#deceit unlock costume

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

re: your last ask about the time travel shenanigans—holy fuck yes please more of this. like, not only is it funny as hell, which i appreciate, but it's also a. more c!thomas and b. points to just how interestingly both the plot and characters of this series have grown over the years and i am ALL for it

"Janus!" is the first thing Thomas exclaims when he sees the Side Formerly Known Exclusively As Deceit rise up where Logan would usually stand. Which just might be a mistake, if Janus’s expression is anything to go by.

Okay, in Thomas's defence -

This is a really, really weird day, even by his standards. Because, like, Logan's currently standing in front of the stairs, and that's not where Logan's supposed to be, and his shirt and tie are all wrong. And had had been grinning. Openly. He had been openly grinning when Thomas had first woken up and looked in his wardrobe and realized that his favorite t-shirt apparently doesn't exist anymore and all his clothes are a half-size smaller than he's used to but also they still fit and - okay, no, back to Logan. He'd gone downstairs and tripped over a chair that wasn't supposed to be there and called out Logic. And he'd been about to ask him what's going on and why everything feels so off and also why Logan's standing in Virgil's usual spot instead of over to the right of the stairs. But then he'd noticed all the aforementioned Very Weird Clothing Things. And he'd stopped and said, "Uh, Logan?" and Logan's grin had dropped and he'd stared at Thomas for a full ten seconds then whispered, "what the fuck," with great emotion.

And then Patton had shown up with a ridiculous amount of pun-riddled cheerfulness that Thomas had been able to clock as sixty-percent fake within about half a second. And his clothes had been all wrong, too, and after a lot of confused, borderline-incomprehensible yelling at each other, Roman had showed up and added to the chaos.

"I am scared and confused and on the verge of completely losing it!" Thomas had declared at some point, which had been the cue for an ominous music sting somewhere to Thomas's right that made everybody jolt in terrified unison.

"Did somebody say scared and confused and on the verge of completely losing it?"

"Virgil, thank god!" Thomas had practically yelled, and just about thrown himself across the room to get to him - before pausing midway and allowing his brain to process... wrong hoodie. Wrong amount of eyeshadow. "Wait. No, hang on, is this - "

"FUCKING WHO," Virgil shrieked, leaping backwards half a flight of stairs, which had led to another round of confused yelling, with Thomas trying to assure them all that he's fine he hasn't had some sort of strange head injury or whatever, he's just really happy to see Virgil and no of course that's not weird, what do you mean who's Virgil, that's Virgil right over there, Roman please put down that sword things are already out of hand -

And at some point Thomas had got it into his head that the most reasonable course of events was to summon the one person who always seems to know everything that everybody else doesn't, which brings everything up to speed, more or less. Roman had gone, "Thomas, what are you doing," and Thomas, feeling slightly manic at this point, had said, "I'm trying to summon a demon, obviously," because the best way to get hold of a certain someone probably is blatant lying, and boom, instant Janus.

"Jeee-sus Christ on a cookie-shaped canoe, what is he doing here?!"

"Janus!"

So, Janus pops up, he looks literally the same as he always has (except maybe with shorter hair? Wait, they all have shorter hair, including Thomas, wait a second -) with his half-snake-face and his hat and gloves that cosy-looking capelet of his. And although his expression reflects faint bewilderment and that very particular 'wait, what' emotion that results in being pulled abruptly away from something you were busy with, he looks so normal that Thomas thinks for a moment he might be the only sane person left.

But then Janus makes a series of start-and-stop noises of incomprehension, and gestures wildly towards Virgil, who's crouched midway up on the stairs behind Logan, looking like a cornered wild animal, and snaps, "Why for the love of everything that's holy would you tell him my name?"

"You think this is me?" Virgil retorts, hands going up to grab desperately at the bars lining the side of the staircase. "I don't understand anything that's going on! He somehow knows my name! He's - he's being nice to me!"

It suddenly occurs to Thomas that this might just possibly be a time travel sort of thing. It would explain the clothes shift. And the altered layout of his house. And the fact that when he'd checked his phone this morning it had told him it was 2016, and also it hadn't been his phone, it had been the one he'd broken a few years ago in a tragic piano-moving-related accident.

...Okay, yeah, this is absolutely a time travel thing.

"Is somebody going to explain why Thomas ruined all of our heartfelt name reveal moments in one fell swoop?" Roman demands. "I thought we agreed we were going to do them gradually and draw them out as long as possible for dramatic effect!"

"I agreed to none of that," Virgil snaps from his position halfway up the stairs.

"Yes," says Logan, "yes, I think we all would like to know what's going on. Thomas? What's going on?"

"Uh - " Thomas, who has just come to a rather startling realization about time travel and also about how shitty his Sides' taste in costumes were pre-wardrobe change, doesn't really have a prepared answer for this. "I have... I am - I just - "

Thomas struggles for words. Really struggles. And everyone's just standing there, watching him with expressions that range from terror to confusion to suspicion, and they all look so weirdly young in a way that's hard to pin down. It's the clothes. It's probably the clothes, or maybe it's the way they hold themselves. Roman, carelessly confident, without a doubt in the world. Patton, still wearing a fixed dad-grin, politely baffled and looking back and forth. Logan, who hasn't been systematically beaten down and pushed back over the course of many, many years. Virgil, who's basically just a ball of grey-and-black anger and acerbic anger at this point. Janus, who's... Janus. Who's looking at him in a way that Janus has never looked at him before.

And Remus is probably lurking somewhere in the back of his mind, too, doing whatever Remus does, and - would Remus be any different now, four years prior? Thomas hadn't had any significant problems with intrusive thoughts, not back then... or, well, back now. Maybe he's calmer, maybe Thomas could actually talk with him. Try to work something out, try to understand.

But wait, he's still got to give the Sides right here and right now an answer.

Hm.

...Thomas has been through a lot in the past four years. Not, like, fantasy protagonist a lot, but more like a extended psychological journey of self-discovery and mental health crises. Now, he wouldn't trade any of this for the world, because he's learned a hell of a lot about himself in the process - but also? The Sides have put him through a lot of horrifying realization-type things.

Which is why he absolutely one hundred percent deserves to do what he's about to do next.

"I," says Thomas, with an extraordinary amount of confidence and self-assuredness, "am psychic."

And the dead silence holds. Now even Patton is staring at him in disbelief. Janus has graduated into outright horror, his face twisted up into a oh god no I am somehow responsible for letting him delude himself this far expression.

"Thomas!" Roman gasps, almost instantly lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. "Oh, Thomas, I'm so proud, we've been working on this for years. Tell me, does this extend to telekinesis, or just somehow knowing all our names and nothing else?"

"What?" Janus says. "What - no. No, you can't seriously be going along with this - what? That... what? That doesn't even make any sense?" He turns wildly from left to right, and - okay, it's very enjoyable to see him out of his depth, to be perfectly honest. Thomas likes Janus a lot, knows he has his best interests at heart, but the whole courtroom thing had been a major dick move. This is satisfying. "Are any of you getting this? Does anyone here understand what's going on?"

"I'm psychic," Thomas repeats doggedly. "I acquired magical psychic powers and now I know all of your names and tragic backstories. Surprise! I unlocked my full potential and the ninety-percent of my brain power that I wasn't using."

"That's - that's a widely-perpetuated and wildly incorrect myth," Logan says weakly.

"Nope. Turns out it's true, and I was only using ten percent of it, and now that I've gone full big-brain, I know that Patton's repressing all his bad feelings because he doesn't want to bother anyone with them, Virgil acts all scary and menacing because he thinks it's the only way that I'll ever listen to him, and Janus is secretly a huge dork with a heart of gold - uh, yellow, I guess."

"How dare you," Janus breathes, looking horrified.

"Wha - " Patton suddenly looks very pale indeed.

"Also, Roman, you're my hero; Logan, please never stop smiling like that ever again, it's literally my favorite thing in the world and if you ever stop being enthusiastic about teaching me things I will cry - and Virgil, I love you."

Virgil lets out a choked little noise like he's just been punched directly in the stomach.

"I love all of you," Thomas adds, an afterthought. "I never say that enough. Janus, that goes for you as well. You're right, I need to take care of myself more."

"I'm - " Janus is still looking around at everyone in complete disbelief, but now his gaze fixes onto Thomas, his eyes wide. "I'm what?"

Thomas is now on a roll. An extremely cathartic sort of roll. "And Remus -"

Everybody immediately panics. Virgil and Logan's hands both immediately leap up to clasp over their mouths, which seems to be a reflexive reaction on Janus's behalf. Patton lets out a deranged-sounding high pitched giggle that edges into genuine hysteria.

"Brother? What brother? I don't know what a brother is!" Roman says loudly. "I've never had a brother in my life! Thomas, your glorious psychic powers are malfunctioning. Have you tried turning them off and turning them on again?"

" - I'm not going to lie and say I love him, but -" Thomas stops abruptly, and staggers  backwards to catch himself on the couch as a thought strikes him out of literally nowhere. "Son of a bitch -"

"Does being psychic make you swear a lot?" Patton asks weakly. "Because, uh. Not sure I like this side of you, kiddo - "

"Logan," says Thomas. "Logan, what's the date today? This is so, so important, what's the date."

"It's... October," Logan says, very slowly. "October twentieth. 2016?"

"Holy shit," Thomas whispers, and then says it louder, "holy shit. Okay, listen. I was going to sort out all of our collective psychological issues in one impressive emotional speedrun, but I've realized we have something much more important to do." He pauses, and takes in a very deep, shuddering breath. "Guys. We can save Vine. Excuse me. I've just realized I’ve got to make a lot of calls."

[inkribbon796]

Like a House of Cards Ch. 3: The Traitors Among Us

Summary: Two of the Suits’ identity victims need to escape to help their friends.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

. . . plink . . . clank . . .

When Ethan had awoken after being kidnapped he felt panic, but over the course of a couple hours that had turned to anger. He’d been kidnapped, he didn’t know where his dog was and he was sure nothing good could come from the situation.

. . . plick . . . clank . . .

He had to get out while he had the chance. There was a faint sound in the distance. Ethan had tried calling to the sound but he didn’t get a response. Ethan had tried the door to the cell he was in but it was magically locked and he couldn’t get out.

While he was trying to fiddle with the lock, he blinked and someone was standing in front of him. Ethan was afraid his hand would have gotten hit or shot, but he realized it was just the Host.

“Host, I thought I was fucked,” Ethan sighed in relief and stood up. “Did they drag you in here too?”

“No, the Host merely came to assist where he could,” the Host answered and with his narrations the lock disengaged and disappeared from existence into a puff of aura. “He does delight in telling Crank that he was only in emotional danger, not in physical danger.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure the cage counts as physical danger as well,” Ethan chuckled, in better spirits than a couple seconds ago. “Wanna help bust some heads in?”

The Seer’s head tilted a little. “The Host must not intervene too much, but he does have some information to pass along, some information that Crank will enjoy hearing, and others that he will not.”

“Alright,” Ethan complied, a touch nervous.

“Excellent,” the Host smiled and with a few careful words Ethan’s superhero outfit and mask were carefully folded into a neat little pile in his hands. “First, Crank must not put on his mask until he and Chase leave this base.”

“Ehh, alright,” Ethan agreed and changed into his outfit, mask in hands. “Okay, what now?”

“On the wall behind the Host is a hidden panel that leads to a hallway,” the Host explains. “As Crank comes up to the panel it will flip open and it will prompt Crank to speak a passcode which is the word sunrise.”

“Su—” Ethan began to repeat to show he understood.

“Crank must not speak it until he is at the panel,” the Host interrupted sharply. “The AI that Spade has hooked up to the base is rudimentary but very effective. Crank must be sure and confident when he speaks with it, and it will let Crank access its features. Is the Host understood?”

“Yes,” Ethan nodded.

“Good, the Host is glad to help,” Host smiled. “Now, and this will be the part that Crank will not like hearing, but there will be three doors along the hallway that Crank and the AI will walk into. The first door to the right contains all of the heroes’ and villains’ various pets that have been stolen over the course of a couple hours.”

“Spencer!” Ethan gasped, already moving to push past the Host but he ran into a magical barrier that stopped him.

The Host’s aura grabbed Ethan. “Listen, Crank, it is imperative that the AI does not know that he is Crank. To do that Crank must walk past the door, he cannot even look at the door. The Host can magically enchant it so that the Suits cannot enter it if that makes Crank feel better. Crank must listen or he will jeopardize the safety of countless people.”

“Is he safe?” Ethan asked.

“Yes,” the Host nodded. “He is not hungry or hurt, and will continue to be safe if Crank will follow the Host’s instructions.”

“Alright,” Ethan took a deep breath and nodded, “okay.”

“Good,” the Host relaxed. “Now, the door at the end of the hallway is holding Chase. You will order the AI to free Chase and unlock the door, whatever reasoning the AI gives for him being in there, agree with it and then go through the final door. The AI will not follow you into the room. He cannot hear you in that room. There will be a generator and a glass case. Take the three items in the case but do not release the souls inside of the case and take the generator with you when you leave through the elevator. Do not call for the AI’s assistance, Chase’s costume will be waiting for him in the base.”

“Okay,” Ethan nodded and when he blinked the Host was gone. “Okay.”

First thing’s first he had to leave and find Chase, which was a great idea because he didn’t want to be alone in an enemy base. So Crank walked up to the wall and just like the Host predicted a white panel rolled down out of the wall and Ethan said without waiting to be prompted, “Sunrise.”

The panel lit up with cyan blue light and it said, “Access Granted.”

That was Captain Morality’s voice!

The door opened and Ethan looked around for Patton but didn’t see him. Ethan already started walking. Immediately he saw there was a short hallway with three doors and immediately to his right was the door Host had warned him about.

He took two steps forward, chanting at himself to ignore the door, and on the second step Patton materialized out of pixels. He was all smiles and not in a mask.

“Hey, Eef,” Patton smiled as Ethan started internally freaking out.

“Hey,” Ethan cursed himself for not knowing the Captain’s real name. He had heard it once or twice but it escaped him completely. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know,” Patton smiled. “Big day and all. I’m all excited.”

“Oh yeah,” Ethan smiled, trying to act like he knew what the hell was going on. “Just gonna grab A— uh, Chase. He got himself shut up in the other room.”

Patton frowned, looking confused before a lightbulb literally popped up over his head, “Ohh, that makes since. Did he get angry at Lo again? Silly. It’s a big mission day.”

With that the door at the end of the hallway opened as Ethan opened up the door to what looked like a workshop.

“Alrighty,” Patton smiled, entirely too chipper. “I’ll wait for the signal, just tell me when Lo’s ready for the transistor.”

“I’ll bring it to him,” Ethan told Patton, motioning to Chase to follow him, “just bring it into the workshop.”

Patton made a giddy squeal, clapping his hands, “Yay, right away.”

Then he was gone, and Ethan was left with Chase watching him cautiously. So the young hero was left trying to play charades with his eyes, “Come on, Chase, time for the mission, let’s go.”

Chase finally followed Ethan into the room and the instant Ethan closed the door, Chase had him pinned by the neck to the wall.

“Hey! Woah! Woah!” Ethan held up his hands. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I saw yeh[1] with them,” Chase accused angrily. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know, the Host just told me to find you,” Ethan was practically stumbling over his words. “What do you want?”

“How did Robbie die?” Chase demanded.

“I left him and Wil killed him,” Ethan admitted.

Chase eased up off of him as the two looked around the workshop. Everything looked back up next to a huge folded up bench.

“Are those rockets?” Ethan asked.

“Maybe?” Chase said and looked at a generator that was hooked up to the bench. A screen on the generator read: “Upload 15%”

“Yeh[1] look important,” Chase commented and unplugged it.

The screen flashed blue and then read: “Do you wish to discontinue?” And then it had underneath buttons for: “Yes” and “No” for someone to press.

Naturally Chase pressed “Yes” and Chase grabbed the generator. “Takin’ yeh with.”[2]

Ethan was looking at the glass case that had Deceit’s cane, a metronome, and an octopus belt buckle. Then he opened up the case and grabbed them. “We should go.”

“Yeah,” Chase agreed.

At that the bench folded up into a metallic cub that was about three inches in every direction. An insignia of a light blue heart glowing on it. It was remarkably heavy for something so small.

The two heroes headed for the other door and found it was an elevator. They took the elevator up into a well-furnished, but small, two-floor house. One that was dripping in stuff that seemed like the Duke or Deceit would own.

There was a car in the garage that was the Light Sides’ car and the two heroes found the keys in the kitchen. Then they loaded up the car with the stuff from the workshop.

When they opened the garage door the Host was there waiting for them and backed up so that Chase didn’t hit him.

“Chase should take these,” the Host held out a stack of nineteen playing cards.

“Uhh, thanks,” Chase took them, and as he was placing them in the glove box the Host spoke up again.

“The Dealer thinks that Chase should give those to the Host the next time he sees him,” the Host smiled and when Chase looked back the Seer was gone.

A chill passed through Chase’s body and he quickly rolled up the windshield and left to try and find the nearest road to get back home.

Back in the city the heroes were still fighting the Suit but they had all gotten closer to the dome. Logan’s nanites stripping metal from cars to attack the heroes with, as Google helped defend Bing and himself but was very hesitant to directly attack Logan.

“He’s inorganic,” Google argued.

“Then help me put him in sleep mode!” Bing shouted.

Marvin was helping Jackie fight off J.J and they had yet to even touch him. The imposter Ethan was fighting Bob and Wade in-between the two groups. Several of the other heroes nearby were trying to find the imposter Chase who had disappeared, others were helping in fight.

Which is exactly when the real Chase arrived with the Sides’ car and slammed it right into the imposter Logan who exploded into a cloud of nanites.

Google let out a horrified sound as Chase leaned out of the window.

“Yeh fooker! Yeh can go an’ rot in hell with the rest ‘a the Suit fooks!”[3] Chase shouted as Ethan was already pulling the generator out of the back seat.

“Bing!” Ethan yelled, holding up the generator. “Take it! Take it!”

Logan reformed and looked at the generator and more importantly Ethan with such an inhumane and furious look that Chase got back in the car.

“Uh on, get in Crank, I’m hittin’[4] him again!” Chase yelled and Logan physically shoved the car away. The car crashing into a telephone pole and dazing Chase. In the crash, Deceit’s staff snapped at the hook and it shook with a yellow light and suddenly Janus was sitting in the front seat looking fifteen types of pissed off.

“The fook[5]?” Chase asked, dazed.

The Dark Side looked down at the buckle and metronome. He picked them up and teleported himself out of the car as Logan finished pulling himself together.

“Who are you?” Janus hissed in a rage, his aura pushing Remus out of the buckle and tossing it at the Dark Side’s chest. “Pull your pants up.”

“Ooh, it’s the fake Logan,” Remus smiled in sadistic glee and summoned his mace.

“It would seem so,” Janus ripped the metronome pendulum out and snapped it in half. Orange falling flat on his back. The deceitful Side summoned a new staff as he glared at Logan.

“Get out of my way,” Logan’s body glitched.

Janus’s eyes and features became more serpentine and he actually hissed.

Remus was staring at him, in a mixture of fear and interest, “Well that’s a pleasant thing to wake up to.”

“Not now, darling, just bludgeon him to death,” Janus hissed at Remus.

Logan glitched in anger and was already going for Ethan who was passing the generator over to Bing who quickly extracted a good sized blue solid state drive from it by the handle. The drive let out a frustrated blue glow over and over again but the three charms dangling from a notch in the drive looked normal.

“Don’t you look fancy?” Bing commented and a shrill tone that caused all the Septics, imposter or real, to freeze and cover their ears.

“Put them back!” Logan shouted in rage. “Put them back before you kill them!”

Remus raced over to Bing and Ethan, swinging his mace, “Here let me help.”

“No, we don’t know what it does,” Bing tried to pull the drive out the path of danger.

The magic from Remus’s mace nicked the shield pendant which started glowing an angry red before it snapped into pieces. The red shield pin broke and a flash of red light shot out. Roman tumbled out of the pin, screaming as he tumbled out onto the ground.

“Get away!” Roman panicked.

“No!” Glitch Logan roared. “You’re going back in!”

“You!” Roman frantically pulled his imagination around him, summoning up his sword and shield. Around him a ferocious red dragon stood around him as he stared down Logan. “Give Virgil back, you fiend!”

Bing looked at the drive and the other two charms, before looking over at Roman, “That’s Logan, he’s turning into a demon.”

Janus flinched, glancing at Bing before staring back at Logan and really looking at him.

“That may be a demon,” Roman proclaimed, pointing his sword at the person in question. “But it’s not Logan. My dear nerd may be course of tongue and cold as an ice cream sundae, but he would never be so vile and rough.”

“Eloquent as always, Princey,” Logan smiled, his form glitching.

The dragon roared, Roman clearly furious as well, “Don’t you dare, you do not get to call me that. Cease wearing my lover’s face or I will separate you from it.”

After so long of being still and ominous the dome seemed to ripple and it lunged out, like a long hang, snagging both Roman from the middle of the crowd and the drive right out of Bing’s hands. It dragged both of them into the dome with barely another ripple. The last thing anyone saw before the dome went still again was the Host’s smiling face as he held the drive in his hand and disappeared into the dark aura of the dome.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Accessibility Translations

1. you

2. Taking you with.

3. You fucker! You can go and rot in hell with the rest of the Suit fucks!

4. hiting

5. fucker

[dukeofonions]

Puppet vs Video Games (The Gimmicks of Sanders Sides)

If you’ve followed me for awhile (meaning the short amount of time I’ve been running this blog) then you’ll probably be aware of what my opinions are of the “gimmicks” that have been making themselves prevalent in recent Sanders Sides episodes. Now just to make things clear, almost every episode of Sanders Sides uses some kind of gimmick. 

Well, besides the first one, which consists entirely of talking with no added effects. 

And I, being the faceless entity that sits behind a computer screen judging an online web series, am going to rant about that because this is my blog and I do what I want. So let’s begin… 

The Prologue

As season one progresses we see things like location changes, a song, Thomas’ friends making several appearances, simple editing tricks (like putting text or pictures on a screen) minor costume changes (Logan and Patton dressing as Sherlock and Watson) split screen effects, and even an episode featuring an animated segment. 

At the end of Season One we were introduced to the concept of “Rooms” which added a whole new layer to the story and got people excited to see what the other rooms would entail. Still, up to this point, the gimmicks remained mostly in the background as small ways to sprinkle in some extra storytelling while the dialogue continued to be the main thing carrying the series. 

Then Season Two began with Fitting In, which featured a few more props that served to signify each of the Hogwarts houses. This made sense seeing as that was the focus of the video, and for fans of Harry Potter, it would be fun to see the characters wearing things from the different houses. 

After Fitting In, we got Moving On which featured the introduction of Patton’s room. Like with Virgil’s, a lot went into designing his room. There is a lot to look at, who knows how long it took to find all the stuff they showcased in the background? On top of that they also had the filter they used to give the room a dreamlike quality, and my favorite detail, the pictures that continue to change throughout the episode depending on what the characters are talking about. 

It remains one of my favorite set pieces from the series just from the amount of detail they put into it, and it felt like a step up from Virgil’s room (which I also love) and it makes me excited for the rest of the rooms that have yet to be revealed. 

However! I am not here to discuss the rooms. Even though I already did… 

After Moving On, however, is when things start to change with the series. 

During the 12 Days of Christmas, the Sides are each given their own custom Christmas sweaters, but that’s only part of the gimmick. The centerpiece for this episode is, of course, the song sung by all four Sides. This moment is pretty significant as it marks the first time all four of them appeared on screen together at the same time. 

This was just the tip of the iceberg for what was to come… 

Immediately following 12 Days we get Can Lying Be Good? Which featured a new location where the video spent the majority in, using quick cuts with the cameras to give off the illusion of Roman pretending to be Joan (including clever uses of audio) and of course, Deceit himself. The makeup and costume was unlike anything we’d seen in the series yet. Throw in some more split screen to show two Sides on screen together, as well as some clever costume choices for character Thomas, makes this episode (in my opinion) the best at utilizing its effects and filming techniques to tell its story. 

And then, things start to shift again…. 

The next episode we get is Why Do We Get Out Of Bed In The Morning? Which took some time to produce, coming out in April after CLBG? Was released in February. Still, good time considering what was to come. 

This episode had some mixed reviews once it finally came out, but I plan on tackling that later. The reason this episode (which was really just a longer, drawn out version of Losing My Motivation but starring Logan and Roman) was the use of animations. 

For Logan, his arguments were displayed via “Stop Motion” writings of graphs and charts which he used to explain his points. And from a short behind the scenes video, each of these were drawn by hand and took hours to make. From what I understand, all of Roman’s bits were animated on a computer, though I don’t have much info on how they were made. 

Within the episode, these different types of animations were used to help Roman and Logan illustrate their points. And while on their own they’re quite adorable, they aren’t necessary for the telling of this story. One thing this episode was criticised for was how the writing felt off. Everything seemed rushed and none of the characters felt in character, and while I don’t recall anyone outright saying it, it’s likely that perhaps the team felt pressured to get this video out on time, and thus might have skipped out on other elements in order to make up for the time spent working on the animations. 

Whether that was writing the script, filming, or editing, we don’t know. All I know is that the general consensus for this episode was that it was just okay. As a Logan and Roman fan though, it was kinda disappointing for their first episode with them taking the spotlight together to just be viewed as “okay” and isn’t a favorite of mine. 

Things picked up a little after Crofters: The Musical was released only a few days after WDWGOOBITM (that title is a monster to type no matter how ya do it) and it featured a song as its gimmick. The mood was a bit lighter, we got to see Logan having fun, and hey we even got our first main Roman angst foreshadowing! Good thing that wouldn’t be dragged out for several episodes, right?

All in all, things were definitely looking up for Sanders Sides. From the looks of it, we were going to start getting more frequent updates! 

Then the Drought happened and we had to wait almost six months for a new episode. 

At least that would be the longest we ever had to wait for something. 

Before I get into the beef of this post I wanna bring up three more episodes, Embarrassing Phases, Selfishness vs Selflessness, and Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts. 

Like the other episodes throughout Season Two, each of these episodes have different gimmicks. In Embarrassing Phases, it’s the Halloween costumes. In SVS, it’s a location change plus costume change, and in DWIT we get the introduction of Remus along with a musical number and a few props. 

I’d say each of these episodes does a good job at incorporating their gimmicks into the story. Embarrassing Phases involves them talking about Halloween and using costumes as metaphors or something like that (This may be one of the few times I say something positive about this episode don’t get used to it)

With SVS, thanks to some clever acting, we can see Janus get the idea of using the courtroom scenario to try and get his point across. He first does this by suggesting that Thomas may not be as innocent as he seems, and after Patton defends him, that’s when Janus switches to the courtroom in order to put Patton to the test and literally defend Thomas as a lawyer. 

Then in DWIT, given that Remus is a very outgoing character, it makes sense that he’d use a song to explain who he is and make a dramatic entrance. Plus, the series has used songs before so it’s not surprising to see this here. And seeing as Remus is creativity, it’s only fitting that he’s able to conjure random things throughout the episode. Okay, that was a long prologue, onto the actual reason most of you  probably clicked on this post. Part One: The Puppets

Learning New Things About Ourselves also does a good job of handling its gimmick and incorporating it into the story. Like the three I just mentioned, there’s a set up and a pay off. We get an idea of what’s to come with this moment: 

“I don’t feel content,” 

“With my content.” 

Which is obviously a reference to some random children’s educational program (most likely Sesame Street) by showcasing how two words that are spelled the same can have different meanings. Great now I sound like some educational children’s program. 

Then later on, we get the actual set up that comes from Thomas becoming frustrated that he can’t figure out what the problem is that’s causing this whole dilemma. He says, “We’ve got an issue. Something that I’m not aware of yet, something that may be unlocked with the right question. This is like...  fundamental learning!”

After he says that, he gets an idea and asks the others how he used to learn things and each one responds accordingly: 

Logan: Textbooks! 

Roman and Virgil: Mistakes. 

Patton: Puppets! 

And of course, initially, Thomas questions this and no one really understands what Patton means by this. But he explains and makes a case for it, “Thomas used to learn all kinds of new and helpful things from puppets when he was younger! Like how to count and his ABCs. Maybe it’ll be easier to work through issues when puppets are involved.” 

We see Thomas consider the idea, and then Logan sets up a joke with him saying Thomas has outgrown that kind of stuff only to have him express his love for the idea. 

After that, the Sides (excluding Logan) change into their respective puppets and continue on the episode. 

One important thing to note (which I will bring up later) is that this scene takes place around the 15 minute mark. At least by that point, everyone except Logan has changed into a puppet. With the video being 38 minutes long, this is about halfway through the episode, and by the 31 minute mark the Sides begin turning back to normal. 

Which means the puppets roughly take up only about 15 minutes of the video, slightly longer if you count Logan’s puppet, but you get the idea. 

Also I’m bad at math so if I got this wrong sue me. There’s a reason I’m sitting here writing this instead of doing something with my life.

From then on, the conversation continues with everyone still trying to figure out what the question they need to be asking is. Of course, plenty of references to other educational kid shows are thrown around, but that now makes sense seeing as they’re fully embracing the puppet idea. Patton furthers the conversation along by finally getting Thomas to start asking “Why” and uses another reference to do so, which starts the next part of the conversation and brings us the next major conflict in this episode, Logan.

He gives his opinion, stating that no one takes Thomas seriously and that he should switch careers in order to obtain that status instead of devoting his time to making silly videos. 

This of course, causes dissension within the group, and leads to Roman once again insulting Logan before realizing that he’s been going too far. After being prompted to apologize, Roman attempts to express his feelings to Logan and say sorry, but it doesn’t exactly help him feel any better which is when Patton suggests he try a different way.

And, Roman being Roman, decides the best way to do this is through song. A song that’s reminiscent of those one might hear on Sesame Street (there’s probably others but I’m rolling with this one) so it fits with the puppet thing. Again, it’s justified. 

The episode ends with Logan finally understanding where the others are coming from and Thomas finding the right question to ask, which he is able to answer and it solves the dilemma. 

Logan turns into a puppet, there’s another Sesame Street reference, and Roman is finally gonna start addressing his issues! 

Good thing that won’t be brushed under a rug by the other characters for three more episodes right? 

All in all, in case you couldn’t tell, I adore this episode and it still remains one of my favorites to this day. It doesn’t beat you over the head with the references, which are used cleverly and in a fun way that also keeps the story moving along. The designs for the puppets are cute and match each of the characters, and the puppetry is amazing! 

Plus the song is an absolute bop and it still makes me emotional sometimes. 

Which begs the question, was the sixth month wait worth it? Well, after hearing all that went into making this episode and seeing the final result, I’d say it was worth it. 

It’s also nice that we got a behind the scenes video where we got to see the full story on how this episode was made and all the difficulties Thomas, Joan, and Talyn faced when trying to make it a reality. Did they need to use puppets? No, but what matters is that they were able to take the idea and incorporate it into a story in a way that was fun and felt justified for existing. 

Not saying this episode is perfect, there are a few problems here and there, but overall this remains one of my top Sanders Sides episodes and one I’ve watched repeatedly since it came out. 

Now that all that positive stuff is out of the way, let’s get to the fun part….

Part Two: The Video Games

I’m gonna be blunt, Putting Others First does not do as good of a job with incorporating video games into its story like LNTAO does. 

However, I can��t exactly talk about this episode without talking about the extremely long wait we had in between episodes. The last official episode (that follows the main storyline, so not Asides) came out on June 25, 2019. POF came out May 1st, 2020. 

Almost 10 months, the longest we’ve ever had to wait for an episode. And if you wanna go further, remember that POF was meant to be the follow up to SVS, a part two if you will, SVS came out March 31st 2019, so by the time POF came out, it had already been a year since this set up the conflict for wedding vs callback.

By that point, some people were no longer interested or as excited about the new episode, but that changed briefly when a trailer for the episode dropped after a new Bloopers video was released a few months before POF was finally released. 

Keep in mind that up until this point, we weren’t entirely sure what the hold up was for this episode. We’d only gotten the vague answer of “There’s a special sequence for this episode and we’re working with another artist in order to make it, which is why it’s taking so long.” 

Okay, fair enough, and the trailer revealed what exactly that sequence was, animation! 

Now I’ve already explained in another post why I have problems with how vague Thomas and co. are when it comes to giving information about upcoming videos, so I won’t get into that here. 

What I am going to bring up since it relates to some of my points is this, remember when they said it was a “special sequence” they were working on? Well, after the video is released we find that it isn’t one, but 10. 

I’m not counting each time a sequence was used (For example, the opening segment which is later followed by Roman imagining a different outcome in the same style or every single one of Logan’s low-down’s, and the two trolley problems are counted as one sequence for this post specifically) because I really don’t wanna go through and count every single time Logan popped up on screen, but tell me, why in the heckity heck did they feel it was necessary to include 10 of these animated segments? 

And okay, there’s actually 12 (maybe 13? The Pokemon reference uses two different styles) but why are there so many? How are they necessary and what is their reason for being in this episode? 

Remember earlier when I mentioned that the puppet stuff didn’t start until the 15 minute mark? Well, POF literally begins with a video game sequence, and then the game references just keep coming. The intro gets a retro remix along with the rest of the music, and once Thomas enters the picture his curse words are covered by a gold coin and the “mario coin” sound effect. 

And then, not even three minutes in, we get yet another video game sequence recapping the last episode, after we already had a recap of the last episode less than a minute ago! 

To be fair though Rhythm Redux is a bop and I’m not sure why they felt the need to include a “flashback” after the intro when they were going to include this song anyway since it does a better job at explaining things than the random shots and dialogue from SVS. 

With LNTAO, none of the “puppet bits” began until after the Sides changed into puppets, besides that one bit of foreshadowing with the “Content with my content” line. There was no change to the intro’s music, nothing besides that one bit to foreshadow the puppets coming into play. 

Another thing LNTAO does that POF doesn’t is establish a set up, and pay off for the video games. Right off the bat, we get the video games, then later we get Patton’s line about how “Life isn’t like one of your video games” just a few minutes before the next video game sequence takes place, which just felt out of place to me the first time I watched it and I felt like that line was put in there just to remind the audience “Oh yeah, this is a video game themed episode!” 

Which, okay, there actually was some bit of set up before this back in SVS. Thomas mentions that he planned to spend his time at the wedding playing “Word Crush” on his phone, then as POF begins, that’s exactly what he’s doing. 

And there are certain instances where the sequences work. 

The beginning sequence ties back into Thomas’ comment from SVS and, in a way, sets up the video game thing (even if it does make me somewhat cringe but that’s mostly Lee and Mary Lee’s characters) and I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with how “Rhythm Redux” was incorporated if they hadn’t included the flash back after the intro. Again, why did they need two different recaps? They only needed one and it did a good job of explaining everything on its own. 

I will also say the Trolley Segments work due to the discussions being held, they’re talking about “Morality” so why wouldn’t you bring up one of the oldest moral dilemmas out there? It also ties in with my favorite part of the video, the “Final Boss” fight with Lilypadton vs Janus. I was not expecting it, and adding Janus’ reveal on top of that just made everything even better. It was dramatic, and I loved how the health bars that were used for Patton and Janus changed to represent Thomas’ deteriorating mental health. 

All in all, there was potential here with the video game theme, and there were scenes where it was used well. But all the others that I didn’t mention? They just felt forced and out of place to me and honestly, took me out of the moment. 

Another episode I want to compare POF to is Logic vs Passion (I am not typing either the title or the acronym out again) where they both incorporate their gimmicks in a similar way. 

Logan and Roman both use their respective animations to illustrate their points of view, and throughout POF all the characters use different video games to illustrate their own points. 

The issues I have with these episodes is that these conversations could have been had without the use of any of these things. The Sides have had discussions and used examples to elaborate their points in the past without the use of visuals. 

Now, can visuals help with storytelling? Yes, and I mentioned several instances where POF does this. But honestly, the whole video game theme seemed out of place for this particular video. Compare it to SVS which only had a location change, the episode focused almost entirely on its dialogue and still manages to be dramatic and engaging. You can easily follow along with the discussion without the need for fancy visuals. 

With POF, it seems like they just try to rush from one video game reference to the next, leaving little room to breathe in between before another video game is thrown into your face. What could have been a simple discussion like in SVS (which still managed to balance humor with its more serious themes) we got a rather bloated middle section which, honestly, I don’t remember much about. 

I’ve watched the video several times and without fail, I always find myself spacing out throughout a good chunk of the middle until the whole Lilypadton scene takes place. That’s when I became interested, especially when Janus entered the picture to bring in his points and act as a bit of an “anti-hero” in the whole thing. 

I simply believe this video could have been a lot simpler, and probably more cohesive if they’d left a lot of the video game stuff out. The last thing I want to be when consuming any type of media is bored, and honestly if it wasn’t for me making all these analysis posts on the episode, I probably wouldn’t have watched it again save for my favorite parts. 

Not only that, but we waited 10 months for this episode because of the video game sequences, and again you have to ask yourself, was the wait worth it? 

I have to say, unlike with LNTAO, it wasn’t worth it to me. They could take the video game sequences out altogether (even my favorite ones) and I wouldn’t really care. This episode just doesn’t need them, they don’t justify their use in this episode. Whereas in LNTAO, I love the use of puppets and if they were to be taken out, I would miss them. 

Now is this to say I hate the episode? No, there’s actually a lot I like about it. Patton’s development, Janus, and the ending with Roman are all amazing on their own. But really, who’s to say Janus couldn’t have confronted Patton in person instead of a video game world? 

Logan didn’t need to appear via little “Pop ups” and could have been called upon by Patton for help only to be brushed aside when what he says doesn’t help his case at all. Then when things start getting out of hand, “Logan” comes back to try to fix things but it doesn’t work, which is when he reveals himself only this time everyone, including the audience, fell for it because Janus has stepped up his game when it comes to disguising himself. 

Of course, the same could be said about LNTAO, they didn’t need to be puppets, right? Well, considering that the message of the episode was that you can use unconventional methods to express different ideas using different mediums, and Logan spent the whole time seeing the puppets at nothing but silly and childish only to come to this realization himself, it makes sense why puppets were used. 

However, you can actually apply that same message to POF, where they used an unconventional method to get their points across. 

The only problem, like with Logic vs Passion, was that the gimmicks alone couldn’t carry the episode. 

Logic vs Passion wasn’t as good as other episodes (and I may do a full review of this in the future) and in POF, it just felt like there was too much being crammed into this one episode. We went from discussing different types of morality and why people do good things to Janus suddenly beginning his “acceptance arc” with Roman having a breakdown at the end. Honestly, the point where Janus enters the conversation feels like a completely separate episode from what we’ve had thus far. Not only that, I have my own issues with how Janus’ character seemed to suddenly do a 180 (which I already talked about in another post) so while I love the ending scenes on their own, I admit that maybe they should have been handled differently. 

Of course, at the end of the day, all of this is just a matter of opinion. Lots of people loved the video game segments, and others didn’t like the puppets. Some people love all the gimmicks used in the videos, others wish for things to go back to the simpler formats of the older episodes and honestly, I agree. 

It seems like with every new episode the team is trying to outdo themselves and take things up another level each time, which is something I can admire, but it is something that can be overdone. Just look at Sanders Asides, it was supposed to be this simple little thing, but it might as well just be another episode. There’s nothing to distinguish it from any of the other main episodes, and if the rest of Asides is going to be the same way, then what’s the point of making it a separate series at all?

Now, Thomas and Joan have said that after this episode, they’re going to start using more practical effects and make things simpler, which I take as a sign of them learning to step back from all the gimmicks they use and just let the characters shine on their own for a while. Which, if that is the case, good on them. 

We don’t come to this series for the effects and flashy scenes, we come for the characters. They’re what we love and want to see more of. If you want more proof, just look at what people mostly took from POF, they took the character moments. It wasn’t the video game references that resonated the most with people, heck, people outright seemed to ignore the fact that Leslie Odom Jr. made a cameo. 

What do you think that says? 

Not saying people didn’t love the video game references, because a lot of people did, but it wasn’t the main thing people responded to. 

It’s okay to explore different mediums for storytelling. But sometimes, as a creator, you have to stop and ask yourself, “Is this really necessary for the story?” And believe me the hardest thing to do is cut out something that I spent hours working on because, when I viewed the story as a whole, that particular thing just wasn’t necessary for the story. Maybe I enjoyed it, and perhaps others would too, but at the end of the day, I’d be glad that I made the decision for the betterment of the story.

Okay, now this got way longer than I meant for it to be (how ironic) but you’ve all been waiting for this post for awhile and I didn’t want to postpone it further. 

I do hope you enjoyed reading this jumbled mess and, as always, feel free to let me know what your opinions were! Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, and I’ll see y’all next time! 

[stillebesat]

The Path: A Tale of Trick or Treating -??? (15/15)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Deceit, Remus Sanders Shorts: Remy (Sleep) Cartoon Therapy: Emile Picani Blurb: You’ve been trick or treating at the Sanders Side’s homes for as long as you can remember, but this year things get a bit more…complicated. Fic Type: Halloween, Adventure Chapter 15 Warnings: Deceit mention, Duke Mention Author’s Note: This fic is told in Second Person.

Previous Houses: Remus(1) Patton(2) Emile(3) Remy(4) ???(5) Logan(6) Roman(7) Virgil(8) Diva(9) Duke(10) Prince(11) Picani(12) Logic(13) Deceit(14)

Best. Halloween. EVER! 

You smile softly, barely paying attention to your surroundings, having eyes only for the tiny baby dragon semi curled up in your hands tearing at the piece of Hershey's chocolate you’d given it from your stash to eat as you walk back home from The Vill--Dragon Keeper’s house.

Chocolate for Health. Sugar for Flame. 

A Candy Dragon. It still boggled your mind that, well first that they actually existed, but second that this tiny creature only needed to eat candy to survive.

Lucky thing. 

Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that The Villain--Dragon Keeper had spent a good twenty minutes lecturing you on how to care for the baby dragon and had hinted at just how badly Halloween would go for you for the rest of your life if he discovered anything had happened to it, you would have thought that the Villain was messing with you. 

“Eat it all, little one.” You whisper to the tiny creature, running your thumb down its scaled back. “You need to grow big and strong, okay?” 

Not that the dragon would get much bigger than a baseball, which while you were disappointed you’d never be able to fly through the skies on its back...it did make keeping secret the little thing a lot easier because you had no idea how you would even begin to explain the dragon’s existence to your parents when you got back let alone convince them to let you keep it if it got as big as a horse or a car or even a house!   

The little dragon flares its shimmering wings out in response to your touch, pausing in tearing at the chocolate long enough to let out a small croon as it half closed its eyes, arching its back as you stroke it. 

All yours.

And yet. You bite your lip. 

Something didn't feel quite right with this ending. 

You pull the little dragon close to your chest, cupping it over your heart as you come to a stop, looking about the neighborhood you found yourself in. "It's not complete," You whisper.

The words seem to ring in the still night air.

And it felt right.

The Path wasn’t complete.

The Villain had told you you were at The Path’s End. 

That wasn’t exactly the same as Finishing It though. 

You frown, turning to look back the way you had come, the streets now still and empty compared to earlier in the night. 

If it wasn’t finished…what were you missing to cross the finish line instead of stopping right before it?

Was this like Hiss for Your Treats sign all over again? Were you taking things for granted? 

What more could there be beyond getting a pet dragon? 

Why would the others care if you got a dragon? 

It didn’t make sense. “Why would they care?” You mumble, closing your eyes as you run your thumb along the little dragon’s back. It chirps in response, claws digging into your costume. 

The Dragon Keeper had said nothing about this being the last dragon. He hadn’t charged you to protect it with your life or anything. Roman would have at least told you---Wait. 

Roman had. 

You jerk your head up and the dragon murmurs a complaint as you spin in a circle searching the surrounding houses. 

When all is said and done and you’ve reached the end of The Path and received your reward. Remember to--

“Remember to unlock the gate!” You nearly shout as you stop spinning before you get dizzy. “But which gate?!” You’d been to dozens upon dozens of houses with gates on them and it wasn’t like they’d needed you to have a baby dragon in order to ope--

Your breath catches in your throat.

Hadn’t Dr. Picani mentioned dragons earlier tonight after you’d received your fort—

You gasp. 

Of COURSE!

The Fortune!

It had been different from previous years. More vague. But maybe that was the point! Maybe there was a clue in it that would help you figure out how to finish The Path by telling you which house you needed to go to. 

You kneel right there in the middle of the sidewalk, digging through your candy bucket with one hand until you pull out the crinkled piece of paper. Using the fading light from your glowstick bracelet to again read the words.

                  As tangled as the vines may be.                   A rainbow flame can set you free.

You knew the second part quite well, having had to repeat it to Remus before he gave you the random bag of Skittles.

Well….maybe not so random after all.  

‘Legends say that only a dragon that feeds from the droplets of a rainbow can create a true rainbow flame.’ Dr. Picani had told you.

“Taste the rainbow.” You whisper, checking to make sure the bag was still in your bucket. If Skittles were the rainbow. And The Dragon Keeper had said that you needed to give sugar for flame and skittles were sugar—

It fit. 

You had the dragon. You had the large bag of Skittles. You could create the rainbow flame!

“Only if you properly feed the Beast!” Remus’s voice echoes in your head. 

Chocolate for Health. Sugar for Flame. 

You’d already given the little dragon chocolate. You lift your hand enough to peer in at the baby and smile as you see its forked tongue flickering in and out between its claws, licking up the last dark smudges into its mouth. 

Chocolate. Check.

Sugar next.

Once you found the gate that is.

And if the second part of the fortune told you that the rainbow flame would help you unlock the gate...then the first half had to be a hint as to where the gate was!

As tangled as the vines may be. 

Tangled vines….

“A place covered in vines maybe?” You wonder, shoving the paper back into your bucket as you stand. “A vine covered gate. A vine covered gate...who would have, it would probably have to be aband—”

WAIT! Your heart jumps into your throat. Wasn’t the Scrooge House--that place was covered in IVY and those were Vines weren’t they? And that gate had had a RIDDLE too!  Something about unlocking it with color? Something about teeth?

What if it wasn’t a dog guarding the key to those gates? 

But a dragon. 

“Hold on, little one.” You say to the dragon before you take off down the street, once more running flat out to get to the Scrooge House. 

You could only hope that you weren’t too late. How close was it to midnight? How much longer before Halloween ended? 

The pounding of your feet against the sidewalk echoes in your ears in a constant rhythm as you make turn after turn through quiet and empty neighborhoods.

Flames. Rainbows. Dragons.

The little dragon wiggles in your hand, poking its head out between your fingers with a loud chirp. 

“Al--mo...st there.” You gasp out, your lungs burning from how much running you’ve done tonight in the cool Autumn air. 

The dragon bobs its head in response, little ears flicking about as its tail curls around your thumb. 

You almost expect there to be something different about the house when its vine covered walls come into view. 

Yet its shadowy form, even less visible in the darkness now that the surrounding neighbors have turned off their Halloween lights, appears to be unchanged as you nearly collapse against the gate, the leaves covering it crunching under the weight of your body pressing against the cool iron bars. 

Gulping for air you pull aside the dead vines to again get a look at the faint words above the lock on the gate. 

                    Between sharp teeth it dances bright.                     Banishing all but darkest night.                     Hurry now, before it’s too late.                      Seven colors unlock my gate.

The answer seems so clear now.

Fire. 

Rainbow flames. 

You take a step back as the dragon again wiggles in your hand, its head craning towards the lock. its small wings pushing against your fingers. 

It was like the little thing knew it was needed here.  

"Hold on. Hold on. I need to get you your fire." You tell the dragon, awkwardly grabbing at the bag of Skittles with one hand.

Sugar for Flame. 

The dragon freezes, head whipping to the bag as soon as you pull it open. In the blink of an eye it frees itself from your hold and pounces, diving into the bag with a loud chirp.

‘Geez, greedy bones. You could have waited.” You tell it, shaking your head. You adjust your grip to better support the bag, listening to the dragon rustling about inside like a kid playing in a ball pit. 

You look back up to the gate. How long would it take after eating some sugar for the dragon to breathe fire? The Dragon Keeper hadn-

Whoosh. 

You jump, biting back a yelp as a small ball of fire, red and green in color, bursts from the bag.

Not that long apparently. 

“How about a little warning next time, huh?” You tell the bag, making a mental note to feed sugar to the dragon outside in the future. Still. A quick flame was definitely a good thing at this particular moment. “Alright, buddy.” You push aside the dry leaves covering the lock, tilting the bag towards it. “How about you blow some of that rainbow fire in here huh?” 

Unlock the gate. 

You smile encouragingly to the creature as the dragon pokes its head out. “You got this.” 

The dragon perks its ears, bobbing its head with a soft chirp.

“And blow.”

You’re not sure how much human speech the dragon understands, but it opens its mouth at your command, flaring out rainbow flames.

You hold your breath, heart pounding in your ears as you watch the fire hit a direct bullseye into the keyhole. 

BONG!

You jump, wincing at the loud gong like sound that seems to ring from everywhere and nowhere around you. “What the?” It nearly sounded like a giant clock ringing out the hour.

BONG! The rainbow flames vanish, the dragon disappearing back inside the bag of Skittles just as the gate lets out a screeech nearly as loud as the-

BONG!

As that.

With the lock still glowing from the heat of the flames, the gate slowly swings open, groaning like it hasn’t moved in centuries.

BONG!

The gate unlocked? Check.

BONG!

Random invisible clock tower sound chiming out the hour for some unexplain--

WAIT.

What if—-was it MIDNIGHT? 

“NO!” 

You dart inside the gates.

BONG!

No. No! NO! NO! Blood rushes in your ears as you run up the walkway towards the house. 

You were here! You’d opened the gates that had to be it right?

BONG!

Wrong. 

Nothing was happening within the yard, the house remained dark. What more—- The dragon hisses in your hands, a ball of rainbow fire rising in front of your eyes before flying towards the house.

The House.

Did you have to—-it was Still Halloween.

BONG!

You run up the path, hoping you weren’t too late, nearly tripping up the rotten wooden steps to the door. 

BONG!

Lungs burning for air you jab blindly at the doorbell, fingers brushing over the crown symbol engraved over the button. 

Ding da ring ding. 

Why the crown symbol? Wasn’t Roman the only—

BONG!

“Tri--Trick or TREAT!” You desperately call out despite the door remaining firmly closed. 

BONG!

‘Fit for a King, though not for my Brother.’ Remus’s voice again echoes in your head.

If Remus didn’t think Roman was the King...then...then was this house...did this house belong to the King? 

BONG!

You lick your lips, clutching the bag of Skittles with the dragon inside close to your chest. “Trick or Treat.” You whisper, ears ringing from the bonging. “Your Majesty?” 

You brace yourself, expecting to have your ears deafened once again.

The twelfth chime doesn’t come. 

Instead, a great bright white glow shines around the edges of the door and instinctively you dive to the side as a great beam of light, swirling with all the colors of the rainbow, bursts through the door, shattering the wood with a loud CRACK as it arcs towards the center of the yard. 

You turn in time to see eight other individual beams of light streaking through the sky towards the house. Red, Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Blue, Indigo, and Violet, each land in a circle around the central swirling rainbow beam, the individual colors resolving themselves into—

You gasp as Logan steps from the Indigo ray of light, followed by Virgil from the Violet, Roman from the Red, Remus from the Green, Patton from the Blue, The Dragon Keeper from the Yellow, Dr. Picani from the Pink and the Diva guy from the Orange. All of them focused on the center beam of light where another human figure was forming in the center.

You rapidly blink, trying to keep your vision clear as the last of the rainbow light swirls into the man now standing in the center of the others, a golden crown on his head, delicate opalescent fairy like wings fluttering from his back as he stands there, still as a statue, eyes closed.

Patton is the first to move, taking a step forward, his hand outstretched. “Thomas?” He calls softly and your heart aches at the longing in his voice.

  The man’s eyes flutter open and you’re surprised that they’re not rainbow in color like his wings. Instead the irises are a shade of brown that you can’t quite describe, but they’re not like any other brown color you’ve seen before. Looking into them just makes you feel...welcomed...loved. 

He-Thomas blinks, head slowly turning to Patton’s voice as the wings suddenly shut, vanishing from view. “Pat?” 

“THOMAS!” Roman and Remus cry, springing forward in the same movement followed quickly by the others, forming a giant group hug with the newcomer in the middle. 

His laughter rings in your ears, standing out clearly from the jumble of voices of the others as they all talk at once. You can’t help but grin as well at the sound, heart fluttering as you rock the little baby dragon back and forth in your hands.

It was like listening to pure sunshine. 

A shadow breaks away from the group and approaches you, holding out his hand. Virgil smiles to you, his soft angel smile even warmer now that his eyes aren’t glowing red. “You saved him.” 

The words were simple, yet you could hear his gratitude loud and clear in his voice.

Just how...how long had they been trying to get their King--this Thomas back? 

You take his hand, heat rising to your cheeks as he pulls you towards the group. “I promised I would.” You say, holding the purring dragon against your chest as the others step back, giving you a clear view of the ma--of Thomas. 

He hardly looks like a fairy king now, dressed in simple jeans and a red shirt with a gold star on it, but he gives you a warm smile when he spots you. “Hey.” He says.

“Hi.” You respond shyly, unsure whether you should bow or curtsy or add on a ‘Your Majesty’ to your greeting. The man didn’t have the crown on his head any more, yet you still feel like you’re standing in front of royalty.   

“Thomas.” Virgil gestures between the two of you. “Your Rescuerer.” 

“The Chosen One!” Roman decrees.

“And Bringer of the Juicy Appley Juice!!” Remus loudly adds, earning a laugh from Thomas that leaves you smiling from ear to ear.

He had to be some sort of angel to make you feel so happy so quickly because not even a sugar rush could give you this...this zinging feeling you’re feeling. 

“It was a lot to ask of you, Chosen One.” He says, bowing his head to you. “To give up your Halloween to...well…” He rubs the back of his neck. “Save me. But really. I’m so grateful to you for doing so. I don’t know how we, uh I can—”

It feels wrong to ask for a reward, though you know that’s what he’s offering. After all The Path had given you a baby dragon. It would be rather difficult to top that. 

You glance away to the others, seeing Logan smiling and laughing with Patton, while the Dragon Keeper was talking softly to the Diva, all of them purposefully not looking towards you and Thomas, giving you two the space to talk, even though you knew you were interrupting their reunion.

“Can I have a hug?” You ask because you can’t help but think that his hugs would be the best thing ever. 

He blinks but before you can regret your words he laughs again and nods. “Of course, I’d love to.” He holds out his arms and you quickly hand the little dragon to Virgil to avoid it being squished before you step into his warm embrace.

You smile, closing your eyes. 

You were right.

He did give the best hugs.

End. 

Taglist in Reblog

[crankywhenprovoked]

The Nanny. Lociet. Chapter 1.

This was a prompt suggested to me, and my muse and brain did not want to just make it a one shot.

The prompt:  If you are taking requests could you please write something for the prompt "Alpha is a single parent and needs to hire an Omega nanny to help them out with their Omega/Beta child" where Deceit is the tired parent (both physically and emotionally) of rambunctious twins Remus and Roman (or just Remus) who is insecure about his parenting and feels like he isn't enough for his boys so he hires an omega, Logan, as a nanny

Warnings: Deceit (His name is Dimitri), and Remus.

Rated: For everyone  (I’ll rate each chapter)

Word count: 1.3k

Chapter 2: Here

Chapter 3: Here

“Remus, please stop trying to hit your brother in the head.”  Dimitri sighed, pulling the plastic mace from his hands.

“But I’m playing the bad guy!”  The 4 year old complained, trying to reach up for the toy.

“Yes, and your brother would cry real tears if you hit him too hard.  Again.”

Remus pouted but nodded and gave up trying to grab the fake weapon again, instead just going to pounce on his twin.  Dimitri rolled his eyes as the two rolled around the floor, Roman spouting indignant noises about Remus getting his prince costume dirty.  Putting the mace up high, Dimitri grabbed his phone and tried not to sigh at the messages on the screen.

“Of course you’re not.”  Dimitri mumbled to himself, unlocking his phone and typing out a message.

“Not what, Daddy?”  Roman asked, grunting as Remus flopped on his stomach.

“Don’t worry, little prince.  Just some adult stuff.”  Dimitri gave him a tired smile, before Roman’s attention was back on Remus.

Heading into the kitchen, Dimitri grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before sitting at the island, thumb scrolling through messages.  When he originally put up the add for a live in nanny, he didn’t really have high hopes.  Not that there weren’t plenty of Omega’s out there that were looking, but none had yet to be the right fit.

More than one had come to meet the boys, and within the hour had left saying that the twins were just too much.  As if Dimitri didn’t already know that, seeing as he was seeking help to take care of them.  A couple people had come to meet him and the boys, but quickly became clear that they were only interested in getting close to him, not actually caring for the boys.  One even so much as tried to seduce him after they had got the boys down for their nap.

Now he was running into people ghosting him, saying they would be there, and then either just not showing, or texting that they changed their minds.  Slowly he was starting to lose hope that he was going to be able to find someone to help him take care of the two.

Not that he didn’t love them the pieces and didn’t regret taking them when a one night stand turned into parenthood.  But slowly he was starting to feel very worn down with trying to keep up with working from home, and making sure they were getting the proper care and attention.  Between trying to keep them from killing each other, or at least giving the other a concussion, the house work, his own work from falling behind.  He just couldn’t do it alone anymore.  All he could really do was hope that at least one of the people scheduled to come today actually made it.

“Daddy!  A car just pulled up outside.”  Roman called, breaking Dimitri from his thoughts.

“Thank you, Ro.”  Dimitri called back, getting up as he heard a couple knocks on the door.

Looking through the peephole, Dimitri frowned slightly at the male on the other side, before pulling the door open.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Salutations, are you Dimitri?”

“Yes, and you are?”

“Apologies, my name is Logan Crofter.”

“Oh, you’re early.”  Dimitri said, looking down at the time on his phone.

“Yes, I apologize for that as well.  When I gave the time frame for when I could arrive, I was basing it on how long I assumed my other obligations were going to take.  As it happens, they didn’t take as long as I had approximated.  I can always come back later if now is inconvenient, or you’re interviewing another.”

“No, no you can come in.  Actually the two I had planned to interview before you didn’t show.”  Dimitri said, stepping to the side and letting Logan into the house.

“Who’s that?”  Remus’ voice made Dimitri turn around, looking down at the two peeking from around wall.

“Boys, this is Logan, he’s here about being the nanny.”  Dimitri said.

“Why’s he wearing a tie?”  Roman asked, making Remus look at him.

“Cause that’s what you wear to job thingies, stupid.”

“Remus, don’t call your brother names.”  Dimitri sighed.

“It’s very nice to meet both of you.”  Logan said, crouching down and holding out his hand.

Roman reached out, giving Logan’s hand a small shake before moving to hide behind Dimitri’s legs.  Logan smiled at him before turning his attention back to Remus, who was still looking at the outstretched hand.

“Why do people even shake hands, what does it stand for?”  Remus asked, poking at Logan’s fingers.

“In the past it was to prove that you were greeting someone in peace, and weren’t going to hurt them.  Over the years it just stayed the customary greeting, but if you would prefer we could always do the more modern fist bump instead.  Would that be better?”

“Maybe.”

~*~

Dimitri couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he watched Logan read Roman a story, Roman hugging his stuffed dragon.  Remus was already down for his nap, already worn out from climbing all over Logan from almost the moment he showed up.  Roman had taken a little longer to come out of his shell, but eventually he had joined Remus in his climbing over him.

And Logan had taken it all in stride, making sure that neither fell and broke them apart when they started fighting.  Even through lunch, where Roman would only eat fruit cut in certain shapes, and Remus wanted mac and cheese, Logan stayed composed.

“And they lived happily ever after.”  Logan read, brushing the hair off Roman’s face.

“Will you still be here when we get up?”  Roman yawned.

Logan looked up at Dimitri, questioning look on his face, making Dimitri huff out a small laugh and nod his head.

“I will be.”

“Kay.”  Roman mumbled, hugging his dragon tighter before drifting off.

Setting the book down, Logan turned Roman’s lamp off before making his way out of the room, Dimitri shutting the door behind him.  Heading to the living room, Dimitri flopped in his arm chair as Logan took a seat on the couch.

“You look about ready for a nap as well.”  Logan said, making Dimitri laugh.

“You would be right, those two can be quite a handful.”

“So I’ve seen,” Logan nodded.  “But if it’s alright, I’m still very interested in the job.”

“It’s very alright, honestly you’re better with them than most of my family.  If you would have been on the fence, I was prepared to offer whatever you wanted, for you to stay.”

“That isn’t necessary, I’m fine with the terms that were in the original job offering.  The room and board, plus the pay.  I have my own car and can give you all the information, and we can go together so you’re comfortable that it’s reliable before I go anywhere alone with the boys.”

“Sounds good to me.  Since tomorrow is Friday, why don’t we figure all the paperwork out for signing papers and things Monday, sound like a deal?”

“It does.  Though for now, why don’t you just relax and I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up, since we did promise Roman I would still be here when he awoke.”

“Sounds like a plan.”  Dimitri nodded, watching Logan head into the kitchen, before putting his feet up.

As the sound of water running started, Dimitri let out a slow breath, already feeling more relaxed than he had in…. Hell, probably at least a year.  The soft sounds on Logan moving around and cleaning up lulled Dimitri slowly to sleep, no matter how much he tried to fight it.  There was just something about the Omega that made him feel like he could trust him, and at this point, he was holding onto that.

Tag list:

@justanotherpurplebutterfly

@razalin

@nightlovechild

@mr-rectify

@cover-your-eyes-children

@greeneggsandham1998

@vulnerablevirgil

@secretlygeneralperson

@sanderssmutsides

@karmels-stuff

@deitywithablog

@sanderssidesstuffs001

@pundefulpapa

@hell-or-high-waters

@Sanders-sides-shambles @thats-so-crash @pandagirl0730 @pansexual-cat-lady @mollycassmith @hissceit @hanramz-the-fander @callboxkat-art @anachronistic-cat @ocotopushugs @moralityism @infinitesimal-heart @someshinningideas @poundland-twoface @nightlovechild @siriuswhiskers @trashypansexual @ace-v-p-d @gamerzylo @allthemetalsoftherainbow @fanatic564 @cinquefoilelove @violetmcl @evilmuffin @k9cat @candiukas @thought-u-said-dragon-queen @angered-turtle @spacenerrrd @toujours-fidele @starlightlogan @justmyshitandmoreshit @skylagamingv2 @blaikleethepanagender @runyou-cleverboy-andremember @moltengoldenstardust @max-is-tired

[chemically-imbalanced-romance]

Again [The Witching Hour AU]

Synopsis: How Deceit died

Trigger warnings: Death/Murder/Hate crime, mention of sex as a deal, infidelity, knives, blood, homophobia, F slur, sl*t mention, wh*re mention, alcohol mention

A/N: Probably the darkest thing I’ve ever written. For the record, there is a happy ending. Definitely not in this fic, but in the au itself. And I’m still accepting asks about this au and my boys.

I’m on mobile btw so pls lmk if the read more worked

Reblogs > Likes

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. They closed their eyes, drew in a breath, and forced all those feelings out. They didn’t matter. They weren’t even there.

They reached over and checked their phone; 9/17/2014.

“The seventeenth,” Riley mumbled. Something felt off. They didn’t remember.

They were getting dressed when their director got out of the shower, coming into the room with only a towel around his waist. Riley kept their gaze firmly on their yellow sneakers.

“You should be going soon,” Marley said. “My wife will be home any minute.”

Riley pulled themselves together enough to finish the job. They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?”

Marley grinned. His breath smelled of vodka. Drinking early, I see. “I think you can be confident in your role as the lead.”

Riley pulled away before he could kiss them. They got the date and time for the first rehearsal, and left.

They were only back on campus for a few minutes before they were stopped. Jace grabbed their arm.

“Same clothes as yesterday, huh?” He raised his eyebrows.

Riley shrugged him off. “I was up late.”

“I bet.” He grinned. “You looking forward to callbacks?”

Riley paused, looking him over apathetically. Jace was white, and scrawny, but still bigger than Riley, and several years older. Riley met his eyes. “No. I already know what’s going to happen.”

Jace’s eyes flickered with confusion, and then sparked with anger. “What did you do?” He demanded.

Riley walked away.

They didn’t notice the security guard until she asked Riley if they were okay, and wanted an escort home. That must have been why Jace didn’t attack them. Any other day, he’d have lost his mind.

Jace kept to himself. He got a major role still, although it was clear he wasn’t happy. He barely bothered to learn his lines and only showed up to rehearsal sometimes. Everyone was confused- Jace was a good actor, a dedicated actor. He had been happy with less stage time before.

He didn’t usually threaten Riley, but the first dress rehearsal, when Riley came out in their costume and all their makeup as the Dragon Witch, they felt death in Jace’s stare. It could have brought them to tears, but instead, they let it stroke their ego. They performed better than ever that rehearsal.

There was a scene where Jace’s character had to bow down to the Dragon Witch, and there, with Jace humiliated and on his knees, Riley thought they won.

They stayed long past sundown that night, practicing their blocking and lines while still in their costume and makeup. They thought they were alone the whole time, until they noticed the door was open. Confused, they set their script down and went to shut it, only to be shoved outside.

The cold, damp air stuck to their skin as the door slammed shut behind them. They jiggled the handle, but it was locked.

Riley grit their teeth. They couldn’t go home in their costume, they would be kicked off the cast.

Which was exactly what Jace wanted.

Hopefully, Jace didn’t know the back door was always unlocked. Riley walked out to the side of the building, and peered down the alley; it was almost pitch black, filled with puddles from the rain. A chill went through them.

Their boots clacked against the asphalt as they walked. They made it halfway before they were shoved against the brick wall, crying out, cold metal pressed to the back of their neck.

“Don’t move,” Jace said, “and don’t be too loud, or I’ll kill you.”

Riley squeezed their eyes shut as they filled with tears. “Okay.”

“What did you do to get the part?”

“Nothing,” Riley insisted.

Jace grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them back, only to slam them against the wall again. A sobbed ripped through them as Jace pressed their head against the wall.

“Tell me what you did. Admit it.”

Riley’s body shook with sobs. They didn’t care about the part anymore, they just wanted to go home.

“I slept with Marley.”

“I knew it,” he whispered. His grip on the knife tightened. “I knew you were a slut. I knew you weren’t good enough to get the part yourself, you had to whore yourself out for it, didn’t you? But then again, fags get whatever they want.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll step down, I’ll let you have the part.”

“I know you will,” he snapped. He gripped Riley’s hair, pulling their head back to show off their neck. Riley’s fear was so intense, they couldn’t think or see or move. “Is this what you wanted?”

“Jace, please-”

“SHUT UP!” Jace ripped his knife across Riley’s skin, straight across their throat.

He stepped back, letting Riley fall to the ground. Riley laid there, choking on his own blood and tears, trying to crawl away, and for a moment, Jace just watched.

Riley died as Jace ran away.

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. Their throat hurt- They’d kill for a glass of water.

They reached over and checked their phone. It read 5/5/2019. “The seventeenth,” they mumbled. Something was important about that date, but they couldn’t remember what.

Marley came in as Riley was getting dressed. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair overgrown. “Please,” he said, his voice cracking, “please leave me alone.”

They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?” His breath smelled of vodka.

Marley’s knees buckled, and he put his hands over his head. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, “I’m so sorry, please stop punishing me.”

Riley left, grinning. They had no idea they’d gone through this day a million times already, and they had no idea they’d go through it again, and again, and again.

Reblogs > Likes

[soft-stormcloud]

Again [The Witching Hour AU]

Synopsis: How Deceit died

Trigger warnings: Death/Murder/Hate crime, mention of sex as a deal, infidelity, knives, blood, homophobia, F slur, sl*t mention, wh*re mention, alcohol mention

A/N: Probably the darkest thing I’ve ever written. For the record, there is a happy ending. Definitely not in this fic, but in the au itself. And I’m still accepting asks about this au and my boys.

Reblogs > Likes

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. They closed their eyes, drew in a breath, and forced all those feelings out. They didn’t matter. They weren’t even there.

They reached over and checked their phone; 9/17/2014.

“The seventeenth,” Riley mumbled. Something felt off. They didn’t remember.

They were getting dressed when their director got out of the shower, coming into the room with only a towel around his waist. Riley kept their gaze firmly on their yellow sneakers.

“You should be going soon,” Marley said. “My wife will be home any minute.”

Riley pulled themselves together enough to finish the job. They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?”

Marley grinned. His breath smelled of vodka. Drinking early, I see. “I think you can be confident in your role as the lead.”

Riley pulled away before he could kiss them. They got the date and time for the first rehearsal, and left.

They were only back on campus for a few minutes before they were stopped. Jace grabbed their arm.

“Same clothes as yesterday, huh?” He raised his eyebrows.

Riley shrugged him off. “I was up late.”

“I bet.” He grinned. “You looking forward to callbacks?”

Riley paused, looking him over apathetically. Jace was white, and scrawny, but still bigger than Riley, and several years older. Riley met his eyes. “No. I already know what’s going to happen.”

Jace’s eyes flickered with confusion, and then sparked with anger. “What did you do?” He demanded.

Riley walked away.

They didn’t notice the security guard until she asked Riley if they were okay, and wanted an escort home. That must have been why Jace didn’t attack them. Any other day, he’d have lost his mind.

Jace kept to himself. He got a major role still, although it was clear he wasn’t happy. He barely bothered to learn his lines and only showed up to rehearsal sometimes. Everyone was confused- Jace was a good actor, a dedicated actor. He had been happy with less stage time before.

He didn’t usually threaten Riley, but the first dress rehearsal, when Riley came out in their costume and all their makeup as the Dragon Witch, they felt death in Jace’s stare. It could have brought them to tears, but instead, they let it stroke their ego. They performed better than ever that rehearsal.

There was a scene where Jace’s character had to bow down to the Dragon Witch, and there, with Jace humiliated and on his knees, Riley thought they won.

They stayed long past sundown that night, practicing their blocking and lines while still in their costume and makeup. They thought they were alone the whole time, until they noticed the door was open. Confused, they set their script down and went to shut it, only to be shoved outside.

The cold, damp air stuck to their skin as the door slammed shut behind them. They jiggled the handle, but it was locked.

Riley grit their teeth. They couldn’t go home in their costume, they would be kicked off the cast.

Which was exactly what Jace wanted.

Hopefully, Jace didn’t know the back door was always unlocked. Riley walked out to the side of the building, and peered down the alley; it was almost pitch black, filled with puddles from the rain. A chill went through them.

Their boots clacked against the asphalt as they walked. They made it halfway before they were shoved against the brick wall, crying out, cold metal pressed to the back of their neck.

“Don’t move,” Jace said, “and don’t be too loud, or I’ll kill you.”

Riley squeezed their eyes shut as they filled with tears. “Okay.”

“What did you do to get the part?”

“Nothing,” Riley insisted.

Jace grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them back, only to slam them against the wall again. A sobbed ripped through them as Jace pressed their head against the wall.

“Tell me what you did. Admit it.”

Riley’s body shook with sobs. They didn’t care about the part anymore, they just wanted to go home.

“I slept with Marley.”

“I knew it,” he whispered. His grip on the knife tightened. “I knew you were a slut. I knew you weren’t good enough to get the part yourself, you had to whore yourself out for it, didn’t you? But then again, fags get whatever they want.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll step down, I’ll let you have the part.”

“I know you will,” he snapped. He gripped Riley’s hair, pulling their head back to show off their neck. Riley’s fear was so intense, they couldn’t think or see or move. “Is this what you wanted?”

“Jace, please-”

“SHUT UP!” Jace ripped his knife across Riley’s skin, straight across their throat.

He stepped back, letting Riley fall to the ground. Riley laid there, choking on his own blood and tears, trying to crawl away, and for a moment, Jace just watched.

Riley died as Jace ran away.

Riley woke to the shower in the next room. Their body still ached, their skin still crawled, and they reeked of sex. Their throat hurt- They’d kill for a glass of water.

They reached over and checked their phone. It read 5/5/2019. “The seventeenth,” they mumbled. Something was important about that date, but they couldn’t remember what.

Marley came in as Riley was getting dressed. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair overgrown. “Please,” he said, his voice cracking, “please leave me alone.”

They stood up and pressed their body to Marley’s, draping their arms over his shoulders. “So did I get the part?” His breath smelled of vodka.

Marley’s knees buckled, and he put his hands over his head. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, “I’m so sorry, please stop punishing me.”

Riley left, grinning. They had no idea they’d gone through this day a million times already, and they had no idea they’d go through it again, and again, and again.

Reblogs > Likes

If you like my work, please consider donating a few bucks to my PayPal (paypal.me/chemically) or Venmo (maxgraybooks)

[thaigameguide]

Deceit : Loot Booth

Deceit : Loot Booth

Loot Booth เป็นระบบของเกม Deceit ที่มีไว้เพื่อให้ผู้เล่นปลดล็อคชุด คอสตูม (Costumes) และ Skin ต่างๆในเกม

โดยเราสามารถสุ่มไอเทมของระบบนี้โดยการใช้ Token 1 เหรียญ ต่อการสุ่ม 1 ครั้ง ซึ่ง Token นี้เราสามารถหาได้จากการเล่นเกมนั่นเอง

โดยเมื่อเรากดใช้ Token ระบบจะสุ่มไอเทมขึ้นมา 6 ชิ้นด้วยกัน โดยมีโอกาสได้ไอเทม 4 ระดับด้วยกัน นั่นก็คือ Common , Uncommon , Rare และ Legendary

โดยไอเทมที่ถูกสุ่มมา…

[umbracado-blog]

MAJORA | GOLDEN GODDESS

Throughout the Zelda series, the three GOLDEN GODDESSES who created the world of HYRULE and the TRIFORCE (DIN, NAYRU, and FARORE) are repeatedly mentioned and are shown to be both real and extremely powerful, albeit usually hands-off concerning their creations. That said, there are a few other entities in the Zelda canon that are comparable, at least in terms of raw power or significance. Examples include Oshus from Phantom Hourglass and DEMISE of Skyward Sword fame, but this theory will be focusing on the big players in TERMINA.

The FOUR GIANTS of Termina seem to have a role parallel to that of the three Golden Goddesses. Though they are never explicitly said to forge the world of Termina from scratch, Locals say they were responsible for creating the four distinct areas surrounding Clock Town, which make up a majority of the game’s world. The fact that four of them working together can stop a flying celestial object shot at the world by a vengeful deity also speaks volumes about their power.

In fact, three of the Four Giants’ regions can be seen as reflections of Din, Nayru, and Farore.

Din, whose essence is in the TRIFORCE OF POWER, is also associated with fire and theGORON people, who tend to eat rocks and live around volcanos. SNOWHEAD in northern Termina is where the region’s Gorons live, the local Temple rewards Link withFire Arrows, and the Temple also requires Link to use his physical Power in his Goron form to break obstacles to complete the temple.

Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, is also associated with Water, Magic, and the ZORApeople. The GREAT BAY in Western Termina is home to the region’s Zora population, has obvious associations with water, rewards Link with Ice Arrows (Ice and Water overlap sometimes in Zelda) in its Dungeon, and contains a Research Laboratory. The Lab’s location and its being associated with Wisdom could be a stretch, but note that LAKE HYLIA, a location in Ocarina of Time associated with Nayru and the Zora, also has a Lakeside Laboratory. Plus, the GREAT FAIRY of Great Bay Temple grants Link a Defense upgrade, similar to the Spirit of Wisdom in Phantom Hourglass.

Farore, the Goddess of Courage, is the relative oddball of the trio, being associated with Wind, Life (especially Woods and Plants in Particular), Green, and races such as theKOKIRI and DEKU.family of creatures. The SOUTHERN SWAMP in Termina is dominated by the DEKU SCRUBS, who are not only plants but also capable of limited flight, using Deku Flowers to launch into the air. The basic bow and arrows that are unlocked in Woodfall Temple have no special magical characteristics, but note that even basic arrows are just flying pieces of wood.

This leaves one giant’s location, IKANA CANYON, unaccounted for. Ikana Canyon’s recurring motifs are the presence of death and the contrast between light and darkness. Death examples are easy to come by, such as the graveyard and presence of undead GIBDOS andREDEADS. Though this is the only region without a corresponding transformation mask, the Song of Healing can be used to obtain the GIBDO MASK, which tricks the undead into thinking Link is one of them. The infamous Elegy of Emptiness (elegies are laments for the dead) creates husks of Link’s current form that are necessary for completing Stone Tower Temple. TWINMOLD, the big boss fight in this area, resembles a worm or maggot, animals typically associated with death and decay. As for Light and Darkness, the Mirror Shield is obtained here, and STONE TEMPLE TOWER features the Light Arrows. Also note that the Tower itself is light-based despite being surrounded by darkness and death, and actually doesn’t include the Gibdos and Redeads found elsewhere.

So, why do three of the Four Giants match one of the three Golden Goddesses so easily, leaving only one exception? Maybe there is something else in Hyrule that corresponds to the last Giant, associated with the themes of Death of Light. For the sake of both the canon timeline and real life release dates, let’s mostly focus on Ocarina of Time’s incarnation of Hyrule.

Ocarina of Time largely focuses on other motifs until later in the game, using settings such as trees, caves, and really big fish for its dungeons. The two last regular dungeons in the game though (excluding Ganon’s Tower of DOOM) are almost exact matches. Also note that either one can be completed first and that both require more time traveling than any other dungeon.

The SHADOW TEMPLE (plus the Well) near KAKARIKO VILLAGE is based around the themes of Death, Darkness, and Deceit. They are packed with undead enemies, including the same variety of Redeads and Gibdos that haunt Ikana Canyon, STALFOS, DEAD HAND,BONGO BONGO, and those flying magic skull things (you know the ones… with the things).

The most useful treasure found here is the Lens of Truth, which sees through illusions. The temple is also loaded with various references to death and darkness, my personal favorite being the boat that is a “ferry to the other side,” almost certainly an allusion to Charon the ferryman from Greek Legend.

The SPIRIT TEMPLE, which is on the exact opposite side of the world, focuses mostly onLight. This temple requires playing as both a child and adult. Child Link needs to collect theSilver Gauntlets and Requiem of Spirit to complete the temple as an adult. Note the oddity of a Requiem (prayer for departing souls) being used to reach the Light Dungeon. As an adult, Link collects a Mirror Shield to solve Light-based puzzles. He also fights three IRON KNUCKLE enemies, which are also found in Ikana Canyon in Termina.

If we look for connections between Ikana Canyon and the fourth entity in Hyrule, we can guess that they were likely associated with either the GERUDO or SHEIKAH, much like how other races were associated with other goddesses. Their color of choice is likely purple, based on the purple color of the Shadow Medallion. Purple is another recurring color in Zelda, ranging from Player 4’s color in the Four Swords games, the Element of Earth in Minish Cap, and MAJORA from Majora’s Mask.

Yes, we finally got to Majora.

Let’s review what we know about Majora and its Mask. A long time ago (“ancient tribe” is a bit ambiguous), this mask was used by a now extinct group for magical rituals, but any more details in-universe are largely guesswork. Even the HAPPY MASK SALESMAN doesn’t seem to know that much about it, other than hinting that the mask was the home of a dangerous spirit rather than being an evil costume piece. Majora is also unbelievably powerful, seemingly far more so than Ganon ever was at any point in the series. Even the likes of Demise probably couldn’t destroy the world in a three-day weekend while still technically being bound within the mask.

And although the mask is too alien to easily empathize with or rationalize, it is obviously a conscious being, based on some of the game’s latter scenes and dialogue. It is also aware of what’s happening around it, as seen with the four children wearing boss-based masks on the moon indicate.

One thing that’s often overlooked, however, is that Majora likely came from Hyrule. That’s where the SKULL KID and Mask Salesman were found in Ocarina of Time, a short while before Majora’s Mask took place. The Mask Salesman also seems to have had Majora’s Mask for a while, but he can easily be found in CASTLE TOWN throughout Ocarina of Time, suggesting that he at least had it with him in Hyrule for a while. The game actually begins in Hyrule, when Link is ambushed looking for his lost friend. And even though Skull Kid and Majora curse a bunch of people, these all happen a relatively short time before Majora’s Mask begins, suggesting that Skull Kid only started using the mask very recently.

Last, let’s see what Majora itself had to say, both in person and via the Moon and moon children.

I wonder, if you do the right thing, does it really make everyone happy?

Your friends… What kind of… people are they? I wonder… Do these people… think of you… as a friend?

When a body is used by another, it can be called nothing but a puppet.

OK, let’s play good guys and bad guys… I’ll be the good guy, and you be the bad guy, and when you’re the bad guy, you just run.

Everyone has gone away, haven’t they?

That’s surprisingly insecure for a destroyer of worlds. And considering how Skull Kid has been left behind by the end of the game, it seems that this can not all be the thoughts of the Skull Kid still echoing in Majora. It’s as if Majora itself has some deep-seated issues involving trust. It questions the morality of its actions, worries about being used by others, and seems very concerned with how others view it.

THE THEORY IS THIS:

The Golden Goddesses once included four members: Din, Nayru, Farore, and Majora. Each played a valuable role in its creation and complemented another member of the four. Din and Nayru balanced one another, with Fire meeting Water, Power meeting Wisdom, and Creation meeting Order. Likewise, Farore and Majora balanced each other out. Farore would bring Wind, Life, and Courage while Majora would offer Earth, Death, and Peace (themes seen in Ikana Canyon).

The four of them created the world of Hyrule and its many peoples. Perhaps Majora’s favorite people were the predecessors of HYLIANS. Though a variety of humans exist in the Zelda universe, it should be noted that the ones with pointed ears (Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo) are most closely associated with many of Majora’s favorite points, as seen in OoT’s Spirit and Shadow Temples.

It is also likely that the four goddesses spent a while living in the world they made, much like the Giants of Termina. This would be a bit of a weird dynamic for common people, especially concerning Majora. Gods associated with accepting one’s fate and returning to the Earth are not always going to be popular.

The thing is, if there’s one thing the Zelda series is consistent about, it’s powerful beings able to be defeated by much weaker ones. Link defeating Ganon a bunch is the most obvious example, but even benevolent deities like the WIND FISH and Four Giants are shown to be vulnerable to something they should be able to take on. So it’s possible that the peoples of early Hyrule could defeat Majora with a well thought out plan and the element of surprise. This plan: trapping her in a mask, which would only be used for exploiting her power.

The remaining trio could react in a number of ways. they would almost certainly be upset, both because of personal safety concerns and the outrage at Majora being imprisoned by the world she helped create. Rescuing Majora would be a high priority, but being very powerful doesn’t necessarily grant omniscience. A mask is very easy to hide, and they wouldn’t even necessarily know to look for a mask in the first place. That said, it would be an utter waste to destroy the peoples they created. Not all of them were necessarily guilty. Nevertheless, Hyrule was no longer safe for its creators.

So the Golden Trio departed from the world, leaving only a portion of their powers behind to create the Triforce.

Thing is, without the Golden Goddesses, the world would soon be attacked by outside threats like Demise. This was bad enough, but worse was the fact that Majora could not contribute her efforts into maintaining the world’s balance. Thus, the nature of Hyrule changed forever. Without an entity that could manage death and ultimate peace, undead creatures would begin to plague the world. Worse, monsters like Ganon were literally unstoppable, since they were powerful enough to overcome any force that would make them face a proper death or ending.

And so, by trapping the Goddess associated with Death, the people of Hyrule allowed the greatest killer in their history to go largely unopposed. After all, even when a hero rises, he can not always stop Ganon immediately. The Downfall timeline is based on the good guys simply failing.

Majora didn’t see most of this. She was in a mask most of the time, wondering why her three sisters had not saved her. Did they know about this? Had they taken part? Why would they betray her?

So ages later, when little Skull Kid allowed Majora to see her surroundings for the first time in at least a few centuries, likely much longer, she was neither entirely rational or calm. When she saw Termina, she saw something resembling what the world she made might look like after X many years. So bringing the moon down? That was revenge.

Theory by u/salnax