#i think the ‘son’ in question is Raz because she Was looking for him and waiting for him to come to her office at the start

[redularium]

Giggled

um i Stole it from

[doodle17]

Doodle I have questions for Lobotomy fam au-

1. How would Raz meeting Lilli go? He's been basically sheltered his whole life and doesn't know how to talk to too many people, so would he be over the top or too nervous to talk?

2. If any of Raz's family survived the accident (if they're dead, idk anymore :/) would they try and find him? If so, would they succeed?

3. How would Raz end up at the motherlobe if he ever does? I don't know if the games end up with the same story in the au since Loboto isn't completely evil, so it's not like the Rhombus of Ruin really happens, is there another big bad that takes his place and makes the games play out the same and make it so Raz ends up at the motherlobe in the same way? Or is there just no games? And if there is no games, I think Cal is a little too protective to let his son end up there after he ends up hearing about the mole thing.

Please help I need answer (and another idea to write for this au)

YES RAZ AND LILI

Okay, Lili actually meets Raz when she, Dogen, Elka and Elton sneak into Thorney Towers. When they encounter Raz, he starts acting like his little gremlin self, and starts scaring and teasing them. Lili is not having this so she's like "Okay listen here, punk. You're going to leave my friends alone and get us out of here." To which Raz is like OH- and says "Okay, I like you. I'll help you guys!" and yeh :)

And OH THE DRAMA IF THIS HAPPENED

Uhmmm.... I haven't really though about that, tbh. I definitely think they'd try to look for him, but unfortunately assume him dead because it's highly unlikely that a baby who was only a few months old survived getting swept away in a cold river. If they did ever succeed, Raz probably wouldn't understand because he has little to no memories about them. For all we know, he would either react positively or poorly to the news.

For Psychonauts 2, I'm not sure if I have anything planned that far ahead.... I'm still thinking about how the entirety of Psychonauts 1 would go down. BUT i do have a little situation that about maybe Lili deciding that it would be fun to take him there to meet her dad, only for him to end up getting kidnapped, and they think it was Cal. Raz obviously gets upset and says his dad would never do such a thing, there's drama and stuff. That's what I have so far!

[spaloonbabooguuscooties]

band au question: how do dion and frazie get involved? and if you want to talk about the relationship between norma and frazie in the au because i'm interested

OH ... OH YES . Yes I Will Talk About This .. Thank You because ive been dying to bring it up somehow.

SO at about .. a quarter way through their trip there is a point where Morris introduces the band to Sasha and Milla, a duo of eclectic indie rock stars who will help them on their journey (i havent decided how yet . lmao . but theyre here) if they in turn help Them with this show they're trying to perform at a local festival.

Donatella (who has been restlessly tracking her son, thanks to Morris announcing every place they've been so far over the radio,) has finally caught up to them here, but since the festival is so big its difficult to find him. So she has the family split up and look around.

Frazie in all this has... really been looking for an excuse to have a break from the circus life. She's envious as fuck that Raz basically got to escape and run off on a little rock & roll adventure because she's the entire reason he's into this kind of thing in the first place!! she introduced him to most of the music he listens to. shes even been practicing guitar! and its not fair.

so when she ends up being the one to find him at the festival, well... she's pissed, of course, but all he needs to do is explain why he's doing it. wanting to help their nona is excuse enough for her to say "well move over, pooter- i'm coming too!" because she Cant just let her little brother run across the country without a chaperone, right?

dion catches her in the middle of ditching the family and threatens to rat them both out to their mother, but before he can bust their entire operation gisu mistakes him for a rowdy crowd member trying to start problems and ends up knocking him out lmao. frazie explains the situation and in a panic, they end up picking up his unconcious body and piling him into the van and peeling the hell out of there. Dion Is Basically Being Held Hostage The Entire Time. He's Pissed About It .

ill put the frazie/norma content under a cut because this is getting long already and i Have . Thoughts .

so frazie and norma actually knew each other before Lizzie's band gets hired to play the circus- at least loosely.

frazie and norma both have accounts on old ass 2003 youtube . Norma would post videos of her playing various basslines of songs she likes, half informative teaching vids and half like her showing off. frazie in turn posts songs she makes up on the fly on her dinky accoustic guitar ... but both of them have the cameras angled so they cant see their faces in all their videos This Is Important (mostly to show off the chords they play and such) . theyve been following each other for a Long time on there , kind of obsessively in that way where you kind of get a crush on someone that you never really intend to act on because you know so little about them lmao. they just think the others content is cool! and they comment on each others vids from time to time . they build up this little like vague 'friendship' online ...

and when the band plays at the circus, frazie sees norma on stage- and immediately recognizes her by her bass guitar. and at first shes like overjoyed- here's this person she'd made this funny little friendship with , in the flesh... she didnt get to have many friends in person because of how much they traveled, so getting to see norma is like a dream come true!

until she actually talks to her and realizes that... oh. Norma's kind of a total ass . she's stuck up and pretentious, as we know norma to be. She’s not really good at making people like her. and frazie, who is insanely brash and a little rude herself, decides not to reveal who she is at the time because she just had the worst first impression on earth and shes bummed about it.

it’s when they meet the second time at that festival that norma realizes who she is, puts the pieces together, and it clicks in her brain that ohhh god shes kind of ruined that nice little pleasantry they had going. and at first she’s ready to accept it, because in the end she ends up foiling most of her positive relationships anyway so she can focus on her education (she still goes to college because it’s what her parents want for her and she wants to be like.. worth something, she doesnt want to be a disappointment, she cant stand the thought of being useless,) and the band really only keeps her around because shes lizzies sister and they have to.

but now she’s forced to spend all this time in this cramped van with this girl she had a vague weird little crush on and her two brothers and her ex-girlfriend that she broke up with but still has sad mixed up feelings for(gisu, who she is now watching fall for dion and it suuucks) so its all this tension building up in her brain...

one night during a pit stop at a hotel room, frazie finds shes having trouble sleeping and goes out to see norma sitting on top of the band van by herself. she’s noticed that norma ends up doing this a lot, spending a lot of time by herself. So , feeling bold, she climbs up there with her. and normas surprised by it, because theyve spent all this time on the trip getting on each others nerves, but now frazies trying to talk to her again? it’s weird. but she lets her, because it’s better than spending time alone with her own thoughts.

frazie starts off small talk at first , but it blossoms into this whole heart to heart, they end up staying up all night talking about how they hate the expectations forced onto them and how frustrating siblings are, how they got into music and things they like... they get in little arguments, still, but cant seem to stop talking to one another until the sun comes up.

Frazie realizes, oh, maybe norma isn’t so bad! but all norma can think about is oh, that was nice. how long is it going to last?

[my-makeshift-masquerade]

Psychonauts 2 Hot Take: Norma’s behavior was horrible and her apology at the end doesn’t excuse anything.

The interns were all on some level were jerks to our boy Raz, either directly or by not speaking up. However, the shit Norma pulled was on a whole other level of not okay and I don’t even think she should get forgiveness…yet. That may sound cruel in a game where we forgive someone who’s committed mass homicide of peaceful protestors, but hear me out… At least Lucy was under significant stressors and predisposed by the astrolathe to crack. Maligula was the result of what was ultimately a refugee returning to protect her people and getting swooped up by a dictator to be turned into a weapon of mass destruction.

Norma, given where she is and her level of involvement, had no reason at all to treat Raz, a literal ten year old child, the way she does. Her thinking he was the mole justifies nothing and is obviously a secondary excuse to her primary motivation: knocking down competition. The other interns reacted to the new kid in the way cynical teenagers would, not hiding their apathy and even contempt towards him. Norma doesn’t do this. She hides her bad intentions and tricks this boy into being locked into a closet almost naked. You know what’s worse than someone who is overtly an asshole? Someone who pretends to be your best friend, but they’re really also an asshole.

I think what says the most in that hazing scene is that none of the other interns said “Wait, what uniform?” when Norma suddenly pretended one existed. None of them even questioned her or looked remotely confused. They couldn’t have known Raz was coming and planned the haze in advance. Maybe they all had been through the same haze once, but I strongly doubt it because adults would’ve caught on and Hollis wouldn’t be happy about it. This means it’s likely Norma is just in that level of authority over her so called “friends” to where she can start abusing this kid right in front of them and these other teens play along due to peer pressure.

Now onto the weirder stuff. What was Norma doing summoning the Aquatos to headquarters and inviting the other interns to watch them arrive? Why would she, an intern, be so determined to do this when she clearly knows Hollis is already background checking the family? It served a dual purpose for her. She could get more information to possibly incriminate Raz, and she could embarrass him while she was at it. Then she just suddenly takes a shining to Razputin’s father and spends time doing psychic things with him while his own son has to stand there and watch???

She overheard Augustus saying be didn’t tolerate psychics before. She knows on some level Raz was yearning for that acceptance from his dad. What does she do? She takes that opportunity of bonding uninterrupted right out from under him and offers to teach his father pyrokinesis. Norma could’ve just researched them, but the humiliation of Razputin gave her some sort of pleasure. She actively went out of her way to invite the supposed “family of the mole” closer to the top secret base of the Psychonauts! She made the conscious choice to play nice with the Aquato family’s patriarch to get blackmail material. It’s not that she’s worried about the safety of anyone else. By her logic, she brought the suspected danger right next door to embarrass this younger child.

Also, what did Norma get out of helping Raz at the end? What she always wanted: to graduate the intern program. Morris mentions her freaking out over doing “something terrible”, but considering all the morally terrible things she’s done so far, I am guessing “terrible” was code for “I am going to get in so much trouble once they realize this kid isn’t the mole.” Then she realizes if the other interns and herself all rush to help him, they would get credit for saving the world by association, rather than her facing any punishment for how she treated Raz. At the end she isn’t even happy with the promotion to junior agent, which shows her mind is still focused on what’s in it for her, not her friends, not the psychonauts, but HER.

I think people assume Norma is a certain kind of character that commonly gets a redemption arc. The “gifted kid” who has an oversized ego to hide massive insecurity but has a heart of gold if only someone would look deeper. Yet, we never see any genuine indications of her expressing remorse, or caring about much of anything beyond her own power. I have had many abusers like Norma, and everyone always assumes they have such good intentions and they just think overachieving is the only way to get love. Overachievers don’t get duper’s delight in secretly taking down others to be on top. They just work towards achieving. What Norma’s behavior reflects isn’t a former gifted kid. It’s a BULLY.

Is she irredeemable? No, but she hasn’t been redeemed yet. She hasn’t shown any real change in behavior or intention and that means she doesn’t get to be seen as decent until she shows she is actively working to better herself. It’s a shame post game doesn’t give her much of a chance.

[taki118]

I wanna talk about Bob’s Bottles

Specifically I wanna talk about the three sub islands in his mind, the characters associated with them and what this says about Bob and his mindset cause it just breaks my heart.

Spoilers for Psychonauts 2

First up the Truman island

Unlike the rest of the sub islands Truman only says one thing with Raz even taking note of it only that Bob is fired. When we go into Bob’s version of the motherlobe we see that his firing with the last direct interaction he had with his nephew. While it was a cruel and harsh thing to Bob it’s clear from how Bob talks that Truman was trying to help him. We don’t know much about the Zanotto family but it’s very clear the Tia suffered from depression and alcoholism and that while Bob wanted to burry these things and just remember the good parts of his mother, his brother did not likely warning his son to watch out for the signs. Bob stating that he doesn’t need help, that he just needs to work, means Truman wasn’t really firing him and just wanted him to seek professional help. Help that Bob did not want to admit he needed. 

It’s very obvious that Truman cares about his Uncle as he is aware of where Bob has been all this time but allows people to think he’s missing, sending letters to him about his life, including pictures of his grand niece, all in an attempt to help as best he can and show he still cares. Bob was putting himself and others in danger and it’s very likely Truman had tried to get Bob to accept professional help before. He had no choice but to fire him.

But all Bob can focus on is that his nephew fired him. That even his nephew can see how pathetic and useless he is. 

Second is the Lili Island

In a way the Lili island is the saddest because she’s nothing but a conduit for Bob’s own negative thoughts. He has never met Lili, he doesn’t know her personality, doesn’t even know her voice and the only reason he knows what she looks like is because Truman sends Bob pictures likely in hopes that he will want a relationship with her. Which he very obviously does. 

A representation of his grand niece would not occupy his mind if he didn’t want to know her, if he didn’t want to be a presence in her life. It’s very likely his desire to meet her nearly made him leave his isolation at least once. But his own fears stop him. 

His image of Lili says that he’d just screw it all up, meaning he thinks if they ever met she’d hate him, see him as a failure, that its better for her to just learn the stories of him rather than him ruin things. And god it kills cause it’s clear Bob is very similar to Lili and she likely would have loved having him in her life.

Final one the Otto Island

Now this one is tricky cause honestly its the one that carries the most assumptions. Unlike Truman and Lilli where it’s clear what they represent, his failure in work and his perceived failure at any future life. Otto’s exact relationship with Bob is not clear cut or even if this figure is suppose to represent wholly Otto. 

Now first thing to note is that this Otto says how none of the Pyschic Six actually liked Otto, that they only wanted Helmut but Bob just tagged along and that they always thought Helmut should be with someone else. It’s clear to me that Bob is using Otto as a mouth piece for his own insecurity regarding his friendships and romantic relationship, but the bigger question is why?

I have a few thoughts

1) It’s because at the time Otto was the only one left. Helmut was missing, Ford wasn’t all there, Cassie left, and Compton had secured himself away only Otto was around to see him at his very worst and in Bob’s mind think the worst of him.

2) It’s because he viewed Otto as the honest one. From what I can tell Otto does not mince words and is very direct regardless of what is or isnt nice. If this is the case Bob could view Otto as objectively always speaking the truth.

3) It’s because the two were close. Now we can’t know this for sure I’ve seen the arguments that suggest they weren’t but we do know Otto made some sort of decorative sword for Bob’s wedding special, and according to Helmuts level the two often spent time together (yes they were arguing but for some people this is an enjoyable thing to do with a friend). If we go off the theory that after Helmut Bob was closest with Otto then having him voice all these insecurity’s would hit harder. 

All of these theories hurt a LOT. 

The second thing to note is what Bob’s imagine of Otto says. That none of them liked Bob and only took him along cause of Helmut and that they all thought Bob wasn’t good enough for Helmut. We know the first thing is untrue as Bob was recruited BEFORE Helmut. (but when you’re in the state Bob’s in logic doesnt mean anything) The rest is obviously Bob’s own thoughts of himself and things he’s insecure about. These are the sort of intrusive thoughts that are difficult to leave ones mind, especially when coming from someone else. 

Bobs Bottles was such a heart breaking level and the more I think on it the sadder it gets. It’s such a good visualization of depression and negative thinking that just spirals out of control when you take your supports away. And like they didnt need to add these small islands but they did and it added so much to the level and Bob as a character.

[britishsass]

"It's okay. You can let go now. " wings AU?

Honestly I only have one idea for this, and it's very emotional to me. It doesn't reference the wings au too much, but also, there is trans!Raz here. Anyways, here's some Augustus being a good dad to Raz.

Prompt list found here.

He held his darling child close, cooing over her as she slowly calmed down. His third child, yet still just as loved as the two before her. She had her father's hair, her mother's smile. The only thing he worried about for her was how her life would be in the environment they were in.

"Hello, dear. I may not have much to give you, and I may not be the best father to you, but no matter what, I... I promise I'll try to be the best father I can be." He breathed, holding her tight. He didn't want to let go of her, and instead, he dared to fall asleep in the old rocking chair his mama had gotten them years ago. It was old now, but it was still functional.

~

"Papa?" a quiet voice asked. Augustus stirred quickly, and got up from his chair to find his child looking at him. "I-- I think-- I think I'm a boy."

"That's alright," he said, and he took his child in his arms, holding him tight. "You're still my son, no matter what."

"...Can I go by Razputin?"

"Is this because of that song your brother keeps playing?"

Razputin nodded, and Augustus smiled, picking the little boy up.

"Then Razputin you will be. As long as you want to be called that name, that's what I'll call you. I promise."

He spun his little boy around, and kept him close.

When he finally did set him down, he still didn't want to let go.

~

For such a young boy, Razputin was already perceptive beyond his years, already willing to ask questions Augustus didn't have answers to. He didn't mind that. All he minded was how quick his little boy seemed to wander off-- Every time they found anew place, Razputin would find every little place to explore, even taking Mirtala with him. Augustus didn't know how to stop him from doing that, taking off like a shot at even the slightest hint of an adventure.

As they arrived in the newest campgrounds, he held tight to his boy's hand. He could see the wings on his back daring to form, and he knew that they would cause trouble if anyone else saw them. For now, the safest place for Razputin was by his side. For now, he couldn't let go.

~

The crying was louder than a scream to him, and he hurried into the tent to find his boy, wings tattered and torn. Mud and muck dotted the feathers on the floor, and Razputin's sobs were the only water in the area. Safe, in a way, but he couldn't help but want to join him in crying.

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm here, I've got you." He held his boy close. "It's alright. Your dad's here. We can fix this. I promise it'll be alright."

"I-- I just didn't want you and mom to be mad at me..."

"I'm not mad. Not at all. I'm worried for you."

He helped to trim the feathers, gently stroking Raz's hair to soothe him, and he held his boy close when he was done, speaking reassuringly to him.

"It's going to be alright. I've got you."

He knew he'd have to let go, but it was still too early.

~

As he stood in the Questionable Area, he felt lost. Now, everything had fallen apart. He was an orphan, yet he had a mother. His past was a lie, yet he couldn't help but cling to it. There never was a curse, yet it had killed his father and tried to kill his children dozens of times.

"Dad?" that quiet voice asked. Augustus turned to find his son, and he put on a broad smile, putting on his act once more.

"Hello, Razputin."

"...Are you okay?"

"Honestly? I'm not quite sure yet." He knelt to be at Raz's height, looking him in the eyes as the mask dropped. "But... I'll figure it out with time."

"Do you want a hug?"

"From you? Always."

Raz held him close, swaying just as Augustus had done with his boy in his arms before, and finally, he managed a real smile, just holding on for a moment longer.

"...It's alright, Dad. I'll be okay. You can let go now."

"I know. I just worry that someday, I'll hold you for the last time. I won't know it then, but... I'd like to hold you a little longer."

Raz spoke softly, but Augustus still heard him say "...Me too."

[shielddrake]

Those Who Hurt You The Most Ch. 1 - Lull Before the Storm

Oh boy. So, like many others, I can't stop thinking about Psychonauts 2, and so I write fanfic for it. It's just that simple.

I usually outline a story before I start posting, but I'm outlining as I go for this one. I've got about nine chapters outlined so far, so this story will be at least that long. Suggestions for improvements and/or ideas are welcome and appreciated!

There's going to be quite a bit of family and friend interactions in here, both positive and negative, so be prepared for that.

Usual Disclaimer: I don't own the Psychonauts franchise. Also, I'm not a psychologist/psychiatrist, so I apologize in advance for anything that is inaccurate in regards to anything in those fields. I'm trying my hardest to be accurate, but I could miss things. Constructive criticism on this is also appreciated.

Lastly, spoiler alert for Psychonauts 2! You have been warned.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

“Thank you all for coming today!” Truman Zanotto, the Grand Head of the Psychonauts, declared to the atrium of the Motherlobe. “I am pleased so many are here to celebrate the Psychonauts' twenty-first anniversary!”

“Psychonauts is old enough to drink!” Someone shouted from the crowd, bringing about a few chuckles from the rest of the agents.

Truman ignored whoever that was. “Now, we have a lot to go over tonight, and I’d like to start with going over a few advancements we’ve achieved in the past year.”

With a wave of his hand, Truman brought up a screen large behind him. It was big enough to completely cover the doors leading to the classroom, nerve center and agents’ quarters. He clapped his hands and the lights went down, allowing everyone to see the screen more clearly. Truman cleared his throat.

“First, we have Larry to thank for his work in the Telepathy Department,” he began. “His efforts have created a method to increase communication range two hundred percent…”

There was a long speech that went on for a good forty-five minutes, and to be honest Frazie tuned out most of it. While she was sure it was fascinating for the Psychonauts, and certainly for her younger brother Raz, she was not interested in hearing about this stuff. She had spent the last year in the Psychonauts’ intern program, learning a lot about her psychic powers and how to use them responsibly. But that was over and now Frazie was eager to get back home to the Aquato Family Circus on a regular basis.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Truman turned the lights of the atrium back on. Frazie blinked to help her eyes adjust.

“And now, I would like to invite our Second Head of the Psychonauts, Hollis Forsythe, to present our interns.”

There was a round of applause as Hollis took the stage, which was only a few steps higher than the center of the room. She briefly shook hands with Truman before turning her attention to the rest of the Psychonauts.

“Thank you. Now I know you’re all eager to get to socializing—”

“And food!”

Hollis paused, an annoyed expression on her face. “So I will keep this short. I would like to congratulate this year’s graduating intern class!”

As Hollis announced the names of each intern, they joined her on the stage to receive their junior agent badges. There was much more applauding and cheering this time around, possibly because a few of the interns were children of a few Psychonauts. Frazie recognized the name Mikhail Bulgakov, who not only was her fellow intern but also a friend of Raz from Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. There was Autumn Harper, Gema Ayerbe, Sidney Marks, Barnaby Goldberg and Isaac Wright as well. Why they announced the names in non-alphabetical order was a mystery, but she wasn’t in charge and Frazie wasn’t about to question Agent Forsythe’s methods.

But finally, it came.

“And last but not least, Frazie Aquato.”

Thanking the stars that Hollis respected her request to not announce her full name, Frazie walked up to join the new junior agents. The crowd gave them a round of praise as they all took a bow together.

The noise emanating from where her family stood was particularly deafening. Frazie couldn’t keep the smile off her face at the proud expression on her parents’ faces. It had taken time, but both Augustus and Donatella had eventually (and with much prodding from her brother) had accepted her as a psychic and agreed to let her intern at the Motherlobe.

The applause slowed as they left the stage, with Hollis giving a few final claps once Frazie rejoined her family. She waited until the room was quiet again, or as quiet as it could get, before speaking again.

“Now, before we wrap up, I would like to announce a special award,” Hollis revealed, her hands behind her back. “In acknowledgment of both his achievements in the field as well as recognition as our most improved junior agent. Please give a round of applause for Razputin Aquato.”

The young man in question grinned as he walked up to the stage. Raz stood straight and proud she pinned another badge to his jacket. It was the same one he wore ever since his hazing at the beginning of his intern program a year ago. Frazie supposed that actually made it Sasha Nein’s jacket, but Raz seemed to have claimed it for his own. The older Psychonaut hadn’t asked for it back, so she wasn’t going to sweat the details.

Frazie noticed how her older brother Dion’s support was rather half-hearted. His clapping lasted only a few seconds before giving up entirely and crossing his arms over his chest. Gisu, Raz’s fellow junior agent, was whistling in celebration. She immediately stopped when she spotted Dion sulking.

“Is that really any way to congratulate your own brother?” Gisu asked. “Even Norma admits that the kid deserves it. He’s been working his butt off.”

Dion huffed. “Raz gets enough attention from everyone else. He doesn’t need me fawning over him too.”

Frazie stopped herself from slapping her only older sibling upside the head.

After that, the presentation ended and the socialization began. Most of the other Psychonauts avoided the Aquatos, as they were still quite…cautious about the circus family, to say it kindly. They accepted Raz eagerly enough after the whole Maligula incident, and Frazie as well to an extent. But the rest of the family? They were still an unknown. Frazier was sure their circus attire played a role in that too.

Among the number of cautious Psychonauts was not Hollis Forsythe. She kept to the Aquatos throughout most of the party, conversing with the occasional other agent who came up to them. Or perhaps she was supervising them to prevent another fire from breaking out. Frazie could never be certain.

“Augustus is not allowed in the Noodle Bowl after that incident,” Hollis explained to everyone. “The autumn decorations still need to be replaced.”

“I did offer to repair the painted pinecones,” Augustus protested, but only weakly. He still took responsibility for that. “And I haven’t had an incident like that since then.”

“Dad, what about the—” Mirtala started, but Augustus put a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t think the Second Head needs to know about that, Tala.”

Augustus smiled at Hollis, who rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from her face. At least she knew he was trying. Augustus was actually one of her more enthusiastic students, as well as oldest. It was easy to see where Raz got it.

“In any case, it’s still good to see two of your children doing so well.” Hollis turned her attention back to Raz and Frazie. “Your family has produced psychics with…exceptional potential. I’m curious to see where they will go in the future.”

Frazie hummed. “Sorry Agent Forsythe, but I think I’m done with the Psychonaut thing.”

Raz spun around to look at his older sister. “What?”

“I’m going back to the circus,” Frazie explained. “I’m happy I’ve learned everything I have, but I prefer the acrobat life.”

“I thought we were going to be going on missions together,” Raz complained, giving her puppy eyes. “Two Agent Aquatos working together!”

“Raz, being a Psychonaut is your thing, not mine,” Frazie insisted.

“Come on!”

“Zip it, Raspy!” Her tone went harder as he opened his mouth to protest again.

“When do I get to join?” Queepie jumped in. Literally. He placed himself in the middle of the circle of adults and teens (and a few children) and started jumping up and down. “When’s it my turn?”

“Not for a while, young man,” Hollis answered. “You’re still too young.”

“How young is too young?” Queepie asked.

“How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“That young.”

“But Raz was ten when he became a Psychonaut!”

Raz’s eyes widened. Was his little brother trying to take the title of Youngest Psychonaut Ever from him?

“Your brother was an intern first, and there were…extenuating circumstances.” Hollis glanced at Raz out of the corner of her eye, and Raz tried to keep the grimace off his face. He knew very well what she was referring to. “An exception I’m not willing to make again.”

“You’ll be doing this soon enough, Son,” Augustus reassured him.

“There are enough Psychonauts in my family as it is,” Donatella declared, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. Frazie found this surprising since her mother was usually the most outspoken person in the room. She suspected it had to do with trying to keep the peace between her and Hollis. “Remember, we still have a show next week, Razputin. If your psychic business makes you late..."

She let her sentence trail off at the warning.

“I remember, Mom,” Raz said with a smile. He’d been doing all right balancing being a Psychonaut and performing in the Aquato Family Circus. Of course, having access to the Psychonauts’ jet made it much easier. “Next Sunday.”

"And don't forget to practice in the meantime!"

"I know, Mom!"

Donatello chuckled. “I hope so, Pootie.”

Raz somehow managed to keep the groan from escaping his mouth at the nickname. Dion, on the other hand, grunted and had to bite his tongue.

Two older guests walked up to the already rather large group. One stood far above everyone, lean as a sapling. The other was her opposite, being very short and barely taller than Raz himself. It never ceased to amuse Raz at their contrary appearances but not contrary personalities. They complimented each other perfectly.

“Congratulations on the award, Razputin,” Cassie said, giving the young man a hug. “If anyone deserves it, it’s you.”

“Yes. Well done, young man,” Compton added. “I must say I’m rather impressed at the progress you’ve made in only a year.”

“Well,” Raz dragged out. “I’ve had some pretty awesome teachers.”

“Brownnoser,” came the voice of Raz’s (Sort of? Maybe?) girlfriend Lili, standing with her father Truman as she gave him a small punch in the shoulder. “You can brag about it more after you’ve perfected the Clairvoyance Jump of yours.”

“Clairvoyance Jump?” Truman inquired. Raz’s cheeks went a little pink.

“It’s a technique I’m working on that I started figuring out at the Rhombus of Ruin,” the acrobat described. “It allows for long-distance Clairvoyance through several brains in a row.”

“I’ve heard of some psychics doing that, but I don’t believe it’s been perfected into a teachable power yet,” Truman acknowledged. “It’s wonderful to see a young psychic working so hard to advance our knowledge.”

“That’s my boy,” Augustus said, rubbing Raz's hair with pride while his wife looked a little exasperated.

Donatella still hadn’t said much during the party, other than her pestering Raz about the future show. Frazie was starting to wonder if her mother was feeling ill. She did spot Donatella giving Hollis a few displeased looks, and according to Raz the two of them didn’t get along very well. Was she trying to keep the peace by keeping her mouth shut around Agent Forsythe? That didn’t seem much like their incredibly outspoken and extroverted mother.

This concern did not distract Frazie enough that she didn’t spot the small cheek kiss Lili gave Raz once Truman had turned his back. She held back a giggle at her brother's flush.

There was a sudden silence in the entire atrium. Raz raised his head to look around to see if he could find the cause, his mind immediately going to a possible threat. His guard went down when he saw exactly the cause of the Psychonauts staring at the entrance. Many of them dropped their jaws open.

Bob Zanotto stood there with a small, nervous grin. He appeared to have gotten around to at least trimming his beard, making him look not quite so old. He finally replaced his broken glasses, making his eyes look larger. He also looked like he had lost a little bit of weight, and he smelled much cleaner than Raz remembered. Raz’s eyes moved down Bob’s arm to his hand, which he kept enveloped by another.

That hand then led up to the arm of none other than Helmut Fullbear. He looked much like he did when Raz had recovered his mind from Otto’s lab. His coat was still as extravagant as ever, and he cut his hair ever so slightly. His namesake sat on his head, looking freshly polished.

Raz ran up to them. “Bob! Helmut! You found your body!”

“It certainly took long enough,” Helmut joked. He gave Bob’s hand a squeezed and the two continued into the main area of the atrium. Helmut's legs wobbled a bit in his stride. “And I’m still getting used to having my body back.”

“Brain re-integration going okay?”

“As good as it can be.”

“Bob! You’re looking well!” Cassie shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. She gave him a tight hug. “I haven’t seen you look this good in years!”

“Well, turns out that spending months digging in a frozen lake is good exercise,” Bob jested, rubbing the back of his neck. “Lost a bit of weight doing that.”

“Honey, you are perfect as you are, but we’re still getting you that treadmill,” Helmut teased. “I worry about your cholesterol at our age.”

The group laughed at the teasing until a stuttered cough rang out through the still-silent room. Truman slowly walked up to his uncle, looking more embarrassed than Raz had ever seen Lili’s father look. He waited until Bob finally walked over to him and slowly embraced his nephew. Truman immediately returned it, gripping the older man’s back with tight fingers.

“I’m so sorry.” Raz was only able to make out the whisper Bob said to Truman.

Truman shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. I should have done more. I’m just happy you’re doing so much better.”

“Every day is a challenge, but I am doing better.” Bob released his nephew as Helmut walked up to them, and he and Truman firmly shook hands.

With that, the tension in the room dispersed. Everyone returned to their own conversations, which no doubt going to turn into gossip before the night was over.

The part continued, and Raz eventually made his way over to the buffet table. He could practically hear his mother’s voice telling him to eat something healthy and full of protein before he stuffed himself with candy or chocolate. As he was about to reach for the famous honey pepper boar bacon, Helmut walked up to him, followed by his father. Raz’s cheeks hurt from the smile that spread across his face. This was a night of joy, to be certain.

“Helmut! You’ve got to have this bacon!” he announced. He immediately tried to take it back. “But, uh, maybe a small amount at first?”

Helmut let out a big laugh. “Razputin, my boy, you have quite the heart. But I’m actually here for another reason.”

“Huh? And what’s that?”

“There’s someone else who wants to talk to you.” Helmut gestured to Augustus. “Both of you. A couple of someones actually. They’re outside by Otto’s lab.”

Raz glanced at his dad, who shrugged, looking as confused as he felt. Helmut returned to Bob’s side as father and son left the Motherlode. They hopped across the floating platforms to the building housing Otto’s lab. Even now, Raz felt a little uneasy going there, knowing that the inventor kept a vault full of deceased agents’ brains there. And the idea that Otto thought Raz’s brain would one day be in there as well…Ew.

Raz didn’t think twice about that though once he saw Ford Cruller and Lucrecia Mux, his Nona, holding hands. Both of them looked a little nervous, but they did manage to smile as the two other psychics approached.

“Nona! Ford!” Raz sprinted forward to grab Nona in a tight but still gentle hug. She patted the back of his head in response, closing her eyes as she felt her grandnephew in her arms again. Raz gave her one last squeeze before grabbing Ford around the waist. “I didn’t know if you were coming or not!”

“Sorry we’re a little late,” Ford said. “Lucy was taking her time doing her hair.”

“Oh hush, Crully,” Lucy teased back. “I had to spend half an hour convincing you to come at all. Don’t go blaming me.”

Augustus was keeping his distance, glancing back and forth between the ground and the couple. Raz watched his father with concern, knowing he still had a little trouble in regards to how Ford had modified his memories against his will as a child. Augustus had spent the last year on-and-off with the Psychonauts and their available therapists to come to terms with this and what transpired a year ago. Or at least that’s what Augustus told his family. Raz really wasn’t sure what kind of progress he had made, and he didn’t want to push the topic if his dad wasn’t up to it.

The one who finally broke the silence was Ford. He walked over to Augustus, followed closely by Lucy and Raz, and he bowed his head to the younger man.

“Augustus, I haven’t had the chance, or really the courage, to talk to you before now,” he began. He took a deep breath. “But I guess it’s better late than never to say how sorry I am—”

“Ford Cruller.” Augustus put his hand on the old man’s shoulder, prompting Ford to meet his gaze. “I have been through the gamut of emotions over the last year. I've been angry, sad, disappointed, confused, disgusted…and a lot of other things. But I have learned one very important thing: There is no point staying angry with someone who hurt you, especially if they show regret for it. It keeps bringing up old wounds when we should be able to move forward.”

Augustus put his hand forward, and Ford hesitated for a single moment before shaking it with his own. They both let out a breath that Raz was sure neither knew they were holding. Augustus then moved on to Lucy, who had stayed behind to let Ford have his say first. He didn’t even pause in kneeling and hugging her. After a moment of the two embracing each other, Augustus pulled away with a smile.

“Lucy, you may be my aunt, but the memories we made together when you were my mother, or my acting mother, were real,” he described. “You're my aunt-mother, and nothing will change that.”

The tears finally started falling from Lucrecia’s eyes, and she buried her face in her nephew’s chest. Ford hugged her from the other side, with one hand on Augustus’ back. Raz wiped away his own tears, and was taken aback when a telekinesis hand grabbed him and placed him smack in the middle of the family hug. Augustus released his son and grabbed his with his physical hand, not letting go of his family.

Once the four psychics had their fill of hugs, Raz jumped in front of Lucy.

“Nona! I have something really cool to show you!”

“Is it that…you know?” Augustus probed mysteriously.

Raz grinned. “Yup.”

“What’s that?” Ford asked.

“I’ve been practicing with Lizzie on this a lot, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” Raz headed to the edge of the platform. “Watch this!”

“Stay away from the—” Lucy began, out of habit, but stopped when Raz jumped over the edge and into the small lake below.

Or rather, he would have landed in the water if the Hand of Galochio hadn’t sprung up and held him in place. Raz did a couple of tumbles and flips with the Hand, followed by a matching handstand and handstand walk over the water, with flourishes of water sprays and streams going all over the place at the same time. He ended his little show a bit of juggling of small balls of water, which exploded into rain with a clap of his hands.

The three adults applauded as Raz gave a bow and used the water to step back down to the dock. He was wringing his hands as he returned to Lucy.

“Whatcha think?”

“That was amazing, Pootie!” she praised.

“A showstopper for certain!” Ford added.

Augustus patted his son’s shoulder. “He’s been working on that show for weeks.”

“You’ve obviously worked hard on it,” Lucy said. “How many hours a week?”

“Um, a lot?” Raz answered with a crooked smile. “I didn’t keep track.”

“It’s comforting to see you using water again,” she continued. “But remember how dangerous it can be, Razputin.”

The preteen nodded. “I know, Nona. I just don’t want water to be a bad part of our lives anymore.”

“We're all performing a few water acts in the circus now,” Augustus informed them. “Would you like to come see? We have a show next week.”

“It would be wonderful to see the family perform again.” Lucy looked up at her elderly boyfriend. “What do you think, Crully?”

“You don’t think they’d mind if I came?” Ford asked.

“Of course not!” Raz asserted. “I know mom’s been wondering about you. And Tala and Queepie have been asking about Nona a lot. They miss you.”

“We better not disappoint them then,” Lucy conceded.

“Even better, let’s go back inside. I think it’s about time our Nona formally introduced her boyfriend to the family,” Augustus teased. “By the way, Ford, we need to have a talk about your intensions towards my aunt-mother.”

“Gussy!” Lucy gave her nephew-son a pretend scandalous expression.

Raz groaned and rolled his eyes. “Now I know where he gets it from.”

Ford levitated the adults over the water back to the Motherlobe, while Raz did a few hops with the Hand of Galochio to join them. As they did so, a figure kept to the shadows as he turned off his psychic invisibility. He kept an eye on Razputin as he watched the boy return to the Psychonauts’ party. The figure bit his tongue to keep quiet until he was sure the psychics were out of both hearing and telepathy range. One he was sure they were, he put his fingers up to his temple.

“Minister, I have news to report,” he telepathically called. “I think you’ll be very interested to hear about this."

[rancoeur-the-unfortunate]

Pills (Chapter 29)

(Hello everyone, Rancoeur here. I know it's been a while since I last updated this book and I am truly sorry about that. But it's been so long since I've seen Zim or have even read fanfics about it. So in a way I sorta fell out of love with it. This doesn't mean I'm going to stop updating this though. This book is a monument to how my writing has evolved over the years and is my pride and joy. I will finish it, even if it kills me. It will be awesome and I can't wait for it. Thank you for reading this and please accept this 3300-word chapter as my apology. I know it's a little short and I did want to add more stuff to it but then it just looked bloated and I didn't like that. I hope everyone is staying safe out there. Have a nice day.)

Monday morning, Dib slowly got out of bed and stretched as his alarm clock rang. The boy rubbed his eyes softly before grabbing his glasses from the nightstand and put them on his nose after turning off the said clock. He glanced outside, noticing the dark clouds coming in, and sighed.

"Already looks pretty gross out there," he muttered to himself before he started to get dressed for school.

Honestly, it felt weird to sleep on a bed after sleeping in a tent for a week. Aside from just being comfier it kinda felt... lonely. Like someone was missing.

The boy shook his head as he slid on his coat and began the trek downstairs to greet Gaz and his father. Another rare day of eating with the Professor.

"Hey dad, hey Gaz," he smiled a bit and went to the fridge to grab some juice. When he grabbed what he wanted he pulled back and shut the fridge, only to find his dad right behind him holding a new device to his head. He reeled back in surprise, "dad?!"

His dad smiled at him and waved him off, "no need to worry son, I was just testing out this new invention I'm making on you. Says here your serotonin levels are higher than usual. You must be in a good mood!"

Dib gave his dad a nervous smile and laugh before backing away to the table where his sister was eating with one hand while simultaneously playing her new game with the other.

"Yeah, you haven't mumbled about killing Zim all morning. What's wrong with you?" She spoke between bites of cereal.

"I don't know, I guess I'm just too tired to think about killing Zim," Dib shrugged as he poured himself a bowl.

"That's bull and we both know it. You talk about capturing Zim in your sleep, I can hear it in my room," Gaz tossed a glare his way before going back to her game.

Dib rolled his eyes, "whatever." He muttered as he began eating.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his chest.

Zim tentatively stepped out of his home. The Dib had told him that the skool children had already forgotten about the drugs, but he still felt fear. Like there were still eyes following him as he marched down the sidewalk. A feeling of uneasiness seemed to wash over him.

Eventually, the blocky, grey building came into view. A few children were loitering about, waiting for the bell to ring. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Zim just sat on a bench and waited alongside them. Only observing them slightly.

Humans were weird on Mondays, Zim had no idea why though. Something about that particular day of the week seemed to drain all of the energy from the weird meat bags. One kid looked like he was about to fall on his face from exhaustion.

Down the street, he spotted the Dib and his little sister. A part of Zim was fearful. Now that everything had gone relatively back to normal, would Dib go back to trying to expose him?

When the two entered the skool's grounds, they separated. Gaz went to sit on the steps, playing her video game. While  Dib glanced about, when he looked his way, the human... smiled at him.

Causally Dib stepped closer and closer until the two were only a few feet apart. There was a moment of silence between them, both of them just staring at each other. It was obvious they both wanted to say something but neither knew how.

Eventually, Dib sighed and spoke a little quietly, "hey uh... can I sit here?" The boy gestured to the spot on the bench next to Zim.

Zim looked surprised for a moment before he crossed his arms and looked away with his usual snark before quipping a quick, "you may."

Dib chuckled to himself, "same old Zim." He said as he sat down beside the green alien.

With that, the two sat in silence once more, the two of them just looking down at the skoolyard. Humans shuffling about like zombies, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, Zim slumped out of his uptight posture and looked down in his lap, fiddling with his thumbs.

It was Dib who once again broke the silence, "so, what evil plan is it this time?"

Zim looked up at the human in surprise, "eh?"

"You know, to take over the world and all that?" Dib smirked and leaned close, "or did you forget your mission."

Zim immediately perked up and sneered in disgust, "of course not! And to answer your first question. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW!" He shouted that last part accidentally as he pointed an accusatory finger at the boy.

Dib just laughed, clutching his stomach as Zim tried to regain his composure. Zim couldn't help but giggle to himself slightly.

"In all seriousness," Zim started once the two had calmed down. "I don't know... I know I have a mission. But at the same time, that mission was given to me by them." Zim found himself glaring at his own hands. He clenched them into fists.

"It feels so strange, to have a purpose one second only to realize that purpose was only given to you to get you out of the way. And now that I see past all their lies I... I don't know. I have no idea what I should be doing, or what my purpose is now or what I'm even still doing on Earth." Zim sighed and closed his eyes, he knew Dib was looking at him, either pitying him or laughing at his distress.

Instead, he felt a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Zim looked up at Dib who was giving him a comforting yet awkward smile before pulling his hand back and sitting properly.

"If we're being truthful right now I guess I'll be straight with you," Dib spoke as he laid back on the bench and looked up at the sky. "The main reason why I wanted to help you was because I was hoping you'd leave once you realized what your mission was." Dib hummed to himself.

"But now that you're off your drugs and ready to leave... I..." Dib paused, "Don't get me wrong, I still hate your guts." He huffed but then frowned, "but the thought of you leaving now... it just doesn't sit well with me." Dib admitted.

"Funny how the one I considered my worst enemy could become someone I might even call my..." Dib paused again and looked at Zim with an emotion ZIm couldn't decern, "friend."

Zim stared at Dib in complete silence, 'friend?' Dib smiled slightly before going back to looking at the cloudy sky.

Three minutes passed before Zim opened his mouth, "Dib I-" Before he could finish the ever-piercing sound of the bell rang, cutting him off. Simultaneously, Zim was both annoyed and grateful for the interruption.

"Well I guess we'll finish this talk some other time," the human spoke grabbed his bag, and got up. "I'll see you later Zim," Dib gave one last smile before waving goodbye and walking away towards the school building.

It was then that it hit Zim, he'd never seen Dib smile so much before. The boy seemed genuinely happy in Zim's company. It felt so strange, a foreign feeling, a feeling he hadn't felt since, "Skoodge."

Suddenly it felt like all the air had left Zim's respiratory organs and he fell to his knees on the ground. Tears were building in his eyes until eventually, the dam broke, and he started sobbing loudly. Trying and failing to gasp for air. His cardiac spooch felt like it was being squeezed like a stress toy. It hurt and Zim was just figuring out why.

All alone in the Skool courtyard, Zim was crying. Crying like a long-forgotten smeet. Eventually, the Irken just laid down on his side curled into a ball. How could he? What was wrong with him?! How could he have hurt Skoodge like that?! His best friend! His partner! His mate!

How could he have hurt someone so close to him, so one who had seen him at both his best and his worst?

The tears wouldn't stop.

Eventually, his thoughts went back to Dib, the human who even despite their mutual hatred for one another still sought to help him. To get him off those horrid drugs and saw him as a... a friend.

Suddenly it felt like time itself had stopped. A friend.

Zim had a friend. Quietly the little alien stood up and whipped his eyes. He found himself staring up at the sky, just as Dib had. The clouds seemed to have gotten darker, it was likely going to rain soon.

He should probably get inside-

A hand came out from behind him and covered his mouth roughly, cutting off his thoughts as he went into a panic. That was before it all went dark.

"So uh... what is it exactly?" Tallest Purple asked a hand on his chin as he inspected the strange being before him, keeping his distance of course.

"A Murthen, my Tallest, female, foot soldier class." The Doctor spoke, his back upright and arms tucked neatly behind his back as he gave a quick bow.

They all stood on the bridge of the Massive. The two Tallest were near the controls while the Doctor and his captive stood at the other end of the bridge. Behind the Doctor stood Skoodge, the little Irken was practically sweating bullets as he clutched Raz's egg. He kept his mouth shut, but every time he even glanced at the Murthen or her collar it felt like another ton of weight was added to his shoulders.

"A Murthen?" Tallest Red gave a confused and disgusted look at the blue figure, "ok...but what's it doing on our ship."

"I believe she will be a great help to our mission to subdue Zim. Despite her lower rank, she is incredibly capable and has experience in both war and combat.

"I mean, so did Tak," Tallest Purple crossed his arms.

The Doctor actually laughed and it was the most haunting thing anyone in the room had ever heard. "Oh, my Tallest, Raz here, is certainly no Tak, trust me."

"I don't even trust the way you just said trust me," Purple muttered in the background as Tallest Red stepped forward.

"Murthen, Murthen where have I heard that name before?" He squinted his eyes at Raz as Tallest Purple stepped behind him, "was it a planet we conquered."

"I assure you my Tallest, Murth most likely will never be claimed," the Doctor hummed.

'He seems so sure of himself,' Skoodge thought.

"Why's that?" Tallest Red asked skeptically.

"This is why," the Doctor spoke as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Before anyone had any idea what was going on, Raz raised her arm, showing a previously concealed weapon. She aimed it at one of the foodservice drones and fired and a blue beam-like laser shot out.

"AHHHHHH!!!" A scream ripped through the room as the service drone fell to the floor, the donuts he was carrying, splattering beside him. He had been shot in the lower abdomen and was clutching his melting chest in a frenzy. He was quite literally melting on the floor. Eventually, he fell silent as he collapsed on the floor, smoke coming off his body.

The two Tallest jumped back in fear, "WHAT IN THE US WAS THAT?!" Purple screamed.

"Show them," The Doctor gestured to the two with his head.

Raz held out the gun, displaying it in front of the two leaders. It was small and compact, not unlike the blasters the Irkens used. This one however was silver with a grey handle, on the sides of the round barrel were tempered glass that displayed a blue liquid.

"This is just a ground soldier-grade weapon. Yet it has the capabilities to destroy Irken armies. It's filled with a chemical compound known as H2O aka water. Due to our solubility when an Irken comes in contact with it, we tend to melt. However, that's not everything. The water is also mixed with a compound only found in Murthen waters, it is known as Gr4F8 aka Blue Gix. Mixed with water it lowers the boiling point to room temperature and creates energy in the form of light and heat. This creates the beam you just witnessed. This gun alone could destroy our entire empire and that's not even half of it." The Doctor nodded toward Raz and she lowered the gun.

"This is the kind of weaponry that can be expected on Murth, that is why we can not conquer it yet. I'm sure with a bit of studying we could find a way to make ourselves immune to this but until then. We'll just have to leave Murth unconquered. At the moment, however, I believe we should get back to the topic of Zim."

"R-right right, Zim," Tallest Red stuttered, trying to keep his composer. "Are you sure she's fit for the job?"

"Oh my Tallest, you have no idea," the Doctor smiled that irksome smile of his.

"Zim won't know what hit him."

The rest of the discussion seemed to fade out for Skoodge as he stared, wide-eyed at the dead Irken before him. He had just been shot, no warning, no nothing. He was just doing his job and he was shot and then forgotten about. Like his life meant nothing.

Already some of the cleaning drones had come over, collecting the body to be disposed of. Most likely going to be tossed out of the airlock like trash.

Skoodge looked to the egg in his hands, little Mur. Every time he looked at her he just felt more and more guilty. Her carrier was being controlled against her will and he was the cause of it.

Now he had to carry her around, an actual burden on his shoulders.

"Alright then, I guess it's settled, we'll be leaving the quadrant in a few hours to start heading for Earth," Tallest Red's voice cut into Skoodges thoughts and he felt panic run through him, that means they'll be leaving Murth and Raz's family.

Before Skoodge had a chance to voice his concerns, the Doctor was already leaving with Raz in tow.

Quickly Skoodge ran after them, once they were out of the bridge and in one of the Massive's many hallways he spoke up, "Doctor! What about the egg! There's no water on the ship!"

"Your pretty good at stating the obvious," the doctor hummed, not even bothering to look at him.

"B-but-"

"Look Skoodge, I already told you. If you want the egg, you can keep it. But that makes it your problem, not mine," the Doctor growled, getting agitated by the shorter Irken's nagging.

"But Doctor!"

Suddenly the Doctor spun around and pointed glaringly at him, "no! I'm tired of hearing your squeaky insignificant voice!" He shouted, "one more word out of you and I'll reveal the secret about your lack of pills to the Tallest!"

At first, Skoodge was terrified but one look at the child, strapped to his chest and he was quick to shoot a glare of his own. "And reveal yourself?! Fat chance!"

"Oh please! you don't think I don't already have the Tallest under my thumb?!"

Skoodge paused and stared up at the Doctor wide-eyed, "what?"

"You heard me, I've had them on my drugs since day one! I have nothing to fear from them. Just like I have nothing to fear from you! You short, intolerable, idiotic, service drone!" The Doctor raised his hand to smack Skoodge only to collapse to his knee in pain. He grimaced and gripped his right leg in pain, a new bump already showing through his pants.

"Damn it!" He snarled and began to roll up his pant leg, showing the ugly lump on his calf. To even the Doctor's horror, it seemed to be splitting off into two.

"Damn things are getting worse," he muttered to himself and looked to Skoodge expectantly.

Almost on instinct, Skoodge pulled out 4 syringes from his pac only to pause before approaching.

"What the hell are you doing, help me!" The taller Irken demanded.

"No! I will do no such thing until we return Raz and her egg back home!" Skoodge demanded himself.

"And ruin your chances of taking over the control brains and getting Zim back?" The Doctor sneered, gripping his leg tighter now.

"The ends don't justify the means, Doctor!" Skoodge snarled.

"Fine," the Doctor stammered out, already looking out of breath from the pain. "W-with friends like you, who needs enemies," he growled and snapped his fingers, and Raz, who had been standing beside him stoically this whole time, tackled Skoodge.

The scariest part wasn't those sharp webbed fingers, or those strong four arms, no it was those cold eyes. Raz looked completely dead on the inside like she was just a body heading the commands of something that wasn't her. It was terrifying.

She was quick and strong as he pinned his arms and legs down before grabbing the needles from his hands and kicking him away once she got what she was after. Not even bothering to be careful about her egg, thankfully Skoodge used his own body as a shield for the fragile thing.

After that, she knelt before the Doctor and began to siphon out more of that green stuff from the lumps. She managed to get one of the lumps to go down but it seemed the remaining two syringes weren't enough to lessen the larger one. Only reduce it, as Raz got up to get more from Skoodge she was stopped by the Doctor standing up.

"Leave it, this will do for now," he hissed as he pulled his pant leg back down, hiding the bump. "And you," the Doctor glared at Skoodge.

"You're lucky I'm far too busy right now to deal with you. I do however have this to say,"  he looked down on Skoodge the lighting making him look absolutely terrifying. "If you pull that again, I'll make you watch as I dissect that egg." With that threat, the Doctor turned around and left Skoodge on the floor, Raz following obediently behind him.

Skoodge felt sick to his stomach like he was about to throw up. He clutched the egg tightly, trying desperately not to cry. How was he supposed to go on? He needed to save Zim, but at the same time, just the thought of abandoning Mur and Raz left Skoodge feeling sick.

"Oh, what do I do," Skoodge held up the egg, staring at the little Murthen inside as if she could give him an answer. What worried Skoodge was just how developed she was now. Her four arms had all formed and little pink and purple spots decorated her body, soon to make the pattern of one or both of her parents. Her eyes were slightly open now too. Revealing dark purple eyes.

"Oh Mur, you're going to hatch soon aren't you?" Tears started to form in Skoodge's eyes, "and your carrier won't even be there to witness it." Skoodge covered his mouth with one hand as he scooted to press his back against the wall in revelation, "and it's all my fault."

"I'm a monster," he whispered in horror. Just as he was about to break down, crying. Skoodge felt a shift in the egg and looked down at the little Murthlet inside. She had moved her hands from the clutched position they had before to the shell of the egg. She had just placed all four of them there and it completely mesmerized Skoodge. Four little blue hands with little webbing in between, even tiny little claws on each finger.

Skoodge felt a small blush form on his face in surprise before a small smile crept onto it as well. He placed his forehead on the shell, ignoring the slight burning sensation it caused, and smiled.

"I know I've hurt you and your family. But I swear on my life, I'll keep you safe, I promise."

[thatanimenerd101]

Birthday fic! Kirishima or hawks ^^ ❤️

(Yes and yes. Imma give you both because why not. Plus I think everyone needs some fluff. Happy birthday my friend! They are the only one that reads my work on Wattpad. I’m actually considering not posting there anymore. Now, as you may know I have decided to go until December because I have some cute ideas for winter fics.) 

Kirishima x Female 

Hawks x Female

Kirishima:

You were fast asleep, all wrapped up in blankets and curled up to your boyfriend of three years. The red head was awake at four am, not because of work. But for something special. Today was your birthday and Kirishima had a plan.

He slowly got out of bed and he grabbed his pillow for you to hold. So that you wouldn’t wake up. He tiptoed out of the bedroom and went to open the front door, where Bakugo was standing.

“Took you long enough dumb hair!”

After a few hours of trying to be quiet as to not to wake you up. You were a light sleeper so making you breakfast was a task. 

When your breakfast was ready Bakugo left. The house was decorated. All that was missing was the birthday girl. 

Carrying the food bakugo helped him make, he set it down on the bedside table. 

“Y/n, baby, it is time to get up.” Kirishima kissed your forehead. 

Opening your eyes you smiled up at him. “Good morning Kiri.”

“Happy birthday my love.” He handed you you’re favorite breakfast meal. 

“Thank you so much! I love it and I love you.”

Your birthday was spend shopping, Kirishima insited on buying anything you wanted of anything you looked at. He wasn’t around much and wanted to make up for it.

At the end of the night, the red head suprised you with dinner and a new movie he knew you wanted to see. It was the premiere of it, only the best for Red Riot and his girlfriend. Lots of eyes were on you, in response to this Kiri had his arm around your waist the full night. A picture of you kissing him on the cheek was taken. Nether of you gave a shit. Because, everyone already knew of your relationship.

As you were getting out of the shower, only in a towel. You saw Eijirou with a bottle of your favorite lotion.

“Let me give you a massage pebble.” He smiled and let you to your bed. Towel left and forgotten in the bathroom.

Hawks:

The blonde had to find a way to get off of work for your birthday. After a couple of weeks of complaining, he was given a “mental health day” when in reality he just wanted to spend time with you. He missed your birthday last year. He wanted to surprise you, so he planed a small party at his place. Your family and best friends were invited.

You had no idea about the party. Your boyfriend of five years just told you that he wouldn’t be home for your birthday. But he promised to make it up. Keigo never broke his promises. Knowing him, you would get your favorite flowers with a feather in it and something cute he found for you. Last time it was a little charm bracelet.

On the day of the party, he asked you to run some errands for him. He also told you to buy a dress?

“That crazy bird. Why do I need a dress?” You gave him a questionable look.

He looked at over the couch, “Since I got off of work for some reason, I’m taking you somewheres and you’ll need a dress. I don’t care how much it will cost. Anything to make my baby bird happy.” He smirked at you. “Your ass looks nice in those jeans.”

“Keigo!” Your face tinted red.

“What? I’m telling you the turth.”

You kissed his cheek, and told him goodbye.

Ten minutes later, he made sure you were gone.

“Alright everyone she’s gone!” Your parents and close friends came out from the unused guest bedroom.

“Alright does everyone know what to do?”

“Yes!” Everyone replied.

You’re close friends planned to “accidentally” bump into you at the dress shop of where you shopped.

Your parents and Keigo decorated the house.

He somehow got covered in glitter, but your parents assured him that they could make a cake without his help.

Meanwhile at the dress shop.

“Hey y/n!” Your three friends called out. Yui, Sun and Raz.

You looked up from the purple dress you were looking at. “Hi, how are you all doing.”

They all responded.

“We are here to find some dresses, we are all going clubbing tomorrow night. Wanna come?” Your friend Yui asked.

“Yeah! We can celebrate your birthday tomorrow since your busy tonight.” Sun and Raz said in unison. The two were twins and shared the same one brain cell.

After a few hours all four off you found dresses. Yours was a bold shade of red and showed off your body. Yui’s dress was yellow and modest. The twins, Sun and Raz had matching blue dresses.

“Goodbye everyone!” You waved to your friends.

“Yeah, see your tomorrow gal!” They waved goodbye and got into a taxi.

Little did you knew they were heading back to your house.

Hawks was getting out of the shower and drying his hair. Almost all the glitter was off of him. Everything was ready, all he needed to do was find some clothes.

He couldn’t get the tie right.

“Damn it!” A knock on his bedroom door. “Come in.”

It was your dad. “I see your having trouble my boy. Want some help?”

“Yes please.” He smiled and it was a moment of a father and son. Keigo never knew how to tie a tie until your father showed him. He tried Hawks like his own son. Soon to be son-in law. He asked for your parents blessing and they agreed on the spot.

It was time, lights were off and waiting for you to come home.

“Really Kei, you know I hate the dark.” You walked in and turned the lights on.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N!” Everyone yelled.

You jumped up and once you realized what was going on you smiled. “Thank you all so much. Now I know why you wanted me outta the house bird brain.”

“Bird brain?” This is when you realized that everyone was dressed up. Your boyfriend looked handsome and hot at the same time. You then knew why he told you to buy a dress. Once you changed your boyfriend whispered in your ear, “I love that dress on you, but I think I’ll like it better on the our bedroom floor with me on top of you.” He said this so casually, like it didn’t face him at all. Your face was red for a while. 

Your friends dared you like school children to dance with Keigo. You did. Towards the end of the song, your boyfriend stopped.

“What’s wrong baby?”

He got down on one knee and popped the question. “We have known each other for ten years, dated for almost six years. I’m sorry I’m late to asking this, but I cannot live without you y/n. Screw the hero commission, because of you, I know what love is. I know what it’s like to have a family and friends because of you. Will you do this bird man the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Yes! I will marry you!” You kissed him deeply, both of you forgetting you had an audience.

“Alright that’s enough lovebirds.” Your dad said laughing. You mom slapped him. “I want grandchildren so shut up.”

The two of you broke your kiss, both embarrassed. The rest of the night was celebrating your birthday and the engagement. Lots of presents. Many memories were made that night. At the end of the party, everyone said goodbye and wished you congratulations.

“Well baby bird, wanna celebrate?” He pinned you against your bedroom wall. Keigo had the largest smirk on his face.

“Hell yes!”

I’ll leave the rest to your imagination;)

Tag list: @tooloudarts @tryna-imagine @alesipanic @thathawkssimpp @lovinkiri (if I forgot anyone I’m sorry)

[nataliesnews]

A story about the Yair Netanyahu when he was at school, an interview, a play, walking at last through Balfour street, unemployment on the West Bank and Balfour

This evening though in the restaurant a new story about the unroyal family was told. And it was not a hearsay. And it came from a reliable source. She has a  Yemenite friend who is married to a Japanese fellow. One day her little boy came back from school…he was in the first class…..and she found him beaten up with marks all over his body. It turned out that a little boy in the next class….we would call it standard two had beaten him up  because of his parents who by him, the other little boy or rather monster, were not Israelis. The father went to the school to the class of the second boy and threatened him that is he ever tried it again he would be very sorry only he put it rather more colourfully. The mother of the little brat phoned up. Not to apologise but to scream……the mother, Sara Netanyahu, the brat…Yaier.

I was phoned by a reporter from Haaretz ( Our newspaper on the left)   and interviewed. Amongst other things he felt as if  a let down now that the demonstrations were over. I had been thinking of this and only today really had an answer. Yes there was the adrenalin of the demonstration.  Before, when we were out with  Machsom or with Arik or the Rabbis for human rights. Combatants for Peace,  it was always a feeling of being alone and standing against the whole apparatus of the occupation…..police, army, settlers, ….and really each time on our own. Even at Sheikh Jarrah, there especially where we are still  faced with the full arrogance and brutality of the police and the settlers , we are a minority. So often a feeling of impotence. Walking to Balfour was different. There were thousands of us and we walked together standing against injustice and we belonged together. It was a very different story. A different feeling. A feeling of belonging, not standing alone and not being on the outside. Unlike the previous times which I mentioned here I knew that if we were attacked verbally or physically there were people standing with us  who would help and also photograph.

 Yesterday I went to the Jerusalem Theatre…an Israeli play. Coming back for the first time since the elections I walked through Balfour street. No one stopped me. The black curtain was drawn completely aside and I would imagine will soon disappear. Instead of the tens of police and army who were always there to protect the Balour criminals there was two at the two entrances to the street and one in the middle. Suddenly it was a different world. One can only hope that this is the look forward. Though where the occupation is concerned I doubt.

The play was really interesting. Very funny in the beginning and then turned serious. A couple with an unmarried daughter who has been impregnated as she wants a child and a son who with his homosexual partner wants to have children with a proxy. She has always stuck by them.  Suddenly the woman who is in her 50s finds she is pregnant and that in spite of all the difficulties decides she wants to have the child. Leave aside any other questions.  They try changing her mind in every way ….her health, etc. etc.   The only one who sticks by her is a friend. But the crux of the matter was, not what it would maybe mean for her, but each one in turn including the husband said, “How can you do this to me.” And they all leave her. She loses the baby and they all come back to her in the hospital. But she tells them to leave. That she will have to try to love them once more. It just showed their selfishness. How basically each and everyone of them only thought about themselves and not of what she wanted and even blamed her for all their problems.

A view on unemployment in the West Bank. There are very few opportunities in the occupied territories and very badly paid.

 The human story from today is of a young man from Samoa who has a work permit in Israel and he did not go to work in Israel for the following reasons:

1. Pay to an Israeli employer who wants you: 2700 NIS.

2. To find an Israeli employer, pay a Palestinian Makar 1,000 NIS

3. Pay money for travel to the workplace

4. There are only 22 working days a month at best.

5. The salary received does not cover the expenses in advance.

It's not worth going to work.

I referred him and the story to MK Musi Raz.

Perhaps if another organization of issuing permits for work in Israel makes it possible to waive payment to Israeli employers and Palestinian detainees.

 Even if you do not understand the debate here it is worth while to see what Ben Gvir is like and  how he tried to  break up  the whole discussion with screaming and shouting. I said all he needed was a moustache and the right uniform.

‘Terrorist,’ ‘fascist’: MKs hurl insults at Knesset ‘occupation-apartheid’ even Far-right Itamar Ben Gvir has shouting match with Arab, left-wing lawmakers at gathering in parliament attended by rights groups and co-hosted by coalition's Mossi Raz

https://www.timesofisrael.com/terrorist-fascist-mks-hurl-insults-during-occupation-apartheid-event/

And if  you have any doubts about Netanyahu and that he is guilty

PMO to investigate claims Netanyahu shredded documents prior to transition

This is how one man demonstrated at what was probably the last demonstration at Balfour

And someone took this picture and wrote…one giantess and two dwarfs. The one in the blue is the one who lifted me off the stage.

  https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HJCP63ni00?utm_source=ynetnews.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=email&utm_term=HJCP63ni00&utm_content=Article%20‎Top

[god-hunter]

Secret Empire #5

Finally!  Here I come with another installment from the actual event.  This one was quite different than the last issue.  It was very dense and continued the tracks of many people, whether we followed them or not.

Right away I feel like I’m missing something, because I didn’t collect Secret Empire: Red Room, or whatever it was.  I didn’t care about Black Widow’s mission with the kids, and in this issue, I paid the consequence for it, because we begin with her in a very different place, and you’re kind of left wondering how she got there.

Beyond that, we get to see a little more of what I was expecting - the great Cosmic Cube shard hunt.  Only... I wasn’t expecting them to come to a dead end, so soon.

Things definitely come to a head there, and I’m happy to say that I was right about my hunch as to who the mole is in the Underground camp.

Outside of that, there is a tiny bit of New Tian continuity regarding the Mutant’s relations with Hydra, and I do mean a tiny bit.

I was happy to see some insight as to what’s going on with our actual Avengers among Hydra - Scarlet Witch, Vision and Thor.

Then it all came down to the Underground camp itself.  Something big is about to go down, and it’s all hands on deck now.  The bad guys are winning, and it looks like it’s going to be a giant fight for survival really soon.

[SPOILERS]

I’ll try to make this one quick.  I more or less talked about the whole issue without any spoilers, somehow.

So we start in D.C with Viper who is about to close a deal with some businessmen.  But that gets interrupted when she finds word that Black Widow has been captured.

I don’t even get to say, “I would have liked to have seen this,” because I’m assuming this was portrayed in Black Widow’s “Red Room” mission, which I refused to collect.

So now I’m left with a mysterious capture and a more than compliant Natasha, who grins with every detail of her plan.  “...We are going to Kill Captain America.”

Meanwhile, our kids, who seem to have toughened up a small bit are outside  of whatever Hydra Facility, ready to rescue her.

Inside, Viper senses something wrong.  Why is Natasha “telling us all this?”

Natasha grins as she basically blackmails her, (while tied up).  “It’s what you are doing here that I’d worry about, if I were you. ...What would your Supreme Leader say if he found out you were running this illegal and unsanctioned narcotics enterprise right under his nose?  You’re profiting off his regime at an awfully tidy margin.  I imagine he’d want to make an especially violent example out of you, yes?”

Then she convinces her that if she helps him get to Cap so that she can KILL him, that Viper would get Hydra back and she would be their rightful leader in his place, just as it always was.

“One moment--” Ophelia says as she pulls out her guns and completely shoots two of her goons in the neck.  She’s down with this plan.  “--What do you need... from me, then?”  [There was totally a typo. ‘What do you need me from me...’ Come on guys.]

Anyway, the kids get in that facility and follow Nat’s coordinates.  They open a cell door, which is holding an old guy who is on life support.  Apparently he’s so important that he’ll be the one to win the war for them.

[I have a hunch as to who this is, but I won’t bring it up yet.]

Then we get to the rest of the issue after the title recap page.

Happy-go-lucky Mysterious Rogers is walking with the two civilians, happily spear-fishing and sitting at camp fires.

Then we get a series of texts from Scott Lang to his daughter Cassie.  He explains to her that their next stop on their shard hunt is to go to Wakanda.

“So, finally, someone who will just give us the damn thing without some big super hero fight--”

Wrong.

Black Panther refuses to give his shard to Tony’s A.I, because he doesn’t trust him or Cap.

Tony tells him that that’s their only chance at fixing this.

I loved his response to that.

“I have watched you try to fix things before, Tony-- And when I close my eyes, I can still see the death and destruction.”

I loved that callback to Hickman’s New Avengers.  In hindsight, volume 3 was an amazing run.

So anyway, long-short of it..  Black Panther won’t budge.  And that’s not all.

From there, Scott Lang’s text narrations depict that they’ve been unsuccessful at every turn in an attempt to get these shards.  Someone always seemed to beat them to it.

[That’s where our mole came in.]

There was some interesting continuity on Hercules side.  He ended up facing Gorgon who apparently killed Phobos.  [This would come off as super random to me, had I not read Dark Avengers and paid attention to Ares’ back-story.  His son’s name was Phobos, which would make that Hercules’ nephew.]  So, to see Hercules avenge his fallen nephew, which I didn’t even know about, was actually pretty touching.  [I’m sure there’s a whole comic dedicated to this, but either way, it was cool to see.]

Anyway, our guys find Shang Chi, who should have had a shard on him, but once they find him he says, “I don’t have it.”  [It’s almost comical at this point.]

He doesn’t know who took it from him, but we’re treated to a panel of White Queen knocking him out and stealing it.  [That explains how Emma had a fragment in Secret Empire: United].

So by this point, our Underground team reached a breaking point.  They keep coming up short.  Sam Wilson is the first to call this a failure.  Quicksilver agrees that “--This is the blind leading the blind.”

Bobbi is all about bringing Herc back to the Mount to get medical attention.  Scott wants to reassess the situation, but thinks it’s for the best that they at least take a break.

“Well, whatever you people decide to do-- Can I get a ride?” Shang Chi asks.

[I wish I was done.]

There is a short bit of continuity regarding New Tian relations.  Cap meets with Beast.  They shake hands, and discuss some of the recent “border disputes... terror attacks...” etc.

But then Cap talks about how cool he is ‘cause he lifted Mjolnir.  They’re standing right by where he left it.  He explains that he left it out in a field in D.C. as a reminder of what he Could do.

“...Is that why you brought me here? To intimidate me?”

Cap says no, but it totally is.

He basically tells Beast to play ball otherwise New Tian is going to get rocked by him.  [Why though, I couldn’t tell you.]

Madame Hydra talks to Cap from inside the helicopter that picks him up.  She explains the current state of Wanda, Vision and Thor.

Chthon is still controlling her, but it’s important to note that, “The elder God can only harness a portion of her power, but it’s considerable nonetheless.”

[This tells me that she will be able to snap out of it.  Hopefully soon.]

Then, we see Vision actively try to snap out of it and break his A.I Virus control.

This A.I Virus that Arnim Zola created only has “...the occasional hiccup...”

Vision struggles for a second.  “Viv! Tony! I must get a distress signal out-- What are you-Kzzzzit--”

And that’s it.  I was very happy to see that.

As for Odinson, I kind of hated his disposition.  He’s all confused about the current state of politics and how a Man he trusted like Steve Rogers could wield his Hammer, but he could not.

(So that means he’s been following blindly this whole time???  That’s really stupid..)

He’s praying to his father to give him a sign of what to do.  Because what they’re asking of him to do next “...is something terrible.”

Still don’t know Madame Hydra’s deal.  She tells Steve how proud of him she is, and that it’s time to “Reclaim what was stolen... Restore what was lost...”  ...I don’t know what that means.

Then back at the Underground Camp, our guys come home.  Clint is beyond disappointed with their results.

“This was the only hope they had.”

Meanwhile, Raz - the current Giant Man, tells Tony A.I one of his new plans.  He created a Time Capsule, which would apparently send a message out across the time stream to whoever could help them.  [Past, Present or Future???] - I don’t quite understand it, and I appreciated Tony telling him that this is very Reed Richards type stuff that he’s attempting.  Upon this conversation, he starts to suddenly realize that something went terribly wrong with their shard hunt.

Hydra were always somehow a step ahead of them.  It took explaining this to Rashaun to make him reach that epiphany.

Thats when the Hydra ships arrive at their camp.

We see Bobbi Morse report to Cap and telling them that she has the two fragments.

[Fucking A!  I was RIGHT!!!]

And so, they attack.

But it doesn’t end there.

On one of the Hydra ships, Cap is talking to Zola.  And he decides to “go check in on our secret weapon.”

Back in a forest, Mysterious Rogers loses his two companions to tranquilizer darts.

Then the Red Skull greets him and says that he’ll free Rogers from this place.

Lastly...  Cap, or whoever is leading Hydra opens a vault and looks at their secret weapon.

...It’s Bruce Banner, who has no idea what’s going on.

“...Steve?”

“Bruce Banner. It’s good to see you again, old friend.”

-To Be Continued!-

Whaaaaat?

I have so many questions!  But no time to ask them!!

Looking forward to Secret Empire #6.  Something tells me this is where things are gonna turn around.

[mysterykidscasefiles]

Mystery Kids and the Case of the Whispering Rock

Summary: Norman, Neil, Coraline, Wybie, Raz and Lili arrive at Grunkle Stan’s Summer Camp with the hope of having a summer of fun, or in the case of the two Psychonauts, with the intent of investigating a psychic disturbance. When they meet two twins that seem to be experts on the secrets of Gravity Falls, they find themselves reluctantly teaming up. But how much can they actually trust each other? There are secrets in this town, but more surprising are the secrets being kept from each other.

Table of Contents

Chapter 16: The Walk Home

Norman’s head was fuzzy and his whole body ached. He had never been possessed before and he hoped it would never happen again. It had been the most unpleasant feeling he had ever experienced. Allowing a ghost to share his body was like being squeezed into a tiny bucket of ice water where he couldn’t move or breathe.

Neil gripped Norman’s arm and helped him onto his feet.  Norman’s legs shook underneath him and he found himself unable to stand without leaning on his best friend. Mabel took his other side and wrapped her arm around him so she could hold him up. They were both so warm that it was only now that Norman realize how cold he still was and how deeply the chill had settled into his bones.

Norman didn’t remember much from what was said as they exited Gideon’s tent. The conversation he had with the Cardinals was still playing through his mind. He hoped Luis had be able to crossover, and that Luis wouldn’t let his parent’s protests keep him on earth any longer. Norman promised himself he would go back to the Cardinal’s old mansion another night to see if Luis was still there.

He glanced at the kids beside him who were unusually quiet as they walked through town. He wondered what they were thinking about, and if it involved him. He did just get possessed in front of everyone; that wasn’t something that happened to most kids. It was likely the other kids just thought Luis had possessed Norman at random, and didn’t think much of it, but it was also likely they were remembering how Norman took the lead and insisted that he was going to help Luis.

Norman had already been known as the freaky ghostboy once in his life, he really didn’t want to be known as that again.

“Ugg!” Coraline shouted in frustration. “I’m still pissed at the Cardinals! They didn’t care about Norman at all! They just wanted to use him to talk to their son!”

“I guess it makes sense, Jonesy,” Wybie offered. “After all, Norman is just a stranger to them, and they thought they would never get to speak to their son again.”

“It’s a good thing Luis is a good person,” Raz said. “He knew he was hurting Norman so he decided to leave on his own.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Normy?” Mabel asked, squeezing his arm slightly.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Norman answered tiredly. He wasn’t used to people being so close to him, and Mabel’s touchyness would usually make him uncomfortable, but tonight he was too tired to care. “I just need to rest a bit.”

“Were you conscious through that entire thing? What did it feel like?” Dipper asked eagerly from the other side of his sister.

“Leave Norman alone,” Coraline answered for him. “He’s practically dead on his feet and he doesn’t need to be answering your questions.”

“I-It’s okay Coraline,” Norman assured her. “I was conscious the entire time, but it was kind of like I was listening to the whole thing underwater. Everything was muffled.”

“It hurt a lot, didn’t it?” Mabel asked knowingly, looking up at him with wide, sad eyes.

Norman looked away. “I-It was fine,” he lied.

No one spoke, and in the silence he knew that no one had believed him.

“Well…” Raz said slowly, “you did a really good job. You were the one who calmed down Luis from the beginning and now thanks to you he got to talk to his parents again. I don’t think any of us would have gotten that far.”

“And according to Luis you let him stay even longer than he should have,” Coraline said sternly. “That was seriously stupid of you. You could have hurt yourself, you know.”

Norman barely had the energy to shrug.

“But it was also really brave.” Coraline ruffled the top of his spiky hair. “I’m proud of you, Cuz.”

Norman smiled shyly to himself at the unexpected praise.

“I still don’t understand what happened,” Neil admitted. “If Luis’s parents weren’t there that night, then why did he start the fire?”

“Maybe he just lost control of his powers,” Raz suggested. “Then when he died the Other Mother warped his memory of what happened, making him think that his parents called him a freak and that he killed them.”

“Does that sound like something that Other Mother creature would do, Coraline?” Lili asked with a guarded tone.

Coraline sighed tiredly. “If you must know… no, that sounds a little strange for Her. I didn't know she could alter memories of ghosts like that, but if She’s using Luis to get to someone else, then it might make sense that She's breaking from her usual pattern.”

“And by someone else, you mean you,” Raz clarified.

“Look, I’m not talking about this anymore,” Coraline snapped. “So just drop it.”

The world began to blur around Norman and he was grateful for the sudden silence. He spent all his concentration and energy into putting one foot in front of the other. He just hoped he wouldn’t pass out before they got back at the Shack.

“It’s sad that Luis never told his parents about his powers,” Mabel said. “They would have accepted him and been able to help him. He would have been much happier.”

Norman heard Lili scoff from somewhere behind him. “Yeah right.”

“What, you don’t think they would have accepted him?” Dipper asked in irritation. “Even after they just said that they would?”

“Listen, people say a lot of things in hindsight,” Lili dismissed. “In the back of their minds, they would have always be wishing that their son was normal like them.”

“You don’t know that,” Coraline said. “Maybe some people would be like that, but not everyone.”

“Think whatever you want, Blue,” Lili said, “But no matter how hard they tried, they could never understand him. They would have never been able to accept him for who he is, not really.”

“That’s kinda a mean thing to say,” Mabel said quietly.

“It’s not mean, it’s the truth,” Lili defended.

Neil shook his head. “But just because they don't understand everything about him doesn't mean that they can't accept him and love him, right Norman?”

Norman bit his lip. He understood what Lili was saying. After all, for most of his life Norman felt this way. No one accepted him or his gift. They didn’t even try. His parents thought it was a phase, his sister thought it was a cry for attention, and the kids in his school thought he was either insane or a pathological liar.

Then he met Neil, and after that stuff with Aggie, Norman was grateful he had a friend who stuck by him even when things got dangerous and a little weird. Neil believed and accepted Norman in a way Norman had spent years convincing himself that no one would.

And now, even his parents were trying their best to be accepting of who he was. He knew they would never be able to understand him, but understanding him and accepting him were two different things.

When it came to his gift, his family didn’t always get it, but at least they were trying. They accepted him and made room for his gift in their lives, even if it made them uncomfortable at times. It wasn’t perfect, but then again, when had his family ever been?

“Yeah,” Norman said giving Neil a tired but grateful smile. “I agree with Neil.”

“Raz, you get what I’m talking about, right?” Lili asked her boyfriend.

“Umm… I mean, I don’t know...” Raz admitted weakly. “I guess for some people that’s true, but not everyone...”

Lili came to a sudden halt and everyone stopped.

Norman glanced up and he could see the Mystery Shack standing a few yards away from them. He just wanted to get inside. He didn’t think he could stay upright for much longer, even with the support of Mabel and Neil.

“Are you serious?” Lili demanded.  The night seemed to grow still around them.

“Lili-” Raz tried.

“No, you know what? Nevermind. Forget I asked.” She turned away from Raz and stalked angrily into the shack without a backwards glance.

“Lili!” Raz called as he ran in after her.

“Umm... what just happened?” Wybie asked.

“Trouble in paradise?” Coraline said with a shrug. “I have no idea.”

Neil and Mabel helped Norman up the stairs and into the shack. Dipper and Mabel’s great uncle was asleep in the chair in front of the TV, but was startled awake as the door accidentally slammed behind them.  

“Wh-wha?” Stan questioned in confusion. “O-Oh you’re back. It’s ‘bout time. Uh... not that I was waiting up for you or anything.” Stan squinted at them. “What are you kids still doing up anyway? Didn't I give you a curfew?”

“Umm, no?” Dipper answered and Mabel giggled.

“Ah, well, fair enough,” Stan said with a nod. “Yeesh, what happened to that kid?” He asked, looking at Norman. “He looks like death.”

“Well, death did have something to do with it,” Mabel agreed far too cheerily. “Good night Grunkle Stan!”

Hope you guys liked this chapter! As, for Lili, we will learn more about her perspective in the next chapter.

Table of Contents   <Previous   Next>

[bldgrelationshipwgod]

The Trinity – a Pagan invention, or an ancient Jewish idea? TuviaPollack

A common Jewish objection against Christianity or against Messianic Judaism is that the theology of the Trinity is a gentile idea, developed in the 4th century by Catholic scholars, & that there are no Jewish sources for these beliefs.

However, anyone who has digged around in the sources of the early church fathers knows that the decisions that were made in the 4th century were mostly just an affirmation of the doctrines & the New Testament canon that had already been established organically during the past few hundred years.

There were discussions about the nature of Jesus as God & man, etc, but the basic ideas of the trinity & Jesus being God were already established. The discussions were about the exact nature.

Why were these doctrines so basic already? Because they are very clear in the New Testament. “Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” “Me and my Father are One.”

An objection we often hear is that there are historic sources pointing to the Evionites as a sect of Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, but didn’t see him as divine. The claim is that these were Jesus’ original followers, but that they eventually died out, and that the gentile church with their pagan-inspired trinity theology took over. It’s a nice story if you don’t believe in Jesus, but it doesn’t hold up.

First of all, we know from the New Testament that Paul fought against false prophets and Judaizers. We shouldn’t be surprised that sects of Jews who believed in Jesus but denied his divinity existed. The fact that they existed doesn’t mean that they were Jesus’ original followers. Second of all, who says that the idea of trinity didn’t exist within Judaism before Jesus? The doctrine is actually present in the Old Testament if you only know where to look for it.

Why can’t we find any Jewish sages speak of it? That is expected. Following the split of Christianity, that doctrine must have been scrapped and censored. However, there are a few remnants. A number of clues in ancient writings that seem to point to the idea of the trinity being present in Jewish thought before Jesus, and even lingering on a few hundred years after.

After reading a number of books on the subject, such as “The Great Mystery, or How Can Three Be One,” by Rabbi Tsvi Nassi (1800 – 1877), and “The Messiah in the Old Testament,” by Dr. Risto Santala (available to read for free online), I was myself convinced that the idea of the trinity had existed long before Jesus, at least in some form or another.

I used the knowledge from these books to write parts of a chapter in my book, “The Secret Scroll of Magdala,” where one of my main characters, Daniel, sits together with his wife Naamah and studies Torah together with their rabbi, Yishmael. Daniel and Naamah are Nazarene Jews (Christians) while Yishmael is a Pharisee.

Since it seems that it will be a while before my book gets published, I thought I’d share a small part of this specific chapter with you. It takes place in the synagogue of Jericho in the spring of year 68 AD, just a few weeks before the Romans sacked the city.

I want to make clear that these characters and the story are fictional. It is based on ideas from the above mentioned books, but I have also added a lot of my own imagination and assumptions, based on my own personal beliefs.

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Naamah considered herself fortunate. It wasn’t considered proper for women to study Torah, yet her husband, Daniel, was not only supportive, but encouraging her to learn more. Now she was sitting together with Daniel and Jericho’s rabbi, Yishmael, in the synagogue’s study center. The walls were lined with shelves filled with scrolls of all shapes and sizes. There were a number of tables throughout the room. During the day Yishmael would use this space to teach boys and men of all ages who wanted to deepen their knowledge of the Torah. Women were not allowed. That’s why Yishmael had his lessons with Naamah and Daniel in the middle of the night. There was a cold white light from the full moon that shone through the windows. Oil lamps were scattered throughout the room and cast flickering shadows. They were carefully arranged so that they would provide the needed light, but still not be too close to a scroll. One little mishap, and all the scrolls would be lost forever.

                          * * * (skipping a part of the chapter that is not relevant) * * *

Naamah had been scrolling the Torah scroll backwards a bit while they were talking, and now she had found the part she had been looking for. “Rabbi, can I ask you something? Who is God talking about here?” She pointed to a section of the scroll. Yishmael peered down at it. Naamah wasn’t sure, but didn’t she notice a hesitation? Some sort of insecurity? He slowly read through the section she had pointed out. “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.” Yishmael looked up. “Look… some of the wisest rabbis in the world have discussed who this angel might be for centuries.” “And…? Have they reached a conclusion?” Yishmael took a long breath and closed his eyes. “I am not sure I should tell you.” “Why?” Yishmael didn’t reply. His eyes were closed, and Naamah saw that his lips formed soundless words. He was praying. He opened his eyes and looked at her and Daniel. “Very well. I will tell you. Most rabbis agree that the angel God refers to here is not a regular angel. After all, it says malach – which also means messenger. Since God says that ‘my Name is in him,’ he cannot be an angel, but another type of messenger. Most rabbis agree that this is about… Metatron.” His voice went down to a whisper. A shiver went down Naamah’s spine. “Metatron? ‘Next to the throne’ in Greek? Is that the angel that is closest to God?” “Yes and no. Since no one can see God and live, this Metatron hears God’s words and tells it to the humans that God speaks to. Whether it is Abraham, Moses, Elijah, anyone. No one actually spoke directly to God, but to Metatron. Therefore, Metatron is God. Or rather, he is more God than he is an angel. Some speak of him as the Word of God. Depending which language you speak, it becomes Davar, Mimra, or Logos. In Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.” “So let me see if I understand. You say this is a messenger of God who actually is God but he is also an angel?” “Well, not really. He is the Word of God, so he is constantly coming out of God. The psalm says ‘You are my son, today I have begotten you.’ Many say that this must be Metatron, since he is constantly begotten of God, as he is always his connection to human beings. One must even draw the conclusion that Metatron was the one who said this to Moses as well. And Metatron was therefore in the pillar of cloud that walked before the people of Israel in the desert.” “I have a question about this,” Daniel said. “This Metatron – was he created by God, or did he always exist as a part of God?” Yishmael went silent again. Naamah thought she could really see how he was thinking back and forth whether to tell them more or not. He got up from his seat and went up to the window. Looking back and forth, to make sure no one was listening. As he came back to talk to them he lowered his voice. “I am not allowed to tell you this.” “Why?” “Because it is too easily misunderstood. Our wise rabbis have decreed that what I am about to teach you must be kept secret unless the student is at least forty years old, and has studied Torah for at least ten years. You are both far from fulfilling these criteria.” “But why those restrictions?” “Because it can be wrongly interpreted as idol worship. People might think that it means that we believe in three gods. Of course we don’t. God is one, and one only. But he is also three. This is what we call raz deshlosha – the secret of the three.” Yishmael was whispering again. Naamah felt a cold shiver tingle throughout her body. They were being told the deepest secrets now, she knew that. Yishmael got up again and went to bring another scroll. He opened it up, and pointed to a section. Naamah immediately recognized that it was the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. “Read this section.” Naamah eyed the part he had pointed to and started to read with a trembling voice. “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us — yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, ‘Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me’; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.” Naamah looked up at Yishmael with a puzzled look. Yishmael smiled. “Who do you think is the angel of his presence? Who can that be if not Metatron, right? The one messenger that conveys God’s actual presence. This is Metatron who leads them out of Egypt in the pillar of cloud, redeeming them, lifting them up, carrying them. And then, when the text speaks of how we rebelled against God, which led to the Babylonian captivity, it says that we grieved his Holy Spirit. So we can see three manifestations of God’s presence here. The Father, the Metatron, and the Holy Spirit. This has been a secret knowledge among Pharisaic rabbis for hundreds of years. It has been conveyed from mouth to ear only, never to be written down, due to the sensitivity. If the Sanhedrin finds out that I have told you, I might lose my license to be a rabbi. But I trust you.” “So you are telling us that God is three but still one?” “Exactly. The same God. But in some sort of mystical way, that we can’t fully understand, he is also three. Every day during the prayers we say the Shma, right? Shma Israel, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad – Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. We say his name three times, and then we confirm that he is One. Three but still one.” “But how can we know that these are ‘parts of God?’ How can we know that they are not angels?” Naamah wondered. “Well, how did God create the world?” “I’m sorry?” “God created the world through his Word. By saying things. ‘Let there be light.’ So Metatron cannot be a created being. He has always been with God, since eternity. In a way he is God – or at least part of God. Why do you think God said ‘Let us make mankind in our image?’ Why do you think that the very word for God, Elohim, is in plural form in Hebrew? God is so more complex than we can imagine, even if he is One. When God said ‘Let there be light’ – that was the light of Metatron.” Naamah nodded. She loved these late night lessons with Yishmael. She often felt that she got closer to God for every time. Now she felt like she had found gold. This was amazing. She closed her eyes and started to speak slowly. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” As she opened her eyes she realized that Daniel and Yishmael were staring at her in awe. They were stunned. “That… that was beautiful,” Yishmael said. “That is exactly right. This is very deep knowledge about the very nature of God.” Naamah leaned over to Daniel and whispered to him. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Daniel turned to her. “You mean…?” “Yes. Yeshua is Metatron. He is the son of God. The one who is constantly begotten by God. He is the Word. I must search the other prophets. There must be some sort of clue somewhere that the Metatron and the Messiah are the same.” Naamah admired Daniel for many things. He had studied with Pharisees, Esseans, Evionites and Nazarenes and was very learned. But she had a gift for finding connections in the scriptures that he didn’t posses. “You are wonderful, you know that?” Daniel got up and gave Naamah a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and smiled at him. She got up and went to the shelf. She grabbed the scroll of the twelve minor prophets. “Looking for something?” Yishmael wondered. “Yes,” she said, as she quickly eyed through the writings of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah and Jonah. As she reached Micah she exclaimed “found it!” Yishmael got up from his seat and went over to Naamah to see what she pointed at. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Yishmael nodded. “Yes, this is a prophecy about the Messiah who will be born in Bethlehem.” “But it says that his origins are from old, from ancient times,” Naamah said. “Yes, that is because the idea and thought about the Messiah in God’s plan is since ancient times.” “But that’s not what it says,” Naamah protested. “It says that he is from old. The Messiah himself is of ancient times.” “What are you trying to say?” “That the Messiah and the Metatron are the same, and his name is Yeshua.” “No!” Yishmael became very assertive. “That is not true. The Messiah is a human being that God will send to be our king. Metatron is not the Messiah, chas veshalom. The Messiah will establish a kingdom of peace. Everlasting eternal peace. He will rule the entire world from Jerusalem. I wish it had been Yeshua, but it wasn’t. He was killed, and all hopes that he was the Messiah died with him. If he really was the Messiah we wouldn’t be living in fear for the Romans now.” Naamah’s mouth became thin and she kept scrolling forward, determined to find something more. Another passage that could confirm to her that the Metatron was the Messiah. She didn’t answer Yishmael’s protests. She knew that those prophecies of the Messiah would be fulfilled at his second coming, but Yishmael didn’t see the distinction between the prophecies of the first and second coming. He had studied in the yeshiva of Jerusalem with some of the most prominent Pharisees. Including Yochanan ben Zakai, one of the wisest and most revered teachers among the Pharisees in Jerusalem. She kept scrolling forward past Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai and Zechariah. Just when she thought she wouldn’t find anything else she found it. “Here! Look! Look what Malachi wrote!” This time Daniel came up to her and read it out loud. “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty.” “See?” she said. “The messenger of the covenant. The angel of the covenant. The same as the angel of the presence. It has to be Metatron. Who else could it be? And here it says that he will become flesh. He will come to his temple. It’s crystal clear. Metatron is the Messiah. The Messiah is Metatron. He is the Word that is begotten by God.” Naamah shivered throughout her body and prayed a silent prayer of thanks to God for revealing this to her. Daniel and Yishmael read through the same passage. Daniel embraced her. “You found gold again, honey.” But Yishmael just shook his head. “I don’t know what to do with you two.” He gave them a sad smile. “I am trying to teach you the true Pharisaic teaching, but you only seem to drift further away.” He rolled up the scrolls to put them back in the shelves.

                         * * * (skipping a part of the chapter that is not relevant) * * *

Naamah went home with Daniel tired but happy that night. As the sun was rising and they reached their door, Daniel turned to Naamah and gave her a kiss. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” he quoted. “I will never forget those words. Write that down, Naamah. We must have those words written down.”

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This was a part of a chapter from my book “The Secret Scroll of Magdala,” which I am still working on rewriting. It is a duology of two books that have a total of 103 chapters. Only if you read both of them will you find out how come these words that Naamah made up eventually made it into the Gospel of John.