#cause yeah! he is fair! he's also a trickster so you have to guess what counts as fair to him

[setevulpo]

lovingly pointing out that the cat king did to edwin what edwin did to his cat

step by step, even. offered him something he wanted (even if only deep down), put a binding spell on him, then asked for something he wanted in exchange for freedom

obviously they wanted different things, but it's funny that the cat king just decided "let's copy paste the crime as the punishment"

[taiblogcomics]

Home Insecurity

Hey there, werehogs. What a beautiful way to start August off than with a Countdown review, yeah~? Seems perfect for this month! No one likes August (but they do like it better than Countdown.)

Here's the cover:

I don't think you need super karate powers to break a glass window (though it probably helps). Given the green imagery and the ring on his finger, you could probably mistake him for a Green Lantern in this image (or possibly Ben 10), but this is not the case. Also, just for anyone who doesn't know, the big-headed image is Oracle's personal avatar in comics. …I guess that's all there is to say about this cover. Despite the literal impact depicted, this cover is not all that impactful~

To recap, Karate Kid and Una have broken out of the time stream for adventures. Jason Todd, Donna Troy, Ryan Choi, and Bob the Monitor have broken out of physical space to look for Ray Palmer. Pied Piper and Trickster have broken the law and are on the run. Jimmy Olsen has broken into superheroics and testing his powers as Mr. Action. Mary Marvel has broken ties to her magical family and is looking for a mentor. And Holly Robinson and Harley Quinn have turned away a woman from a broken home at their women's shelter, which Holly finds suspicious. And if your spirits aren't broken yet, let's break into this issue~

To continue the theme, we do actually start with Karate Kid's story. He and Una are breaking into Oracle's facility to enlist her help. I don't know why they couldn't, like, call ahead. As they say, Oracle has a security fetish. Which is a weird BSDM way put it, but it's also not wrong. It's also on Starman's advice, and he's not exactly mentally sound. Using Karate Kid's super karate, they bust through the various security measures, only for Oracle to turn on a screen and express annoyance at how expensive all that equipment was. Then she attacks them with metal tentacles, as one does.

Over at the Iceberg Lounge in Gotham, the Penguin gives Pied Piper and Trickster a decent meal from his personal kitchen, and they're surprised, given how he wasn't thrilled to host them. He explains he was just putting on a show so no one would suspect him of harbouring them. He shuts the door, then says "They're all yours" to his assembled guests: the Suicide Squad. We've left Multiplex out, and instead joined Deadshot with Plastique, Bronze Tiger, and Captain Boomerang. A classic lineup! I dunno when he called them, since the previous issue showed Oracle spying on them. That's probably the writers not talking to each other again~

Bob and the Multiverse Crew leave the microverse and head into subspace for their next destination. It's basically the Distortion World from Pokémon Platinum. Since this is basically a transition, we don't dwell much on it. And despite them name-dropping Zatana, we don't cut over to her, but instead to Jimmy Olsen still practicing as Mister Action. He beats up a purse-snatcher, and the woman whose purse it was gives him a kiss. While he's been doing okay with the ground-level stuff, he figures he needs to join a team to really make a difference, and decides the Teen Titans are his speed. This begs the question of how old Jimmy Olsen actually is~

Back at the Iceberg Lounge, the Penguin is entertaining his guests when suddenly the back entrance explodes open and the fugitives escape, pursued by the Suicide Squad. There's too many bystanders for Deadshot to get a clear shot, so Bronze Tiger tries grabbing Piper as they run. This causes the electric shock to go off when Trickster pulls ahead, stunning both of them and Tiger as well. Penguin himself knocks out Plastique, so she doesn't blow up his establishment. Fair! Captain Boomerang tags Trickster with his namesake weapon, and despite being too dazed to stand, he does manage another homophobic remark while Piper carries him to safety.

We dip over to the Athenian Woman's Shelter for a bit, where Holly Robinson is still going on about that woman and her child being turned away. Harley gets her an audience with Athena to explain, and the basic gist is "our shelter is not equipped to take care of women who have children", using also some phrases like "strong female role models". I mean, I guess that's fair, but Holly remains suspicious. Athena notices, and invites her to a self-esteem course. I dunno what that has to do with her concerns, but sure. Why not~

The metal tentacles prepare to extract Una and Karate Kid from Oracle's base, but it turns out metal tentacles are no match for 31st-century super karate! Keep that in mind! He even re-creates the cover image by shattering one of her screens to get to the room behind it. She insists she really doesn't have time for them right now, mostly because she's trying to keep the personal info of every known superhero from being stolen. I don't know how or why this is happening, but it's happening! Let's blame a tie-in for this! Chances are, that'll work out to be true.

And so we close out this comic--and in fact, our entire first trade paperback--by returning to Piper and Trickster. They evade capture with Piper playing a song that renders them invisible. Trickster asks why he didn't do that sooner, and Piper shoots back that he was tired from carrying all that dead weight. That sentence is ironic foreshadowing for later! But they may have evaded the Suicide Squad, but we've got more cameos to shove in this already bloated story. As soon as their cloak drops and they start on the run again, they're confronted by the Question (Renee Montoya) and Batwoman (Kate Kane), who are significantly more competent characters.

Well, this issue's not the worst or anything. That's about the most I can say for it. I guess it's Mary's turn to not be in this issue, which has been a rarity for the series. Also, we're, what, 13 issue in now? We finished one trade, so we must be. We're a quarter of the way done with this! Think about that! We're only 25% of the way into this! Be glad this issue isn't the worst, because you will long for this sort of inoffensive codswollop as we get further along~

[shadow-logan]

100 OC Questions - Answered

questions are c/o the-moon-dust-writings! bulleted responses are Shadow's and responses without a bullet are mine.

i've got his backstory up, but here's some quick context:

he's a reborn (looks like a teal-haired anime wolf boy)

he's been alive for 1 year in-game

26 y/o body

arcane trickster/bladesinger

he's a Harper, but is still trying to navigate his relationship with the Zhentarim

How do they present themselves to others?

like, disguised? Not disguised? What do they mean?

I think they mean just… What you're like when you first meet someone.

uh… Myself, usually

You're pretty standoffish. You like talking with people, but most people scare you.

this is true. I'm always searching for what makes them tick or what they're hiding.

2. Do they like animals?

YES

but they also confuse you.

yes

Care to explain?

animals don't make sense to me. Why can't they transform like Lily? Why do they choose those forms? And permanently?

… That's not how it works, but I see your point.

3. How do they dress?

clothes. Next question

Oh my god, Shadow. You dress in whatever's comfortable and available

bonus points if it's black

4. How many languages do they know?

does Thieves’ Cant count?

Sure

then… Technically…. Four, I guess. Common, Elvish, Thieves’ Cant, and a bit of Giant.

5. How big is their family?

… You answer this one. I don't wanna.

You consider Lily, Caim and Blaze family. Newer members to your family are Krowen, Vidar and your Tressym! Your winged snake familiar is special to you, too.

yeah. Just sucks that the Zhents still consider me family, but I'm starting to see that as… Not that.

I won't push you closer or away from them. I just want you to be happy and safe.

sigh yeah. Family sucks sometimes.

6. What is their purpose in the story?

my friends and I are adventuring together to root out the cause of the Giants’ behaviour. I'm also on a quest for ALL of the knowledge!

7. Do they know how to fight?

Several styles, actually!

yeah!! I've been developing my own sword scales!! And my magic is slowly growing more powerful. It's scary, but really cool, too!!

8. What is their back story?

Both: gesture to 40 pages of backstory "that"

9. Why is their name, their name?

I can't remember if I was like, "ah, shit!! I need a name!! Uhhhh…" Or if I was like, "you're gonna be 'Shadow' because it's edgy hehe"

either way, it works!! I'm a shadow of past lives and I'm starting to live my own life. I've taken on Logan's name, too, since it came to me when Jamna first asked for my name. I like the ring of Shadow-Logan.

7. Do they have any nick names?

not really? I guess Shart might be a nickname

Please don't give your friends that kind of power

8. Do they have a romantic interest?

Xavlith

9. How do they cope with struggles?

you don't.

wrong. I sit on rooftops and write to Selûne. She likes me, but I know she can't solve all of my problems for me. Even so, I like writing to her.

fair point. it works pretty well for you.

oh, i also rage and sign blood pacts, apparently

there it is.

10. Do they have anyone they can lean on?

Blaze is cool, but I've known Caim and Lily for longer. Caim's also saved my life a few times, so he's become a brother to me. I'm gonna go with Caim and Lily.

11. How do they react to someone dying?

depends on who it is. Myself? Been through it at least once, could probably handle it again. Friend? Not well. Enemies? Spits.

12. Can you name 5 personality traits they have?

i don't know, can you?

shut up lol. sigh. you're... determined, analytical, curious, adaptable and loyal.

interesting wait of saying "stubborn little shit who doesn't take 'no' for an answer", heh

oh my god, shut up. you're a cool dude, but you really don't let your guard down, ever. you'll stop at nothing on the pursuit of knowledge

you're not wrong

13. How did they become a character?

you needed a DND character. apparently i was a halfli--

*grabs his lips* YOU WERE ALWAYS A REBORN ANIME WOLF BOI. NEVER A HALFLING. NEVER A SHIFTER. UNEARTHED ARCANA??? NEVER HEARD OF IT.

14. Do they get along with others?

you try

not always successfully

you're getting better, though

... i appreciate it. it's hard being nice when you don't know a person's true motives

15. What flaws do they have?

both: "a lot"

oh, i'm fucking flawed. i'm angry, resentful and manipulative

to be fair, while not objectively great traits, they've helped you with certain dealings

16. How do they influence the story?

neither of us know how you truly influence the story

yeah, i guess we're kinda just vibing and seeing where the timeline takes us

17. What do they look like?

i'll post some art soon enough!

18. What are their hobbies?

writing, reading, doodling. also people-watching.

19. What are their ticks?

people tAKING TOO LONG TO SPEAK. STOP TALKING SO SLOWLY. JUST SPIT IT OUT, ALREADY, GODSDAMMIT.

20. Do they like children?

remember Kyla? the one with 2 moms? back in Silverymoon? she was cool. pretty sure she wasn't freaked out by me and was just curious. other than her? kids kinda just confuse me. why are they so small???

you're a unique case, Shadow. you rose from the dead. that's not the average person's experience.

but still... *visible consternation*

21. How do they react to being around wild animals?

i'm used to Lily--our Sea Elf Druid--being in Wildshape, so wild animals don't really freak me out. I like seeing and learning about them.

22. If they were given the task to prank someone, who would it be, what would they do, and would the prank work?

pretty sure you've pranked Caim before.

yeah, i just don't remember how... anyway, i'd probably prank Caim or Blaze. i wouldn't do anything malicious, just... uh... swap their salt and sugar or something. depends on where we're staying and what i have access to, y'know?

23. Do they have any survival skills?

i can pitch a tent?

you're kinda lucky you don't need to eat, sleep or breathe. you just find places to hide and hope for the best.

basically

24. Are they more book smart or street smart?

surprisingly, both!

yeah, i guess i'm more street smart, but only because i've basically lived on the streets. i haven't had as much time as i'd like to read.

25. How do they get out of a difficult situation?

with my daggers

sweet heavens, boy.

okay, fine... mage hand.

what?

i don't know. i just usually try to talk my way out of shit. or pull out my tressym if things get awkward. i makes for a wonderful scapegoat---er, scape-tressym--and distraction

26. Do they use their body, mind, personality or force to get what they want?

my personality sucks, so it's usually up to my mind to get what i want.

this is true. however, you've used your body before.

mhmm. not too proud of that

27. What music do they enjoy?

i blame you, but pop-punk

i will accept full responsibility for this

and the just over 600 songs on the playlist you've curated for me?

with pride

MORE Q'S BELOW! I'LL GET TO THEM (AND RENUMBERING THEM) LATER LOL

28. How do they overcome obstacles?

29. When faced with a difficult decision do they get stronger or break?

30. Do they have any special powers?

31. How do they change throughout the story?

32. Do they have any friends? If so, are they close knit?

36. How is their family life?

37. Are they likable?

38. Are they the hero, or anti-hero?

39. Do they make questionable choices?

40. How do they become who they are?

41. How was their childhood?

42. Are they close with anyone who is going to screw them over?

43.How do they adapt to different situations? Do they adapt at all?

44. How do they speak? Examples - Are they soft spoken, hot heated, vulgar

45. Are they opposed to violence?

46. When is their birthday?

47. Are they quick to judge?

48. Do they have anything they are trying to hide from others?

49. Do they act different around different people?

50. Do they enjoy the arts?

51. Do they like science?

52. Are they more emotional or logical?

53. How do they deal with their emotions?

54. How do they cope with sadness?

55. What is something they care about?

56. Would they die for anyone/anything?

57. What do they do when they are happy?

58. How would they come across to other characters? Examples- messy, lazy, childish, caring etc.

59. Do they have a phrase they use over and over?

60. In a crowed room are they in the corners, sides, or in the middle?

61. Are they comfortable being in a crowed room?

62. How do they relax?

63. Have they ever harmed anyone and regretted it? Verbally or physically?

64. Do they like to dance?

65. How do they get around their environment? Examples - horses, bike, vehicle

66. What is their pet peeve(s)?

67. Do they have a disability?

68. How do they react to getting flowers?

69. Would they ever wear a flower crown?

70. Do they like themselves?

71. Who do they dislike?

72. What is their motto?

73. Do they have any markings on their body?

74. Have they ever been abused?

75. What is their biggest fear?

76. What are their goals?

77. How do they go about achieving their goals?

78. Do they have a fight or flight response?

79. Is there someone in their life that they care about more than themselves?

80. How would they fare in zombie apocalypse?

81. Do they have any tattoos? If so, are they significant?

82. Are they good at mental math?

83. Do they get along with others?

84. Are they lazy?

85. Are they self motivated?

86. How do they cope with anger?

87. Have they ever been in a situation where they were helpless?

88. Are they organized or messy?

89. Can they remember a lot of information at once?

90. What is their occupation?

91. Do other characters respect your OC, if so, is it out of fear? Or do they respect your OC because they like them?

92. If they were given minutes to live, what would they do? Who would they want to see and say?

93. How do they deal with stress?

94. Do they have a more submissive or dominate personality type?

95. Do they have a pet?

96. Do they have a stash of weapons?

97. Where do they live? Who do they live with?

98. How do they calm themselves down?

99. Are they co-dependent?

100. Are they a day, or night person?

[lokislastlove]

Come One, Come All (dark!Loki x reader)

Summary: A girls night out to the fair takes an insidious turn.

Warnings: Noncon/Rape, knife play, oral (m&f), smut, bondage, kidnapping.

This is a dark fic! 18+ ONLY! Explicit Adult content. Please READ THE WARNINGS! Do not continue if these matters upset you!

Authors Note: I wrote another one! No idea where this came from, but it was fun to write. Still working on improving my smut, huge thanks to @darkficsyouneveraskedfor for some tips and editing the shit out of it. 😘 also I know there is a creepy clown in the pic but I feel like I have to say there aren’t any clowns in the fic. I hate clowns.

Chapter 1:

It was the kind of summer night you dream about, warm enough to keep you comfortable in your shorts and peasant top, but with a light breeze that keeps you cool enough to fight the flush of alcohol in your veins. You look forward to these moments when you are able to go out with your girlfriends and let loose, forgetting about all life’s responsibilities, if just for a single night.

“Come on!” Ash calls over her shoulder, her hand tight around your wrist pulling you impatiently.

“Aww but that looks so good�� you groan as you press your face longingly against the glass barrier of the hand dipped corn dog cart.

The sweet scent of the frying corn dough wafts tantalizingly through the air making your mouth water. You friends laugh at your theatrics, having just helped you scarf down a large sugary funnel cake and a platter of nachos, the evidence of which still stains the corner of your mouth. Really, it was their fault for getting you tipsy before taking you to the county fair, everything just smelled heavenly and if you could you would try one of everything.

“Just a slushee?!” You beg as Jen steps behind you and pushes you out of the food court, giggling the entire time.

“Come on, fight the drunchies! You promised you would try that new funhouse,” Jen whines, looping her arm through yours, Ash doing the same on the other side.

“Oh yeah,” you grumble.

“Oh stop it” Ash scolds playfully. “Everyone at work keeps talking about it - it’s like a mini escape room! And I’ve always wanted to do one, please.” She rants excitedly before giving you her best puppy dog eyes.

“Ugh that’s cheating. No one can resist those big brown eyes” you pout, but yield as easily as they knew you would.

“I know” Ash smirks, tossing back her long silky black hair over her slender shoulder.

“This is gonna be so much fun, I promise” Jen bumps your hip, giving you a wide encouraging smile.

You manage a strained grin as you let them lead you through the crowd. It’s not that you don’t like funhouses or the idea of doing an escape room, having always loved solving riddles and doing puzzles. It’s just you don’t like clowns, and every funhouse in your experience has at least one.

“Oh damn there’s a line!” Jen moans as you all stop in front of a large structure covered in flashing lights, the ominous ‘Tricksters Trap’ bathing your face in a violent red glow.

Garish contrasting colors somehow both attract your eye and make it hard to look at. Your pupils dilate with the lines of fluorescent bulbs burning into your retinas. The stereotypical circus music blares through the cheap speakers, reminding you of one of those old Jack in the box toys. And of course, without fail, was the obligatory clown statue hanging over the entrance, like some creepy sentinel there to guide you to your inevitable demise.

“Ugh fucking clowns” you grimace as you pass by the entrance, heading toward the end of the line.

“Yeah they definitely nailed the creep factor,” Jen agrees, her eyes shining with nervous excitement.

“I know isn’t it great?!” Ash squeals.

You stand there taking in the horrific detailing painted on the side of the metal structure. You are thankful when Ash explains there is a time limit, only ten minutes to complete the puzzle or else they kick you out and you have to try again. If you figure out the puzzle you get to leave through the mirror maze and you earn the coveted “I tricked the Trickster” sticker.

“Gotta get that sticker, or else that bitch Katie at work will never let me forget that she got one and I didn’t” Ash complains, causing you and Jen to share a look and snicker.

“Hey! Don’t laugh, this is serious! We gotta be smart and figure this out, failure is not an option” she urges dramatically before collapsing into drunken giggles with you and Jen.

“You ladies seem eager to prove yourselves,” slithers a low voice.

Startled you gasp and spin around quickly. The three of you look up at the tall lean figure standing behind you. He wears a perfectly tailored black ensemble, that matches the color of his slicked back hair. His eyes practically glow green against his alabaster complexion. His sharp cheekbones and angular jaw make your breath hitch, causing his thin lips to curve into a sinister smirk. He is stunning.

“Um, yeah. Well this place has the whole town buzzin’. Seems like everyone is talking about it” Jen is the first to speak.

“Ah I see. Wouldn’t want to miss your chance to take a stab at it” the mysterious man surmised, eyes focused on you.

“We got this shit. Right guys?” Ash assures him as she playfully smacks you and Jen.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out. Good luck,” he challenges with a raise of a brow.

You stare after him as he saunters away without another word. His hips and shoulders sway smoothly, his soft footsteps giving him a dangerous almost feline vibe, like he could rival even the most deadly of predators. As he turns to round the corner of the ride he takes one last look over his shoulder at you. Your eyes lock for only a fraction of a second but it’s enough to send a chill down your spine.

“That was weird, right?” You mutter, eyes still transfixed where he disappeared.

“Eh, just another creepy dude. If I had a nickel for every weirdo who tries to chat me up…” Jen jokes.

“You’d have like a whole 50 cents,” sasses Ash.

You are finally broken from your daze when Ash is pushed into you. You laugh and try to brush off the lingering effect of the handsome stranger, shifting your focus back to your friends. The line goes by quicker than expected, with only one group out of the three ahead of you making it out with stickers. The losing groups return to the line from a back door, bickering about where they went wrong.

Finally it is your turn. Ash claps her hands excitedly, dancing up the metal stairs to the costumed man at the entrance. His red and white stripped suit is expertly torn and painted with fake blood to make him look as intimidating as possible. With a tip of his top hat he welcomes the three of you and begins to explain the rules in his well practiced accent.

“Come one come all to the Tricksters Trap, if you’re feeling lost, just go find the map.” He sings with flair and a perfectly timed bow, directing you to the inauspicious black door.

Taking a deep breath you follow your squealing friends into the darkened hallway. Pausing to look back as the door creaks shut, cutting off the jovial sounds of laughter and chatter with a sudden slam. You flinch at the loud noise and turn back to the dim hallway. The short corridor is lined with wall to wall green velvet curtains barely visible with the green rope lights running along the ceiling.

“Guys?” You whisper when you don’t see them next to you, causing your heart rate to quicken

You call for them again, this time louder, your feet unwilling to move from the spot. It has only been thirty seconds and you are already about to call it quits. Get a grip. You take a hesitant step forward.

“You guys?!” You call shakily.

“Hey! Come on we found the map!” Jen pokes her head from around the corner at the end of the hall.

She disappears just as quickly, waving her arm for you to follow. You breathe a sigh of relief and rush after her. You enter a large room filled with all sorts of random objects. It’s as if it is designed to overload your senses. The green from the hall carried on into the room, more velvet green curtains hung on the walls that were not obstructed by shelves of books or other oddities. You saw everything from perfectly aligned glass jars filled with alien looking creatures, grandfather clocks, to treasure chests overflowing with grizzled toys.

Jen and Ash are hunched over a table with a map spread out smoothly. It was easy enough to see it was a map of the room and hallway, with what appeared to be three small rooms hidden along the wall behind the heavy green drapery. You go over and pull back a curtain and find a locked door, the other two also hiding a locked door.

“Ok so it looks like we gotta find a way to open these doors” you offer, your anxiety calming a bit as you focus on the mystery at hand.

“Hey look there is some sort of code over here by the lock on the door.” Ash hollers excitedly.

You each pick a door code and frantically search the room. It doesn’t take long for you to figure out you need to use the books on the large shelf along one wall. The first number tells you the book the second refers to a specific page. You find a slip of paper in the book with a riddle written in a blood red ink.

“I make two people out of one” You read aloud.

“You can hold me in one hand, but I’m used to fill the room” Ash reads hers, her face twisting in concentration.

You both look to Jen, “I have two hands, but I can’t clap.”

“Damn no wonder so many people failed, definitely wish I wasn’t drunk right now” Ash laughs.

“No no we can do this, it’s probably items in the room so let’s just focus. We’ll do one at a time.” You assert, pacing the room and trying to take in all the random objects.

“Two hands…” you mutter as you stop in front of a large grandfather clock. “Clocks have hands!” You yell excitedly and open the narrow door.

The heavy pendulums swing inside and you see a shining silver glint off the rounded golden end. You pull off the small silver key, stuck on by a tiny magnet, and jump in excitement.

“Holy crap! You’re a genius!” Jen exclaims running over to take the key and try it in the door.

The key slides in smoothly and the door opens with a gratifying click.

“Woo! Keep going, you are on a roll!” Ash claps as she cheers you on.

“Ok, ok” you giggle before taking a deep breath. “Two people out of one… maybe a camera? Or wait…” you realize as you stare at Ash currently checking her makeup in an antique mirror hung between two curtains.

“Ash! Try pulling on that mirror!” You yell pointing frantically at the mirror in front of her.

Her brows knit together briefly before understanding, grabbing the frame and tugging gently until it swings open, revealing a key hung on the wall.

“Yes!” You all shriek together.

Suddenly, the lights flicker and a loud maniacal cackle reverberates through the surround sound speaker, turning your elation into yelps of surprise.

“Two minutes left” a familiar polished voice echoes forebodingly throughout the room.

“Shit, that scared the crap out of me” Jen laughs clutching at her chest.

The warning gives you pause, managing to shift the spirit of the whole room. Ash giggles nervously as she watches the lights of the room transition from their previous dim yellow light to a menacing red hue. The mood lighting in addition to the increasing volume of the horror soundtrack playing over the speaker helps to put you back into your initial anxious state.

“Seriously? Is this fucking necessary?” You curse, shaking your head.

“Ok let’s get the last one guys! We can still do this!” Jen yells through the cacophony of sound effects.

“Yeah what can we fit in our hand but somehow also fills the room?” Ash reiterated the final riddle.

“These red lights make it so much harder to see” Jen complains bitterly as she rummages through the items inside a large chest.

“Lights… Jen that’s it! A lightbulb!” A smile breaks out on your face as you figure out the final clue.

“Look up there!” Ash points to a solitary darkened light bulb screwed into the ceiling.

“I got it.” Jen jumps onto the table and reaches up, unscrewing it quickly. “There is a key inside!” She shouts.

She unscrews the bottom of the fake lightbulb and received the key before handing it to Ash. Each of you run over to the corresponding doors and turn the key, squealing in delight when they all slide open.

“Is that it?” Jen asks looking into the cramped dark space behind the door.

It was little more than a closet. Barely enough room for each of you to stand in. You were at a loss. You could have sworn that would be the end.

“Guys there is a lever here on the back wall of mine, how about yours?” Ash’s muffled voice calls from inside her closet.

“Oh yeah mine too!” Jen replies.

“Do you think we have to pull them at the same time? ‘Cus mine did nothing when I tried it” Ash says poking her head out to look at you.

“Thirty seconds!” That haunting voice booms again as a tick clock sounds through the speakers, counting down your final moments.

“Ok let’s try it together!” You nod at both of them, before stepping into the tight dark space.

“THREE! TWO! ONE!” You shout, mirroring your friends calls, pulling down your lever with a snap.

There is a moment of silence as the lights of the room behind you suddenly go dark, the music and sound effects cutting off instantly.

“Did we get it?!” You yell.

You don’t get the chance to hear your friends response as the wood door slams behind you, locking you into the small space.

Tags: @darkficsyouneveraskedfor @caffiend-queen

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

an icarus and his sun: chapter 4

A/N: what's this? jimmy may be finally leaving denial station? and gray-aroace jimmy because i said so? hell yeah. also more seablings pog!! i do also have the next chapter written already bc it has one of the scenes that was basically the whole reason i wrote this fic, but i'm gonna wait until tomorrow to post it (mostly bc i wanna make sure i have the chapter after that one written bc of... reasons >:) the next chapter is a tad cliffhanger-y and i just don't want y'all to have to wait too long)

Warnings: teasing/banter, flirting, realization of feelings

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

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The invitation for the House Blossom Ball arrived, with a separate handwritten note along with it from Katherine that very pointedly reminded Jimmy to dress up and maybe lose the cod head. Something about how it wasn’t “fancy enough” or whatever. Jimmy felt the cod head was acceptable for any occasion, not to mention he felt weird with his whole head being in view- but maybe he could compromise for Katherine. He’d have to figure out some sort of other headpiece… but the ball wasn’t for a few days anyway. Jimmy had plenty of time to figure out an outfit. In the meantime, he had some work to do on his slime farm. And of course, who else should be there but Scott when Jimmy came up from his farm. He was sitting on the roof of the slime farm entrance, legs swinging idly.

“What are you doing here,” Jimmy asked with a tired sigh, really hoping that he wouldn’t have to deal with another fight with Scott. Scott hopped down from the roof, gliding a bit before landing in front of Jimmy.

“Oh same as always, I was bored and you’re fun to bother,” Scott said with a shrug and a playful grin. Jimmy glowered at him, putting his hands on his hips.

“Oh no, not today! I’m not letting you get under my skin anymore!” Jimmy said, determination in his tone. Scott raised an eyebrow as his grin morphed into a smirk, and there was that squirming, fluttery feeling from their fight again.

“Are you sure about that?” Scott crooned, a clear challenge in his voice. Jimmy shut his eyes, taking a deep breath before shifting his expression into something more neutral.

“Absolutely,” he said firmly, walking past Scott towards his base. Scott seemed surprised for a moment, before getting his bearings and following after Jimmy.

"Not even over this?" Scott asked, walking beside Jimmy and tossing something green up in the air before catching it again. Jimmy stopped walking, brows furrowed in confusion. Scott stopped too, looking him in the eyes as he tossed the object again- a slimeball.

"How- where- when did you- where did you get that from?!" Jimmy demanded. The only way people got slime was from his empire.

“Got it from one of your chests- thought you wouldn’t mind,” Scott replied with a shrug, that smirk still irritatingly present on his face.

“I very much do mind! Give that back!” Jimmy demanded, lunging forward to try and grab the slimeball from his hand. Scott darted back, flapping his wings and sending a gush of wind to push Jimmy back.

“You’re gonna have to catch me, fish boy,” Scott teased, before taking off into the sky. Jimmy grit his teeth in frustration.

“I’m the Codfather!” he protested, equipping his elytra and taking off after Scott. Scott laughed, dipping and twirling in the sky while Jimmy struggled to keep up. Going after someone who had actual wings while Jimmy only had an elytra was a definite disadvantage, but Jimmy was a little too stubborn to care. Scott climbed higher into the sky with ease, Jimmy following close after- and then the sun hit Scott’s wings and Jimmy just about fell out of the sky. The sun’s rays caught the gold tips of his wings, making them shimmer. But it wasn’t just the sunshine reflecting off his wings- it was the way Scott’s whole face seemed to shine like the sun with his smile and how the wind ruffled his usually neat hair. It was how his laugh sounded as if the shimmering of gold made a sound. It was how those icy blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he held the slimeball victoriously above his head. It was how Scott’s expression suddenly melted from that of a mischievous trickster to something almost fond. All of those things caused that pleasant flip-flopping feeling in his stomach to return, and Jimmy suddenly pitched down because of it. He quickly righted himself, flushing in embarrassment and glaring at Scott’s resulting smirk.

“Guess you aren’t one of those flying fish, huh,” he teased.

“Just give me the slimeball back!” Jimmy demanded. Scott laughed, and it felt like flowers blooming in Jimmy’s chest.

“You get so fussed over the littlest of things,” he said, still laughing. Jimmy got the feeling that he should have been angry at Scott’s teasing, he was making fun of him, after all! But instead, Jimmy couldn’t help but smile back. To Jimmy’s surprise, Scott seemed startled by that, eyes going wide and a half gasp, half laugh escaping his lips.

“Sometimes you gotta appreciate the little things in life! You miss those things when you fly above everything and live up and away from the world in the mountains,” Jimmy pointed out with a laugh. Scott pondered this, slowly floating back to the ground as he did so. Jimmy tilted his head to the side in confusion, coming to a landing beside him. Scott was staring at the slimeball in his hands with a mix of wonder and bafflement. Shaking his head, Scott reached out for Jimmy’s hand and pressed the slimeball into it, both hands clasping over Jimmy’s hand for a moment. Jimmy’s hand felt fever-warm at Scott’s touch, and his heart hammered in his chest.

“You can have this back. Sorry,” Scott said, quickly withdrawing his hands. Jimmy felt horrible instantly, he clearly struck a nerve with what he said. Before Scott got a chance to leave, Jimmy quickly grabbed his hands, giving the slimeball back.

“Keep it, I’ve got plenty. You- you should enjoy the little things in life too,” Jimmy said softly. Scott’s face tinged pink, all the way up to the tips of his ears.

“I- whatever,” Scott scoffed, trying to bring it back to their teasing back and forth from before, but failing miserably. Before Jimmy had a chance to reply, Scott drew his hands back, holding the slimeball close to his chest and taking off into the sky. This time around, Jimmy didn’t bother chasing after him. He was a little too busy wondering what on earth had just happened. One moment Jimmy was irritated by Scott’s presence, and the next his heart felt all fluttery and he willingly gave him a commodity from his empire. What was happening to him?! Jimmy had a sneaking suspicion… but he had to talk to Lizzie or Joel first. He just had to be sure.

-

Jimmy flew to Lizzie’s empire, spotting her and Joel sitting together on one of her giant lilypads. They both looked at him with concern when he landed in front of them, out of breath. Lizzie was the first to jump to her feet, hands reaching out towards him and searching for any injuries. Joel followed after her and hovered at her side, looking unsure of what to do.

“What happened?! Are you hurt, were you attacked?!” Lizzie demanded, and Joel’s eyes shot to the skies as he put a hand on the hilt of his sword. Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

“Guys, I’m fine! See, look! I’m all good. Just had to see you,” Jimmy said, holding his arms out to show that he was, in fact, uninjured. Lizzie and Joel breathed out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

“Oh thank goodness. Usually when you fly to one of us in a panic, you’re hurt or being chased, or something’s seriously wrong,” Joel said, the tension draining from his shoulders and hand dropping from the hilt of his sword. Jimmy’s smile turned sheepish.

“Well… something… might be wrong. But there’s something I’ve gotta ask you guys first,” Jimmy replied nervously. Lizzie and Joel exchanged confused glances. Lizzie stepped closer, putting a comforting hand on Jimmy’s shoulder.

“Of course, you can ask us anything,” she said softly. Jimmy took a deep breath, working up the nerve to say it.

“How did you know you were in love?” he asked timidly. Lizzie blinked in surprise, and Joel raised an eyebrow.

“Is this about Scott?” Joel asked. Jimmy’s face flushed in embarrassment.

“Please just answer the question,” he muttered. Thankfully, Joel didn’t seem to be in a teasing mood, and neither did Lizzie.

“For me it was her smile. Gave me butterflies the first time I saw it,” Joel said, unabashedly gazing at Lizzie. She giggled, and Joel’s fond expression increased tenfold.

“Butterflies?” Jimmy asked, a bit confused by the turn of phrase.

“You know, when your stomach gets all squirmy, but not in a bad way? Like a bunch of butterfly wings flapping inside you,” Joel explained, and Jimmy was hit with a sudden burst of clarity. Something in his expression must have shown it, because Lizzie gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“You’re telling me that’s what love feels like? It’s that just… all the time?” Jimmy asked, his voice a little hollow with disbelief. At himself mostly, for not realizing it sooner. To be fair, he didn’t feel those sorts of feelings often. In fact, he felt it almost exclusively with Scott. So to realize this whole time what he had really been feeling wasn’t just hatred or irritation… he felt a little silly.

“Well, it’s not always like that, sometimes being around someone you love just makes you feel warm and cozy,” Lizzie added.

“Well… but I feel warm and cozy all the time with you guys!” Jimmy protested, still trying to deny that feeling just a little bit longer. Lizzie smiled, patient and understanding.

“Yes, but with this… hypothetical someone, it’s different, isn’t it,” she gently prodded. Jimmy finally gave in. It was different with Scott, and that honestly terrified him. He’d never felt this way about anyone, ever.

“Oh my god, I like him,” Jimmy breathed.

“About time you figured it out,” Joel muttered. Lizzie moved her hand from Jimmy’s shoulder to swat Joel’s arm. Jimmy was too busy having a bit of an existential crisis to really care.

“Oh my god I really like him. This whole time- but Scott hates me, what on earth am I supposed to- but he seemed kind of nice today…” Jimmy trailed off, beginning to pace back and forth. Lizzie gasped in excitement, rushing over to stand in front of Jimmy and grabbing his shoulders.

“You saw him today?! Tell. Me. Everything!” she demanded. Jimmy let out a sheepish laugh.

“Nothing really happened! He stole a slimeball from me, I chased him a bit in the sky- and oh god he was gorgeous in the sunlight- and then I said something to make him sad and let him keep the slimeball anyway. I- wow I really didn’t like seeing him sad,” Jimmy rambled, a disbelieving smile growing across his face. Joel made a mock-disgusted face.

“I think I liked it better when Jimmy was in denial, he’s getting all mushy now,” he teased. Lizzie rolled her eyes.

“Don’t listen to him, being mushy is a good look on you,” she insisted, getting a laugh out of Jimmy.

“I’m glad you think so, but maybe Joel is right. Cause now all I can think about is how Scott definitely doesn’t feel the same way,” Jimmy said with a sigh. A determined look came across Lizzie’s face, and distantly Jimmy was a little terrified.

“Oh no, you’ve activated her plotting look,” Joel said with the same distant terror that Jimmy was feeling.

“The ball is the perfect time to change Scott’s mind and show him that you are a catch, you’ve said so yourself,” Lizzie explained with a grin.

“Oh no, that is not happening, I just want the ball to be something fun, I don’t wanna make a scene,” Jimmy protested, but it came out a little weak.

“Us? Make a scene? Never. I was just thinking that we make sure to get you a snazzy outfit!” Lizzie said, and while Jimmy didn’t trust her for a second, he could concede that Lizzie had a better sense of style than he did.

“Oh, alright. As long as it’s just that,” Jimmy said firmly.

“Of course!” Lizzie said, far too innocently. Jimmy just chuckled and shook his head.

“And we should probably do something fancier than the cod head,” Joel added. Jimmy sighed, putting a hand over the cod head.

“Yeah, yeah, Katherine mentioned that too,” Jimmy said with a pout.

“Don’t worry, you’re in good hands!” Lizzie chirped, releasing Jimmy’s shoulders to instead grab his arm and pull him to where she and Joel had been sitting, rambling about outfit ideas all the while. Jimmy couldn’t help but smile and be a tiny bit hopeful. Maybe wearing something nice would catch Scott’s eye… but then what? Happily ever after? Was that how love even worked? Whatever the case, he was sure Lizzie would have a plan for that too. And maybe the ball could be the start of something beautiful.

-

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[theodora3022]

The LoveSick Schemers

Summary: Claude and Yuri as Yanderes, as per requested.

Notes: Someone wants three houses yanderes?! Yeah I am also a FE blog pffttt- Anyway I assumed you meant separate, not poly(I’m not comfortable with that) or competition(sounds tempting, maybe I’ll do it once I clear out my inbox). I set the reader to be a fellow student in Garreg Mach for the convenience’s sake, hope that’s alright. I happen to love these boys a lot too, so hello fellow schemer lover!

These are pretty tame since you didn’t specify anything, I don’t want to accidentally trigger anyone! The Yuri one is gender neutral, the Claude one is a bit on the female side. 

Warnings: Spoiler for the game(obviously), possessive behaviour

Claude Von Riegan

“I’m from the ruling house of the Leicester alliance, but don’t worry about all that madness.”

To draw his attention, you’ll have to be a trickster yourself, or an ideal-bound conservative like Ingrid. The former would light that competitive fire, while the latter your serious ways are amusing to behold to him.

At first Claude would only see you as a pleasant distraction, he has grand plans after all. But sometimes he would find himself eyeing at your concentrated form as you swing weapons, or study magic tomes, with a genuine smile on his lips.

It was at that moment, Claude knew something had slipped out of his control.

His mother and father told him what love feels like, but this is the first time the seventeen-year-old prince has experienced it firsthand.

If you are in another house, Claude will find a way to convince Byleth(or anyone leading the Golden deer) to have you transferred. But seriously, he can be charming when he wants to be, you won’t be able to say no. If even that doesn’t work, how about scouting away all of your friends so you’ll have no choice but to join the Golden deer!

He will go out of his way to spend time with you, finding flawless excuses so you won’t suspect a thing (even if you are as cunning as him). If your goal is to become an archer, that’s more than perfect for Claude because expect him to invite you to target practice everyday. “It’s a house leader’s duty to make sure the member honed their skills properly. Now, do you want to try with this killer bow?” Authority class is also a good way to bond with you!

Expect Claude to invite you every meal possible, with Hilda. You will feel odd to dine with him at first, but once you get used to it, he is just another goofball who has good tricks up his sleeves.(Claude will deliberately make himself appear dumber so you would lower your guard) If you are a goodie-two-shoe(A/N:like Ingrid), you might even scold him for his lacking of table manners!

Claude would try to make your relationship as normal as possible. As a prince, he had seen enough toxic relationships in the royal court of Almyra. Someone as wonderful as you should not be a caged dove, a mere wife for your crest or bloodline(if you are a noble that is). He wants you to flourish alongside him, as a formidable mage/soldier. The future Queen of Alymra should be able to defend herself at least!

But him only. Don’t even think of getting into someone else’s arms.

That Blue lion lad who asked you to the grand ball? How unfortunate it is to hear that he had fallen off from a clift on a mission. That Black eagle boy who is getting too handsy with you at lunch? It was disturbing to know that his black magic backfired leaving him permanently disabled.

Too bad if you liked any of your suitors back. Because they will get their due for attempting to lure you astray from your dear Claude.

Would persuade you to become House Riegan’s knight during the timeskip so he can stay close to you. Golden deers need to stick together, especially during these chaotic times right?

Once you are in the Deirdru with him, that is when the new Duke will start trying to court you formally.

If you are charmed by his amorous advances during the five years, he will be overjoyed and the dark side of the moon will never come into play. Although Claude would be concerned about how to reveal  his real identity before officially announcing the marriage, and how his parents or the people of Almyra would think of another Foldanese Queen.

If you somehow didn’t get swayed by his smooth ways, that’s okay too! As long as you do not promise your hand to another! Surely he can work out something after this war. Since you are in his domain now, no one is allowed to make inappropriate advances towards you because of the Duke’s warnings. They wouldn’t want themselves and their family exiled from  Reigan territory, or even the entire Leicester Alliance.

Yuri Leclerc

“Don’t let that pretty face fool you. He is a rouge, through and through.”

I imagine Yuri would like someone who is naive, virtuous,kind hearted like Ashe(A/N: It’s a crime they don’t have at least a B support IS!!!). You are that refreshing breath of air, the one who reached out to help him when almost everyone looked down to the residents of the abyss.

You are probably a sheltered noble lady, who has not learned about the sinister world well enough to not display kindness towards anyone. Or someone like Mercedes, who loves to take the role of an older sister to others in the Academy.

He would want to preserve your innocence, that precious pureness in this dirty, corrupted world. Yuri is a rat who lurks in the cold shadows, it’s only natural your radiant warmth would attract him.

When he is taken in by Byleth to the Officer’s academy, you are the first to invite him to the dining hall for a decent meal. You even gave him half of your peach sorbet to him since it charges extra and he didn’t spend money on it. “You have a sweet tooth, right? Well, I haven’t touched mine yet, here’s half of it.”

Another naive little fool, guess it’s only fair for him to protect you, to make sure your kindness doesn’t get exploited by other people.

Yuri always has interesting stories for you, or if you are a bookworm, he will bring you some banned books from the Shadow library. Be careful though, better not let Seteth see you reading them.

This guy is smooth and he knows it. Yuri would slip in some flirtaious words here and there, they can be considered as friendly even.

You in turn helped the people of the abyss in any way possible. If you are a white mage, you are happy to heal their wounds or care for the sick, since only a few healers are willing to devote time to “the underground”. If you are a soldier, you would teach the people how to wield a weapon, to defend themselves from thieves and bandits.

Realization didn’t strike Yuri all at once. Constance and Hapi are the first ones to notice how his gaze never strays away from you, and they love teasing him for it. He would deny it, saying he merely thinks of you as a good friend. Then when the thick headed Balthus also agrees with them, that is when his composure would collapse.

Genuine affections? Romantic attachments? Those things should not take up so much space in his heart. They can be perceived as weaknesses, to be used against him. How dare you make him feel this way, who gives you the right?

Maybe the goddess does watch over Folan and this is her punishment for all Yuri’s sins.

Like Claude, Yuri knows how to wear a smiling mask as if that is his true nature. He is a gang leader, he is not afraid to dirty his hands. Yuri is a lot less merciful than Claude when it comes to rivals. While Claude would not takes lives, only causing them enough harm so they get the hint, Yuri will resort to murder as he sees fit. He got underlings at his disposal, his rivals will be nothing against him even if they come from an influential family.

During the five years, since Yuri cannot leave the abyss, you two will keep in touch via letters, unknownst to you he also got some of his trusted henchmen to watch over you, making sure you are in good health and safe.

Once you return to Garreg Mach, you two can pick up where you left off! Don’t worry, Yuri won’t let you die or out of his sight again!

[prfctparis]

In a Sweet Sunshower

AO3 Link

summary: He Who Brings Rain and The One Who Shines Bright are siblings. It’s fitting that there’s a sunshower during one of the campaigns when their legions team up.

a/n: a few things about Tatooine Slave Culture in this is borrowed from fialleril here on tumblr, so all rights go to them for that. except for the sunshower thing, i came up with it while driving and wrote this as fast as i could and actually kind of proud of the concept ngl. fun fact! zariza’s name mean ‘gold, brilliantly bright’ in hebrew so obviously it means something similar here in this star wars universe.

There’s an old phenomenon, here on Tatooine – from thousands and thousands of years ago back when this place wasn’t all dirt and sand – where the suns shone high in the sky, and voluminous clouds did little to darken the earth below, and rain fell from them, soaking the life on the ground.

It never lasted long, a few or so minutes at most, but it always happened during the hottest season of the year. It was said to be a beautiful sight to behold. The down pouring rain and the bright shining suns, together. Apparently it looked like liquid gold.

Everyone called it a sunshower. All of the Depur took it as a sign for there to be tricksters coming their way. Some of the Amavikka said that it was a sign of hope from one of the ancient prophets – Ekkreth, or Maru, or Tena, or Ebra – or even Ar-Amu to the slaves.

But most said that during it was when slaves became Free for good.

…We haven’t had rain in ages.

Zariza huffs and grimaces. Every single part of her is sweaty and sticky, and the humidity of this planet’s region might actually end up being the death of her. No, not the droids they fought earlier, or the damn Separatists, or even a stray blaster bolt. But the humidity. She knows that hate isn’t a good thing for a Jedi to feel, but she hates it, through and through. The air feels suffocating – the exact opposite of what it should be – and makes the heat of the sun feel hotter than it actually is. 

It’s horrible. She says as much to her Jedi Master.

“Yes, humidity does make what we’re doing harder. Unnecessarily so,” Mace agrees, sounding less annoyed and tired than his padawan but Zariza can hear the edge of the emotions in his voice. He isn’t fairing so well in this weather, either.

At least the battle is over. Now they just have to clean up everything.

The leaders of the planet had asked for clean up help once the fighting had ended and they had verbally agreed to officially join the Republic. Of course the 187th and 501st easily promised they would do so. Neither of the legions have somewhere important to be, except for maybe Coruscant or a High Council meeting, and so here they are. Sweating their asses off in the humid heat that somehow feels like a murder attempt.

“Take a break if you need it, Zariza – I don’t want you overworking yourself in this heat. It could be dangerous,” Mace says after a few more moments. Then to Commander Ponds, “Same goes for all of the one-eighty-seventh, Commander. Take as many breaks as you need.”

Zariza sees Ponds nod out of the corner of her eyes, followed by, “Yes sir, General. Lieutenant Spite and a medic squad are collecting bottles of water and setting up tents for shade. I’ve heard that the five-oh-first are doing the same as they work as well.”

“Good.”

Wiping her brow with the bare skin of her bicep, Zariza is glad that she had the foresight to leave her black cloak and outer tunic on the venator-ship. She now only wears the black boots, leggings, and the sleeveless white under tunic, which is now stained with dirt and a few specks of blood but she could hardly care. The troopers did earlier, though, especially at the beginning of the fight – lack of armor meant danger but Zariza wasn’t about to give herself a heatstroke. She at least still wore the braces for her forearms, and the chest plate that she has since taken off.

One of the troopers – Mayhem, she recognizes the armor – hands her a container of water hardly ten minutes later. She smiles gratefully at him and takes it, taking a few sips, and then hands it back. He caps the container, clips it on his belt, and they both get back to work cleaning broken droid parts and other various debris from the fight. Mayhem never strays too far from her. Zariza might have been annoyed by it if she didn’t know that he’s looking out for her.

On the other side of the large area that had been used a battle field against Seppie droids, are the 501st – her brother included. Like her, he has darker robes than the usual Jedi, and had also foregone the outer tunics because of the planet’s heat before battle started. Zariza won’t be surprised if he’s currently completely shirtless by now – a risk for a sunburn, no doubt, with skin much paler than her own, but that’s his problem. She also knows for a fact that Ahsoka is wearing the tube top outfit she wore constantly before Anakin corralled her into wearing something more covering, a few pieces of armor included, just a month ago.

Hell, even Master Mace Windu is shirtless right now, the weirdness of it be damned. Some troopers have started to disappear regularly, leaving in full gear, only to pop up again with the top half of their blacks and armor gone.

Yeah. Humidity karking sucks.

Needing a break, Zariza leans against a lone tree nearby. She can feel the Living Force flowing through it and focuses on that as she catches her breath. Mayhem spots her and brings her more water without question.

“Thanks,” she sighs, and takes another sip.

Mayhem nods, undoing a second bottle from his belt, right next to where his helmet it clipped. He’s shirtless just like many of his brothers, curly hair frizzy as hell. “You’re welcome, sir,” he says. Once he’s had a few sips of his own, he asks, “How much is left in there?”

She shakes it, and shrugs. “Half, maybe?”

He nods again. “I’ll go back to one of the tents and refill it for you soon.”

She smiles thankfully. “Don’t forget to get yourself some.”

Mayhem chuckles. “Of course not, sir.”

After taking another drink, she hands it back just like before. But she doesn’t move to get back to work just yet. Master Mace nudges her in their bond, asking if she’s okay, and she tiredly pokes back to confirm that she is, all the while eying what’s left of the field to clean up. They’re getting there, but it looks like it will take forever. At least Anakin, Ahsoka, and the 501st are tackling the other half; and they’re getting closer, slowly but surely.

Her eyes flit up to the sky, and she spots grey clouds nearby. But, ugh – they aren’t close enough for them to get rained on.

It causes a frown to tug on her lips. A pout, if she wants to be honest about it.

Mayhem chuckles for a second time, more amused than before. “Finally saw the clouds, huh, verd’ika?”

Another trooper nearby stops and looks as well. A wounded noise escape them. “It’s so close but so damn far,” they say, forlorn. What a Force-damned mood.

“This humidity will be the death of me,” Zariza mumbles.

“That’s not happening on our watch,” they say, firm yet exhausted, the sadness about the clouds suddenly gone.

“Damn straight,” Mayhem agrees.

She can only groan.

Once Zariza has rested for a good few minutes, she stands up straight again, but instead of getting to work, she unties the knot of the yellow bandana at the nape of her neck. The wild, dark waves of her hair are no doubt frizzy and wilder than ever; earlier she was positive that she felt the waves grow in size because of the friz and the humidity, and she honestly doesn’t want to know what she looks like because of it. Quickly, she works on putting her long hair into a nerftail and ties it with the bandana.

What feels like ages later, the planet’s sun is beginning to finally lower in the sky and the 187th has done most of their half of the battle field. Through the bond, Zariza can tell Anakin is close by yet she stays lying on the ground, taking yet another much needed break. The clouds are closer, too. Yet still no rain.

The sound of boots crunching the dry, summer grass as someone walks gets closer and louder, up until the person stops right at Zariza’s head, casting a shadow over her. She blinks and tilts her chin to get a better look at who it is despite already having a pretty good guess. Anakin stands over her, sweaty and shirtless, with red tinting his shoulders, chest, and nose. His dirty blond hair is matted with sweat and it sticks to his forehead and the nape of his neck, a few of the short curls frizzed up, and his face is contorted into a scowl.

“I cannot believe I’m saying this,” he says, “but I miss Tatooine’s dry heat.”

“Agreed,” she grunts.

Anakin huffs and steps to her side. He then sticks out his flesh hand, and Zariza forces herself to sit up so she can grab it. He pulls her to her feet and almost immediately lets go once he’s sure she’s balanced well. The humid heat has made the brother-sister who hug every time they see each other, want to not be touching another body in any way for the foreseeable future.

Anakin runs a hand through his hair, grimaces at the sweat, and wipes it on his pants. Disgusting. “Been drinking enough water?” he asks.

She sighs. “Yep. You?”

“Yep.”

“Ahsoka?”

“Yep.” A beat. “Master Windu?”

She almost says ‘yep’ again, but decides not to. “Yeah, him too. Don’t worry.” She smirks. It’s no secret that before Master Mace took her as his padawan, that Anakin couldn’t stand the man. The feeling might have been mutual, but honestly Zariza doesn’t know and doesn’t care to. For now.

Anakin just rolls his eyes and flips her off, walking off to help Captain Rex and a few more guys of Torrent Company.

Ahsoka comes up to her a second later. The younger teen doesn’t say anything, and neither does Zariza. Usually energetic and happy to get her to know her Master’s little sister better, the heat has zapped the togruta of most of her energy. So in silence, they work together on a particularly large piece of debris, and then immediately head to the nearest tent for some much needed shade. Breaks are becoming more frequent, and Zariza thinks that maybe she will have to stop helping if they don’t finish up cleaning soon.

Anakin is already in the tent, along with Master Mace, Captain Rex, and Commander Ponds by the time the girls get there, and the two padawans wave a short greeting to the men before beelining where other troopers are giving out fresh water.

It’s when one of the Boys In Blue (as the GAR has started calling the 501st) hands them both a fresh container when it happens.

The sound of rain pelting the top of the tent makes everyone freeze. It’s obviously still sunny, but that doesn’t stop Zariza or any of the others to turn to check for themselves. And it is – no clouds directly above them at all – yet the rain is falling down, gradually increasing to a steady downpour. She blinks a few times and inches closer to the edge of the tent, and hardly a second later Anakin is at her side, looking out as well, mouth parted in shock.

“A sunshower,” Anakin whispers.

Zariza numbly nods.

Her mind conjures up a faint memory of being told of a phenomenon from hundreds of thousands of years ago on Tatooine. Of sunshine and rain, together. Of liquid gold. Of tricksters visiting Depur. Of a sign of hope to slaves, or a celebration for the Freed.

It doesn’t look completely like liquid gold like Amu’s tales said, but it was close to it. It’s still beautiful. A stunning phenomenon that neither Anakin nor Zariza believed they would ever get to see. 

“They don’t last long,” she finds herself saying.

The Skywalkers turn their heads in unison to look at one another. Matching grins of excitement and mischief form, and without any prompting Zariza is taking off into the rain almost as fast as a blaster bolt, Anakin hot on her heels.

Zariza jumps into an already formed puddle. It’s right next to one of the 501st troopers, Jesse, and it splashes him. Zariza may or may not have used to Froce to make the splash bigger, but that doesn’t exactly matter. Just that there’s a sunshower, that her and her brother are both Free, and there’s a fucking sunshower and it’s amazing! 

Jesse lunges at her, wanting to retaliate for getting splashed at, but she slips away easily with loud laughter.

From him, anyway – Anakin catches her a second later with water from a puddle cupped in his hands. He promptly dumps it over her head with laughter of his own, then misses up her hair just for the heck of it.

“Wha– ugh, Anakin!”

“Tag, you’re it!” he shouts, as if they’re eight and twelve again in the Room of a Thousand Fountains instead of sixteen and twenty in the middle of a field post-battle.

Zariza gapes at him, but it quickly turns into grins and she chases after him without a second thought.

It doesn’t take long for Ahsoka to join, or even for the troopers. Within seconds, there’s a large game of tag, troopers splashing in puddles, and almost everyone running in the rain with the sun shining down on them, laughter ringing out into the open and so much Light seeping into the Force that Mace can’t help but shove his Commander into the rain as well.

…Yes, we haven’t had rain in thousands upon thousands of years.

But it is said that one day, when the twin suns shine hotly over Tatooine, that clouds will form once again yet they will not obscure the twins from sight, and a downpour of rain will wash over everyone.

All the slaves will be Free, and Depur will no longer have power over us.

We will have a sunshower once more.

[idv-tricksterisopu]

I wanna know more about your blog. Consider me asking all of the questions in the blog category. 😉

Oh god hi-

Let me back track this-

🕰 This blog has somehow been alive for atleast 7 months or so? I remember starting it around June 2021 somewhere on my summer break.

🖋 I do have an og blog where i post some art and is mostly for my private viewing but uh to be fair Im not so use to posting anything there-

🗓 Way too many- Starting from future interractions, events, shenanigians, scenarios. The only thing i need to prepare now is my motivation and s a n i t y.

🌟 I kinda rather say it to them personally then actually reveal of many ppl to see 👉👈

💡AHAHAH IRONICALLY N O T H I N G - both @justalurker-blog n @one0p1nk knows of how I started out my blog because to be fair it began with them-

Rambles under the cut-

I left this question for last cuz I would like to tell the story-

So with me being bored and trying to find new things to procastinate on- i knew tumblr and everything but never really bothered to download or check it out until uh- out or morbid curiosity(fanfics-) that i decided to finally try.

I found pin's VALE blog cuz i d v and was interested in first. I said nothing in there til-

It went from a simple imposter situation to a full blown felony-

Oh but i didnt stop there- I enjoyed it til the point I wanna join in the fun front row seat. So I did a Trickster blog. Cuz og aesop aint gonna fit my ideals of a b s o l u t e wreakage.

Quoted from a friend "I don't kin Aesop. Aesop kins m e-"

Ironically x2 this blog was suppose to just be a troll and the reason why Isopu has glasses in the old version of my lore writing is cuz he is the type to scroll thru his phone for hours on end til atleast 3 am at night while the room is dark til the point youd get paranoia.

Yeah u can clearly tell I scrap that idea and gave him an entire lore of what I think happened in the CoA story minus the fact he died originally before I committed to this blog and had to tweek it abit.

Funfact: instead of this mfker living and has glasses with immense trauma. He dies with Tracy (Yoasobi-夜に駆け)-style into the abyss cus I ship them thank you-

I wasnt thinking to even commit to this blog and was expecting myself to sudden dissappear but here we are-

Besides that i also started kidnapping wick and pretty much caused a small uproar. Though idk if small is an understatement but-- thats up to the others ^^

So I guess you can say my inspiration was my drive to end everyones career and sanity along with the fun I had with Pins and everyone else uwu

Keep in mind I was pretty new to these commitments on askblogs and tumblr in general so i didnt know anyone then and that if I crossed any boundaries and made ppl uncomfy qwq

But I learned to get used to it uwu so thx to everyone who has been with me for awhile and dealt with my craziness XD

[yandere-wishes]

The Sleep Over

So this is a gift for @poisonepel​ and @unofficial-twstd​ for everything she’s done for the twisted wonderland fandom! It doesn’t involve anything yandere relatted which means that the quality of my usual crappy writing has gone down even farther. Still I hope you enjoy! Oh and taking @juliefandom​ for this too!

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

The winds whistle caused an eerie tapping of the tree branches against the broken windows of the Ramshackle dorm. Inside the weary old dormitory, a single lightbulb illuminated the master bedroom.

However, despite the gloomy, morbid atmosphere circulating around the run-down house, the residents both permanent and temporary where too wrapped up in their little game to note the environment. Laughter filled the room as Ace frantically hopped from foot to foot trying to relay a message, he slashed his arms back and forth loosely in an exaggerated manner.  

"...An elephant?" Deuce raised an eyebrow, brain trying to come up with what his dorm mate could possibly be.

'Isn't it obvious? He's a monkey!" Grim declared loudly from his spot on MC's lap.

"No Grim monkeys don't act like that! I'd say he's a dog that got his tail stepped on!" Grim craned his head to stare at the foreigner from a strange land, a dark shadow fell over his teel eyes, he stuck his tongue out then pounced onto a pile of forgotten pillows in the corner. " MC there is no way that THE Grim is wrong! Tell them Ace! Tell them I'm right."

Ace signed, flopping dramatically on the ground, the floorboards screamed in pain from his wight, but much like the other abnormalities of the house, the small crew disregarded it. The redhead crossed his arms and pouted, his orange eye glowed with frustration. "How dense are you morons? I didn't expect Grim or Mc to get it cause they've made it very clear they know absolutely nothing. But you Deuce? How in the queen's name didn't you figure it out?!" Deuce momentarily tore he attend away from a pack of cards he'd been shuffling. His gaze was dull and laced with border and indifference. "Because you couldn't act if your life depended on it..." The room fell silent, Grim snicked behind his paw and MC tried they're best to hold in they're laughter. Ace on the, on the other hand, had gone as red as the heart on his eye. His mouth stretched open, teeth parted ready to yell at the crude comment, but his rival beat him to the punch.

"Since Ace has proved to be incompetent in charades and I highly doubt Grim will be any better, let's play old maid, my mother uses to play it with me all the time back home." Deuce turned to MC, all signs of malice and boredom erased from his visage. Instead, there was a beaming smile. He didn't wait for MC's reply instead he started tossing the cards to the group.

Ace quickly seized his cards, eyes scanning the cards and a charming smirk playing at his lips and he peeked over his deck and mouthed a thank you to Deuce and pretended to blow him a kiss. Grimm merely stared at his cards, a confused look dancing across his furry face. "W-what the heck is....old laid?" the smallest member of your little pack asked.

Ace burst out laughing, his voice bounced off the walls, causing the ghosts that slept in the attack to start moaning and whining for you lot to keep it down. "Maid, Grim not laid, maid" MC corrected, they could vaguely recall reading about the game in an old history textbook back when she'd been studying old England. It was rather astonishing that such a trifling game from the "normal" world, was played -and commonly at that- in this paradox Eden.

"The game is pretty easy" Deuce started to explain "everyone gets an even amount of cards. You look at your delt cards and try to find any pairs like aces, kings, etc if you have any, you throw them in the middle. Then you get the player on your left to pick a card without looking at the deck. If the card they chose makes a pair with one of your preexisting cards then you toss them with the rest of the pairs. This shall endure until someone is left with the queen of hearts. That person shall be beheaded....in a manner of speaking" Noting the paled, mortified expression on grim's face, Deuce quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean they lose..."

"don't worry Grim Riddle won't randomly appear out of thin air and chop off your head" Mc tried to ease the cat's uneasy ness, they gently started stroking there back.

The first round went surprisingly well. Ace was so concentrated on every little move he made. Deuce was quieter than usual, his mind guessing who was the unfortunate soul with the queen in they're possession. It turned out to be Grim for that round...

and the following round and the one after that and the one after that one as well...

"This game is rigged! You guys teamed up on me! How could you!" Grim's shouting started leaving cracks in the already semi-broken mirrors. "This isn't fair-!" Having gotten fed up with the fire wielders' constant endless complaining, MC threw a pillow at them. They'd forgotten that despite is big mouth Grim was still just a cat, which made him very lightweight. The pillow despite also being lightweight and extremely soft sent the small creature flying. He crashed into one of the walls, causing the old, violet tinted materials to dent and small sharps to crumble onto the floor. The pillow wordlessly tumbled to the ground, Grim's corps followed landing with a thud on the soft feathery cushion.

A thick silence feels on the broken down room. No one moved, no one spoke, everyone held they're breaths. Waiting...

Grim didn't move, he didn't so much as make a peep. Deuce was the first to make a move. He crawled over to Grim and shook him, seeing if he was out of commission or not. The cat made a sudden hissing noise before springing up. Paws balled into tiny fists, he tried to lift the pillow and swing it at MC. But the headrest proved to be much too heavy for him. Watching him fail over and over and over again, Deuce reluctantly picked up the pillow and with more force than necessary threw it at MC's face.

"The hell was that for?" Ace asked already running over to Deuce armed with his own pillow. He brought down the fussy headrest on Deuces back. The sheer intensity caused Deuce to fall face-first on the dusty ground. Having bounced back MC charged forward with their own pillow and begun viciously attacking Deuce with it.

Noticing the gravity and defenseless Deuce, Grim tugged a pillow over to the poor navy haired boy. Quickly Deuce grasped it and swung ant Ace's side. This caused the redhead to lose his balance and trip backward. Seeing his chance Deuce straddled him and began to rapidly hit the pillow on his face. MC noting the distraction of the two boys crawled behind Deuce and pounced on him, shoving him away from Ace, who took the chance and shoved his pillow over Deuce's face.

While the commotion was taking place. Grim had plopped down by the window. He was scrolling through a tiny smartphone the director had provided him with. He smiled a flustered smile as he gazed upon the photo of a blue Unidragon named Julie. The furry kitty cat closed his eyes and let out an excited squeal, his pitch fork tail swung side to side in excitement. He was brought out of his happy state by MC calling his name.

"Grim get the lights and get to sleep, you trickster."

The cat's attention flew back to his friends, noticing how they were all lying on their sleeping bags and slowly dozing off. Once he'd turned the lights off, the furry fire creature curled up next to MC, eyes closed and ready to drift off to his dreams.

"Hey MC.." "Yeah Grim" "I'm glad you fell out of that mirror" "Yeah me two.." "Hey MC" "Yeah Grim" "Sweet dreams" "Somehow I doubt that"

MC finally shut their own eyes, prepping for yet another bizarre dream.

[longitudinalwaveme]

Cold As Ice

The Flash Captain Cold stars in: Cold As Ice

Dramatis Personae

Captain Cold, the pragmatic, constantly grumpy leader of the Rogues, alias Leonard Snart

Pied Piper, a Robin Hood-esque thief, alias Hartley Rathaway

Heat Wave, the dimwitted but surprisingly friendly pyromaniac, alias Mick Rory

Iris Allen, the daredevil reporter who is also the wife of Barry Allen

Mirror Master II, an extremely odd, extremely Scottish criminal, alias Evan McCulloch

Script

Act I

(Captain Cold is onstage. Enter Heat Wave)

Heat Wave: Captain Cold! It’s so good to see ya! (Hugs Cold)  

Captain Cold: Two words, Mick: Personal. Space.

Heat Wave: Oh. Sorry, boss. I just got excited. (Releases Cold)  It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Are you okay, buddy? Where’ve you been?

Captain Cold: Mainly, the prison infirmary. Got double pneumonia, and somethin’ called septic shock along with it, so I was in there for like a month. And then my ulcer started actin’ up again, so I was there for even longer. And THEN I had appendicitis on top of everything else. So, long story short, I was stuck in there until last week, and I only escaped two days ago.

Heat Wave: Oh, so THAT’s why I couldn’t find you!

Captain Cold: Yeah, that would probably be why. (Pause) What happened while I was out? I spent most of my time in the infirmary coughing, vomiting, or unconscious, so I wasn’t able to keep track of nothing.

Heat Wave: Well, the Trickster’s back in town, Captain Boomerang’s broken leg is healed, and your sister and the Top are in Hawaii for the fifth anniversary of their first date.

Captain Cold: WHAT? Heat Wave: Don’t worry, boss. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.

Captain Cold: That’s not what I’m worried about.

Heat Wave: Then what are you worried about? It’s not like they’re chasing tornadoes or anything.

Captain Cold: I’m worried about what that stuck-up snob might do to my baby sister when I’m not there to protect her. He thinks people like us are trash, and it would be just like him to decide that she’s not worthy of his affections and dump her. I don’t want her to get hurt like that.

(Enter Pied Piper)

Heat Wave: Boss, the Top wouldn’t do that. He’s our friend.

Captain Cold: No, he ain’t. He’s an arrogant creep who thinks he’s better than us.

Heat Wave: If you say so, boss. (Notices Piper) Boss, look who’s here! It’s the Pied Piper! I’ve been trying to find him for weeks! (To Piper) Hiya, little buddy!

Pied Piper: (Slightly surprised) Hello, Mick. It’s a pleasure to see you.

Heat Wave: How are you? Pied Piper: Homeless. Again. You see, I was going to get a nice little cottage in the suburbs somewhere, but then I ran into a very pregnant woman whose husband had just lost his job, so I had to give her some money, and then I met a poor little boy who really wanted a football, so I bought it for him, and then I stumbled upon a youth center that was about to close for lack of funds, so I gave them some money, and then I met a really nice old lady who needed an operation that she couldn’t afford, so I gave her some money, and then I heard about a flood in India, and so I had to donate some money to that cause, and then I met a family with a little girl who needed a wheelchair, so I gave her some money, and then I was broke, so I couldn’t buy the cottage.

Heat Wave: I can give you some money, little buddy.

Captain Cold: Don’t bother. He’ll just give that away, too. (To Piper) Kid, how many times do we have to go over this? You ain’t rich no more. If you don’t wanna be homeless, you have to keep some of the money you steal for  yourself.

Pied Piper: I can’t do that! I spent the first twenty years of my life in palatial luxury. If I’m going without now, it’s only fair. My family has utterly ignored the plight of the poor in this city, and if I have to be homeless to make things right, so be it!

Captain Cold: You’re crazy. (Pause) When was the last time you ate, kid? You’re so thin I can see your ribs!

Pied Piper: Um ...three days ago? I think?

Captain Cold: Three days ago? Are you tryin’ to kill yourself? You ain’t used to bein’ cold and hungry. If you keep this up, one of these days the Flash is gonna be arresting your corpse!

Heat Wave: The boss is right, little buddy. It ain’t healthy to starve yourself to help people.

Pied Piper: I wasn’t planning to not eat for three days. It just happened.

Captain Cold: Then plan better, you idiot!

Heat Wave: (pulls out granola bar) Here, little buddy.

Pied Piper: Thank you, Mick. (Takes bar, eats ravenously) Do you have more? Heat Wave: No...but I can take you to lunch with me.

Pied Piper: That would be nice….

Heat Wave: Okay! Then let’s go eat! I’ve found a really great new barbeque chicken place!

Captain Cold: And by really great, you mean “full of chicken so spicy that no normal person can eat it”.

Heat Wave: Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that. (Pause) Okay, how about we go to Steak ‘n’ Shake? I love their sandwiches.  

Captain Cold: After three months of eating the stuff they give you in the infirmary? That’d be good. They have some great milkshakes.

Pied Piper: Right now, I’m so hungry that I could probably eat dog food. I’m happy with anything that won’t make my mouth catch on fire.

Heat Wave: Okay, then let’s go! I can’t wait to talk with you guys and catch you up on what you’ve missed while you were gone!

Act II

(Iris is onstage)

Iris: I’ll say this for being a superhero’s wife-it gets you the best stories! Unless I miss my guess, the information Animal Man gave me will get me on the front page. Why, this is the biggest government cover-up since Watergate! Just wait until Barry hears about this! He’ll be so proud! Maybe it’ll even cheer him up a bit. (Pause) Poor Barry. He just hasn’t been the same since Abra Kadabra stole his super speed. I hope Wally’s mission to get it back is successful, because he feels so bad about not being able to help people as the Flash. (Pause) Oh, well. Worrying about it won’t help, so I’ll just go back to my investigation. Watch out, bad guys-Iris Allen is on your case!

(Enter Evan McCulloch, the second Mirror Master)

Evan McCulloch: Howzitgoan, Mrs. Allen?

Iris: (Spins around) Who are you? And how did you get in here?

Evan McCulloch: My name is Evan; Evan McCulloch. As for your second question: well, I’ll give you a wee hint: it’s all done with mirrors.

Iris: With mirrors? (Pause) You’re a Mirror Master, aren’t you?

Evan McCulloch: Mirror Master? That’s a well good name, but up until now it wasnae mine.

Iris: But you can use mirrors as weapons or for transportation?

Evan McCulloch: Aye. Wasnae aware doing that came with a title.

Iris: My husband’s a superhero, and he fights a criminal named Sam Scudder, who calls himself the Mirror Master. By all appearances, you’re using his tech, but the only people who have access to any of it-besides Scudder himself, unfortunately-work for the government.

Evan McCulloch: Aye. How do ye think I got ahold of it?

Iris: You work for the government?

Evan McCulloch: Officially, nae. They’ve made it well clear that if I get lifted, they’ll deny that they had anything tae do with me.

Iris: So you’re working for the government.

Evan McCulloch: They’re paying me, aye. Ye see, in Glasgow, I had a reputation for making people's ...problems… disappear, and apparently your government decided that I’d be useful in making their problems disappear.

Iris: And I’m a problem? Evan McCulloch: Aye. Certain members of your government will be in big trouble if ye reveal what they’ve been up tae, so they told me to make sure that ye cannae tell anyone about what ye’ve found.

Iris: My husband and nephew are superheroes. If anything happens to me, you’ll answer for it.

Evan McCulloch: Calmy doony. I’m nae here tae kill ye. I’m nae saint, but I’m nae going to kill a woman, especially nae tae keep a secret that will come out anyway.

Iris: Then why are you here?

Evan McCulloch: Tae warn ye. I’m nae the only dangerous man on their payroll. They need ye silenced, so when I refused to kill ye, they sent another man.

Iris : Forgive me if I’m less than convinced that your intentions are benevolent.  

Evan McCulloch: Nae danger. But I’d still advise ye tae come with me.

Iris: I’m licensed to carry a gun. I think that I can handle myself now that I’m forewarned.

Evan McCulloch: Not against the man they’re sending. I’m nae the only one they gave well dangerous technology, ye ken?

Iris: Is that so? Then I think I’ll borrow this! (Grabs mirror and disappears)

Evan McCulloch: Jings! She’s clever, isnae she? (Shakes head) I’d better follow her. She’s brave, but she does nae ken what’s after her.

(Exit Evan)

Act III

(Pied Piper, Heat Wave, and Captain Cold are onstage)

Heat Wave: Are you feeling better, little buddy?

Pied Piper: Yes, and thank you.

Heat Wave: You’re welcome. (Pause) By the way, do you know when Golden Glider and the Top are coming back from their vacation?

Pied Piper: Wait. You didn’t hear?

Heat Wave: Hear what?

Pied Piper: The Top and Golden Glider never went on vacation. They’ve been in Central City the whole time. James even told me that he, Sam, and Mark did a heist with the Top.

Heat Wave: They’re still in Central City?

Pied Piper: It seems that way, yes.

Captain Cold: Then where’s my sister?

Pied Piper: That’s the thing: no one knows. James said that he never saw her-although he does think that the Top knows where she is.

Captain Cold: If he’s hurt her, I’ll kill him!

Pied Piper: Captain Cold, the Top worships your sister. He would never hurt her.

Captain Cold: Then where is she, and why isn’t she with him?

Heat Wave: You know, boss, just because your sister’s not in our immediate line of sight doesn’t mean that she’s in trouble. She can take care of herself. After all, up until a few years ago, we only saw her a few times a year.

Captain Cold: She wasn’t dating the Top or a member of the Rogues until a few years ago either.

Heat Wave: So, uh, why don’t you just call her if you’re that worried about her, boss?

Captain Cold: Don’t be stupid, Mick. (Long pause) Hey, I’ve got it! I can just call Lisa and make sure she’s okay!

Heat Wave: You’re so smart, boss.

Pied Piper: Wait...didn’t you just say that Mick was being stupid for suggesting that idea?

Captain Cold: We’ll talk about it later. (Pulls out phone, dials number. Pause) Lisa! Hi! It’s so good to hear from you! (Pause) I was in the prison infirmary. I had double pneumonia, septic shock, and appendicitis. Oh, and my ulcer acted up some, too. What have you been doing? (Pause) You’re doing what? Why? (Pause) He’s sick, too? What are the odds? Do you know what his problem is? Mmm-hmm. Uh-huh. Yes, I’m sure you’ll get whatever it is he needs to get better. (Pause) No, I don’t want him dead. I hate his guts, but for some mysterious reason he makes you happy, so I want him to stay alive. (Pause) Have you been feeling all right? Has anyone tried to hurt you? No? Good. (Pause) Are you sure ? (Pause) Okay, okay, I’ll stop asking. Good luck, little sis. I love you. Good-bye. (Puts phone away) My little sister’s a genius.

Heat Wave: Where’s she been?

Captain Cold: Apparently, her snob of a boyfriend is dying, and the only cure is at CCPD headquarters, so she’s posing as a police scientist named Patty Spivot in order to steal it. She’s even befriended Barry Allen! I’m so proud of her.

Heat Wave: Aww, that’s adorable! I always knew that little Lisa was one smart cookie.

(Iris appears in the background, then disappears again)

Pied Piper: So, um, now that we’ve finished eating, are we going to do something, or are we just going to go our separate ways?

Captain Cold: I’m not going to lead a heist today, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m still too far behind on recent events right now.

(Enter Evan McCulloch)

Evan McCulloch: Have any of ye seen a bonny woman with red hair around here?

Captain Cold: Who are you? And where did you come from?

Evan McCulloch: I dinnae have time for that right now! I need tae make sure that a hitman does nae kill a woman named Iris Allen!

Pied Piper: Iris Allen? The wife of the Flash?

Evan McCulloch: Aye, that’s the one.

Captain Cold: AGGH! (Collapses)

Heat Wave: Boss, what’s wrong?

Captain Cold: I ...I think it’s my ulcer. My stomach is-ARGH!-killing me!

Heat Wave: Bros befores wives of heroes, random guy! I’ve gotta get my boss to the hospital, so we can’t help you save Iris. Sorry. I’ll buy you dinner later to make up for it if you want.

Captain Cold: I’m-UGH!-fine, Heat Wave!

Heat Wave: No, you’re not, boss. You just collapsed, and you’re obviously in pain. We are going to the hospital.

Pied Piper: Can you get him to the hospital without me?

Heat Wave: Yeah. Why?

Pied Piper: Because Iris Allen is an amazing woman who definitely deserves my help.

Heat Wave: I guess I can get Captain Cold to the hospital on my own. So yeah, if you wanna go help the Flash’s wife, I guess you can.

Pied Piper: Great. (To Evan) I’ll help you.

Evan McCulloch: Ah’m glad for your help, wee man in green. Now brace yourself. Traveling through Wonderland is well tricky at first.

Pied Piper: What’s Wonderla-AAAH!

(Evan McCulloch and Pied Piper disappear)

Heat Wave: (Pulls out phone and dials) Hello? Operator? My friend needs an ambulance…

Act IV

(Enter Pied Piper and Evan McCulloch)

Pied Piper: Could you give me a little warning the next time you pull me through the Mirror Realm?

Evan McCulloch: The Mirror Realm? Is that what ye call Wonderland?

Pied Piper: No, it’s what the Mirror Master calls “Wonderland”. How did you get ahold of his  technology, anyway? And who are you?

Evan McCulloch: Evan. Evan McCulloch. I was given the tech by members of the US Government who are buried so deep in a scandal they’ll do anything tae keep it covered. They hired me tae kill Iris Allen, but I refused, so I dinnae think they’re still paying me. In fact, if I’m nae careful, they might try tae off me tae cover all their loose ends. Who are ye?

Pied Piper: I’m the Pied Piper, one of the Rogues. The other two men you saw with me are Heat Wave, another member of the group, and Captain Cold, our leader.

Evan McCulloch: Rogues?

Pied Piper: Yes. We’re a group of thieves who work together to fight the Flash.

Evan McCulloch: What sort of thieves are so concerned about each others’ health that they’ll call ambulances for each other?

Pied Piper: I don’t know. What sort of hired gun refuses to kill a target and then goes out of his way to warn her about the planned assassination?

Evan McCulloch: Point taken, laddie. I’d like tae be in a group like that. I have nae been able tae trust anyone since I left Mrs. McCulloch, and it’d be nice tae not have tae watch my back all the time, ye ken?

Pied Piper: You abandoned your wife?

Evan McCulloch: I dinnae have a wife. Mrs. McCulloch ran the orphanage where I grew up. She’s the closest thing I have tae a mother.

Pied Piper: My apologies.

Evan McCulloch: Nae danger. Ye didn’t ken.

Pied Piper: Well, if you really want to join the Rogues, you’ll probably have to ask Captain Cold. He’s the one who makes the final decisions about who becomes a member of the group. (Pause) Oh, and you’ll also have to come up with a supervillain name.

Evan McCulloch: Oh, I’ve already got one. I can be the Mirror Master.

Pied Piper: I don’t think Sam will like that. It’s bad enough that you’re using his gear. I don’t think he’d take very kindly to you taking his name, too.

Evan McCulloch: Then I’ll call myself Mirror Master II.

Pied Piper: That would probably just make him angrier.

Evan McCulloch: Well, if he makes a fuss aboot it, I’ll just punch him.

Pied Piper: (Aside) If nothing else, he’ll fit in well. (To Evan) Why don’t we talk more about potential names later?

Evan McCulloch: That would be fine, aye.

Pied Piper: Good. So where do you think Iris is going?

(Enter Iris)

Iris: Hello, Evan. Hello, Pied Piper. What are you doing here?

Pied Piper: I’m helping Evan rescue you, I think.

Iris: That’s sweet of you, Hartley, but I don’t need rescuing. Thanks to the Mirror Gun, I took out my would-be assassin, and Jay’s taking him to jail right now. Now I just need to finish writing my article, and I can put this whole mess behind me.

Pied Piper: Well, I’m very glad you’re alright, Mrs. Allen. Good luck with your expose. I’m sure it will have the high quality of all your work.

Iris: Thanks, Piper.

Evan McCulloch: (Aside) If she defeated that assassin, we’d better get oot of here before she defeats us, tae. After all, we aren’t exactly innocent ourselves. (Aloud) In that case, my work here is doon. Ta! (Evan grabs the Mirror Gun, then grabs Piper, and both disappear)

Iris: Looks like I’d better tell Barry, Wally, and Jay that the Rogues have a new member. Hmmm ...that could actually be a story all on its own! If I play my cards right, I could have two award winning stories and help defeat two separate groups of bad guys all from one investigation. This is awesome! I love it when I help my loved ones bring justice. (Pause) I should probably get back home, though. Those stories aren’t going to write themselves!

 (Exit Iris)

Act V

(Captain Cold is lying down onstage; Heat Wave is standing by him)

Heat Wave: You feeling better, boss?

Captain Cold: A little. I can’t believe that my stupid ulcer put me in the hospital twice in less than three months!

Heat Wave: Maybe it’s all the stress in your life. I’ve heard that stress makes ulcers worse, and your job is really stressful. Maybe you should take a vacation.

Captain Cold: And let the Top run the Rogues into the ground? Not a chance.

Heat Wave: It wouldn’t have to be for very long ...just a couple of days, maybe.

Captain Cold: I’m not taking a vacation, and that’s final!

Heat Wave: I guess you know best, boss. If you don’t want to take a vacation, you don’t have to.

(Enter Evan McCulloch and Pied Piper)

Pied Piper: Hello, Mick. Hello, Captain Cold.

Heat Wave: Hi, little buddy! How’d the rescue go?

Pied Piper: As it turned out, she rescued herself, so our presence turned out to be completely superfluous. That being said, I think I did find us a potential new member of the Rogues. His name is Evan McCulloch, and he wants to be part of a group that he knows will have his back.

Evan McCulloch: Howzitgoan?

Heat Wave: Hi, Evan! I’m Heat Wave, but you can call me Mick Rory. Where are you from?

Evan McCulloch: Glasgow, Scotland. The city of culture!

Heat Wave: Oh, so that’s why you sound so funny. (To Captain Cold) Can he stay, Captain Cold? Please? He’s funny sounding, and I like him.

Captain Cold: I can see that you have Mirror Master’s gear. The original is one of my best friends, and I don’t think he’d like you using his tech. That being said, my health hasn’t been great lately, so we could probably use another guy with his powers in the case of an emergency. (Pause) All right, Scostman, you’re in…...but you’re on probation until I say otherwise.

Evan McCulloch: That’s good eno for me, Captain Cold.

Captain Cold: In that case, your first job is to help me find the other Rogues. When we face the Flashes next, I want to be as well prepared as possible.

Pied Piper: Well, if everything is all right here, then I will be going. You know where to find me if you need me, and this city has a lot of people who need my help.

[dearlazerbunny]

Lie to Me (Ch. 5 of ?)

Pairings: Loki x Reader

Genre/Ratings: M eventually (aiming for a slow burn here); warnings for kidnapping and subsequent anxiety/PTSD (will be marked before every chapter)

Words: 1500

Summary: If you had to guess what the captured, traitor, trickster god Loki Laufeyson wanted or needed at this moment, a babysitter would be far, far down on the list. (Set after the events of Avengers 1.)

SHOUTOUT TO @molmcb and @jessiejunebug and their continued quest to inflate my ego as I beg them to tell me my writing is halfway decent  

Requested Tags: @deraniel @iamverity @yasnooshka24@themusingsofmany@dark-night-sky-99 @wegingerangelica

“You said you have questions.”

Your pencil scratches to a halt on your notebook. “What?”

The man in his cell heaves a long suffering sigh. “Must you make me repeat myself constantly? You said you have questions. Ask them.”

Um… what? You raise an eyebrow at him and peer closely, trying to distinguish and sort of schmoozing like the last time he spoke to you. “Are you… are we, like, talking now? Is this a thing?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well you seemed pretty insistent on keeping up the whole silent treatment, sooooo… why talk now? Did my ever-present charm finally seduce the Trickster?”

He gives you a look that could feasibly translate to ‘you’d be more attractive dipped in a swamp and covered in grass clippings’. “I am bored. You are here and seem somewhat capable of producing coherent thoughts. Therefore, you happen to be my only option for entertainment.”

“Hoo boy, lucky me.” You snort. “Don’t lie to me, you probably just want to figure out how to sway me into unlocking your handcuffs again.”

He seems amused by this. “I am the god of lies, Witling. I very much doubt you could tell when I lie to you.”

“Bet.” You pause. “I- sorry. What did you call me?”

The Trickster has an incredibly self-satisfied smirk on his lips, one that instantly makes you want to slap it off of him. “You seem to think yourself incredibly pithy for a mortal. Not many would speak so smartly to the God with a sliver tongue. And, you apparently refuse to call me by name, thus I shall not call you by yours, Witling.”

Considering everything he just said to you were well-places insults, they’re incredibly pretty insults. You suppose it’s that whole silver tongue thing. The man could read a phone book and it’d be X-rated. “I’m assuming you’re not actually calling me witty, Trickster?”

“Ah, the little one understands sarcasm. Quite a boon.”

At this point the jabs just fly right over your head. You put your chin in your hand and rest it on the table, musing. “Hm. The Witling and the Trickster. Sounds like a bad buddy-cop movie. I’m sure Neil Gaiman would make a killing off of it though.”

“You are very quickly trying my patience.”

“Well hey, you said you wanted entertainment, right?” The ferocity of his glare doesn’t scare you this time, surprisingly- you just scrunch your nose up at him, your equivalent of a toddler sticking out her tongue in a na-na-you-can’t-get-me kind of way. “So, can I really ask anything?”

“Provided it is not something so asinine as ‘do apples taste as they do on Earth’.”

“Hey, it’s a good question! Seven year old me was a smart cookie.” Externally, you’re trying to keep calm, but your heart is thumping so wildly in your chest you’re surprised the god doesn’t comment on it. You can ask him anything. Possibilities are whirling around in your head so quickly you can barely think of one to snatch up and voice. So you blurt the first thing you can think of- “did you really give birth to a horse?”

There’s a moment of silence, and you almost think he hasn’t heard you, but then his face twists into the most haughty, appalled, scandalized look that’s ever come out of god or mortal in any of the nine realms; you’re willing to bet your entire life’s savings on it. “Did I what.”

You try to subtly clamp a hand over your mouth in effort to keep from bursting out laughing right to his face. “I’m assuming that’s a no, then?”

“Mortals are the most inane, idiotic, moronic creatures-” He steadies himself, seemingly controlling his outburst with a well-controlled breath. “No. I absolutely did not. Where in Hel did you manage to come up with such a ludicrous statement?”

“So once upon a time, you turned into a mare to seduce a horse called Svadilfari and the resulting, um, incident, created an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. I mean, if the story is true, you were kind of in a bad spot and had to think on the fly, but uh… yeah. Kind of a creative way of doing things.” The Trickster looks even paler than usual. “You sure that didn’t happen? ‘Cause uh, its kind of a well documented story-”

“I can assure you in my one thousand and fifty odd years of life I have not ever seduced a horse.” You have to give a little giggle at that, because such an odd statement coming out of someone so furious is absolutely hilarious.

“Well, damn. Mythomaniacs everywhere just had a sharp pain in their chests and don’t know why.”

The Trickster leans his head back against his cell wall with a solid thunk and lets his eyes close. “And Thor wonders why I loathe Midgard so much.”

“I guess centuries of rumors working their way down the grapevine could mess up your reputation a bit, huh?” You’re half teasing, and half trying to cheer him up, but he doesn’t seem all that convinced. You’re also terrified you’ve just insulted the crap out of him and he’s going to go back to the silent treatment, and you really do not want that to happen- this is the most fun you’ve had in ages. “So you’re a thousand and fifty? Roughly?”

“Yes.”

“How long is that in, like, regular years?” He cracks open one eyelid to give you the stink eye, and you roll your eyes back at him. “You know what I mean. Midgardian years, whatever.”

“How should I know that?”

“Well, how long do Asgardians live?”

He seems to think for a moment. “Five thousand or so, give or take.”

“Okay, sooooo…” you scratch some quick math onto the paper in front of you. Five thousand years divided by one thousand and fifty, Loki’s age- 4.76ish. If the normal human lifespan is ninety years, being generous, then ninety divided by 4.76 is… “Huh.”

“Have you made a revolutionary discovery? Shall I call your pathetic press?”

“Just out of curiosity, how do you think the prefrontal cortex matures in Asgardians as compared to humans?”

“Considering Asgardians are vastly superior to mortals, I should say at a greater capacity.”

“I sure hope so,” you murmur to yourself. Because this is… wow. Kind of terrifying, and kind of hilarious.

“What has your tongue in knots?”

“Do you really want to know?”

He cocks and eyebrow and glances around at his cell. “I’m not sure how the information could make my situation any worse.”

“Fair. Well, by human standards, you’re just shy of nineteen years old.”

“I have no context for your lifespans.”

“Um, eighteen is when you’re legally considered an adult in most countries. Here in the States you can’t legally consume alcohol until you’re twenty one. And I’m twenty four, so technically, by Earth’s standards, I’m older than you.”

Oh, the look on his face is just priceless. You wish you had a camera. “That is preposterous.”

“Math doesn’t lie, man. Oh my god, if you were normal, you’d be some rich frat boy right now…!”

“I have no comprehension for this term… frat boy… but from your tone of voice I can sure you I most decidedly would not be one.”

You shake your head, a huge grin on your face. “This is hilarious. I’m older than you. I feel like I should give you a lecture on safe driving skills or why you should stay in school.”

Trickster is practically nose to nose with the glass wall of his cell, looking ridiculously frustrated. “I have harnessed the power of an infinity stone to my own whims and you dare insinuate that you outrank me!”

A what now? “What’s an infinity stone? I haven’t heard of that term.”

It’s almost like a light switch flipping off- everything in him visibly shuts down and withdrawals into himself, swallowing everything up as a snake might a rat. “It is nothing. Unimportant.”

The way he stops on a dime is almost scary. Someone who can control their emotions at the drop of a hat like that… well. They usually don’t learn that skill by pleasant means. So you drop it for now, but you do write yourself a little note with a question mark, right next to his ‘human age’ that’s circled in big black marks. “Hey, I was just kidding Trickster. I doubt I outrank you in anything other than, like, random Midgardian trivia. Trust me, even with the handcuffs, you’re still the heavyweight here.”

To your relief, something like life filters back into his face, just a bit. “It would be best you do not forget that, Witling. There will come a day where I could make your life a living nightmare.”

But his voice is so light you just crinkle your nose at him. “Nah, I bet you’d be harmless. I’m the one who kept you entertained all these dark lonely nights after all.”

“I believe I would rather have Mjolnir set on my head.”  

[tuffchicken]

Swimming Lessons Pt.2

AN: I was just really feeling Tuffgur for some reason so I figured I would just continue a one-shot fic. I also left this one open-ended for whenever I get in this mood again. Writing Block has been killing me lately

Ruffnut watched as Dagur and her brother slowly started to head towards the water. Surprised her brother accepted Dagur offering him swimming lessons. Especially so soon after he had almost drowned only three nights before.

Ruff remembered the stabbing pain in her heart when Hiccup resurfaced with Tuffnut in Toothless's claws. Her brother too still and eyes closed. The sudden fear of believing he was dead was hardly rectified when upon the land they managed to revive him, only for him to pass out again. Ruffnut had stayed with him all night till he finally had awoken, shaken and scared, but relieved when his eyes had fallen upon her. Ruffnut had almost completely forgotten that Dagur had almost died too, till Tuff had asked about him.

He was only awake an hour till the Beserker had also awoken. Then things had just gone back to normal like he hadn't almost died. Ruff knew the fear of drowning, having been too close to herself. She would never wish that upon someone, especially her brother.

"You okay?" A voice called. Interrupting Ruff's thoughts, as she turned, spotting Heather climbing up the Cliff next to her. Ruffnut still didn't really trust her so she just shrugged, putting on a mask as she gave the girl a small smirk.

"Oh, I'm just peachy." She lied looking away and back down at the beach. Watching her brother flinch as the water splashed up against him. Her body tensing as she almost leaped down there to help. However, Dagur was immediately there to calm him, which gave Ruff some kind of relief.

"Dagur wouldn't hurt Tuff you know that." Heather interrupted having followed her gaze.

"It's not that. It's just..." Ruff bit her lip, both unsure what to say or even if she wanted to say it to Heather. She didn't want her to think that she didn't trust them. Heather's expression was earnest and open though, promising no judgement. Perhaps this is the reason Ruff continued.

"I almost lost him." She whispered, looking back down at the water. Smiling softly as she saw his familiar grin being directed at Dagur. Right before he splashed the other boy with a well-timed swoosh of his arm.

"I was helpless to catch him after he was hit. And even when we did find him. He wasn't breathing. When Hiccup surfaced with him. I thought he was dead. Even now I'm not sure if..." she cut off. Flinching as Heather leaned forward and rested her hand against hers.

"He's alive, Ruff. We got him out in time. Both of them." She said following Ruffnuts gaze to the boys below. "I haven't been a sister for half as long as you... but I understand the fear. The terror of losing them. Having to double-check to make sure. Needing to keep an eye on them." She added cheekily.

Considering where the two girls were. Ruff chuckled at that although looked surprisingly solemn as she responded."My brother has always been the most important thing to me. Couldn't bear the thought of living even one second without him." She admitted. Heather looked down at this before reaching over slowly and pulling Ruff into a hug.

"Think you need to get your mind off of it. Fear like this... the unknown. It eats at you. What do you say... you and I have some... girl time?" Heather offered, pulling back from the hug. Ruff just giving her a bewildered look.

"Oh, so I'm invited this time?" She said, surprisingly harsh before she seemed to soften. As if regretting her words. She didn't apologize though. "Sure, I'll follow your lead." She offered. Giving one last glance at her brother before giving her full attention to Heather.

Heather decided not to comment about it as she just smiled warmly. "I know the best spot..." she started before leading Ruff away.

--------

It felt like hours before Dagur dragged himself out of the water. Still laughing at the flushed and shaking form of Tuff. Who was giving him a halfhearted glare, "It was a sea snake." Tuff declared. Oh yes, sea snake, or seaweed. Regardless, the slimy thing had touched the twin's leg and he had raced out of the water faster than a Terror that stole a chicken. It was all so amusing but Dagur was too tired to argue it.

"Good thing you got out quickly." He commented. Getting a nod from Tuff. Who clearly believed he agreed with him.

"There are only two things I don't mess with in this world. My mom and sea snakes." He said crinkling his nose as he shivered looking out at the water again.

"I can't believe I did that." He whispered, which sounded more to himself.

"You did well. Now you don't have to worry." Dagur commented leaning back in the sand. Closing his eyes as he just enjoyed the sun resting on his face.

"More like you don't have to worry. Mister, "Get up we're going swimming." Tuff commented elbowing the other before laying down next to him. Dagur just chuckled before laying down next to him, looking up at the clouds as he thought over his next words carefully.

"Well, figured with how often we are near the water. Best if you learn how to properly swim." He said. He also knew that after dealing with something traumatic it was good to deal with things head-on, instead of hiding away. He didn't want Tuffnut to develop a phobia of water from this after all.

"Guess that's a fair point. Kind of ingrained in my mind now though. Don't think I could forget, even if I wanted too." Tuff said before shaking his head and moving back up to a sitting position. "Not that it bothers me. Vikings almost die every day, it's an occupational hazard, as Hiccup likes to say. I imagine most died by drowning... its a common death." He said but shivered none the less. This caused Dagur to frown, he expected this type of deflecting from Snotlout, not the twin next to him. Who was always so self-assured.

"Still a pretty shitty way to go." Dagur shot back, nudging Tuff who just nodded, oddly quiet.

After a moment though, a familiar grin fell across his face as he got to his feet, "Anyway, thanks for the lessons. Oh, oh gods, never thought I would be thanking someone for lessons. Are you sure we didn't die? Is this some internal torment?" Tuff said getting more dramatic by the second which just made Dagur laugh.

"If we died, I promise I'd tell you." He assured.

"Well, if you are some infernal demon, here to trap me in a forever loop, where everything is backwards. Water burns, fire freezes, the sun is a moon and the moon is a piece of cheese."

"What?" Dagur questioned, now completely confused by Tuffs train of thought.

"I don't remember where I was going with that," Tuff admitted. "Although can we go to eat or sleep or something? No offence had enough water to last an eternity." He questioned. Like he needed to ask permission from Dagur. Dagur on his part was just watching Tuff with a warm smile on his face. Not answering or really saying anything causing Tuff to chuckle nervously.

But against his better nature, the hooligan moved closer to the Beserker, bumping into his arm and giving him an answering smile. "Same time tomorrow?" He asked hopefully. "Thought you had enough water?" Dagur shot back.

Tuff just shrugged fixing his helmet and flicking off the last water droplets, "Oh, I have, but I'm willing to go wherever you take me."

Dagur just smirked, "It's a date then?" he asked, trying to remain cool despite the way his ears rang and the world seemed to slow as he waited for the Tricksters response.

"Y-yeah," came the response after a moment. Tuff quickly turning to leave, "Anyway um, better find my sister too. See you tomorrow, you uh, know where to find me." Tuff responded awkwardly before making it worse and literally running back up the hill. Dagur wasn't offended though, simply watching him run off with a smile on his face.

He didn't know where his weakness came for Hooligan boys but he also knew for damn sure he wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.  

[ohthatsviolet]

Miroctane Drabble

In honor of the boys getting 100 followers, I think they deserve something nice.

(This has also been posted to Ao3 as a bonus chapter for miroctane moments, if you prefer to read there). 

Expanding the family. 

“So, let me get this straight...you said what?”

“I told them “This shit ain’t fair and it’s straight up favouritism. How come some people are allowed to get a pet and we can’t?” and then I told them if they didn’t let me do what I want, I’d quit and none of my fans would watch their stupid games ever again. And then I...politely walked them through the potential revenue loss. It didn’t take long for them to see sense. I know that’s all they really care about it.”

Elliott chuckled, slipping his hand into his partner’s as they entered the pet store. “And you say having CEO parents had no effect on you.” His eyes immediately fell on the notice board next to the counter, his chest stirring as he looked over the various animals looking to be adopted. “I wish they’d just let us get a dog” he sighed. “Look, that one only has three legs. Poor guy.”

Octavio folded his arms, obviously somewhat annoyed. “It was part of their dumb terms and conditions. No large animals, it has to be something that can be somewhat confined so it won’t trash our apartment and it can’t be something that will cause too much distraction from our training, because we owe a certain level of professionalism to the Apex Games, blah, blah, blah.”

“What did you have in mind?” the trickster asked, begrudgingly dragging himself away from the notice board, to follow his partner towards the pet section. “Maybe a lizard? Or a snake” his partner suggested. “Can you cuddle a lizard?” Elliott asked, grimacing slightly at the information. At least it wasn’t a spider. “I don’t know. They’re cool though” Octavio spoke, peering into the different enclosures at the selection of reptiles on offer. 

“What about a tortoise?” the holo-technician suggested, wandering away from the reptiles, towards the more fluffy animals. He momentarily observed two bunnies who were nibbling together at their food bowl, before his attention was shifted to a bundle of bedding in the next enclosure. It seemed to be moving on it’s own. Curious, he bent down to look into it, watching the various materials shift under his gaze, until he was greeted by a tiny nose which twitched a few times before venture out into the world. It belonged to a brown and white hamster, who seemed oblivious to his presence as it stumbled out of it’s sleeping hole to quench it’s thirst at the water bottle, which was secured to the wall of it’s home. It only seemed to notice him when it began making it’s way towards it’s food bowl, taking a detour to come closer to the glass that separated them, interested in the man who decided to pay them a visit. Elliott couldn’t help but smile as the small animal got to it’s hind legs, it’s beady black eyes meeting his brown ones, as it placed it’s two front paws against the glass, as if it was trying to get a better look at him. Elliott returned the gesture by gently placing the tip of his finger against the glass too, receiving a curious nose twitch in return. 

“I don’t think I know enough about reptiles to get one right now” Octavio sighed, making his way towards his boyfriend. “Let’s just go check out the goldfish or something.” Elliott swept the curls out of his hair as he stood with the intention of following his partner, but couldn’t help but look back at the tiny mammal who was still tracking his movements. “Come on, Elliott. Ràpido.”

“What about them?” he said, pointing back to the rodent. The runner titled his head, with an interested glance. “A hamster?”

“Yeah. I mean...it ticks all the boxes, right? And...Oh, I think I might love them” the trickster said fondly, stooping back down to watch the animal get to work on it’s running wheel.

“Damn, they’re really going at it, huh?” Octavio spoke, as he joined him, sounding mildly impressed. “God, they’re so fucking adorable” Elliott hummed. “They’re pretty fast too. Look at them go!” the runner chimed in.

“Imagine how fast they’d be if we got them one of those ball things they can go inside.”

“Yeah…That does sound pretty awesome”. 

“So…?”

“Hell yeah! This is the best day ever!” Octavio laughed, almost barging down their apartment door, as he dashed inside excitedly. “Hey, hey by careful!” Elliott called after him, stumbling behind him with a large box, which he placed on the living room floor. “I wanna put him in the ball now! Time to be free, tiny amigo!” “Tav, wait! We haven’t even set up his house yet!” the trickster chuckled, beginning to unpack the items they’d purchased. 

Octavio had been physically bouncing with excitement the whole time they were speaking with the clerk about getting a hamster, before deciding it was the right choice for them. After ensuring they had the necessities correct, found out the hamster’s gender, and had purchased a few extras that Octavio had picked out, they were happy to return home with their new companion. The runner had decided to take the animal out of the box they’d taken him home in, gently setting the hamster on his knee as he sat on the couch. He ran a finger through his fur, as he watched Elliott get his tools out to put together the cabinet and enclosure combo they’d gotten for the living room.

"He actually seems pretty chilled" the speedster commented, grinning to himself as the hamster moved around his leg, exploring his surroundings. “I’ve never had a pet before. This is so awesome!”

“Well, I figure you deserve it after the telling off you gave the overheads" the trickster replied, smiling at him. "But, remember, just because he's small doesn't mean he's not a big responsibility.”

“I know but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with him!” Octavio responded, taking out his phone to snap a couple of pictures, some of his new pet and some of his partner setting everything up. “You see that, little amigo?" he asked, smiling as the small animal twitched it's nose at his phone screen. "Your dad’s a real sexy handyman.”

“Dad?” Elliott laughed. “Does this mean I can start expecting cards and gifts on Father’s Day?”. Octavio joined in with the laughing. “To my awesome dad. Thanks for setting up my cool new home. Lot’s of love from your hamster son...Uh...What are we gonna call him?” The trickster absentmindedly ran a hand over his beard as he thought about it, finishing up his building task. “Hmm...I don’t know actually. Why don’t you pick something?”

The speedster thought about it for a few moments, looking at the animal sitting contently in his lap. “He needs a good name” Octavio mused. “Hmm...he’s pretty small. Micro...Hmm...What about...Mica?”

“I like that” Elliott said, moving to sit on the couch next to them, wrapping an arm around his partner’s shoulders. “Mica the hamster. Has a nice ring to it, I guess.”

“Yeah! I like it!” the runner agreed. “Well. That's it then!...Welcome to the family, Mica!”

[amotorcyleandchocolates]

Seventh Year Spooks Ch 4: A change of plans

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15976820/chapters/42047366

Shout out to @dehydratedgemini​ who won the contest way back and whose OC begins her appearance.

Mary slid into the empty spot next to Lily on the bench at the table and carefully leveled with Remus. “I started telling some people, but I want in on the prank,” she said flatly.

James choked on his mouthful of food and Sirius cackled. Remus shrugged, “Fair enough. We’re going to get everyone with some muggle horror book ideas.”

He took another bite of his turkey and chewed it careful. Mary squinted at him and Marlene suddenly perked up in interest. “Details?”

Peter looked around them and Remus nodded at him. “He’s right. Too many ears. We can talk about it later. Meet us out by the lake, yeah?”

Lily looked amused and assured them that they would be out there later that night before the group of students went back to eating. Behind them though, they hadn’t realized that a Slytherin named Olivia Catherine Leith who had heard everything and was entirely intrigued.

~

It was windy that night and it sent a chill down the Marauders’ spines as they headed out to the lake under the invisibility cloak. They had gotten up from the table and headed up to their dorm for show, before coming down in the cloak. Anyone that had been asked where they thought they were that night, it was asleep in bed.

Lily, Mary and Marlene on the other hand had casually mentioned going for a stroll before going to the library to study. It was too biting for anyone to want to join so nobody would see them meeting the boys.

Olivia simply left the dining hall as soon as she heard them and waited after casting an invisibility spell. She knew of the four Gryffindor boys that constantly caused a ruckus. In some ways she admired them; in some ways she envied them. Things were getting to be a little boring around the castle these days and she wanted in.

~~

The Marauders tore off their cloak when they reached just outside the range of the Whomping Willow, the branches going wild. They always met in that spot since provided for a nice warning when there were potential intruders sneaking up on them. 

A few minutes later the girls arrived, and unbeknownst to any of them, Olivia creeped up on them at the same time. Lily sank into the ground, already well aware of the plan and James plopped himself next to her under the guise of mumbling about wanting to make sure she was warm. Remus and Sirius gagged until he shot them a dirty look and Marlene and Peter lost it. 

Mary finally cocked her head and put her hands on her hips. “Well? Spill the details Remus.”

The lanky boy sighed as he wrapped his arms from behind around Sirius and tucked on his shoulder. “So we realized that we needed a grand prank this year to really bring up the spooky factor. It’s our last year and we want to go out with a bang.”

“But we won’t even be gone until the end of the year.” she replied dryly.

Peter waved a hand. “Yeah, and we’ll pull an even bigger one that could get us expelled then. Except the difference is we’ll be so close they won’t bother. What we want to do is scare the wits out of the students though, not stir up trouble with McGonagall.”

Mary huffed. “Those kind of go hand-in-hand.”

James rolled his eyes. “There’s a difference. You just have to roll with it and trust us. We’ve had too much experience.”

A sigh came from the girl’s lips and Marlene slung an arm around her shoulders. “Stop being a stick in the mud and let’s hear what they got cooking then.”

Sirius mouthed ‘thank you’ to their friend in arms and Remus continued his explanation of how the plot was born and what they would be enacting. Marlene listened with a glint in her eyes, familiar enough with everything that she was on board in any way she could help: gossip.

“Oh I am all over this. Mary and I are going to have a field day riling everyone up for the main event.”

A whine came from her friend who was looking at them in dismay. One of her parents was a muggle and the other a witch, so she knew exactly what she was in for and the work that it would entail. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she whined.

“It’s not like were asking for your help past talking about the ghost a little and pretending you don’t know what’s going on,” Sirius said thoughtfully.

She gave him a pointed look and he rose his hands defensively. A snicker came from beside them and everyone looked around. There had been no other person nearby in sight, but the creeping realization that someone had obviously used an invisibility charm just occurred to them. Before anyone could react, Remus whipped out his wand and winced as he cried “Revelio.”

There stood a lean but muscular Slytherin that was a grade or two behind them. James recognized her as someone he saw practicing with the Slytherins on occasion at the quidditch pitch, though not on the team. Her pale skin was illuminated in the moonlight beneath her bob of puffy, brown hair. Her brown eyes were wide and a look of panic crossed her face.

Sirius cracked his knuckles as he stared her down until Remus touched his lower back to signal him to calm down. James tightened his grip on Lily and finally spoke, “Leaf? Lee? Leigh? Leith! Or something right?”

The girl was around Lily’s height, which was pretty average, but she shrunk into herself as she realized she wasn’t just caught snooping on the school’s tricksters and co., but also recognized.”

She nodded meekly and waited for someone else to say something. Mary crossed her arms and looked at the boys. “See this is what I mean about not pranking people. You were bound to be caught at one point.”

Olivia’s eyes widened even further and she shook her head. “No! I swear I won’t tell anyone. I actually came because I heard you guys talking in the Great Hall and I wanted to help.”

Sirius looked stunned and Remus carefully thought the idea over. Marlene was sizing her up and nodded with a sign of approval while Lily and James both looked at one another quizzically. Peter simply shrugged, “I don’t see why not. You already heard everything we’ve said.”

Mary sputtered and Remus looked amused as he nodded at his friend. “Yeah we can give it a go.”

“So you’re not going to beat me up?” Olivia asked with a sigh of relief.

Remus flicked Sirius in the back of the head for even putting that thought in the younger student’s head and sighed. Sirius let out a yelp and rubbed the back of his head before meekly muttering that he was indeed not going to resort to violence on a Slytherin unless of course it was Regulus or his idiot friends. Olivia awkwardly mumbled that she didn’t even like his brother.

“That settles that then I guess,” James said. “Aside from, what do we actually do with her?”

A glint shone in both Marlene and Sirius’ eye, a rare occasion as they agreed on something. “We make her the Phantom.”

[amicicidalgambler]

> Fondly regard Psii.

we put two manipulator friends that cant hide shit because theyre trapped in the wake of the s.s trickster anon in the same room, what happens next will warm your heart

amicicidalgambler

Shit I didn't tell you congrats EITHER how RUDE.

palteringcecutiency

!!!!!!

Gosh Vriska how could you be so rude~

I'm so wounded~~

amicicidalgambler

I'm a mean and terri8le person. 8ut really, congratul8ions.

palteringcecutiency

You are but it's the enjoyable kind!! It's like playing with explosives~ Probably not wise but super fun if you're careful about it~

amicicidalgambler

Oh no, my favorite kind of compliment, how dare you.

palteringcecutiency

Too late~ You're my friend and I like you~~ You're doomed~~~~

amicicidalgambler

Very doomed. How will I ever~ survive with this privilege put upon me.

palteringcecutiency

Probably with increasing dramatics~!!

Or with a tea party~ Were you serious about that?? 'Cause it sounds like fun~!

I can bring cats~ Or try to at least lmao~

amicicidalgambler

I was! It sounds so nice. I don't know where we could have it, though. It'd 8e nice to have somewhere quiet off on our own, 8ut neither the 8ase or Nadaya's are that.

palteringcecutiency

I know allllll sorts of quiet places over here~! I usually can't stand to be around people for long!!

But Fex would freak out so bad~ I can't do that to him :c ! It'd be like someone inviting another -Empress to here for me!! I think I'd break down even like this if that happened!!

amicicidalgambler

I mean, that and he'd kill me, painfully, and you're one of the people who pro8a8ly wouldn't want that!

Nadaya let me sneak out with someone to one of my old pir8 hideouts, 8ut that was ages ago, most of them have pro8a8ly 8een taken over. That or they would 8e dusty hellholes, and like, I know *you* won't 8e offended if I say I h8 old dusty rooms too much to clean those.

palteringcecutiency

He wouldn't kill you~ I wouldn't let him!! Because I am!! I'm pretty sure you're gonna piss someone off enough to get killed some night, but I don't want it to happen so soon!! I'd miss you!!!!

Ehehehe, you're right!! I'm not at all~ But it does make this harder, whoops~

If you don't have a place~ and I don't have a place~ and Zahhak definitely doesn't have a place~~ Maybe we should start asking friends if /they/ have a place!!

amicicidalgambler

...Would you? I mean, I know you can't really lie right now, duh, 8ut that's a lot.

And we should! I don't know who to ask first, though, most of my other friends aren't the recluse or hideout type.

palteringcecutiency

Uh huh! My Serket was super annoying on Beforus, but I met her on Alternia!!

I rammed her ship with Cronus's to escape, and when she found me hiding aboard, she let me live~! Mostly as a dig to Cronus, but then she helped me get better at lying and manipulating people and how to steal super duper well!! I really liked her, and almost stayed on her crew when she offered, but she was also a super cruel and awful person and I didn't want to die~

You're like a little her~ Well duh but like~ Not as experienced~ Way less dangerous, especially with your collar~ so we can just talk!! And play manipulation games~ And be awful people together where no one will get hurt so no one gets upset at either of us~~ I really value that~

If it wasn't such a bad idea, I'd teach you what I know!! So you can get better and better, I'm already weirdly proud of what you do now~! But!! I know exactly how badly that'd go!! So I haven't been~ Sorry~ !!

I should ask Makara!! Or Cro!! They leave the universe often enough, and they like squirreling shit away just in case!! Especially Cro~ Though I don't know if he'd tell me, I bet a lot of those exist because of me!! So Makara first~

amicicidalgambler

Oh man.

Oh man.

That's a lot.

Oh man.

Fuck.

I mean

That makes sense!

There was 8asically no way you wouldn't have ran into her eventually, I just had no idea you would've

Actually met her like that.

I tried to figure this out in my notes once 8ut I can't fucking REMEM8ER them like this.

8ut I remem8er wondering, 8ecause you sound like her!

Not like a lot 8ut there's patterns, I picked up that much.

This is a lot.

I kind of h8 it.

No I don't.

You're proud of me?

I kind of wished you'd teach me 8ut I didn't think

I didn't think you'd think a8out it

And I thought if I learned from the games you'd 8e proud.

Fuck uh,

Tricksters.

palteringcecutiency

!!!! This is so cute!!!! And I'm so delighted!!!! I can't stop grinning, even more than I usually can't!!!!

Hell yeah I'm proud!!!! Super proud!! I remember the last game we played~ I was so pleased with how persistent you were~ and I had to keep stopping myself from giving you advice~~ because you were so close~ If it wasn't me, I'm super sure you could've tricked someone into giving something away!!

I even thought about telling you you were right!! Since you did so well!! But I couldn't admit how much your fixing my quirk slip meant to me~ So I didn't~

I wish I could trust you to use what I teach you to be constructive instead of destructive~~ because that's what I did with mine!! Manipulation and stealing aren't black and white bad things!! I kept Kankri safe by seeing who in the crowd was giving off the wrong tells! And to get information about highblood plans without giving up any information about ours in return, without them noticing!! And I stole so we could eat~ or to get things away from people who would hurt others with them~~

I really really want to help you with all of that!! So people stop wanting to kill you so much!!!! And you don't have to isolate yourself forever just to stay alive!!!!

But I met your ancestor~ or at least her alternate~~ and I don't want to push you farther down that road any faster~ because then we can't be friends anymore~ :c :c :c :c I might even have to hurt you to keep people I love safe~ and I really don't want to~ :c :c

But!!!! That hasn't happened yet!!!! So we can have our tea party!!!! Cae got us a hotel room and ~everything~ so we can be in the opposite of a dusty old block for our tea party!!!! Which I'm really excited about!!!!

   amicicidalgambler

::::D

::::D!!!!!!!!

I mean, credit to you though, I knew I was making progress 8ut I didn't think I was doing *that* good.

And that's not 8ad! It's gr8! I've never 8een challenged like that 8efore, it was so good.

That's fair, 8ut like, damn if that isn't a hell of a pitch. Plus like, it's not like I've had much of a change of heart or anything haha no, 8ut I have ties I want to keep now, and protect with that kind of thing. Some people don't know what's happening to them until they're already dead, it's incredi8le.

So I can't promise much 8ut I don't want to do most of the shit that would keep us from 8eing friends ::::(

Especially not after this! This is the 8est, you're the 8est.

The tea party can't happen fast enough.

   palteringcecutiency

!!!!!!!! That's a really really good start!!!!

Like~ I'm never going to be a goody two shoes~ like ever~

Rules and laws register as suggestions at best~ and I put way more effort into damage control than say~ not breaking the law~ because that's /boring/~ (I've broken so many laws here Vriska~ So many~ Mostly for fun~ I'm not even sure how many because I've never bothered to learn them, whoops~!)

But!!!! That doesn't mean my keeping an eye out for Kankri and his followers wasn't a good thing!! That doesn't mean attracting anons away from hurting people and talking them in circles was less helpful because it only happened because I liked the hurt person!! And if you frame it right, people will never know otherwise~

Or~ well~ they kind of already know with you~ but~! You can frame it in believable and acceptable ways!! Without even /lying/, because protecting other people~ vulnerable people~! is a really good thing!! And I can definitely teach you how to do that without upsetting people~ And I will!!!! So you know what to do so we can stay friends!!!!

And guess what???? It can happen /right now/~ and it totally should because I really want to hug you!!!! This is amazing and I'm so /happy/!!!!

amicicidalgambler

Listen to me Psii.

Listen.

Listen listen listen.

I know you like Nadaya a lot so you'd already 8e doing this 8ut we need to protect him, it's important, he's important. He's not the only person for me 8ut we can 8oth help him since he let us in somehow.

It should! 8ecause I want to hug you too!

palteringcecutiency

/We really do/~

He's so oblivious~ and trusting~ It hurts me and scares me so much~~

But it's so much easier when you have other people too~! Ones that care just as much~ And it's just as obvious that you two are close~~ So we'll make a fantastic team!!!!!!

No one gets to be awful to him~

He's /ours/~

!!!! :D!!!!

> [coordinates!]

Zahhak's with me!! So I'll drag him to a pad right now!!!! And then you're getting the gumdrops squeezed out of you!!!!

amicicidalgambler

I'll 8e right there!!!!!!!!

[solarwindandcosmicash]

priority: anhur (part ii)

prev | start | next

Now that the party has gotten the password and eliminated Delta, supposedly one of the leaders of the rebellion, the party moves on to the rebel headquarters. There they encounter Zeta, Delta’s half-sister, and convince her to help them eliminate the rebel leaders. Zeta eliminates Quincy handily with the party’s help, and after and a tough fight with Kany and Nyeck, the party finds themselves ultimately successful, though Zeta had died in the conflict. They return to the Apricity soon after.

summary

With Delta eliminated and the password in hand, and once Phos has hidden Delta’s body, the party moves on to the rebellion’s headquarters. Aster had plotted a route for them and informs them that there is a front and back to the headquarters building, though he doesn’t know which would be better. The party decides to enter through the front after lively debate; in trying to do so, Beetle tries to pass tea as drugs in order to get inside, which fails, and after Vekar gives the password Zeta, the five of them enter the headquarters

Inside the headquarters, the party finds themselves in a wide hallway. At the end of the hallway is the back entrance to the headquarters, with two guards standing there; inside is deserted, oddly enough, with six doors spaced along the walls, three on each side, and a staircase leading down. The party sets to work to open the doors, all of which are locked; inside some of these rooms, Kate and Phos find credit chits valued at 1000, and Vekar finds some cryo rounds in a safe. Vasir and Beetle hack a disabled FENRIS mech but promptly forget to tell it to heel.

When they enter the last room, the party encounters Zeta T’Pavis, Delta’s half-sister. Phos, with Beetle’s help, convinces Zeta that one of the rebellion’s leaders, Quincy Lorraine, was responsible for the death of her sister and, seeking vengeance, Zeta ropes the party into helping her eliminate him. She leads them down the stairs, where she explains that while Nyeck had been cleaning up the Reaper creatures on Anhur, they had actually been keeping them here in cages, for use whenever they saw fit. The party learns that there are husks, marauders, and cannibals around, but Zeta bypasses them all and heads straight for a room down a hallway, instructing the party to intervene at the signal.

The signal ends up being a gunshot, and when the party bursts into the room, they find Zeta grappling Quincy on the ground. Upon request, Phos walks over and stabs Quincy with her cleaver, causing enough damage that he would eventually die, but slowly. Kate, in a moment of compassion, kills him quickly, much to Zeta’s displeasure, and from there, the party convinces Zeta to help them eliminate the rest of the rebellion’s leaders. Zeta warns them that this will be difficult, given that Kany and Nyeck are almost always together, but eventually comes up with an idea.

The plan is thus: Zeta will distract either Kany or Nyeck, separating them from each other and sending them towards a trap the party will have laid out. From there, the party can eliminate that person before proceeding to Zeta’s location to help her. Zeta lets the party choose who they want to target first after providing some information on who Kany and Nyeck are; the party decides to eliminate Kany first, and after a few fail-safes are put into place, Zeta moves off and the party heads over to the husks’ cage, with Beetle placing a grenade on the door in order to blow it open on Zeta’s signal and the rest of the party moving to hide in the observation deck nearby.

The signal comes through Vasir’s omni-tool, and Beetle triggers the grenade by shooting it. A few moments later, Kany makes her appearance by biotically charging in and then dropping a nova at the escaping husks, killing all of them instantly; however, she notices the party hiding and Kate takes the opportunity to biotically charge Kany, knocking her briefly off-balance before the battle begins. Kany is very powerful and wreaks a lot of havoc before the party successfully takes her down, and soon after, the party rushes to where they think Zeta is, knowing that she is alone with Nyeck.

The party arrives in time to see Nyeck kill Zeta, and then Beetle throws a grenade and Kate sets it off by shooting it; the party avoids damage by closing the door to the room where the grenade explodes. Moments later, however, it becomes apparent that Nyeck is no easy target, either, almost killing Vekar before Vekar freezes them and Beetle takes a killshot with the sniper rifle she’d foisted from a human earlier that day. Once Nyeck has died, and once Beetle has named her new sniper rifle the Cold Shoulder, the party collects several documents under Aster’s direction before booking it back to the LZ, calling for pickup and being brought back to the Apricity soon after.

notable lines + interactions

DM: So last time... last time on this campaign, I forget the name, sunlight and stardust, y’all broke into a tea shoppe and killed a dude. Actually a lady. So. GG.

Phos, OOC: Ideally, we find an incinerator or something so we can burn the body and everything else. DM: Maybe roll a twenty on perception next time.

Beetle, OOC: Beetles takes a free action to dab. DM: You - you don’t need a free action to do that, you’re not in combat. Beetle, OOC: It’s still a free action. DM: Uh, okay, you, uh, you dab. It - it looks like a dab. [pause] Yay.

Vasir, OOC: Your dab did not destroy my internet, I’m offended you think it’s that bad. Beetle, OOC: Okay, that’s fair, but it’s still pretty powerful. Vasir, OOC: You didn’t roll for it. It was a free action, you said so. Beetle, OOC: Goddammit, you’re right. I’ll roll for it next time.

DM: As you get closer, Aster says - what does he say. [pause] This is not the right word document. [pause] This is also not the right word document. Beetle, OOC: I believe in you.

DM: Phos intimidated some people so now you don’t have to fight. Congratulations.

DM: [Beetle and Kate] were playing rock-paper-scissors to see who was the scary one. But you both lost, like, you both played scissors too many times. Beetle, OOC: Yeah, we kept tying, and then we gave up. It was really sad. DM: It was really sad.

DM: We are not making this The Adventure Zone!

DM: Okay, it’s not from The Adventure Zone, it’s actually from outofcontextdnd. I just forgot in the heat in the moment.

Beetle, OOC: We have two lines of attack: one in the back posing, and one in the front attacking while everyone is staring at the ones who are posing. Party: [laughter] DM: Wouldn’t that be the other way around? Like - like posing in the front, attack from the back? Beetle, OOC: Look, this is tactics, okay.

DM: Need I remind you of the first rule of D&D? I’ve had to every session so far.

Vasir: Let’s see if the front door and the password work before we use the violence, how about? Phos: Hmm. Beetle: This sounds fake, but... okay. Vasir: We can’t start attacking the people we’re supposedly with. Beetle: Supposedly we can’t start attacking people. Phos: Supposedly we didn’t just kill one of their leaders and steal tea from her shoppe, but sure. Vasir: Is the concept of sneaking that hard for you all?

Phos, OOC: Right before Phos opens the door, she uses fortification - DM: Shh shh shh. Shh. Shhh. Shhhhh. Phos, OOC and sheepish: Sorry.

Phos, OOC: [Phos]’s not dealing with this tall-ass turian. Vekar: Fine. Next time I’ll let you get shot. DM, whispering: Oh snap.

DM: So how was everyone’s day today? Vasir, OOC: I actually got up as a reasonable time. Went out and did stuff. DM: Hell yeah. Productivity. Phos, OOC: I played games. Thanks to [Vekar’s player], the savior. DM: Hell yeah. All hail.

DM: So Beetle... Beetle. Oh, Beetle. There’s no corners for you to get lost in. But there is a wall, and you walk towards this wall. And you realize, suddenly, that all you can see is this wall, and that you are hopelessly lost. And everywhere you look, all you can see is wall. And you are just lost in this single wall. Beetle: This room only has one wall and I can’t leave! DM: Exactly. You are a two-dimensional thing now. There’s no escape.

Beetle: Holy shit, Phos! You did it! You rescued me again! Again!

Phos, OOC: I’m wearing armor! DM: You didn’t get any damage, you just looked stupid. Phos, OOC: Oh, god. Vekar, OOC: Psychological damage.

Beetle, OOC: It took me two years but I did it! DM: So you unlock that door. GG. Plus one experience. There’re four other doors remaining.

Beetle: The wall got you, too? Vekar, having just walked into a wall: Sadly, it did. It’s a trickster wall, it is.

DM: You’re really fascinated with the desk, I guess. It’s a really nice desk. Beetle: I like this. I’m into it.

Beetle: Can we take this desk apart and take it with us? [quietly] I really like it.

Beetle: You know, Vasir, you really loosened the lid on this good, good - mech. DM: Nice save. I knew what you wanted to say there. Beetle, OOC: Yeah, Beetle didn’t want to force gender on it.

DM: So Beetle and Vasir, you manage to open your doors, but there’s nothing in the rooms they open to. They’re trash and trashed. Beetle, OOC: [posts this in discord]

Beetle, OOC, unnecessarily: It’s trash. DM, exasperated: Thanks, McElroys. Where would we be without you?

DM: And roll perception for me. Vekar, OOC and desperate: No...

Beetle: We’re invested in helping you avenge Delta. Phos: Yes, she was very kind to us. Zeta: Yes, yes, she’s - she was always like that. DM: You guys are terrible people, you know that? Party: [laughter] Vekar, OOC: We try our best. Phos, OOC: The power of a nat twenty, baby!

Zeta: [kills two guards very quickly] Beetle: Good execution! DM: She does not respond to that. Beetle, OOC: But it was a good execution! DM: ... Ahaha, hahaha, haha, ha, anyway.

Phos, OOC: [leaves to make themselves hot chocolate] Beetle, OOC: I’m just imagining Phos going back to the shop to make herself a nice cup of coke-co. DM: Coke-co? Beetle, OOC: Yeah. DM: Goddammit.

DM: Yeah, Kate’s just watching you guys hack this, like - Vasir, OOC: She’s thinking, “Ha ha, nerds.” DM: And she’s like, “Godspeed.”

Phos: Are we playing ‘hide and husks’?

DM: I don’t want to make you roll stealth checks, but at this rate...

Someone’s mic: [picks up the sound of a car horn] DM: Beeeeep.

DM: Yeah, it’s a miracle [Beetle] hit at all. And by miracle, I mean a nineteen.

Phos: Which door do we think there would be the boss of this place? Vekar: Probably the biggest door. DM: This isn’t a Zelda title.

Beetle, OOC: ‘Oral’ could mean her mouth. DM: I said ‘aural’, A, U! Fuck off!

Beetle, OOC: Can I roll to have Beetle stand real casual? DM: You don’t have to roll that, she can just do it, she - Beetle, OOC: Like, I’m not with these nerds, like, chillin’. DM: Okay, yeah, you can - you can just stand there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking really cool. Beetle, OOC: Nice. I’m into that.

DM: And then you just hear some tussling - tussling? Tussling? Wrassling? Wrestling? Just fighting noises, basically. Vekar, OOC: Fisticuffs. DM: Yeah, you hear fisticuff noises, that’s it.

Vasir, OOC: Roll to find a chair, [DM]! Beetle, OOC: Rolls a crit fail.

DM: Phous? Phos, OOC: Phohs. Beetle, OOC: Phoosaphone. DM: Phoosaphone. [quietly] Goddammit.

Phos, OOC: How bad does Nyeck look? DM: He’s fine. [incredulous silence] Phos, OOC: He’s not even bleeding? DM: Nope. Vekar, OOC: Shields, man. Vasir, OOC: That armor class. Phos, OOC: Shit.

DM: [Nyeck] just roll out of the way. They’re really not feeling this. Beetle, OOC: They’re just McCree rolling out of way. DM: They are! They are indeed. They’re also reloading and - just kidding, they’re not doing that.

DM: You’re lucky [Nyeck] didn’t hit you twice. This would’ve killed you. Vekar, OOC: Thanks, that’s so kind of them.

DM: Top of the order. Vekar, you’re up. Vekar, OOC: Alright. Well, shit.

DM: And that’s the end of your turn. Let’s see if you wombo-combo.

DM: You just did 26 damage. Party: Party: [collectively loses their shit] DM: This person is dead. This person is very, very dead.

DM: This sniper rifle is your new best friend. What do you name it? Beetle, OOC: Uh. Phos, OOC: Headshot. Vekar, OOC: The Cold Shoulder. Everyone: [loses their shit]

technical notes

The party finds a place to hide Delta’s body. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 14 + 3 → 17 Vekar → 16 - 4 → 12 Kate → 8 + 1 → 9 Vasir → 8 - 1 → 7 Beetle → 1 + 3 → 4

Phos finds a place to hide the body (a dumpster).

The party intimidates others into leaving them alone. Intimidation roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Phos → 15 + 0 → 15 Vekar → 6 + 3 → 9 Kate → 4 + 0 → 4 Beetle → 4 + 0 → 4

Phos intimidates a group of batarians into leaving the enemy alone. Kate and Beetle play rock-paper-scissors, but end up tying so many times that they give up and let Phos be the scary one.

Beetle tries to sell the rebel guards tea, passing it off as a drug. Persuasion roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier + proficiency bonuses → 14 + 0 + 1 + 1 → 16

The guards contest. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Guard 1 → 20 Guard 2 → 17

The guards successfully contest.

Beetle does not convince the guards that she is a business partner, as the rebellion is not involved with drugs in any way.

The party looks around the headquarters’ main floor. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Vasir → 17 - 1 → 16 Vekar → 16 - 4 → 12 Phos → 5 + 3 → 8 Kate → 5 + 1 → 6 Beetle → 1 + 3 → 4

Beetle gets lost in front of a wall. Vasir notes all possible exits and doors.

Vasir and Beetle go to unlock two of the doors. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus.

Vasir → 18 + 4 → 22 Beetle → 14 + 4 → 18

Vasir opens the door easily. It takes Beetle a bit longer to accomplish the same feat.

Kate, Phos, Vekar, and Vasir check out the room. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Vekar → 18 - 4 → 14 Vasir → 15 - 1 → 14 Kate → 12 + 1 → 13 Phos → 1 + 3 → 4

Phos walks into the doorframe, stubs her foot on the desk, and then stumbles into shelves. Everyone else sees the FENRIS mech in the room and notes the locked drawers of the desk.

Kate breaks the lock on one of the drawers of the desk. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 14 + 2 → 16 Kate breaks the lock on the drawer, finding a credit chit valued at 1000.

Vasir hacks into the FENRIS mech. AI hacking roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus → 3 + 4 + 1 → 8 Vasir finds the firewalls on the mech too frustrating to hack and gives up.

Vekar breaks the lock on one of the drawers of the desk. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 11 + 1  → 12 Vekar opens the drawer, but it’s empty.

Vekar breaks the lock on the last drawer of the desk. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 11 + 1 → 12 Vekar opens the drawer and finds a slip of paper with a combination of numbers on it. He pockets it.

Beetle unlocks another door. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 18 + 4 → 22 Beetle opens the door easily.

Kate, Phos, Vekar, and Beetle check out the room. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 19 + 3 → 22 Kate → 11 + 1 → 12 Beetle → 2 + 3 → 5 Vekar → 1 - 4 → -3

Vekar walks into a wall again. Beetle is fascinated with the desk. Phos notices a safe underneath said desk.

Vekar opens the safe. Vekar opens the safe using the combination he had found in the previous room.

The DM determines what’s in the safe. 1d6 → 1 Inside the safe are cryo rounds and a credit chit valued at 1000. Vekar takes the rounds; Phos takes the chit.

Beetle hacks the FENRIS mech. AI hacking roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 14 + 4 → 18 Coasting on Vasir’s previous attempt, Beetle successfully hacks the FENRIS mech.

Beetle, Vekar, and Vasir hack into another two doors. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus.

Vasir → 17 + 4 + 1 → 23 Beetle → 13 + 4 → 17 Vekar → 6 + 1 + 0 → 7

Vasir and Beetle manage to open their doors, but there’s nothing in the room beyond.

Vasir opens the remaining door. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus → 12 + 4 + 1 → 17 Vasir opens the door to the last room.

The party tries to mentally place the asari in the last room of the headquarters. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 19 + 3 → 22 Beetle → 11 + 3 → 14 Vekar → 17 - 4 → 13 Vasir → 13 - 1 → 12

Phos realizes the asari looks strikingly like Delta.

Phos opens the message Kate sent over omni-tool. Technical roll. 1d20 + tech modifier → 7 - 2  → 5 Phos is unable to read the message Kate sent, which read simply: “Wasn’t Zeta supposed to be a hostage?”

Phos convinces Zeta that Delta was killed by Quincy Lorraine. Beetle corroborates her story by showing Zeta the tea she had stolen from Delta’s shoppe. Persuasion roll with advantage. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 11 + 0 → 11, 20 + 0 → 20

Zeta contests. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 12 + 2 → 14 Zeta fails to contest.

Phos successfully convinces Zeta that Delta as killed by the rebel leaders.

The party listens to the sounds in the basement. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Beetle → 18 + 3 → 21 Phos → 15 + 3 → 18 Vasir → 10 - 1 → 9 Kate → 6 + 1 → 7 Vekar → 7 - 4 → 3

Beetle and Phos hear the noises down the hallway and immediately ID them as husk noises.

Zeta grapples Quincy. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 15 + 1 → 16

Quincy contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 11 + 3 → 14 Quincy fails to contest.

Zeta wrestles Quincy to the ground.

Phos stabs Quincy. Damage roll. 2d8 + damage bonus → (5 + 3) + (4 + 3) → 8 + 7 → 15 Phos’s krogan cleaver cuts deeply into Quincy’s neck. He’s not dead yet.

Kate kills Quincy. Kate mercy-kills Quincy with her omni-blade.

Phos convinces Zeta that Nyeck Slatojor and Kany Canard were also implicit in Delta’s death. Persuasion roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 18 + 0 → 18 Phos successfully convinces Zeta to both tell them about Nyeck and Kany as well as help kill them.

Zeta assassinates the two guards. Stealth roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifer → 18 + 2 → 20 Zeta stabs both of the guards in quick succession, killing them instantly.

The party looks for a place to hide. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 18 + 4 → 22 Kate → 18 + 1 → 19 Vasir → 19 - 1 → 18 Beetle → 15 + 3 → 18 Vekar → 9 - 4 → 5

The party notices a little observatory room where they could hide. The door is locked.

Beetle, Vasir, and Vekar work together to unlock the door. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus.

Vasir → 15 + 4 → 19 Vekar → 17 + 1 → 18 Beetle → 13 + 4 → 17

Between the three of them, Vasir, Vekar, and Beetle make quick work of the door.

Kate braces at the door. Kate draws her pistol and braces.

Beetle shoots the grenade. Attack roll. 1d20 → 16. Beetle manages to shoot the grenade, exploding the door of the husk cage and allowing the husks to escape.

Kany charges the husks. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to do damage.

Damage roll. 1d8 → 6 Kany hits all husks on impact.

ADDITIONAL ACTION: Kany throws a Nova down. Attack roll. 1d20 → 13 This is sufficient to do damage.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 3 + 4 → 7 Kany kills all husks.

Kany looks around the room. Perception check. 1d20 + perception modifier → 16 + 1 → 17 Kany notices the group hiding in the observatory.

Kate charges Kany. Attack roll. 1d20 → 7 This is not sufficient to do damage. Kany is thrown off-balance.

Everyone rolls initiative. 1d20.

Vasir → 20 Kany → 19 Vekar → 16 Kate → 12 Phos → 9 Beetle → 7

Vasir uses Energy Drain on Kany. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. (17 - Kany’s armor class) x 3 → 2 x 3 → 6 Vasir steals 6 of Kany’s barrier.

Kany attacks Kate. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 4 + 1 → 5 Kate’s barrier takes 5 points of damage.

Free action. Kany moves into the husk cage.

Vekar takes cover by the cage’s door and shoots. Free action. Vekar moves to the cage’s door and takes cover.

Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 1 + 2 + 3  → 5 Vekar deals 5 damage to Kany.

Kate shoots Kany with her sniper rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 15 This is sufficient for a body shot.

Damage roll. 2d6 → 6 + 3  → 9 Kate shoots Kany for 9 points of damage.

Phos uses Fortification. Free action. Phos moves to block the doorway of the cage.

Phos uses Fortification. Phos adds +2 to her AC, bringing her AC up to 18.

Beetle takes a shot at Kany with her sniper rifle through Phos’s legs. Attack roll. 1d20 → 19 This is sufficient, but because of her positioning, she does not get a headshot.

Damage roll. 2d6 → 4 + 3  → 7 Beetle shoots Kany for 7 points of damage.

Vasir delays their turn.

Kany charges Phos. Attack roll. 1d20 → 19 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 1d8 → 7 Phos takes 7 points of damage.

ADDITIONAL ACTION: Kany drops a Nova. Attack roll. 1d20 → 20 Crit.

Damage roll. (2d4) x 2 → (2 + 2) x 2 → 8 Kany hits Phos, Beetle, and Vekar for 8 points of damage. Additionally, she sends them flying. Phos, Beetle, and Vekar are now prone.

Vekar stands up. Vekar stands up and moves away from Kany.

Kate takes a shot at Kany with her sniper rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 13 This is not sufficient to hit.

Kate takes a shot at Kany, who deflects it with her biotics.

Vasir jumps back into the order and uses Incinerate. Attack roll. 1d20 → 3 This is not sufficient to hit.

Vasir messes up the Incinerate program and it doesn’t manage to leave their omni-tool.

Phos stands up. Phos stands up and moves in front of Beetle.

Beetle uses her Marksman ability. Attack roll. 1d20 → 16

Damage roll. 4d4 → 2 + 2 + 4 + 2 → 10 Beetle shoots Kany for 10 points of damage, killing her.

Beetle investigates Kany’s body. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 14 + 3 → 17 Beetle doesn’t find anything on Kany’s body.

Phos listens to her surroundings. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 14 + 3 → 17 Phos hears nothing out of ordinary, excepting the Reaper sounds.

The party chooses between going left, right, or forward. The party goes left.

The DM chooses which direction was correct. Random number between 1 and 3 → 1 Left is the correct direction.

The party listens in at Nyeck’s door. Perception roll. 1d20 + modifier.

Beetle → 20 + 3 → 23 Phos → 15 + 3 → 18 Vekar → 17 - 4 → 13 Vasir → 12 - 1 → 11 Kate → 6 + 1 → 7

The party hears talking, but can’t make out the words. Beetle knows that the conversation is civil.

Nyeck and Zeta notice the party. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Nyeck → 15 + 2 → 17 Zeta → 8 + 1 → 9

Nyeck notices the party, Zeta doesn’t.

Nyeck melees Zeta. Nyeck stabs Zeta in the neck, causing fatal damage.

ADDITIONAL ACTION: Nyeck shoots Phos with a shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 4 + 4 → 8 Phos takes 8 damage.

Everyone rolls initiative. 1d20.

Vekar → 20 Beetle → 15 Vasir  → 11 Kate → 12 Phos → 9 Nyeck → 3

Vekar uses First Aid on Phos with his Medicine talent and medi-gel. Effectiveness roll. 1d20 → 3.

Roll healing. (2d4) x 2 → (1 + 4) x 2 → 5 x 2 → 10 Phos regains 10 points of damage.

Beetle throws a sticky grenade at Nyeck. Attack roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus → 11 + 3 + 1 → 15 Beetle lands her grenade on the desk behind Nyeck.

Nyeck notices the grenade. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 2 + 2 → 4 Nyeck does not notice the sticky grenade.

Kate detonates the grenade by shooting it. Attack roll. 1d20 → 19 Kate shouts “bomb’s away!” and shoots the grenade.

Free action. Kate slams the door shut, preventing the party from taking damage.

The grenade explodes. Damage roll. 5d4 → 2 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 1 → 13 Nyeck takes 13 points of damage.

Vasir uses Overload. Free action. Vasir opens the door.

Attack roll. 1d20 → 10 This is not sufficient to hit.

Nyeck dodges the Overload with a roll.

Phos melees Nyeck. Attack roll. 1d20 → 15 This is not sufficient to hit.

Nyeck dodges the cleaver with a roll.

Nyeck shoots Vekar with their shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 8 + 4 → 12 Vekar takes 12 points of damage.

ADDITIONAL ACTION: Nyeck shoots Phos with their shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 6 + 6 → 12 Phos takes 12 points of damage.

Vekar shoots Nyeck with his cryo rounds. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 4 + 3 + 3 → 10

Nyeck contests cryo. Strength saving throw. 1d20 + strength modifier → 5 + 3 → 8 Nyeck fails to contest.

Nyeck takes 10 damage and is frozen.

Beetle shoots Nyeck point-blank with her sniper rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 20 Crit.

Roll damage. (3d6) x 2 → (6 + 4 + 2) x 2 → 13 x 2 → 26 Beetle says, “Don’t try and give me the cold shoulder,” and shoots. Nyeck takes 26 damage and is killed instantly.

Beetle checks to see if there’s ammo in the sniper rifle. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 2 + 3 → 5 There might be ammo in the gun. There also might not be. Beetle is sure, however, that this sniper rifle is her new best friend.

Beetle names her sniper rifle. Beetle names the stolen sniper rifle the Cold Shoulder.

Phos takes Nyeck’s shotgun. Kate takes the shotgun and gives it to Phos.

Beetle takes back the pouch of tea she had given to Zeta. It’s covered in blood. It’s a little gross.

The party checks out Nyeck’s office. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Kate → 18 + 1 → 19 Phos → 14 + 3 → 17 Vekar → 12 - 4 → 8 Beetle → 4 + 3 → 7 Vasir → 3 - 1 → 2

The party finds some documents that Annos wants, as well as the button that will release all the Reaper creatures, but nothing else of interest.

Phos reads the meme Beetle had sent to the group on her omni-tool. Technical roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 7 - 2 → 5 Phos fails to read the meme in her messages.

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