#it’s that at least we can count one person less as a mechanic or inventor or smth

[jalluzas-ferney]

You know how people say that we already have pixal Nya Jay and sora being interested in mechs and technology or smth? That it’s like so many of them have the same hobbie or smth?

I kinda feel like Jay could be excluded from it. I KNOW I KNOW he was introduced as an inventor or smth, but ngl I feel like barley saw him construct or invent stuff through out the series? At least def not as much as Nya pixal or sora. Like Nya and pixal are the samurai x girlies and Nya was even a mechanic before and all that- they were doing much more. And then there’s sora who, yeah you get my point.

This isn’t hate to Jay, im just saying that hes really at least not at the same level as the others or THAT characterized as an inventor or tech guy. Sure he knows some stuff and is kind of interested, I do think naya and him bond over that. But he’s not really part of the group that’s always creating mechs and stuff.

Edit : ok I wanna mek sure ppl understand 😭 I understand that aspect of his character is kind of there, but I myself just feel like the writers didn’t show enough of that side of him which makes me less sure about how we also call him an inventor or tech and all. It’s a cool part of his character and I don’t think they should take that away, I just think they already DID take it away, making it kinda hard to group him with the other girls who have been shown to be much more prominent with that, uk?

[mostlycompetentwriter]

“Chronosaurus” One-Shot

F/M Pairing: Y/N x Han Jisung (SKZ)

Genre: Science-Fiction, Back to the Future AU

Warnings: Lots of angst, fluff, and many life lessons

Word Count: 9K

Summary: Despite what everyone believes, Y/N enjoys spending time with Dr. Park, the town’s self-proclaimed mad scientist. She’s especially interested in his idea for building a time machine, an experiment Dr. Park has been researching for many years! One night, he attempts to test the machine, but is disappointed when nothing happens. Y/N tries to investigate for herself, but inadvertently succeeds in starting the machine, finding herself in the year 2035! She decides to take advantage of the rare opportunity, but is disappointed to discover that her future self is nothing more than a front desk receptionist at a hair salon. To make matters worse, she’s married to Han Jisung, the nerdy guy everyone always picked on in high school! 

Thankfully, Y/N has a reliable time machine to help her rectify those terrible mistakes...

In a rare moment of unpredictability, I had decided to visit Dr. Park before enduring another day of mind-numbing lectures and the endless political debate between our Student Council representatives. You see, once upon a time, I tried to run for school President, but I lost to Bang Chan because everyone thought he had really cool hair (Jesus, he was unbelievably hot) and I was just Y/N, the girl who thought visiting the future was possible and spent way too much of her time around the town’s self-proclaimed mad scientist. Ultimately, I had decided that the outcome was rather favorable for my situation because I could spend less time trying to negotiate with our principal for new gym equipment and more time analyzing Quantum Mechanics. 

Dr. Park lived on the opposite end of town, which meant that I was constantly gambling with the possibility of another late slip when I finally found my way to school. However, Dr. Park was on the verge of an imminent breakthrough and I didn’t want to miss a single moment of his genius at work. Thus, I found myself retrieving the spare key from under the mat before walking inside the messy living room, greeting his dog in the kitchen. Dr. Park spent most of his time in the basement since he claimed it was nice to have some kind of separation between his work and private life. Subsequently, I was also well-acquainted with the musty basement smell and the impressive equipment with names that I couldn’t remember.

“Dr. Park,” I said, finding the man in question hunched over his desk. “I’m here.”

“Y/N,” Dr. Park grinned. “Perfect timing!”

I paused next to an odd display of bullfrogs. “What’s going on?”

“I think I’ve figured it out!” Dr. Park exclaimed. “I need you to make sure that you can be here tonight because the invention of time travel is ours for the taking!”

“Tonight? What happens tonight?”

“We unveil my newest invention!” Dr. Park said, knocking aside a few boxes to properly introduce a rather large object obscured by a white bed sheet. “The culmination of my research!”

“That’s great, Dr. Park,” I said while checking my watch absentmindedly, but my eyes widened in horror when I realized the time. “I’m late for school!”

I was instantly sprinting up the stairs, stumbling against the door-frame, and Dr. Park was yelling at my retreating figure. “Did you hear me say midnight, Y/N? And remember to bring a hat!”

The industrial disaster known as my high school was nestled on the opposite end of town in the furniture district aptly named after our town’s founders who made their fortunes selling rocking chairs. It was perfect considering the interesting band of characters who came in after the founders, forming the upper-class suburbs for the eclectic combination of inventors who were once the envy of the scientific world. These days, all we had left of that great renaissance was Dr. Park and their great-great grandchildren, AKA, my darling classmates who proved to be more inept with each passing day. 

Thankfully, for the most part, I could use that to my advantage when alluding the students who were supposed to hand out late tickets to the kids like me who waltzed in after the first bell. However, on this morning in particular, I had the misfortune of accidentally running into one the school’s hall monitor. Of course, upon second glance, I realized that it was just Han Jisung which meant that I could probably convince him to let me off the hook. “Hi, Y/N,” he said, shoving his ridiculous glasses further up his nose as he looked directly at the ground. “I like your shoes.”

I rolled my eyes. “Look, Jisung, just pretend you didn’t see me, okay?”

Jisung managed to make eye contact for a split second before he was nodding his head. “I know you were probably just with Dr. Park.”

I paused, studying him for a moment. “You won’t tell anyone?”

“I don’t want you to get into trouble,” Jisung said and that was all the confirmation I needed before I was sprinting down the hallway. 

Subsequently, classes passed by like one of those lazy summer afternoons when my mind was occupied by my daydreams, thinking about my impending meeting with Dr. Park. You see, he had dedicated most of his life to the research known as time travel and he was determined to reign supreme over the explorations of the past, present, and future. Most of the town thought that he was crazy for believing such an idea, especially when most of his early inventions ended quite prematurely, resulting in property damage that once nearly gave our mayor a heart attack when he saw the total cost of repair.

Regardless, Dr. Park was still adamant about the possibility of time travel, forgetting about those early inventions and focusing all of his time on his crowning achievement. I was grateful to come along for the ride, even if most of my classmates often mocked me for my efforts. However, I really didn’t care about their opinions, with the exception of one student who had always held my attention...

When the afternoon bell rang, I trudged to my locker while ignoring the congregation of girls surrounding Lee Minho. I sighed, choosing to watch Minho from the safety of my locker. He was, without a single doubt, one of the most attractive men I had ever seen in my entire life. I often sang his praises to my friends, even if Changbin and Felix would roll their eyes at my behavior.

One of those aforementioned best friends stopped next to me at my locker, following my gaze with a tired sigh. “You’re drooling,” Felix scoffed, handing me a tissue which I gratefully accepted. 

“Why is he so beautiful?”

“Lee Minho? Are you still crushing on him?”

“It’s more than a crush, Felix,” I sighed impatiently. “I think we have a real connection.”

“Yeah, it looks like it,” Felix grumbled.

“I’m asking him to the dance this Friday!”

Felix rolled his eyes. “You and the rest of the student population.”

I frowned. “Why shouldn’t I be any more likely than the rest of those girls! At least I don’t swarm him for an autograph!”

“That’s true,” Felix mused thoughtfully. “I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.”

Despite his cryptic words, I still held my high head in determination.

It was bitterly cold that evening, and I tried not to think too much about the ice forming on the sidewalks as I hurried to make my appointment with Dr. Park on time. He was quite meticulous about maintaining a tight schedule, and I knew he would be less likely to tolerate my tardiness as opposed to someone like Han Jisung, our school’s residential nerd. The same kid who I once saw attempting to save a slug trying to cross the street.

I snorted at the memory, finding Dr. Park’s spare key under his mat before letting myself in the front door. The heat inside was welcomed, and I followed the sound of a power drill into his basement. “Dr. Park!” I gasped, squinting my eyes against the unexpected light show emanating from what looked like a phone booth straight out of Dr. Who, but with far less CGI effects.

“Y/N!” Dr. Park exclaimed in return, beckoning me forward with his usual over-zealousness. “Isn’t it beautiful?

“It?” I repeated.

“My time machine!” he proclaimed, eyes wild and exhilarated. “You’re here to help me test it out.”

“Really?” I grinned, rushing down the remainder of the stairs to get a better view of the machine. “You figured it out!”

“Of course, I did!” Dr. Parked chirped, pulling back the blanket on his work station to reveal a pile of what looked like pure gold. “I found the fuel fairly easily.”

“Fuel? Dr. Park, is that real gold?”

“Of course,” he huffed. “Do you think it would run on fake party supplies?”

“The time machine runs on gold!”

“That’s what I said!” Dr. Park groaned while running his hands across the pristine glass of the machine. “It requires a substance of immense value.”

“But, Dr. Park, it’s actually real gold?!”

“Oh, come now, Y/N, since when does something as superficial as profound wealth bother you?”

“I guess you made your point,” I remarked, watching as he continued to tighten the bolts running along the top of the machine.

“Alright,” Dr. Park laughed, tossing the wrench onto the table before opening the door. “Go ahead!”

I carefully followed his direction, forcing myself into the unexpectedly small interior of the bright red phone booth. “It’s small.”

“The measurements are meant for one person,” Dr. Park explained. “Did you remember to bring a hat?”

“Sure,” I managed, pressing myself against the glass when Dr. Park joined me inside, turning around to make further adjustments. “Why do we need a hat?” I asked, trying to ignore my uncomfortable position.

“Well, we may encounter our future selves!” Dr. Park explained. “It’s best to try and disguise our faces before anyone can notice.”

“Right,” I said, nodding my head as he started typing something on the small computer screen drilled into the glass next to the door. “Let’s try...2035? I heard theories that flying cars will be widespread by then!”

“That’s what they keep saying,” I remarked, whining in pain when he accidentally stepped on my foot.

“Okay!” he said, clapping his hands together. “Hold on tight!”

I shivered in anticipation, closing my eyes because I was hoping to open them again and discover the city of the future. However, as more and more seconds continued to pass by with only the distinct sound of the machine’s buttons providing background noise, I began to wonder what was happening. “Dr. Park,” I whispered. “Is this supposed to take this long?”

“I’m not sure,” he said, typing something furiously. “After I press this button...” he trailed off and I held my breath, fully expecting for the machine to start moving, but I opened my eyes again to the same grim basement.

“Did it work?” I asked, realizing the question was really stupid only a moment later when Dr. Park turned around to glare at me.

“No, Y/N, it failed.”

“Well, maybe we can re-check the wires?”

“No, that’s not the problem,” Dr. Park sighed. “I’m a complete disgrace to the name of science.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, sir!” I said, cautiously squirming around the glorified phone booth. “Maybe you just miscalculated something?”

“I never miscalculate,” Dr. Park scoffed. “It’s more than that.”

His downcast features made me wonder if Dr. Park was actually considering the idea of giving up on his dream. “Sir, this is everything you’ve been working on for years!”

Dr. Park shook his head, opening the door and pushing us both out at the same time. “It’s just a piece of junk,” he glowered, already trudging for the steps. “Feel free to stay the night, Y/N,” he said. “I need to sleep.”

“Sir?” I tried again, pouting when he made no move to return.

However, despite Dr. Park’s suggestion, I decided to take matters into my own hands, comparing his meticulous hand-written notes lying on the work station to the machine itself as I slowly surveyed the outside. “It looks right,” I said, opening the door to step back inside. The diagrams were quite complicated, and they probably wouldn’t make much sense to the common eye, but I had been studying under Dr. Park for years and he demanded perfection. “Ah! The turbo muffler isn’t plugged in,” I noted, reaching down to rectify the problem.

I glanced at the computer screen, watching the loading screen analyze the solution before taking a spare tissue from my pocket to scrub away at the fingerprints alongside the glass. It was easy to lose myself in a rhythm, until I suddenly became aware of a strange vibration from underneath my feet. I froze in place, looking down and realizing that the intricate panel of lights were blinking rapidly, and a strange noise was emanating from every corner that faintly reminded me of an over-sized fan. The whirring sound grew louder and I realized that the edges of my vision were growing darker, watching the room spin around faster and faster before I completely lost consciousness.

2035

An unexpected bright light infiltrated my line of vision when I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was hurting, and I realized that it was because I was still cramped inside the time machine, legs curled uncomfortably beneath me. “Why would I do this to myself?” I groaned, gingerly rising to my feet before pushing open the door to allow myself to stumble into the basement.

I felt unusually dizzy, watching the ceiling rotate before settling back into place. I groaned at the feeling. “I guess I just overworked myself or something and passed out.”

There was a newspaper on the table that I hadn’t noticed from earlier and I reached for it without really thinking. The headline was blurry, but the topic of a general store theft wasn’t what caught my attention. I re-checked the newspaper over a dozen times before I was shaking from head to toe. “2035?!”

I quickly dropped the newspaper, reaching for my phone in my back pocket only to nearly lose my grip on the slim case when I realized what was displayed across the screen. “Impossible.”

However, like a sudden dam had been released, I remembered last night’s events, including starting the time machine without meaning to activate the switch. I quickly ran to the window, lifting the blinds only to gasp when something impossibly fast sped by the window. “Flying cars!”

It was like a dramatic transformation had taken place overnight and everything was suddenly monochromatic, bright and pristine as people walked along the sidewalks in strange clothes and talked to holograms projecting from their phone screens. “Dr. Park did it!” I squealed. “I’m in the future!”

For the first time since I discovered the concept, I was convinced that the future was actually going to be extraordinary. “Look at all this cool shit!” I exclaimed, skipping along the sidewalks with my hat tucked low over my face.

I paused at the corner of the street, admiring the traffic of the flying cars, before noticing someone on the opposing sidewalk. “She looks like me,” I noted before I felt my eyes fly open. “That is me!” I gasped, looking both ways before crossing the road, and I continued to follow Y/N, watching as she greeted several people along the sidewalk. “It’s good that we grew out of our social anxiety,” I nodded.

Eventually, Y/N halted outside of a salon, studying something on the phone screen in front of her. I waited cautiously, startling only when I realized that a familiar face was walking in our direction. “Is that Han Jisung?” I groaned, rolling my eyes because, of course, he would still be involved somehow with my future. 

Of course, the even bigger surprise came only moments later when Jisung leaned in to press his lips against my unsuspecting person. “What is he doing?” I seethed, only to realize that Y/N was reciprocating his affection. “Why the fuck am I kissing Han Jisung?” I gasped, sprinting around the corner so that I could have my mental breakdown in privacy. “What the hell is going on?”

I took a few deep breaths because I’m sure that the incident was just some kind of futuristic greeting. Everyone must enjoy kissing other people in the future, and it was certainly a better alternative to the idea that older Y/N wanted to actually kiss Han Jisung. “It’s fine,” I reassured myself, bowing politely to a couple who passed by with suspicious frowns. When I looked around the building again, I watched as Y/N waved in Jisung’s direction before entering the salon. “Oh, is this something I do in my free time?” I questioned because I certainly hated going to the salon despite my mother’s best efforts.

I carefully made my way to the large glass panel at the front of the salon, peeking in through the clear display to find my older self standing behind the counter. “What are we doing?” I asked, especially when Y/N answered the phone, speaking into the other end with a bright smile that made me grimace at the exact moment of understanding. “I’m a receptionist?” I groaned, wondering if the universe had allowed me to visit the future only so that it could laugh at my disdain.

“It can’t get any worse!”

However, contrary to my expectations, when the salon finally closed, I decided to follow Y/N home to make sure that I wasn’t living somewhere ridiculous considering the measly salary I probably made at a hair salon. I huffed in irritation because my older self insisted on walking fast down the street as if she was eager for something that I didn’t understand. “Slow down,” I wheezed, seconds away from collapsing when I finally noticed us standing on the front porch of a fairly modest house.

I waited until Y/N was inside before rushing to the door quietly. It was locked, but I quickly found the spare key under the mat which made me roll my eyes considering that I had copied Dr. Park’s tendency to hide his house key in the same location. Regardless, once I was inside, I heard voices coming from the kitchen, so I decided to walk upstairs to avoid the possibility of someone finding me.

The hallway was cramped, and I checked several rooms before finding a larger offering at the end of the house with pictures of myself displayed across the dresser. “No way,” I said, snatching one of the photographs when I noticed Han Jisung standing next to me. “Ugh,” I groaned, returning the picture before looking around the room.

It was becoming clear to me that I had a more complicated relationship with Jisung that went beyond casual strangers meeting in the street outside the salon where I conveniently worked. Eventually, my answer came in the form of an incriminating wedding photo stationed directly next to the queen-sized bed on the nightstand. Jisung and I stood side-by-side in the picture, and I was holding out my hand where a bright silver wedding ring proclaimed my commitment to the entire world. “What the hell, Y/N?” I sighed. “We married Han Jisung?”

Of all the possible scenarios I had once envisioned for the future, Han Jisung was never involved with any of them. He was the class nerd who all the older boys picked on while the girls decisively ignored him. There was simply no explanation for why I was so heavily involved with him in the future! 

I snatched the wedding picture from the nightstand, searching for the date in the lower corner. “November 5th, 2030.”

The date was from five years earlier, and a small light bulb suddenly went off in my head. “I know when I married him,” I grinned, taking a step back. “I can stop it from happening!”

I studied the picture one more time, gasping when I realized where we were both standing. “We got married at my parent’s house!”

I slammed the photograph down onto the nightstand because this was my chance to secure my future. Subsequently, I managed to leave my future home without disrupting Y/N who was busy in the kitchen, even though I couldn’t cook to save my life. I shook my head at the strange situation, finding myself back on the streets before retracing my steps to relocate Dr. Park’s house where it still remained after all these years.

The time machine was still waiting inside Dr. Park’s basement, and I only briefly wondered where the man in question was in this bizarre future before I was checking the necessary equipment. There was still some gold left in the fuel gauge, and I typed in the corresponding wedding date and watched as the computer started to process my request.

“I can fix this!” I said, wrenching aside the door of the phone booth. “I’ll just go back a little further in time and stop myself from marrying Jisung!” 

I crowded myself into the corner when the machine started to vibrate and groan as the gears rotated in response to the ignition running. It all sounded good, and I stumbled backwards against the glass in anticipation. Suddenly, I was spinning rapidly through the air, unable to focus as I fell to the ground and closed my eyes to forget the unpleasant sensation.

2030

I gained consciousness once again in Dr. Park’s basement, checking the time on my phone. “We should be close,” I said because the picture had taken place during the early evening based on the setting sun in the background. “I need to hurry.”

Thankfully, I had grown up near Dr. Park’s house during my childhood and nothing much had changed regarding our living situations. Likewise, I found myself standing outside of my childhood home, frowning at the sight of guests gathered outside along neat and well-organized benches. I even saw Han Jisung himself standing at the altar while talking to the future versions of Changbin and Felix who certainly defied aging expectations. “Why couldn’t I marry one of them?” I whined because fantasies about my ridiculously attractive friends had been commonplace back when we first started high school.

Still, I was on a mission, and it seemed fate was on my side because the side door was unlocked and I rushed upstairs, determined to find Y/N before the wedding could officially begin. I checked several bedrooms, sighing irritably when each one was left empty. Finally, I paused at the entrance to the attic, wondering if it was possible that I decided to get ready in the same space that I once feared when I was a kid because my father jokingly told me that aliens lived in the rafters.

I shook my head at the memory, carefully opening the door to be greeted with the sight of an older Y/N studying her reflection in the vanity mirror. We wore a beautiful white gown, straight out of my imagination, and it was obvious that great effort had been put into our appearance despite the fact that I usually didn’t care for that sort of thing.

I cleared my throat, attracting Y/N’s attention who turned around only to gasp and drop the make-up brush she had been holding. “What the hell?”

“Hi,” I said, startling when Y/N jumped back from the mirror, eyes wide as she looked at me.

“What’s going on? Am I going crazy?” her shoulders dropped up and down with several deep breaths. “This can’t be happening!”

“Look, can you stop freaking out for one second? I came here to warn you! I’ve seen what our life is like in the future, and it’s nothing like what we dreamed!”

“W-What do you mean?�� she stuttered. “How can this be possible?”

“Don’t think too hard,” I grumbled. “Look, I came here from the past. I used a time travel machine that Dr. Park invented.”

“How? The time machine never worked?”

“Sure it did,” I grinned. “I fixed it! Aren’t you proud of us?”

Y/N slowly sat back down in front of the mirror. “Okay, let’s say that I’m not going crazy for a moment.”

“What a good idea,” I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? You aren’t dreaming, so can we just admit that I came here from another time and move on?”

Y/N eventually nodded her head, regarding me warily despite the evidence of time travel success standing right in front of her. “Okay, like I said, I’m here to warn you. I’ve seen our future and it’s horrible, Y/N, and I think it’s because of this moment! You’re making a huge mistake by marrying Han Jisung!”

Y/N gasped, eyes widening as she quickly shot over to the window, looking down at the reception where a sweaty Han Jisung stood at the altar nervously, wringing his hands together while he waited for his future bride. “How is that possible? Jisung is so sweet to me!”

“Are you really not going to believe me?” I asked, taking a step back. “It’s me, er, I’m you! Shit, if you can’t believe yourself, then I must be more stubborn than I thought.”

Y/N frowned. “Why are you telling me this?”

“To stop you from making a mistake! You need to leave him!” I insisted. “Find Changbin or Felix and get the hell out of this shithole town!”

Y/N looked at me with eyes that were suddenly a lot less bright in comparison to when I first entered the room. “I just- I can’t believe that we don’t work out in the future.”

“Trust me,” I said again. “This is our last chance to make things right.”

“B-but what if you’re wrong? What if there’s something else I can do-”

“I’ve been there,” I interrupted her. “Ask me anything about the past. I can tell you things about us and that should prove that I’m you.”

Y/N was hesitant. “The name of our imaginary friend?”

“Cleopatra,” I said. “He looked like a dog, but he could also fly.”

Y/N covered her mouth as the truth finally processed. “Fine, if you are from the past, then I guess you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Why would I sabotage my own future?” I asked, reaching out to take her hands. “I know it might be hard to believe, but I’ve seen everything with my own eyes. This is the moment that changes everything.”

“What happens?” she asked with sad eyes. “Why is it this moment?”

“It’s...complicated,” I managed. “We’re very unhappy, though. I mean, you remember the things we once imagined, right? What if they never came true?”

“And it’s because of Jisung?”

“Obviously,” I snorted. “Why else would I be here?”

“It’s just hard to accept,” she admitted. “We’ve been together for years.”

I wrinkled my nose at the unpleasant thought. “What? Did we get a concussion somewhere along the way?”

Y/N frowned. “You came from a time before Jisung.”

“It still doesn’t negate the fact that I’ve seen the future!” I said. “I was so happy when I saw it for the first time, there were flying cars and holograms and the streets were painted with silver! But, when I found our future self, I couldn’t reconcile that wonderful vision of the future with the life we were living.”

Y/N wiped away a single tear that had fallen during my explanation. “Okay,” she said, suddenly appearing a lot more confident than before. “I’ll leave through the garden.”

“Yes!” I nearly exclaimed, reaching back for the door to the attic. “You have to go now while everyone is still waiting!”

Y/N obeyed instantly, hurrying down the stairs while I followed from behind. I watched her from the living room, waiting until her white dress disappeared into a field of green before returning to the reception outside. I found a good hiding spot in the bushes, kneeling down while I waited for the inevitable discovery that future Y/N had somehow disappeared from the attic.

It didn’t take long as an older woman ran outside with a bouquet of flowers. “Y/N is gone!” she eventually announced to the gathered crowd of family and friends.

“Gone?” Jisung repeated, eyes widening as he froze in place next to the altar.

I watched from the bushes, smiling when everyone started to stand at once, murmuring among themselves and wondering where the bride-to-be had gone. Thankfully, she had taken my advice before it was too late and I resisted the urge to pat myself on the back for a job well-done.

2035

I waited until I was certain that everyone had abandoned their search for Y/N before returning to Dr. Park’s basement. The time machine was still waiting for me, and I shuffled inside for my return to the future with a satisfied smile. “Now, I can return to the future in peace,” I declared, tuning on the ignition before closing my eyes and dropping to the floor. “Maybe this will help,” I whispered, holding my breath until the sounds of the engine finally subsided.

It only felt like seconds later when I stepped out of the time machine and froze, realizing that an older Dr. Park was actually standing in the middle of the room wearing a similar expression of disbelief. “Impossible!” Dr. Park exclaimed. “You look like you did when you were still in high school!”

I rolled my eyes at his observation. “I’m from the past.”

“Well, that’s also impossible!” Dr. Park shouted. “I destroyed this thing years ago!”

“Yeah, but I came from a time when you had just invented the machine,” I reminded him. “Actually, why the hell would you destroy it?”

Dr. Park shook his head. “It ruined so many futures.”

“Really?

Dr. Park nodded sadly. “I learned my lesson about time travel, Y/N. It never amounts to anything good.”

“Oh,” I said, shifting nervously while he continued to look at me as if he were seeing a ghost. “I guess that makes sense.”

“What a minute!” he finally said. “That means you came from the past to interfere with the future.”

“Not necessarily,” I grumbled, but he could clearly see through my lies.

“What the hell did you do?”

“I just changed one little thing,” I assured him. “I was supposed to get married to this guy, but I made sure that it wouldn’t happen.”

“You did what!” he gasped. “Y/N, you shouldn’t mess with a timeline like that! You have no idea what effect you could have on the future!”

“Fine, but can you blame me? My future was terrible!”

“But it still doesn’t give you the right to interfere.”

“I couldn’t let it happen,” I insisted. “It wasn’t what I wanted, especially considering the fact that I was a stupid receptionist! Can you imagine? I’m meant to study Quantum Mechanics not shampoo bottles!”

“It doesn’t matter!” he sighed. “The future isn’t something that you can just mold and shape to whatever you want! Changing one thing will set off a chain reaction that might impact other people and their futures!”

“I didn’t know, okay?” I cried, suddenly anxious with the way he was talking to me.

He ran his hands through his untameable hair. “Well, I guess it’s done now. There’s nothing more to be said.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, suddenly feeling very small standing in the middle of the room.

“It’s only natural,” he sighed. “But let's see what you’ve done.”

Dr. Park held tight to my wrist as we navigated the busy streets. Thus far, I didn’t see any changes around me, but that didn’t necessarily mean that something wasn’t amiss. “I kept up with you through the years,” he explained. “I remember the wedding you visited, and I always wondered why you changed your mind.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I might’ve convinced myself.”

“Nevertheless,” Dr. Park said. “You live in an apartment now in the city.”

“Really?” I asked, feeling a faint glimmer of hope that Dr. Park had overreacted and everything was fine with my future.

“We can take my car,” he said, fetching the keys before pausing next to a sleek, silver sports machine. 

“Wow!” I gasped, admiring the delicate paint job before joining Dr. Park inside. I immediately startled when the car suddenly left the ground, hovering above the street before joining the traffic. “When did flying cars get invented?”

“Oh, not too long after the time you just came back from,” Dr. Park said. “I invented them, you know.”

“You did?”

“What else was I supposed to do when I gave up on time travel?” he shrugged. “Besides, it runs mostly on solar power which is a big plus for the environment.”

I nodded my agreement. “What else has happened?”

Dr. Park smiled, glancing at me with a knowing look. “Oh, Y/N, the future is something to behold.”

Subsequently, for the remainder of our trip, I listened to Dr. Park talks about the inventions that defined the future, everything from flying cars to holograms and the small gadgets in between. My personal favorite was the automatic sock warmers that dispelled water and kept your toes safe during the winter months. However, above everything else, I was glad to hear that society was advancing with new technology and medical practices. It was nothing short of exciting, and it only made me want to return to my own time so that I could experience it happen as I started to explore the world around me.

“Here we are,” Dr. Park eventually said, dropping his car onto the street next to a fairly modest building. “These types are the current rage. Most complexes come equipped with doors that open after scanning your fingerprint.”

“Really?” I wondered, following him outside onto the sidewalk.

He opened the door to the lobby, allowing me inside first before he nodded towards the elevators. “10th floor.”

The building wasn’t very busy, and most of the residents ignored us while we stopped outside of the door to my future apartment. “Y/N,” Dr. Park said, rapping lightly against the frame. “It’s me.”

The door opened slowly and I found myself looking into a familiar pair of eyes that widened when they recognized me. “It’s you from the wedding.”

“Well,” I said hesitantly. “I am you.”

Y/N frowned, but opened the door wider to allow me and Dr. Park inside the small apartment. I took one glance around before feeling my stomach fall as I recognized the sad condition of the property. “What happened?”

Y/N sniffled, looking at me with sad eyes. “Our future is nothing.”

“Well, where is everyone else? What about Changbin or Felix?”

“They left years ago,” Y/N said. “Everyone left me after I ran away from the wedding.”

“What?” I gasped, falling back onto the ground. “Why would they do that?”

“Because I broke his heart,” Y/N groaned. “I’m so stupid!”

“Stupid?” I repeated, glancing at Dr. Park anxiously who could only shrug in response. “Tell me everything that happened after the wedding.”

“My mom found me,” Y/N explained. “She told me that Jisung was moving someplace in the city with Changbin and Felix. He told her that none of them wanted anything else to do with me after what happened at the wedding. I was so sad, and I decided to move back home, but I lost the passion to want to do anything. Jisung had always been my muse, and without him I stopped feeling inspired.”

“When did we move here?”

“A year ago,” Y/N said. ���I have an office job in the city, but it gets really lonely out here with nobody around.” 

“Oh,” I said, aware of Dr. Park’s stern gaze burning into the back of my head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Actually, it was you who told me to leave because our future was so bad,” Y/N reminded me. “What happened? Did Jisung do something?”

“Well, not exactly...”

“It had to be something! You said the future was horrible, but I can’t imagine anything worse than this!”

“Okay, look,” I finally relented. “When I went to the future, I saw us with Han Jisung and I thought that it was unfair that we ended up with him. I decided to try and change that, but I didn’t understand what I was doing until it was too late.”

“You had no idea,” Y/N said with a frown. “I guess you came from a time in the past before we knew who he really was.”

“Well,” I sighed. “I mean, who is he?”

“Han Jisung is one of the best people in the world,” Y/N said with tears falling freely. “He was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

By the time we returned to the basement, I was traumatized from my meeting with Y/N, falling against the couch unceremoniously while Dr. Park examined the time machine with obvious scrutiny. “What have I done!” I groaned against the pillows.

“Well, you destroyed your future,” he replied, ignoring the glare I aimed in his direction.

“Dr. Park, I have to go back in time again! I need to undo the stupid shit I’ve done.”

“Is that so?” Dr. Park chuckled, wiping his hands clean as he stood next to me. “You think it’s that easy?”

“Why not?” I frowned. “I know the time and date when I got married.”

“That won’t matter anymore because you altered the timeline!” Dr. Park exclaimed. “At that precise moment in time, you created an alternate reality! It’s impossible to go back now and change everything.”

“Why? Can’t I just go back and stop myself from interfering with the wedding?”

“No! That’s not how time works!”

“Well! What the fuck? I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do! I can’t just stand aside and do nothing!

“Y/N, the delicate aspects of time are extremely convoluted! You should’ve never messed with the timeline in the first place.”

“Don’t you think I realize that now!” I cried. “I know that I ruined my future because I didn’t think it was important enough to understand everything that had happened before 2035. I just...I was surprised because it wasn’t like anything I had ever dreamed about. I mean, Dr. Park, I wanted to be a physicist, not a stupid receptionist! I thought I would marry Lee Minho and we would, like, completely takeover the world together or something.”

Dr. Park was silent for a moment, watching me as I completely broke down in front of him full of regrets for everything I had done. “Y/N,” he finally said. “Can I offer you some advice?”

“I guess,” I grumbled, ignoring the way his gaze grew sympathetic.

“The future is whatever you want to make of it,” he said. “If you want to make it a future that involves Jisung, then you need to make sure that he stays in your life.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know the original story,” Dr. Park continued. “But if you create a new narrative where you met Jisung even earlier and started dating him before that predetermined time...”

“Then I can fix it!” I gasped. “I can change the timeline!”

Dr. Park smiled. “Good girl! It’s all up to you now because you're responsible for the future you decide to make.”

His words were incredibly wise, and I could only hope to follow his advice and reclaim the future that I had so painstakingly changed without fully understanding the consequences.

2020

Hopefully, for the final time, I stepped outside the time machine after returning to the past where I belonged. However, this time I was determined not to interfere anymore, deciding that Dr. Park was right when he explained the fine semantics. After all, the future was whatever I wanted it to be, and I already knew that I was more determined than ever to succeed.

“I’m back!” I exclaimed, looking around the mostly vacant basement. I checked my phone with a gasp because school started in less than an hour. I would need to find Jisung as soon as possible because I had an idea of how I could fix everything that I had broken.

I quickly dialed a familiar number, holding it up to my ear as a tired voice answered from the other end. “Hello, Uber?”

Ten minutes later, I saw a car pull up to the sidewalk next to Dr. Park’s house. “Y/N?” the driver asked, looking at my from behind a dark pair of sunglasses.

“Park View High School,” I said, joining him in the backseat before the driver took off while I searched my pockets for any spare change.

I managed to make it to school on time, just five minutes before the first bell. Still, I knew the chances of finding Jisung before class were slim, so I needed to be patient. “Here,” I said, shoving the cash at the disgruntled Uber driver.

“Gee, thanks,” he grumbled because he was probably dissatisfied with the fact that I didn’t tip properly.

In any case, my perfect opportunity finally arose during lunch when I found Jisung lingering in the hallways as he exchanged textbooks. I took a deep breath to steel my nerves as I hesitantly walked in his direction. “Jisung,” I said, cautiously approaching him at his locker. “Can I ask you something?”

He wore his signature jeans with a loose t-shirt that was way too big for his narrow form. I frowned because my taste in men had apparently evolved at some point in the future. Of course, as I considered him more closely, I realized that there was also a charming aspect to his boyish features.

In the meantime, Jisung had froze in place, eyes wide as he turned around to face me. “Y-Y/N?”

I offered him a smile. “There’s a dance on Friday,” I started, searching his gaze imploringly. “Would you like to go with me?”

His eyes widened, breath hitching as he looked at me. “You want to go with me?”

I nodded. “I think it might be nice to go together. You can even come over this afternoon and we can make our plans!”

“Really?” he asked, appearing doubtful despite the way I had suddenly leaned in closer.

“Please?”

He finally nodded his head and I released a sigh of relief because my plan was starting to formulate right before my very eyes.

Later that afternoon, I opened the front door to my house to find Jisung ten minutes early wearing a much nicer pair of clothes. “Hi,” he said, nervously shuffling in place.

“You made it,” I grinned, reaching out for his hand to pull him inside. “We can go to my room.”

Jisung nodded. “Is this still okay?”

“Of course,” I said, grabbing onto his jacket sleeve to guide him up the staircase. “What do you want to do?”

Jisung didn’t respond, gazing around my room with a look of astonishment written across his expression. “Huh?”

“We can watch a movie,” I said, patting the space on my bed while turning on my laptop.

“Okay,” Jisung agreed, settling down next to me while finding it very difficult to tear his gaze away from me while I pulled up my Netflix account.

“Did you need something?” I teased, enjoying the way he blushed as a result.

“Sorry,” he grumbled, scrunching his nose when he noticed what movie I had picked. “Romance?”

“My favorite genre,” I said, leaning back to tilt the screen in our direction. “I think it’s good.”

Jisung still seemed reluctant, and I found it amusing that he was so willing to accept this unfortunate decision. Nevertheless, I relaxed next to him on the bed, watching the characters on-screen with far less attentiveness than I usually allowed for movie viewings. Because my eyes kept wandering over to Jisung, watching as his expression transformed from disgruntled acceptance to active fascination as he started reacting to the action on-screen.

Still, it only made it that more interesting to watch him blush during the more scandalous scenes, shifting uncomfortably from next to me. “What’s wrong?” I asked, enjoying the way he jumped in reaction.

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head aggressively in response.

“Are you sure?” I asked before turning around to properly face him.

Jisung paused and I decided to make the first move, leaning in closer to where I could smell his cologne on the collar of his jacket. “Y/N?” he questioned, but I pressed my lips to his before he could protest any further. And it didn’t take long for him to reciprocate the kiss with a feverish desire that made me realize that I had been overlooking Han Jisung for far too long.

It was almost midnight when I let myself into Dr. Park’s house. Despite the consequences of time travel, there was something inside of me that wouldn’t quite settle unless I determined whether or not I fixed my future relationship with Jisung. I knew the risks, but I needed reassurance that everything would happen the way it was supposed to before I had mistakenly intervened.

I jerked off the sheet hanging over the machine, wiping my hands on my jeans when the sudden flickering of the light overhead forced me to spin around. “I see that you fixed the machine,” Dr. Park said, watching me carefully from over his coffee cup.

“Oh, right,” I started awkwardly. “I guess I did.”

“Well,” he sighed. “Were there any visits involved with your tinkering?”

I knew that I couldn’t lie to Dr. Park, so I explained everything to him, including the advice from his future self and the revelation of the destruction of the time machine. “That’s really all that happened,” I assured him at the end.

“Then why are you going back?”

“Ah,” I pursed my lips. “I think it might be necessary to ensure that everything works out...”

“So you learned nothing from your mistakes?” Dr. Park said. “If you did, then you’ll help me destroy this thing instead of using it again.”

“But...Dr. Park!”

“We should believe me!” he protested. “I’m the smartest person that I know!”

“You don’t even know your future self, yet!”

“Yes, but you’ve met him and he sounds perfectly reasonable.”

“I need to make sure!” I insisted. “I promise, Dr. Park, this will really be the last time.”

He looked perfectly ready to protest, but he continued to study me with that close scrutiny that I had started to associate with him when he was discovering something particularly interesting. “I guess this means a lot to you,” he eventually conceded. “Despite all logic, I suppose that one more time wouldn’t hurt.”

“Really?” I grinned, glancing at the time machine from the corner of my eye. “Do you mean that?”

“But no more interference after this,” he grumbled. “You’ll get your answers and we’re leaving as soon as possible.”

“I agree with you,” I said. “100 %.”

“Well, I suppose it’s also a good time to try out my newest invention,” he said, holding up something that resembled a walkie-talkie. “It’s a tracking device. All it needs is a sample of DNA and it can help you locate your future self.”

“That’s awesome,” I gasped, clutching tightly to the device while Dr. Park started to prepare the machine.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded enthusiastically, waiting next to the machine while he loaded another gold bar inside the fuel tank. “Let’s do this right,” he said. “The way I intended: observation and nothing more.”

“Okay,” I agreed, closing my eyes when the door was firmly shut and the machine started to rotate rapidly as the very space-time continuum was warped to accommodate our travels to the future.

2035

“This is very dangerous,” Dr. Park remarked when the machine was silent once more and a very different version of his basement greeted our arrival. “Hopefully, we won’t run into my future self.”

“Maybe you could stay behind with the machine?” I suggested. “I’ll find myself and make sure everything is back to normal.”

“Fine, but please hurry,” he said, desperately looking around the silent basement like he expected an explosion at any moment. “I might also gamble a chance to look outside, but it’s only for scientific purposes!”

I rolled my eyes at his comment while I lowered the brim of my hat and left the house through the side door leading into the backyard. It was incredibly sunny outside, and I watched several flying cars soar past overhead before I was running along the hedges supporting the fence marking Dr. Park’s property. I pulled the tracking device from my back pocket, watching the screen load before rushing off in the direction of the bustling city scape.

It didn’t take long for the tracking device to lead me into a mostly-deserted park. There weren’t many people around, and I took a deep breath, following the increasing sounds of the beeping before pausing at the edge of a pond. Because sitting on one of the benches next to the water was a very familiar face.

“Y/N,” I said, but she didn’t look surprised to see me.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Y/N said, smiling brightly while she patted the bench next to her.

You have?” I immediately questioned.

“Of course,” she said. “I’ve been expecting this moment.”

I tentatively sat down next to Y/N, shaking my head to try and clear the confusion. “But? How is that possible?”

“I’m you after the new timeline we created,” she explained. “I know everything that happened.”

“Ah,” I nodded. “Well, then I guess you know what I did.”

“I do,” she confirmed. “I can also tell you that our curiosity only gets worse instead of better.”

“Isn’t that what got us into trouble in the first place?”

“Yes, but we learn to make the best of it,” she replied. “Now, I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

“I don’t think we have enough time to answer them all,” I joked. “Of course, there’s only one thing I’m really concerned about.”

“Our marriage to Jisung?”

I swallowed hard. “Well?”

“I won’t keep you in suspense,” she said. “We married him, and we’re very happy together.”

I sighed in relief. “I thought I ruined everything.”

“We came close,” Y/N admitted. “But I think that some things are destined to happen.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Why wouldn’t I? After all, you should already know this, but isn’t Jisung great?” Y/N grinned. “Where did you come from in the past? I’m assuming that we’ve already met him for you to be at this point?”

“He’s still the hall monitor,” I said, wincing when Y/N squealed like it was the greatest thing she had ever heard.

“Wasn’t he so handsome?” Y/N asked.

“The best,” I offered, watching Y/N swoon like she had married a celebrity or something. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Y/N smiled.

“Why did we marry Han Jisung? No offense, but he wasn’t exactly...normal?”

“Yeah? But what qualifies as normal?” Y/N asked. “I think a young girl who spends way too much time with Dr. Park trying to invent a time machine isn’t exactly normal either.”

“That’s...surprisingly a good point,” I conceded.

“Actually, I think I should tell you about him,” Y/N continued. “Han Jisung is the type of person who looks after other people before himself. He’s the thoughtful kind of person who once spent an entire paycheck just to buy me a new jacket after I accidentally left mine behind at the theater.”

“All of that happened?”

“He cares a lot about us,” Y/N said. “Jisung had a crush on us for a long time.”

“On us?” I repeated, eyes widening in disbelif.

"You might naive now, but I think you’ll find out for yourself just how wonderful he really is.”

“But...that still doesn’t explain why we never amounted to anything? I mean, a receptionist wasn’t high on my list of accomplishments.”

“That list was superficial. Our life with Jisung is anything but ordinary. I think you’ll come to realize that sometimes we never understand what we truly want until it actually happens.”

“I guess that makes sense,” I shrugged.

“By the way, the receptionist gig is only temporary,” Y/N smiled. “We’re waiting for a grant to start our research into Quantum Mechanics at the University.”

“No way!” I gasped. “If I had known-”

“Exactly,” Y/N interrupted. “We aren’t supposed to know because it takes the excitement out of life. Isn't it more interesting to think that the future is a blank canvas?”

“Okay, I get it,” I said. “But the temptation was hard to resist.”

“I understand,” Y/N nodded. “However, I’ll also be the first to tell you that even now your future could change. Because nothing is ever set in stone.”

“That’s something like what Dr. Park said,” I remarked, sharing an easy smile with the older and wiser version of myself.

“In any case, being a wife and a mother is my greatest adventure. Trust me, Y/N, our future is nothing short of extraordinary.”

I knew she was right, and I took her hand with a firm squeeze. “I’ll always remember that.”

“Good,” she smiled. “Because I don’t want you to mess this up, okay?”

I laughed. “I think I can manage to create a good future for us.”

“But you might want to hurry up before Dr. Park decides to leave you here.”

I took one more look around the park, admiring the gentle elegance of the calming water. For the first time ever, I was nothing short of ecstatic when I thought about living every second to its fullest. Because life was far too short to worry about what could’ve been when I had the rare opportunity to understand what my life will become.

2020

Upon my return to the present, Dr. Park decided to dismantle the time machine. “It seems necessary to avoid any further mistakes,” he nodded.

“But...what will you do now, sir?”

“Anything’s possible, Y/N,” he said. “We’ll just have to make the best of it.”

“Maybe you should think about cars,” I suggested, offering him a sly smile to which he rolled his eyes.

“What did you see?”

“My lips are sealed,” I chirped, ignoring the way he continued to call my name while I ran upstairs in a rush to finally arrive at school on time without the assistance of an Uber. Graciously, traffic wasn’t as chaotic, so I was able to waltz through most of the crosswalks with little difficulty, waving at the cars passing alongside the road. My adrenaline was pumping, and I had never been so enthused to see the familiar outline of my school building in the distance.

Fittingly, I was actually unable to report to my class on time, but I couldn’t be more satisfied to meet a familiar hall monitor stationed near my classroom. “Y/N!” Jisung exclaimed, eyes widening as he checked behind him. “You can go inside before Miss Adams arrives.”

“Thanks,” I said, but I still paused in front of him. “I want to talk to you about the dance.”

“You don’t want to go with me anymore,” Jisung frowned and I quickly shook my head.

“Why would you say that? I can’t wait for the dance.” 

“Really?”

I smiled at Jisung who was blushing furiously. “I’m looking forward to our date,” I said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Thank you, Jisung.”

“Y-Y/N,” Jisung stuttered. “What are you doing?”

“I just want you to know that I think you’re pretty great,” I said, enjoying the flabbergasted expression on his face as I walked inside my first-period classroom, satisfied that my future was truly secured.

[mochuelovelli]

ASOUE AU? ASOUE AU. Pt 1 (Characters)

Okay so I just posted a little doodle I did for an A Series of Unfortunate Events AU that I had been thinking about ever since I realized that Esmé was obviously Magica's VA (which was 3 days ago so oop). I don't have all the characters figured out right now (mostly bc quite frankly there aren't really enough adults that act so... neglectful towards the kids in ducktales). I'll list the ones I am pretty concrete on VS the ones I'm unsure or ones that I "reimagined" due to not everyone fitting perfectly in this world.

Characters that are Definite:

Glomgold as Count Olaf: Think about it, horrible actor/cosplayer (yes thats what he is). Both obsessed about riches, revenge and are generally incompetent. Really, Olaf is much more wicked in the ASOUE series imo (bc even tho Glomgold wants to kill Scrooge and steal his money. This anger only extends his wards if he wishes to use them against Scrooge and is less keen on the murdering of kids. Notice I said LESS). Not 100% if I want him to be as...well explicit as Olaf can be at times. Especially his characterization in the Bad Beginning if you know what I mean (pst it's child marriage)

Magicia DeSpell as Esmé Squalor: Like I said, this is a no brainer. She has the stage performance of Magicia with a bit of Mark Beaks Mom (forget her name) mixed in. Probably would downplay her love for fashion and replace it with an obsession with the occult. I would also not have her be obsessed with Glomgold, its more in character for Glomgold to be obsessed with her anyhow. It is also possible bc I tend to believe she is a more compelling villian in canon that she might take the place of Glomgold on the Island in "The End". But I also plan for Scrooges Number One Dime to replace the Sugar bowl so, maybe not.

Doofus Drake as Calmanita Splats: Duh, spoiled brat who is very creepy and probably has parents that want them dead? Instead of wanting to sing all the time he mainly wants to wreak things/people. He still definitely dresses up tho into a hodgepodge of things. It always changes and Glomgold is always annoyed by this but he likes him more than Magicia. She definitely wants him dead just like Olaf in the series (she really hates kids).

Duckworth as Larry your waiter: Yeah not much competition for this role. It was either him or Launchpad. Duckworth is too perfect for this role and he honestly will play a better spy than canon Larry. If I ever write it out a lot of the "fight scenes" and anime-esque "explaining how I fooled you" dialogue will definitely be reworked but still present. I will however not keep out the main theme of neglect or ignorance with the adults, they will still fail in that regard as always but will just not literally stand there and tell Olaf "We finally caught you, now let me explain why we are so smart oh no you set something on fire again". I mean...maybe for a Mr. Poe but not the VFD. Or...SHUSH I should say but more on that later (or in another post who knows?)

Scrooge McDuck as Lemony Snicket (sorta): Okay so OBVIOUSLY we can't have our "Lemony" have the hots for the McDuck siblings mom (yes another thing I must explain oh boy). Scrooge will still be gilted in love by, of course Goldie though I am still not 100% if she should play part of the the role of Kit Snicket (again NOT related to Scrooge) or should she be someone else entirely. Scrooge is basically the reason everything is happening in this AU just like the canon Lemony but writes sad letters to Donald and Della as well as Goldie. As you might of well guessed, Scrooge's Fortune is also the riches the McDuck's have.

Fethry Duck as Dr. Monty: Of course a snake lover will become a marine lover in this AU! Also of COURSE Mitzy will play the roles of the incredibly deadly viper AND the great unknown! Fethry and Dr. Monty not being mentioned by their family but also too enthralled with their studies to care all that much (but seriously thats fucked up ducktales). Totally made for this role. As far as setting goes this will be where the siblings will be underwater first but since the series already has plently of aquatic locals I will probably swap out the Lake Lacamose story with Peru or the Galapagos. Speaking of...

Ms. Quackfaster as Aunt Josephine: For narrative purposes it would make sense that Ms. Quackfaster would lose her edge as a brave and bold woman. For what exact reason I am still trying to figure out. Not sure if I still want to keep the "Ike" storyline, maybe she just got really spooked by FOWL. Maybe some creature from the Galapagos ate her leg or something.

Ma Beagle as Dr. Orwell: This particular role was sort of hard for me to cast due to the fact that Dr. Orwell is older and romantically involved with Olaf (at least its sorta there). I really didn't want to give this role to Owlson bc other than she isn't a bad person, she is also way too young. Ma Beagle already has a similar motivation im canon to want to reclaim Duckburg as Beagleburg so the Terrible Mills plot to frame the B for causing a fire in order to have control over the mill is very in line with Ma. I originally wanted the Beagle Boys be working in the Mill but since I am changing the setting to Egypt, I decided to use the people stuck in the pyrimid (idk what they are actually called) and will either use Amulet, Launchpad or Dijin as Cookie

Characters that are Mixed with others:

Huey Duck as the Narrative Role of Violet B.: I mostly imagined(?) the kid characters in a approximation of set characters from the books/series. For this reason, Huey plays the ROLE of Violet Baudelaire so that he can take the "inventor" occupation. I went back and forth on finding who would have Violet's quirk of using an object to help her think. My mind originally went to Webby since she has a bow and I wanted Huey's obsession with the Incomplete History of Secret Organizations to take the place of his JWG. However I reworked it so that Huey's JWG would act as Violet's ribbon with him having to flip through his beat up (and slightly burnt) journal to find a quick solution or just to calm his nerves. Something that applies to all the triplets and twins is that their last names are changed to "McDuck" mostly bc it sounds better that they are later called the "McDuck Murders" instead of the "Duck Murders" as well as Scrooges edited role in the kids lives. He has a mix of Klaus' social awkwardness and habit of talking at length about his special interests to whoever will listen. Huey is also the one who gets hypnotized in the Miserable Mill ep.

Louie Duck as the Narrative Role of Sunny B.: Pretty sure I swapped Louie and Webby for this role in my first post but whatever. I wanted to confusingly change Klaus' role into a "Charmer" or "smooth talker" (obviously still a work in progress) since I felt that Huey in DuckTales canon was always well researched as well a good mechanic and having two characters who pretty much fit the same role was... redundant. I also wanted to really make Webby's Sunny much more inline with her notorious/abnormal fighting abilities. However, I realized that instead of changing Klaus' role I should just change Sunny's characterization since I would have to rework it anyways since she was a baby. I also got the idea from recently rewatching the series and saw Sunny basically trick her way out of being trapped with the Hook handed man (i.e. Fernald). I will instead make Louie's role as what he functionally is in DuckTales (the guy who can talk his way out of anything). He would probably also say his occupation is "Defense Attorney" or something along those lines. He is also the one who gets captured the most but not by much. However while he still has Sunny's sarcasm, he also has Klaus' inherit skeptism and distrust of adults.

Webby Vanderquack as the Narrative Role of Klaus B.: Like I said in Louie's segment, Webby is changed to Klaus or more accurately the "Researcher" of the group. She is often the one who stays up late, researching ways to get out of Glomgold's schemes. Unlike Klaus though, she has more of the optimism of Violet but might not put as much belief into all authority as Huey might. She still has role models that she looks up to but isn't against bending the rules. She also unfortunately takes Violet's role of becoming "Olaf's bride" in the Bad Beginning. In the story she has always lived with the McDucks but didn't take their name and still had Mrs. B (until she was around 10, she was 12ish when the fire happened). However, she is still in the McDuck Will and therefore Glomgold hatches a plan to use her to get the fortune. She also tricks him by signing her name "Vanderduck" or "McDuck" instead of Vanderquack to make the marriage null in void. She is also a mix of Sunny since she is generally the most physically capable out of the children.

Dewey Duck as the Narrative Role as Quigley Quagmire: Okay honestly after a rewatch, I don't exactly know what makes Duncan and Quigley that different from each other. I'm pretty sure Duncan is the Klaus of his siblings but whatever. Dewey mostly just 1/2 of the reveal that two people survived the fire during the Carnival segment (which is changed to an underground wrestling theme for reasons to be explained). I am fairly certain that during the last part of the Village of Fowl Devotees I want Dewey be the one left behind with Webby and Lena that way we can have more time spent with him and Weblena/ Magicia v Lena drama. Dewey's occupation would be "Comedian/Host/Actor" . He also is the one the adults ignore during the first half and will be the subject of Triplet/only child jokes that the Quagmires face.

Gosalyn Mallard as the Narrative Role of Duncan Quagmire: Okay so like, no she isn't related or adopted by the Quagmires

Lena Saberwing as the Narrative Role of Isadora Quagmire: c'mon both these kids like poetry. Literally I can think of no other DuckTales kid that likes that (other than Webby but that was more of her liking Lena's stuff). She will still have her background as Magica's niece and might take some of the role of Fernald where he gets redeemed by betraying Olaf/saving Sunny. I am unsure by what extent though as she isn't going to be a henchperson of Glomgold or Magica. It might be that she is uses morally questionable ways to get what she wants/needs. Maybe she is "good" but has to commit a terrible act similar to how the Baudelaires have to burn down the carnival.

Characters that I am uncertain about or straight up don't have someone in that role:

Violet Saberwing as the Narrative Role of Fiona Widdershins: Like Fiona, Violet was also originally distrusted by a part of the cast (in this AU, it probably be Webby and/or Louie as Huey catches feelings lol). She is also obsessed with the occult not fungus and has to save probably Louie from losing his soul or something (wip). Violet more than any of the main cast of kids will probably act more like her canon self since she is naturally straight forward and booksmart. She probably gets forced to stay with Glomgold until her and Lena can escape again. Also since I didn't want it to be another underwater local and wanted it to relate to DuckTales17 a bit more closely I thought it be better if they were in the sky. Maybe Violet got the Sun chaser or maybe even the Spear of Selene. Maybe instead of going to look for their dads (since they are dead oof) they come back at The End to tell the McDuck Siblings et all that they might of found something...or someone important.

Boyd as the Narrative Role of Friday: This is definitely more of a stretch as really he is only Friday because in role only because I want him at the Island at The End so that he can save the siblings from whatever organic incident happens since he is still an android. I previously thought he could also fit the role of Fernald since he could go through a redemption arc easier due to him sorta going through one in the show. Its not out of the realm of possibility that Glomgold could have reprogrammed him to obey him (he might still do something similar I haven't figured it out 100%).

Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera as the narrative role of Hector: He probably won't faint as much as Hector but he will have to be pushed by the kids to be confident in himself during the Vile Village (which will probably change to a Capital city since I plan to rework FOWL into this). Maybe its similar to a military academy which makes having a set of rules make sense. Its also possible that Fenton escapes with some of the kids in the Sunchaser by the end of this.

Steelbeak as the Narrative Role of Fernald Widdershins: I mainly chose him because Steelbeak and Hookhanded man both most clearly are shown to be sympathic antagonists. They are still functionally villians, much more so than any of the children like Boyd or Lena who, yeah, have done bad things but in one case wasn't given the freewill to decide for himself or was but when she decided to stand up for herself she was literally tortured and had her freedom taken away (more so than in the beginning since. Steelbeak would, like Fernald, be making a choice as an adult man to be apart of a mad man's troop and was harden enough to commit murder if it meant he could impress his boss. But because he is not related to (by blood or otherwise) any protagonist I struggle to know where to put him. I might still have him defect during the end of what would have been the Grim Grotto ep and comes back with the Saberwings at The End. Maybe he brings Gosalyn back after finding her at some point, maybe he dies somewhere towards The End. Not sure.

Gladstone/Ghost of Christmas Past/News Reporter Lady as the Narrative Role of Mr. Poe/Mr. Poes Wife: wow this one is really confusing. My reasoning behind these picks is because The News lady would be a great pick for Mr. Poe's wife or at least a substitute as she has similar motivations in DT17. The biggest set back for her tho is that she has no reason to be on the Baudelaire case (or McDuck case anyways). Ghost of Christmas past is a bit of a stretch since why the fuck would he be in charge of making sure the kids had guardians? I mainly want him just bc of his motivation (or lack thereof) to do his job and being incompetent at it. Gladstone while making some sense that he also would be uncaring about where the kids go is also a stretch given he is a relative and he while he might not care 100% about their whereabouts he wouldn't lose them like Mr. Poe would simply bc he is so damn Lucky. Its possible to work that against him, maybe in a scenerios like where he drops off the kids but gets whisked away because some rando gifts him a boat. Still unsure.

Mrs. Beakley as either the Narrative Role of Jaclyn S (Mr. Poes Secretary/VFD spy)., Olivia C. (Librarian): I want Mrs. B to have a role which fits her being experienced and competent but also met a tragic demise. I might mix the experience of JS with the fate of OC. Poor Webby.

Justice Strauss as ???: I'll be honest, I am stumped with this one. This is a very important role to fill and I can't quite find an adult character that fits the bill of Justice Strauss. Mrs. B is too smart, Launchpad studying law while ridiculous, is something inline with the show but he doesn't have a DT17 motivation similar enough to Strauss where he's desires can be exploited nor has he really want kids in the same sense as Strauss. Drake Mallard is close since he is an actor but having him work with law is a bit of a stretch, I also think that making him somewhat bumbling is an insult to his character but Strauss is tragic since she WANTS to very much be the Baudelaires guardian but fails so much. Maybe in a safer world she could have been, maybe if they were luckier. She loves them so much, but they run away where she can't find them to at least try to be there for them and is left heart broken by the end. Whoever becomes JS is in for a world of hurt and I'm sorry. Goofy could also be a replacement, maybe Max died for more angst 😬.

Goldie or Daisy as the narrative role of Kit Snicket: This kinda gets really fanfic-y as neither of these characters really fit nicely into this role. Goldie definitely has the skill of Kit and her disregard for the rules but the pregnancy thing is... something. Not entirely sure if I actually want her to be pregnant but I also want a Beatrice II type character (of course she would be named Della II) but again very fanfic-y. Daisy I am more comfortable being the one who gets pregnant, she might take Olivias role as the new VFD recruit instead of Kits more seasoned one. All I know is that if either or both outcomes exist they will die also a Dewey Deanumont(?) Character wouldn't be the father it would of course be Donald or Scrooge depending who gets pregnant.

Jacques Snicket as ???: Another mystery for me. Functionally? Maybe Manny could play this role or even Launchpad (he really is just my go to for any character idk about huh?) Whoever it is will die but wont have a romance with the Olivia character(s). Maybe its Goofy lmao.

This is quite long enough, let me know if y'all got any more ideas. I'll edit this when I can since I am tired of writing. Please comment or reblog for suggestions and the like thx u. And please...Look Away while you still can.

[skepticalcatfrog]

Shattered Crown Chapter 14

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter Masterpost

Summary: After disaster strikes in Prince Roman's kingdom, he must go on a quest in order to take back the crown that is rightfully his. He will travel with three companions on an epic adventure, gaining many friends and enemies along the way. Those three companions are an intelligent inventor with a mysterious past, a cheerful wizard with a dark secret, and... the assassin who was sent to kill him two years prior.

Pairings: Logicality and Prinxiety

Word count: 3,120

Author's Notes: We're nearing the end of the story! I really liked this chapter, it's probably one of my favorites.

When the darkness dissipated, Patton found himself completely alone. Not only that, but he wasn't where he had been before. Before, he was with the others in the throne room. But now he was alone in a dark, narrow hallway, in a strange castle.

No matter how much he didn't want to, the only thing he could do was to try and find his way back. So he began walking. There weren't any lanterns in the hallway, and the only light was coming from the windows. But, since it was dark, the hallway was almost pitch black. He could only see a few feet in front of him thanks to the moonlight. He used magic to light a controlled fire in his hand, just so he'd know where he was going. 

On one hand, he hoped that he wasn't the only one this had happened to. That would mean he wasn't hopelessly wandering the castle while the other three fought. But on the other hand, if they had all been separated, then they would be weaker against Ethan. All four of them could definitely stand a chance against him if they all fought at once. Separated, though, they were as good as gone.

He wandered around for a little while longer. One of the big windows snapped open, letting the cold air inside. Patton jumped at that, only relaxing when he realized that there wasn't a threat. He closed the window, but he didn't know how to lock it, so he just left it as it was. He kept walking, and was almost over his nervousness when he heard a loud crash from behind him. Then he bolted. He ran as fast as he could down the narrow hallway, knowing he wouldn't have to make a turn any time soon. He looked behind him to make sure he wasn't being chased, and in the few seconds he wasn't paying attention, he found himself crashing directly into something. Or… more like someone.

Patton fell to the ground, and his glasses flew from his face. Whoever he'd crashed into was also on the ground. Patton looked around on the ground for his glasses, and the other person also seemed to be looking for something. When they found what they were looking for, Patton put his search on pause. He leaned forward a little to get a better look at their face. He gasped, and his face lit up. "Logan!"

"Patton?" Logan asked, picking up Patton's glasses and handing them to him. "What happened?"

"I don't know, everything went dark and then I was here." Patton said, standing up. "Weren't you there too? Did that happen to you too?"

Logan stood up, hesitating before talking again. "Yes, of course, I was there. We came here together."

"Did something happen? You seem kind of… weird." Patton furrowed his brow.

"No, I can assure you that I'm perfectly alright." Logan said, adjusting his glasses. Patton stepped a little closer, examining them.

Upon slightly closer examination, he noticed that they weren't the silver glasses he wore now.

"What happened to the glasses? Did they break?" Patton asked. "If they're okay, you really need to be wearing them. Ethan can shapeshift. And if he does, you'll be the only one who can tell us apart, Logan."

"I know, but I'm not wearing them because…" Logan trailed off, struggling to find an explanation. "I don't want them to break accidentally, in case we really do end up needing them."

Patton raised his eyebrow. He knew Logan usually would've had an explanation prepared already. His skeptical expression changed to a more relaxed one. "Hey...Logan? What's my cat's name?"

Logan tensed up, saying the first thing he could think of since he was caught off guard. "Rosemary." He said, stretching out the 'r' as if he wasn't sure of the words he was saying.

Patton met his eyes with a glare as sharp as a blade. "You're not Logan."

The other froze for a moment, but soon that reaction wore off. An unsettling smile grew on his face, and a wicked laugh slipped out. His features shifted. The black tone of his hair lightened until it was blond, starting at the roots. The mechanical arm disappeared and was replaced with a real one. Scales unfolded across his face. Finally, his dark eyes became a shocking mismatch of silver and harsh yellow with a slit pupil.

"You've gotten smarter since I last saw you, dear brother!" Ethan reached out and grabbed Patton's wrist before he could react, so he wasn't able to get away. "But unfortunately… you still aren't smart enough."

Ethan's yellow eye began to glow. Patton's eyes widened, and he found himself unable to look away, even though he knew what was coming. He felt his thoughts dimming until they were all gone. His head felt like it was full of clouds. At first he felt as though all his senses were shutting down, before he remembered how to breathe. Everything in the world turned yellow, almost as if he were looking through a stained glass window. He was still able to see, unlike what he had expected, but he couldn't move. Not by himself at least. When Ethan began walking away, Patton went along with him. And that was the last thing he could remember.

~~~

Meanwhile, the real Logan had been locked outside. After the darkness cleared, he found himself at the back of the castle. The first thing he noticed was the cold air. When the room had gone dark, he closed his eyes. It was mostly a reflex, because he didn't know what was going to happen, and honestly didn't really want to. Looking back on it, he realized that that probably wasn't a good decision, but there was no changing it now.

He began walking in a circle around the entire castle, looking for another entrance. It was hard to see, because of how dark it was. For some reason this kingdom hadn't thought to put lights outside, so the only light was coming from the moon. Logan ran his hand along the wall, hoping to magically come across a hidden entrance. He'd be able to see it with his glasses anyway, but he wanted a way to be sure. He'd barely tested the glasses, so there was really no way to tell if they actually worked or not.

As he walked, he felt a small groove in the wall. He silently celebrated as he looked up to find a blue, vaguely door-shaped rectangle illuminated on the wall. He began tapping around on the hidden door, panicking as he heard footsteps coming towards him. He hid behind a pillar as two guards passed by. One of them looked in his direction, but didn't see him. Logan had never been so thankful for darkness.

When the guards were far enough away, he kept messing with the door. After a few more failed attempts, he tapped on a stone in the wall and it slowly sunk in. The wall folded itself up in a way that reminded Logan of a scroll unfurling. He hesitantly stepped inside, and the wall closed back up behind him.

It was even darker in the passage than it had been outside. There weren't any torches, likely to not draw attention to it. After all, a hidden passage was called a hidden passage for a reason. The darker it was in there, the less likely it was to be found.

He walked down the long, dark hallway and realized very quickly that it was a very bad idea for him to be there. He was reminded of when he was younger, walking through the caves. He immediately pushed those thoughts down though, because he had other things to worry about. He started walking faster anyway, though. 

Soon enough he reached the end of the path. He opened a trapdoor on the ceiling and climbed a ladder into the rest of the castle. Upon closing the trapdoor behind him, he felt like he could breathe much better. He sat on the floor for a moment to collect himself.

He was inside the castle, but he still hadn't found anyone else. He had only been inside for a few seconds, but the fact that he hadn't already started moving was showed him that he wasn't really trying. He wasn't doing enough to get where he needed to be, even though he didn't even know where that was. He just had to do something else.

He got up and kept walking. He had no idea where he was going, but that didn't really matter to him at that point. All that mattered was finding the others and making sure they were okay. Logan knew that there was no guarantee that they were safe, but at least he'd be able to find out if he looked. While he was still ignorant, they could be anywhere, in any condition.

He wandered around endlessly for what seemed like hours, even though it was probably only half of one. But, just when he was about to lose hope, when he'd decided that it was over and he would be left alone to wander forever, he finally found someone.

"Patton!" Logan's face lit up, something that only happened on a few rare occasions. This moment was one of them. He was excited, relieved, absolutely overjoyed that the first person he found would be Patton. He ran to his boyfriend. "Are you okay? Did anything happen to you?"

Patton took a hesitant step forward, as if he was unsure of his own ability to move. Logan found this strange right away, but nothing else looked off, so he knew it was really Patton.

"I'm okay Logan. Why wouldn't I be?" Patton tilted his head in slight confusion. His voice sounded distant, like he was in a tired sort of trance. But Logan thought nothing of this as well, because they were all tired.

"I was so worried, Patton." Logan reached out and took his hand. Patton made no effort to return the gesture, just letting his hand lay in Logan's. "I was afraid that Ethan might have gotten to you, that you were hurt or worse."

"Well there's no need to worry about me." Patton smiled, but it didn't look like him at all. "I'm doing just fine."

Logan took a slight step back. All of these actions were very uncharacteristic of Patton. He wasn't acting like himself, he didn't sound like himself, and in some ways he didn't even look the same. But Logan's glasses told him it was really Patton. No matter how dangerous it might be, Logan took off his glasses. He stepped closer to Patton so he would be able to see what the other two would have seen, if they were there. He leaned in close and looked into Patton's eyes. They looked quite similar to how they usually did. Logan had to get very close to be able to see any difference, only partly because he wasn't wearing glasses. And what he saw when he got closer shook him to his very core.

Patton's eyes, which were normally a deep, warm brown, had a yellowish haze over them. Logan quickly identified this as a sign of mind control. Patton was not okay at all. And soon, Logan wouldn't be either.

He had already gotten too close there wasn't any time for him to get away, and soon he found himself completely unable to do so anyway. Patton's eyes glowed bright yellow. Logan's brain gradually began to stop working, like a machine being shut down. The ever-turning gears in his arm made an abrupt stop. Soon after that, he too was under the spell.

Once he was sure Logan had lost all consciousness, Ethan stepped out from where he'd been lurking just around the corner.

"Love." The sorcerer glared at Logan, a hint of disgust in his eyes. "It can make us blind to reality sometimes."

He began walking towards his next destination, both Logan and Patton following him like loyal soldiers.

~~~

Virgil was in the dungeons. He knew that definitively, because a dungeon looks very different from the rest of a castle. Cells lined the walls of the round room, and there was a metal door between two of them. When he tested it, he found that it was locked. The cells were all empty, even though he was sure that shouldn't have been possible. He sat in the corner of one of them, hugging his knees to his chest and leaning his head on the wall.

"They're going to be okay. They don't need you to win, they'll be totally fine." Virgil muttered to himself. "Unless of course we were all separated and Ethan is taking us down one by one, which will definitely lead to our defeat and probably also death."

He sighed. That probably wasn't even what was happening. Ethan probably singled him out to get revenge on him even though he hadn't done anything wrong. Virgil had just tried to save him from the future he hadn't been able to avoid anyway.

He couldn't help but think about how different his life would've been now if he really had convinced Ethan to not do the spell. Maybe he could've stayed in Patton's kingdom. He could've become a better assassin. He could've had everything. He could have proven himself, maybe he could've had another chance to…

No, he couldn't think like that. When Ethan gave him the assignment to assassinate Roman, Virgil had thought it was the most amazing chance he could have ever gotten. But now, he had found that his mistake during the mission was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Working with Ethan again would be a huge mistake. The solitude was getting to him, he had to find a way out, but that was kind of the point of a dungeon, wasn't it? He wouldn't be able to get out by himself. He didn't even know if anyone would come to get him, no matter if that person was a friend or enemy. He bit his lip, trying not to cry. But a combination of the stress he was feeling, the loneliness, and the fear of never seeing the others again stopped this from happening.

He cried silently as he sat in the dungeon cell. Old memories that he didn't want resurfacing swirled around his head. Hurtful words said to him by people who never believed in him seemed to come directly from the walls. Just as he thought he was about to lose his mind, he heard the door open.

He looked up, daring to hope that maybe someone had come to find him. Sure enough, Logan and Patton were there. Virgil jumped to his feet and leapt towards them. He hugged Patton tightly, only going for him because he knew Logan didn't usually like hugs very much.

"I can't believe you guys found me… I didn't think anyone was looking…" Virgil took a step back, drying his eyes. "Where's Roman? Did you guys find him yet?"

"No, we didn't. But we will. I can promise you that." Virgil heard that voice and he froze. That was someone he hadn't heard in years, but he could still identify the voice the second he heard it.

"Ethan." Virgil glared at Ethan as he entered the room. It annoyed Virgil how regal he was all the time. And sure, Roman was too, but at least Roman wasn't so annoying and condescending about it.

"Hello, Virgil." Ethan smiled wickedly, and he looked just the same as he did the last time Virgil had seen him. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Surely we have a lot to catch up on."

"We don't have anything to catch up on." Virgil said, sparing no harshness in his voice.

"Oh, really?" Ethan raised his eyebrow. "What about your new boyfriend?"

"Don't talk about him." Virgil demanded.

"Don't talk about who? Your boyfriend who I assigned you to kill two years ago? And you were entirely prepared to do it?" Ethan scowled.

"Seriously, just don't." Virgil started getting more frustrated.

"He's stupid and reckless! He knows nothing of ruling! You could have done so much better than him!" Ethan shook his head.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Without thinking, Virgil swung his fist. He hit Ethan directly in the face,  causing him to stumble backwards and almost fall over. The sorcerer stared at him in disbelief for a second before a terrifying fire lit in his eyes.

"You know what? I thought we could have fixed things. Maybe we could have worked together again. But no, you chose this for yourself because you're too stubborn to admit when you're wrong!" Ethan held out his hand and Virgil's eyes began to glow yellow. "You're not worth any mind control."

Virgil felt an excruciating pain shoot through him like an arrow. He fell to his knees and curled up on the ground. His eyes shut tightly. It felt like he was being stabbed by dozens of swords at once, but there wasn't actually anything there. He bit his lip in an attempt to hold in the cries of pain building up inside him. He thought that any moment could be the end of it all, but the pain just kept going. He wasn't dying, and probably wasn't going to. Maybe that's what Ethan meant to do. Virgil couldn't move. Any time he even thought about it, the thoughts were immediately pushed down by the agony he was feeling.

"This is what I've been trying to do since that night in the castle." Ethan said, knowing Virgil could still hear him. "And finally, on a different night in a different castle, I've succeeded. It's strange how history repeats itself sometimes, isn't it?"

"He's… stronger… than you." That was all Virgil could manage to say. Luckily Ethan seemed to get the message.

"That imbecile of a prince is stronger than no one!" He hissed. "He has no magic, only one weapon, and none of those little relics you've been collecting. I defeated him easily the first time. How difficult do you think it will be for me to do it again?"

Ethan turned and left, Patton and Logan following him out. Virgil thought about his words and realized that he was right. Roman wouldn't want to fight Logan and Patton, so they were as good as invincible against him. And while Roman was distracted by them that would give Ethan time to finish the job. Virgil hoped that Roman would be able to find a way to win, but he was losing hope with every second.

Taglist: @musikasworld @icequeenoriginal @romanknite @idkwhyimhere0o0 @mellow-yellow-nutella @bubblycricket @ilovemygaydad @chelsvans @i-am-not-anon

[system-of-a-feather]

I always thought I was the core but now I don’t know anymore. All the memories I have from before 13 yo can be literally counted on my hands and are very, very blurry and in 3rd person. Around age 13 something traumatic happened and from that point my memories become “normal”, as if I started living at 13. I literally have whole years of jet black nothingness in my head. (1)

My best friend and I have known each other since we were 11 but I have not a single memory of neither her nor mine existence before we were 13 something. I still have a generally blurry memory because of co-consciousness and dissociation. Casually, everyone, even my parents, always say that after that traumatic experience my personality totally changed, that I was so different before. (2) Alec, who is the other who is co-conscious a lot (but only fronts from time to time) is definitely not the original personality, he came after me. Then there’s the kiddo and she might be the core but she almost always “asleep” and comes out once in a while when we’re relaxed. I have no memory of when she was born so she could be the core... I‘m pretty sure there’s another alter and the two are keeping them from me for some reason.(3) I always thought I was the core, cause I’m the host, and I identify with the body’s birth name, gender and age (19). I’m suddenly so scared. What if the original suddenly pops out and reclaims the body? I’m the one who kept the things going. It sounds bad but I feel entitled to consciousness because I’m always at least co-conscious, even though Alec is handling the body. But if I’m not the core, don’t I have less rights than the core? I took so many life-changing decisions on my own...(4) 

[reply below the KEEP READING]

 Oh dude I full on sympathize with you here. I didn’t exist before the body was like... nine or ten, didn’t actually fully form / develop until we were about thirteen, and didn’t become host until we were sixteen (we are currently 18 almost 19). The period between 13 and 16 didn’t really have a host. Despite all of that, somehow I always was convinced I was the original and mainly thought I was just the only identity despite some massive obvious details in hindsight.

Despite being host only for a little under three years, and only being particularly active for give or take six years, I’ve grown a large attachment to my life, being the leader of the system, being the host, and just pulling the strings to keep everyone in order. With that being said, I am most definitely not the original - in fact I am probably the newest alter in our system - everyone in our system existed before me or was “born” around the same time as me.

I wouldn’t call you selfish or entitled really as much as it is something that would be natural after you put so much effort into running the life. At the very least, I am in a similar boat so even if it is “selfish and entitled” count me in as well.

Though I do really relate with your fear around if the core appears all of the sudden and tries to reclaim the position as host. To be honest, we have one VERY dormant alter we colloquially name “The Sleeping Dragon�� and she is typically really dormant unless badly triggered and she is probably one of the originals / cores, and at times I’m pretty sure she’s threatened to “throw away this positive and happy character and make a new one” before giving me a sensation of falling out of the front and those have actually been really scary a lot of the time.

I wish I could say that the idea doesn’t concern me anymore or that I’ve found a solution to the issue, but I would be lying. I just kind of came to think of a few things that do comfort me and reassure me that it won’t be half as bad as my mind tries to make it out to be.

Firstly, I don’t think it is really common for ex-hosts to suddenly come front and suddenly get all the controls and time out as host. A dormant alter is dormant for a reason and it would seem illogical for the brain to one day decide that the dormant alter is not only NOT dormant anymore, but they are also the one that is out the most. Dissociation and identity fragmentation is partially a mechanism to handle stress inside the body and the mental state. Going from A straight to Z would be unlikely. Of course, they might come out of dormacy, but I doubt that it would be as forceful as kicking you out of your place and your role. At worst, I feel like it would put you in a place of co-hosting to which it would be inconvenient, but potentially with communication within the system, a method of working around it could be found to share or make life functionable again.

Secondly, consider the other alters in the system and their views upon you. If they are used to you being host, working with you, and following your lead in how you generally set up your life and the decisions you make, do you feel they would suddenly be alright with an immediate change in host? Would they really just switch teams to suddenly have the one “that was here first” even though that alter doesn’t know much on the current life being lead and despite them being gone for however long it has been? Personally, I rely on a lot of faith in my other alters to keep an eye out for my back. Even IF she were to resurface and kick me out to the back, I trust that my other alters would support to getting me at least part of my place back.

Thirdly, and most importantly, you are equally given rights to the body. I would argue this not only for you and the core, but for any alter in the system. Just because they were “the original” doesn’t mean that the work you put into shaping this life over the past six years and your existence is worth any less than the “original” and the “core”. You did A LOT to get you and your system where you are today - as did most of the alters in your system. You put a lot of effort into managing this life when the “original” left - you picked up where the project was left off.

If one inventor started an invention and gave up and abandoned it, then someone came around to pick it up, finished it, polished it, and perfected it, who would you give the credit to? Would you say only the original inventor who gave the base idea is the ONLY one worth crediting and being able to be congratulated on the invention? Would you say only the person who perfected it is the only one worth having credit for the invention? Of course neither would be true - rather both would be credited for the craft they made.

Likewise, you deserve access to the life as well as you were the one to adopt an otherwise lost / abandoned life and made it your own.

Of course, with that being said, if they were to return, it’s important to not reject them or make them feel unwelcomed back into the world and consciousness. They did a lot of work in life in the past, and they too are an existence that probably wants to be able to exist as well. They were gone for a long time and suddenly came back to find everything different.

If they do come back, show them the ropes, try to catch them up if you can and try to work peacefully as a team with them. They are a new - or rather old - member to your now inner family. They probably wouldn’t mean any harm and they would probably be pretty confused. Like everything else regarding being a system, life is a team work when alters are involved.

I hope this helped and I wish you the best - from another not-core host.

-Riku (Host)

[storyunrelated]

Full Metal Princess

As I was walking home I was daydreaming, and I daydreamed about Full Metal Princess which is that half-baked idea I had which was basically “Heh, it’d be funny if you took, like, a stereotypicall princess in a big poofy dress and stuck her in a mech. That ‘d be funny.”

So I thought about that and this is what I came up with.

Princesses in poofy dress and also Titanfall 2 and also weird headless monsters kind of?

I don’t know. Here’s a cut.

-

The King and Queen

The benevolent rulers, formerly of the flesh, now a merged entity of pure thought. Presently engaged in solving what is said to be 'An intractable problem'. Thus occupied, they have passed the running of things over into the more-than-capable hands of their many, many daughters.

Colossi

Colossi are a vital everyday feature of the Kingdom, and indeed emblematic of the Kingdom itself and its people.

Machines in the shape of people, to put it bluntly. Mechanisms imbued with a crude sapience - a little less than animal, and far more loyal - and able to function brilliantly under capable direction. Better still, those larger ones are capable of taking a pilot, enhancing the abilities of those inside to superhuman degrees.

Most stand a little taller than a grown adult and are designed to be worn, to boost strength, provide protection in battle and so on and so forth. They are found the length and breadth of the Kingdom, in all walks of life.

Royal Colossi are the only true Colossi, though, being as how they have the size to match the name, but to reach such a size requires a prohibitively large amount of precious Cavorite, hence their reserved usage for the royal personages. The lesser Colossi of the Royal Army and the civilian types remain formidable and useful, but not quite as breathtaking or awe-inspiring.

Dresses

The sheer profusion of lace and ruffles stopped the blade long before it reached her. Foolish of their foes to think they could ever hope to penetrate the dress of a Princess.

Princesses wear dresses. Their poofiness reeks of regality and their fabric can turn bullets and blades alike.

Indeed, these days, those dresses often conceal equipment of alarming potency...

Princess First

"I've seen this sort of thing before. Again. I mean, when have I not?"

The eldest Princess, and the one with de facto seniority by dint of experience rather than anything else. She has seen the most, her sisters know, and therefore always has something of value to offer no matter what it is they might be up against.

Her personal Royal Colossi is the singular, legendary Colossotron. First of the Royal Colossi. Family heirloom, revered relic and all-round national treasure. A machine of sublime beauty and majesty - suitable for the first Princess.

Laid low on the field of battle more times than can be counted but always recovered and rebuilt, Colossotron serves as a walking reminder and symbol of Royal solidity and might - every inch of its armoured plate inscribed with stories of its valorous past, its cloak woven from the shattered weapons of countless foes.

Princess Ignition

"Might I suggest fire as a solution?" "That's always your solution." "If I did not suggest it, you might all think there was something wrong with me."

Diminutive and pugnacious, Princess Ignition is the Princess who spends the most time out with the Royal Army. They are rightly glad to have her, for her regal bloodlust is tempered with a surprisingly cool sense of tactical planning. Fights are fun, she is quick to point out, and funner still if you know you'll be the one winning.

Her Royal Colossi, the pyromaniacal Salt The Scorched Earth, is a veritable nightmare of a machine, festooned with blades and capable of turning whatever Princess Ignition might encounter into a blazing inferno before they've even realised she was upon them.

Princess Mechanism

"That new irrigation system we've been rolling out is set to improve crop yields by at least twenty-five percent over the next ten years. Twenty-five percent! That's crazy-talk! Can we talk about that? No? Alright..."

Were it up to Princess Mechanism, she would spend her time making things for the sheer thrill of it. As it stands, she makes things for the benefit of the Kingdom, which works out just as well for her, and so she is happy.

An inveterate tinkerer and adjuster and inventor, Princess Mechanism is forever designing and building machines and devices for the benefit of her subjects, not to mention the occasional tweak or improvement for the Colossi of her sisters. She just can't help herself. If she goes too long without making something run a little better she gets twitchy.

Her Royal Colossi - the ever-changing Get The Quotes In - is the least combat-capable of all of those possessed by the Princesses, but this is by choice. It is an engineering machine first and foremost, designed to assist in construction projects and to aid her in the deployment and setup of any one of her myriad devices and projects.

If push does come to shove, though, she is far from helpless, and what with Princess Mechanism's endless tinkering and upgrading and adjustments the odds that Get The Quotes In might be carrying something both surprising and deadly are usually fairly high...

Princess Range

"..."

Not really one for talking, Princess Range is a Princess of action. Then again, all of her sisters are Princesses of action, often making her seem to fade into the background somewhat, especially given her proclivity for silence.

This is, of course, by design. The background is where Princess Range prefers to be, as the background is often at a distance, and in the distance she can pass unnoticed, observing problems and, indeed, solving them before those problems even realise that they are problems at all.

Her Royal Colossi is the comparatively svelte and famously quiet It Must Be Rats, which has a far greater ability to pop up in places people wouldn't expect than a thirty-foot machine made out of metal has any right to. Also, it has a whacking great gun. Princess Range likes her whacking great gun, but won't tell anyone it's name.

Princess Devastation

"Far be it from me to be the voice of moderation - again - but have we considered diplomacy?"

Despite her aptitude - and great talent - for wanton destruction and mayhem, Princess Devastation dislikes violence in a general sense, viewing it as wasteful and ultimately self-defeating, creating only further problems down the road.

Often this has led to fairly heated arguments between herself and Princess Ignition over the nature of conflict as a driving force for change and societal improvement, but such debates tend to remain civil and productive.

Her Royal Colossi is the frankly outlandishly big We Should Have Tried Talking, a lumbering heap of armour and missiles that somehow still manages to walk. Slow to manoeuvre and easily outflanked and outrun, it compensates by being more than capable of immediately and irresistibly flattening anything that happens to be unlucky enough to stand in front of it.

For while she may find violence distasteful, Princess Devastation would be the first to point out the way making a problem simply disappear can often provide a stopgap in lieu of a proper solution.

Enemies

Giants - Inscrutable beings of living flint who live in the far North. Rarely seen, thankfully. A potent and devastating race, where even the smallest individual is a veritable force of nature. The larger members, though loathe to descend to lowlands, are rightly feared, for they are as mountains that walk, capable of destroying armies with little effort should they be so roused.

Their vigil keeps all from venturing North, almost as if there is something there they are protecting...

Slaughtermen - Belligerent and curious creatures of living clay that rise spontaneously from most of the (many and widespread) ancient, long-forgotten battlefields spread throughout the Kingdom and beyond. Self-described as having a diplomatic disposition of 'unpleasant', they merrily murder one another and anything else they happen to come across, building odd monuments to individuals and events they themselves cannot even remember.

Every so often one of particular size and vision - a Slaughterking - will emerge and suddenly the whole mass of Slaughtermen will take on a different character. Now, they will have a goal, and a leader with the will to push them towards it. That Slaughterkings often rival a Royal Colossi in size and strength only makes things worse.

Anthropophagi - The curious, corpse-farming headless men lurk at the fringes and do their best to keep out of the sight of honest citizens, and for this the people are profoundly grateful. They tend nowadays to give humans a wide-berth - having learnt that particular lesson several times now - but those persons living on the very edge of the Kingdom do have a tendency to go...missing...sometimes.

It may come to pass that the Anthropophagi require the lesson taught to them again.

[oumakokichi]

We know Saihara's favorite character was Kirigiri and Shirogane was Junko, but have you tried to guess who the rest of the cast's favs were based on how they built their own characters?

This is a really fun ask that I’ve had sitting here for a while now, because it’s really, really interesting to think about.

Most of what I have is just speculation of course, and personal feelings about which characters they must have liked based on similarities, so I’ll try my best! You already mentioned Saihara and Tsumugi, and both of those are on-point obviously, so I’ll just handle all the other characters.

One of the easiest to go with is Kaede. Sayaka Kanda has already admitted that she was told Kaede is extremely similar to Asahina, and I can really see it. The cheerfulness, the go-getting attitude—even the willingness to do very questionable things, when push comes to shove. Kaede’s decision to kill the ringleader is no less risky and dangerous than Asahina’s attempt to get the entire group killed in dr1 Chapter 4.

I think Asahina’s optimism and very strong belief in people, especially people like Sakura, is probably part of what Kaede wanted to imitate when joining the game. Basically, “I want to be that character but put into a more focal role as a protagonist and a leader.”

Amami is a little harder to tell. There are the obvious similarities in his sprites to Komaeda, but he’s really nothing like Komaeda personality-wise, and since he doesn’t know or remember much about himself outside of prison mode, we have to assume he probably only got to audition about the kind of character he wanted to play for the 52nd killing game season, not ndrv3.

Given his mysterious nature and big sibling status though, as well as their bonus mode interaction, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had used Mukuro as a sort of inspiration. Both of them travel quite a lot due to the nature of their talents (Mukuro as a soldier, Amami as an adventurer), both of them are highly protective of their siblings, and both of them act rather laid back around the rest of the group. Using Mukuro as his inspiration would also make the fact that he dies so early even more hilarious, especially since it was all because of plans the ringleader made behind the scenes.

Himiko and Hoshi I can ironically see as both having taken some inspiration from Gundam. Both of them certainly have a bad case of chuunibyou, to some degree, and while Himiko probably adored the very occult and mystical element about Gundam, Hoshi seems to have quite a lot in common with Gundam in that both of them largely prefer to remain loners, but definitely care for the well-being of the group. Either way, I’m just glad that he seems to have nothing in common with previous “joke characters” like Yamada or Teruteru.

I can also see Himiko having taken some inspiration from Maizono, weird though that might sound. We don’t see a whole lot of stage performers or entertainers in the DR franchise, but like Himiko, Maizono is someone who works tirelessly for her craft and constantly avoids confronting her true emotions about things. They don’t have a particular lot in common personality-wise, but it’s true that Tenko does bring up the fact that idols and “mages” are somewhat similar in her FTEs. So it would actually be cute if Maizono had been something of an inspiration.

Maki could go so many different ways. The most likely ones are Peko and Togami—Peko for her selfless dedication to protecting another character, as well as her terrifying willingness to kill for it, and Togami due to his unpleasant aloofness from the rest of the group, especially in the earlier parts of dr1. If dr3 counts, then throw Juzo in as well, since he’s also similarly reckless and violent. Given the whole cosplaying convention part of her backstory and her own handy skills with swords and knives, I’m going to guess Peko was probably the biggest inspiration out of all three, though.

Kiibo is a hard one to guess, mostly because we know very little about him from a pre-game perspective. If he was created by Team DR from scratch as Tsumugi says, then he wouldn’t have gotten any kind of audition. If he wasn’t (and he certainly does look different from that one glimpse we see of him in the prologue), then it’s possible he did audition like the rest of the group but was simply picked to play the part of audience proxy because he already looked physically similar to Naegi.

He and Naegi are the exact same height, after all, with similar voices and a similar hairstyle. If you assume the audience wanted to connect with someone who could “embody” what DR is all about, then it would make sense if they intentionally chose someone out of the group who looked the most like Naegi, and gave them that “inner voice” of “hope” for that exact purpose. But this is, of course, highly speculative, since again, Kiibo doesn’t even get a single speaking line in the prologue and it’s very hard to determine how much of what Tsumugi said about him was true or not.

Korekiyo is another hard one to judge, and it’s hardly a fair comparison at all, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Saionji was something of an inspiration, at least aesthetically. The bonus mode interaction between them shows that while they aren’t compatible at all personality-wise (he doesn’t even think she’s suitable to “become friends” with his sister), Saionji’s strict upbringing and knowledge about traditional Japanese dancing still interested Korekiyo quite a lot.

We don’t see a lot of DR characters with this super traditional, super formal background; I don’t doubt Saionji and her family would fall right into Korekiyo’s field of study, considering how much dance is a part of culture. So it’s hard to judge if there is any other character who Korekiyo might have based himself on (I certainly hope he didn’t ask to be so horrible on the show, but you never know), but he and Saionji exhibit the most similarities in terms of design and background.

Tenko is a pretty easy one to compare with—she’s extremely similar to Sakura. Her talent as a Neo Aikido master parallels Sakura’s martial artist talent pretty obviously, just like her role as a protector figure for Himiko parallels Sakura’s role in protecting Asahina. If anything, Tenko strikes me as having taken inspiration from the both of them. She has Asahina’s love for food (and never goes quite as wild over food as Akane, for instance) and upbeat personality, as well as the refusal to run or hide from her emotions. I kind of half-wonder if Tenko didn’t specifically go and ask to be some kind of Asahina/Sakura fusion on the show.

Gonta is… a little trickier, but I’m almost inclined to bring Gundam up again. The obvious choices would seem to be Nidai or Sakura, considering “big bara protector figure,” sure, but Gundam seems to fit a lot more with Gonta’s desire to be a “true gentleman.” Both of them die as the Chapter 4 culprits as well, and both have a very open fondness for animals. Gonta isn’t nearly as sure of himself as Nidai or Sakura are either, so I really am inclined to say Gundam is the better fit.

Kirumi’s sort of a toss-up. Both her gothic sense of fashion and her mid-trial breakdown suggest Celes as an inspiration, but she’s also far smarter than Celes and less selfishly motivated. She seems very much like someone who might have appreciated Celes’ design and aesthetic as a character, but not her motivations (or lack thereof).

If DR: Kirigiri counts as a source of inspiration, then Uozumi would seem like the obvious pick. As another maid-who-isn’t-really-a-maid, and who has a similarly serious personality, I could really see Kirumi having liked her a lot. Maybe she wanted to embody a character like that on the show, since Uozumi is only limited to light novel materials.

Angie is… another interesting toss-up. She’s somewhat similar to Mikan—she hardly puts on an act of clumsy helplessness, but it’s true that she does downplay how cutthroat and cunning she can be, and her seeming ditziness or airheadedness as a foreigner helps to mask a lot of that. Like Mikan, Angie very much enjoys having people under her who she perceives as “weak targets.”

Unlike Mikan though, she takes it up a notch, particularly seeking anyone who seems easy to take into her cult, who will do anything she wants them to. And it’s also true that unlike Mikan, we don’t see Angie demonstrate any actual willingness to kill, since she mostly seems to just be interested in self-preservation.

I’m just going to assume Mikan was a general reference for Angie because there aren’t really a lot of others who fit. Considering the racist undertones of Angie’s entire religion and home island though, that’s probably a good thing.

As for Miu, the obvious choice for loud and brash inspiration would be Ibuki, although Miu amped up the crassness a whole lot. I could also see Souda as being one of her favorites. Both of them like to talk big but are quite insecure under the surface, and want attention from other people quite a lot, even to the point of being annoyingly persistent. Souda’s mechanic talent also parallels Miu’s inventor one quite a lot, so I could see him having been her favorite character.

It’s even possible that there were plenty of mechanics or people with a similar title on the show before, but no outright inventors. Maybe Miu asked for the inventor talent for the first time specifically, which would explain why her talent blindsided the ringleader so much—they had no idea what kinds of things she’d actually be capable of creating.

Then there’s Momota. Between his audition video, his violent streak, and his talk about “promises between men,” Mondo is most likely the biggest inspiration. Like Mondo, Momota also has something of an inferiority complex and a need to prove himself as a result—his jealousy of Saihara in Chapter 4 brings to mind Mondo’s jealousy, both of Daiya and of Chihiro. I could see Mondo’s entire backstory and unfulfilled promises having resonated with Momota. The ridiculous hairstyle might also have been something of an inspiration, too.

Momota is someone extremely concerned with appearing “masculine enough” and “proving himself,” so I can’t see him having found much inspiration in any character who didn’t appear “strong,” “tough,” or “manly.” That leaves Mondo as pretty much the only option.

Finally, we have Ouma. My favorite headcanon of all time is still “Ouma hated Danganronpa and everything about it and wanted the godforsaken show to end”—which I think might be a very real possibility if he entered wanting to end the killing game from the start. But given how timid and upset he looks in the brief glimpse we get of him in the prologue, it’s also very possible that Ouma asked for one particular kind of role or talent, and was given something very different from what he asked for, just like Saihara.

I’ve always thought it possible that if Ouma had to pick any character as his favorite from the DR series, he would’ve really liked Nanami. It would explain the many, many similarities between their sprites and designs, as well as the ways in which their roles parallel each other. Assuming Ouma might have asked for some kind of role similar to Nanami’s, I could easily see the ringleader having felt it would be a much better twist if he just looked cute and innocent, but was actually an “evil Supreme Leader,” and a liar.

Either way, given everything that happens in canon and what we know about Ouma’s distaste for killing and death, he hardly strikes me as a Junko fanboy. The whole game is spent framing him as one, so it really would be the perfect kind of subversion if he’d looked up to a much more peaceful kind of character like Nanami instead.

Anyway, this got really long, but I’m glad I could finally answer it. It was a really fun ask, Comun, and gave me a lot of food for thought! Thanks for asking it!

[gwarren-smith-blog]

‘Feminising the Fitbit’. Pedometrics and Proxy - By Gudrun Filipska & Carly Butler

There are many ways in which making journeys (walking or otherwise) by proxy can be liberating – to be somewhere else without losing time, to be in two places at once (1). This is not an argument in favour of cultures of dual distraction - watching TV while playing on your phone for example – but a proposition for a way to use technology as a conduit to thinking, imagining and fantasising about other places, which may have important implications for those unable to travel (due to parenthood, economics or disability). In the midst of designing our dual physical-virtual proposition with the ‘S project’ it should have come as no surprise that we would encounter anti-female bias in the very technologies we used to produce the work…  …  Devices enabling the counting of steps have existed for at least 500 years, Leonardo Da Vinci has been credited with the invention of a mechanical device with a basic pendulum swing which moved back and forth with each step and recorded distance travelled. This is recorded in paintings and sketches by Da Vinci (2). Numerous inventors have created similar devices; Abraham-Louis Perrelet, a Swiss inventor built a device in 1777 based on a self winding watch that could measure walking distance; Thomas Jefferson introduced the pedometer to the American public in the 1930’s where it was unsurprisingly, very popular with long distance trail walkers and branded the ‘hike o meter’. A British man John Harwood, was awarded the first patent for a pedometer in 1924. Pedometers have also since been a big feature in the 1960s Japanese walking model and programme, based on 10,000 steps, called Manpo-kei (3).

Gudrun uses the popular wrist-worn Fitbit to count her steps, and early on, realised that large amounts of steps were being missed when pushing a buggy. Experimenting using a phone step counter strapped to her as well as the Fitbit, the phone-app counted 16,000 and the fitbit only 6050 steps. There are numerous suggestions in the online Fitbit forum for parents trying to get around this problem including; jogging and pushing the buggy one handed - so the Fitbit arm may swing freely (which could be dangerous for the buggy’s occupant); putting the device around the ankle (it is too small for this); or putting it in a pocket which can result in inaccurate readings and the item falling out. The device offers a 'rowing mode' and a 'cycling mode' but the world's most popular pedometer, does not account for buggy pushing, wheelchair pushing, carrying, or even the simple human act of handholding. This is reflected by the comments in the Fitbit community pages where there is currently a petition asking for the introduction of 'stroller mode', the status of which according to the makers, is unsurprisingly 'currently not planned' (4).

The commodification of human ambulation ---as Bjorn Nansen points out in his essay 'Step Counting: The anatomo- and chrono-politics of Pedometers' although seemingly innocuous, actively participates in 'shaping of temporal rhythms of everyday life', and exists within a complicated nexus of marketing, health and governance (5). Naturally by extension, devices skewed to a male centred bias - which make female routines and use of space seem odd and non conforming – perpetuate the historical normative already established, that mens' use of space in the public sphere is somehow more valid. 

Male-centric design bias of course stretches far beyond pedometric devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also be prejudiced due to its design and according to the bias of those who 'train' it. An algorithm used by Amazon to sort through applicant CV's was recently found to be discounting female CV's altogether -- this was not done consciously on the part of the designers but had arisen due to the way it had been taught by men using male colleagues CV's as examples of successful candidates (6). This embeds the urgent need for women – and those living and identifying as female, and people of colour - to be involved in the design of algorithms in order to counter trends, which, as society becomes more reliant on AI technologies, may deem any non white male as a less valid member of society. 

The ‘gender data gap’ as described by Caroline Criado Perez in ‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’ is key to understanding how the seemingly simple task of counting daily steps is riddled with unseen bias against typically ‘female’ tasks (75% more likely to push a pram, for example), and in turn against the female body itself (7). 

Carly uses a smartphone to count steps on a pedometer app. As Criado Perez has discovered:

“The average smartphone size is now 5.5 inches. While the average man can fairly comfortably use his device one-handed, the average woman’s hand is not much bigger than the handset itself. This is obviously annoying for female customers – and shortsighted for a company like Apple, given that research shows women are more likely to own an iPhone than men” (8).

Another study on the accuracy of pedometers showed that they are: 

“within 5 percent of an established criterion of accuracy when placed on the waist, chest and arm, but the divergence rose to 7.3 percent for placement in a purse and 7.7 percent for placement in a pocket.” (9)

If your arm is too small to comfortably have a smartphone strapped to it, and it’s not practical to hold a large smartphone while walking, it goes in your pocket or bag and your step count is compromised. 

The promotion of the Pedometer as a fitness aid follows a health crisis caused by sedentary office centred lifestyles and a society built around vehicle infrastructures. It represents a marketing opportunity created around people’s health anxiety. The use of health apps, heart rate monitors and pedometric devices lead to a culture of self awareness in movement and a constant monitoring of the body which could be read as government intervention masquerading as self care echoing Foucaultian Biopolitics. The issue over who your pedometer data belongs to is opaque, as privacy around pedometers is questionable and there have been a number of incidents where data has been used without the customer's consent (10).

Time, borrowing and lending steps. 

In a culture of 'learning analytics' and the pitfalls of data harvesting, if any new meaning is to be ascribed to step-counting through pedometric devices it may involve the re-inscribing of stepcount data to other uses, other routes, journeys, diversions and cultures of lending and borrowing. 

Walking is often described by artists and writers as a thinking process – the idea of using proxies and avatars (as we have in the S Project) who walk our steps but on different trajectories- opens up a dual walking/thinking space, where the every day A to B routes may parallel the long distance avatar journeys and walking meanings may interpolate between the quotidian and the symbolic. In our S Project walks for example, we may be on the school run, while our avatar crosses the Bering Straight or food shopping while walking across East Iceland. The presence of the two narratives within the same step count opens up an interesting temporal proposition; 

The histories of the ‘non spaces’ which often make up the point to point practical journeys are now also spaces of presence and non presence. The ‘non spaces’ designated by Marc Auge – transitional zones such as Supermarkets and Airports are rapidly being by-passed through digital means, enabling non presence (i.e. online deliveries of shopping and video calls replacing distant meetings) (11). The idea of ‘Junktime’ is an extension of this – a recent article by Hito Steyerl outlines an ethical position for 'non-presence' in a contemporary art world which places increasing demands on artists to ‘be there’ in person. Her position is developed through Heidegger’s expression of Dasein: 

“The point is: people use proxies in order to deal with the Terror of Total Dasein or an economy of presence based on the technologically amplified scarcity of human attention and physical presence.” (12)

‘Junktime’ is the fragmented result of trying to be present in all spaces. Henri Lefebvre writes about ‘constrained time’ or ‘compulsive time’ through moments somewhere in-between work and leisure, including travel and time for official formalities. Of course schools runs, dog walks and domestic tasks can't really be designated as 'non' or 'junk time' – they can be complicated and relational, more so, we would argue due to the repetitiveness of their use, but the model still holds as they are not licensed spaces of either productivity or pleasure. 
 

Studying the emerging and marginal forms of digital media use in everyday life, Bjorn Nansen states:

‘the pedometer participates in mediating and (re)configuring the meaning and rhythm of this in-between time in a way that reshapes physical activity, as well as experiential and embodied modes of comportment… this questions the possibility of an in-betweenness to time as it blurs distinctions between the rhythms of times and places – there is less of a temporal demarcation between the free time of leisure, the enforced time of work, the dead time of commuting, and the liberating time of play or exercise.’ (13)

Step counting in its compulsiveness, represents an erosion of the idea of; ‘in between time’ altogether; the back and forth of the commuter; the steps while shopping or at the park that become ‘useful’ in the sense that they add to a step count in exactly the same way as playing; getting lost; and working or setting out to dérive the city. The mundane/domestic walk may reside in the same territory through this egalitarian model as the highhanded psychogeographical game or the epic walking adventure. 

There may be something in the everyday and embodied repetitive and self consciously performative practice of counting and recording steps which makes ‘every day’ walking slip out of the net set for it by the demands of the dérive; we can challenge the masculine walking histories which suggest that interesting moments can only happen if the everyday is left behind. 

We are not advocating for the purchase of these heavily marketed devices – and readily attest to the problematic (governmental/health/marketing nexus) already mentioned, but find the act of counting steps and the possibilities of lending and borrowing steps as a re-appropriation of the devices intended use, to be an intriguing one. Nansen further states 'the pedometer extends walking practices and routines from monochronicity and modularization to polychronicity and modulation' (ibid). This polychronicity and modulation could swing two ways: towards a neoliberal culture of population monitoring perhaps, but also, through the self aware act of lending steps to other uses by avatars and others we may abstract linear time into a further splitting and create the possibility of being in more than one place at once – to be going somewhere and going nowhere, to be able to travel without ‘inserting’ ourselves physically into a distant landscape and maybe in a small way, de-stabilise an established and stale male centric techno-political walking framework.

References & Notes

(1) There are a number of examples of travelling without leaving home or travel by proxy in literature, notably ‘A Journey around my room’ by Xavier De Maistre, and Proust’s flights of allegory and metaphore in ‘In Search of Lost Time’, also Andre Breton’s ‘Nadja, where the character vicariously (and dubiously) lives through Nadja’s vision of the world to subvert his quotidian existence. Contemporary examples include the agoraphobic photographer who uses street View to travel the world. (Available online).

(2) Da Vinci’s Step counter was invented to measure the steps of Roman soldiers – (Roman’s used steps to measure distance – the Roman Mile was around 1000 paces or 2000 adult steps – his device was worn around the waist, with a lever reaching to the thigh, when the leg moves, the lever rotated the cogs and counted the steps.For further information see Step Counting: A Review of Measurment considerations and Heath Related Applications. Sports Medicine Aukland. 2016. David R Bassett, Lindsay P Toth, Samuel R LaMunion and Scott E Crouter.

(3) Others credited with inventing similar devices include Jean Fernel, a French craftsman, in 1525 or Robert Hooke, (an English scientist) in 1674, or Hubert Sarton, in 1778.

(4) Fitbit Community (2016). Available Online.

(5) Nansen, B (2008) Step-counting: The Anatomo- and Chrono-politics of Pedometrics In: Continuum, University of Melbourne. 

(6) BBC News (2018 Amazon scrapped 'sexist AI' tool. Available online.

(7) Invisible Women, Exposing Data Bias in a World designed for Men - Caroline Criado Perez.

(8) Williams, R (2016) Women more likely to own an iPhone than men. In: The Telegraph. Available online.

(9) Jegtvig, S (2014) Placement and speed affect accuracy of new pedometers. In: Reuters. Available online.

(10) Weinstein, M (2016) What Your Fitbit Doesn't Want You to Know. In: Huffpost. Available online.

(11) Auge, M (1995) ‘Non Places, Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity’. Available online.

(12) Steyerl, H (2010) The Terror of Total Dasein. In: Dis. Available Online.

(13) Nansen, B (2008) Step-counting: The anatomo- and Chrono-politics of Pedometrics. In: Continuum.