#helios you're not allowed to guess

[acosmicbee]

Hello! Big fan of your writing! If you're still taking suggestions, I have one in mind: Superhero parent (or a whole team) pay little attention to the kid of the group until they're put in danger by their enemy. Superhero parent/team now hyper fixated to ensure the child is safe and secure no matter what.

Rookie

(Thanks so much for the idea! More lore for my Rehabilitation universe! TWS: Y/N gets tortured & almost dies (NOT GRAPHICALLY AND IT'S MOSTLY IMPLIED))

When your teachers had described what it was like to be a hero, it had sounded majestic. You'd gone home every day asking your parents when you'd inherit some magical power to help save people. Of course, your family had no record of ever developing powers but they never dissuaded your dream.

It was luck that one day you woke up and your body was shining like the sun. You had screamed so loud in joy that your parents had to remind you that your next-door neighbors had a history of calling the police for any noise louder than a whisper.

But that didn’t matter to you. You were smiling the whole time they took you to get your power legally registered. The whole time the agents showed up at your house to take you to a special hero school. The whole time you finished your classes.

But the reality? The reality was nothing to smile about. You had been tacked onto an already existing hero team. A group of adults who saw themselves as too good to help the 17 year old shadowing them.

You quickly realized that not everyone became heroes for a good reason. The leader of the team, Hot Spot, did it for the fame. If he wasn't in front of a camera, he was cruel and a bully.

His second-in-command, Phantom, did it for the adrenaline rush. She would jump into combat before being given a cue to, ruining a lot of stealth plays and good plans.

Tornado, a girl who could control the wind, did it for the access to powerful people. She was always at some gala or another hanging off someone's arm while slipping a few bills out of their wallet.

Lastly, Tranq, who used his paralyzing powers as a way of taking out his anger issues on the villains he fought. They'd be on the ground, unable to move or fight back, and he'd just keep hitting.

Then, you guessed, there was you. The rookie, Helios, named after the Greek titan of the sun. You always seemed to be in someone's way, in the wrong place. Your bioluminescence made any kind of stealth at night nearly impossible. Your light was, at most, good for blinding, but not much else.

You were the burden, the unneeded part. When you cried after losing your first civilian, they sneered instead of comforting you. When you attended press events with them, you were put on the very edge and almost never allowed to speak.

But you didn't let their words stop you. You were in this to save people, to be a hero. It didn’t matter that you were more bruised after training than fighting a villain. It didn’t matter that you'd be pulling people out of the ruble long after they'd left to talk to the press. None of that mattered.

What mattered was the smiles you were beginning to get walking down the street. What mattered were the little kids who had stopped you to make flower crowns with them while you were on a coffee run. What mattered were the lives you had saved.

You didn't care that you were often on your own, left to clean up behind them. You were almost 18, you could take care of yourself. Of course, you still had to default to them if you wanted to do anything, but their lack of care made it easy to do practically anything you wanted.

It was another one of those days. You were patrolling, walking down the street humming as you looked around. There was a playground nearby with kids giggling and laughing as they played. A small café with really good-looking scones, a bookstore.

It was nice out today, quiet. The sun was warm, and the breeze was cool. You had stopped to give a pair of tourists some directions when the earpiece you wore crackled to life.

"Helios. We need you down at the docks. Warehouse 5." A voice said, slightly muffled. You could hear some fighting in the background as the com shut off. You quickly finished your directions before running off towards the docks. They were finally trusting you to help them in a fight and you wouldn't let them down!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

"Where's the kid?" Hot Spot asked, flopping down onto the couch. They were backstage about to have a press conference, one you were supposed to be at for looks.

"How should I know? Don't they normally patrol around now?" Tranq asked, a makeup artist brushing something or other on his face.

"They're gonna be late, which looks bad on us. Tornado. Call them." Hot Spot ordered, smoothing out his suit.

"Why do I have to?" She groaned, despite fidgeting with her ear piece. "Kid, where are you? Huh, they're not answering."

"Maybe they're in a fight." Phantom said, fixing her hair in front of the mirror. "Then again, I doubt they'd jump in without telling anyone. They're stupid but not that stupid."

"You're that stupid." Hot Spot said, pulling out his phone. "Did we forget to tell them the old channel was compromised or something?"

"Whoopsies." Phantom said, pinning her hair in place. "We totally forgot."

"I'm sure they'll figure it out and be completely fine. Besides, we're on in 5." Hot Spot said, turning off his phone. It was just after when a distress signal began to come through, not that any of them noticed as the lights went up and the cameras turned on.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Three days. They hadn't noticed you were missing for three days. Sure they noticed the small things, the dishes not being done, no leftovers in the fridge, the silence through their shared compound. But they hadn't thought much of it.

At least, not until they realized it had been three whole days since they had last seen you. Three days of zero contact, no requested time off, nothing. That was when they'd entered your bedroom.

They'd never been in there before since you'd moved in. The room was in a typical state of lived in, your bed was made and you had some laundry still in the basket that needed folding. Your mirror was lined with pictures of friends from hero school and your parents. There were posters hanging on the walls which had been painted a soft yellow.

It looked like a kid's room. Because that's what you were, a kid. A kid they hadn't heard from or seen in three whole days. The pictures of you smiling and laughing were foreign to them, how come they had never seen you like that except for your very first day?

It was at that moment they jumped to action, trying to find out anything about your whereabouts. The villains they came across ended up more mangled than normal, as they searched the city with deadly precision.

It was late that night when they kicked open a door to an unassuming warehouse down by the docks, immediately setting off a bomb. In an instant the warehouse collapsed, and they were forced to shield themselves as they stared at the rubble.

It was Hot Spot who'd spotted the bloody piece of yellow fabric amid the destruction. Tornado used her wind to move the wreckage, straining to keep control over her powers with the anger and anxiety coursing through her.

You were there, at the very bottom. Your body looked smaller than they had ever seen you, bruised and battered. Dried blood was crusted in your hair and dripping down your face. In fact, there was a lot of blood everywhere. Blood on your suit, blood on your skin, blood all over.

Tornado also lifted you up, her winds carefully cradling your limp body until they got you to a waiting ambulance, one that had been directed after hearing the explosion. It was only once the medics were panicking over your body, fumbling for an oxygen mask and an IV drip did they realize the most haunting thing.

You weren't glowing. The steady glow that always surrounded you from your powers was gone, completely. You looked normal, small, like any other civilian in the wrong place at the wrong time. The last they saw of you was the paramedics rushing to start CPR as the doors to the ambulance slammed shut and the ambulance sped off.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

"They made flower crowns with my niece and nephew. Just sat down in the park with them to help them weave some dandelions together." A voice echoed from the hospital waiting room's TV. All that had been reported on since they arrived was you. It seemed everyone had some sort of story about you, especially civilains.

They were in civilian get-up, watching as person after person recounted some encounter they'd had with you. You helped save someone's cat from a tree, you'd given people directions, you'd helped lost children find their parents. Even other heroes you'd known in school were sending their best wishes towards you.

"Helios... they're truly a light, not just because of their powers. They see the good in people, in everyone. They became a hero because it was the right thing to do, because they wanted to save people. They were my hero in school and still are to this day. Stay strong Helios and keep fighting." Another hero, Selkie, said. She had tears in her eyes by the time she finished talking, turning away as she began to cry. Another hero, probably one of her mentors, was quick to shield her from the cameras and hug her close.

They had never done anything like that for you. In fact they'd done the opposite many times. Hot Spot was overly cruel during your spars, letting his lava burn you and lecturing you when you got burned. Phantom had gotten you injured more than once by jumping into fights without warning you first, dragging you with her.

Tornado had threatened you to keep your mouth shut when it came to the thievery of her dinner partners, her eyes cold and her voice warning. Tranq had used his powers on you more than once just to make you shut up, leaving you somewhere people wouldn't find you until his powers wore off.

Watching all these people cry over you made them mad. You were just a stupid kid. A stupid kid who didn't give up even when they should've. Now you were in surgery, fighting for your life all because you couldn't just sit back.

They'd make sure you learned your lesson when you were finally awake again.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Your time in the hospital had passed in a blur of pain and medicated dazes. You were either begging for relief or too out of it to recognize the person at your bedside.

The surgeons who had worked on you had healing related powers and were able to save you from the worst of the damage once you were on the table. However, your heart had stopped temporarily in the ambulance.

The most lasting of your damage would be scarring once everything healed, but for now you were mostly wrapped in bandaged. You were finally okay enough to be discharged with some strong pain meds, still a little out of it as your wheelchair was moved through the sterile white halls.

Someone was talking to you, lecturing it sounded like, but your head was so floaty and distant you couldn't pay attention. All you could do was sit there, partially slumped over as you tried not to fall asleep again.

It was only once you finally gained lucidity later on would you realize just what you missed in your drugged fog. The way your own confinement had been admitted to you while you were too sleepy to listen.

"From now on, no more patrol. No patrolling, no sparring, nothing. You'll be lucky if you even leave the apartment. Speaking of which, we're going to be moving soon to a bigger place with a backyard and tighter security. From now on, you're just a kid so act like one. Helios the hero is dead, it's time for you to show us who the person is under the mask. So, ready to go home Y/N?"

[servant-of-circe]

"..."

"You may speak"

"..."

"Freely. This is an introduction, you may act as usual"

"OH THANK THE GODS-"

"Hello, my dear, brave, soldiers. My name is Circe"

"Uh- shit, I suck at introductions. My name is Antinous of Ithaca Aeaea"

"I noticed quite a few people I know have been here lately, so I wanted to join for fun. And Antinous has been such a good servant lately, so I'm allowing him to share this blog with me! Won't this be fun, Antinous?"

"Get me the fuck out of here- I mean, YEAH. LOT'S OF FUN, MISS CIRCE."

QnA:

Name?

"Antinous of Aeaea."

Age?

"I'm 33 right now..."

Why are you the Servant of Circe

"Some dumb devine intervention the gods gave me. Better than being killed by Ithaca's old king, I guess."

Has Circe hurt you?

"She cannot physically attack me thanks to our agreement, probably the only good thing the gods have done for me!"

Name?

"Circe, daughter of Helios."

Age?

"Older than you."

How do you feel about Antinous?

"An absolute coward now, but the asshole was so fucking cocky when I met him. He stands for everything I hate and I HATE the gods for not letting me turn the bastard into a pig the moment I laid eyes on him."

Is he afraid of you?

"He better."

________________

AU INFORMATION:

An AU taking place after EPIC. Antinous is saved by a god [I won't say which yet] and wakes up in Aeaea, much to Circe's disgust

The two are extremely annoyed after being informed that Antinous will be the Eternal Servant of Circe for as long as the Gods make him do so.

Antinous is relatively the same, but he's scared. He can't risk angering his Goddess, and he knows something bad could happen if he spoke out of line.

Antinous, for once, is finally being Held Down.

Circe and Antinous are as opposite as opposites could go, the two standing for everything the other despises. They'll obviously grow a bit closer as the blog continues! But they'll start off despising each other

________________

Antinous and Circe will reply with Doodles instead of regular text, like this:

The reason is just because I wanted to be Inspired by old Tumblr blogs from 2015-2018

I may respond with text a lot, but I'll try my best to add Doodles when I can!

________________

Tags:

Come Inside: 🥀 - Answered Asks

The World's Greatest Actor: 💋 - Antinous' facad

Despises their new form: 🫀 - Facad fades

Puppet Boy: 🍾 - Circe manipulates

If you're weird, You're weak: 🗡 - Angst

If the World was Ending: ❤️‍🔥 - Antinous and Circe aren't Assholes

Too Sweet for Me: 🍷 - Romantic interaction

Mother knows best: ⚜️ - Circe and Antinous

I love the way you Kiss me:⚱️- Antinous and Eurymachus

I can't help but wonder: 🪻 - Telegonus

S(he) looks perfect: 🌺 - fluff

____________

Blogs they know:

@r3dvip3r4 - Eurymachus. "Antinous' boyfriend. "HE IS NOT"

@isl4ndl0v3 - Calypso. "She's pretty..." "and you're ugly."

@sunflower-azura - "My sister, I think???"

__________

Characters you can interract with:

Circe

Antinous

Telegonus

[hyper-trash-panda]

Teaser: Bad Boys - Legacy

Fandom: “Bad Boys” movie franchise

Storyline: Continues the franchise after “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”

Timeline: Three-ish years following ROD

Warnings: Guns I guess?

In the fifth installment of the Bad Boys franchise, Miami is under siege as a potent new drug dubbed Helios has flooded the streets, leaving a trail of chaos and mass casualties. The narcotic's rapid spread threatens to overwhelm the city, pushing Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett to the brink as they scramble to uncover its source with the help of their next in line: Former Marine Reggie and recently acquitted fugitive Armando.

The Miami skyline raced by in a blur as Mike Lowrey's Porsche 911 rocketed down the sunlit streets. Traffic parted reluctantly in the car's wake, horns blaring as the sleek vehicle wove through lanes with reckless precision. Mike's jaw was set, his eyes narrowed behind his Ray-Bans with determination as he ignored the pounding in his chest.

Beside him, Marcus Burnett clutched the door handle, his knuckles white, eyes wide with a mix of fear and frustration. He braced himself as they narrowly missed a delivery truck, the tires screeching in protest.

“Mike, man, slow down! I didn't sign up for the Daytona 500!" Marcus's voice was strained, each word laced with anxiety as his stomach churned, his breakfast threatening to make a return visit.

Mike didn't glance over, his eyes locked on the road ahead. "We're late. And if you hadn't stuffed your face with that stack of pancakes, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Marcus groaned, leaning his head back against the seat. "I told you, my metabolism ain't what it used to be! I needed a good breakfast to get me through the day."

"You needed a good breakfast? Or you needed to sample the whole damn menu?" Mike shot back, swerving around a taxi that had stopped abruptly. The sharp turn caused Marcus's stomach to lurch, and he swallowed hard, regretting the third helping of bacon.

"I swear, you always gotta bring up my eating habits when we're in a life-threatening situation," Marcus muttered, clutching his stomach.

"Oh, your life gone be threatened alright if you so much as drool on my leather seats." Mike snapped.

From the back seat, Reggie, Marcus's son-in-law and new recruit to the Miami PD, leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concern. "Uh, sir, this speed is unlawful given that we're not in pursuit of a suspect. According to Miami's police code of conduct, officers are required to maintain—"

"Reggie, shut up!" Mike barked, cutting off the younger man. "We're late, and I don't need a lecture on driving.”

Reggie, still trying to process the banter, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sir, I'm just trying to follow protocol."

"Protocol's for rookies," Mike snapped, turning his attention back to the road. "And last I checked, you're riding with the best. So buckle up, kid."

Marcus shot Reggie a sympathetic look, though he was clearly not thrilled about the situation himself. "Mike, he's got a point. The kid's just doing what he's been trained to do. Besides, we're supposed to be setting a good example as his shadowees."

Mike glanced at Marcus, an eyebrow raised. "Shadowees? The only reason he's even allowed to shadow us is because you're sweet on the receptionist who pushed the paperwork through."

Marcus bristled, his voice defensive. "I'm not sweet on her. I'm just polite and charismatic—something you wouldn't know nothing about."

"I wonder how 'polite' Theresa would be if she found out just how 'charismatic' you've been." Mike shot back, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Hey, now!" Marcus's eyes widened, his voice dropping to a hushed tone. "Ain't nobody being anything but polite. Don't start something you can't finish, Mike."

Before either could respond, the radio crackled to life, cutting through the tension in the car. "All units, be advised, we have a 10-80 in progress near Biscayne Boulevard. Suspect vehicle is a black SUV, heading northbound. Requesting backup."

Mike's eyes lit up with sudden interest, and he gunned the engine, the Porsche surging forward with impossible speed. "Well, would you look at that. Sounds like our kind of party."

"Mike, you can't just—" Marcus began, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the engine as Mike made a sharp turn toward the boulevard.

"Can't what, Marcus?" Mike snapped, his voice edged with impatience. "According to Poindexter back there, we ain't supposed to drive like this unless we're chasing a suspect."

Mike smirked as he pushed the car to an even more reckless speed. "I'm just trying to set a good example as a shadowee."

Reggie fumbled for his seatbelt, his eyes wide as he prepared for whatever chaos was about to unfold. "Sir, are we engaging?"

"Hell yeah we are!" Mike grinned, his tension replaced with the adrenaline that only a high-speed chase could bring. "Bad Boys for life."

Marcus sighed, his stomach knotting even tighter. "Bad Boys for life," he muttered, knowing there was no turning back now.

The Porsche hurtled down the streets of Miami, the roar of its engine echoing through the concrete jungle as the radio crackled with updates from the chopper overhead, its pilot providing a bird's-eye view of the chase.

"Suspect is heading northbound on Collins Avenue, approaching the airport," the dispatcher's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Well, isn't that convenient," Marcus muttered, gripping the dashboard as Mike took another sharp turn, the tires squealing in protest.

"There he is!" Mike pointed ahead where a black SUV was weaving through traffic, trying to shake off its pursuers. "We're in this now, Joker. Time to show 'em how the big boys play."

Marcus squinted at the SUV speeding ahead, his heart pounding as he took in the chaotic scene. Civilians scattered, cars swerving out of the way as the chase tore through the city.

"Alright, Marcus, shoot out his tires!" Mike ordered, eyes locked on the target.

Marcus's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Hell no! There are too many civilian vehicles out here, Mike. You trying to get someone killed?"

From the back seat, Reggie interjected with a nervous glance at the manual in his hand. "Actually, according to the handbook, we're supposed to request the driver to pull over through the intercom first—"

"Reggie, I don't care what the handbook says!" Mike barked, cutting him off. "Marcus, shoot out the damn tires!"

Marcus shook his head adamantly, his hands clenched tight. "I'm not shooting in the middle of all this traffic. Do a pit maneuver or something!"

Mike's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he scowled. "I'm not messing up the new paint job on my car for this fool."

Marcus shot him a disbelieving look. "So you'd rather I risk shooting a civilian than scratch your precious car?"

Mike huffed, frustration mounting. "You won't hit a civilian if you put on your damn glasses before you fire."

Marcus opened his mouth to argue, but Mike was done with the back-and-forth. He turned his head slightly to the back seat. "Reggie, shoot out the tires."

Reggie's eyes widened. "Is that an order, sir?"

"Damn right it is!" Mike snapped as he hit a button, opening the sunroof of the Porsche.

Reggie swallowed hard, then reached out, taking the gun Mike handed him with disciplined hands. Standing up through the roof, he positioned himself for the shot, his military training kicking in as he steadied his aim. The wind whipped around him, but Reggie's focus was unshakable.

With perfect precision, he fired two shots, the bullets hitting their mark and blowing out the SUV's back tires. The suspect's vehicle swerved wildly, its speed dropping as the driver struggled to regain control.

Reggie dropped back down into the car, his breath coming in short bursts, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Tires neutralized, sir."

Mike flashed a grin as he maneuvered the Porsche closer to the now-crippled SUV which careened wildly as it barreled toward the passenger pickup area of Miami International Airport. The tires left dark streaks on the pavement as the driver fought for control. Smoke began billowing from under the hood, the engine pushed beyond its limits.

"Pull over and stop the vehicle!" Marcus's voice boomed over the intercom, but it was clear the SUV had no more fight left. The engine coughed, then with a final groan, it blew out, sending a cloud of smoke into the air. The SUV slowed to a crawl, finally rolling to a stop right in front of the airport's sliding glass doors.

Mike brought the Porsche to a screeching halt in front of the smoking SUV, his eyes sharp and focused. "Showtime, boys," he said as he threw the car into park.

In unison, Mike, Marcus, and Reggie exited the vehicle, guns drawn and pointed at the SUV. Civilians in the area scattered, some ducking behind pillars and parked cars as the trio approached the suspect's vehicle with the practiced precision of seasoned cops.

"Hands where I can see 'em!" Mike barked as they neared the driver's side.

The door creaked open, and a man stumbled out, coughing and waving his hands in surrender. Before he could even think about making a run for it, Marcus was on him. He grabbed the suspect by the collar, yanking him from the SUV and slamming him onto the hood of Mike's Porsche with a force that made the man wince.

"You're under arrest, jackass," Marcus growled, snapping a pair of handcuffs around the man's wrists. "Don't move unless you wanna get to know my bullets real well."

As Marcus secured the suspect, more officers arrived on the scene, their flashing lights adding to the chaos. Marcus handed the suspect over to a pair of uniformed cops, then turned back to Mike, who was still watching the scene with a careful eye.

"Alright, suspect's in custody," Marcus said, wiping his hands on his pants as he approached his partner. "Not bad for a morning's work."

But Mike wasn't listening. His gaze had shifted, his focus drawn to the figure standing just beyond the smoke, his silhouette becoming clearer as the cloud dissipated. Although it had been over three years since he last saw the man, Armando hadn’t changed since; standing there with his duffel bags slung over his shoulder, a bemused expression on his face.

Mike holstered his gun and approached his son with an apologetic smile. "Sorry I'm a little late for pickup," he said, trying for a light tone as he gestured back at the chaos behind him. "Got stuck in some traffic."

Armando stood there, his face a mask of indifference. Without a word, he rolled his eyes and walked right past Mike's open arms, heading straight for the trunk of the Porsche. He tossed his bags in with a casual ease, as if this kind of thing happened every day.

Mike lowered his arms, the smile fading as he watched his son's retreating back. He sighed, the weight of the moment pressing down on him.

As Marcus walked over, having finished briefing the other officers, he took in the scene and couldn't resist. "Well, at least the kid's punctual," he joked, clapping Mike on the back.

Mike shot him a look that could melt steel. "Not now, Marcus."

"Hey, just trying to lighten the mood, man." Marcus raised his hands in mock surrender, though the grin on his face said he wasn't all that sorry.

Mike shook his head, glancing back at Armando, who was now leaning against the Porsche, waiting. The distance between them felt like miles.

"Let's just get outta here," Mike muttered, brushing past Marcus to head toward the car.

[xiii-e]

TEXT LOG: HELIOS-8 // XIII-E

XIII▸ Helios? ◂▸ I'm here, I'm here- any reason you're texting me instead of yelling? I'm only through the room you know. XIII▸ ... I don't want to say this stuff out loud. I don't want it on the cameras. ◂▸ oh, I... that's fair enough T-E. What's eating at you? XIII▸ I've been wondering if it was maybe a good thing I was injured this badly. With everything that's been going on. That I can't be dispatched for any of it. ◂▸ ...what makes you say that? [ ... ] XIII▸ The Armory has announced that Blackout Squad was approved for deployment. ◂▸ Ah. ◂▸ You... don't tell me anything about deployments with those folk. They're pretty much the only guys you've been sent out with more than once, right? XIII▸ Mhm ◂▸ Not people you care for much I'm guessing XIII▸ I am not permitted strong preferences. ◂▸ Right, yeah of course XIII▸ It's more... they make it hard for me. To do my job. I am designed for damage reduction across the board, and their methods make that... hard, sometimes. XIII▸ I think that's why I am deployed with them in the first place. Overt brutality is a company PR issue and could jeopardise relationships with other companies, and more importantly to Union. XIII▸ It is... important, for major powers to keep things some semblance of civil between them. [ ... ] XIII▸ I am... tired. Without me there, it is likely the damage will be worse but... but I am still tired. I feel I cannot rest knowing I have work to do but I am still so... ◂▸ ... ◂▸ You need to sleep, Thirteen-E. You need maintanence. You can't function while damaged this severely. XIII▸ ...right ◂▸ I care about you, a lot. But I'm also your handler on base, yeah? It's my job to keep you opperational. If you were deployed now, it could cause structural damage that'd stop you working at all. Can't have that, right? XIII▸I- yes. Right. ◂▸ So as your handler, I'm telling you to get some proper rest. That is your priority for the time being, because you will not be allowed to work until your condition improves. ◂▸ So just... shout if you need anything, alright? XIII▸ I- XIII▸ I will. XIII▸ ... thank you.

[seraphskies]

Epic Universe 05/03/2025 trip notes

Aka me gushing over Dark Universe.

Headed straight for Dark Universe once the park opened for everybody. My jaw was nearly to the floor. Darkmoor is so beautiful. Seeing the Frankenstein Manor in person gave me chills.

Attempted to ride Monsters Unchained, but it was delayed. So I went over to The Burning Blade and got a Hunter's Garlic Stake. Gregor, one of the Hounds (monster hunters), stopped by and rallied everyone into shouting "Release the Hounds!"

While walking to the Monster Makeup Experience, I ran into Dr. Jack Griffin aka The Invisible Man for the first time. Y'all, he flirted with me. He suggested I find Monocane and become invisible so we can have a "two for one deal." Yes that's a direct quote.

Got Bride of Frankenstein makeup done at the Monster Makeup Experience. It came out great! I've got a round face yet the artist knew how to contour me in a way that worked. And the brows! God, I loved those brows. They do free touch-ups so I went back later in the day to get my lips fixed.

The violinist singled me out ("A monster walks amongst us" or something along those lines) and told everyone the story about Darkmoor's well.

Ran into Dr. Griffin again, at precisely 1:11 according to my phone lol. I showed him my Bride makeup and he asked me, "What's new? The head or the face?" I said, "What if I told you it's both?" And he was like, "I want the truth! You're giving me options!" I have a video of all this that I might post it later.

Then literally right afterwards Monsters Unchained reopened. I only waited about half an hour. Talk about great timing! My God... I won't spoil the ride but I got emotional on it. In a good way of course! I've been a Universal Monsters fan my whole life, and this ride did them justice. It's easy for me to say it's my new favorite ride in all of Universal.

Did Stardust Racers after Monsters, just the Green track though. That ride thrashed my head around so badly that I came very close to blacking out. It's a lot of fun though! It's great to see dueling back at a Universal coaster.

Stardust Racers messed me up, so I took a break inside Helios Grand for a bit. You're allowed to chill in the lobby even if you aren't staying there. I talked to a security guard and apparently the average price to stay at the hotel is around $900 a night... yeah no, I'll never be staying there lmao.

Got some chicken tendies at Meteor Astropub. Small portion but tasty.

Went back to Dark Universe to get my makeup touched up, and then I met Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride! The Bride said about my makeup, "We're made from the same parts..." (something like that, I don't have a video unfortunately) and called us all "family." I got to shake both their hands too. 🥹

Headed over to Isle of Berk to catch The Untrainable Dragon show. The puppetry was really well done. I cried when Hiccup and Toothless flew over the audience.

After that, I went to Super Nintendo World. That area is insane. So many details, colors, and moving parts. It really is like stepping into a Mario game.

I met Mario and Luigi. Mario covered his eyes when he saw my face paint. I scared him!

I also met Princess Peach! Ariana Grande's brother cut the line with a VIP tour guide lmao. Peach told me I looked spectacular.

Rode Yoshi's Adventure. It's a cute little ride that takes you on a tour around Super Nintendo World.

Went back to Dark Universe, yes for the third time that day, to ride Monsters Unchained again. I'm glad I did because shortly afterwards it broke down and closed for the rest of the night.

I also rode Curse of the Werewolf! A little girl in the line had the same Bride makeup as me, and she got so happy when she saw me. Werewolf is a fun little coaster that spins you around. The ending though... I'm not sure what that was supposed to be.

I didn't see Ygor all day. Bad timing on my part I guess. :(

Mario Kart had a 25 minute wait about 20 minutes before park close, so I hauled ass to Nintendo and pretty much walked right onto the ride. It's like the lovechild of Toy Story Mania and Men in Black: Alien Attack. The Rainbow Road scene was very trippy.

And that's my Epic Universe trip! I did miss a few attractions (Mine Cart Madness was down for most of the day, I didn't ride anything in Isle of Berk, and I did not go anywhere near Harry Potter because fuck J.K. Rowling), but I'm very happy with what I got to experience.

[dxthmatch]

Helios Rising Heroes - Fluttering Hearts Seek Romantic

Chapter 3

—The next day

Brad : The substance that was collected at yesterday's Valentine's Day fan meet-and-greet has been confirmed.

Akira : What kind of substance was that?

Will : Judging from the reactions of everyone at the stadium, it seemed like the type substance that could affect people...

Brad : The research department has found that the people affected by that Substance has an excessive crush-seeking effect.

Brad : According to Dr. Nova, this leads to "romantic overdrive."

Akira : Romantic?

Brad : Yes, romantic.

Oscar : That.. Brad-sama, what exactly would that situation be like?

Brad : Sorry, I can't come up with a straightforward way to describe it. I guess all I can say now is that all the scenes with the citizen we saw at the stadium is bizarre..

Oscar : …It was certainly bizarre. The situation was not violent, but it was out of control, and I was at a loss as to how to deal with the citizens.

Will : The atmosphere was so exciting. I felt like a star.

Akira : I didn't feel bad about it, though.

Brad : Those affected have been inspected by the research department for a while, but they've calmed down now and have been allowed to go home.

Brad : However, the details are still under investigation, and it does not mean that the root of "Romantic Overdrive" has been solved. If there's another trigger, there is a possibility of that patient may fall into rampage again.

Brad : The research department is also developing a drug to counteract the effects of the Substance, but it will take some time.

Will : I see... I hope it's completed soon...

Oscar : People who caught up in this are the ones who support us. We can't just leave it like this..

Akira : Hey, is there any way to get them back to usual other than meds?

Brad : Hmm... I looked into whether there had been any similar cases in the past, and found that there was a substance that had a similar effect.

Brad : According to the report, when a strongly desired need is met, recovery may occur.

Brad: In fact, there is data suggests that in this case, the out-of-control citizens were able to stabilize their mental health by experiencing a certain kind of euphoria.

Will : So if they get into a romantic mood, they will be cured?

Brad : It's just a possibility. That influenced by this Substance you're looking for "romantic" or something similar with that.

Akira : I see... hmm?

Oscar : What's wrong, Akira?

Akira : No, if so, it's easy to cure them, right?

Brad : Well..

Akira : Look, just do the cancelled event again!

Akira : If we make all our fans feel romantic, maybe that will help?

Akira : Hmm hmm, as expected from the genius idea man, Akira Otori! What a brilliant idea!

Will : Umm...

Oscar : ............

Akira : W-What kind of reaction is that?! It's a great idea!

Will : Akira, do you know how to be romantic?

Oscar : If possible, I'd like to know about it, too. I'm not very knowledgeable about that sort of thing.

Akira : Uh.. it is.. that's it! It's called Voltage Max!

Oscar : ....?

Will : That would mean constantly shouting out that you're romantic, but is that okay with you, Akira?

Oscar : So I guess Voltage Max is like full-on romanticism?

Akira : No, that's not what I mean! Voltage Max is not "full-on romantic" or anything like that.

Akira : I don't know what romantic is, but I can handle it! I just have to live up to the expectations of those who come!

Will : ...It might be better than doing nothing. Maybe it'll make them feeling fluttered.

Oscar : Brad-sama, what should we do?

Brad : Hmmm... I'm not sure how to put it, but Akira has a point. It would be efficient to wait for the drug to be perfected and try another approach if possible.

Will : Of course, it's good to have more solutions.

Akira : Yeah!

Brad : Then, I will make arrangements to resume the cancelled event.

Akira : If that's the case, then let's get everyone's heart fluttered! Voltage Max!!

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[alex-just-vibing]

Take a wild guess about whom they were talking about