#his mirroring mechanic makes him so fascinating but also i can see how annoying he can get ingame

[maskerat]

Slowly just getting back to traditional art, for some reason digital doesn't feel right for me at the moment.

Anyway, have Army in Pink from Lob-Corp, one of my favourite abnos, I think he's cute.

[dangermousie]

Look at those arms! MMMMM!

You know, I really like Gilina. Or, more correctly, I really like what Gilina represents, both in terms of Crichton’s development and in his feelings for Aeryn. Gilina is Earth Crichton’s dream girl: she is blonde, pretty, sweet, and plucky (she is no push-over). She is also a girl geek, and a techie and for our scientist, that’s quite irresistibly appealing. (Btw, let me take a moment to note how much I like that the show showed us that Crichton had a type in women, B.A. (before Aeryn): they were blonde and sweet and had a certain safe niceness to them. Aeryn is not blonde, not sweet, and not safe at all. And neither is his feeling for her). If Gilina was a girl working for a research institute on Earth and she and John met at some party, I can easily see them talking, dating, falling in love and getting married. And having a happy married life. And the John of ‘PK Tech Girl,’ despite some unpleasant encounters in the Uncharted Territories is still enough of the Earth John to be attracted to Gilina, to be at the very beginning of developing something for her. He is still enough of an innocent, with enough uncomplicated and sweet left in him, for Gilina to be his type. But of course, that is not the case any more when they meet again in ‘Nerve.’ When they meet again, Gilina has had a fairly uneventful PK tech existence. She hasn’t changed much. But she is not Crichton’s type any more. Not after Maldis and finding out firsthand that there are psychopaths that will just enjoy watching you die for the fun of it, not after Crais and finding out that no, if you only explain the truth, it won’t make it better. The person will still want to kill you even if they believe you, even if it’s wrong and irrational, and there is nothing you can do. Not after ‘Jeremiah Crichton’ (my least fave ep of the whole show, but whose theme of Crichton’s long isolation is well taken). Not after finding out the truth about Zhaan, or almost dying out there in space with Aeryn. Not after the mind and soul fuck of ‘A Human Reaction.’   Gilina is not for this John. Not any more. And it’s not just that in the meanwhile he’s ceased to see anyone but Aeryn. It is also that his character has changed. And that is only the beginning. When he meets her in ‘Nerve’ it is pre-Scorpius, pre-Aurora Chair, pre-everything in S2, 3 and 4 (I’d do a list but it would take too long to type). If Gilina met S4 Crichton, she’d freak and run away and rightly so. A digression, but I find it fascinating how John's non-Aeryn women reflect his change. We have his ex-gf on Earth who he was serious enough to apparently want to propose to, before they went their separate career way. She is sort of like Gilina only blander, less engaging (Earth Crichton strikes me as someone who's had things come to him too easily because of his intelligence or what not. His passion (for whatever) was never truly engaged to the full, and the gf reflects that.) There is also Caroline (who we meet in Terra Firma) with whom he had something or other, but she is rather like his Earth-ex and it's clear the Crichton of TF doesn't even have anything to say to her any more. From them, we progress to Gilina (about whom see above). In first half of S2, there is the PK Disruptor. Now, she is a lot more edges, more hardness. If she is like anyone, it's a female version of Bond. And Crichton sleeps with her, because hey, he's tried everything to get Aeryn to admit any interest, he's beaten his head against the rock and he's beaten it and beaten it. But she refused and she's conclusively walked out of his life for good (not even came to see him for the very last time, when he needed her most). And also, girl can kill him, good to stay on her good side. There is no Gilina sweetness in her, at all. PK Tech Girl Crichton would annoy her and be intimidated to be with her, not so much Crichton of that s2 ep arc. But interestingly, that is the last time he even looks at another woman, no matter the circumstances. Once Aeryn and he admit their love to each other at the end of S2/beginning of S3, that is it. Even at the second part of S3, when Aeryn is off with Talyn-Crichton, Moya-Crichton goes deep into his obsession with wormholes, not any girls at all, and he is just as obsessed with Aeryn as ever. Even after the end of S3, the beginning of S4, even after he tells Aeryn "I can trust you with my life. But not my heart" and he locks himself away, he still does not look at anyone else. He cannot. And even the drugs cannot knock her out from his mind. Which is why his last non-Aeryn woman is Grayza, who rapes him while at the same time telling him if he gives her the wormhole stuff she will help him find Aeryn (OMG, that bit is seriously the worst in the whole scene). I think the darker progression of these women-others mirrors the darker and darker universe. OK, digression over.   I find it interesting that in S1 we have a number of people (beings, whatever) whose life is affected, changed by Crichton and who are grateful for that and thank him for changing/opening/saving either explicitly, or it’s implied. But after S1 this slows to a trickle pretty fast and then stops almost entirely. Crichton is such an innately kind person, and one of the saddest things in the show is seeing this kindness leach away under the tortures (literal and figurative) he is subjected to. I find it so sad and so significant that in the S3 finale it’s Aeryn who brings up the fact that the command carrier has a lot of lives which John’s plan might end. Aeryn. Not John. She’s become more compassionate (she, who started out saying ‘I hate that word’) and he’s become much less. These are both reactions to their environment, to events they are in (When they initially meet, she is a product of an individuality-less, soulless scenario. Even if he is wrong in reading her at the very very first in Premiere during intros, he is not wrong in reading her potential, in recognizing she is a person, and even as early as Premiere she proves him right. I also love that for Crichton, she is always her own person, not a preconceived notion of what she should be. He loves her for being Aeryn, not for some idealized being in his head). And yet it is never completely suppressed, it is always there, however muted and downtrodden, however circumscribed. He had to jettison most of it in order to stay sane and to survive, but somewhere deep inside he is still the guy who, in a completely strange world, took the time to fix the eye-stalk of a mechanical critter thingy he didn’t know at all.   And of course, part of the reason he jettisons it is also because whenever he tries to save someone or make it better, it often ends up making the situation worse. I am thinking for example of S3’s lovely ‘Different Destinations’ which turns a beloved sci-fi trope on its head and he has to live with it and he can barely bear it.   And I love how the show never lets us forget the cost this takes on him, that he is not a power-hungry psychopath, a cavalier callous being only caring about his small group of friends. That coda to S4’s ‘We Are So Screwed’ where he is with Aeryn, and he breaks down, and he can’t help it, and he weeps for what he’d done, for what he almost did (and it’s going to be small fry in comparison with PKW) is just brilliant and heartbreaking and one of my favorite bits (and I love that she is there, and she silently comforts him, and he clutches her arm as a lifeline). And that is why I actually liked the drug storyline in S4. After all the stuff that Crichton been through, I am surprised he didn’t end up going on something earlier, just to deal with it all somehow (I love that the show brought up earlier that he has nightmares, feels tremendous guilt, and that was mid S2, I am sure they are much worse now). And it also made sense that when his number 1 obsession, Aeryn, told him to give it up, he did, as he’d pick her over anything. She’s his number 1 drug. Basically, he needs Aeryn desperately. She is what allows him to function, allows him to stay (relatively) sane, what holds him together. When he can’t have her, or doesn’t have her, he falls apart and needs something else to get through the days (wormholes in S3, lakka in S4). I do find it interesting that Crichton keeps his compassion, however tattered, but he develops absolute priorities, as a result of choices he shouldn’t have had to make. Most people don’t really analyze whether they will pick the woman they love or selling one’s soul and giving up something which earlier, to protect, you didn’t give up even when tortured or hunted or broken. They don’t have to. Crichton’s developed rigid priorities are a result of the environment where he had to confront those hierarchies in himself. Crichton’s earlier ‘purity’ and goodness and optimism exist in part because he is a product of a relatively sheltered life (compared to Uncharted Territories). But that early cleanness allows others to see a better or at least a different path for themselves and so they repay the favor later by pulling him out when he is on the brink of succumbing to all these horrors (which really do seem to be scarily disproportionately triggered at him). One of the things I love about Crichton is that even after he’s seen and dealt horrors, he has a certain moral absolutism to him (however broken it gets at times) and a pure refusal to give up, and strength even if only to make the least worst of two bad choices presented to him. Something untainted is always there, maybe a legacy of his initial idealism, and so he never breaks, not permanently, not irreparably, though he comes very very close. Throughout the show, even as that world bends and molds and twists him to its own parameters, he manages to make the world somewhat bend and mold and twist to himself.   Do you know what I really really wish for John and Aeryn and the kid after the end of PKW? A few years of total peace, where they can just travel the space in Moya, and John can do his research, and be with Aeryn and watch their child grow, without having to worry about saving his and their lives every other day.

OK, these are getting epically long omg.

[and-there-were-words]

A Spider Life: Slow days (Chapter 05)

I first wanted to write something out of the Spider Queen’s POV, but struggled to keep it within the narrative I am going for at the moment. I will write something for her after what’s show-canon though. A slow one with some more HCs, but I hope you still enjoy this chapter!

Also “Ask questions” had been enabled, I did not notice they weren’t before /o/

---

Taking place some time before “Minor scale”.

After the last two, rather smooth successes of gathering the artifacts, things had turned… slow. With everyone doing their best to busy themselves, Syntax makes some (for him at least) interesting observations. (Wordcount: around 2150)

---

With the mirror in their possession, the little lady had grown silent while working on the furnace. Aside from that whisper business of course, that had been a constant the last few days. And while nobody wanted to admit it out loud, it put everyone on the edge. Even the Queen.

However, nothing would stop Syntax from working on his spiderbots, even trying to improve the additional arms on his back. Not the easiest thing to do when you don’t have eyes on the back of your head, but making sure they just won’t snap in the heat of a moment felt rather crucial. The additional weight to this upgrade wasn’t exactly a worry to him at all, in the end he wasn’t one of the brawler types.

Something in the air changed, making him halt for a second.

“Yes Huntsman, how can I help you?”, he spoke without needing to look up. The other spider made a frustrated noise at being detected, he had been just mere inches away to give the scientist a poke. With an annoyed huff he turned around to stomp back to Goliath. Syntax would be lying to say if the other's frustration didn't plug on a string of satisfaction. This sort of interactions had been going on for a while now.

Leaning back, just to give his spine a proper stretch, the scientist couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud of himself. Just the progress he had made the last few days was satisfying, and not only the ones on his machines – but himself too. Huntsman had taken a sadistic joy in startling him whenever he could, and he was infuriatingly good at it. Though, Syntax started to pick up on the faint noises the hunter made when stepping on stone, the shuffling of clothes. Eventually he could catch him prior to a scare.

Which only goaded Huntsman to try even harder, becoming more and more silent and careful in his steps. Syntax had taken recordings to measure the changes of skill level (and for his own sanity) – by now, the hunting spider was so silent that even his gadgets could barely pick up the sounds anymore. Certainly a skill Huntsman had all along, but finally seemed to shake off the initial rust after his involuntary slumber. With the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to catch him on that anymore, the scientist tried to focus on other giveaways.

What had started as an obvious attempt on grilling his nerves, developed into a near playful banter. Just the wordless back and forth to get the other to try harder. In an odd way, it almost felt like Huntsman was training him, but he was careful to keep that thought to himself. Syntax knew better than to read too much into the hunter's actions, as chaotic as they were.

Nonetheless, the scientist found himself trying to imitate the hunter now and then. Since the guy was going on about smelling all kind of stuff, he gave it a try himself. At first not picking up much more than the damp air in the cave, the metal of the machines. It took him a while to find stronger differences, trying to casually walk past Goliath and the Queen. He found it rather surprising that they didn't seem to do much to hide their presence, but maybe it was simply the comfort of the cave that allowed them to do so.

Picking up on Huntsman was an entirely different beast. The man always seemingly on guard, always ready to appear and disappear. However with time, the scientist managed to actually pick up on Huntsman’s scent, as faint as it was. Kind of earthy, a little bit mildewed, and Syntax could swear there was the ever lingering hint of fresh blood. Did this guy ever wash that pelt of his?

Of course, he would never claim that his own sense of scent was as powerful as the hunter’s, but it was enough to know who was currently around the cave. The little lady didn't seem to have any telltales like these, which usually would've raised red flags in his mind but… he didn't question it, nobody else did either. Anything else he came in contact with, the scents of the surface… became a mixed blend of too much too quickly. Maybe a task for another time.

Aside from that, scent and hearing weren’t the only senses he had noticed an improvement in! Their lair seemed to have become much less dark, he wasn’t as dependable on his goggles as he used to be anymore. What before had looked like chunky and random bits of webbing, now unveiled themselves as carefully crafted pieces with intriguing patterns, with uses he was still starting to understand. Goliath did his best to explain them in more 'common' terms, and it was always a pleasant surprise to see how excited the large spider became to share his knowledge. The more time Syntax spent within the Silk Web Cave, the more beautiful this place became to him. A pride welling up that he lived here.

However their hideout wasn’t the only thing that was much more layered than he previously thought. Turning around in his seat, he watched the other two henchmen going about their day. Currently sticking their heads together over something he couldn't see from his position. Still, he watched them a little, while he was sorting further observations in his mind.

...to no one’s surprise, when he wasn’t within the lair, Huntsman was hunting. Or at least, somewhere outside doing who knows what for days on end. Yet always coming back with some good pieces of meat, roots and berries (but mainly meat). The first time Syntax saw the hunter preparing food for dinner, he nearly refused to partake in it. Mostly because he couldn’t imagine his meals to taste anything but bland, or worse, be poisoned. Color him surprised, that stew was better than most dishes the Queen would concoct on a daily basis. Another thought Syntax would take to his grave before speaking it out loud.

When Huntsman wasn’t around for dinner, and everyone else felt too lazy to scavenge for some proper food options, Goliath and he would order takeout. The strong spider clearly intrigued by this concept, always wanting to try something new. Syntax often questioned the sanity of the cityfolk, considering that the delivery people didn’t had much care to come down near a spider den. The food from the surface world had something comforting to the scientist, as cheap and artifical as it sometimes was. Though he was really craving noodle soup as of late and he wasn’t entirely sure why. Syntax let out a little sigh while standing up.

This whole food thing had also shown an interesting side on Goliath. While the Queen and Huntsman didn’t seem to particularly care about human food (the latter even openly showing his distaste for it), the strong spider had taken a deep fascination. Especially sweets and candies seemed to have struck his attention the most. More than once did Syntax catch him just trying some new trendy food or colorful jawbreaker that he got from… who knows where. Goliath didn’t make any of this a secret, however he clearly wasn’t one with a rotten sweet-tooth as he barely finished anything. “For science.”, he once said with a wink and didn’t elaborate any further. Okay then.

“What are you two doing?”, Syntax casually asked as he wandered closer to the two. The strong spider looked up in confusion for a second before giving the younger man a smirk, “Secrets”. The scientist blinked owlishly, circling around them to look over the smaller spider’s shoulder. There were parchments of leather, deer if Syntax would have to guess, with Huntsman trying to draw squares and circles. Large black smudges here and there told the story of many previous attempts, letting the edges of the material look almost black by now.

"Get away from me.", the kneeling spider hissed, Syntax complying with an annoyed eye roll. Looking back at the larger man in an unspoken question. "We want to make a new robe for the Queen.", the giant almost beamed with excitement. Only for the big smile to water down in mild disappointment, "Buddy ain't good at designing though."

"If you wouldn't be just so damn picky!", Huntsman shot back, smudging away his latest attempt. "Just let me do what I do best, I know what I am d-"

"No!", Syntax flinched a little in surprise. It wasn't exactly an usual thing for Goliath to argue, or to even interrupt someone. "I want this to be special and you just can't get the patterns right! For the Queen's sake, just follow a plan for once!"

The scientist had to raise a brow. This was the first time he ever saw the two of them actually butting heads and… he had to admit, it was a little bit refreshing. Letting his eyes wander to some other pieces of leather, recognizing the sketches as copies from the patterns all over the cave. This one was a sigil of warding, as he had learned the other day, and a few were the Queen's own emblem. In case some other spider demon decided to come here, they would immediately know who's domain they dared to enter. The rest of those, he had not gotten an explanation yet.

"If I may.", mechanical arms shoved Huntsman unceremoniously to the side. Crouching down to pick up one of the charcoal, he started to draw. He was no expert on how to draw people by any means, but it certainly resembled the queen more than any of Huntsman's attempts. With careful strokes, he designed a fairly simple cut, working in the patterns on how he would think would look good on the Queen. It didn't pass him that the other two were watching with bated breath.

Once done, the scientist sat back on his heels, giving his creation a proper look. Not too shabby, if he may say so himself.

"Oh this is really good, Syntax!", Goliath cheered, looking like he wanted to touch the sketch but didn't dare to. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, Huntsman almost looked like he was about to explode.

"The fuck is your problem.", the elder hissed in dreadful silence, whole body tense and twitching. "What do you think you are!", he now became louder but Syntax did his best to just give him a neutral expression and not to budge. Which may not have been the best idea, as it only agitated the other further. The hunter was now standing, looming over him. "You really think you can just come in here and do whatever?! Think you can just be part of this??"

Large and sharp spider legs lashed out, in reflex Syntax let out a startled cry and raised his arms in an attempt of protection. But the pain didn't come. They hadn't aimed at him, instead… having shred the parchment with the sketches to bits. "I REFUSE TO WEAVE THIS."

Like an angry lion, the hunter had bared his fangs in a snarl. For a moment, Syntax was still prepared to be hit by the other, but the hunter suddenly turned around and just. Left. Goliath looked torn between the two men, mouthing a silent "Sorry" before hurrying after his friend.

A breath he didn't know he was holding, escaped his lungs. Syntax crumbled a bit to the floor, bitter thoughts flooding in. Just when he thought things were doing okay. Of course he had to step right into a sensitive nerve for the older spider. Heavy clicking pulled him out of his thoughts, but he couldn't care at the moment to look presentable before the Queen.

Spider Queen looked between the tired scientist and shredded pieces of leather, no apparent expression showing. But of course there was a glint of recognition in her eyes. "Why y'all causing such a ruckus?" Syntax sighed silently, giving a brief summary of the recent events.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, the scientist not entirely sure how his Queen would react. To his surprise, she let out a little tired sigh. "Weaving is something quite personal to us. Especially if we do it for someone else.", she explained without really looking back at him. Instead giving the destroyed sketches another glance. "Just pretend this never happened. He'll get over it." With that, she simply left.

Syntax pulled his lips into a frown. Just ignore this all? If Huntsman got over it or not, it did not matter. His fists clenched a little, looking at the floor, choking and holding back bitter tears he could feel burning in hte back of his eyes. Syntax was more upset that he apparently wasn't allowed to be an actual part of this clan, no matter how hard he tried.

[theoldaeroplane]

HARDWIRED: 2. Observation

"That your wife?"

The first time Dell was asked this question he nearly spit out his beer. That, however, was almost six months ago. Today, settling up the bill for his and April's breakfast at the diner closest to the motel, he just shakes his head and glances back at where April sits in their booth, staring out the window. "Nah. Old friend."

"Oh?" says the cashier. She's a woman of middle age, with hair leaning silver and early crow's feet complementing a soft smile. "Then you won't mind me asking where you've been all my life, hm?"

He laughs, demure. It's a rare thing for him, flirting, though to his relative confusion it's increased a great deal as he's aged. "Sorry, ma'am," he says, sliding a ten across the counter to her. "Afraid I've got to leave again just as quick."

"Oh, all the good ones do," she says with a snort and a smirk. "That's my lot. Where you headed?"

"Don't know, if I'm being honest. She's the one driving."

"You sure she's not your wife?"

"I think you'd have to hog-tie her to even get her near a ring, let alone wear one. Keep the change."

When he returns to April, she sits with her head resting against the sun-warmed glass, staring at nothing. Her shoulder, too, is warm when he nudges her and says they should get going.

---

Six years ago (God, six years, really?) Dell would have made a good deal more fuss about being driven somewhere without any particular idea of where. Even after the arsonist had proven herself more friend than foe, he certainly would not have gotten in a car with her for longer than a few minutes. Oh, he had more responsibilities then: BLU might call at any time, and he was something of a pillar in tiny Bee Cave as the best mechanic available---to say nothing of the fuss his extended family would raise if left without an idea of where he was.

That family, though, is still under the impression he is dead, as is Bee Cave. BLU is gone. He no longer has a dog to mind, as Shep is well and truly April's now.

And of course it is not the arsonist he has been riding down the flat, winding highways with for the last day and a half. The master of this expedition has a name, and a face that is not made of rubber.

This is why he does not ask April where they are going.

That, he muses as he watches her take yet another random back road, and the fact he has a pretty good idea she doesn't know, either.

---

The first time he had visited after Jeremiah's wedding had been the first of the mid-month sojourns, and at April's specific request. She had been in good spirits after the wedding, after the revelation of Tobias's park, and so he'd thought she was fine, at least as far as she went. It had been a surprise when she'd called him just two weeks after with a request that he come to see her, though less of one when he heard her choice of words: it just feels empty here.

In truth, it had been inconvenient at the time. He was house-hunting and had several appointments with several people that would all have to be cancelled. Also in truth, it was April. He went.

The house hadn't changed, of course, big and state-of-the-art and with over half a dozen chimneys leading up from over a dozen fireplaces, sitting haphazardly in a patch of land hidden from the highway's view by the acacia copse. Shep nearly got himself run over in his excitement to see his old master; the old boy's got one eye that might be going, and he's getting gray around the muzzle. He knows all this, and it wasn't a surprise.

The woman that opened the door, on the other hand, startled him. She's unmistakable, of course, but he almost mistakes her anyway, because she looks nothing so much as the arsonist that haunted his property that summer of '68. It's not the rumpled clothing or the Zippo in one hand, or even the way her blue eyes seem to have sunken in her burned face---and at least those seem to light up a little when she sees him---it's---

"You cut your hair," Dell says.

She lifts her eyebrows and touches the short black hair, hacked off by unsteady scissors. It doesn't look bad on her, but he had grown used to it long, and had liked it. Not that his opinion on what she does with herself means jack, but---it's still a startle.

---

Long roads. Long hours. But sometimes he can stir conversation out of her. Or say the wrong thing, as the case may be: he's commenting on the contents of the local paper he'd picked up at the diner when she interrupts, all brimming frustration and bile. "Why the hell do you go along with my shit?"

Dell allows himself a few seconds to formulate a response. "How do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" she says, slapping the steering wheel. Shep's ears swivel toward her in alarm. "Shit like this, like driving off somewhere without saying anything. I don't know where I'm going."

He considers this. "Well," he says, "I imagine you'll know it when we find it."

"Dell," she growls. "Don't fuck with me."

"I'm not, missy."

"Don't call me tha---"

The next few seconds is a racket of sound and broken glass and screeching brakes, because one of those antlelope from the day before has just come careening straight in front of the truck.

---

The good news is the antlelope survived.

Dell's truck is a little less lucky. The hood is crumpled, and blood smears both engine and body. Through some miracle, there is only a palm-sized cobweb of shattered glass in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. April, hardware savant but hopeless with cars, paces and drags Shep away from the fascinating knots of blood and fur stuck haphazard in the grille while Dell tries to diagnose the damage.

"I think she'll take us to wherever the next town is," he says, with no small amount of trepidation. The last time he'd touched a vehicle was Coldfront, and that had been touch-and-go. "Worst case, we pick up a new one while we're there, leave this for repairs."

"I'll pay for it," April says, fidgeting with the lighter that had---of course---appeared in her hand.

"What's it matter?"

"If it doesn't matter, then just let me do it."

She is looking for a fight. "Okay," says Dell. "D'you want me to take over driving?"

---

That first visit after April had cut her hair was colored by more than the haircut.

Dell's observant, he has to be. He's gotten to be very observant of April, especially over the last year and a half: there was, after all, nothing else for him to do but observe, when Esau was holding him down. He's learned about her, how she moves, the way her mouth curves when she's annoyed or amused. In truth he knows three different Aprils, and the language of this newest incarnation is its own animal. Pyro was another; the arsonist, the first.

This is why it's troubling that he's noticing things April's never done, but that the arsonist did quite often. It's the constant fidgeting with lighters and matches, it's the short, sharp way she interacts with things around the house, it's even in how she touches Shep. Her speech is clipped and distracted. He mentions none of this that first night, after setting up in the guest room, which has not been touched since his last visit.

She asks him how he is, and it's code. Has Esau done anything? It's the first time she's been April that day, not the arsonist. He's too relieved to see her again to put as much care into his responses as he should.

He tells her about his search for a new house---he's renting in El Paso, taking his time to figure out where he wants to settle down again. "Cool," she says, absently. She has not been out to see him. "El Paso sounds nice."

"It's nice enough. How you been holding up?"

"I'm fine," she had said, and the dreadful thing is that he thinks she believed that.

---

The mechanic they find is every inch a stereotype, grizzled and gruff and covered in grease. Dell feels a mild kinship with him, but bristles at the way his eyes keep darting to April. To her scars, mainly. "A week at a rush," the mechanic tells him. "Best I can do."

Dell relays this to April; it's questionable if she really hears him.

It's a good-sized town, this place, Musabruk or something like that. Big enough that they take advantage of the mechanic's offer of a ride to the nearest hotel, and once again Dell feels himself souring each time he notices the mechanic's eyes roving over to the rear-view mirror to catch sight of April's burns. As if she hasn't got enough to deal with. He's not sure if it's for better or worse that she doesn't seem to notice.

It puts him in a mood, anyway. Enough of one, apparently, that when they finally make it to their room and he excuses himself to the bathroom, the ring of lights is waiting for him.

Dell has never suffered the dramatic effects of looking-glass syndrome that had plagued April. He hallucinates little, he has almost never had cause to doubt his faculties. This makes it all the more startling when Esau does appear, a hexagon of electric blue lights looming in space. He does not acknowledge the lights as he goes to wash his face.

You are angry.

It's a simple observation, in the same flat, observational tone that Esau's voice always takes in his head. Dell does not respond. It takes a great deal to make him respond to Esau, at least when Esau does not have any purpose to his manifestation. He knows he is angry. He does not need to be told.

She has heavy scarring. Most people go a lifetime without seeing anyone as disfigured as she is.

A response jumps to his lips---she's not disfigured---but he stifles it. But apparently he is too tired to resist him entirely, between the driving and the deer and the mechanic. "You got something to say?"

The lights flicker. Not as you intend the question. I am only curious how long you will go without addressing the problem.

"And I guess you know what the problem is?" he says, but the lights are gone.

[promptmaker]

Prompt Left Overs

Below the reading line is a list of prompts from 2019 that are still available. There is no time limit and you can switch out characters if you prefer (they must be consenting adults or aged up).       As always if you pick one, please let me know and I will cross it out.    

1. My Hero Academia. Future AU. (Shoto/Momo):   Pro heros Momo and Shoto have broke the top 10 Hero rankings for the first time and are celebrating with their former classmates with a party at their home. After everybody leaves and they are finally alone, Momo and Shoto can finally celebrate in their own way.

2. Fairy Tail City Hero (NaLu):  Natsu and Lucy are stranded on the side of the road outside of town when their Patrol Car breaks down. Natsu quickly gets bored and entices Lucy into some sexy time until help arrives.  Either inside or outside of the patrol car.  (Optional: They accidentally give a show to the dash cam)

 3. Fairy Tail (NaLu) Canon or AU:   Natsu and Lucy have been together for a couple of months now and can’t keep their hands off each other it gets so bad that Lucy’s friends need to drag her away for some girl time at a spa/onsen. NaLu secretly keep in touch via text and facetime through out Lucy’s trip but things escalate when a drunken and flirty Lucy starts sending Natsu risque pics and texts throughout her time there.   Their escapades end with a video chat session that turns steamy.

4. Fairy Tail (NaLu) Modern AU:  Lucy goes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans with her lady friends as a way to let loose from work and College.  The girls enjoy all the festivities Mardi Gras has to offer and Cana even leads them through a wild time on Bourbon Street. During the days of partying, Lucy befriends a local named Natsu who shows them the best places to go during their visit. Natsu and Lucy flirt the whole time and get a chance to hang out alone together for a day before Lucy has to go. Things escalate and they both show each other a wild time.   (DISCLAIMER: I have never been to Mardi Gras or New Orleans)

5. Fullmetal Alchemist (EdWin): Ed and Winry (married/together) rent a car during a trip to central but when it breaks down and Winry goes into full mechanic mode trying to fix it, Ed decides that he has never been more turned on.

 6. Fairy Tail (Mira/Lucy/Natsu):  Mira is a little depressed after the end of a long term relationship.  Not liking seeing their friend so down and wanting to repay her for all she has done for them and the guild, Natsu and Lucy invite her to their place for some no-strings-attached fun to help her get her mind of things. Mira, graciously accepts.      (Or any extra female of your choosing. It doesn’t have to be Mira)

 7. Fullmetal Alchemist (Roy/Riza) Riza helps Roy with their firearm re-certification. When he fails to take the tests seriously, Riza offers “incentives”  for doing well with the test.      Also works with Rebecca/Havoc.

8. Fairy Tail (NaLu) Canon or AU:   Natsu and Lucy have been together for a couple of months now and can’t keep their hands off each other it gets so bad that Lucy’s friends need to drag her away for some girl time at a spa/onsen. NaLu secretly keep in touch via text and face-time through out Lucy’s trip but things escalate when a drunken and flirty Lucy starts sending Natsu risque pics and texts throughout her time there.   Their escapades end with a video chat session that turns steamy.

 9. Fairy Tail Gruvia: Possibly a sequel to (https://archiveofourown.org/works/10425108/chapters/42895043). An unexpected storm delays Nalu from returning home.  They contact Gruvia through lacrima to check their home for any damages, but remembering what Nalu did in his favorite chair, Gray decides to get revenge.  He entices Juvia into helping to leave their scent all over the house, from the living room to the bedroom....  When Natsu gets home a few days later, he knows what happened before he even opened the door and races off to find Gray.

10. Fairy Tail NaLu (or any couple really) AU: Lucy and Natsu are athletes in the Olympics. They are from different countries but they meet early on and become friendly.  During a rare grace period where neither of them have event to be at, the two get drinks at a bar in the. They quickly discover that the rumors about down time in the Olympic Village are true, sex between athletes is abundant and constant. Be it out in the open or in the privacy of their rooms.  The two decide that since they may go their separate ways after the games, they might as well join in the fun.   TL;DR AU Athlete Natsu and Lucy has some adventurous sex in the Olympic Village.

11. Fairy Tail NaLu: Lucy is having renovations done to her apartment, so Erza graciously lets her stay in her room(s) at Fairy Hills while she is away on a mission. Her boyfriend Natsu comes to visit her in her new accommodations and to complain that she chose to stay there instead of his place (she didn’t want to deal with the mess and Fairy Hills is closer to FT). Lucy seductively promises to “make it up to him”. Natsu is hesitant to do anything in Erza’s room but then Lucy makes the mistake of teasingly asking if he is scared. Which leads her being dragged to Erza’s bed.  Are they caught by Erza or do they get away with it?      TL;DR: NaLu risk having sex in Erza’s bedroom.

12. Fullmetal Alchemist EdWin: Ed and Winry visit Xing for their wedding anniversary. Ling sets them up in a fancy room at his palace with its own private hotspring. After some drinks with the Emperor, the couple heads back to their room and a frisky Winry decides they need to test out the hotspring and have some extra fun in it.    TL;DR EdWin fuck in a private hotspring.   

13. SFW.  Fairy Tail NaLu. Modern. AU: Natsu is a pyrotechnician and he thinks showing Lucy how he sets up a fireworks display for 4th of July makes for a good (first?) date.     

 14. SFW. My Hero Academia: After hearing All-Might mention it, Eri becomes fascinated by the concept. Especially the fireworks, having never seen any before. Class 1A decides to give her a fireworks display of their own and go overboard.         

15 SFW.  Fullmetal Alchemist. EdWin:  Ed tries to show his kids the science behind Sparklers and they seem more interested in trying to set him on fire.

16. SFW. MCU canon divergent, Steve/Natasha: Steve and Nat have been together for a year now. After having a big birthday  party for Steve, thrown by Tony at Avengers HQ, Nat/Steve sneak off to the roof to enjoy Tony’s elaborate firework show.     NSFW  optional: they get side tracked from the fire works and decide to make there own right there on the roof.

17. NSFW. Fairy Tail. College AU. NaLu: Lucy is dragged to a college 4th of July party by her friends. She tries to make her escape from said party until Natsu shows up. She has several classes with him and the sexual tension between them is palpable. He makes the party fun for her and when the party starts to wind down the two sneak off into a spare bedroom for some fun.

18. Fairy Tail Nalu and Nack/Lucia (A couple of  years after 100 year quest): Fairy Nail has come to Fiore, doing an international tour of  their show.  Natsu, Lucy and other guild members are hired as security during the tour.  NaLu are assigned to Nack and Lucia specifically and after only a week guarding them, they are becoming very annoyed by the lewd behavior the other two display. Having to pry them off each other often. While staying at a hotel, Nack and Lucia’s antics keep NaLu up all night, them having their room right next door and all. So NaLu decide to give Nack and Lucia a taste of their own medicine and try to keep the other two awake all night with their own antics. It turns into the couples trying to outdo each other through the night                                                The same prompt as above EXCEPT, instead of separate rooms the couples are in separate beds. In the same room.      TL;DR:  NaLu and Nack/Lucia try to out fuck each other

19. Fullmetal Alchemist EdWin: Ed takes Winry shopping in Central for her birthday. He bemoans being dragged to clothing stores until she has him come into the dressing rooms with her. Ed enjoys watching try on clothes for awhile but soon can no longer contain himself and they go at it in the dressing room and have some fun with its mirror.      (optional: Ed seeing her in skinny jeans and a tight top is what triggers it. Said jeans end up at her knees)       TL;DR: Ed and Winry have sex in a changing room

20. Fairy Tail NaLu:  Brandish is in town on a mission. Natsu and Lucy run into her and offer her to join them for drinks. She reluctantly agrees to join them.  A few drinks later and Brandish has had a drunken mood shift. She switches between being overly friendly and apologetic about her past actions towards the two. Before returning home for the night Brandish drunkenly offers them a “gift” for being nice to her and to make up for what happened during the war. Not knowing what what she means, the confused couple accepts.  So Brandish uses her magic to increase the size of Lucy’s breasts and Natsu’s dick (nothing to major. Like a cup size/inch or two). Brandish tells them they will be normal by morning and to have fun with it before leaving the flustered couple. NaLu aren’t sure how to handle it at first but decide to  make the best of it. So when they get home, the two have some fun with their temporary new proportions.     TL;DR Brandish makes the dick and breasts size of NaLu slightly bigger and they have fun with it. 

21. Fairy Tail (NaLu Tattoo Artist AU): Lucy has a few tattoos and is looking into getting a back tattoo. She is told that local artist Natsu Dragneel, from the new tattoo place is the best and most affordable option in getting one. She goes to him to go over the design she has in mind and the two hit it off immediately. For about a month Lucy goes to Natsu for various tattoos (fairy tail symbol on hand, Aquarus one on breasts, ect.) and to flirt with him. When the back tattoo is done she is worried that their sessions have come to an end. But when Natsu suggests she come back after it heals so he can take a picture for his wall, Lucy decides to use the opportunity to seduce him and they go at it right there in the parlor.    TL;DR: Tattoo enthusiast Lucy flirts with her Tattoo Artist Natsu until they can’t take it anymore and fuck each other.

22. Fullmetal Alchemist (EdWin):  When Ed losses a bet with Winry, he must where a military uniform on their date night. Ed hates it of course but seeing him in Uniform is having an unexpected reaction from Winry to the point where she starts messing with him under the table and eventually drags him to the bathroom for a quickie.  TL;DR: Ed has to wear a military uniform and it unexpectedly turns Winry on to the point that she jumps him at a restaurant. 

23. Fullmetal Alchemist (Royai): Roy and Riza are visiting Xing and are given their own private train car on the way to the palace to see Ling. The car is like a fancy hotel room but when Roy starts getting bored of the sights, he turns his attention to Riza and convinces her to try some train ride fun.  (Could also be EdWin)        TL;DR: Roy and Riza take advantage of alone time in their VIP train car. 

24. My Hero Academia Future AU (TodoMomo):  Todoroki and Momo have finally returned home from a long mission/investigation. When Momo mentions her back hurts from the long hours of being awake, Todoroki offers to give her one of his “famous” massages. Momo eagerly accepts and Todo has her strip down so he can work his magic. He uses the heat and cold from his quirk to work wonders on her sore muscles. Once done she sees her moaning and excitement from the massage has gotten Todoroki worked up as well. So she makes use of the massage oil and gives him a rub down of his own.    TL;DR an innocent massage leads to sexy fun with between Todoroki and Momo.

25. Fairy Tail NaLu+Female: Lucy wants to surprise Natsu with a threesome for his birthday!  It is something they have considered for awhile and one of the potential female partners they have discussed it with says they are ready, so her and Lucy plan to give Natsu a night he won’t forget.  (Suggestion: Natsu is blind-folded at the start).      The extra female from the FT series is the  writer's choice.            TL;DR: NaLu have an MFF threesome for Natsu’s birthday. 

26. Fairy Tail (NaLu+Male): It is now Lucy’s birthday thanks to an arrangement between her and Natsu, since he got a threesome with an extra female for his birthday, Lucy can now pick and extra  male for hers. So, looking for a one night stand type deal, they go bar hopping, searching for someone that is compatible and easy going. When they find who they are looking for, they head back to their place for some fun.  This could be a sequel to number 1 on this list or it can stand on its own.   (Suggestion: Lucy starts with the Male first then Natsu joins)        The extra male from the FT series is the writer’s choice.        TL;DR:NaLu have a MMF threesome for Lucy’s birthday.

 27. Fullmetal Alchemist EdWin: EdWin visit Rush Valley for Winry’s birthday. She doesn't know that her colleagues and customers are throwing a surprise party for her at Garfiel’s shop and Ed has been tasked with keeping her occupied until then. When she starts to get suspicious of Ed’s motives he tells her that his leg needs another oil rub down and Winry is happy to help with the new wax she just got.  But once Ed’s pants comes off she is distracted by something else entirely and Ed seduces her.  They are going to be late to the party...      TL;DR: Ed must distract Winry while her surprise party is set up and they both end up side-tracked by sex.

28. Fullmetal Alchemist (EdWin+Rose):  EdWin have a small gathering of friends at their home to celebrate Ed’s birthday. Afterward, when everybody leaves, it is just EdWin and Rose, who is staying with them until she leaves in a few days. They have a few drinks together and a tispy Rose mentions that she has been kinda lonely lately and admits having a thing for both Ed and Winry at one point. Winry surprisingly take this comment in stride and suggests Rose join her and Ed for the night. This would allow Rose to resolve her feelings for Ed and EdWin gets to try a threesome that they have discussed attempting for awhile.       TL;DR: EdWin asks Rose to join them in a threesome to settle her unresolved feelings.

29. Fullmetal Alchemist (Royai+ Rebecca) College AU:  Rebecca, Roy, and Riza are in their final year of college. The 3 friends are celebrating Riza’s birthday at a restaurant. Roy and Riza have been flirting all night and Rebecca has been trying to push the two together. But then a drunken Rebecca accidently reveals that her and Riza once had a threesome with her ex, Jean, in their earlier years of college before they met Roy. But instead of being mad about the revelation, Roy asks for details of that night and Rebecca replies that they can just show him instead. Riza surprisingly is on board with this and thinks it would make a great birthday present.          TL;DR: Rebecca tempts Roy and Riza into a threesome with her in her attempts to get the two of them together.

30. Fullmetal Alchemist Roy/Rebecca + Havoc) Modern AU: Havoc and Rebecca are in an open relationship and for his birthday, Havoc asks Rebecca if he can watch her have sex with his friend Roy, from work. She and Roy agree to this and give Havoc quite the show.  (Havoc joining in is also optional.)  TL;DR: Havoc watches as Roy and Rebecca go at it for his birthday.

31. Fairy Tail (Any ship): Character A attempts to make their spouse/partner a cake for their birthday but fails miserably. Character B is more than happy to lick specific cake ingredients (Whip cream, strawberry, whatever the writer wants) instead as compensation.    TL;DR: One character licks off the cake/dessert off of another.

32. Fireplace (NSFW): A tender moment in front of the fireplace in their new home turns steamy.

33. Hot Cocoa: Natsu give shows Lucy how he makes his “famous” hot Cocoa.

34. Sledding: Natsu and Lucy race each other down a mountain and use magic to their advantage.  (Wendy cast Troia on Natsu for his motion sickness before hand).

35. Perfect Christmas tree hunt: NaLu explore the woods around Natsu’s house looking to cut down  their first Christmas tree.

36. Mistletoe: Lucy shows Natsu the benefits of hanging multiple mistletoe around the house.

37. Stocking Stuffer (SFW): Natsu doesn’t quite grasp the concept of stocking stuffers so he just puts random things from around the house into Lucy’s stocking.

38. Stocking Stuffer (NSFW): Lucy wear Christmas themed stockings with a lingerie set as part of Natsu’s Christmas gift this year.

39. Gift Exchange: Lucy gets Natsu a proper “Nin Nin”  outfit  for missions (along with a matching one of her own).  Natsu gets her a new key holder.

40. Gift Exchange (NSFWish?) Natsu and Lucy get each other racy underwear (at the suggestion of Erza). 

41. Scrooge: A grumpy Natsu is not thrilled that Happy is spending the holidays with Carla instead of him so Lucy tries to cheer him up.

42. Gingerbread: Natsu shows Lucy how he and Happy build gingerbread houses every year (and promptly destroy them)

43. Caroling: Lucy drags Natsu caroling with her and her spirits. He is reluctant at first but becomes impressed with them.

44. Shicca (Edens Zero). Ice Skating: Rebecca uses her new Ether gear for Ice Skating while also teaching Shika how to skate.

45. Royai (FMA). White Elephant: Roy and his crew have a White Elephant gift exchange. Roy and Riza end up with a gift from the other.

46. TodoMomo (Boku My Hero Academia) Ornaments: It has become a yearly tradition that Momo and Shoto think of new ornaments for their tree. Momo will then create them.

47. GaJevy (Fairy Tail) First Christmas Together: It is Gajeel and Levy’s first Christmas together since she announced her pregnancy. The are excited/nervous of the fact that the next Christmas will be with a baby.

48. All Fairy Tail Ships. Guild Master’s game (NSFWish): The FT couples have a Christmas party together that devolves into a other Guild Master’s game. Though the dares become more intimate now that they are couples.

49. Havoc/Rebecca (Fullmetal Alchemist) Snowball Fight: A standard patrol turns into a snowball fight between a bored Rebecca and Havoc as they are temporarily stationed at Briggs together.

50. Royai (Fullmetal Alchemist) Decorating: Roy and Riza attempt to decorate the office for once with mixed reactions from the rest of the team.

51. EdWin (Fullmetal Alchemist) Jacket Sharing/snuggling: During a particularly chilly day at home, Winry puts on Ed’s old red jacket to keep warm. Ed insists body heat would keep her warmer so they both snuggle under said jacket.

52. Gruvia (Fairy Tail) Christmas cookies: Juvia’s attempt at making Christmas cookies end in failure but Gray shows her how Ur used to make them when he was young.

53. Jerza (Fairy Tail) Snowboarding/Skiing: A race down a mountain between Erza and Jellal gets out of hand when the two start using magic to try to win.

54. Invisibility: Lucy and Natsu have left over Invisibility potion from a mission. What starts as an attempt to prank Natsu turns into something else when Lucy decides pleasuring him when he can’t see her is way more fun.   

55. Invisibility (2):  NaLu are taking a bath together when Natsu introduces a new bath ointment  that he was sold by a shady merchant. Lucy recognizes what it is but it is too late, once it is in the water it turns both of them invisible.    Natsu uses his new invisibility to mess with some guild mates but when he gets bored with that, he and Lucy discover their are other benefits to not being seen. They can now do it anywhere in the guild they want. Will they get caught?      Or they could just do it in the bath.

56. Transform: NaLu are at home practicing transformation magic for a mission. Once they get the hang of it they start having some fun with it. But once one (or both) of them find a transformation that the other finds to desirable for the other to ignore, the real fun can begin. (Bunny or Cat girl Lucy? Dragon Lord Natsu?  Whatever the writer wants!)

57. Clones (2)  When Lucy makes the mistake of asking Cana what to get Natsu for his birthday, Cana crudely reveals that she has a new multiply card that can multiply (x3) anyone she touches with it and she convinces Lucy it would be a great bedroom surprise for Natsu.

58. Pleasure: NaLu are exposed to a “Pleasure” spell from a dark mage during a mission. They are forced to leave the dark mage in the care of their teammates as they scurry off to find a secluded area where they can work off the spell.   (Pleasure spell like Laracade’s, that sends a person into a heightened pleasured state until they reach completion with someone.)

59. It’s finally time for Natsu to move out of his cabin and into a new home with Lucy. Before they pack everything up, NaLu remembers all the fun (and sexy) times they’ve had in the place.

60. NaLu gets a little to drunk during a FT party and when they get home, have unprotected sex that leads to a pregnant Lucy. They will love the kid regardless.

61. NaLu are put in charge of making Erza’s Strawberry Cake for her birthday. Things go wrong when playful banter turns into them getting heated in the Kitchen and them getting covered in what is left of Erza’s cake. Does Erza find out?...

62. When Lucy gets back into their room after her morning shower, she finds a nude Natsu snoozing in bed right where she left him except the blanket has been kicked down to his ankles. Lucy takes the time to admire the view and appreciates that he is all hers. So she decides to give him a special wake up call.

63. When Lucy begins to feel self conscious after having kids, Natsu reminds her she is perfect just the way she is and proves it by giving her a special rub down/massage. 

64. When Lucy tells Natsu he can pick their next date location she knew she was asking for trouble and he confirms her fears by taking her to a nude beach. When she realizes he picked the location specifically to fluster her she decides two can play at that game and the two tease each other the entire time they are there. They of course get carried away and sneak somewhere hidden to go at it before they get caught.   Afterward Lucy realizes that she really had fun there and is open to returning.  Also works under the Secret prompt.

65. AU: Natsu works at the fancy Heartfilia Hotel. He enjoys working there but doesn't really get along with the boss Jude Heartfillia since he forbade Natsu to hang around his daughter Lucy. Little did he know that Natsu and Lucy are already dating and use their free time to “defile” various areas of his hotel.

66. Lucy is pregnant and is looking for the best way to tell/surprise Natsu with the news so she has been keeping it a secret until she figures it out.  Or that was the idea until she just blurts it out during the afterglow of sex.

67. NaLu have been married for a few months and they experience their first time spent away from  each other when Lucy goes on a “girls only” mission for a week. When Lucy gets back she finds that Natsu was not handling the separation well since his dragon instincts are not used to her absence.  When she reunites with him they become inseparable and told to get a room before they go at it right in the guild hall.

68. Natsu and Lucy dated in High School but were forced to go their separate ways. Now, at their High School reunion years later, the two re-connect and fall for each other all over again. The two then sneak away from the party to further “catch up” (in a classroom, office, locker room, or wherever the writer wants).     Suggestion: When they hook-up again, they admire how much better they are at it then when they were awkward teenagers.

69. FT City Hero: Officers Lucy and Natsu indulge in a fantasy of theirs by doing it in the interrogation room. That part of the building is closed for renovation so they think they are safe from prying eyes. They get so into it that they don’t think to check the other side of the one-way mirror in the room or they would have seen one of their co-workers enjoying a quiet lunch (or drink if its Cana) and accidentally getting a free show.     (Optional: NaLu are pressed right up to the mirror at one point)

70. Do to some comments from guild mates about them being insatiable, NaLu make a bet about how long one can resist the other. The one that caves first loses. So for almost a week there is a back and forth between Natsu and Lucy of them trying to seduce each other and trying to resist (via sexy clothing, innuendos, ect.).  Who gives into their cravings first?

71. SFW- Haru,Shiki,Elie, and Rebecca visit NaLu at Fairy Tail. The boys have a drinking contest that escalates into a bar fight. The girls attempt to break it up but just end up joining in.

72. SFW- The three couples rent a house together and decide how to distribute bills/chores via contests. (Video Games, billiards, darts, wrestling, ect.)

73. NSFW- The couples have a weekly game night and tonight they are playing poker (or whatever game the writer wants). Natsu, wants to up the stakes so a game of strip poker is started.

74. SFW-The guys and girls go out to a karaoke club and chaos ensues.

75. SFW or NSFW- The couples treat themselves to a trip to an Onsen/Spa. They enjoy various activities like couples massages, ping pong, enjoying a private mixed bath, and the dangers of a drunken Lucy.

76. NSFW- The guys and the girls go out clubbing to blow off steam. It soon becomes a game to seduce and tease their significant other from the other group  This could include alluring outfits, dirty dancing, body shots, ect.   Eventually, each couple sneaks off for some alone time.

77. SFW- Lucy invites Elie and Rebecca on a mission with her. Ellie and Rebecca are interested in Lucy’s keys so she lets them use a key/star dress of their choice for the mission. (Lucy uses a spell that lets them borrow her magic). Lucy could in turn give their weapons a shot.

78. SFW- Haru lets Natsu and Shiki try out his sword with varying results.

79. Girls night. SFW- Rebecca,Lucy, and Elie have a sleepover. Throughout the night they discuss their various adventures, crazy friends, and their boyfriends.   

80. Girls night out  NSFW-  The girls are enjoying a bachelorette party. The topic of sex is brought up (possibly thanks to alcohol), and the 3 recount some of their wildest and sweetest sex stories with their current significant other. 

81. Boys night out SFW- The boys are catching up at their favorite bar and go over new life developments (marriage, kids, ect) with their significant other.

82. SFW - What starts out as a simple volleyball game between the Guys and the Ladies, quickly goes over the top as both sides will do anything to win!

83. NSFW- The Guys and Girls have a simple volleyball game but are willing to use dirty tactics and distractions to win. Winning team gets to do whatever they want to their significant other on the losing team.

84. NSFW- The group are on a vacation at a resort. When they hear of a secret beach near the resort they go check it out. Only to learn when they get there that it is a (optionally)  nude beach. The group decides to be adventurous and gives it a shot. One couple, decides to get a little too adventurous and end up getting them kicked out.

85. SFW- NaLu,Haru, and Elie take a trip on the Edens Zero. Shki and Rebecca give them a tour and introduce them to the crew. Elie and Lucy would be drawn to the bath/massage area. Haru could want to fly the ship, while Natsu deals with his zero gravity motion sickness

86. NSFW. Haru/Elie or NaLu are visiting the Shiki and Rebecca on the Edens Zero. They take the opportunity to cross “sex on a space ship” off the bucket list. They of course are constantly interrupted by the nosey EZ crew.

87. SFW- (Famous): Lucy is Ellie and or Rebecca’s favorite writer and they meet her for the first time and become fast friends.

88. SFW- (Proposal): One of the guys plans on proposing. The other two give their unsolicited advice on how to do  in the most extravagant ways possible.

90. NSFW- (Noise Complaint) Modern AU: Couple A (writers choice) has moved into a new apartment. They really like their new home but there is one major problem, their neighbors, Couple B,  are very vocal during their nightly activities. The bedrooms sharing the same wall only makes it worse. Any attempts to keep Couple B quiet have failed so Couple A decides to fight fire with fire and starts making some noise of their own. It quickly becomes a back a forth between the two couples trying to outdo each other.

91. NSFW- (Swingers) The three couples are good friends with families of their own. But secretly, once every few months, they get together and swap partners.  They meet up at one of their houses or a hotel and they either pick names randomly or play a game to see who is paired up with who. The decided pairs would go off to seperate rooms for the night. Match ups are up to the writer but my suggestions are Natsu/Rebecca, Shiki/Elie, and Haru/Lucy.  Each pair could compare/contrast their current partner with their regular one. Lucy is with someone less hyper than Natsu, Rebecca is similar to Lucy but with subtle differences, Elie likes to take charge, Haru is methodical,  ect. How they act and what they wear could also be a factor. Lucy wears lingerie, Shiki and Rebecca cosplay, ect. Could end with each couple leaving after everyone is finished or group sex in the living room.    

[codyfernaesthetic]

Dichotomy

Part 8

Author’s note: The chapter in which Michael and Mallory are having none of each other’s shit. Also, buckle up, the slow burns about to become a wildfire.

Warnings: Language

Mallory became more comfortable with leaving her apartment as time went on, though she didn’t interact with anyone besides Rhoda. Not for lack of trying. She’d see other people, either at the various entertainment facilities they’d built or just in passing. At best, she was treated like a plague; avoided and snubbed, which she didn’t mind at all, she was used to it. Coco’s various functions and friendships had made her build up a callous to elitist bullshit. 

The one difference between then and now was Rhoda. She couldn’t remember having any friends when she’d moved to L.A., let alone a best friend; but Rhoda quickly earned the title, perhaps out of necessity, but not begrudgingly. Once they’d gotten over the hurdle of master/servant, they found they had a lot in common; a grounded sense of self, a natural helpfulness, and now even a deep love and respect for Princess Leia. Mallory couldn’t help but wish that they’d known each other under much different circumstances. Ones where there was no apocalypse or Antichrist, and she wasn’t a designer human grown in a lab, and they could have normal lives; where she’d have Rhoda to hang out with on her birthday, and not feel completely alone every waking second of the day like she’d been since moving...though she forgot why she moved.

But the nicest times with Rhoda, or at any point, were at the Sanctuary’s library. It was a less populated area, and so peacefully quiet; even in the apocalypse people obeyed library rules. 

It was a grandiose as the rest of the complex; floor to ceiling rows of books spanned rich mahogany shelves underneath a glass roof trimmed in gold, the floor the same reflective black marble. They’d get lost just searching for books, any kind; Rhoda was most fascinated by history, inundating Mallory with questions about what used to be America or other countries. To which she would shrug most of the time, she’d never been an A student in history. Oddly enough, Mallory found herself drawn to collections of fairytales or myths; enthralled by tales of witches and fairies, gods and monsters. She’d never considered herself a fanciful person, but felt an irresistible pull to the mystical.

Their peace, however, was interrupted one day when a servant entered the library and made a beeline for the two of them with an envelope in his hand. He stopped, gave a quick bow and held out the envelope.

“An invitation from Lord Langdon.”

They looked at each other, confused and scared. Mallory took the envelope carefully. It was blood red, a golden seal with the indent of a goat enclosing its contents. She popped it open, unfurling a short letter in a thick, cursive hand.

Mallory, may I have the pleasure of your company for dinner tonight? I await your answer with bated breath.-Michael Langdon

She gave the messenger a deadpan stare, “You can’t be serious.”

“He needs an answer,” they responded just as blankly.

She furrowed her brows, then nodded gravely, “Yes.”

They bowed and left in a hurried pace. Leaving the two women frozen in place.

“God, that man is pretentious,” Mallory muttered, rolling her eyes.

“He wants to appear calm and in charge,” Rhoda replied, more so to herself.

Mallory turned to her, “How’d he know where I’d be?”

She lifted up her arm with the black band, “Our wristbands are tracked.”

“Comforting.”

* * *

Lydia had become another fixture of Mallory’s new life, a slightly more annoying one, but still welcome. And of course, she just had to make Mallory a dress for the evening, even though she insisted she could wear any number of the others; but she was determined. Lydia was practically buzzing with chaotic energy as she designed, made the pattern, and started sowing this new dress in a single hour. 

“Is that satanic influence or pure talent?” Mallory joked.

“Both,” she replied, not looking at her.

The final product, finished just in time, left Mallory speechless. It was a soft, flowing white dress. The bodice was encrusted with gold trim and adornment, leading down to a skirt with feathery fringe; the sleeves open and sheer, draped and falling off the shoulders. Rhoda helped place the finishing accessory of a golden crown of flowers.

“What do you think?” Lydia asked, glowing with pride.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said turning to her, “It’s very angelic.”

She chuckled with a wink, “I thought it’d be a nice little contrast.”

Mallory smiled and looked in the mirror again.

Words were scratched on the mirror; slowly each letter appeared, line by line. Time seemed to stall. Her gaze was set; unmoving, as the impossible happened right before her eyes once again. Eventually, the message was complete, and it was incomprehensible to her.

Spiritu duce, in me est. Deduce me in tenebris vita ad extremum, ut salutaret inferi. Descensum!

“Mallory?”

Rhoda placed her hand on her shoulder, “Are you ok?”

She gave no reaction, not wanting to alert Lydia. 

“I’m fine.”

The same messenger from before arrived at her apartment with the same breakneck speed she’d delivered the invitation. The moment Rhoda opened the door, the escort looked at Mallory and informed her, “Lord Langdon requests Miss Mallory come alone.”

Mallory could see Rhoda’s grip tightened on the doorknob and the sudden fear in her eyes.

“It’s fine, Rhoda,” she assured, “I’ll be fine.”

As she left, Lydia called out after her, “Good luck, dear!”

She felt like a teenager going on her first date, her doting parents watching out for her. The entire situation both filled her with dread and a weird humor; of all things she never expected to happen, the first was a nuclear apocalypse, and the second was dinner with the Antichrist. She wondered if her reckoning had finally come for the Temple incident; she had flashes of blood and gore pass through her imagination, all the different ways Langdon could kill her.

At least she knew she had a defense mechanism; she had no idea how to use it, but it was something. She’d tried to manifest it on her own free will, but no matter how hard she focused, she would hit a brick wall. Maybe, she thought, it was only an emotional response. Maybe the threat of dying will be all it takes for me to go off. That is if I get the-

Her thought stopped as they exited the main complex, a motorized cart waiting outside. It wasn’t anything fancy or futuristic like she’d come to expect, just a simple gray cart.

“What, does he live in an entirely different building?”

They got into the cart without a word. She took that as a yes. She slipped into the cart and they began to drive. The artificial lights had been dimmed to a more evening-time atmosphere, the outside of the glass looking as green and dark as before. They came upon a house 20 miles eastward of the complex, as gothic as Mallory expected. It was Victorian architecture, the wood painted a deep red with accents of black. A black iron staircase led up to stain glass doors under a spherical archway, which to her looked like a mouth, the black crown molding its ready teeth. The escort parked and led her up the stone pathway, the familiar darkness creeping up around her. 

The escort rang the doorbell, receiving an immediate answer. 

Michael opened the door, fully clad in gothic regalia; though not as extravagant as expected. The escort bowed deeply without a word, immediately leaving at the wave of Michael’s hand. Within a blink, the two were left alone, Mallory still standing on the stairs.

“Oh, Mallory,” he mused, looking her over, “you didn’t have to dress up for me.”

She restrained herself from rolling her eyes, didn’t want to get killed too early.

He raised an eyebrow with a smug grin, “Still so shy?”

“What would you like me to say?” She crossed her arms, “Thanks for inviting me to dinner? Nice place you got here?”

“Gratitude is always a good way to start.”

She stared at him blankly.

“Or not.”

He stepped back, extending his arm to invite her inside. She cautiously slipped passed him, feeling her skin tingle from his gaze never leaving her. She looked around, the inside not as loft and flamboyant as the exterior. It was stately, like a house that came from old money. 

“I wanted a house similar to my childhood home...” he told her, “one of them, anyway.” 

He turned to the left and started walking, she followed silently. They entered a dining room, not dissimilar to...

She couldn’t finish the thought, like the memory was hiding from her.

Food was already laid out on the table, nothing fancy at all; steak, potatoes, a few vegetables on two plates at each end, wine glasses beside them; a simple candelabra in the center. 

“Ms. Mead has opted not to join us this evening,” he said in passing as he pulled out her chair.

She obliged and sat down, the strangeness of the whole situation growing in the pit of her stomach; she thought of the Twilight Zone, or like being in a simulation where the ones controlling it only barely know how everyday life operates. 

“Why am I here?”

He had already begun to eat, “I feel as if we got off on the wrong foot.”

She didn’t move, “That’s a weird way to say you poisoned me.”

“I told you, it was a test,” he lifted the glass to his lips, “And you seem to me to be alive and well.”

“And are you trying to fix that?”

He set down the glass, looking at her with a mixture of offense and concern, “Mallory, I’m a man of my word. You passed the test, you made it to the Sanctuary, why would I take that away from you?”

She shrugged, “Seems like something you’d do.”

“Perhaps you don’t know me as well you assume, then.” 

Something in his tone, or in his eyes, was off; not as confident, not as clear. 

“Just as I don’t know you,” he continued, “I haven’t forgotten your coyness at your first interview,” he smiled, “I was hoping this would establish a new sense of trust. Perhaps we can be friends.”

She huffed, “You have an odd way of making friends.”

“Must explain my lack of them.” 

There was the shift again. A twinge of...sadness? A wavering.

He leaned closer, curling his fingers under his chin, “There are so few interesting people in the world. People you can’t figure out within the first five minutes of meeting them. I like getting to know these people. See what makes them tick.”

She nodded, finding herself slipping into peculiar comfort, “I’m an experiment.”

“You’re fascinating,” he mumbled to himself, “Tell me about Coco.”

Words spilled from her, like an overflowing glass, “She was a Capricorn, hated hazelnut, the color orange, and Lana Del Ray. She wanted an iced mocha with exactly 10 large ice cubes every morning at 8:30 on the dot. One time she asked me how to spell the word “insatiable” for a tweet,” she chuckled, “I still have no idea what that tweet was. She once threw my phone into my drink because I wasn’t paying attention to her while she was talking. I was texting my mom,” her voice became sad, but her mind somewhat struggled to pull the memory from the depths, “She’d just had a mastectomy and I hadn’t seen her face to face in three years.”

“And yet you mourn her,” he whispered, his eyes fixed on her like a trance.

After a pause, she looked down in thought, “She was no stranger to being a bitch but she was still a person. I never thought she deserved to die. She needed me to take care of her to watch her and make sure she was ok. For all her bravado she was like a baby bird that really didn’t know how to flap its wings. And it was my job to help her,” a tear slipped down her cheek onto the plate, “And the one time I don’t...” 

He stood from the table, slowly walking towards her. She was weeping now, not of her own free will.

“I should’ve seen that something was wrong, I should’ve known. I could’ve done something. I failed her. And then I got to come back, I got to keep living. And I can’t help but keep thinking that I don’t deserve to when she didn’t.”  

He crouched down next to her, using his thumb to brush away a tear, “Why did she matter so much to you?”

She shook her head, I have no idea. I just felt so protective of her. She was such a short part of my life, yet I felt this connection to her, more than anyone” she blinked confusedly, “...that I can remember at least.”

He touched her hand, entwining it in a comforting grip, “When you lose someone you love, you very quickly seek for an outlet to express your rage,” his eyes were wet, “sometimes even after your scapegoat has been sacrificed on the altar of your vengeance, there’s still some residue of anger left over for yourself.”

They stared at each other, something passing between them; a spirit of humanity, a shared grief. For a moment, she forgot who...what he was. His words sunk into her heart and made grooves for empathy to flow through like a river through tunnels. Her hand reached over and rubbed his shoulder, she didn’t know what he’d been through, but she knew she desired to relieve the pain. 

Something changed when she touched him, his eyes were filled with a new emotion, determination, “Would it relieve some of your grief if Brock was killed?”

She was taken aback by the question. She didn’t answer at first, her mouth having to catch up with her mind. 

“No,” she replied sadly, “No more death.”

He shoved away from her, and stood, an obvious aura of anger boiling over the surface, quickly dissolving the tenderness of the moment, “How selfless,” he growled, “and utterly apathetic of you.”

Her defenses shot up, “What?”

He looked ready to rip her apart, “You say you cared about Coco and yet you feel absolutely no desire to do anything about the one who took her life.”

Energy began to stir in her fingertips, “Not wanting revenge isn’t the same as indifference.”

He slammed his fist on the table, making her jump, “You didn’t give a fuck about Coco,” he leaned in, snarling, “She was your project, your tool to find your own self-satisfaction in helping such a stupid, vapid little heiress keep her life together.”

The fire began to coil in her chest and surge through her veins. She balled her hands into fists, “That’s not true.”

He laughed viciously, “You’re glad the bitch is dead, you only wish you had a replacement to keep up your illusion that you’re in control of your own life,” his eyes were wild with rage, “Is that your dark place, Mallory? Making the weak rely on you so you can feel better about yourself? You didn’t give a damn about her!”

She pushed away form the table, standing to face him, closing in on him, her voice as enraged, “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

”I know too well,” he met her confrontational stance.

Thick tension swirled around them. Sparks of power flaring between them, a sign of deeper energy, begging to explode.

He grimaced, “Do you know why I haven’t killed you yet, Mallory?”

“Because you’re afraid I’ll come back again,” she spat.

She was against the wall in a second, Michael’s fingers crushing her throat, his other hand tightening around her wrists above her head, his legs pinning her firmly. His hot breath ghosting over her face and neck with each word of venom, “Because you’d take it like a martyr,” he spoke dangerously low, she could barely struggle underneath his grip, her body going cold, “you’d grit your teeth and watch as I gutted you like a goddamn animal.” His eyes traced over her lips, she felt his breathing quicken, his heartbeat race, “You’d stare at me with those big brown eyes and whisper forgiveness from your pretty little mouth. You’d take every single blow with saintly silence. And I personally don’t like getting that angry,” he squeezed her neck, strangling a terrified gasp from her mouth, “Congratulations, you’re too infuriating to kill.”

She pushed him back with inhuman strength. He flew to the other wall, his head slamming with such force that for a moment she worried it had cracked. Panicking, she ran out of the room, nearly falling out the front door.

Ms. Mead came running in, seeing Michael on the ground, disoriented, “ What the hell happened?!”

* * *

She didn’t look back or think. She just ran. All she knew was the moving ground beneath her feet. She just had to-

She was in her room. Like a blip. Her body appeared in her room. Rhoda screamed, scared at first, before realizing it was her. 

“Mallory!” 

The world was shaking. Mallory’s eyes widened, seeing blurs of color and light. She collapsed to the floor.

“Mallory!” Rhoda shook her, crying.

Words came from her, spewing out with perfect clarity.

“Spiritu duce, in me est. Deduce me in tenebris vita ad extremum, ut salutaret inferi. Descensum!”

Her vision began to fade, the world around her getting smaller and smaller like she was descending into a tunnel. Pressure bared down on her body, and she sank lower and lower. Darkness covered her, a dull ring pierced through her ears, her skin feeling numb...

Blinding white light exploded all around her, then left as quickly as it came; replaced by gentle blue. The ground was solid beneath her; she wiggled her fingers, soft grass poking against her skin. She touched her face, feeling a temperate warmth on her cheek. It took her a moment before she realized...

Oh, it’s the sun...

The thought was so strange, the sensation even stranger. She sat up, using her arm to shield her eyes as her other hand swept over the grass. Looking around, she saw miles of open field stretch on into eternity, splashes of color dotting everywhere from the myriads of flowers. She stood, examining more of her surroundings, not seeing-

“Mallory!” 

She whirled around, seeing a large glass building, similar in shape to a gazebo. The beams of sunlight bounced off its roof, casting a heavenly glow around it. She saw a figure standing in front of it, whom she assumed had called her. She couldn’t make out any features, or details, but recognized the voice as feminine...

And familiar

“Come inside!” she heard the figure say again, “We have a lot to talk about!”

A burst of energy surged through her veins, and Mallory found herself running; but without exerting any effort, as if she were a breeze nearly passing through with ease. She stopped at the front of the building, even bigger up close, and looked inside. It was a greenhouse, sections of different flora organized neatly throughout. A woman, honey-toned hair cascading down her back, stood watering a hanging plant.

“Hello?” Mallory called out carefully.

The woman turned. It had been months since she’d seen this face, but the memory appeared like a solid figure out of a pillar of smoke; along with a faint whisper, a ghost of remembrance.

Cordelia

“Mallory,” she smiled, placing the watering can down and walking up to the young woman, brushing a tuft of hair behind her ear with all the nurture of a mother.

“I’m so happy to see you.” 

[thesffcorner]

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is an adult fantasy written by Curtis Craddock. It follows Isabella, the eldest daughter to Comte des Zephyrs, who is born without her sorcery. Growing up in a world that treats her as either a demon or an object, she only has one friend; Musketeer Jean-Claude. When she gets betrothed to a prince from a neighboring Kingdom, she sees this as an opportunity to have a new life; though a web of assassinations and conspiracies may threaten this future. I had a real hard time getting into this book, and even as I was reading it and was fully intrigued by the plot, I had this sense of dread that the book will go in a direction I would not like, or the ending would make me very mad. I’m happy to report my fears were for naught, and I ended up really enjoying this book. There were definitely elements and plot points that annoyed me, but the plot and characters were strong enough for me to enjoy my my time in this world. So let’s start with what I think will be the biggest draw and the biggest deterrent from reading this book. 

Writing: The best way I can describe Craddock’s style is a mix between The Three Musketeers and Nevernight. The world-building and the plot focused on political conspiracy, marriages and royal bloodlines, as well as just the aesthetics of the book were straight of both Dummas’ work but also the much maligned 2011 film. The way this plot and world are conveyed however (as well as a lot of the magic system and religious aspects of the book) reminded me a lot of Jay Kristoff’s writing. Craddock has a style that I can only describe as overly-specific, overly-descriptive, and quaint; he uses very specific nouns for everything, from the clothes, to the different parts of the flying ships the characters move around on. And when I say specific I don’t just mean dictionary, I mean specific to the time period this is based on, which is 1600 France. It took me so long to parse out what title Comte and Comtessa and Le Roy are equivalent to, who all these different bloodlines and families were, and the fact that all the names of families, characters, cities, ships and castles were French didn’t help one bit. To give you an example, here is just a sentence from Chapter 1. ”All around him, deckhands scurried about, tugging on lines, adjusting sails in a madman’s dance, choreographed to the boatswain cry”pg. 9 And another from a bit later: ”Jerome stood on the rolling deck as if nailed to it, not a hair of his white, powdered wig out of place. He jerked his chin toward the bow and said, “We’re coming in widdershins on the trailing edge”, as if that clarified the matter. “If we don’t overshoot and ram the tower, we should make harbor within the hour”” pg. 11 This, again, comes down to personal preference. If you like this style of writing, and you don’t mind spending the first few chapters kind of confused and just coasting until you pick up on the world and the language, you will certainly find this enjoyable. By chapter 5, I was well caught up in the writing style, and really enjoyed how much personality Craddock managed to inject in the chapters, based on whether we were following Jean-Claude or Isabelle. It also made the world feel that much more well-rounded and real, since at no point did the characters stop and exposit for 3 pages about how things worked. However, if you struggle with this type of writing and world-building you will not have a fun time, because in addition to having to adjust to all the French terms and period words, you also have to contend with all the stuff that’s purely fiction to this world, like otomations, aether, artifex, and sanguinare, to name a few. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t confused; but I liked the plot and the characters enough to keep reading. World-Building: I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this in any review, but I’m a huge fan of The Three Musketeers. I’ve seen almost all the versions outside the BBC show, and I’ve read the books; they were the first classic I was ever really in love with as a kid. I also love flying ships that look like Caravels, so this world was perfect for me. San Augustus was a fascinating world; it’s a floating island that is held in the sky by magic which is never explained (which isn’t a bad thing). Since it’s floating in the air, people travel on this massive ships like the ones it Treasure Planet, which run on aether, a substance that seems to be the equivalent of whale-oil in the Dishonored games. I know I’m mentioning a lot of visual media, but it always helps me visualize the world, and there was more that reminded me of Dishonored, like the otomations which I imagined were like the Clockwork soldiers and the blend between technology and magic of the world. Where Nevernight comes into play was the fact that this world too is built on the ruins of an ancient civilization of Gods, which is where a lot of the technology, and magic comes from. The people who live in San Agustus today know very little about the Saints that inhabited the world before them, and though they use some of their technology, most of the artifacts and knowledge are collected by the Temple, the religious order of the world. The magic system was another thing that reminded me of Nevernight, and it was very cool. Saint Augustus is ruled by descendants of the Saints, who lived at the same time as the Builder. Each Saint controlled a different type of magic (now categorized by the Temple). Isabelle’s family, the Des Zephyrs are sanguinaires: they have bloodshadows that they use to feast on other humans. They can also hollow out a human and turn them into a bloodhollow, which they can possess to communicate with people or spy on them. The ruling family of Aragoth, the family Isabelle is to marry are glasswalkers, which I found the coolest powers. They can cast their reflection through mirrors and walk in the real world in various locations. Their mirror image is limited by hunger and thirst, and they see everything in reverse, but the mechanics of the power and the creative use it’s put to in the novel were really fun to read about. As for the religion… it was an interesting choice. I had some gripes with it. It’s clearly based on the Old Testament; a woman who was close to the Builder was curious to find out how his inventions worked, and tried to learn math which somehow awoke a demon which destroyed the Builder and all the Saints. Supposedly, in a time of great turmoil and violence, the Builder will be reborn and will resurrect the worthy in a Judgement Day type scenario. Seeing as the basis of the religion is profoundly sexist and even misogynistic, in this world women are not allowed to learn the sciences or the old language, and in some cases even reading is seen as heresy. The one thing they especially can’t do is learn math or astrology, which is precisely what our lead Isabelle really loves and studies. Moreover, women in this world seem to be seen as just walking wombs. They are sold into marriages, and being able to give birth is their only function. I couldn’t tell if this was a thing of the nobles, since we do see working women that are not aristocrats, but there are very few non-noble characters in the book. But rest assured, the society is profoundly sexist one part that made my stomach churn, was a bit where 12 year old Isabelle tells us she carries around a maiden blade, which she isn’t to use to ward off attackers, but to kill herself rather than risk being raped and bring shame upon her family. This was so incredibly unsettling, I even looked it up to see if it was a real historical thing, and apparently it is not. Even if it was, why would you write it in your FICTIONAL book? I will be fair and say that most of the sexist and misogynistic structure of the world is not meant to be seen as a good thing; the characters do lament the state of affairs, the ones we are meant to find likable disagree with seeing women as broodmares and prizes (for the most part; there are quite a few moments where Isabelle defaults to being owned by her father or being owned by her husband which was also Yikes). Craddock does try to show that the sympathetic men do see Isabelle as a person more than a womb with legs (though again, most of them with the exception of Gran Leon think she either needs protecting or want to sleep with her), and he does make sure all the female characters we get, even the villains have agency that is not tied to the men around them. I also have to give him props for having actual female friendships and having characters who are usually either background or written as shallow and vain, have a voice, like the servants, the handmaidens, the ladies in waiting, etc. However. When it comes to male authors, I am always wary of WHY they feel the need to write the world as horribly sexist in the first place. It’s not an oppression they can claim, and everytime I see it in fiction, even if it’s done with the intent to subvert it or question it, I feel squeamish reading it, and don’t trust them to handle it well. Even if the point is to make a point about sexism or misogyny, that doesn’t mean I want to endure 300+ pages of women being treated horribly, assaulted, kidnapped, silenced or otherwise harmed for the benefit of 100 pages of gratification. I have grown jaded of these kinds of stories, and though I really did like the world, and all it’s steampunk musketeer glory, and all the political intrigue, this was not something I could overlook. Everytime I would have fun, I would be reminded that this society sees women as just their womb, that they are completely indispensable and disposable. And I would stop having fun, and start dreading that the next page would have a rape scene or unwanted pregnancy, especially seeing as the main theme of this book is pregnancy. I didn’t trust Craddock as a writer because he chose to set this story the way he did, and while I will admit that was fully my own fault as a reader, I think it’s worth pointing out that we have to endure enough mistreatment in the real world, and I don’t necessarily want it into our fiction, even if it’s made clear that the author disagrees with it. Themes and Plot: The world-building leads me to my next point which is the plot. I’ll start with the bad first and then move onto the more positive stuff. I mentioned at the start, that this book centers on an arranged marriage between Isabelle and Prince Julio of the neighboring Kingdom of Aragoth. The King of Aragoth is sick and dying, and his eldest son, the heir, Prince Alejandro, is refusing to divorce his wife Princess Xaviera or take in a mistress, despite her not being able to bear children. Margarita, the King’s second wife wants her son, Julio to take the throne, and to leverage his eligibility, she wants him to marry and have a child. As all marriages are arranged through the Temple, an artifix, Kantelvar is sent to arrange the one between Isabelle and Julio. What I want to focus on is the theme or pregnancy, childbirth and being infertile. First off, I find it incredibly icky whenever male authors chose to write about women’s abilities to have children or even worse, their inability to have children. It always, always boils down to the character either being told or thinking herself that she’s some kind of monster for not being able to conceive. I HATE this trope, and unfortunately it’s present here. All we ever really know about Xaviera is that she can’t have kids. We know Alejandro loves her, and we know she can apparently wield a sword and pistol (not that we ever see it), but as a character she is simply reduced to her infertile womb. There is even a scene, which was profoundly ill conceived, (no matter how pure the intentions were) where Isabelle tells Xaviera she understands what it’s like to have your entire personhood being boiled down to your disability (Isabelle has a wormfinger). It’s a nice sentiment, except not being able to have children is NOT a disability, and the experiences are nowhere near SIMILAR, let alone the same. Yes, it’s horrible to feel like your body is betraying you, or working against you if you want to have kids and can’t. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to go through something like that, ESPECIALLY if you live in a society where that is what your entire worth as a human is boiled down to. But this is not a story for a man to tell, especially not if you want to focus so heavily on how other people think Xaviera is worthless, and not XAVIERA, the person who is seen as worthless and who actually has to experience this pain! There is never a scene in which Craddock dissuades the readers from thinking that it’s COMPLETELY unfair and sexist that Xaviera’s competence at being a Queen is negated because she can’t have kids; instead we focus on Alejandro and how he’s just such a good guy because he loves his wife so much that he won’t cheat on her or divorce her. Xaviera deserves a better story than being sidelined to be a foil to Isabelle’s working womb, and I absolutely hate this storyline, even more after we get a reveal that makes Xaviera;s infertility completely moot. Then, there’s also the whole thing with Isabelle’s mother having 3 miscarriages before she gives birth to Isabelle and dying while giving birth to her brother. Her character is mostly comedic relief, and though she may have been a vain, bad person, treating her miscarriages as some sort of divine punishment is incredibly offensive in a book that’s otherwise genuinely funny and clever about it’s writing. Isabelle’s entire birth scene left such a poor taste in my mouth, that I contemplated DNFing the book; it’s played mostly for laughs, with the Comtessa struggling to push Isabelle out, and yet Craddock wrote it the artifax giving a sermon about how the pain women experience in childbirth is the punishment from the Builder for destroying his Kingdom with their curiosity. Not only is this verbatim something religious fundamentals use to torment women with to this day, it’s so incredibly tone deaf and ill-placed in this supposedly lighthearted scene, that I was ready to quit. Then there’s Isabelle. There is a LOT to unpack with her, but unfortunately I can’t, without spoiling the whole book. What I can talk about is how she is treated as, again, a walking womb, for the whole first half of the book. She is arranged to marry Julio because she’s off saint’s blood, has a fertile womb and can’t do magic. It has nothing to do with her intelligence, or her skills or even her damn beauty; no it’s because her womb works and Julio needs a baby. And literary no one, not Jean-Claude, not Isabelle, not even Julio is opposed to this idea, at least until we find out the real reasons for the marriage. She is literary boiled down to her womb, and treated like a prized racing horse, and she is the LEAD CHARACTER. Again, this is not necessarily supposed to be viewed as good, but that’s only after we find out why the marriage was orchestrated. Up until then, no one questions this, and I cannot describe to you how uncomfortable it was for me to read all the 10 000 times people care about Isabelle’s womb more than her, encourage and downright blackmail her into sleeping with a complete stranger so that he can Euron style put-a-baby-in-her, and everytime someone calls her breeding stock or broodmare. That felt good to get off my chest. Let’s talk some positives. My favorite part of the The Three Musketeers is the bit about the Comtessa having her diamonds stolen, and the King asking her to wear them at the ball, and the Musketeers having to go make a new set and bring it in time for the ball. This plot is that same rush of tension and political maneuvering mixed with humor, except the conspiracy is so complicated, there would be no way I could describe it to you all without spoilers. What I can talk about is how through very different approaches and skill sets, Jean-Claude and Isabelle figure out what is happening parallel to each-other. Jean-Claude is like a Musketeer version of Hercule Poirot. He is incredibly good at improvising and acting, he has a way of getting people to talk to him and reveal information they don’t want to, he knows how to lie, fight, shoot, run and has a bit of a temper. While with Isabelle we learn more of the mechanics of the plot, with Jean-Claude we learn about the people involved in the conspiracy, and their various motives. I really enjoyed Jean-Claude’s detective skills; also since he’s the Musketeer, he gets the brunt of the action scenes which were all very fun. Isabelle on the other hand, is more like Sherlock Holmes. She’s good with words and people, but not the Jean-Claude’s effect, and she’s more than a little socially awkward and insecure, especially at first. What she’s good at is logic, facts and math, and she uses her analytical skills to deduce answers and see irregularities and inconsistencies around her. Though a lot of her skills are ones that she’s not supposed to have, like being able to read the Old Language, or know about how ships run and machines operate, her real skill is the ability to appeal to people and what they want, and she has a real knack for diplomacy that I really enjoyed watching develop throughout the book. The entire focus of the book, and Isabelle’s character arc is about soft power; she isn’t a sword fighter or a gunsmith, but she’s very intelligent, kind and clever, and combined with her deduction skills and wordplay, she makes a formidable political player. There is a reason Gran Leon picks her to be an ambassador, even if it’s with hidden intentions; she sees the loopholes in others’ plans and weaves her own, manipulating people when she must, and offering a branch of friendship when she can. I already mentioned the scene between her and Xaviera, but there are many more examples in the book of her making unlikely friends without even really trying to; my favorite scene was her duel of wits with Gran Leon. 

Characters:

Outside of the plot which was excellent and incredibly clever, I loved the characters. There are so many of them, that I couldn’t possibly cover them all, and a lot I can’t talk about because of spoilers, so I’ll just talk about the leading duo, which is Isabelle and Jean-Claude.  

Jean-Claude was my favorite person in this whole book. He was exactly what I imagined Aramis to be like; funny, sarcastic, too clever for his own good, very capable, and yet quite flawed. His father-daughter relationship with Isabelle was heartwarming, though I didn’t much care for how he saw her as someone who constantly needed protection, until she was to be handed off to another man to protect. He sees her as capable, but I wasn’t a fan of how he seemed to never quite understand that she was more than just whatever man was beside her.

He had the funniest quips, and keeping in with the theme of wordplay I liked his little anaphore game with Isabelle.

The other great thing about Jean-Claude, was how his moral compass was at odds to his loyalty to Grand Leon. He owes everything to Grand Leon, as he had handpicked Jean-Claude to be his own Musketeer, but when he finds himself in situations of injustice, Jean-Claude has a hard time standing by, even if it means potentially endangering his standing. He’s a flawed character, and sometimes he was too arrogant or too blindsided to see the full picture, like with  Vincent and Thornscar, and he is like any good Musketeer quite fond of self-indulgent pity.

One of his best quotes:

”Majesty, please excuse me for bleeding in your presence, but someone just tried to shoot the princess’s coach and bomb me, which is rather backward of the way I would have done it, but I’m thankful for his incompetence” pg. 249

Isabelle on the other hand is a lot more subdued, which makes perfect sense, seeing all the things she has been through. She has had a very abusive childhood, with her father trying to force her sorcery to come out, as well as being bullied and shunned because of her wormfinger.

I tried looking up to see if wormfinger is a real thing, and I couldn’t find anything, but as best as I could understand it, it’s a hand deformity where the hand has a single, unresponsive finger. Since this society is incredibly focused on looks and sexual appeal for women, Isabelle is considered a freak and even a devil-child, which isolates her. However, what I really appreciated was that she accepts her disability as just another part of herself, not some kind of burden, and she is content with herself. The book also doesn’t focus on her appearance, other than general descriptions, (which was true for all of the characters, points for you Craddock).

Isabelle suffers from a lot of trauma, especially concerning her own voice and words, as something happens to her, which is a direct result of someone misconstruing her words to hurt her. However, she’s still if not happy, then content, and though she’s not the bravest character in the book, she pushes through regardless, and tries to meet all her obstacles and overcome them, no matter how daunting they look.

There is a very mild romance in the book, but it’s so insignificant to all that happens that I hesitate to even call it a subplot. I liked this too; most of the relationships Isabelle builds are with friends and allies and what motivates her is entirely her friendship to Marie. I loved that her strongest allies outside of Jean-Claude were always other women; Marie, Valery, Gretl, even Xaviera. Her friendship with Gretl was especially important, as she is the only character who treats Gretl as a  human rather than some kind of object and the disability representation for Gretl was I thought well done.

Conclusion:

Though I might have come off harsh on a lot of aspects of this book, it’s only because the parts that were good were great, and every time we took a detour from those parts into bad territory it was all the more jarring. It’s a really fun book, and if you are looking for a gunpowder fantasy with a world we don’t often see in fiction, a focus on diplomacy, politics and a kick-ass pair of leads, then I recommend it.

However, if talk of fertility, childbirth, miscarriage and the threat of sexual assault unsettle you you might want to stay away; as much as I’d like to separate the adventuring from this, these are the main themes of the book, and it’s impossible to ignore them.

goodreads

[hekate1308]

Shared Joy, Double Joy

Drowley AU - Crowley is a demon who happens to possess a mechanic called Dean Winchester. Enjoy!

Dear God, pathetic doesn’t even begin to cover it –

Dean blinked. Or rather, he tried to blink, found that he had no control over his body, and stayed rather remarkably calm once he realized.

He’d never felt like anything like this before. He was most definitely moving, but he hadn’t decided to do so; furthermore, the street he was walking down was nowhere near his home –

What the hell, is this Vegas? he exclaimed without actually saying the words. He’d have to figure out later how this was possible.

Or not.

Because a strange kind of silence followed the sentence in his mind, almost as if he were talking to someone and they were studying him...

You should definitely not be awake, the same voice he had heard a moment ago declared. For some reason, even though “hearing” was an exaggeration, considering it was more like they were... thinking in Dean’s head without permission, he knew they had a British accent. And didn’t that make everything even more confusing.

What do you mean? I am awake!

Yes, and you shouldn’t be. Don’t make me repeat myself, it’s particularly annoying.

It’s particularly annoying, he mocked them before demanding, What is going on?

What then followed would probably have best been described as a struggle, if he had been able to move his limbs and he had actually been fighting anyone. At the end of his, he was panting... in his mind. And the silence that ensued felt more... intrigued than anything else.

I have to admit I am surprised, the voice then told him.

He snorted. Great. Now, what’s going on?

They sighed. Since I can’t seem to put you under – and really, that is quite interesting, I have to say – I’m a demon and am currently possessing you.

What!?

Demon. Me. Possessing. You.

If he could have rolled his eyes, he would have. Demons don’t –

He didn’t finish the thought because, if he hadn’t spontaneously gone insane (and this certainly didn’t sound like any kind of crazy he’d ever heard of) he was possessed.

Knew you weren’t half as mentally deficient as you believe yourself to be.

Fine, okay, so you’re a demon. But why would a demon possess me? Dean always thought demons were supposed to tempt people, and he certainly didn’t need any help in the immorality or vice department.

Had to lie low for a while.

Oh? What gives?

He figured he might as well get the whole story since there wasn’t much he could do. He was still pretty calm about this whole thing. Maybe he was hooked up on some kind of demon juice?

Demon juice? Now they sounded indignant. What do you take me for?

How about you tell me?

They sighed. Fine. If you have to know –

It’s my body, figure I’ve got the right –

Do you want to hear this or not?

Dean was silent.

I’m a crossroads demon. The best in the business.

Wow, aren’t we humble.

Just telling the truth, darling.

Fine. But if you’re that good at your job, why are you here... in me, then? Shouldn’t you be haunting some crossroads forcing some poor smug to make a deal?

I never force anyone to make a deal with me. And I had to leave Hell for a while. There were... complications.

Like union-strike complications or slept-with-your-bosses-wife complications?

I... angered Lucifer.

Wait, you upset the literal devil?

I didn’t set out to do so. But the fact is, we disagree on a lot of things. And so I decided to lay low for a few weeks at least. And just my luck, I happen to possess the down-on-his-luck mechanic with as many mummy and daddy issues to sort through as the day is long.

Hey –

If it makes you feel better, my mother was a witch.

Why would you want to make me feel better?

Excellent question. They sounded almost... puzzled.

Any chance I can get you to get out of my noggin?

None. Like I said, I have to lie low.

Then what are we doing in Vegas?

Excellent spot for making deals.

That’s not exactly lying low though, is it? He pointed out smugly.

I just wanted a bit of money to live as I am used to –

Again, lying low? This ain’t it, buddy.

A pause. Then – Name’s Crowley.

Dean Winchester. But I figure you already know that.

Indeed I do.

Any chance you haven’t been all over my brain finding out every last thing you can about me? Another pause. That’s a no then.

You should be honoured. Humans normally don’t interest me.

And what makes me special?

Crowley didn’t answer. He – for some reason, Dean was convinced that he was talking to a guy – instead suddenly declared rather dramatically, I suppose we will have to return to your rat-infested apartment then.

That was two years ago, and I handled it.

You could afford better, but you don’t. Why?

Dean mind-shrugged. What’s the point? I mostly use it for sleeping, anyway.

Because you’ve been doing so much of that lately. I can tell you’re exhausted, and this isn’t even my body.

Exactly! How about you don’t go “Look at your life, look at your choices” while you are out here possessing people? Wait, what time is it? I gotta go to work.

If you think I am actually going to that dingy little shop to placate your whining idiot of a boss by working on the cars of douche bags who don’t even recognize what talent is being thrown away at –

Sorry to tell you, but I am still here, still awake, and I can and will annoy you. I need that job to pay for my rent.

He let that thought fester until Crowley asked, What are you suggesting?

I thought the best crossroads demon out there would recognize an offer when he heard one, Dean answered, wondering where he got that idea from. Then again, he was already possessed, what else was he supposed to do?

Eventually Crowley said, You have my attention.

The deal they struck went as follows: Dean wouldn’t try to throw Crowley out – he wasn’t quite sure how he would have gone about that, but it seemed like the safest option to agree – and he’d allow the demon to stay in his place and act as Dean Winchester half of the time, while he’d be able to control his body for the other half. After some more bickering, Crowley had reluctantly agreed that half the time meant half the time that Dean was awake, for he soon found that he could still sleep when he wanted. Of course he could have gone under while Crowley was in control, but he didn’t trust the demon that far.

He turned out to be a surprisingly easy house guest. Hell, he even did the dishes.

You like my burgers, don’t you, Dean told him one day.

They do taste better than those greased-loaded heart attacks waiting to happen you like to devour at least once a day, Crowley shot back. After a pause he added, You would make a good chef.

Ha bloody ha. Dean usually tried to imitate his accent when he annoyed him.

I mean it. Although don’t think I haven’t noticed what really interests you.

If he had actually been holding the plate Crowley was cleaning, he would have dropped it. We agreed. No snooping around in my subconscious.

I got all of that before you were ever aware I was here, darling.

Of course he had.

It was just a silly little day dream, is all.

I wouldn’t call a nursing degree silly.

It was nothing. Drop it.

Miraculously, Crowley did.

After a while, Dean didn’t consider it absolutely necessary to watch over every little thing Crowley said or did when he was in control, and he now and then dived back into his mind to listen to the music, read the books or watch the movies he’d memorized.

He realized that had been a mistake when he resurfaced one day just to check up on how things were going. Really, part of him had been relieved that their family lunch fell into Crowley’s time slot. Once upon a time, he had been glad to see Mom; but since he had realized that that she hardly listened to what he had to say, as opposed to Sam’s monologues about his job, he’d grown rather disenchanted with it all.

Plus, this time they were being introduced to Sam’s new girlfriend, and they usually only heard “mechanic”, assumed the worst and barely talked to him, so there was that.

And then he got back from watching The Untouchables and the first thing he heard coming out of his own mouth was –

“Slaughter-House Five is superior to Cat’s Cradle, but I still think the later is very fascinating –“

“Oh yes” the new girl, Sarah he remembered, replied enthusiastically, “The depiction of bokononism –“

Crowley!

I was fed up with being lectured or ignored. Also, your brother’s and mother’s expressions have been utterly hilarious. Plus, don’t pretend that’s not your opinion.

It is but –

“I didn’t know you liked to read” Mom said, looking puzzled.

“I’m a man of mystery.”

Sarah giggled. “I really have to congratulate you, Sammy.”

Only I get to call him that, Dean told him, even though he was trying his best not to laugh.

Crowley had been right about their expressions.

He supposed one little slip up couldn’t hurt.

And then Crowley got bored.

It had only been a matter of time, Dean supposed. Lucifer could apparently hold a grudge – no surprise there – and demons were not made to live quietly.

He was still somewhat surprised at how Crowley decided to occupy himself.

I wanted a burger and a beer.

Too bad, it’s my turn, and a salad and mineral water it is.

Not only was he making him eat rabbit food, he had also chosen a somewhat nicer diner than Dean would have for his lunch break.

But –

No buts, don’t you humans know how to take care of yourselves?

Dean decided it wasn’t worth the fight.

Crowley, when I said I needed to go clothes shopping –

Have you ever even looked in a mirror? And you waste those good looks on denim and flannel.

Dean stared at the shirts Crowley was going through. Are you flirting with me?

Told you you were not mentally deficient.

Yes, he decided, it was definitely better to concentrate on the shirts.

Why are we watching a few dozen idiots giving each other brain damage again?

Because, as you would say, it’s my turn and the Chiefs are playing. Be a good boy and you get to watch cricket when it’s yours.

You should know by now that I am far better at being naughty than nice.

Their conversations had taken on a decidedly flirty tone ever since that shopping trip, but Dean did his best not to notice.

He failed most of the time.

“There’s something different about you, lately” Benny suddenly announced.

Dean looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, that shirt, for one. Looks good on you.”

“And I thought you were happily married –“

“Ha ha. But seriously, brother – you look good. Healthier, even.”

He shrugged. “Changed my diet up a bit.” Crowley would have nagged him forever if he hadn’t now and then eaten a salad voluntarily, now.

Benny frowned. “That’s not all though. But hey, whatever’s working for you – I’m just glad it does.”

Dean could hardly tell him that he had a demonic life coach.

I resent that description.

Sorry, your Highness, would you prefer live-in partner?

For once, Crowley shut up.

After a particularly gruelling day at the shop, Dean sank down in front of his laptop, biting his lip.

Go on. You know you want to.

I am just thinking about it.

Yes. You have been for weeks. Now for God’s sake do something about that!!!

He could have sworn Crowley actually sounded sincere.

And so he tiped Nursing School into the search bar.

“You are going to do what?” Sam asked, blinking.

“I am going to get a nursing certificate. The University of Miami offered me a scholarship. Doesn’t cover everything, but I should get by.”

Sarah was smiling brightly. “That’s wonderful, Dean!”

“I wanted it for a while” he admitted.

“Dean...” Sam hesitated. “If that’s truly what you want, then I’m glad too.”

Ugh. Heartfelt family conversations. How do you humans deal with that?

Mostly by not grunting when they happen.

How mind-numbingly dull.

Crowley –

Fine, fine, I’ll let you have your moment.

Dean was one year into the program, by this time having all but forgotten that sharing his mind with someone wasn’t exactly normal. He now and then had to catch himself, lest he answer to Crowley loudly and freak out someone, but other than that, he was pretty content.

So of course things had to go south.

Crowley had been strangely silent while he did his course work. Not that he didn’t let him do it; but he normally had more to say.

Then –

I have been checking out Hell while you were asleep.

Oh? The devil still on the war path?

No. I think I can return now.

Dean looked up from his papers, not for the first time wishing that he and Crowley could see eye-to-eye. What?

Face it, darling, I’ve done more than my due here, and don’t forget I am the king of the –

Crossroads, yeah, got it, Dean replied, a sinking feeling in his stomach making itself know. Crowley was leaving. Thanks for everything, I guess.

Yes, I – well, I guess that’s it. Bye.

And Crowley was gone.

Dean’s new apartment suddenly felt way too empty.

Five years later

“Ah, Dean.”

“Doctor Mills” he greeted her.

“How’s my favourite nurse?”

“Feeling like I can’t get out of this penguin suit quickly enough” he told her. Give him scrubs any day.

She laughed. “Sorry, you first have to smooch up to the donors. Come on.”

Benefit dinners were not exactly Dean’s idea of a good time, but he could gladly spent a few hours with some rich dude if it meant they got enough money out of it. He loved his job; he was certainly not going to look for a new one if he could help it.

The man Jody had told him was their biggest donor yet was talking to one of their neurosurgeons, but turned around as they approached.

Dean was taken aback. He had never seen the man before in his life, and yet there was something familiar about him, something he couldn’t quite place.

“May I introduce you to our best nurse, Mr. Crowley?” Doctor Mills asked and Dean swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

It couldn’t be.

He had missed the demon, more than he was ready to admit; for a time, his head had felt so empty and silent, until he had slowly remembered that this was how it was supposed to be; and yet now and then he had wished – he wouldn’t even been able to say what for.

Crowley – stop that, it can’t be him – reached out to shake his hand. “Mr. Winchester.”

That voice. He would have recognized it anywhere. He cleared his throat and reciprocated. “Mr. Crowley.”

“I am very glad to meet you. Doctor Mills has been waxing poetry about you.”

“I am sure she over exaggerated my talents.”

“On the contrary” he said, his eyes sparkling.

When Doctor Mills left them, shooting Dean a glance that clearly indicated she’d picked up on the... tension between them, Crowley said, “Told you. Not mentally deficient at all.”

Good God. “Crowley, what are you doing here?”

“Donating to a hospital. Thought I would try to even things out a bit, you know, karma and all that.”

Dean snorted. “Right. And who’s that poor smug you’re possessing?”

“It’s a John Doe, and he was long gone; only the machines were keeping him alive. It’s just me in here.”

Dean felt strangely relieved, almost as if he had been jealous at the thought of Crowley possessing and constantly talking to someone else. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but why are you here?”

Crowley grinned, somewhat unsettlingly – although Dean couldn’t deny that it looked attractive, too – “I just wanted to check up on an old investment of mine.”

“An investment, mh?”

“Oh yes. Spent quite a bit of time on that project a few years back, right after my priorities shifted.”

“Oh they did?”

“Yes. And so I decided to leave Hell and build up a worldly fortune for a bit.”

“And what do you think of your old... project?”

“I think it has been doing quite well in my absence.”

“So what now? Another check-in in five years?”

“I was actually thinking about staying here for a while.”

Dean grinned. “You’ll need someone to show you all the places worth seeing around here.”

“You think so?”

There was only one answer to give.

Half an hour later, Dean turned them around so it was Crowley being pressed against the wall of an empty hospital corridor for a change. “By the way” he asked in-between kisses, “How did you find such an attractive meat suit?”

“I’ve been inside of you darling, remember? I knew what to look for.”

Dean threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway.  

[longingfreesia]

visitations | ao3 mirror

mad paradox visits the alternate selves he comes across wading through time every now and then.

note: once upon a time, before i saw his 3rd job advancement cutscene, i "entertained" the idea of dominator creating grace as part of his “perfect virtual world.” then i watched it and realized ‘oh, shit, he moved on actually’ and scrapped it all. this is kind of a result of that, and me going “hm. i wonder if he won’t do that for himself he’d do it for mp” which he probably wouldn’t but will that stop me? this exists so the answer is no

also i dont know how to tag “mp kinda beats up dom.” its not too bad i think but just be aware of that i guess

previous “chapter”

Paradox watches his counterpart in silence for a moment. Was it perverse to take an odd fascination in observing people when they thought they were alone? It didn’t matter to him, and no one knew about it in any case.

Either way, no matter how fascinating it was, it was boring. His counterpart usually had something interesting for him to mess with, it was worth a shot.

“You're open.”

Dom startles, then softens when he sees Paradox. “I suppose I am now. Hello, Paradox.”

“Hello.” Paras eyes seem especially big, now, staring down at his counterpart.

“Was there something you needed?” Dom asks.

“No. I just wanted to be here.”

“Mm. I suppose that's fine. Don't bother me, though, I'm working on something very important.”

Paradox frowns, nose scrunching up and only further accentuating his round face. This other self treats him more like a child. ...Sometimes it's alright, but other timesーlike nowーit irritates him.

“Tell me what it is.”

Dom chuckles. “Insistent as always. Well, it's…” he waves his hand in circles by the side of his head, as if thinking, “virtual reality. Of sorts.” He gains that ever annoying ‘I know something you don't’ tone of voice. “Do you want to see it?”

“Show it to me.”

Dom nods. “Follow me.”

Dominator leads him into a decently sized space off of his lab. This was new, but it hadn't been added to the building, just cleared out… What did he need such a large dedicated space for? And entirely empty, at that...

“Close your eyes.” Dom says.

“No.”

Dom grimaces and rolls his eyes. “Alright, fine, but don't blame me if it ruins the magic.”

His dynamos swirl around him, following each other in a perfect line as they form a circle spanning the empty space. The thin lines sought through them glow, brighter and brighter until they split open, a jagged, mechanical motion they all execute in unison.

A wall appears around them. It looks like the same type of hologram Dom uses for his keyboards, that kind of thing.

A landscape appears before them, and Paras eyes go wide. The ground beneath their feet turns grassy and soft, and the walls formed by the dynamos looks as if nonexistent now, giving way in favor of a lush expanse of green and a clear sky, seemingly infinite. A large tree thrives in the distance. So this was what his counterpart worked on so tirelessly? At the very least, it was an impressive show of skill.

“This part… is something I have worked on for countless ages. I'm particularly excited to show you.” Dom says, and his voice sounds odd in a way Paradox can't name. “I implore you to close your eyes now.”

Paradox shakes his head. “No.”

Dominator sighs, then, “...Please?”

Wow, please? He was truly desperate, then. “Fine.” Paradox lets his eyes fall closed, and he hears the sound of something shimmering.

“Don't open them until I say.” Dom instructs, and Paradox grumbles. He doesn't like being told what to do. This had better be spectacular.

“Hello,” He hears Dominator whisper. “Are you ready?” What is he talking about? More importantly, who is he talking to? No one else was with them.

“Open your eyes now.”

Paradox does, and feels his heart drop.

A woman with long, white hair and a gentle face stands in front of him, smiling. Her clothes and aura make her seem almost angelic. Her shoulders rise as she smiles even wider, and says, “Hello, Add.”

Paradox, suddenly, cannot breathe. His arms fall limp at his sides and he's fairly certain he looks like an idiot but oh god, he can't breathe.

“How is it?” Dominator asks, seeming satisfied.

It takes a long moment for Paradox to remember how to speak. “That's…”

The woman kneels down in front of Paradox, taking his hand in hers. “Your hair is all a mess... “ A light, tinkling laugh. “Do you need me around to take care of it, even now? It's alright, I will. It's always made me happy to care for you.”

Paradox feels a foreign feeling set alight in his chest, in his throat. He doesn't like it. He hates it. He wants it to stop.

“That's… not… mom.” He mumbles.

“Hm? Ah, no, it's not, but…”

“That's… NOT mom!” Paras voice suddenly raises higher than Dom has ever heard it go, and he tears his hand out of not-Graces. Her face remains unchanging, unfazed by his outburst.

“...I see. It's not good enough, thenー”

“That's not mom! How dare you! How DARE youー” Paradox feels rage seething through his chest, up to his face, bringing hot, angry tears to his eyes. “How COULD you? You'd disrespect her like that? You'd ever think some fucking HOLOGRAM could EVER replace her?” This wasn't good for him, he feels his emotions causing him to lose his focus, lose his grip on realityーhe didn't care. He didn't care, he didn't care, he didn't care.

Dominator throws his hands up, and the simulation dissipates, leaving them back in the empty room they started in. Paradox faintly registers not-Graces face melting into pixels and light, smile never fading in the slightest through it all. Too much. “It wasn't meant to replaceー”

“Bullshit!” Paradox cries. “What else could it be? What other purpose could that have?! Stop trying to lie to me! I’m not fucking stupid!”

“Calm down. It was just a simulation, nothing more. It could never replace her, and it never would. I just wanted to experimentー”

“Exー She’s not yours to experiment on! Is that what everything is to you? Something for you to screw around with like some kind of lab rat?”

Dominator snarls. “Where did you get that idea from? I’ve never insinuated anything of the sort. Maybe you should stop making things up, the time-traveling might be affecting you worse than you’re aware.”

Of course he was being snarky, even now. Even now, even now, after something like that. Paradox can feel his body fighting him, losing his cool and the thin web of will keeping himself together. He didn’t let his emotions run from him like this, not usually, but this wasn’t normal, and more importantly, this was unforgivable.

“Fuck off.” Paradox mutters, trying one last time to compose himself before his body decides for him.

Dominator shrugs. “I tried to do something nice for you. It’s your own fault you can’t handle it. I’ve tried to help you move on from her, but you won’t liー”

“FUCK OFF!” Paradox shrieks, flying for Dominators throat. His eyes go wide seeing Paras form change, twisted and messy the same way the man himself is. He barely registers long, mangy hair and sharp teeth before his back hits the ground and the air is knocked out of his lungs.

“I thought you knew anything. I thought you understood, I thought you knew anything at ALL about how I felt.” His tone lilts up at the end, trailing into near hysterical laughter. Dominators gaze frantically flits around the room, attempting to order his dynamos to assist him.

Paradox rips Doms earpiece out and can hardly hear it when the man beneath him screams. He goes the extra mile and brings clawed hands down on the fallen batteries on Dominators sides. A loud clattering is heard as the dynamos fall.

“Don't try that. I hate you. I fucking HATE you. I can't believe I ever thought you'd get it.”

Dom can see more of the blinding ‘glitch’ of Paras body, now. This close to him, it almost burns. His hair floats impossibly behind him. He grins, and sharp teeth flash and send fear shooting down Doms spine. He's pinned, and there's not much he can do about it. Piling onto that fear like painful rocks was barely being able to breathe, or hearーthe angry voice above him was muffled, as if they were underwater, and the ringing, god, the ringing... Even if he did try to respond, it would only come out a broken wheeze.

“I should kill you. I should kill you for hurting her.” Paradox mutters, then laughs. “Was that some kind of sick fucking joke? Do you enjoy tormenting meーbastardizing her?” Claws dig into Doms shoulder. He's sure he's bleeding, but not enough to seep through his jackets. He can, however, certainly feel blood trickling from his ears from his earpiece being torn out. Motherfucker.

“Were you trying to piss me off? Be honest or I’ll tear your throat out. We both know I’m not screwing around.” Paradox glares down at him, rows of deadly teeth grit hard.

Dominator blearily grasps at Paras hands at his shoulders, knowing he couldn’t shove the flickering mass of ‘man’ off of him if he tried, but figuring he’d be damned if he didn’t at least struggle. It goes about as well as he expected it to, and he winces when Paradox expectedly retaliates.

“Can you not even speak? Can you not even own up to what you’ve done?” He cackles lowly, looking as if he were staring down his prey at Dominator. “Did I hit you that hard? Are you that weak? I thought you were better than that…” His expression shifts to a twisted mix of amusement-turned-disgust. “The version of myself in this timeline is pathetic too. I should’ve known, shouldn’t I?” The claws dig even further into Dominators flesh, now, and all he can manage is a pained rasp.

Paradox suddenly jerks himself up from the ground, taking Dominator with him, only to throw him back to the ground once he’s risen. Dominator grabs at his chest, coughing. His attempt at rising to his feet, or even just sitting up, fails miserably.

“It won’t do any good to kill you, will it?” His gaze is back to being empty, as it usually was, butーbut his eyes were so wide and wild, they didn’t seem to belong on such a hard face as he was making now. It hardly moves as he says, “I’ve seen enough dead versions of myself. I’ll leave you to your miserable false world. You can rot there alone. Howeverー”

His body distorts, and seems to flash back to that of a child when Dominator blinks. No, that’s not right. “I want you to etch it into your entitled brain that if I’m ever unfortunate enough to cross into this timeline again, I won’t care anymore about needless death.”

Paradox is blindingly bright, and Dominators head throbs from the flash and the beating against the floor. When he opens his eyes again, there’s nothing there but a ragged scar upon the ground where he had been, and a clear mark of his damage evident in Dominators appearance.

His glove comes back bloody when he presses his fingers to his collar. He’ll have to repair his dynamos’ batteries, but before then, find some kind of medical care since they’re unavailable to take care of it for him… How bothersome.

[furederiko]

It's the first post of MAY 2017! Yipeee... And it's about an '11 in 1' set, which is the highlight of Kyuranger episode 12!

- If you think Lucky was just having a bad day last week, well, it gets worse. The Rebellion needs to analyze Ikagen's weakness, so a replay of his battle with the Squid Assassin is necessary. Basically, everyone is shoving that defeat to his face! Poor guy. This is a great scene though, because it's a bit rare to see Super Sentai heroes trying to come up with a solution by figuring things out together from battle footage. In many cases in the past, things were mostly solved conveniently on the fly. - As if acknowledging his bad luck isn't enough, Lucky's luck continues to run out. Even Kyulette rejects him! I don't know about you, but seeing a guy who is usually cheerful and couldn't care less about the world gets all so gloomy, is... infectiously depressing and sad. This marks the first time in the season that a Red member is not officially part of the away team. Yes, Hammy, you've totally read our mind. In fact, none of the center positions (Commander Xiao being the other one) are, which is interesting. I wonder what would happen if they ever require a mecha fight? Anyway, Stinger is leading Garu, Hammy, Balance and Naga this time, with the sole mission: to test their theory about Ikagen. That's all. - I've suspected that Ikagen's invicibility is caused by a hidden powerful macguffin that he placed his crowd. Perhaps a Kyu Globe? Apparently, that's not the case, because there was never anything like it that granted him the skill of foresighting enemy's movements. Nope, turns out, MANY parts of his body act as some kind of sensor that would react to others. Think of it like... Spider-Man and his Spider-Sense. That's how he's able to predict attacks and does that cool "The Matrix" move. Definitely not psychic. What's fascinating about this reveal however, is the use of #16 Serpens Kyu Globe to check Ikagen's reactions. This is one of the easy reason why this season is nothing but fantastic. It's these little decisions that flip audience's mind, because they come unexpected in a smart way, but also not feel forced at the same time. I mean, who would've thought that out of 88 constellations, an unorthodox one like Serpens would come handy as solution to the current situation, right? I certainly didn't see it coming. Beside, Ophiucus Silver being assigned to use this particular Skill Kyu Globe, is also a nice touch. In case you're forgeting, in the mythology, Ophiucus IS a Serpent-Bearer/Tamer. XD. - Clearly, Ikagen is not an enemy that can be dealt with singlehandedly. Which by the way, was Xiao's mistake in the past, that caused the life of his boss Big Bear. He needs to be attacked from all 11 directions, so the Kyulette conveniently debuts the #SP Kyuranger Kyu Globe. This means, similar to when they dealt with Eridrone, everyone must participate the fight. That is, everyone except Lucky, who surprisingly refuses to join them. He argues that he's not fit to be a Kyuranger anymore, thinking he only became one because of luck. Aaaaw... someone is getting the wrong idea here! People might have complained about him being loud and rambunctious, but for me, this gloomy sulking (and dumb) version is much more annoying. This forces Xiao to have a nice SERIOUS pep-talk about Lucky's true strength of positivite thinking. Heck, even Garu is compelled to knock some senses out of the guy, calling him out to take responsibility for getting him onboard in the first place. NICE one guys, he deserves a wake-up slap IMO. But does everyone else need to watch this drama from the monitor? *sigh* - Thankfully though, we are able to get an extended glimpse of Lucky's not-so-lucky and instead painful past because of this. Which sounds a bit like the backstory of Superman, by the way! Not to mention, Lucky might NOT be his real name, because that's just the way he wants to see himself while growing up in Planet Luth. This is... intriguing, and I'm certain this is going to play out into something bigger in the future. Who knows, perhaps the show is going to have a 'Darth Vader'-esque reveal, considering all these time Lucky serves as some sort of mirror to Luke Skywalker? I initially thought they are going to pull this twist with Stinger's brother, but the ending of this episode already debunks that theory. You'll see why... - Anyways, all Kyurangers minus Leo Red joins forces to take on Ikagen. As Ikagen later remarks, 10 against 1 DOES feel a bit unfair. But on the other hand, it signifies that Ikagen is definitely a powerful enemy. See? He's not even budging, because he has more than just 10 'eyes'. Cue Lucky, who slowly gains back his confidence thanks to his friends' trust, to show up and save the day. In an unexpected CLEVER way too! By using the Gemini Kyu Globe to create numerous clones of himself! An act that easily overwhelms Ikagen and catches him off guard. Sure, this scene must be annoying to some audience. I mean, one is loud enough for them, and now there's an army of him (I count there's at least 128 of them. Yikes!!!). But the most important thing is, it WORKS. Brilliant move! Now that Ikagen is blind, he can be taken down far easily. - And so we have our first 11 Kyurangers transformation scene! Aaaaw, what a sight. What a glorious scene. Those colors simply look amazing, albeit the extended length of the roll call. LOL. And the action sequence that follows is well thought-out too. We have one team (Draco Commander, Libra Gold, Aquila Pink, and Ophiucus Silver... who feels a little out of place because he's using a Sickle LOL) using long-ranged attack, the second (Lupus Blue, Taurus Black, Chamaleon Green, Dorado Yellow) strikes with melee hits, the third unit (Ursa Minor Skyblue, and big bro Scorpius Orange) proceeds with their signature whip-like weapons, and finally, Leo Red tops it off by bringing Ikagen to the epicentrum. "Kyuranger All Star Crash!", wicked group finisher! Of course, the fact that it requires all members to deal with each Menaster, leads us to two possible concerning truth: Either this year's villains are galactic-level super powered beings, or... the Kyurangers have the weakest solo members in Super Sentai history! LOL. - It might be the first option though, because as soon as Ikagen grows giant, the Kyurangers are once again outdone. To think that our heroes are already using both Kyuren-Oh and Ryutei-Oh, with the three remaining Voyagers (Libra, Ophiucus, and Aquila) serving as support! Ikagen's dark acid rain even renders them down. Then again, thanks to last week's preview, we already know the solution. Yes, by combining the two mechas in "Super Say the Docking", to debut the 8-Voyagers combination RYUTEI KYUREN-OH. Don't be fooled by its mighty appearance though, because I don't think it's that impressive. Especially if you compare it to past intricate combinations like Engine-Oh G9 or even Wild Tousai King). Ryutei-Oh practically only docks on Kyuren-Oh's back to form some kind of blaster unit, and don't forget there are other Voyagers being left out. This one is NOT exactly a full-team combination. The much bigger and complete one is undoubtedly being saved for the show's later half, anyway... LOL. - "All Star Scramble Break! Super Galaxy!". Ikagen is no more. And Puppis Kyu Globe has been retrieved. Now the team only needs to locate two more. Lucky is back to his usual cheerful self as well, and I gotta admit, it does make me smile. But no time to rest, because Madako is still at large. And she's heralding the arrival of the next major antagonist to Earth: Scorpio. Yes, despite the new scary look, it's the one and only. He even mentions Stinger's name specifically... Ouch! I absolutely didn't expect to see him showing up this early in the game. Looks like a bro-brawl between the Scorpius System Menaster and his lil bro is coming much sooner that I thought... - Speaking of lil bro, Kotarou is FINALLY taking the spotlight in the ending dance (with Hammy this time)!!!!! YAAAY! All scenes, as well as that circular shot, now consists of 11 Kyurangers now! Looks hectic, but awesome because nobody's left out. LOL. Hold on... that's NOT the only change happening in this new version. They've also altered the choreography a bit! Now that's interesting, because it was still the same until last week. Seriously, go ahead and check. Does this update take place due to the complain that the first version was considered inappropriate? Or because it's just meant to be that way? Hmmm... Oh well, at least it's a good change, even if a bit awkward.

Overall: Thanks to episode 11 doing the heavylifting, things got off easier this week. If anything, what made this episode better, is that it felt focused. The team nailed their mission to eliminate Ikagen, and Lucky gained some boost of confidence about himself through Xiao and Garu. It's good-ol teamwork! I admit, these part DID feel predictable, but the writers still managed to somehow surprise us through the minor details. So eventhough not the best, it was certainly one of the better episodes so far. I'm still holding out on the concern that the plot might be moving too fast, but let's just wait and observe how it develops. Perhaps there are indeed much bigger plans in store. Oh, and one more thing. Some might say that having 11 Kyurangers felt a little overwhelming, and they did make a good point. But I disagree. As long as it served a purpose, I certainly don't mind such large cast. In fact, we're getting diversity of race (these guys originated from various kinds of planets after all), gender (remember, the mechanical beings should be considered genderless), and also age (from the youngest in Kotarou to the eldest in Xiao). That's always a wonderful thing for me. Beside, the color combination alone is too glorious to dismiss. Am I right? LOL... Next week: Zombie Attack? Hammy takes center stage, while Stinger and Champ deals with their past.

Episode 12 Score: 8,1 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: May 1st, 2017 - Version 18. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Supernatural: Regarding Dean (12x11)

As much as I love the angst and pain on Supernatural, I will freely admit that most of their best episodes have been comedic, with a nice strong heartfelt foundation. Think about "Mystery Spot," an episode that takes a turn for the dark, obviously, but that has at its core a lot of laughs. When I saw the description for this episode a while back, I wondered if they'd be taking a dramatic or a comedic take on the idea. I'm pretty happy with the results!

Cons:

Our plot is basic - a witch places a curse on Dean, who slowly starts to forget everything. Rowena comes in to help. I liked the basics, and I liked most of what came out of it. But it's always a little frustrating when the bad guys are super generic. This family of witches was instantly forgettable. I didn't care about them or feel particularly threatened by them at all. I could have used a bit more nuance with them.

Also, I felt like the drama/comedy balance in this episode was mostly great, but there was just one moment I thought failed - at the end, Dean comes in to save the day with witch killing bullets. He sees one of the witches, then sees Sam, and hesitates, pointing his gun between them. He doesn't remember who Sam is, so he's not sure who to shoot. Sam just tells him - I'm your brother, that guy's a witch - and Dean shoots the witch. This could have been a great moment, if the witch hadn't just stood there and let it happen. Maybe he could have tried to convince Dean that Sam was the witch. And then Dean could shoot the witch, and when asked why he picked the way he did, we could see that Dean has some sort of inherent sense about Sam. After all, he remembered Sam's name after forgetting his own. This could have been a very powerful moment. As it was, it's not like it was bad, it was just... eh.

Pros:

I laughed out loud watching this episode. Jensen Ackles has such amazing comedic talent. It's always a treat when he gets to stretch his comedy legs on Supernatural, and it hasn't happened effectively in far too long. I loved Dean's utter delight upon learning about the world of the supernatural. He was just so happy about witch killing bullets, and "our best friend's an angel... whaaaaat?!" Dean giggles delightedly at Scooby Doo, is fascinated by Rowena's bouncy hair, and says "cool!" upon seeing what he believes to be his "first dead body." We also get to see him ride a mechanical bull - and enjoy it a little too much - at the end of the episode, which just capped off this hour beautifully. It's all funny, and light, and kind of sweet. Dean is reverting back to this simplistic person who doesn't know what's going on, and who seems to be oddly okay with that. At least to start.

Of course, Jensen can really pull out all the stops when it comes to angst, as well. The critical scene is when he's in the bathroom, looking into the mirror and repeating: "My name is Dean Winchester. Sam is my brother. Mary is my mom, and Cas is my best friend." He's trying to remember, but each time he says it, the truth of his identity is slipping away from him. When he finally admits to himself that he can't remember his own name, it's a real punch to the gut. This is what makes the episode so effective - at this point in the show's long run, no viewer is worried for either Winchester brother's life, especially not in a C-plot episode. But Dean losing his memories? Losing who he is? That's actually a really effective way of ramping up the drama.

The end of this episode sums up the point - Sam says he felt a little jealous of Dean. Losing his memories meant losing all the horrors of their admittedly horrible lives. And Dean admits that Sam has a point - letting go of his burdens for a bit was really nice. But Dean doesn't want to forget the people he loves - he'd rather take the good with the bad. Not the most original of messages, but it was really well done.

Rowena was an unexpected treat in this episode. She can easily be annoying or superfluous, but here it made sense that they would call in their one witch-y asset to help with a witch-related problem. Rowena using Dean to vent some of her personal insecurities was really great. Basically, she knows Dean won't remember, so she feels free to talk a bit more openly about things. She says that her quest for power has always been a quest for happiness, but now that she's seen how unhappy God and Amara were, she's starting to think she has no chance to be really satisfied. It was emotionally effective, and a nice way to have Dean be a sounding board for the motivations of one of our longest lasting baddies.

C-plot episodes of Supernatural often fail to integrate the A-plot in a way that makes sense, but this episode actually did so quite well. There was heavy mention of the other absent characters, especially Cas and Mary, and as Dean kept forgetting everything, it gave Sam an excuse to remind him of their goals: find Lucifer's baby mama. I always appreciate the effort to make the C-plot episodes feel a little less isolated.

Like I said, I'm glad this episode chose to go the comedic route. There's a part of me that wanted more of the angst - I wanted to see how hard it was on Sam to watch his brother forget him. I wanted Dean to freak out at the thought of forgetting the people he loves. I mean, we got one scene of it, but more would have been great. My soul feeds on Winchester angst. But that's a personal preference thing. This episode was better for the fact that it kept things light, while still heartwarming.

And holy mother of Chuck did you guys see the promo for next week?!?! I'm so excited. That's where I'll leave off. Seriously, go watch it if you haven't seen it.

8/10

[skylanders-after-the-end]

Empty

A day has passed since the annual Multi-Terrain Race. While Nightfall is dealing with other Skylanders congratulating her for being the winner, Sprocket was asked to fix the Sky Slicer and Shield Striker, which were damaged during the race. The Skylander didn’t hesitate and began to repair and replace the damaged parts right away. It didn’t take long until Smolderdash entered the factory used by the Tech Skylanders and Superchargers, and discovered Sprocket laying underneath the Shield Striker.

“Sprocket, there you are!” The fervid humanoid hovered through the large interior and examined the several machines.

Sprocket dropped her tools and moved forward to stand up and face the fellow Skylander. “Smolder, what brings you here?” She was happy to have some company but also curious as to why the Fire Skylander was in the factory.

Smolderdash was happy to see one of her closer friends after a while without contact. “I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s been an accident in the Water Realm.”

Sprocket gave her a surprised look. “What happened?”

“The different pipes and fountains started malfunctioning, and there was also something about black holes transporting the water… but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, there’s puddles and streams of water across the Academy and other realms, including the Fire one.” Smolderdash sounded quite concerned about the situation. “The Water Skylanders are taking care of the black holes, but they need someone to fix the pipes and fountains, so I wanted to ask you.”

“I see…” Sprocket was thinking for a second before looking at the vehicles she was taking care of. “I would love to help, but I’m currently trying to fix those vehicles. I know I’m considered the best engineer around here, but you should probably ask someone a little… less busy.”

“Oh, of course, I’m sorry.” Smolderdash understood her friend and didn’t want to interfere with her work. “I’ll let you work on the vehicles then.”

“Thanks.” Sprocket responded with relief and got back to fixing the Shield Striker.

Smolderdash watched her friend do her work and struggled to leave her just yet. “Do you mind if I stay here for a while?”

“Of course not! You can stay as long as you want!” The goldling sounded happy. “I’m always glad to have some company during work!”

Smolderdash smiled and sat on top of some machine parts next to the vehicles. She once again let her eyes wander the fascinating sight of the factory. The Skylander experienced a stinging smell of gas and smoke. It didn’t bother her since Spitfire spreads that smell throughout the entire Fire Realm. The mechanical objects in the building were mostly silver and gold, reflecting the light coming through the windows on the ceiling. She then looked back to Sprocket and saw how motivated she was while doing her work, how much energy she put into it. Smolderdash couldn’t help but feel empty and thought about herself for a minute.

“Sprocket?” The Skylander asked to gain her college’s attention. “Do you ever feel… useless?”

Sprocket stopped her work and looked at her friend sarcastically. “You’re kidding, right?”

The hot blooded being chuckled upon that response. She knew that Sprocket is a very active and busy Skylander, even if there aren’t any villains to fight.

“I guess that’s a no then.” Smolderdash’s smile began to fade and turned into a rather sad frown. “I can’t really say the same for myself, though.”

Sprocket kept on doing her work, but her attention was completely directed at Smolderdash. “What makes you say that?”

“I’m not entirely sure.” The fiery warrior held her arms, as if she was hugging herself. “Since we stopped Kaos and all the other villains, I felt like I’m not needed anymore.”

“That’s nonsense Smolder!” Sprocket wanted to cheer the usually joyful Skylander up. “We might not have to fight villains anymore, but that doesn’t mean we’re useless.” She finally set her wrench aside and turned around to face the insecure Smolderdash. “A Skylander isn’t just a warrior that protects people and fights bad guys, we are much more than that!”

The Fire Skylander was interested in the things Sprocket was hinting at. “Like what?”

“Like fixing cars!” The Sky Slicer shot out a few sparks after Sprocket’s sentence, which caused the two to flinch. “More or less.”

The burning human tried to smile again. “But… I don’t know what else I could do.”

“Then find something!” Sprocket sounded demanding but in a motivating and friendly way. “There’s plenty of things to do in Skylands! You can try out racing, or visit new places, or read a book in the library!” The Skylander became overly enthusiastic and started to drift away. She put her hands on Smolderdash’s shoulders and looked at her. “My point is, you can do whatever you want to do. And even if you don’t do anything, you’re not useless.”

Smolderdash was finally able to put a slight but genuine smile on her face. She then threw her arms around the goldling to hug her. “Thank you, Sprocket.”

Sprocket returned the embrace happily. “You’re welcome.” While they were hugging, the Sky Slicer shot out another set of sparks and ruined the peaceful moment. “Okay, I should get back to these now.” The Tech Skylander grunted slightly annoyed, before getting back to the vehicles.

In the meantime, Tidepool was getting ready for her date with Wild Storm. The Quickshot was inside of her room, bolting from one spot to another. She was as nervous as she was excited and didn’t have much time left. The Skylander put some new make-up on and washed her hair so it would smell less like seaweed and salt.

“Should I already tell him?” Tidepool was talking to her squid guns, which behaved like they were her pets. “No, it’s too early. I should just try to get closer to him.”

One of the pale blue squids jumped on top of her dresser and moved its tentacles. Only Tidepool ever understood how they communicated. “Are you sure I should tell him?” The animal moved its body to indicate a nod and the second one raised its tentacles in agreement.

“Well, if you say so…” Tidepool looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about all the years she spent with Wild Storm and how much their friendship has developed. She didn’t want to ruin that, but she knew that silence would only drive them further apart. “You’re right!” The Water Skylander finally exclaimed with confidence. “Wild has been my best friend for years! Even if he doesn’t want more than a friendship, he should know that I do.”

Her loyal marine companions clapped with their tentacles in excitement and joy.

“Wish me luck Squids!” The Sensei finally opened her door and stepped into the open. Tidepool had a clear mind and knew what she would tell to the one she was in love with.

Soon after, when the sun set, Tidepool and Wild Storm met at an island which was offering rides with air balloons. They paid for one and observed the gorgeous view as the balloon rose into the air.

“What a beautiful sunset.” Tidepool commented while being completely mesmerized by the orange and red hued sky. The wind gently blew through her green hair and created a soothing atmosphere.

“That’s something you don’t see every day.” Wild Storm leaned his upper body on the ledge of the basket and enjoyed the sight.

Tidepool eventually glanced over to the Knight and felt strangely safe and calm. During the silence, the Quickshot thought about what she could say without sounding too intrusive.

Tidepool kept looking at the sky while asking. “Do you often go out like this?”

“Besides when going on missions, no.” The Air Skylander answered simple and remained to stare at the light pink clouds.

Tidepool started to feel awkward but remained calm. “I would like to do this more often.” The sky slowly faded into a purple color as the sun was disappearing in the endless horizon.

“Me too.” The Knight agreed.

Tidepool’s eyes widened and she looked at her partner. “Really?”

“Yeah, I’m always glad to spend time with you.” He looked at Tidepool and smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. The Water Sensei tried to keep herself from blushing and turned her head away. She was about to say something before Wild Storm cut her off. “But it would be for the best if we didn’t.”

Tidepool felt disappointment overcoming her and didn’t understand what the Skylander meant. “What? Don’t you want to-”

“I do. But… I can’t.” Wild Storm turned around without giving Tidepool another look.

Suddenly, the Quickshot Sensei became angry rather than disappointed.  “Wild Storm what’s your problem?”

“It isn’t you.” The Knight couldn’t find the right words to express himself. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tidepool suddenly felt sympathy over anger. She was aware of Wild Storm’s past with Kaos, but she never thought it would affect him like this. “Wild Storm, I…” The Skylander felt like there was a knot in her throat. She wasn’t able to finish her sentence, until she decided to finally tell the truth. “I lo-“

The Water Sensei was interrupted by the sound of a rope speeding through the air. Her eyes immediately turned to one of the corners of the basket, which was missing a rope. Before the Skylanders could react, another rope unlinked itself from the basket. As Tidepool and Wild Storm tried not to drop into the endless skies, the other two ropes barely held the balloon and basket together. The terrified Senseis were sinking at immense speed and there was no way to stop it. Tidepool quickly thought of a plan in the perilous moment and summoned one of her squid guns. She tossed it at the two disconnected corners of the basket, which the squid grabbed with its long arms. She instructed the animal to reach for the balloon and replace the ropes, in order to keep it together. The squid did as it was told and used all of its strength to pull the basket towards the balloon. After they passed the island they left earlier, Wild Storm swiftly jumped up, grabbed the opening of the balloon and unleashed a powerful roar. The impact of the attack caused the balloon to ascend and fly upwards again. They finally reached the air balloon island and had a rough landing.

Tidepool stumbled out of the demolished vessel and thanked her squid for its help. “That sure was a ride.”

Wild Storm was underneath the deflated balloon, too exhausted to get on his feet again. “Let’s not do that again.” He finally managed to toss the fabric aside and crawl towards Tidepool.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t.” The Water Skylander remembered why they went on that trip in the first place, and how Wild Storm behaved. The Quickshot became angry again, she didn’t even get to tell him how she feels. Nevertheless, she helped the Knight to get back up again. Tidepool left immediately after making sure everything’s alright and didn’t say a word to Wild Storm anymore.

As the day was coming to an end and the evening sky turned dark, a small group of Trap Masters were nearby the air balloon island, heading back to the Academy.

“I still can’t believe it.” The Water Skylander Snap Shot was frustrated. “Out of all the villains I have to work with my sworn enemy? Why do those things always happen to me?”

“You’re being dramatic Snap Shot.” Enigma tried to cheer the crocodile up. “If the leader of the infamous Doom Raiders could redeem herself, then so can Wolfgang.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t hate me.” Snap Shot hissed with spite.

Knight Light laughed over the reptile’s worries. “It’s not like you two have to love each other.”

The other two Trap Masters looked at the angel without smiling in the slightest. “It was just a joke. Sheesh, you two should really work on your sense of humor.”

Both Snap Shot and Enigma ignored their college’s comments and remained silent. The sorcerer then noticed that they had passed the air balloons, and suddenly stopped walking.

Snap Shot wondered what’s the matter and stopped to turn around. “Are you alright Enigma?”

“Yeah.” The magician answered while keeping his sight on the balloons. “You two can go on without me, there’s something I have to do.”

The turquoise Skylander shrugged and proceeded to walk, followed by Knight Light.

Enigma waited for them to leave before looking around himself to make sure no one was near. As careful as he was, he overlooked Stealth Elf who was behind some trees nearby. The elf was heading to the Academy as well, but spotted the mysterious Skylander walking towards an air balloon. She turned invisible and moved closer to Enigma, while also making sure she has a place to hide in case he notices something. The Magic Trap master opened the basket tied to a balloon and entered it. He then mumbled a spell which Stealth Elf couldn’t understand. His Traptanium staff started to glow in a dim purple light before shooting out a white laser straight through the sky. Stealth Elf gasped, alarming Enigma to observe his surroundings once again. He eventually released the balloon and directed it to follow the laser, which behaved like a string leading him somewhere. After the sorcerer was out of sight, Stealth Elf cancelled her invisibility mode and looked at the night sky.

“Where is he going?” Stealth Elf was asking herself and had the desire to find out.