, it seems like Deltarune SOULs have wills of their own.

Which means Kris's current state is similar to the Chara-Asriel fusion, or Omega Flowey, or even Frisk-Chara. Control of the body is shared. The difference is that instead of the SOUL we play representing the original owner/will of the body, this time the SOUL we're playing as is the intruder.

Essentially, this time around we are playing the role of the Chara-equivalent instead of the Frisk-equivalent!

(Though whether Kris themself is more of Chara or Frisk I’ll leave to other theorists...)

Anyway, while Kris likely wishes to be rid of the SOUL and dislikes this whole body sharing arrangement, they know they can't survive without it. And perhaps Kris being in a partially soulless state might explain why they do questionable stuff like creating Dark Worlds and slashing their mom's car tires in order to play with their friends. (Again, see also: Asriel/Flowey.)

But when the Red SOUL and Kris are in alignment, things go okay. The Red SOUL suggests commands, but Kris is willing to follow and seems to enjoy being with Susie and Ralsei.  

Let’s Talk About Snow Mercy

It's when the Red SOUL and Kris aren't in alignment... well. That seems to be what's happening in the Snow Mercy route. That kind of situation sure didn't go so hot with Frisk and Chara in Undertale, so I doubt this will end nicely for Kris and the Red SOUL either. At the very least, Kris seems to have been visibly upset after what happened with Noelle in this route.

(By the way, there are two other moments in Chapter 2 when Susie asks if Kris is okay - first after the normal Spamton NEO fight and subsequent discussion of what it meant and second after she and Kris approach the bunker.

Three different moments, but Kris appears to react similarly. Are all of these things related? The bunker, Kris being puppeted, and the events of the Snow Mercy route?)

Meanwhile, here’s a contrast. Undertale's Murder Route seemed to exist for the sake of curiosity and power - either the "Player" or Frisk's desires, whichever interpretation you subscribe to. And the changes to the world were all logical consequences of that - because of the Fallen Child's rampage, friendly NPCs disappear, major characters fight you more seriously, etc.

But the actions in Snow Mercy are... weirdly specific, weirdly unpredictable. It doesn't come across as a simple power trip. Instead, Snow Mercy is a bunch of really bizarre actions that feel even more mysterious to the player as they are to Noelle and Kris. I sure wouldn't have guessed that backtracking to the trash heap and freezing a bunch of enemies would lead to new items spontaneously appearing and then giving Noelle access to a scary new spell. It's like something straight out of a creepypasta!

The overall tone that comes across to me is that the Red SOUL seems to know what it's doing, even while the player is kept in the dark. And given Noelle's responses, it almost seems like the SOUL is trying to remind her of events/actions from her past, events which are obviously unknown to the player. All of which leads me to think that the Red SOUL has motives and goals of its own... so just like Undertale, this probably isn't a situation of the "Player" being a fourth wall-breaking force either.

The Red SOUL is its own character.

And I'm certainly curious to find out more about them!

[magdaclaire]

primekent’s winteriron fic recs

PREFACE: This is the 30k to 75k version! If y’all want a less than 30k rec list and/or an over 75k list, let me know!

Also: these are in no particular order!

Four Strings and Second Chances by Vashoth

Summary: It was reluctance to let one of his finest inventions ever out of his grasp that made him take a couple days over a week to send the arm to Pepper’s office. But all things considered, Tony figured that sending finest prosthetic that had ever come into existence--literally grasping an olive branch--was one of the classiest gifts he’d ever given. He’d included a note and everything. ‘Barnes,

Can help with installation. Or not. Up to you.

--Stark'

Personal Review: The softness. The quality choice of making Bucky Barnes a ukulele gay. Preserving Steve and Bucky’s friendship while still making it clear that Bucky loves Tony. The iconicism of this fic. I love it. 

Like a Goddamn Katy Perry Song by tisfan

Summary:  Tony is chased into the woods during his first heat, where the status-poor alpha, Bucky, lives. Running off the pack of heat-taggers, Bucky takes the young Tony home for recovery, to discover there’s not much time before the omega goes into full heat. Well… now what?

Personal Review: I don’t normally go for A/B/O. However. The writing of tisfan brought me in. I came for the tisfan and stayed for the cute dynamic! Bucky being protective while trying to be detached, Tony trying to stay distant but getting more and more entrenched.... love that. 

my light (smell) will guide you home by  winterbitch (WinterLadyy)

Summary: After escaping from HYDRA and dealing with Captain America, Bucky goes to New York. He can get lost there and figure out who he is. But something huge is missing from his memory and when the full moon comes, Bucky figures out what, but it's too late. The Wolf takes over, snooping around New York and looking for what's pulling him. Then he meets Tony Stark, who just can't leave the huge, fluffy dog starving on the streets.

Only the huge dog is weirdly protective and definitely smarter than average...

Personal Review: WHERE WOLF? THERE WOLF! BUCKY BARNES! Okay, sorry, I just love werewolves. Magic tattoos, protective wolfmen, CUDDLING? We’re hitting all of my favorite things. 

Forms of Love by bear_bell

Summary: Months after the Avengers' dispute in Germany, the team returns to the US and moves back into the tower. As always, everyone pretends that nothing happened. Tony is just fine with this. He's used to pretending, and he'll be damned if he lets any of them see him flinch.

Tony's the bad guy, after all. He's used to it. He's fine with it. He's good at it.

Only now, there's something far worse loitering around the tower - The Winter Soldier. No one notices the guy at first, but when they do, Tony figures that he should have the soldier's back.

Birds of a feather should flock together, and the bad guys should start a book club.

Personal Review: This. This fic. I love. This fic. Separate People!Winter and Bucky is like my favorite thing. The writing. The characterization. The development. C’est magnifique. 

Cat Nipped by Akira_of_the_Twilight

Summary: “Steve,” a bit of anger leaked into Bucky’s voice, so he paused to cull it back. “Tony is a werecat, and you really want the two of us to meet?”

Steve sighed, his shoulder dropping. “Bucky…”

“No!” Bucky bit back a bark. “Steve, I’m a werewolf, in case you have forgotten. Canine weres and feline weres do not get along well.”

“I’m a werecanine and Tony and I get along fine.”

“That’s not what you were saying last week.”

--

When cats and dogs collide there is bound to be trouble.

Personal Review: Protective Bucky! Angry Bucky! Kitty!Tony! Wolf!Bucky! It’s very character driven and I think that’s beautiful. 

Fractures (Filled With Liquid Gold) by itsallAvengers

Summary: Ultron happened. The Avengers left.

Tony is fine with being alone again. He always worked better as a Lone Wolf than a team player anyway. He's not sleeping or eating or resting or... living, but it's fine. It's good. It's okay.

And then there's James.

Personal Review: *clenches fist* It’s about the loneliness. I love protectiveness, and this fic is so heavy with it. The PACING. I just. Includes the dialogue line “I’m gonna launch it into the fucking sun,” and I think that’s very cash money. 

Strong enough to trust by Enmuse (Scifiroots)

Summary: Steve makes a life-altering choice, and Bucky wakes up from cryostasis to better circumstances than he could anticipate: Mind free of triggers, name cleared, fully pardoned, and a ticket back to the USA. It's far more than he deserves, but with no other plans or ties, he finds himself relocating to the Avengers Initiative Compound alongside Stevie's rogue superheroes.

He begins establishing a new life - friends, work, maybe even love - but doesn't realize that the castles he is painstakingly building are ones in the sky.

---

“I... don't understand," Bucky admits in a murmur.

Stark's gaze drops to the silver-plated shoulder. "I fix things," he says. His fingers drum restlessly against his chest. "And this is something I broke. You shouldn't have to just live with the consequences when something can be done about it."

Personal Review: I thrive on Steve Rogers related anger. It’s what I live off of. This is a great characterization of Bucky, of Tony, even of Steve, even as it’s very angry at Steve. I just love this fic. 

Measure of a Man by JasperMoar

Summary: Tony is so. damn. tired of losing control. He gave it away freely before, and that got him stuck with some sharp metal and a magnet in his chest. He tried taking it back, and that got his heart ripped out of his goddamn chest. He pours his heart and soul into a system to protect the people he can’t save, tries to take control of his own flaws, and nearly destroys the world via genocidal robot. He realizes that hey, he’s one man. One terribly-human, incredibly-fallible man, and tries to make himself more accountable. Tries to give the control to people who might actually know what the fuck they’re doing. He tries to stop being the one to condemn young kids with bright futures.

He ends up half-dead in Siberia, as one of his best friends walks away. Leaves him there. Tony had never possessed an ounce of control over that situation to begin with.

The only one who’s going to get hurt in this little game is Tony, and that’s fine. At least he’ll be in control.

---In which Tony Stark develops an eating disorder. This does not glorify eating disorders, and in fact will focus mainly on the consequences and recovery.

Personal Review: This does have a heavy trigger warning for eating disorders and negative self talk/esteem. But, it’s a really good fic. The triggering content is well done, well written and non-offensive, as someone who struggles with disordered eating. It’s mostly about Tony’s personal development rather than the ship, but it is also still fulfilling on that front. 

and of course

tell me no by halfwheeze

Summary: Barnes, 107th Infantry 32557038.

Barnes is not Bucky. Barnes is not the Winter Soldier. Barnes doesn't know who he is, or even sometimes, what he is.

Maybe Tony Stark can help him figure that out. Or maybe, if he just gets all the tools, he can fix Tony along the way too.

Personal Review: this is my own fic it’s garbage but i have to rec it 

[tommyhagen]

5% of a Fairytale: Clint Barton, Team Dad pt1

@taylortut, lol this one sort of just got away from me. Hope you don’t mind long prompt fills. I can pretty much promise they won’t usually be this long but I’d actually had the plot to this scene in mind for a long time. It’ll probably end up having to be more than one part. Hope you like it!!

Clint takes care of his sick bro and partner in douchebaggery, Tony. A retelling of the scene from Civil War including some canon dialogue. Seriously watch that scene again and tell me Tony isn’t trying not to throw up the entire time. You can’t.

Couldn’t help but make reference to Charles and Tony being best friends.

I don’t write deaf! Clint because I don’t think I could portray the struggles of a hearing impaired person with the accuracy it deserves. But he has ear issues that make him sensitive to loud noises but he puts his own discomfort aside when someone needs a dad.

TW: Vomit, Nausea, Dizzy Spells, Brief Nondescript Mention Of Death, Embarassing Situations

——————————————————-

Sam and Rhodey had been arguing for hours now. Or at least it felt like hours. Tony had only been catching every other word, anyway.

His head was pounding and the constant bickering had done nothing to help it. He was slumped back on a couch in one of the common areas next to Steve. He knew he wasn’t doing a great job acting like he didn’t need to be benched but he couldn’t help it. This on top of the meeting with the secretary? He didn’t think he could keep this up much longer.

That had been a disaster all on it’s own too. Tony hadn’t even reacted when the Secretary spouted off all his bullshit about the Avengers not caring. At the footage of New York he just looked away. When Steve commented on his unusual silence he’d just murmured something about the asshole not being worth his time. While that was true it was even more true that if Tony opened his mouth he might have thrown up. It still was, actually, and the stress was not helping. Steve picking up the scent of his Omega’s distress slipped an arm around his shoulders. A rare display of affection during ‘business hours’. Even rarer that Tony accepted it, leaning against him.

“Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have.”, Rhodey retorted to Sam’s...something.

Maybe if Tony just ignored this all hard enough it would go away. Seemed to be what the others were doing. Vision and Wanda sat huddled together on the opposite couch. Natasha had been pacing the room nonstop and it made Tony dizzy to look at her. Clint was perched on the counter of the kitchenette. The obnoxious music from whatever game he was playing on his phone was only making Tony’s headache worse.

Tony rubbed at his temples and pressed himself tighter against his Alpha. Tony’s mouth was watering ominously. Steve rubbed a thumb along his bicep distractedly, reading the Accords and not happy with them by the acrid prickle of growing anger on his scent. Tony had always hated that and the scent of it now had him clamping a hand to his mouth. This was probably the literal worst time in the world to not be at his A game.

“So let’s say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?”, Sam shot back.

And what the fuck had Tony passed out and not realized it? LoJack? Was this even the same conversation?! Ugh, he couldn’t keep up. Whatever. He just had to get through this so that he could go lay down and sleep for a year. Whatever bug he’d caught was draining him. He woke up more tired than when he went to sleep.

“117 countries want us to sign this. 177, Sam, and you’re just like ‘Nah, it’s cool we got this’.”, Rhodey snapped. If Tony didn’t feel like there was a vice grip around his stomach he’d be smiling. He loved it when his Honeybear got feisty.

“How long are you going to keep playing both sides-“

“I have an equation!”, Vision cut him off.

Loudly. So loudly it startled Tony. At that, Steve’s hand stroking his arm slipped down to hold Tony’s reassuringly. He didn’t need any reassuring but Steve’s warmth was grounding and he clung to it like a lifeline. It helped, sort of. Well, he could vaguely follow the conversation now, at least.

“Oh, this’ll clear it up.”, Sam groaned.

Tony shot a nasty glance at him over his shoulder. Tony had created that beautiful mind of Vision’s so, yes, it would clear it up thank you very fucking much.

Vision ignored him, as always sensing the mood and responding accordingly. He continued, “In the eight years since Tony announced himself as Iron Man the number of enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period the number of possibly world-ending incidents has risen at a commensurate rate.”

Steve set the Accords down beside him. His grip on Tony’s hand tightened. “Are you saying it’s Tony’s- our- fault?”, he growled, Alpha pheromones beginning to leak off him.

It took Tony much too long to notice that everyone was looking at him. Shit, that name was his name! So he was going to have to get involved in this no matter what. His hands were going numb and it felt like his feet were nothing but pins and needles. “Down, boy.”, he murmured to Steve. His voice must have portrayed at least a little of the hell he was in because Steve actually relaxed, picking the Accords up again and pretending to read them. His eyes never left the same paragraph.

“I’m saying there may be a causality.”, Vision clarified, but even he was starting to sound annoyed.

Tony desperately wished he were sitting next to him instead. Vi’s lack of scent would be so good right now. Tony was choking on all the wigged out distress hormones going around. He had to swallow back a sick hiccup. God, if he didn’t do something he really was going to throw up. He tried to bury his face against Steve’s shoulder as surreptitiously as he could. It hadn’t worked. Steve abandoned the Accords and pulled Tony closer to him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Oh, God, Steve’s worry, although sweet, was just adding to the already stifling mix of scents.

“Our very strength invites challenge.”, Vision elaborated. How very philosophical. Tony couldn’t deal with that right now and closed his eyes leaning into Steve’s heat. “Challenge inflicts conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe.”

Tony choked at how similar he sounded to Ultron and broke into a series of wet coughs. Steve was asking him all kinds of questions along the lines of how he could help and it was just making Tony’s head spin. He waved Steve off desperately.

“Oversight...oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.”, he suggested. All Tony could take from that was that Vi was in favor. Of course he was. Part of him was Tony, after all.

“Boom.”, Rhodey agreed.

Natasha stopped her pacing in front of him. Thank god. “Tony”, she called. “Are you okay? You’re being uncharacteristically nonverbal.” Fuck. Now Tony had two Alphas fussing over him. The combination of Female Alpha and Male Alpha was not good. Tony gagged softly into his fist.

“It’s because he’s already made up his mind.”, Steve realized and the scent of his worry was just getting stronger. Tony had to get away from him.

He stood up and made his way more shakily than he would have liked to to the kitchenette. He had made up his mind, yes. The best solution was obvious but mainly he just felt too much like vomiting to participate. Maybe if he got something to drink? There was a bad taste at the back of his tongue.

Clint was watching him closely from atop the counter. He’d also been uncharacteristically ‘nonverbal’. When push came to shove with Avengers politics he usually just tried to stay out of the way. His only real opinion one way or another was that he was in favor of whatever got him home to his wife and kids safely. It startled Tony into nearly dropping a glass when Clint put down the phone with a soft, “Hey, Tony.”

Tony met his eyes slowly and wasn’t quite prepared for the warmth there. There was something about them that seemed far too knowing for Tony’s taste. He backed away slightly not knowing what from. Because as far as everyone in the immediate vicinity went, Clint was one of the ones he wanted to back away from the least. Clint was a Beta. His scent was comforting and good.

Clint hopped down from the counter and took the glass from Tony’s hands. “Here.”, Clint soothed and poured some water for Tony before handing it back.

Tony was far too out of it to question why a jackass- but a lovable one- like Clint was being so gentle. He took a long sip to try and drown the bile he felt creeping up his throat. It helped. “Boy, you know me so well.”, Tony said to Steve. He even tried for a casual lean and pulled it off. “Actually I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache.”, he revealed and gave Clint, whose phone was still chiming away, a look.

Surprisingly, Clint turned it off without a word, slipping it into his back pocket. He was hovering and Clint didn’t do that. If Tony weren’t relying on his scent to keep it together he’d have said something about it.

“That’s what’s going on, guys. It’s just pain.”, he snapped, finally starting to lose his temper at the scrutinization they were putting him under. What the fuck?! If Tony wanted to be quiet he could! “It’s discomfort.”.

Tony turned to lean against the sink. The urge to vomit was becoming a little too overwhelming for him not to have some sort of plan. God, he hoped it didn’t come to that. He took a suspiciously long sip of the water. “Who’s putting coffee grounds in the disposal?”, he forced himself to ask, doing his best to bullshit and ramble like normal. “Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?”, he tried to joke. He had to take another long sip right after, losing any hint of nonchalance it might have had. They knew he was just talking to talk now.

“Hey.”, Clint tried again, hand at the small of Tony’s back.

Steve glared at him for it and Tony couldn’t tell if it was Steve’s scent or his attitude that was making him feel sick anymore. He moaned softly and his hand slipped down to his stomach. It wasn’t going to help but Tony had to do something to at least FEEL like he had control whatsoever over this.

Tony just had to force himself to be invested. Ignoring Clint, he pulled out his phone and projected the picture of the son of the woman from the State Department. He sighed...another Charles who he had let get hurt. “Oh, that’s Charles Spencer, by the way. Great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA had a floor level gig planned at Intel lined up for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world.”.

Tony had to stop to gag. And everyone had definitely heard that. Steve was on his feet in seconds and Clint caught hold of his elbow. Tony pushed him weakly off before continuing, “Maybe be of service. Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas or Amsterdam which is what I would do. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where. Sokovia. He wanted to make a difference, I guess. But we won’t know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.”. Tony could barely get through the words. From frustration or sickness he didn’t know but he was crying.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1273

Monday, August 5, 2019

 It's a holiday Monday here in Ottawa and the weather couldn't be any better. One of those days where I really appreciate living in Canada's Capital. I'm sure there are going to be many citizens out and about enjoying all the sights today. I'll be busy sprucing up the joint before our guests arrive for dinner.

 Avengers #22 - Jason Aaron (writer) Stefano Caselli (art) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Challenge of the Ghost Riders part 1. As you can tell from the title of this story, Robbie Reyes, the latest Ghost Rider, is featured. Seems he's not cut out for being the Spirit of Vengeance and wants out. Time for the team to help and they call in an expert. No, it's not Doctor Strange. This mystic hero was seen briefly in War of the Realms but he's not been on the racks regularly in a while. With all the hellfire flames Jason Keith's bright colours are perfect for this exorcism. Meanwhile, Thor and Iron Man investigate an ancient mystery in Turkey. There are lots of reasons to keep reading.

 Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9 - Tom Taylor (writer) Ken Lashley & Juann Cabal (art) Nolan Woodard & Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I like the way Tom Taylor writes dialogue. Here we have the origin of the Rumor as she helps Spider-Man try to defeat Helminth, first name Kenneth. He's a nasty, nasty villain with lots of henchmen. Spidey and the reformed Prowler are going to need more than the Rumor's help so Peter goes and gets it.

 Runaways #23 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andre Genolet (art) Niko Henrichon (Victor and Doombot dialogue art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I'm glad this is still on the racks which means that more people are reading this title than was buying West Coast Avengers  and The Unstoppable Wasp. If fans of those comic books are looking for something just as fun and well done then they should start picking this book up.

 Marvel Action Spider-Man #6 - Erik Burnham (writer) Christopher Jones (art) Zac Atkinson (colours) Shawn Lee (letters). The trio take on Kraven and his two kids. Guess who wins. I really like this Spider-Man title for younger readers. It's kind of sad that I think this is better than The Amazing Spider-Man right now. Next issue, the Black Cat.

 Sabrina the teenage witch #4 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Veronica Fish & Andy Fish (art) Jack Morelli (letters). I love the combination of teenage hijinx and sorcerous magic. Sabrina girds herself for whatever may come when she goes searching for her missing aunties.

 Conan the Barbarian #8 - Jason Aaron (writer) Gerardo Zaffino (art) Garry Brown (art pages 19 & 20) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan visits his old home village in Cimmeria. It's not the welcome he expected. This is classic sword and sorcery.

 Death's Head #1 - Tini Howard (writer) Kei Zama (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Where's the legacy number? You younguns may not know this but this bounty hunter robot with the annoying speech pattern was on the racks back in the eighties. Death's Head originated in the UK and his run in North America didn't last too long. This reboot (har) tries to update the character by teaming him up with two Young Avengers, Wiccan and Hulkling. I almost stopped reading after a few pages but I'm always willing to give a new comic book a chance and I did perk up a bit when Billy and Teddy showed up. The last page came close to making me want to read the next issue so I'll decide when it hits the racks, yes?

 Batman Last Knight On Earth #2 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Batman and the Joker's head continue their search for a way to save the world. Here's where they meet what remains of the Justice League and the villain of this story, Omega. No, it's not Lex Luthor. I like how a lot of heroes and villains are being used in this story like the recently completed Heroes in Crisis. The disembodied Joker is one of my favourite versions of the lunatic. Batman winds up back in Gotham City at the end of this issue and has a surprising reunion.

 Marvel Team-Up #4 - Clint McElroy (writer) Ig Guara (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This one features Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in a story about stolen Kree tech. I learned something new; Carol's mom was Kree and her name was Marie-Ell. This issue ends with the inevitable fight with some bad guys and the surprise reveal of who one of them are. I'm looking forward to the next issue to find out why the bad guys want all that Kree tech.

 Powers of X #1 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) R.B. Silva (art) R.B. Silva & Adriano Di Benedetto (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Now this is how you rejuvenate interest in the X-Men. Put out two books with good writing and excellent art. If I could only afford to buy a comic book a week, I would be spending my money on this one and House of X. You will notice a few prose pages scattered throughout both first issues. They are all worth reading and gives you a deeper understanding of what's happening and to who people are. I particularly like the new characters here and look forward to getting to know them better as long as they survive. An issue of Powers of X or House of X hits the racks every week until October 9. You would do well to pick up every one.

 Fantastic Four #12 - Dan Slott (writer) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Ben and Alicia go on their honeymoon but the Hulk crashes their romantic getaway. Read this issue to find out why the big green galoot wants to kill the big orange rock star. Ben might not survive this titanic tussle because he's just about to transmogrify into his human form. Uh-oh. The reason that this issue costs $4.99 US is because there's a really nice back-up story about the Future Foundation by Jeremy Whitley (writer), Will Robson (pencils), Daniele Orlandini with Will Robson (inks & finishes), Greg Menzie (colours) and VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). If Future Foundation #1 hitting the racks on August 7 is as much fun as this preview it will be worth reading. It's good to see the two Power Pack kids in a comic book again.