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lady-griffin · 4 years ago

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Characters That Might Be Introduced in Young Justice Season 4: Phantoms

This is just my own personal speculation, based on what I think might happen in Season 4 and what YJ has given us so far. I’m sure that I’ve missed plenty of characters that others 100% believe or know will be making an appearance...but, I can’t do anything about that.

While the majority of the characters on this list are ones we haven’t met before, there are a few we have met in the show - I included these characters, because I think they might be added to the ever-growing roster of heroes or have a more prominent role to play.

This is really long, but I had fun doing it and I hope you enjoy it.

Characters We've Met Already

Part I: Prominent Future Role

M’comm M’orzz/Ma'alefa'ak

M’gann’s younger brother who wants to start a white revolution on Mars. We met him in season 3 during the episode of “Away Mission,” where he was a major focal point.

There are a couple of factors for why I think he’ll play a prominent role.

He’s M’gann’s younger brother and as several people have speculated upon, this season’s tagline of “Phantoms” might be in reference to our main characters’ own personal phantoms from their pasts, rather than literal ghosts. Also given how M’gann has a new little brother in Gar, who was given more prominence last season – there could be something there.

M’Comm wants to start a White Revolution and we know M’gann, Conner, J’onn, and Gar (I believe) will be heading to Mars, either before or at the beginning of Season 4. Since J’onn/Martian Manhunter is usually the last Green Martian – some dark stuff may be awaiting our heroes on Mars or occur while they’re there.

I think he’ll play a significant role in the upcoming season.

Jason Todd/Red Hood

Jason is a prominent member of the Batfamily and we’ve already learned that he was the Robin after Dick, but died before Season 2 began.

In Season 3 – he was also an easter egg in “Nightmare Monkeys,” where he died in Beast Boy’s mind, along with other fallen comrades.

More importantly, in “Rescue Op,” we actually met him as the Red Hooded Ninja on Infinity Island. Towards the end of that episode there was attention given to the fact that he recognized Dick and therefore his memory was returning.

I can definitely see him having a more significant part in the future. He would most likely be Dick’s main phantom, if that’s the case for Season 4.

Big Barda

One of Granny’s most loyal generals and the leader of the furies before she defects against Darkseid. We were introduced to her in Season 3, in “Influence" - she fought against the Justice League, but more importantly she was saved by Superman. While it’s clear that Granny hurting her or being willing to sacrifice her is par for the course, it seemed pretty clear (to me) that Superman reshaped her outlook on life.

We never saw her again, so more than likely she defected after Superman saved her.

Given her usual importance to the plot of Darkseid as well as the fact that her main love interest is Scot Free – I think there is more than a good chance we’ll see her again in Season 4.

In the third season, each of these characters were introduced in a single episode. Given their significant relationships to either a character or a plot element that is important to Young Justice - it seems more than likely we’ll see them play a larger role in the upcoming season.

Part II: Minor Future Role

Harper Rowe/Bluebird

She was a minor character in Season 3, but she was also pretty prominent. Given that she’s a hero in the comics, I can see Harper being a new hero added to the roster. I can’t say how prominent she’ll actually be, but I can definitely see her playing a minor role.

Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl

Courtney is a pretty prominent young hero in DC and she made several appearances in Season 3 – with her show (Stargirl) where she reported and interviewed young heroes. So, maybe she’ll have decided instead of just interviewing heroes, she’ll become one herself.

Cisco Ramon/Vibe

For a character who was just being bullied they paid a decent amount of attention to him. Now maybe he was just a prominent Easter Egg for fans (CW’s The Flash), but it could also be YJ laying some slight ground work for him in the future.

Cassandra Cain/Orphan

Orphan is a member of the Batfamily and her mother is Lady Shiva - The Light’s new enforcer, who we got to know decently well in Season 3. Because of that, I think there could be something there to explore in Season 4.

I don’t really think any of these guys will be major characters, but I’m betting we’ll at least see them in the background as heroes. Similar to how Stephanie Brown and others were introduced as easter eggs and then in the following season we saw them working as heroes.

In addition, there are of course other minor hero/super-powered characters whom we’ve already met (Arrowette, Spoiler, Mist etc.) and any one of them could get more screen time, it’s honestly anyone’s guess; I just don’t have anything specific to speculate about for them.

Characters We Haven’t Met

Part I: Legion of Super-Heroes/Time Travel

Based on the idea that the Legion of Super-Heroes and time travel could play a significant role in Season 4 – which is based on how season 3 ended with an unknown woman wearing a Legion Ring.

Legion of Super-Heroes

The Legion of Super-Heroes are a superhero team from the 31st Century; they are similar to The Justice League, but they protect and defend the United Planets.

Tinya Wazzo/Phantom Girl

Phantom Girl is a member of the Legion, so based off that and her name, there’s a decent chance we’ll meet her. I can’t say how big of role she’ll actually have, but I feel confident in saying this season won’t be named after her; it’ll just be fun little tie-in, if she does make an appearance.

Querl Dox/Brainiac 5

Brainiac is a very prominent member of the Legion and knowing that they will play some role, it’s not a stretch to say he’ll also play a role.

Brainiac 5, or at least in the WB animated show, was the inventor of the Legion Ring, as well as the ability to time-travel.

Given his relation to one of Superman’s greatest enemies, Brainiac, who could definitely be a threat to both the League and The Light (if Brainiac even appears), I can definitely see Brainiac 5 playing a role.

But, just his promience within the Legion is enough reason to speculate he’ll make an apperance.

Imra Ardeen/Saturn Girl

Given Saturn Girl’s usual importance and prominence to the Legion (founding member), plus the fact that it was a waitress wearing the ring – it could very well have been her at the end of Season 3.

And even if it wasn’t her, she will still likely make an apperance.

Other Members of the Legion of Super-Heroes who we could meet: Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Bouncing Boy, Triplicate Girl, Timber Wolf, Chameleon Boy, etc.

Michael Carter/Booster Gold

Booster Gold is a pretty popular character who has appeared in many other works and is intrinsically linked with time-travel. On top of that, he typically has (or had) a good friendship with the old Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), so maybe we’ll see some reverse-mentor relationship with him and Jaime, the new Beetle – Jaime teaching him what it actually means to be a hero.

In general, I think he would just be a fun and new kind of personality to be brought in.

Future Kids (Lian Nguyen-Harper, Damian Wayne, Jon Kent, Tornado Twins, etc).

Given how time-travel will possibly be an element in Season 4, I think there’s a chance we’ll have an episode set in the future, starring the next generation of heroes. Maybe not all the kids we saw in “Home Fires,” but probably some of them.

Part II: The Phantom Zone

I have the theory that Granny’s X-Pit is a type of Phantom Zone or at least based off the real thing.

Granny herself even called the pit the Ghost Dimension (which just sounds like another name for the Phantom Zone). So, it seems very likely to me that given the title of Season Four, the prominence of The Phantom Zone in DC, and how the X-Pit worked in YJ -- that The Phantom Zone will make an appearance in season 4, if not play an important part.

There could be lots of ways they could incorporate it into the show.

Maybe it works as a prison. The prison cells are like the red boxes Granny used to protect herself and thus there’s no chance of prisoners escaping the Zone, because if they try leave their cells, they’ll experience excruciating pain

Depending on how the Phantom Zone would work in in YJ, I feel like those who escape the Phantom Zone or are from there, could be called Phantoms.

While I do personally think the tagline Phantoms will refer to our main heroes’ own personal phantoms, the tagline could also be in reference to other elements of the season (like the Phantom Zone).

Kara Zor-El/Supergirl

Supergirl is an important and popular character in the DC and given the prominence of the Batfamily in YJ, it seems a bit odd that the Superfamily is rather lacking in comparison.

Supergirl has been a part of the Legion of Super-Heroes and due to her popular CW Show - she is more recently associated with the Phantom Zone. In her show, she ended up being stuck in the Phantom Zone which is why she arrived on Earth so much later than Clark. YJ could do something like that or maybe she’ll have been stuck in the Phantom Zone until the 31st Century.

The introduction of Supergirl could be an interesting storyline in association with Conner (and Clark). We know that Clark has been interested in finding other Kryptonians and Kara is certainly more than just another Kryptonian.

She’s also a likely candidate to be the waitress who was wearing the Legion Ring.

Mon-El

A Daxxamite who’s a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and is also strongly associated with the Phantom Zone. Given how in Season 1, Superman thought that Shazam and Icon were potential Kryptonians, there could be something interesting there with Mon-El – especially since his species are so similar to Kryptonians.

In the comics, Mon-El had been inspired by Superboy into becoming a hero, but he was put in the Phantom Zone because he had an incurable disease; he was later saved by Brainiac 5 in the 31st Century. So that could be another potential storyline for Superboy in Season 4.

Mon-El has also gotten some more recognition in recent years, due to his role in CW’s Supergirl.

Also, when I was looking up a picture for him to use, I learned that there is another version of Mon-El, where he is a descendent of House El/Superman.

So maybe that version will be introduced instead of the Daxxamite one, I don’t know.

Zod Trio -- Zod, Ursa, Non

I don’t actually think these guys will be important to Season 4, if even they are introduced. But they are important Superman Villains and they’re usually connected with the Phantom Zone – given how many continuities they are prisoners of said Zone.

So, it seemed silly to not speculate about them at least making an appearance or small cameo, if not something more.

Part III: Darkseid and Meta-Trafficking

Scott Free/Mister Miracle

Scott or Scot is Darkseid’s adopted son and the biological son of Highfather, so it feels safe to say that he’ll be a part of the show at some point. Especially, given the increase prominence of Darkseid as well as how much we’ve seen of the New Gods, Motherboxes/Fatherboxes, and the two worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips.

Scot is a defector of Apokolips or more accurately was never broken by the place. He is known for being able to escape any imprisonment - particularly Granny’s Orphanage/X-Pit, so if there’s a return of the X-Pit, Scot would be a great asset to our heroes.

Given how we’ve been introduced to the X-Pit quite thoroughly in Season 3, I think that Scot’s ability to free himself would be all the more impressive, and a quick way to establish this new character and his skills.

In addition, while we didn’t meet the real Orion, we do know that he exists in this universe. Orion is the adopted son of Highfather and the biological one of Darkseid. In the comics, Scot and Orion were traded as part of a Peace Treaty between the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips.

Basically, he’s due to make an apperance.

Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran/Starfire

The plots of Season 2 and 3 were largely focused on the kidnapping, experimenting, and trafficking of meta-human children/teenagers, so given all of that - Starfire seems very likely to be included in YJ.

Or at the very least, YJ has laid down the groundwork for her to be introduced - whether or not they’ll use that, we’ll have to see.

Starfire’s origin is that she is a Tamerean Princess who was taken and experimented on, which resulted in her gaining powers (more powers). So, in the YJ universe she would essentially be a Meta-Tamerean.

Starfire could be a great way to show that the Meta-Gene exploitation isn’t just an earth/human problem anymore, as many more beings across the universe are being experimented on and turned into living weapons.

Thus, expanding upon the trafficking story thread that was introduced in Season 3.

In general, Starfire’s origin story fits very well with the trafficking/meta-experimenting storylines that we’ve gotten so far and I think her presence would add something new.

Given the popularity of Teen Titans and the prominence of Nightwing, Beast Boy, and Cyborg in YJ, it seems more than likely that Star will be a character in the show.

Also, we know that Arsenal will be on the Covert Team and that Jason is alive, so maybe if Star is introduced, we’ll see a version of the Outlaws in YJ. Which could be fun.

Finally, she is one of Nightwing’s main love interests, so there could be some personal drama to be had, if the show goes down that route, which they may not.

Starfire obviously doesn’t have to be a love interest for Nightwing to be added into the story.

While I love RobStar (+ Dickbabs), I feel like sometimes Star is just limited to being Nightwing’s other girlfriend. So, if she is introduced in YJ, I would not be opposed to other storylines involving her without Nightwing.

In my personal opinion, not including Star would be such a wasted opportunity, given what YJ has already established so far.

Part IV: Zatanna’s Protégé(s) / Magic-Based Characters

I have a small theory, that magic might play a larger role in season 4. This is mostly based on the fact that magic has been pushed to the background in the past two seasons. Also, the title of ‘Phantoms’ makes me think of the supernatural (aka Magic).

We also know that Zatanna will have protégés, as in plural. Now she already has Thirteen, so at the very least we can say that one new magical-based character will be introduced to the team or the hero side.

The Phantom Stranger

A mysterious mystic who battles supernatural forces. It’s unlikely he’ll be a protégé for Zatanna, but I mentioned him first, because of his name. Which is the main reason for why I think he, out of all the magical characters in DC, could make an appearance.

Similar to Phantom Girl, I don’t think the season’s tagline will come from his name, but it might just be a nice little tie-in regardless.

Eddie Bloomberg/Kid Devil aka Red Devil

Blue Devil has made a few minor appearances in Seasons 1 & 2 and given how Kid Devil was once his sidekick in the comics, I think there’s a decent chance Red Devil we’ll make an appearance.

He’s a character who I think many people might not know about or at least not a lot about; and YJ does like to shine a light on those characters.

Eddie started out as human kid/teenager who became Kid Devil - sidekick to Blue Devil. He ended up making a deal with a demon and got demonic powers and looks to match - possibly related to that, he had a falling out with Blue Devil and stopped being his sidekick.

I’m pretty fuzzy on the details of his story, as I’m not super familiar with his character; but the broad strokes that I do know, I think could really work for YJ.

He starts out as the sidekick of Blue Devil (maybe he knows the team), but he has a falling out with Blue or goes off on his own – and gets his demonic powers, becoming Red Devil. Or something like that.

As he becomes Zatanna’s protégé (trying to learn to control his magical powers), he also has to work on his strained relationship with Blue Devil.

It could be a similar story to Red Arrow’s from Season 1, a nice throwback with a new character. And a character who while being new, does already have some slight groundwork laid out for his introduction - with Blue Devil already existing in YJ.

Again, I’m just throwing ideas out here and speculating.

Zachary Zatara

Several people have pointed out that Zachary is a more likely candidate to be Zatanna’s new protégé than Raven is - who was the first person I thought of - given how Zachary is Zatanna’s cousin.

And yeah, I think there’s a decent enough chance for him becoming a character in Season 4.

He’s related to a former member of the OG Team and like Eddie, he’s not really a character many people are super familiar with, so that could work in his favor.

It could also be fun to have someone back on the team who has magic like Zatanna and if Zachary was part of the team, we would probably see more of Zatanna – which would be great.

One problem I do have though, is if he does exist in this universe - why didn’t Zatanna move in with his parent(s) (her aunt or uncle) when her father became the host for Doctor Fate.

Of course, that could just be because in season one they had never intended for him to exist in the show, but now things have changed.

And in Season 2, we were given no indication that Beast Boy had been with the Doom Patrol or that they had died tragic deaths in between the time his mother died and when he joined the team. So yeah....

Zachary is a likely candidate to be added, especially in regard to Zatanna have multiple protégés (or at least 2).

Rachel Roth/Raven

Unlike Starfire, Raven’s main story arc involving Trigon doesn’t really relate to what has been going on in Young Justice so far. Nonetheless, it seems very likely she’ll be included - given the popularity of TT, plus Nightwing, Beast Boy, and Cyborg being prominent characters.

Raven shouldn’t be limited by the existence of Trigon; as you easily have Raven in a story, without Trigon being front and center, in my opinion. And, it would be nice seeing other storylines involving Raven that don’t include Trigon, or at least not having him be a major factor.

There’s nothing specific that makes me think Raven will be introduced in Season 4, but –

She could definitely be Zatanna’s new protégé or at least one of them. And, while in the comics Zatanna and Raven haven’t always gotten along – there’s no reason that has to be the case in YJ. Plus, in Bombshells, Raven is Zatanna’s pseudo/adopted daughter.

Though, I think Raven being the protégé of Doctor Fate might work a bit better.

Also, in regard to my personal theory that magic will become more prominent, Raven would be a great way to go about doing that, especially with her wide range of powers and abilities.

While, I don’t think a story needs Trigon to have Raven – her being the daughter of one of the great evils of the universe, could certainly be a bonding element for her and the other heroes who also have supervillain relatives.

Plus, Raven being the portal to Trigon (this seemingly unstoppable force) could be something interesting to explore in regards to Darkseid’s and the Light’s plans. Maybe Darkseid and the Light would perceive Raven as a major threat and want to get rid of her and perhaps even the good guys would also see her as a threat that needs to be stopped.

There’s just so much that YJ could do with Raven. And while I would love for her a main or secondary character, I think she could be an interesting neutral party or a single-episode character.

There are many other magical characters that could be introduced to YJ, but it feels silly to list a whole bunch of characters, just because they have magic.

Part V: Random Characters

Rose Wilson/Ravager and Joe Wilson/Jericho

Two of Deathstroke’s children who operate as heroes. I can see a lot being done with these two in YJ, especially with Deathstroke being a member of the Light. They could potentially bond with the other characters who also have supervillain parents and maybe even bond with Tara over the terrible parenting skills of Deathstroke. .

Natasha Irons/Steel aka Starlight aka Vaporlock

Natasha is the niece of John Henry Irons/Steel who had a very minor role in Season 3, but nonetheless was introduced to the audience. In addition, Natasha has been associated with Infinity Inc, Lex Luthor’s group of “superheroes” who were also introduced in Season 3.

And while I could be mistaken, as I don’t know much about her, when she was part of Infinity Inc., she was injected with a serum that unlocked her meta-gene, giving her powers.

Natasha could possibly be introduced in Season 4, as a lot of the elements to her story, are already part of Young Justice.

Green Lanterns

I think there’s a decent chance of us meeting a new Green Lantern, especially a younger one - as they would be a member of the Covert Team or the Outsiders.

Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern

She's recently been popularized or at least introduced to many fans through the show DC Superhero Girls (2019) and I think if there was a combination of that version and her comic book counterpart – you could have a really compelling character for YJ.

In the comics, Jess suffers from extreme anxiety, which is such an interesting and unique folly for a Green Lantern to have. And, I just think there’s a lot of story potential to be explored in that dilemma.

Keli Quintela/Teen Lantern

From what I’ve seen of Keli, I think she could be a fun addition. Just for the sheer fact that she uses the Green Lantern power completely different than every other Lantern we’ve seen – that alone is enough reason for her to be added.

Kyle Raynor

One of the major Green Lanterns of DC. Like the two ladies above, there’s nothing specific with what we’ve been given so far in YJ to indicate he’ll be included, but I just think because of his status among fans, if the show was to introduce another GL – he has a decent shot.

Vic Sage/Question

Since Season 1, I thought Question would be a great addition to the hero side – as the typical conspiracy stuff he obsesses over and discovers to be true, actually does align with what The Light has consistently been doing.

In general, he would be a fun character to add. Also, if we’re thinking of potential new protégés - Vic Sage could be the current Question and there could be a young (or at least somewhat young) Renee Montoya - under his care/tutelage. Or Renee could just be Question - either works for me.

I loved Question in JLU and would love to see him again.

Finally,

Wally West/ Kid Flash (former)

I think there’s a very good chance we’ll see the return of Wally in Season 4. Especially since Season 3 left us with many little hints that he’s not really dead.

Also, in regards to the idea that the tagline of “Phantoms” could be about the team’s personal ghosts haunting them, well Wally is a ghost for many of our characters - so that fits rather perfectly.

Or, maybe he ended up in the Phantom Zone. Or if ‘Phantoms’ is referring to more literal ghosts, even that still works in regards to Wally, as he’s presumed dead. Or maybe, he was jumped through time and somehow ended up in the 31st century (w/ the Legion of Super-Heroes).

Maybe I’m wrong, but it just seems very likely Wally will be returning.

And now we’re finally done.

As I’ve mentioned before, this is just my own speculation and I’m sure I’ve missed several characters. Also, I obviously don’t think all of these characters will be introduced in Season 4, but to me they all have somewhat of a chance.

And yeah...that’s it.

I hope you enjoyed this extremely long list of characters who I think could be introduced in Season 4 of Young Justice.

#Young Justice #YJ #Young Justice Season 4 #Young Justice Phantoms #YJ Phantoms #YJ Season 4 #YJ Season 3 #Young Justice Season 3 #Young Justice Outsiders #YJ Outsiders #DC #DC Comics

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waukrife · 4 years ago

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Unspeakable AU

It started as sheer pragmatism. Binks had another angle on the Jedi’s ‘chosen one’ after all, and access to a certain Senator Amidala, who seemed to have less and less time for her old mentor as the years passed.

But now, months into the ‘arrangement’ and alone in a non-descript speeder heading deeper into the lower range of Coruscant’s upper levels, his thoughts spun away from him like the buildings blurring as he drove past.

He tells himself- has to tell himself, and increasingly often these days- he’s doing this for the empire. His empire. It will be glorious, like the Sith of Old, before their erosion and weakness, the loss of everything that made them great.

Plagueis at least had shared his creativity, if not the true scale of his vision. But Plagueis was dead and now Sidious was truly Master of the Sith. Soon, he would be Master of all. This...distraction…was merely a temporary indignity. He was doing this for greatness, for ultimate power, for the long and mighty future of the galaxy under his watchful gaze.

For now, something else held his focus. Someone. Representative Binks was eye-catching, after all.

He tried to banish the thought, but his iron control was alarmingly lacking in that regard, of late. It unsettled him; some tasks to ensure his reign were unpleasant. Most, rather. Far fewer were unpleasant for him, and none truly disturbed him as this did. He liked to watch a careful plan fall into place, people playing into his trap, thinking themselves superior in their petty squabbles, when in reality they were but puppets, and he, holding the strings, distained it all even as he revelled in the power.

Nothing could unnerve him. Nothing surprised him. Not when some hired scum would turn on him, or try to. Not when a victim would crack, babbling and pleading to tell him whatever he wanted to know.

Not when a pretty young thing, often from some soft planet without his own’s core of durasteel, thought they could manipulate him for wealth or power.

‘Representative’ Binks may seem unpredictable. But Sidious had been certain he was just like the others, at the core of it. He hadn’t entirely planned to go along with the sham, but… Binks had his uses. It didn’t do to estrange a potential tool, or so he had told himself when something stopped him from pulling away.

He rarely got to be so involved in his work. Even the type he did himself, when he had to see something done properly. This was different, a more challenging pretence to construct, so unlike himself, with no use elsewhere. Yet, he mused, it was rewarding to see all the layers, the pretence on each side, Binks’ awareness of only half the game even as he doubtless thought himself winning.

Indeed, the Gungan had put up an elaborate pretence: the candlelit dinners and soft conversation, the expense for his company, his admittance into the correct parties, on Palpatine’s arm. Connections, every step up the ladder accompanied by some new bauble or invitation.

He played the game well, admittedly. But the cracks were beginning to show.

Sidious parked the speeder outside the establishment. Binks had arranged their meeting, for once, and the place he named had been unfamiliar to Sidious. Looking it up had revealed a tiny, near-decrepit diner, rated highly by its patrons but condemned by every food hygiene standard board. This was unusual, to say the least. Sidious was sure Binks hadn’t wanted to come here for the ‘Best waffles this side of the city!!!1!’, as others evidently did.

He wondered with some glee, and no small amount of anticipation, if Binks was going to try to have him murdered. It was unlikely, more’s the pity. He never bored of the younger being’s company, strangely, but if the time came for the ruse to end- and why did that thought needle him?- he would rather it end interestingly.

Stepping out of the vehicle and making his way to the door, he saw through the transparisteel the moment Binks noticed him. The Gungan was seated in a booth nearer the back, sheltered from other patrons and the view of the street. An uncharacteristically wise choice. Equally concerning was the way Binks greeted him through the window with a subtle, subdued wave, rather than some display of poor balance.

Then again, he’d never been certain whether the clumsiness was earnest, or some excuse to fall into him. The Gungan’s affable manner had opened doors that a true statesman’s dignity seemingly could not; Sidious would never have continued the charade had Binks reflected poorly, after all.

Sidious eyed the faltering neon sign above the door, taking in the missing letter critically. He made his way inside, sparing the barest polite nod for the young Balosar employee that welcomed him chirpily and ignoring the inane jangle of a bell over his head as he crossed the threshold. The inside seemed clean and well-kept, at least, despite its shabby exterior.

He felt his lips curve into a smile, unbidden, as he approached the booth. He greeted Binks dotingly, and settled in, putting his coat aside.

Binks seemed subdued, but as it became clear he had no plans to kidnap the Chancellor or some other ulterior plot, Sidious let himself relax, finding himself enjoying the company despite himself. They spoke about nothing important until the Balosar came to take their orders, and satisfied in his ability to entertain the Gungan while considering other plans, Sidious’ mind drifted. To his irritation, however, his thoughts kept returning to Binks, and the nature of their engagement.

The Gungan opposite him was ungainly. But by the standard of his species, he was apparently quite the catch. It was clear he expected that to carry him even among the other species of the Senate; there was a certain confidence to his plan. Which, was so obvious and doomed to failure that Sidious would have derided it, were he not currently sat opposite him in some greasy diner.

Sleeping his way to the top was a plebeian tactic, and one Sidious (and the mask Palpatine alike) knew better than to fall for. But to ‘sleep to the top’ without even trying to make overtures of more traditional seduction? It did not hurt his pride to know that Binks wouldn’t desire him, Gungan biology being as it was. But had he been as vain and petty as the typical targets of such seduction were? Binks had to be more of an idiot than he looked.

Or perhaps a hidden genius, albeit misguided? His Gungan appearance was an unconventional taste among near-humans, although not one Sidious shared for all his adaptability.

Well. His own tastes were never in question: Certainly, he would never have been sat at a chipped cast-plast table, on scuffed synthleather for any of the beautiful, near-human opportunists who had approached him. Aside from the clear pitfalls of such an engagement, none of them had held his interest in that way. So why did he feel so compelled by the Gungan across from him? Sidious was no stranger to experimentation. Of course, in that regard his desires generally leaned towards Sith Alchemy, or other appropriately satisfying pastimes. He had no interest in passion beyond that of the Sith.

Binks’ attempt to ensnare him was a base ploy, and unconvincing. So he told himself.

Their food arrived, and the easy ebb and flow of the conversation changed. As soon as the server departed, Binks had become…unsettled.

Sidious steeled himself for the likely eventualities, the Gungan blurting out some threat, or even a stuttered proposition.

He would be sure to let him down gently, in either case. Strangely, the thought of having to destroy him utterly, should such a response be appropriate, didn’t please him as much as it should.

Such power thrumming through him, directed, the Force enacting his will with the world as his conduit… he revelled in any opportunity to flex the power of the Sith, so rare under the eyes of the Jedi. And yet the way Bink’s leathery hand slipped from his own, to rest uncertainly on the table’s edge, felt like he had been the one struck by Sith lightning.

He couldn’t deny there was a certain commonality to his possible explanations for Binks’ unusual behaviour. Although anything from illness to the more bizarre could be behind the shift, Sidious’ mind had leapt directly to a few causes. He could deny it no longer, his dread- and it was that- was for the ways in which the Gungan could end their arrangement.

The thought of never being sat in another establishment as dingy as this should have been a victory. But the loss of Binks’ company? Hatefully, viciously, the ache within his chest grew stronger, pulling at him like the tide.

As Binks spoke, subjects increasingly rambling and distracted, the water in his glass caught Sidious’ eye. The surface was utterly still, the Gungan’s typical nervous fidgeting giving way to total stillness.

The unusual poise struck Sidious. He recalled a trip they had taken some month previous. They had returned to Naboo together. It had been necessary, for Sidious to tie up some loose ends, and for the Chancellor to be seen, having not forgotten the mid-rim and his people, even as the pressures of the Senate and the Republic forced him to serve the core. It had simply been convenience, for the Gungan Representative to share a transport.

But it had been more than that. They’d arrived in time for the warmer season to have begun, and the afternoon before they had to leave they’d visited one of the coasts.

Although he had found the sand and sun to be distasteful, and had avoided going near the lake itself- it never did to reveal a weakness to others- Jar Jar had leapt, carefree into the water. The motion had splashed, but even as Sidious wiped the cool water out of his eyes, couldn’t bring himself to resent the irritation, given Jar Jar’s joy. He’d blinked against the bright sunlight, and the water weighing down his lashes, and suddenly seen clearly.

Jar Jar had just broken the surface, damp skin shining amongst the glare. In the water, he’d been at home; as Sidious watched, his gangly limbs that were so clumsy on dry land, became graceful, power behind his lean muscle. It wasn’t attraction, what he’d felt in that moment, more like the admiration he felt for the strength and order of nature, the leashed potential of a waterfall, or inevitability of a sunset bringing darkness with its beauty.

Sidious couldn’t forget the image. Jar Jar, crossing the breadth of the lake in a few powerful strokes to return to him, broaching the surface to float languidly, waving sappily with the afternoon sun behind him.

In that moment, the Gungan was a sight to see, and against his greatest wishes Sidious had never wanted to let him go.

The glory he had become lingered in Sidious’ mind; a stark contrast to the wreck opposite him in the dry, artificially clean air of Coruscant’s mid-levels. Finally, he understood why the Jedi, faint-hearted as they were, turned away from attachment. It wouldn’t do to reveal a weakness. And he felt as out of his depth here as he did under water.

Yet, it was from the cowardice of the Jedi, their false security of arrogance and stagnation, that stemmed their blindness.

Sidious was wiser. He would secure the situation, certainly, to eliminate risk, and his security was such that distasteful tasks could be easily offloaded onto lesser, but still, he would do what must be done to succeed. Once the waiting was done, after all, one had to act to win.

Politics was cut-throat, as were the Sith. Unlike the Jedi, prim and crumbling, in their sheltered temples, Sidious understood that it was better to end a fruitless plan and have countless more waiting, than to continue on to destruction and accept what remains could be salvaged. Plagueis had never expected a mundane death in the night, rather than some show of power. Bane’s way in its arrogance, had limited him. Sidious had taken their teachings of innovation and pride. He had combined them, into something better.

He didn’t need anyone else, not as anything other than pawns. He shouldn’t want anything more than the world, at his feet.

The wisdom of the true Sith was knowing that sometimes it was better to rip open a wound than let it fester.

He shredded the besotted façade. Although easier to fake by the second, it caved at his whim and he asked impatiently, “Is something wrong, Jar Jar?”

Binks looked up, his eyes wide with overdone innocence, “Yousa angry, Sheevie? Yousa actin berry weird.” He said knowingly, laying a large hand on Sidious’ arm.

The gesture was insincere, and it sickened him. It seemed the affair had reached its natural end, Binks’ aim achieved and no further to take the relationship as neither had made more than half-hearted overtures to test the waters, that the other had pretended not to pick up on.

Remembering the Gungan’s attempt at coy brushes, or innuendo nearly made him laugh. His own entendres had surely been more elegant, but nonetheless amusing. Of course, Binks hadn’t realised he was aware of the game they were playing, but at times it had felt almost like a mutual challenge, to make the weakest insinuations, and ignore the more overt. He couldn’t look at the sickening contrition on Binks’ face. He cast his eyes to the wall and forced on.

“This facade is beneath us. And it is over.” He stated, keeping his voice low for the sake of the few scattered patrons pretending they didn’t recognise the Chancellor. Potentially, a few of them didn’t, and the last few months had cultivated a ‘friendship’ between the two Naboo politicians that would hardly shock the media.

He noticed one young being, however, with her eyes firmly attached to the Gungans hand on his arm. Maybe Binks had brought him to an establishment that didn’t know the meaning of discretion to force them to leash their tempers to avoid a scene. Or maybe that was his hope, to expose the whole tawdry affair, or threaten to. More fool him; Palpatine’s career would survive. He had contingencies that he had failed to disclose to Binks when arranging his appointment in the Senate.

He prepared himself for the confused kindness to leave the Gungan’s eyes, for the threats of blackmail, or some other proposition.

Instead, Binks grinned, nostrils twitching with amusement. “Sheevie! It took yousa longo enough, me didn't know yousa'd ever noticen!” His tone was genial, and he flung his arms wide, knocking the salt and pepper to spill across the table. Sidious watched stonily as the pepper set Binks to sneezing, the fit turning into unabashed laughter as he shook his head to clear the powder from his face.

The fool’s good humour hit Sidious like a lightsaber to the gut. “I knew from the start, you imbecilic-“ His snarl paused at the sight of Bink’s eye-stalks drooping.

The Gungan’s eyes were wary, and his posture more reserved than his usual sprawl. Sidious wondered, for just a second, if- no. It was useless to expect anything other than an end to their game. After all, that was all this had been.

“This must be very amusing for you, Binks, but the time for lies has finished.” He struggled not to let his grudging respect show. He’d known from the start what this was about. It wasn’t unusual to him to play on someone’s expectation that they were using him, even as he manipulated them. But now he felt like he’d truly been tricked.

Yet, the Gungan looked heartbroken, sliding down in his seat with an ear-splitting synthleather squeak. Half the patrons had turned to look at the obnoxious sound and several were peering at them curiously, as if thinking they looked familiar. Of course they did. He was the Chancellor of the (soon to be) Sith-damned Republic and hardly any Gungans left their home swamps, let along travelled to Coruscant.

“Meesa enjoyen da timen wesa shared-” he protested, but Sidious cut him off with a harsh gesture.

The Balosar kept glancing back, clearly aware of the subject of their conversation from the way she had avoided returning to check on them, and her energetic, blushing attempt to busy herself with the other patrons- but rarely the booths next to theirs. She, at least, clearly had the business sense to feign closed ears- the two Twi-leks occupying the booth across were far less subtle. While the rumours of their affair would hardly destroy him, his pride wouldn’t stand for eavesdroppers, in this of all conversations.

Pushing outwards with the Force, it was second nature to convince the room that there was nothing of interest to listen in on, and he perhaps took a vindictive pleasure in the way the Twi-leks’ eyes went vague and confused for a moment before they resumed their inane conversation.

“Don’t start that now, Binks. This was a pretence from the start. It means nothing to me.” He tried not to imagine that day on the beach, the way Binks had smiled so earnestly for him. “Tell me what you want, then get out of my sight.”

“Me no wanten anytten…“ Binks’ started to speak, falteringly at first, but then growing in desperate passion until his voice took on a forceful resonance quite unlike anything Sidious had heard from him before.

“Yousa were useful in builden career but now? Disa lonely game, Sheevie; playen everyone yousa meet, da lying, da plotten. Not knowen where yousa enden and da mask begins. No da edges chafe, Sidious? No yousa wishen yousa could besa who yousa trulyis?”

He could do nothing but stare, unable to meet Binks’ eyes as he stood, slamming his splayed palms onto the tabletop and leaning in, eyes wide and looking down towards him with that yellow gaze. It suddenly seemed to pierce his soul. Binks forged on despite his shock, “Have an ally who knows yousa, respects yousa per who yousa is, without fearen or hidin?”

His voice cracked with passion and he finished softly, “Did disa really mean notten to yousa, Sheevie?"

Sidious blinked. He opened his mouth to answer. He closed it again. Mind spinning, floundering, trying frantically to process, what on Naboo’s sky goddess was Binks talking about?

Then what the Gungan had said hit him. Belatedly, he jumped to his feet, eyeing his companion carefully like one might watch a snarling Gundark.

“What did you just call me?” He asked, lowly.

The Gungan cocked his head, ears flapping with the motion, but didn’t answer.

“What did you just call me, Binks?” He demanded, his voice dark with threat. His fingers brushed the edge of the weapon up his sleeves. The metal cylinder was cool and his hands were steady, even as the heat of his gaze bore into Binks, his rage carefully cultivated until it filled the force around the pair, obscuring any fear or heartbreak.

“Where did you hear that name?” He repeated for the last time. The patrons and staff, oblivious, continued their meals, laughing and talking. The sound grated, and dangerously he considered. This place was acceptable collateral, for when he destroyed Binks. The thought didn’t hurt. His hands were shaking. He forced them still. Tightening his grip on the 'saber, he folded the other hand into his velvet sleeve, crushing the fabric as he watched Binks warily.

“Yousa said yousa knew everything, didn’t yousa?” The Gungan asked, head cocked indulgently. The idle slouch and his clumsy hyperactivity were gone, and he meet the Sith Lord’s eyes, unflinching, his tone vaguely confused. “Den wesa don’t needen to keep faken do wesa, Darth Sidious?”

He threw the name casually, for all the insolence dripping from his rolling tone. Sidious swept his gaze over the Gungan, considering. Could it be?

“I have…underestimated you.” He admitted. The concession stung but…maybe it didn’t have to... If the Binks’ speech had been true, maybe they didn’t have to hide. He had no contingencies for this, for ether of the deepest secrets the Gungan had revealed, but maybe he wouldn’t have to pick up any pieces; that speech had sounded rather like an offer.

“Your infiltration of the Senate was genius, after all,” He allowed, far more casually than he felt. He didn’t bother to suppress the burgeoning admiration, either “Even I didn’t see you for what you are.”

The mask shouldn’t have been as convincing as it was, but the best lies held an element of the truth.

Binks smirked, as if he could hear the thought. “Wesa do what wesa have to-”

Sidious’ breath caught. Ah. It had been foolish to hope the offer would meet all of his outlandish dreams. He cut Binks’ off, unwilling to hear the excuses or gloating. Was my company so distasteful? He suppressed the question, instead huffing a sharp laugh. Binks nevertheless flinched.

Sidious ignored the twist of self-contempt, attempting to rouse it into hatred, but it remained in his throat like a lump of stone. “And here I thought your only deception was the more…sordid charade.” He commented scornfully.

Binks’ mouth gaped, but he quickly recovered. “At first, yesa…” He reached out, flared fingers skimming the back of Sidious’ hand. The gesture should have mocked him, but Binks continued, “Dat was da only parten dat felt true…”

The gold washed out of his eyes, the edges first, then the centre, flashing a deep brown before the tawny gold flooded back, with a rush of the dark side that seemed to shudder though Sidious. A dark energy that blended into Binks so naturally that he seemed incomplete, that second without it.

Hiding in plain side…a strange feeling rose in Sidious, a kind of envy or pride he had never felt before. He didn’t have to use, or covet that strength, the elegance of that mind. He simply admired the Gungan before him, more wholly than he ever had, even that afternoon, watching him shine in the water. This was his true nature. Their true nature.

“Wesa do what wesa have to…” Binks repeated, “Sometimes it becomes what wesa wanten.” He looked at Sidious, waiting.

All his pride, his innovation, every side of himself he hid, what he revealed, itself a half-truth. The loneliness of greatness. He had combined the teachings and weakness of his Master, and made himself something better. He would act, and he would win. He looked back at Jar Jar. Maybe not every victory had to mean defeat for someone.

His resistance crumbled. He reached back and took Jar Jar’s hand.

***

Deep within the Jedi temple, Master Yoda was flung from his bedtime mediation. Between one even breath and the next, a bizarre sensation rang through the Force like a pealing bell, and his eyes started open.

“The dark side….” He pondered to himself, easing his old bones out of his position on his mat, “Stronger, it is.”

He ambled into his small kitchen and puttered about with the kettle. He collected his tin of tea and, as the crushed leaves poured out over each other, he reached out into the Force. Settling into the web of lights, he felt the brightness of the temple ground him, the smaller sparks throughout the planet burning steadily like candles against the darkness. It had had been growing, of late.

Nevertheless, the Jedi stood. He let their presences reassure him, pulling lightly on his links to his padawans and their lines as he considered the nature of the shift that had roused him. The bright beam of Skywalker burned like a supernova, in contrast to the scarred wound where Yan was once tethered. It ached, cold and empty, and Yoda was glad of the hiss of the kettle boiling on the edge of his awareness.

He pulled back, and poured the water, chiding himself. The loss of his padawan was one he should not shy from, nor cling to. That way, bitterness lies, and darkness. He had let him go, as was the Jedi way, but he was not too old yet to learn from his mistakes.

The darkness clung to Coruscant, but the ripples from its shudder slowly soothed as Yoda sipped his tea, humming at the sharp taste.

“Stronger it is, and yet loving, it seems to be…” he mused. The dark side knew no love, only obsession and fear twisting into hatred, passion without compassion. Yet the air seemed to have changed, a momentous, tiny hitch that clung like a bitter aftertaste. “…dark, yes, loving, but clear, hmm?” He finished his tea, and glanced towards his bed. Grumbling, however, he turned back to the pot and poured another. Sipping the hot drink, stronger for having brewed while he drank and thought, he made his way to his meditation mat and settled in. It was late, and he was older than he’d ever felt before, but he felt ill at ease going to sleep.

Vigil, he would hold, and with the Force commune. A bad feeling about this, he had.

***

Not far from the temple, in 500 Republica, Sidious woke to the Coruscant dawn. His apartment soundproofing smothering the buzz of traffic outside, but it was the rising sunlight which had roused him. Sidious lifted a hand above his eyes to block the beam that had fallen onto his pillow, confused. The heavy curtains usually blocked the light, and he had closed them as surely as always the night before.

He blinked awake, and as the bright spots from the light faded, he could see the crack in his curtain, morning sun filtering through the gap and silhouetting the tall figure looking out.

“Jar Jar?” His voice was low, halting with the rasp of early morning. They’d ended up speaking late into the evening, until the diner had closed and then some. They had walked through the streets together, linked arms warding off the cold night air, discussion everything from matters of the Sith, to more mundane gossip, although of course the two were hardly distinct. The latest city zoning bill, young Skywalker and his apparently mutual attraction to Senator Amidala, their interest in Sith artefacts and good food.

It had been…strange, but pleasant to converse with someone who understood him- they made a game of, or forwent their usual conversational patterns of insidious whispers and making connections from referenced habits or facts. Before he’d noticed how much time had passed, they’d reached his apartment. The thought of parting at the door was displeasing. So he’d invited Jar Jar in.

They had shared a drink, and he’d brought out some Naboo delicacies he’d been saving. Although it was only midweek, he felt like celebrating, and he wanted to wash out the taste of the greasy slop from the diner. He’d said as much, and Jar Jar had laughed easily, and called him a snob. It had been an affectionate jab, hollow for all its truth. Watching Jar jar’s fond expression, he hadn’t even had to clench his teeth and imagine the Gungan writhing in agony, as he usually did when slighted as Palpatine.

No, he’d joined in, Jar Jar’s laughter infectious. Then he’d offered him a spare set of nightclothes.

They’d talked into the night, and once sleep called too strongly to be ignored, the expected urge to use the dark side to remain alert for longer, to keep the advantage over a potential threat didn’t rise. Instead, he’d laid beside Jar Jar, feeling the brush of heat against his side, and let the rise and fall of his chest lull him to resting.

Now, in the light of the morning, he had no regrets. All he could see was a long, and prosperous future, the potential of them both.

Extricating himself from silk sheets, he slid his feet into his slippers and joined Jar Jar at the window. He leant his hip against the sill, brushing a hand lightly over the curve of Jar Jar’s shoulder in greeting, and resting the other gently on his back. Stood together, they looked out over the city below, the rush of traffic, constant despite the hour with countless brightly coloured speeders blurring against the Coruscant skyline. Thousands of people, following their routines, beginning their days, unaware of the Sith Lords watching them pass.

Which was he, truly? Darth Sidious? Sheev Palpatine? The Chancellor, the Emperor, a Sith, just a man?

‘Sheevie’ settled just as easily as any other name ever had, no title or pseudonym more honestly his. Jar Jar saw the masks, and beneath them. He accepted that neither of them could ever settle as anything other than an act. Knowing that, seeing it in each other and letting it be seen; that, in itself was authenticity, he supposed. Maybe that’s all love is. Neither of them had to perform.

Fondness rose in his chest, spilling onto his face as his eyes crinkled in a gentle smile. “One day,” He murmured, the morning quiet feeling too significant to break with revelations like his, “This city will be ours.”

Jar Jar didn’t look away from the window, his profile illuminated against the soft glow of dawn. He didn’t have to, for Sidious to see the way his mouth split into a soft smile. He replied steadily, hearing the words underneath as he always did, “It already is.”

#star wars #I considered bullying a friend into proofreading this but honestly...it couldn't really get any worse and I dont have a reputation to lose #so here it is...enjoy #jar jar and palpatine #long post #VERY long post #this is the most of my writing ive ever shared in one go lmao...at least its a crackfic #had to edit this to add a cut...didn't occur to me to do that #thanks willowcrowned for saving folks from having to scroll past (sucks to be u mobile users)

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sometipsygnostalgic · 4 years ago

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Adventure Time Reviewed - S1E09 and S1E10 - My Two Favourite People and Memories of Boom Boom Mountain

My Two Favourite People

This ep is about Jake’s plight of not being able to spend time with Finn and Lady together, so he decides to solve the problem. Finn isn’t very supportive of Jake running off to hang with Lady, lol. He thinks it’s lame to want to spend lots of time with your girlfriend. He’ll eat his words in season 4, where all he can think about is Flame Princess. I love that the cat and shark appearing every day and getting decapitated. They were brought up later but the cat said the shark died of old age. That’s the only thing that can kill him... :(

The first appearance of Shelby the worm!!!! Jake trying to wave his arms in the air out of exasperation while cycling, so he crashes into a tree. Beautiful. They picnic by a fire lake, with skeletons and treasure, instead of by a normal lake. The joke that doesn’t translate very well is actually a very naughty reference to Jake and Lady dancing in the field. Jake felt too awkward to tell Finn LOL

Post getting the translator, I think this joke may be inspired by how they couldn’t decide how Lady should speak. At first it was jargon but they eventually settled on Korean. Old man voice: “Come on darling, wrap your legs around me!” Incredible.

I wonder how Finn got rid of the power rings? There are many instances of Finn and Jake having random magic abilities. These are usually explained as items - in Wizard, they always wore wizard robes, and in Chambers of Frozen Blades, they wear headbands.

This ep is an early example of Jake being a flawed character. Before this point he had been mostly reasonable, demonstrating some laziness but always being on Finn’s side. This time he blows things out of proportion in his head and acts immaturely, which is actually pretty sweet. He really cares about Finn and Lady but also has the tendency to feel left out!!!!! And to expand on Jake’s past, we get our very first appearance of TIFFANY. (and a passing mention of the flying lettuce brothers) “Why would I be jealous?” “Because TIFFANY’s.... A BOY!!!!!!!” Incredible- OH MY GOD FINN CALLED HIM A “HOMEWRECKER”. That refers to someone who “breaks” a household by sleeping with one of its partners.

“Oh sweet potato. I love you BECAUSE you’re an idiot. You make me feel like a genius.” Well at least she’s honest. A tender moment.

“Let’s always be stupid. FOREVER!”

Memories of Boom Boom Mountain

The start of this episode is brilliant. Pen Ward at his best, and I assume Bert Youn or Sean Jiminez too.

Finn having fun with the marauders, getting dissed because he wanted to help someone, then having a go at them and laying down that he helps everyone with the smallest of problems because he remembers when he fell into boom boom as a baby... it demonstrates the touching naivete of his pure righteousness. Finn doesn’t yet understand that some people have to solve their own problems, and some people don’t deserve his help. He’s pure hearted. That’s the obstacle this episode makes him challenge.

I love that the marauders clap for him when he’s done. They understand he’s just a kid. I love these sorts of interactions in season 1, where people treat Finn like a kid.

Jake looks out for Finn by taking those rocks for him. There are so many moments across the show where Jake takes damage on behalf of other characters. I think the most recent example is when he swallows the birds in the finale, and they make him explode. Jake is very brave in ways it’s easier to appreciate as an adult.

Finn also jumps off the mountain holding Jake, which indicates to me he used him to parachute down.

I love that the mountain is actually having a crisis of sexual identity, he can’t stand the roughhousing men because theyre too attractive, which is why hes so happy when his heterosexuality is reaffirmed by the girl mountain calling him attractive

The part where they tie ducks and animals to their hands always cracks me up, the quacking noises when the punches lands instead of thumping noises. It looks genuinely soft but at the same time I understand the mountain’s perspective at being alarmed over all this animal punching. Doesn’t seem the animals are too bothered though! I love how in AT you get animals undergoing experimentation, observation, all sorts of crap, and they just don’t care. There is that poor cow from the graybles ep mind you.

The petting part of this ep is pretty gay.

WHOAH! There is some music in this episode that is used in Varmints. The banjo that plays when Finn suggests rotating the mountain is the same banjo that plays when Bubblegum is rocking on her chair waiting for varmints.

After a hilarious scene with everyone of every species having problems, my favourite being the dandelion person that wants to be pollinated, Finn implodes, and we have a beautiful moment where we meet Joshua and Margaret for the first time. I believe this is when it was revealed Finn and Jake are brothers, not just best friends.

I love the Rune Goldberg device. It’s entirely unsustainable. The flies will leave the guy’s ears, the marauders will want to take a break, the dragon will stop scratching its butt and will stop blowing fire, and the mountain will probably start crying again. But for the moment, it’s a solution, so Finn probably goes home feeling happy with himself.

The part at the end with the dolphin is such a random early AT moment.

Overall this was a great episode. What I loved in particular is the worldbuilding. Not only do we get a look into Finn’s motivations and backstory, long before he would be revealed to have come from an overseas human colony, we also get adventure time characters of all sorts of different species. I think this is the first time a “dragon” had shown up, and naturally it doesn’t look like a normal dragon.

The end actually made me think of Obsidian. First of all, both episodes have weird “dragons”, which have their own emotional problems because of course they do. Secondly, the dragon transforming into a butterfly cat - which is actually a sea angel - draws from the randomness of this episode, and from the later episode with Gunther’s kitty baby.

#adventure time reviewed #adventure time

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slurrmp · 4 years ago

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not another info sheet.

sasha o’neill (stargate sg1)

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: sasha maria o’neill PRONUNCIATION: SASH-ə MEANING: defender, helper of mankind REASONING: named after her mother’s grandmother NICKNAME(S): sash (most common), ash, asha, kid PREFERRED NAME(S): just her full name or sash BIRTH DATE: october 20th 1972 AGE: 33 (as of season 9) ZODIAC: libra GENDER: female PRONOUNS: she/her ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual NATIONALITY: american ETHNICITY: white CURRENT LOCATION: colorado springs, cheyenne mountain LIVING CONDITIONS: a little apartment in the city, but will mostly stay at jack’s home. TITLE(S): miss

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: san francisco HOMETOWN: fairfax SOCIAL CLASS: fairly wealthy, but not exactly rich EDUCATION LEVEL: almost finished college FATHER: angus o’neill (deceased) MOTHER: maria o’neill (nee barnes) (mia) SIBLING(S): none BIRTH ORDER: only child CHILDREN: none PET(S): a pet gold fish named bruce, however, is too busy with work to actually have the dog she always wanted. OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: jack o’neill (uncle), sara o’neill (aunt), charlie o’neill (cousin) (deceased) PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: max turner (four years), jonas quinn (two years), cameron mitchell (??) ARRESTS?: when she was a teenager and her father passed away, and her mother basically disowned her - sasha rebelled against her aunt and uncle, doing petty crimes such as shop lifting and grand theft PRISON TIME?: spent two nights in the county jail for stealing a car from the mayor

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: working for the sgc SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: it’s really disguised as working for the air force TERTIARY SOURCE(S) OF INCOME: she writes a column in the local paper APPROXIMATE AMOUNT PER YEAR: uhhhh couldn’t tell you, but it’s enough to live comfortably CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: very much so PAST JOB(S): worked at a fast food chain until she was 17, then worked for a supermarket (but was caught stealing & was fired) SPENDING HABITS: she knows what she loves and will always buy what she needs MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: her father’s dog tags, which she constantly wears around her neck

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: she was a cheerleader in high school before her father passed - moving into senior year of high school, sasha locked herself away from others and herself - which meant that she wasn’t as physically fit as she used to be. she was never overweight, but she couldn’t do a cartwheel to save her life anymore. however, joining the sgc - she’s managed to gain back her fitness and once again can do that cartwheel. OFFENSE: no DEFENSE: yes. her fighting style is more protect her body than anything else. SPEED: she’s not incredibly fast, but if something is chasing her, she has the will to go faster. INTELLIGENCE: rather intelligent, however, it is less mathematical smart and more historical smart. ACCURACY: she grew up in a military family, she’s very accurate AGILITY: after working back her fitness, sasha’s very good at climbing walls and leaping across tall buildings. STAMINA: it’s fairly good but no where near as good as it should be TEAMWORK: she depends on her team to survive and they depend on her to keep them alive TALENTS: can translate a different language within an hour, rather good at the piano SHORTCOMINGS: she’s judgemental, snippy and can be rather short with people. all in all it’s that o’neill charm LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, german, russian, dutch and japanese DRIVE?: yes JUMP-STAR A CAR?: yes CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes, badly though SWIM?: yes PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: kind of, without practice she loses her skill PLAY CHESS?: no (daniel’s trying to teach her though) BRAID HAIR?: yes TIE A TIE?: yes PICK A LOCK?: yes

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: alyssa milano EYE COLOR: brown HAIR COLOR: brown HAIR TYPE/STYLE: there’s almost a different style each year. season one: short and almost in a bob. season two: it has grown out more and now reaches her shoulders - curls. season six: it was shaved almost completely off. season three, four, five, seven, eight, nine and ten: it remains at shoulder length and wavy. GLASSES/CONTACTS?: only for when she’s reading DOMINANT HAND: right HEIGHT: 5′2″ WEIGHT: 60 kg BUILD: athletic EXERCISE HABITS: spars with teal’c once a week, while also uses the gym equipment at the sgc twice a week SKIN TONE: pale, but is able to tan rather easily TATTOOS: one on the back of her neck and one on the left side of her lower back PEIRCINGS: both lobes, including seconds, has her nose pierced as well MARKS/SCARS: there is a birthmark over her left hip. a scar just on the right side of her upper lip (which she got when she fell over on the driveway of her family home when she was six), a scar through her left eyebrow - which eerily is like jack’s, however, it was given to her on a mission NOTABLE FEATURES: her eyes and the mirroring scar in her eyebrow, just like jack. USUAL EXPRESSION: she is beaming most of the time - bright and bubbly expressions CLOTHING STYLE: very modern, loves a crop top and low cut jeans, but while she’s on base it is the typical sg uniform. blue fatigues mostly, considering the green makes her look sick JEWELRY: nothing too fancy considering her line of work, a couple of rings and bracelets ALLERGIES: peanuts, bees BODY TEMPERATURE: a normal body temperature DIET: she’s lived with jack for most of her life, it mainly consisted of bbq steak and when she was old enough beer. donuts, and snacks. PHYSICAL AILMENTS: continuously breaks limbs, but nothing too serious to bench her from off world work.

PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE: enfj ENNEAGRAM TYPE: the achiever MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic good ELEMENT: air PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE: logical-mathematical APPROXIMATE IQ: 124 MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: struggles with ptsd after the death of her father and the events that have occurred in her life so far SOCIABILITY: very out going and loves to meet new people EMOTIONAL STABILITY: she’s been hurt so many times that sasha has started to pull away from anything emotional lately, so not good, but she hides it well with her outgoing personality OBSESSION(S): making sure that everything is perfect, making sure that missions will go correctly and nothing bad will happen. PHOBIA(S): tight spaces, spiders, flying, ADDICTION(S): none DRUG USE: none ALCOHOL USE: limited, loves a good beer every sunday afternoon PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: if push came to shove

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: she’s very articulate with her words. when the occasion calls for it, she can speak in a rather professional manner. but when she’s around friends or family, she won’t talk quite as stiff ACCENT: very clearly a west coast accent QUIRKS: she bounces a lot when she’s excited or even happy. it’s absolutely because she’s the shortest of the group and it makes her feel tall HOBBIES: reading is a big one - basically what she does to escape the ‘real world’, mainly romance and comedy novels because horror/sci-fi and action is what she lives on a daily basis HABITS: she has a habit of biting her lower lip, usually when she’s thinking or worried. NERVOUS TICKS: bounces her leg up and down when nervous, she will also pace a lot DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: one is absolutely to save the world from the goa’uld, while the others is her family and her friends FEARS: losing said family and friends. she has a terrible habit of latching onto people she’s met - which isn’t good in her line of work. however, it helps her POSITIVE TRAITS: loyal, strong willed, will fight for her family NEGATIVE TRAITS: falls in love too easily, tries to see the best in everyone - which usually gets her into trouble SENSE OF HUMOR: very dry, it’s that o’neill sense of humour though DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: on and off CATCHPHRASE(S):oh for crying out loud

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: reading ANIMAL: fox BEVERAGE: beer BOOK: pride and prejudice CELEBRITY: brad pitt COLOR: pastel brown DESIGNER: vera wang FOOD: fried rice FLOWER: sunflower GEM: diamond HOLIDAY: christmas MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: mini cooper MOVIE: sleepless in seatle MUSICAL ARTIST: elton john SCENERY: snowy day next to a fireplace in the city SCENT: lavender SPORT: football SPORTS TEAM: 49ers TELEVISION SHOW: simpsons WEATHER: winter VACATION DESTINATION: bora bora

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: to see the goa’uld destroyed and to have her family safe GREATEST FEAR: to lose the planet and her family MOST AT EASE WHEN: things are going the right way, no matter the scenario - could be in the middle of a mission, but as long as she knows what’s she’s doing, sasha can breeze through it LEAST AT EASE WHEN: everything is going wrong, mainly when missions stuff up. as well as when she has no control over a situation WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: one of the alternate world’s reality, becoming her reality. the goa’uld taking over the world and enslaving humanity BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: finally getting into college BIGGEST REGRET: losing her daughter MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: it’s not everyday that you come face to face with a new species, it’s also not everyday that you decide to trip UP stairs when coming to greet them, falling flat on her face and breaking her nose BIGGEST SECRET: max and sasha were expecting a baby - but they were not compatible and the baby died during the first trimester, she never told anyone besides janet TOP PRIORITIES: her job and her family

#ch. sasha o'neill.#promise that you'll never find another like me.#* & MEET MY OC'S.#stargate

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anotheruserwithnoname · 5 years ago

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(Belated) thoughts on Picard S1

Due to a mixture of (pre-lockdown) travel and other things, I didn’t get a chance to finish watching the second half of Star Trek Picard Season 1 till this weekend. I have some thoughts, but I’ll put a break here first as I’ll be doing spoilers.

In brief, though: for the most part I liked it and I don’t get a lot of the hate being thrown its way.

Looking at online reviews of Star Trek Picard, both by professionals and amateur YouTubers, you’d think it was the biggest abomination since Enterprise. I mean, I’ve seen hate thrown its way that even exceeds that directed toward Star Trek: Discovery.

I’m not going to turn this into a commentary on Discovery. I’ll just say that I agree with 99% of the criticisms about it and I have no plans on watching Season 3, nor do I intend to watch any of the Short Treks moving forward after being turned off permanently by the awful The Trouble with Edward.

Picard, however, renewed my faith that it’s still possible for good Trek to be made for TV.

Picard is being criticized for a number of things, like violating canon. Yet I didn’t see it. First, the show is the first Trek series set in “the future” of the Trek franchise since Nemesis back in 2002. So anything it establishes about Starfleet, Picard himself, and the fates of characters like Riker and Troi - there is no canon to violate because we’re moving forward. There is nothing in Picard that is of the same magnitude of, say, what recently happened with Doctor Who. We didn’t have them rewrite established history by suddenly finding out Jean-Luc was a Romulan spy, or that he wasn’t really the captain of the Enterprise, or anything to cause decades of storytelling to collapse into irrelevance or be contradicted. Nearly everything I saw was consistent with what I knew and remembered from TNG. They didn’t even try to retcon the appearance of the 1701-D like Discovery did to the original Enterprise.

That’s not to say everything that was done to the characters post-Nemesis was great. I didn’t care or how Seven of Nine was treated, and they did a few things with her that I think were in the “because we can, not because we should” category. So criticism is warranted there. I also felt a few characters were underserved - including Narissa, who is (or was, RIP) arguably the show’s best character next to Picard. She was a classic Trek villain - yet towards the end we started to wonder if she actually WAS a villain, or basically the Romulan equivalent of Jack Bauer from 24. She commits acts of outright savagery to pursue her ends, definitely - but the same can be said of other “ends justify the means” heroes and anti-heroes. I would have liked to have seen her developed more. (Mind you, the way she is killed off by Seven does leave an opening for a return - that was a long way down, with plenty of time to pull some macguffin out of her hat.)

Probably the main thing that I liked about this show is I cared about the characters. I can even remember their names - something Discovery failed to impress upon me. Rios and his crew of holograms were great and in Season 2 I hope they do another meeting sequence where they all interact with each other. Yes, I know Orphan Black did it first and probably did it better - but it ain’t Star Trek.

One of the biggest criticisms others levy on Picard is that Picard was a supporting character in his own show. First, that’s nonsense. Second, Picard is supposed to be a dying man throughout and in his 90s to boot. This is why I think the idea of bringing Shatner back as Kirk isn’t going to work because he won’t be running around with phasers blasting either! Stewart is not the same man he was when he made Nemesis - and they don’t make the mistake of trying to pretend otherwise. Even at the end where they basically make him a nuBSG-style Cylon to keep him alive, they didn’t turn around and make him 50 years old again. If Trek wasn’t a TV show, sure they probably would have, but the reality is the actor turns 80 this summer, and who knows when Season 2 will be filmed.

The big condemnation is about how Starfleet went dark post-Nemesis. People seem to think that Starfleet is always about goodness and light. They forget about the high command plotting the assassination of the Federation president in Star Trek VI. They forget about the black ops division Section 31 established in DS9 - or some of the things Sisko does during the Dominion War. Apparently, one of Picard’s showrunners says the original plan was to make it clear the “darkening” was part of the aftermath of the Dominion War, but this was cut. Yet they don’t need any excuse - the show clearly establishes that Romulans infiltrated the highest levels of Starfleet Command (if you think that can’t happen, go watch the final few episodes of TNG Season 1 when it happens) and were responsible for the Mars attack that set everything in motion.

And the show clearly establishes that there are till bastions of “goodness and light” in Starfleet - starting with Picard himself. And the season ends with the synthetic lifeform ban removed, signifying that Starfleet is returning to its old standards. It works. There were also people concerned that Picard was going to somehow tie-in with Discovery (due apparently to some of the cast members of both shows posing for photos together). Other than a few small references to things established on Discovery, Picard doesn’t go there.

Is Picard perfect? Hell no. Although I appreciated the “slow burn” style of storytelling, which has been adopted by a lot of other shows, it is a tough fit for Star Trek. But I didn’t mind because it was interesting. But I can see others’ points when they say the first few episodes drag a bit.

The show also suffers from the usual “continuity lockout” facing any newcomer to Trek. In this case, you need to know a fair amount about Seven of Nine’s story arc from Voyager, the Hugh story arc from the later seasons of TNG, the movie Star Trek: Nemesis, and have a working knowledge of the Picard-Data relationship from TNG. It also doesn’t hurt to know that Bruce Maddox appeared in one of the key “Data is a person” episodes of TNG as well. Unfortunately, knowing TNG may also result in one of the few major continuity issues of Picard, and that’s the fact Data already had a daughter, Lal, in “The Offspring”. The fact she’s never referenced is puzzling.

Other issue I had: I am not a fan of the use of F-bombs in Star Trek. While I concede they were better handled than the juvenile “because we can” attitude of Discovery, it added nothing other than to justify the TV-MA rating (without the F-bombs the show - eye-gouging included - would have fit under TV-14), which some has interpreted as an intentional attempt at alienating younger viewers (Torchwood ran into the same criticism). I already touched on the mishandling of Seven of Nine (which added in some unnecessary storytelling cliches, especially at the end), and I thought Narek could have been better handled - he vanishes without explanation in the finale and no one seems to care.

They also missed a few bets. I would have loved for the mysterious tech-alien species to have had some connection to Vger from Star Trek the Motion Picture (it makes more sense than Vger being found by the Borg, which is a longstanding theory). And while it was just a destination in the show, and never seen, rather than invoking the name of Deep Space 12, would it have killed them to say Deep Space 9? There was already a visual reference to Quark in one of the episodes, but mentioning DS9 by name, along with Seven’s presence, would have allowed Picard to have connected the three “future” Trek spinoffs.

But I enjoyed Picard, and if they still make DVDs after all the madness currently in the world, I look forward to buying the complete series when it comes out, and I hope they make a second season (it’s been renewed, but these days there is no guarantee when or if renewed shows will resume production and too long a delay risks 80+-year-old Patrick Stewart not being up to it). All in all, quite pleased, yet still puzzled at why so many people hate it. But then I know there are people who cannot understand why I cannot abide by certain shows, so I guess it evens up.

#star trek picard #picard commentary

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timeagainreviews · 5 years ago

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Thoughts leading up to series 12

Happy holidays, friends! I know, I know. It's been a while. I would love to sit here and say I have been away doing important things, but really I've been hibernating. The results of that awful election, mixed with the holidays had left me feeling a bit lethargic as of late. That being said, I had a nice Christmas. Being an immigrant, I don't see my family on holidays. My boyfriend and I spent the day piecing together a Babylon 5 jigsaw puzzle. I made my pal Gerry a celery for his 5th Doctor cosplay and he gifted me a replica of the Li H'sen Chang poster from "The Talons of Weng-Chiang." It was a very Doctor Who Christmas! Sadly, there was no Doctor Who Christmas episode!

Alas, it hardly matters, as new Doctor Who is mere days away! As I did last year, you can expect weekly coverage for each new episode. I'm looking forward to getting back into the groove of consistent writing. Usually, the fandom is more abuzz when the show is actually airing, so please remember to check in with this blog, as I will be watching along with the rest of you!

If you recall, prior to series eleven, I made a list talking about some of my hopes and expectations for the new TARDIS team and the new production team. Seeing as series twelve is just days away from premiering, I thought I might do it again. Let's get to it, shall we?

The Thirteenth Doctor

Seeing Jodie Whittaker back in the TARDIS for another round of adventures has me massively excited. One of the downsides to Christopher Eccleston's run is that we never really got to see him develop the role of the Ninth Doctor. I'm hoping we'll get to see more aspects of her character. Seeing as I don't expect her to regenerate any time soon, there's still much of her personality left to explore. We've met the friendly adorkable Doctor, now let's see her bend a little.

One of my primary complaints about Jodie Whittaker's portrayal as the Doctor was that I didn't think she got scary. While I love her bravery, running headlong into danger, I would like to see a shade or two of her dark side. Up to this point, she's been too friendly to be scary. I know I'm not the only person with this complaint, so it will be interesting to see what a year of hiatus and refocusing will do for her. Honestly, I hope they don't change her too much, as she's pretty great. I'd just like to see them flesh her out a bit.

Other than her personality, I'm also hoping to see some costume variations. The trailer for the new season does give us Jodie in a bow tie, which I am all for. I've also seen a picture where her trousers are black. I'm hoping they continue to tweak her costume here and there, as watching the Doctor's costume evolve over time has always been one of my favourite things about the show.

Chris Chibnall's return

Was there anyone from series eleven that drew more ire than Chris Chibnall? Sure you got the people who hated Jodie solely because she was a woman, but on the level of legitimate concerns, Chibnall was up there. I myself threw a bit of mud in his direction, and I don't feel as though it was without good cause. The general management of the show seemed a bit aimless, despite many promising elements.

Something about the way series eleven was received gave the BBC pause to reevaluate the show's trajectory, and I have a distinct feeling that Chibnall was at the heart of a lot of it. From his lack of a season-long story arc, to the villains being a bit shit, to an overly dour tone, his first year as showrunner left something to be desired. The fact that we didn't even get a single webisode during this gap year shows me that they're still not 100% sure what to do with Doctor Who.

However, having said this, Chibnall's core TARDIS team is one of the most exciting aspects of series twelve. I can't wait to see more from this great line up of characters. And if the exciting trailer for this new series is anything to go off, we're in for quite a ride. Chibnall's most recent endeavour as showrunner was last year's "Resolution," a much-needed bit of classic Who villainy in the form of a Dalek. I was left feeling optimistic that Chibnall was capable of delivering solid storytelling. And that's the operative word- optimistic. As long as he doesn't get needlessly gritty, I'm cautiously optimistic that this year-long hiatus has yielded positive results.

The Companions

Like many other viewers, my chief complaint about the companions has to be Yaz. She really got shafted on the level of character development last year. When you have someone as talented as Mandip Gill, it's a shame to waste her. I know the fandom was quite vocal about this fact, so I fully expect to see the show give her more time in the spotlight. I don't know anyone who disliked her character, which is a good sign that the fandom wants more of her.

Ryan and Graham were two characters that I felt got a great bit of character development. The moment when Ryan finally calls Graham "granddad," was a truly exciting moment for two characters we had grown to love. The logical next step, at least in my mind, is to test the boundaries of this new relationship. I'd really love to see Graham meet a new love interest. Introducing someone into Graham's life would make Ryan have to broaden his definition of family even further. It might also be a catalyst for his own personal growth.

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't also see one or more of the companions depart from the TARDIS. My gut says it would be Graham, but I wouldn't be surprised if all three of them left at the end of the series. As much as I love the current companions, I would love to see what energy a new companion or two might do for Jodie's Doctor.

The Villains

Prior to series eleven, I was feeling very optimistic for new Doctor Who. That is until I read an article where Chris Chibnall announced there would be no returning villains. Other than the announcement that Chibnall would be showrunner, nothing had made me more concerned for the show's future than "no returning villains." It's not that returning villains are a must for Doctor Who. It's actually a rather brave thing to attempt. The reason it's brave is that if you're going to leave out classic baddies, you've got to justify your decision by crafting new classics. And I'm sorry, but some Slipknot dude with teeth in his face is not classic.

From what I've seen of the trailer and promotional stills, we're looking at at least three returning creatures from the Whoniverse. We've all seen the picture of Jodie staring down the Judoon. If I am completely honest, those have left me with the least amount of hype, as they weren't ever even full-on villains. I've always found the Judoon slightly hokey, so I could take or leave them. The plus side is that there is still plenty of room to develop them as a species. Are there non-Shadow Proclamation Judoon? Are there evil factions? I'm curious if nothing else.

Another familiar face is the Cybermen. While I feel like both the RTD and Moffat eras used the Cybermen ad nauseam, they're still a classic baddie with a solid track record. It appears they'll have something to do with the finale and that "timeless child," storyline I'm uninterested in, so fine, sure, ok. The real alien species I'm excited for is the Racnoss! Much like the Judoon, the Racnoss are also underdeveloped. I wasn't a big fan of them the first time around, which is why I'm excited for more. I'm curious to see what depth can be found in these campy arachnids. If nothing else, the makeup is fun.

The Guest Actors

Series eleven treated us to a surprisingly tender performance from Lee Mack in "Kerblam!" We got a decent turn by Mark Addy, working with not a lot to go off as the underwritten Paltraki. But without a doubt, the best performance came in the form of Alan Cumming's King James. Not only was he as hilarious as he was loathsome, but he also elevated what could have been a more straightforward performance, by finding that sweet spot of camp and contemptible.

That being said, with actors like Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, and classic Doctor Who alum Robert Glenister joining the show, I'm hopeful we'll get at least one memorable performance out of the lot. I've not followed many of the ins and outs of the storylines, so I have no idea who anyone is playing other than Goran Višnjić as Nikola Tesla. That being said, the addition of Tesla to the series seems an obvious fit. He was an eccentric man who was a bit weird about his pet bird. I expect his story to be one of the stranger ones we'll enjoy this year, or at least, it had better be.

The BBC's involvement

I'm hoping that in this last year, the BBC weren't just reevaluating Chris Chibnall's direction for the show, but their own involvement as well. They got rid of Bake Off and Formula One, Top Gear's audience followed Clarkson over to Amazon. All that's left are partisan news coverage, QI, Countryfile, and Doctor Who. Oh and I guess "His Dark Materials," but I don't know anyone who's talking about that show. As I said earlier, it's been a year of nothing from Doctor Who as a series. Other than comics and a less than perfect VR game, we've gotten nothing from the Thirteenth Doctor and the fam. Not even a novel or webisode to tide us over. How hard would it have been, while filming series twelve, to shoot a quick little skit on the TARDIS set? The Moffat era did this a lot, and it was always nice to see a little bit of Doctor Who while waiting for more episodes.

As the last vestige of the BBC's once-great television empire, you would think they might start to give a shit about Doctor Who. I know it's a crazy concept, but perhaps shelving one of your best shows for a year wasn't the best option. It would be nice to see them put more money and effort into the show. It would be a welcome sight to see them also put more money into the budget for things like merchandise or extended universe media. We've got three books for the current Doctor and that was last year. David Tennant had over thirty novels, while Matt Smith's Doctor appeared in over 15, and Capaldi only appeared in nine. Do you remember the last time we got a Character Options figure that wasn't a repaint of another figure? The most recent one we got was Harry Sullivan, and I'm pretty sure the only new element to that figure was his head. I've seen previews of the new companion figurines, and they're great, but I want more.

Perhaps I sound a bit spoiled. Many shows never expand beyond their allotted episodes, but this is Doctor Who, a show with a broader reach than your telly. It seemed last year that they were finally giving the show its dues. There were billboards of Jodie's face everywhere. The hype was palpable. Now, it's just four days from series twelve, and I've not even seen a bus ad for the new show. A woman I see out on dog walks was surprised when I told her the show was returning on the first of January. She had no idea. This is the Doctor Who audience that they're failing, not people like me who count the days like an advent calendar. The BBC needs to decide once in for all if they're going to give Doctor Who the respect it deserves, or sell it someone who will.

And that's it for now, friends. I hope you're all just as excited as I am to be back in the blue box. If all goes as planned, I should have a new review up the day after each episode. I'm optimistic that I'll have some great things to say!

#doctor who #series 12 #Jodie Whittaker #Thirteenth Doctor #chris chibnall #dalek #cybermen #yazmin khan #Ryan Sinclair #Graham O'Brien #mandip gill #tosin cole #Bradley Walsh #bbc #stephen fry #racnoss #judoon

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evolutionsvoid · 5 years ago

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While the name "Bog Hag" may bring to mind some kind of witch that hangs around swamps, it is actually referring to a member of the True Siren family. In other cases, people may think Bog Hags are some kind of vengeful nature spirit, shambling piles of muck, branches and vines that seek to devour intruders. Despite these tales, Bog Hags are avian in nature, though there is an explanation for the marsh spirit monster mix up. Like all other True Sirens, the Bog Hag possesses four taloned limbs and a pair of wings. They also sport the pair of external larynges that the family is known for, as those help with its vocalizations. Though the Bog Hag is equipped with large wings, this species very rarely flies. The clogged and crowded canopy of the swamps and bogs it dwells in makes flight quite difficult for a creature of their size. The most aerial use they get out of these limbs is using them to boost their jumps, like when they seek to roost in a tree. At all other times, these large wings are kept close to the body, almost creating a cloak around them. This is because the Bog Hag uses their wings for camouflage, helping them blend in with their environment. The green hues help them melt into the vegetation, but they tend to add a little extra to this effect. Certain feathers on the outside of their wings are equipped with tiny barbs and hooks, which can stick to things like a bur. As the Bog Hag slinks through the swamp, its feathers will snare a variety of vines, moss, algae and other stuff to slowly build an extra layer of camouflage. Given enough time and resources, the Bog Hag can completely enshroud itself in a cloak of vegetation and muck, which gives rise to the tales of swamp beasts. Another reason why people believe these disguised creatures to be supernatural beings is the way they seemingly emerge from the scenery. Any pile of moss or overgrown stump could suddenly rear up and lash out with razor sharp claws, which leads to this idea. This is because Bog Hags prefer to hide behind this costume so that they can avoid predators and ambush prey. The grimy cloak will make them invisible to hungry eyes and it will also provide a natural odor so that their own scent is masked. When resting or waiting for food, they shall hide behind this disguise and remain perfectly still. If one is not extremely attentive to detail, you can easily walk past a Bog Hag without even knowing it. If you are on their menu, though, it is highly unlikely that they will let you stroll by in one piece! Despite their sharp talons and hooked beak, Bog Hags are omnivores. Even then, their diet leans more towards fruits, nuts and vegetables than it does meaty prey. That is not to say they don't snack on critters and lost travelers, it is just a majority of their diet is vegetation based. Sharp claws let them slice through root and vine, while their massive beak easily shatters tough shells and rinds. Foraging is usually done during the night, that way they can feed in peace. This also means that they can use this to catch other creatures unaware. Sleeping critters can be snuck up on and devoured, and those that are out roaming the darkness can be fooled by their deceptive cloak. If it detects nearby prey, the Bog Hag shall wrap itself in its wings and wait. If the ignorant beast ambles by, the siren will lash out with beak and talons. When ambushing prey, the Bog Hag will seek to grab hold with its talons and then use its powerful beak to crush the skull. It turns out a tool for cracking nuts can also be used on bone.

If its prey does not seem to be going their way, the Bog Hag can use their old family trick to bring them closer. Using their own vocal cords and their external larynges, Bog Hags can replicate an insane amount of sounds and calls. Add to this a wicked intelligence, and you got yourself a beast that is a master of trickery. If their target prefers flesh, the Bog Hag will mimic the cries of wounded prey. If it happens to be mating season, the calls of a female member of the species will get most males to rush blindly to their doom. The tricks and cons they pull are nearly endless, as they never cease to come up with new ideas for luring prey. If all else fails, the Bog Hag will resort to its hypnotic song. By running through a wide array of pitches, tones and rhythms, the siren will find a song that has an entrancing effect on its target. Such a process uses a great deal of energy, so it is often used as a last resort. If the Bog Hag is successful in finding the perfect song to effect prey, it will put them in a blissful trance. Those under their spell are completely oblivious to their surroundings and their own safety, as they stumble straight towards the singing creature. If they do not have the mental strength to resist the song or if no one is around to snap them out of it, they will happily walk right into the cruel talons of the Bog Hag. It is said that those who meet this fate aren't even aware of their deaths, as they are too lost in the song as the beak delivers a fatal bite. Like all other sirens, Bog Hags are widely feared and reviled creatures. Their slimy disguises are frightening to many, and even an uncloaked one is no pretty sight. Their entrancing song is something many travelers and explorers are scared of as they slog through the swamps. Though humans and other flesh based creatures may be potential prey to the Bog Hag, they are rarely their primary target. These creatures will only eat meat from time to time, mostly when opportunity presents itself. What they really want are fruits, nuts and other plant based foods, which happens to include dryads. Compared to all other sirens, the Bog Hag is the one member of the family that seems to prey mostly on the dryad species. Others may take our kind as food if they have the chance, but Bog Hags are the one who directly targets us. Like the beasts of lore who thrive on human flesh, these creatures love the taste of dryad organs. When they hunt live prey, they are mainly looking for a dryad to fool and consume. They seek out those who are alone or are far from help, so that no one can save them from the siren's song. When a proper target is found, they may try to mimic the sounds of a lost sister or one in trouble. Cries of distress are hard for many to ignore, and these creatures know that. If the dryad does not fall for it, they will quickly turn to their song and hypnotize them. Those who are not strong enough or fast enough to block their song will succumb to its effects and become the siren's dinner. When dining on dryads, Bog Hags prefer to feed on our head growths, brains and other internal organs. The remains of a dryad who fell to a Bog Hag's spell will often be headless and their body will be torn open and hollowed out. Such a sight can be found in the bogs and swamps, as many Marsh Dryad communities have to deal with these predators. This is one of the reasons why many hunters and foragers never go into the wilderness alone, and why nightly watches have to have at least two members. No one wants to succumb to this fate, and I got to experience such fear! My first encounter with one of these creatures was when I was traveling with a foraging group of Marsh Dryads. We were far from the village and decided to set up camp for the night. Due to the harshness of the territory we were in, we decided to have a watch. Two of us would stay up while the others slept, and then we would switch after a few hours. I was paired with a dryad named Lacocoa, and we were to take watch during the darkest part of the night. Before we even took over, they had the two of us tie ourselves together with a long piece of vine. It was like we were a two plant rope team! This was to keep us together and aware of each other's condition, and I must say it worked perfectly! As we sat around with our glow pods, I felt myself starting to doze off. Nothing was really happening, so boredom was starting to make me tired. At some point during my drowsiness, I heard a weird hollow noise in the distance. It wasn't super loud or threatening, so it took me a bit too long to react to it. As it droned on, my mind scrambled to remember what it belonged to, and before I could recall it, my rope belt began to tug. Being pulled off my log seat certainly jolted me awake, and I quickly looked to see what Lacocoa was doing. There she was wandering towards the dark trees outside of camp, without a weapon or light in hand. Even when I called to her, she didn't respond, she just kept stumbling forward like a drunk man. She was even oblivious to the fact she was dragging me along! I hurried to her and grabbed her before she could go any further. When I looked at her face, I saw she was completely out of it. She stared mindlessly ahead and she barely had the strength to keep her head up. Her mouth hung slack and she was drooling all over the place (which actually quite common for Marsh Dryads, but you know what I mean). It was like she was lost in a dream, so I quickly woke her up. A hearty shake and shout right in her face snapped her awake, and she jolted as if I electrocuted her. She was confused of what happened, seemingly oblivious to what happened during her trance. Since I was a rookie at all this, I woke up the rest of the party to make sure everyone was okay. With everyone roused and awake, they moved to scare the beast away. A handful of explosive seeds and flammable spores were bundled together and chucked into the forest. The resulting burst of light and sound sent the wildlife in a panic, as well as the Bog Hag responsible. Through the chaos, I could hear a terrible screech of the startled creature and the sound of heavy wings. They said that it fled and was gone, but that did little to comfort me. When it became our turn to sleep, I asked if Lacocoa wanted to stay tied together, just in case. Though I thought I would be ridiculed for my fear, she immediately agreed to the idea. It took me a moment to realize that she was still shaken from the incident, and was probably scared of the same thing I was. It was nice not to be alone with this fear but, even then, I still slept like crud that night. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ------------------------------------------------------------- Gotta get more sirens in here! Always gotta have more!

#siren #monster #creature #art #drawing #swamp monster #bird monster #avian #bog

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ocprompting · 6 years ago

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Hey everyone, we put this together and i think this is a good blog to put it on. it’s a big text document we made thats like a big oc bio/questionnare like thing, its just a bunch of questions about your oc. i realize its very slightly biased to fantasy settings but only slightly, so ignore the magic section if yours isnt fantasy based. if you do decide to fill it out, you can skip any parts that dont apply to your oc, and just please do link back to this blog if you post it! i dunno who would actually fill it out or if its any good but uh its here if u want it! (im not claiming this post to be good - its just useful for us so i’m sharing it incase it is useful for others too)

Fun Character Bio

Name

What is it?

Does it mean anything, who gave it to them and why?

Do they like it?

Is it a common name for their setting/culture, or is it obscure?

Other basics

Age?

Species?

Personality traits

What are their most defining traits to their personality? What sticks out as soon as you meet them, what kind of first impression do they make?

What are their good traits?

What are their bad traits?

Any other traits?

How do they describe themself, how do they view themself?

How do others describe them, how do others view them?

What parts of their personality always prevail and are always present no matter what the situation is?

Are they a different person when you first meet them than when you get to know them, does it take them time to open up? Or are they an open book from the get go?

Appearance

Height?

Body build/shape/weight?

Facial shape - What are their eyes like? How about their nose, or lips? Shape of cheeks? Eyebrows?

Hair - Is it short? Long? How is the texture/shape? How is the style? Do they wear it different ways or only one way? What colour(s) is it, and is that natural or changed?

Skin tone?

Anything such as glasses? freckles? dimples? scars? any wrinkles?

Do they look younger, average, or older than their age?

Anything else such as a tail, unusual ears, wings, etc?

How do they feel about their appearance? Do they like it, do they dislike it, is it mixed, or do they not place much value on their looks?

Is there anything they would want to change about their appearance? Is there anything they refuse to change about their appearance?

Gender identity/etc

What is their gender?

Are they intersex or perisex (non intersex)? Or does their culture not even have different "sexes"?

Are they cis or trans? Or does their culture not even assign genders?

What are their pronouns?

Orientation/attraction (if oc is aro and/or ace, skip the ones you feel not applicable)

Sexual orientation?

Romantic orientation?

Are they dating anyone? Are they married? Do they want to get married? Or do they prefer 'one night stands'?

How do they react when they first fall for someone?

How do they react when they first begin being intimate with someone?

How do they react further on down the relationship? Do they change or do they stay the same but stronger feelings?

Do they have a lot of dating experience, a little, or none?

What ways do they express intimacy or love? Hugs, Kisses, Giving gifts, Doing favors, Creating things for them, Verbal flattery, etc?

Are they casual or intense in the relationship? Do they value the relationship as important and lasting, or just fun and fleeting? Are they fast or slow in their relationships?

Are they dominant or passive in the relationship? Do they take the lead, let their partner(s) take the lead, a mixture, or is there no lead in their relationships?

Do they enjoy sexual aspects to their relationship more, or romantic aspects more?

Do they have any sexual interests that they do with their partner(s), either for themself or for their partner(s)?

What do they do if there is something upsetting in their relationship, how do they handle slight turmoil in their relationships? (as in, not abuse, but a small/singular problem)

Are they confident when with a partner, or are they insecure? If they are confident, how do they feel about confident partners? How about insecure partners? if insecure, then how do they feel about confident partners? or insecure partners?

Do they have a 'type'? Personality wise, what do they enjoy in a partner(s)? Looks wise, what do they enjoy as well?

How well do they handle heartbreak?

Platonic relationships

What kinds of people do they make friends with? What kinds of people DON'T they make friends with?

What kinds of things do they enjoy to do with friends? Do they like to chill at home, go out somewhere exciting, hang at a quiet coffee shop, etc?

Do they enjoy a large friend group or small? Would they rather a few great friends, or many good friends?

Do they make friends with anyone easily, or are they selective?

How long does it take them being around a person to consider them a friend?

How do they handle a fight with a friend?

How do they express their friendship? What kinds of things do they do to/with friends to let them know they care for them?

Animals

How do they feel about animals as a whole? Do they view them as friends, helpers, tools/rescources, equal companions, annoyances, or enemies?

Do they have a favourite animal, for any reason? A least favourite animal?

Do they have any pets? Have they formally had pets? If no pet, do they want one?

Are they good with animals or are they bad with them?

Food/Diet

What kinds of food do they enjoy?

What kinds of foods do they not enjoy?

Do they eat a little, a lot, or somewhere inbetween?

If a little, Do they only eat a little due to being poor/conserving, or is there another reason such as culture/religious/etc? If a lot, do they do so due to money/abundance of food, or would they still find a way to eat a lot even if poor?

Do they have any food allergies, or restrictions such as vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian/etc? If the latter, is it a personal belief, a cultural belief, a religious belief, due to allergies, or something else?

Do they view food as just sustenance or as a pleasure? Or balance it out?

If given a big plate of food, do they eat their fav food first or last?

If given a big plate of food, do they eat it all at once, or save some for later?

How do they feel on sweets? How do they feel on sour foods? How do they feel on spicy foods? How do they feel on bland/basic foods?

Are they good at cooking/baking, or do they instead just buy premade meals? Do they cook basic storebought foods or do they make food from scratch? Or if rich, do they pay someone else to prepare their foods?

Social/political beliefs

What are their views on social groups? Are they open minded or close minded? Are they progressive, or do they dislike if their society changes?

What is the government like in their setting? Do they like the way it is set up, or not? Do they like their current leader, or not?

Fashion

What kinds of clothes do they like? What kinds of things will they include in every outfit?

What kinds of clothes do they dislike? What kinds of things would they refuse to wear?

Any accessories they always wear, like a bracelet, hair tie, ring, locket, etc? Does it have any significance?

What is their relationship with clothing? Do they wear what's comfortable, what they aesthetically like, what is easy to work in/what fits their profession, something formal, something casual? Do they view clothes as just fabric to cover their body, or do they consider it an important/integral part of their identity, or somewhere in between?

Do they prefer to have less or more skin exposed in their outfits? Do they wear as little as possible, or maybe do they use clothes to hide something about themselves?

Do they live somewhere with the same temperature/weather all year, or does the climate change? if it does change, do they change their clothes by the changing seasons, or do they stick to their "brand" no matter what? if it doesn't change, do they like having the same style clothes all year or not?

Disabilities

Do they have any physical disorders/ailments/etc?

Do they have any mental disorders/ailments/etc? What about, are they neurodivergent?

Do they have any other sort of disability?

Is their disability something formally diagnosed or understood in their setting, or is it something not well known or understood in their universe?

Does their culture offer accomodations, treatments, and services for their type of disability, does their culture just ignore or not recognize it, or does their culture view it negatively?

How does their culture/setting view their disability(/ies) in general? Is their society open to help those disabled, or quick to shun them?

Hobbies and talents

Do they have any hobbies or recreational interests? Do they practice them a little at a time/during whatever free time, or are their hobbies more time consuming and take up a good deal of their day/week/etc?

Is their hobby to de stress, to bring fulfillment, to build up a skill, or another reason? Why do they do their hobby?

What made them pick up/do this hobby?

Is their hobby something done in their alone time, or something done in a group setting/with friends?

What kinds of talents do they have? What are they good at? Is it something more well regarded like singing, dancing, painting, etc.. or something more obscure like quickly organizing things alphabetically, remembering what kind of flowers their friend likes, or another skill that isnt as widely seen as a typical "talent/skill"?

is there any type of hobby they detest and would never partake in?

Is there any sort of skill or subject they are just completely bad at?

Is there a hobby they wish they could try? Is there a skill they wish they had?

Are their hobbies or skills more practical and useful in a job or career, more suited for social life/aspects, more creative and for fun, or do they serve a different kind of purpose in their life?

Do they have skills they don't know about yet, or hobbies they haven't tried, and maybe even don't even know to try (on either)?

Religion and spirituality

Are they religious? Are they a part of a group or place which practices their faith in an organized manner, or do they practice it on their own/by themself?

Are they spiritual? Are they part of a group or place which practices this in an organized manner, or do they practice it on their own/by themself?

Do they consider religion and spirituality to go hand in hand, or are separate things in their life? Do they do one without the other?

What parts of their beliefs do they enjoy the most, what speaks to them the most? What is the core reason they are a part of that faith?

Is there any part of their faith they don't like? Be it the faith itself, or the people within?

If they are not religious, is it due to indifference, due to it being not of interest, due to a more scientific view, or even a personal grievance with the faith, the deities, or the people within the faith?

Is their belief a widely practiced one in their culture, or is it a lesser known practice? Is it the only religion established in their setting, or are their multiple?

Where they raised on their faith, or did they convert in later?

Were they raised in one faith and left it for another faith? Were they raised in one faith and left it for something like athiesm/agnosticism/etc?

financial status/job

What financial class do they belong to? Are they a ruler/royalty, nobility, upper class, middle class, lower class, or poor as can be?

Were they born in to this class, or came in to it later on?

What is their job, if they have one? How do they earn their money, or at least things like food and other necessities?

Do they enjoy their work, do they only work for the money, or do they detest their job? Is work something enjoyable or is it stressful?

Is this their dream job, or is there something they'd like to be doing more? What is stopping them - do they not have the social class, do they not have the money or ability to achieve it, or do they maybe just not believe they're capable?

Phobias

Do they have any phobias or fears? Anything that scares them beyond belief or something that they reguarly avoid out of fear?

When confronted with their fear, how do they handle it?

After escaping the situation, how do they recover? How long does it take to do so?

Is their fear easily able to be overcome after facing it once or twice, or is it something more chronic and they have the same response no matter how often they experience it?

Does their fear come from a frightening life experience, or is it more 'random' and not 'derived' from anything?

Magic

Is there anything equivalent to magic/etc in their universe? If so, can they use it?

Where does their magic come from? Their own body, an object/book, a deity, their universe, etc?

What powers do they have?

How do they recharge their powers?

When do they use their powers; what situations, how often?

What kinds of drawbacks do their powers have?

Fun/misc

When playing truth or dare, which option do they take when asked?

If hypothetically stranded on an island for a week, what three objects and three people would they take with them?

If given 3 wishes, what would they wish for?

What's their fav music genre? What's their fav tv/book genre? Fav video game genre?

Do they like board games, or do board games frustrate them?

Do they sing in the shower? Do they sing when they cook? Do they sing when doing chores?

How do they react to having an annoying song stuck in their head for 3 days?

Are they good with kids?

What's the quickest way to make them smile/laugh?

Quickest way to make them cry/break their heart?

Quickest way to get on their nerves/piss them off?

How do they sleep? Light sleeper, heavy sleeper, do they snore? do they toss and turn or are they a brick?

Do they own a comfort object? Do they own a sacred object? Do they own a useful object? Any sort of thing they own that they heavily rely on for something?

Zodiac sign? Do they care about this sort of thing?

How do they react to/act when they are sick?

How do they react to/act when in pain?

How do they react to/act when hungry?

Any tropes that apply? Or, what is their basic "character type"?

Three words that perfectly describe them?

ok cool thanks have fun -claude & irak

#character development #character prompt #oc development #character bio #character questions #character questionnare #oc questions #oc questionnare #oc prompt #by claude #by irak #long post/

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years ago

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-One: The Patent Office ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

A few days after arriving back in his hometown, Sasuke decides to finally ask Hinata if she’s ready for him to come work.

After bumping into her completely by accident, and then arranging some volunteer help with her new flower shop business, Sasuke’s finally ready to speak to her again. He’d been so taken aback by just so happening to run into her, he’s admittedly put it off for a bit. After all...it’s not every day you come face to face with your high school crush.

A crush he...really isn’t over, apparently. Seems his time traveling the world and learning photography didn’t fully bury the feelings. Because they popped back up like spring daisies the moment they locked eyes again.

He still feels a little bad...he sort of dropped all forms of communication with his old classmates post high school. True, he hadn’t had many true friends...and he and Hinata weren’t exactly best buddies. And it’s not like she’s the only one he hasn’t spoken to in ages. But the general feeling of being a distant jerk remains. After so long with such poor luck with “dating” (he never did have a girlfriend in high school...she was the only one he ever had a crush on, and her sights were always elsewhere), he thought traveling might help him forget, or at least find something new.

But instead he developed a new passion, and it let him shift his focus for a while. A silly high school crush, after all, isn’t anything to cry over once you graduate. Especially since he hadn’t even worked up the guts to admit anything…

And even now, he’s not sure what to do about it. They haven’t spoken in years, and even in school that was rare. The stupid love square they were in meant everyone was preoccupid by the wrong person. Didn’t help her own object of affection got married almost immediately after high school. Sasuke had gotten roped into being the best man, but she hadn’t been there.

...not that he blamed her.

So now, here they are: two practically strangers thrown together after so long. With Sasuke partnering with his brother for several projects, he’s back in town for about a month. And he, running his big mouth, offered to help her with her newest pride and joy: a little flower shop just a few blocks from his brother’s place.

Funny how that worked out…

Breaking from his thoughts, Sasuke takes out his mobile and sends her a short text.

Need any help today? I’m free.

Before he can slip it back into his pocket, he can’t help a small jolt as it jumps in his hand. Huh...someone’s a quick replier.

Sure! Head down any time u want!

Huh...that was easy. Moving downstairs, he gives his brother a small wave. “Heading out for a bit.”

Itachi blinks. “...will you be back for dinner?”

“Probably - why?”

“I thought you might like to go out to eat, since we’ve not had a chance to do so yet.”

“Oh, uh...sure. Just text me when you wanna go, I’m not going far.”

“...oh?”

“Got a little part time gig down the street.”

That seems to get his brother to brighten. “...I’m glad! I’ll let you know when I’m ready, then.”

“Cool.” Giving a mock solute, Sasuke heads out and takes a quick pace down the sidewalk.

It’s funny, he grew up on the other side of town, so despite being home, not much here is familiar. Itachi insisted on remaining due to the town’s artful focus. As a musician, it’s suited him well. Hence Sasuke being ‘hired’ by the orchestra he plays with to take promotional pictures at their shows this season to sell as prints and use for posters. It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, especially since it almost means one long visit with his brother...and no rent for a month.

Hence why he can afford to volunteer a few hours at Hinata’s. Poor thing’s been running her new little business all by her lonesome. While he can appreciate the drive, he’s worried she’s working too hard. Maybe by the time he leaves, his help will convince her to hire on someone else to help reduce her workload.

At the corner before the store, he perks up. Several people linger outside, admiring the displays and heading inside to see more. She was right: she is getting good business. Makes sense: it’s that plant growing time of year.

Heading in, he finds her behind the counter, helping a small line of customers as others take to perusing her goods. While she’s bright-eyed and clearly enthused, he can see a small lag to her frame that betrays some exhaustion. Hinata doesn’t notice him at first, too involved with her clientele, so he hangs back for a bit until they find a lull.

“Hey.”

“Oh! Hey!” She gives a crooked smile. “Things are hopping!”

“I can see that. What do you need me to do?”

“Well, um…” Teeth nibble her lip in thought. “...I guess for now, you can help with inventory…? I think we’re doing okay, but if anything looks low, there should be more in the back you can grab. I’d have you help juggle customers, but…” A sheepish glance. “You...probably don’t know about the flowers, or...anything, r-right?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay...that’s fine! Just having another pair of hands will be a b-big help!”

He starts by familiarizing himself with some of the basics, noting what looks to be running low. Thankfully he’s got a good visual memory, and it doesn’t take much to head to the back, find what looks right, and bring up more to fill the emptying shelves. Larger items like heavy pots and cement edgers for flower gardens he helps pack around. Her shop isn’t that big, and there’s a noticeable lack of carts or trolleys for carrying large or heavy loads. He might have to suggest that.

Overall, Sasuke has to admit...he doesn’t feel like he’s all that much help. Hinata, being the only expert, still has to handle all the questions, the till and the prices, and taking custom orders for bouquets to make later. But they get through the day well enough, Hinata turning off the ‘open’ sign with a weary sigh.

“Is it like that every day?”

“Nearly,” she admits, a hand at her neck. “If the w-weather is bad, it keeps people away. But nice days like this get pretty busy.”

“Sorry I couldn’t do more…”

“Oh, no no! You were a great help! I’ll admit, some of that heavier stuff is rough…”

“Any way you can get, like...carts to carry things?”

“I should, yeah…” Another sheepish glance. “I have a very long list of “‘should dos’, to be honest.”

“Like hiring some permanent help?”

“...maybe…”

Before they leave, however, Hinata drags out a pot from behind the counter, carefully tending to the plant inside it.

“...what’s that?”

“This,” Hinata explains slowly, concentration mostly on her task, “is a new breed of flower I’m trying to germinate.”

“...wait, like...a whole new species?”

“Mhm. I’d...well, I’d explain it, but…” She gives a soft giggle. “I’m...guessing you might not find it very interesting.”

“Interesting, yes. Something I can comprehend...probably not,” he easily admits. “Not really a plant person. You’d have better luck with my mother, honestly. But it...looks pretty.” A hand gestures, earning a small snort from his companion.

“Thanks...it’s supposed to be a tribute to my mother. She inspired my love of flowers, so...it’s meant to be a thank-you for that. Something that...reminds me of her. I’m hoping I can get them stable and maybe sell some. Sort of help...spread her love, and mine.”

Sasuke softens at that. “...I take it she’s...gone?”

A somber nod. “She died when I was five, a w-while after my sister was born. She had medical complications, and...only lived a few weeks after that. But before she died, she taught me about plants, and how much she loved them. She always had a big garden that would be so full of flowers, the backyard was like a rainbow...and it always smelled so sweet…”

“...well, you’ve accomplished that,” Sasuke murmurs. “I stopped when I got here because everything smelled so good. And the plants you had outside were beautiful.”

“Thanks…”

“So if you do make a new...specie, can you patent it? Or somehow mark it as your own creation?”

“Maybe! I’m not too concerned about that, though. Mostly it’s a personal project. I’m not looking to make it into something big, or worth a lot of money.”

He gives a nod.

The pair lapse into silence for a time. “So...did you want to try to sell some of your pictures here?”

“Huh?”

“The ones you took of the flowers! I thought maybe people might buy them here!”

“Well...I could try. Maybe make a few prints and have them on the counter. I think most people are here for the real thing, though.”

“Well, not everyone has a green thumb,” Hinata laughs. “And that way, they’d have the pretty blooms all year! I bet they would sell!”

“...I’ll have to give it a try.” Smiling, Sasuke then jumps as his phone buzzes. Seems Itachi’s ready to go have that dinner. “Well...I better run. Meeting my brother.”

“Okay! Next time you’re free, let me know! Maybe during a day off, I could...show you more about the products? So you’re more familiar.”

“Sounds good.” Maybe he’d be a better help that way…

Leaving her to lock up, Sasuke exits the shop only to pause as Itachi pulls up to the curb in his car. A window rolls down to show a knowing smile.

“I had a feeling this was the place,” Itachi muses.

Pouting just a hair, Sasuke hops in. “...it’s something to do.”

The elder brother doesn’t reply, still smiling as he drives them off toward dinner.

.oOo.

OKAY, all caught back up as I should be xD Ngl this prompt was kinda like...what? But I managed to...kinda tie it in to this piece, lol - I dunno how patenting really works, but apparently you CAN do so with new plant species, according to google! Don't worry Sasuke, I wouldn't understand it either xD (Also, this is a sequel to day 135, if you're interested!) Anywho, it's way past bedtime for this nerd - thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #uchiha itachi #best years of your life [ au ]#365daysofsasuhina

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afantasticbeastwriter · 6 years ago

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For Your Protection || Newt Scamander x Reader

Genre: Angsty (but with a happy ending!) Word Count: 3,515 Prompt: “Can I request an angst with a happy ending? The reader is Newt’s girlfriend and a Muggle, but when Newt gets kidnapped, she goes to save him, despite the fact that she could get killed. But everything turns out okay!” A/N: Thank you @nelson-and-murdock for this request! Yay, my first semi-angsty fic! I got real into this one. PLEASE let me know what you think, I think you will love it! Also feel free to request something to me if you are interested! I’m always looking for more requests. Enjoy!

“No, you are not joining me.”

“Oh come on,” you wail, flailing your arms down in frustration, “you always take me on your trips. What makes this one any different?”

Sorting items into a bag from his desk, Newt warily frowns. “Madagascar’s tribes are highly unpredictable. You know that, {Y/N}.”

“So?”

His eyes fluttering shut, Newt sighs. He brings his bag over to you and tosses it on your lap. Its contents rattle a bit as they hit you, but he does not seem too phased by it as he sits across from you on his cot. “So,” he replies, curt, “the risk is far too great. I am not jeopardizing your life for a field trip.”

Your eyes narrow. “Field trip? Is that all you see our trips together as?”

“Now, you know that’s not what I mean.”

“I just don’t understand why this situation is suddenly so much more dangerous than all the other times I’ve gone along with you. It’s Madagascar. People are unpredictable. Cool. Great. So have the other hundreds of people we have encountered together.” Folding your arms, you shoot a poignant glare Newt’s way. He looks away frowning, but you hold your glare firm. He is not going to win this battle by pouting. At least, not without a fight from you. “Just tell me.”

“Can you not take my word for it?”

“Does it sound like I want to?”

“They kill muggles, {Y/N}.”

Blinking, you lean back in your seat. “What?”

He repeats himself once more. “They kill muggles, the wizards. Years of botched colonizing attempts forced drastic measures of protection.” Looking down to his lap, Newt fumbles with the edge of his coat hem to distract from his words. “You would not stand a chance if found to be a muggle.”

You pause. “Well, I’d just have to watch out. You know,” you say, wiggling your eyebrows and straightening an imaginary tie around your neck, “be stealthy and hope I fit in.”

“T-That’s not a chance I’m willing to take,” Newt says matter-of-factly, and the sheer hardness and worry in his voice is enough to make you reconsider your position altogether. He does not deserve to worry. He’s done nothing but love and care for you ever since he’s met you. Seeing him worry is comparable to seeing a puppy whimper. You cannot stand it. But, you really cannot stand the thought of being alone while Newt is off risking his life without you more. So, even though you shrink back and pretend to accept defeat, your mind continues racing with scenario after scenario of how you can find a way to join him once he leaves. You thank your lucky stars Queenie is the Legilimens and not Newt.

The rest of his preparations for the trip happen in silence. He stays busied packing, while you watch and occasionally help when he calls you over. The tension in the air is far-too-noticeable. You feel increasingly uncomfortable under it, but you do not dare say a word in fear it will make things worse. You wait for Newt to finish doing his work off to the side. When he finishes, you do not look at him until he calls to you.

“You know I would bring you if I could,” he tells you, his eyes full of sadness as his hand cups your cheek. “Be good to my creatures in my absence.”

Slightly guilty, you hold his hand against you and sigh. “Of course, Newt. Be careful, please. You know how I worry.”

“I know.” He says it barely audible, but you feel its weight nonetheless in your chest. With one gentle kiss to your lips and another emotion-filled look more, he steps out of his flat and disappears into the night with a swift crack, off to Madagascar.

Though he’s nowhere near his destination, you jump right into action.

Calling Bunty up is not something you do happily. Though sweet and about as threatening as a kitten, you are all-too-aware of her flame for Newt. He may not be wise to it, but you were once in her shoes pining over him, and you know too well how far she would go to get him if given the opportunity. The last thing you want to do is give her more hope toward that opportunity becoming a reality, but you cannot deny the fact she is expertly skilled in the treatment and care of Newt’s many creatures, nor that you need someone who Newt trusts to be able to look after them. She cheerfully accepts, swearing to keep your traveling a secret.

Next on your list is to secure travel. While you trust boats and quite enjoy the water, you are sure there is next to no chance of a boat getting you to Madagascar, or even near it, in time. It simply cannot be done without a little magic. Though you are a muggle, you have watched Newt and been on enough trips with him to know a bit about wizard travel methods. You especially know about travel by port key.

Seamus Knitrel, an odd fellow with a long beard, round glasses, and dark eye circles, is one wizarding connection of Newt’s. He provided you both travel for some of Newt’s most worrisome adventures after his old connection retired from the business. His name was the first to pop into your head when Newt refused your companionship, and he is the first person you call as soon as you finish securing Bunty. With the promise of some galleons Newt gave you for emergencies, he agrees to help to get you to the province Newt said he would be exploring. Anything for a friend, he says.

You leave in the morning, a bag with an undetectable extension charm Newt gave you for Christmas last year in tow as you journey through the busy London streets. Though no one knows exactly why you are walking or where you are going, their eyes seem to watch you as if they do. You feel utterly paranoid the entire way, all the way until you meet your destination. It’s a small flat of land in the middle of an old, abandoned castle perhaps fifteen minutes from town. Seamus meets you ten minutes after you arrive in a dark green coat, its collar standing up and hiding him from the crisp air around you. He looks you up and down and gives you a small, slightly patronizing smile.

“You sure you’re ready for this, lass?”

You meet him with a sure nod, your hands clutching your bag’s strap firmly. “Yes. When do I leave?”

“Two minutes now,” he says. He walks over to what looks like an abandoned cauldron a few yards from you and motions for you to come over to join him. When you do, he points inside it. “When I say go, you step inside. It’ll take you to where you’ve gotta go.” Pausing, he chuckles to himself. “Mr. Scamander know you’re doing this?”

“No,” you reply, “and if I give you a few extra galleons, I’m assuming it will stay that way. Are we clear?”

Seamus smirks, his hand reaching to stroke his beard as you dig in your bag for your money. You hand it to him and watch him examine it, his chuckle returning. “For a muggle, you’re quite sharp, dear. It’ll be our little secret. What’s he tryin’ ta’ find in Madagascar?”

“A Sapphire-Eyed Aye-Aye.” A lot like the muggle-known Aye-Aye, this creature Newt is after poses a distinction to that of its primate brothers of beautiful, piercing sapphire eyes and the ability to change scents of anything they desire. Newt loved the prospect of studying it and its ability, and given its brother species’ not-so-great relationship with natives, he wished to ensure he could preserve the species somehow. You very readily supported his choice to go find one – of course, until he told you you could not go with him.

“Them’s beautiful creatures,” Seamus affirms. Looking down at the cauldron, he sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Thirty seconds. You got a way of getting back, lass?”

“Newt is my way back.”

He looks you up and down, pauses, then huffs. You can see his judgement all across his face, but you shake it off. You have more important things to worry about than this raggedy man’s disapproval of your methods. “Good luck, then. Ten seconds. Nine. Eight. Seven.”

As he counts down the rest, you prepare yourself and fix your eyes on the cauldron. It starts to shake and quiver, causing an awful racket in the otherwise calm ruins that is almost unnerving. You focus on it until Seamus hits one. With a hop, you find yourself suddenly whirling in the air, the world around you changing and spinning at a most nauseas rate. Had Newt not taken you this way before, you would have thrown up or panicked, but you are a seasoned veteran. It does not remotely phase you, and when it comes time to land, you feel as well as you possibly could.

The area you land in is perfect. You can see the small village Newt had spoken about just off in the distance. A fire burns in a pit, and you notice a few villagers scattering about on their daily duties. It’s just as bustling as Newt had described to you. You cannot help but wonder if he is somewhere nearby lurking about, perhaps already on the trail of the Aye-Aye. From the non-threatened demeanor of the natives, you can at least safely assume he has not been caught yet.

It gives you hope.

The only way to hunt Newt in this unfamiliar territory, you reckon, is to hunt for his creature of choice. Wherever it is, he will be. Without any magic, it’s your best bet, so you start off looking through the trees. In your short time discussing the creature, Newt had claimed the creature would be found up in the trees, right near the canopy, where the foliage would be most dense. It is not exactly the prime hour to find him, as the Aye-Aye is nocturnal, but you still train your eyes to the treetops. Newt has his ways to get around conditions and find his creatures. Sunlight does not strike you as one of the things he cannot work with.

Sure enough, about twenty minutes into your search, you hear what sounds like an Aye-Aye call come from a few yards away into the jungle. Upon searching, you realize quickly that it’s coming not from an Aye-Aye, not even a Sapphire Aye-Aye, but your lovable boyfriend, hanging in a tree nearby what looks to be an Aye-Aye nest. He’s in his element in times like this, and watching him go after a creature is one of the things that makes you fall more in love with him time after time. You smile and lean against a nearby tree to watch.

And then, the atmosphere changes.

An eerie feeling of being watched comes over you. While you are able to hide and get rid of this feeling, Newt is not. Your eyes follow him as he continues to call to the Aye-Aye and stop, horrified, when you catch a view of a native wizard pointing his wand right at Newt. You do not even think of what can be done to you, what unwanted attention you can bring to yourself, when you scream Newt’s name. You just do it, and even though it makes your location known, the wizard is unable to reach you with a spell. He is, however, able to reach Newt and send him falling to the ground from the canopy. Thanks to your warning, he was able to grab a hold of his wand before his fall, so he does not hit the ground with the intended force of the other wizard. He is dazed though, and you watch in horror as he is taken under control by the man. No matter how much he seems to try and wiggle out of his grasp, Newt just cannot escape being taken away toward the village.

A tear falls down your face.

Newt and you had been in trouble before. In Australia, he actually was struck by a severe spell that cut his skin in the most painful of ways. You had been horrified by it and brought to a ridiculous amount of tears at the sight of him. But Newt did not panic. Instead, he worked to keep you calm and help him help himself. He taught you how to use Dittany, and he made sure to demonstrate that calm in the face of fear or chaos was the best way to go.

In your current situation, you had his lesson on repeat in your mind.

You wipe your eyes before sneaking your way toward the village. In the struggle to keep Newt, the man had all but abandoned looking for you, freeing you to go after them. You use this advantage to dart between trees and plants until you find a safe place to rest – a water well not too far from where they lock Newt up. He finds himself locked in a cage with two large guards standing on either side of it, watching him and glaring at him as he pleads his innocence. They ignore him, but he pleads on, especially to the leader who caught him. You frown as the pleas get more urgent and his hope of leaving gets more bleak.

It becomes clear as his words fall on deaf ears that these people are not going to simply let him go or have him out of their sight any time soon. The only way to save him, you decide, is for something serious to provoke them to turn their attention elsewhere. Your mind thinking, your eyes fall on the one thing that could do just that: the fire. As much as it hurts you to think of the fire possibly getting out of control and harming any creatures, you know it is the only way to distract everyone long enough for you to do something. The risk, in this case, is well worth the possible reward.

You wait until only the guards are paying attention to Newt. He no longer is fighting, sitting on the ground probably contemplating his next move and sorting through fears of his own. When the timing is right, you grab a fallen branch from nearby and make your way to the unattended fire. Eyes firmly trained on the guards, you carefully dip the branch into the fire and ignite it. To your luck, no one notices you make your way from there to the largest hut you could see far enough away from Newt’s cage in the area. Taking a deep breath and a quick glance Newt’s way, you drop the branch on the hut and sprint away.

It ignites exactly how you planned.

The guards, along with anyone nearby, immediately rush to the hut. It’s a moment of mass hysteria, and in this panic, you find it all too easy to get to Newt. He looks at you as if you are a ghost.

“{Y/N}? Wha…how are you…I don’t-”

“I’ll explain later,” you hurriedly say, “but right now I need to get you out of here.”

“You need to leave. If they catch you, they will kill you.”

Watching the fire grow out of the corner of your eye, you shake your head. “I don’t care. Your safety is my main priority.” Slamming the lock against the bars, you groan and look to Newt with a flash of panic. “Do you um…do you have like a wire or something I can use to get you out of here?”

“No, but I do have Pickett.”

“Why didn’t you use him sooner?”

Newt casts his gaze to the ground. “Well, having two monstrous men standing mere feet from me on either side did not exactly prove for the best conditions to do so, so…”

Sighing, you gently call the creature out of Newt’s coat. He crawls out at the sound of your voice and happily gets to work, his little arms turning the tumblers. It’s a silent and tense few seconds as he fumbles with the lock, but in no time, Pickett gets the job done. Newt breaks out and grabs his wand, which was cast aside just out of reach from the cage by the guards to taunt him. With it in hand, he grabs your arm and immediately disapparates.

The two of you reappear in a place you had been before. It was in South Africa, not too far from the coast but safe. The last time you and Newt had been there was to retrieve a stray Occamy. Coming back to it, you hardly have the same enthusiasm for adventure as you did before. If anything, you really, really wish you could go home.

You also wish Newt did not have such a disappointed look on his face.

“Well,” he says after brushing off his jacket, “care to tell me why you are here?”

You frown. “No ‘thank you’? No ‘I would still be in captivity in the middle of Madagascar if it were not for you’?”

“You should not have been here, {Y/N}.” Newt rubs his forehead. “I deliberately told you not to come and you put yourself in the line of danger.”

“You did, too!”

“I am armed with years of experience both at Hogwarts and out, as well as a wand,” he fires back, “and while I am appreciative of your help in creating a diversion, you could have been killed by creating it.”

You roll your eyes. “I was fine.”

“You were lucky,” he replies sharply. Pickett dives down into his pocket, scared by his tone, and Newt softens. He does not want to scare you, and he does ‘angry’ poorly well. He cannot hold the emotion for long at all. “So sorry. Just…just the thought of you hurt, o-or even killed because of me,” Newt chokes up, breaking your heart a bit, “that’s my worst nightmare, {Y/N}. It’s why I made a point to not have you come.”

“What about me, though?” Wiping a tear from your eye, you fold your arms. “Why are you the only one allowed to worry, huh? I sat at home and was terrified not knowing where you were or if you were okay. I barely got any sleep last night.”

“You’re allowed to worry,” he says softly. “You cannot defend yourself, however. No amount of self-defense classes or martial arts training stops a spell, and the villagers kill people like you on sight. Bringing you along might save you worry, but it is irresponsible on my part. I should be tried for murder if I ever allowed you to come along on such a trip. Understand?”

Your arms unravel and hang to the side as more tears fall. He is right. He is completely right, as much as it hurts to admit it. You were scared, and in being scared, you ignored the glaringly obvious threat to yourself. Your love for Newt made you feel invincible, it clouded your judgement, and it could have cost you your life and possibly even Newt’s in the process. Remorse brings even more tears to your eyes, and you find yourself leaning into Newt seeking comfort. He is not a fan of hugs, but he still brings you in close, his head resting on top of yours as you start to shake. You feel him sigh against you.

“Please don’t cry, {Y/N}. I’m not mad at you.”

“I-I ups-set you, though.”

“Hey,” he soothes, “it’s alright. Look, no more Madagascar adventures for me for a while. We’ll go only where we can together.”

“B-But Newt, the Aye-Aye-”

“Will be safe for a little while longer until I can recruit the proper help for a trip,” he finishes as he rubs your arm to calm you. “When I go, I’ll ensure a way to communicate to you of my whereabouts and safety. Well, and someone to keep you from running off again.”

Sniffling, you give a feeble push to his coat. “Too soon.”

“Too soon, then.” Newt gives you his famous half-smile and pulls back to see you. “Though, and forgive me for asking, may I know how exactly you got here?”

“Seamus’ portkey.”

Blinking, he chuckles to himself. “With what money?”

“The galleons you gave me for emergencies,” you reply.

“And who is watching the creatures?”

You bite your lip. “Bunty.”

“You really thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“I wouldn’t do something like this unless I was really serious about it Newt,” you murmur. “I love you.”

Newt smiles. “I love you, too. And seriously, thank you for trying to save me, though ill advised.”

You poke at him, causing him to blush and inch away from you and making you grin back. “You’re welcome. Try not to need saving so much, you weirdo.”

“It’s wizard, actually.”

“Newt-”

“Sorry, sorry.”

#newt scamander #newt scamander x reader #fantastic beasts #fbawtft #fbawtft imagine #newt #Newton Scamander #newt x reader #fbawtft fanfic #hp imagine #hp reader insert #hp fanfic #Harry Potter #fantastic beats and where to find them #fanfic #fantastic beasts imagine #fantastic beasts fanfic

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katakana1 · 5 years ago

Text

Warrior Cats game idea. Something that has been on my mind. Warning, it is extremely! long.

Ever since the news of the warriors film came out, I’ve been thinking of what a game could possibly look like. After coming up with more and more, I decided to write it down. Sadly I’m no game developer (some of the stuff I’ve been thinking off might not even be possible to recreate in a game), but if by the very small chance you are one, and like this idea, or some of it, this is gonna make it seem like I’m blowing my own trumpet I know, but feel free to use it, you have my permission :) Just let me know, I’d love to see it :)

Character Creation: Cat species: - A specific purebred breed.

- A specific cross breed.

- A specific breed with some minor differences.

- A mix (from 2 to 4 different breeds, choosing between which trait/look you want from which breed).

- A normal none specific house cat. Fur colour/pattern: - Single color ( with or without different lighter or darker markings).

- Two colors (choose where you want which color to be and the size and shape).

- Spotted/Classic/ Mackerel/Ticked or Patched Tabby (choose where you want which color to be and the size and shape for the Patched Tabby).

- Tortoiseshell/Cryptic Tortie (choose where you want which color to be and the size and shape).

- Calico (choose where you want which color to be and the size and shape).

- Color points.

- Albino (half or full).

- Choose a specific, already made traditional color pattern and colors.

Fur: - Thick, dense, thin.

- Long, medium, short.

- Curly, glossy, wirehair, normal.

- Extra fur around the neck, between toes, inside and/or on top of ears.

- Doubled layer coat.

- Hairless.

Other character build choices/Look: - Body size: Small/skinny/lean, sturdy/big/muscular, normal.

- Body length and height.

- Eye color (same or one for each eye) and shape: almond, round, oval.

- Nose shape (flat or normal) and color.

- Whiskers length and shape (straight or curly).

- Claws length.

- Legs length (hind legs can be longer than the front legs or all 4 can be of the same length).

- Tail length and look (plump, feathery, thin, bushy or stumpy/bobbed).

- Ears size and shape (rounded, folded/floppy/loosely folded, curled-from 90 to 180 degrees or straight).

- Number of toes (normal or one extra).

- Shoulders size (broad or normal).

- Face shape: flat (mild, moderate, profound, severe), round, triangle, square).

- Scars (these will show up during practice during the warrior/medicine cat apprentice ship or after a fight during the warrior/full medicine cat part of your character’s life).

- Paw size. - Mutation:

Paws: Syndactyly/“lobster-claw”, polydactyl (thumb-cat/polydactyly, “hamburger-feet”/polydactyly).

Ears: Four ears.

- Extra flap of skin between the flank and back knee.

- Missing body part.

- Reduced or complete loss of one of the senses.

Any missing or partly missing body part, mutation or reduced or complete loss off one of the senses will make the game harder and can cause your character to go through a special training arc or it can end up deciding if you play as a medicine cat or not for you. Other choices: - Clan (or take an in game test).

- Full blooded or half-blood cats (choose what trait/skills you want from each clan. It will cause you to have a longer apprenticeship in order to prove your loyalty and dedication as gaining the trust of your fellow clanmates will be harder). You can also choose if your character and clan knows or is unaware about the fact that they are half-clan if they’re living with only one of their parents. The half-clan option can lead to several different possible outcomes for the parents, your character and siblings depending on how you played the game and how well and how many in game characters trust and like your character unless you chose something specific.

- If your character’s parents lives in different clans. - If your character’s parents lives in the same clan.

- If you want your character to grow up with their mother or father (if the parent’s lives in different clans. The game will give you a foster mother and siblings in that case).

- If your character grows up with none of, some of or all of their siblings (if the parent’s lives in different clans).

- Parent(s) with half-blood (what traits he/she has from each clan, and if they’re in one of the clans they has blood ties to, or in one of the other three. If they are in one of the other clans this will give you the opportunity to add traits from said third clan to your character, deciding how many/few traits you get from each clan, as long as your character’s other parent has blood ties to the third clan).

Most traits from=check off 6 boxes, some traits from=check off 4 boxes, few traits from=check off 2 boxes. In case of half-clans you can check off 6 boxes from each side/clans, or remove some from one side and spend them to the other. If both parents has blood from the same clan, that clan/side has to be what the player character has the most filled out boxes from.

- If your character’s parents are still together.

- If your character’s parents are getting along or not.

- If one of your parents is a leader, deputy, warrior or medicine cat-the medicine cat options leading to several different possible outcomes for the parents, your character and siblings depending on how you played the game and how well and how many in game characters trusts and likes your character. - Gender.

- The Medicine cat path.

- The Warrior path.

- Your character’s voice.

- Specific likes/dislikes/preferences regarding:

Fur color(s)/pattern and eye color on other cats.

Sayings/expressions.

Rival clans.

Other ranks within the clan.

Half-clan cats.

Places.

Prey.

Weather.

Season.

How they feel about:

Rouges/loners/kittypets.

The opposite gender.

Different personalities.

These choices will affect the dialog options in the game.

- Your character’s name (either the whole name or just the first part, in which case the second part will be given based on your dialogue choices/reputation and what specific skill(s) you excel at).

- Choose what you want your character to be honored for during the full name ceremony or have the game choose based on your game-play/performance (same with what lives your character receive if they become clan leader).

- After finishing the game the 1st time, you’ll be able to go to the menu and choose one of the special powers mentioned in the series (maybe also some new once) to give to your character. You can also go into the menu and change it during the play-through if you want. And you can choose to play as a character from the Warriors series.

Possibly other choices: - The personality of your character’s parents (if they stay close or grow distant/cold towards your character. What they feel about their former mate and if they have moved on and started a new family or not if they’re in different clans).

- The looks of your character’s parents (unless they’re the foster family).

- The look your character’s siblings (unless they’re the foster family).

- Number of siblings (unless they’re the foster family).

- The sibling’s names (unless they’re the foster family).

- The sibling’s genders (unless they’re the foster family).

- The personality of the siblings (unless they’re the foster family).

- If your character or one of the siblings are your character’s parent’s favourite or if everyone gets equal attention/love (regardless if they’re the foster family or not). - How your character’s siblings feel about one another and your character. Who’s their favourite sibling to hang out with, who they don’t get as well along with, if any (regardless if they’re the foster family or not). - If your character and the siblings are half-clan what traits each of them got from the other clan(s), what they feel about being half-clan, what they feel about the way the clan treats them and if they want to switch clan. - If one or both of the parents passes away and when (before birth/kit-hood, apprenticeship, early warrior), giving you the possibility of being in a clan that mostly don’t trust your character with only your character’s siblings for comfort if you chose the “parents in different clans” option (if you choose for both of the parents to pass away or the mom while your character lives in her clan while your character is a kit the game will give you a foster family). - An option for it being certain and one for being uncertain about whether or not all your character’s siblings survives into adulthood. - Having the option to start the second playthrough as a kittypet or rogue (full, part kittypet/rogue, part kittypet/clancat or part rogue/clancat). Choose if you encounter the clan through positive or negative reason. Choose at what age you meet the clan. Choose whether your siblings chooses to join the clan as well and if they choose to join the same or wants to join a different clan.

- Choose which season (and possibly time of day/night) your character is born in.

- A random button that picks your family situation, blood ties, clan and position for you. This can give you a special quest of finding out what clan one of your parents is from and who they are (both rank and personality wise) if the “half-clan” and “parents in different clans” options gets chosen.

- A random button that randomly chooses your character’s look, personality, breed and gender for you.

- And a random button that picks every choice regarding your character be it family, clan, blood-tie, role in clan, personality, gender, breed and look for you.

You can cross out the boxes on something if you don’t want that/those spesific thing(s) to be randomized.

- A peace mode where you can walk around and enjoy the territory without the risk of enemies, and possibly the other clan’s territories and camp, watching the in-game characters walk around, performing tasks and interact with each other without the risk of getting attacked.

Game-play:

The Warrior apprentice path: - Learn about the warrior code.

- Learn about the territory and its layout-how to use it to your advantage.

- Learn about predators and how to fight them or stay hidden from them.

- Look for, discover and learn about different tracks and track them.

- Learn about prey and how to detect, sneak up on and catch them as different prey requires different techniques.

- Learn where the borders are.

-Learn where scent marks are.

- Mark the territory.

- Learn to look for signs that someone has crossed the border and/or taken prey from your clan’s side.

- Master different battle techniques, learning when to attack and defend and what technique you can/should use when.

- Train and specialize in your clan’s abilities:

Thunder/Shadow/SkyClan: Tree climbing.

ThunderClan: Moving/sneaking through heavy/thick undergrowth.

Shadow/Wind/River/SkyClan: Sneaking in more open/exposed area.

ShadowClan: Special night lessons.

RiverClan: Swimming and fishing lessons and fighting in water.

WindClan: Races and obstacle course.

SkyClan: Jumping/leaping lessons.

- Learn and detect the different scents of prey and predators, if it’s stale or fresh, and what kind of prey/predator it is, rivaling clans, dogs, two-legs and none clan cats.

- Learn how to deal with cats waiting at the border.

- Collect moss and water.

- Fixing dens and nests.

- Removing ticks.

- Keep guard outside your clan’s camp (After the first playthrough you can go into the menu and shorten the amount of time it will take).

- Learn about the important cats from rivaling clans (leader, deputy, medicine cat, medicine cat apprentice), their scent and their clan’s specialties and weaknesses, and how to best beat them.

- Protect the kits and elders during camp raids.

- Travel with your character’s mentor to the Moonstone and survive in the area outside your clan’s territory (Scripted so that different things can happen on different trips, so two trips in a row is rarely the same. After the first playthrough you can go into the menu and shorten the amount of time the journey will take).

- Race to the camp to warn your clan’s leader about surprise attacks, possibly outrunning a pursuer.

- Attend Gatherings and meet and mingle with other apprentices and make sure not to give anything important away.

- Train/fight against your character’s fellow denmates while inside camp.

- Bring prey to queens and elders.

- Pass the warrior assignment (skipable).

After the first playthrough you can choose from the menu to skip the parts where your character learns about the territory, detecting/tracking/finding, prey and predators, hunting ,scent marks/borders, fighting/ battle techniques, cats waiting at the border and tresspassers/signs of it, shortning your character’s time as an apprentice. The Medicine cat apprentice path: - Learn about the medicine cat code.

- Learn about the territory and its layout-knowing where to find which herb and when they grow/are in season.

- Master basic battle techniques and when to use which.

- Attend Gatherings.

- Learn the scent of different herbs, predators and other cats and how to detect them.

- Learn the names of different herbs.

- Learn what the herbs looks like.

- Learn what the different herbs does.

- Learn how to prepare different herbs.

- Learn how to make poultices.

- Learn what’s dangerous and not.

- Learn about different complications and stuff that can go wrong and what to do.

- Learn how to heal different wounds (keeping infection away), diseases and poisons.

- Learn to recognize symptoms for different diseases and keep it from spreading.

- Travel to the Moonstone (Scripted so that different things can happen on different trips, so two trips in a row is rarely the same. After the first playthrough you can go into the menu and shorten the amount of time the journey will take).

- Receive dreams/warnings/prophecies from StarClan.

- Learn to assist queens giving birth.

- Learn how to deal with different patients.

- Make sure the plants don’t get destroyed or rot.

- Assist and go over your character’s clanmates after a battle and/or make sure you have enough herbs before a planned battle.

After the first playthrough you can choose from the menu to skip the parts where your character learns about the different herbs, injuries, illnesses, territory, fighting, kitting, predators, detcting, poultices, complications, preparation and prevention, shortning your character’s time as an apprentice. Warrior path: - Pick up interesting news and whispers at Gatherings without getting detected.

- Listen to and/or share stories.

- Stand guard duty at night and after your character receives their full name (Skipable, but you can also, after the first playthrough, go into the menu and shorten the amount of time those nights will take).

- Lead patrols and decide where to hunt.

- Become a mentor (you can ask for a specific kit. Mentorship is partly skipable - ceremony - both for your character’s apprentice apprentices and warrior ceremony and assignment, as well as teaching your character’s apprentice about territory, detecting/tracking/finding, prey and predators, hunting ,scent marks/borders, fighting/ battle techniques, cats waiting at the border and tresspassers/signs of it).

- Make sure your clan has enough prey and that your character is healthy.

- Help your clan through battles and harsh seasons.

- If you want find a mate and start a family, name some of the kits and watch them grow into warriors or a medicine cat.

- Go to other clans in times of war and ask for assistance.

- Join a patrol lead by your leader to another clan’s camp.

- Help find lost kits.

- Rush to help during a border fight.

- Deal with trespassing none clan cats or predators. - Perform escort missions.

- Do side quests like playing with kits, help out friends within or outside the clan and learn about their past, dreams and secrets. - Share tongue with the in game characters.

- Build your character’s reputation and popularity and increase the chances of them getting chosen as deputy.

- Take your character’s apprentice to Gatherings and tell them about other cats.

- Take your character’s apprentice to the Moonstone (Scripted so that different things can happen on different trips, so two trips in a row is rarely the same. After the first playthrough you can go into the menu and shorten the amount of time the journey will take).

Deputy: - Organize patrols (skipable, in which case the game will pick random in game characters).

- Report to and stand by the clan leader.

- Go on behalf of the clan leader and deliver important messages to the other clans.

- Step in whenever the clan leader is away from camp.

Ceremony skipable.

Leader: - Go to the Moonstone and receive 9 lives (skipable, in which case the game will choose what lives your character gets based on the actions they have taken and who they have supported).

- Choose the clan’s new deputy (skipable, in which case the game will pick the most suitable in game character based on the in game character’s personalities).

- Make decisions affecting just your character’s clan or several.

- Get help and guidance from the medicine cat and elders. - Travel to the other camps to discuss clan matters with that clan’s leader.

- Convince the in game characters about the decisions you make with your character as clan leader.

- Give reports at Gatherings (choose how much you want to tell and what you want to hold back) and solve any possible outbursts.

- Listen to and decide what to do with rival clan cats or none clan cats coming into the camp.

- Make sure the warrior code is being followed and punish rule breakers.

- Enter StarClan and receive tips, guidance, encouragement or comfort when your character loses of their 9 lives depending on what claimed one of their lives (skipable).

- Hold ceremonies and assign mentors (skipable, in which case the game will assign the newly made apprentice a random mentor).

- Give warriors their full name and chose what to honor them for based on the reports from their mentors (skipable, in which case the game will choose a name based on the in game character’s actions).

- Guide and boost the warrior’s spirit during challenging/harsh times.

Medicine cat path: - Make sure there are enough herbs.

- Makes sure the herbs are fresh.

- Keep as many of your character’s clanmates as safe as possible during outbreaks and take precautions.

- Give advice to other medicine cats and/or pick up tips.

- Go with other medicine cats and help out their clanmates.

- Pick the herbs that might need before leaf-bare kicks in.

- Walk with the cats in StarClan, asking them for advice/guidance.

- Talk with the clan leader to find the hidden meaning behind warnings/prophecies.

- Help elders through leaf-bare.

- Make sure your character’s clanmates gets what they need in both herbs and knowledge before going on a long journey.

- Go to the Moonstone with the clan’s newly appointed leader (skipable).

- Get though a hard season with only a few herbs.

- Race out of camp to help seriously injured clancats or queens giving birth too early. - Break heavy news and comfort life changing, seriously injured or ill cats (or family members/mates of mentioned cats) or help train them back up again if recovery is possible.

- Prepare fallen clanmates on their way to StarClan (skipable).

- Become the clan’s sole medicine cat (skipable).

- Train an apprentice and give them their full name based on their performance (skipable, in which case the game will choose a name based on the in game character’s actions. Mentorship is partly skipable - ceremony - both for your character’s apprentice apprentices and full medicin cat name ceremony, as well as teaching your character’s apprentice about herbs, injuries, illnesses, territory, fighting, kitting, predators, detcting, poultices, complications, preparation and prevention).

- Help your character’s clanmates keep faith in StarClan during times of crises.

- Join your clan leader and clanmates on trips to enemy camps as a show of peace/good faith.

- Share tongue with the in game characters.

- Take your character’s apprentice to Gatherings and tell them about other cats.

- Take your character’s apprentice to the Moonstone every half moon (Scripted so that different things can happen on different trips, so two trips in a row is rarely the same. After the first playthrough you can go into the menu and shorten the amount of time the journey will take).

Small side game: - You can play as the spirit of your character, hunting and exploring StarClan or The Dark Forest.

- Get to meet and know the other clan cats you might not have gotten a chance to in the main game.

- Look over the clan, the next generation in your character’s family and how they’re doing.

- Visit your character’s descendants in their dreams.

- Walk around your character’s old clan camp and its new members invisible (and listen in on what kind of stories your predecessors are telling about you).

- Pass on prophecies and/or guidance.

- Take part in meeting between fellow StarClan cats and decide what is best to do for the clans.

- Meet old famous cats.

- Be part of the 9 cats that give a clan leader his/her extra lives (choosing what you decide to give a life for).

Play as an elder: - Telling kits-possibly your character’s grand or great-grand kits, stories about your character’s life.

- Spend time and share tongue with your character’s mate and/or fellow den mates that made it into their senior years.

- Roam freely though the territory.

- Take fallen warriors to the burial place and help bury them. - Based on your dialogue/options your character can either pass away during a raid on the camp, defending the clan members one last time, or pass away in their sleep during peaceful times. - A cut scene plays out where your character hears the voices of old clanmates calling him/her, and his/her spirit stands up and walks upwards towards the starry sky. - As the camera goes from the ground to the sky the clan leader can be heard informing the other clans of your character’s passing during the next Gathering before you start playing as a StarClan/Dark Forest cat. The game: - Starts with your character opening their eyes for the first time.

- Spend some time as a kit, exploring the camp, playing, practicing the hunters crouch, leaping, surprise attacks and wrestling, meeting clanmates and listen to the elder’s stories (after the first playthrough you can go into the menu and reduce the amount of time your new character(s) spends as a kit).

- If you spend some time with a specific warrior the odds of you that cat becoming your characters mentor increases.

-Go through your character’s apprentice ceremony (skipable).

- After the first playthough you can choose to start with your new character as a newly made apprentice or warrior (starting with the ceremony).

- Encounter different cats outside your territory.

- During hunting or stealth/sneaking mode make sure not to step on or brush against anything that can make sound or move giving away your position.

- Make sure the wind is towards you and keep to the shadows if possible.

- Activate a “scent mode”, where you get to see everything in different colors, each color representing a scent (the amount of it telling how old or new it is).

- You’ll get points based on how well you hunt, fight and help out inside the clan, and if you do well enough your character gets taken to Gatherings.

- Getting caught breaking the code will result in punishment.

- The game ends with your character joining StarClan or The Dark Forest after a lifetime (or 9).

- How your clanmates remember your character will be based on your choices, how well you played and how much you learned.

- Day/night and seasons cycle.

- Stay a clan cat, switch clan, become a loner, rogue or kittypet (which can cause your character to not end up in StarClan/The Dark Forest).

- Easy, normal, though, challenging and random mode: It makes it so that event like outbreaks, natural disasters and major wars happen a specific amount to time within each mode. Easy can make it so that none of it happens even once during the whole play-through, or once or twice. Normal two to four and so on. The random option leaves it random.

- Different cats could end up becoming mates and different she-cats can become queens. Different characters could end up dying or be named deputy if your character isn’t. Different cats could end up being leaders, medicine cats + apprentices and warrior apprentices could have different mentors. In game characters might make different decisions and perform new actions. New in game character events could happen. StarClan can send new prophecies/warnings. . The amount of prey during the different seasons could be smaller or bigger. Seasons could be harder or easier than last time, arriving earlier and/or lasting longer, tension between the clans could last longer and/or be more severe, and three clans could end up challenging your character’s clan or cause trouble instead of one or none, increasing the chances of an allied attack against your clan. Different illness break-out. There could end up being more or less trespassing cats or dogs or border fights than last time, giving the game more replay-ability.

- The view could be an behind/over the shoulder, or through your character’s eyes, or both switching freely.

- Fighting, battle training, tree climbing, fishing, swimming, leaping, pouncing on prey and obstacle course could be a combination of using the moving buttons and mouse/button clicking).

- If you make several characters you can see them in camp and on the territory if they’re in the same clan, or during border patrols and Gatherings if they’re in different.

- You can save and switch characters whenever you want.

- If your character ends up getting too many punishments from getting caught breaking the warrior code too many times, the whole clan can grow to distrust, and eventually, even kick your character out.

- If in-game characters finds your character on their territory alone often, that rival clan will be on a look out, more hostile/aggressive towards, and talk about/discuss your character in a negative way during Gatherings (this could have a negative effect on a patrol if your character is part of a patrol travelling to an enemy camp). - If your character has a good reputation, enemy warriors will respect and enemy apprentices might look up to and admire your character and talk in an positive light and exited way about your character at Gatherings (this could have a positive effect on a patrol if your character is part of a patrol travelling to an enemy camp).

- Kits could end up play pretend as your character regardless of the distrust/trusted status.

- Follow an evil rout and your character could end up becoming a scary story that keeps disobedient kits inside their dens at night.

- Follow a good rout and your character could end up becoming a popular and exiting bed time story for the kits.

DLC or Sequel: - At a young age, your character, your siblings and mother spot a group of strange cats travelling from the mountains to the moor land and forest area not far from the two-leg place, where your character’s family lives as loners.

- Your mother makes sure your character stay well away from them, as blood is suddenly being shed over newly made borders and the prey within, kin attacking kin over the right for space and having prey in their mouths.

- When your mother passes, you must make a choice. Try to survive on your own, or join this strange, rouge group of cats?

- Will you stay in the group or leave and try and fend for your own?

- Do you switch alliance to a different group, or do you stay with the group that took you in when no one else might have had?

- Learn a new way of life and survival depending on where you choose to live.

- Try to survive and get enough prey through leaf-bare as hostile strangers and hungry rivaling groups eye your character’s prey.

- Help keep the campmates safe by helping them fight off intruders with the goal of chasing you off. - Get through harsh seasons and fight off dogs, foxes and badgers. - Learn how to heal campmates with herbs or help them by training kits and gathering prey.

- Attend their meeting every full moon and learn their history (as a tribe or their personal one) and about the other groups.

- Find a mate, start a family, and fight to protect and keep them alive through storms and diseases.

- Watch them grow into independent adults expand the family tree.

- Walk in the paw steps of the mysterious mountain cats and become a true wild cat and a part of the early 5 clans. - A cut-scene at the end of the DLC/Sequel will play showing your character from the main/1st game as a kit in the nursery, being told a story about one of his/her earliest ancestors, the character you just played, in modern Thunder/Shadow/Wind/River/SkyClan.

#Warriors #Warrior Cats #game #idea #Fanmade #katakana1 #erin hunter #the clans

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zoocross0vers · 6 years ago

Text

Raspberries Challenge #4: Bambi

Just apologizing in advance, this one’s actually pretty long. Guess I got too excited with this one, hehe ^^”

Oh yeah, there’s a cameo in this one too from too previously seen Disney characters! Yay! xD

Enjoy! :D

@wildehopps-rasps

...

Raspberries Challenge #4: Bambi

Twitterpated

Spring was always such a lovely time in Zootopia. The sun was shining bright with life, the flowers were blooming, and everywhere throughout the city young couples were singing a chippery little spring song!

Let’s sing a gay little spring song,

This is the season to sing

So I’d like to suggest

That we all do our best

And warble a song about spring,

Spring, spring, spring

Let’s get together and sing,

Yes, all over Zootopia couples of all shapes and sizes were getting into the spring spirit. Young couples to be exact -- whether they be of the same gender, same species or mixed species, everyone was showing love toward their significant other in one way or another.

Let’s sing a gay little spring song

Just like the bird on the wing

Things always seem right

When you’re chipper and bright

So let’s get together and sing

Sing, sing, sing

Let’s sing a song about spring,

Spring’s influence resonated everywhere throughout the city, but most evidently at the park. Couples at the park were expressing their love for each other in their own unique ways.

There were two pigs snuggling snouts. A couple of elephants walked along the concrete path, holding trunks. And a teenage racoon gave a teenage vixen a flower. She gave him a peck on the cheek and the young raccoon sighed.

Let’s twitter and tweet,

A young male wildebeest literally tweeted his girlfriend a kissy face emoji with a heart. His girlfriend, who sat on the opposite side of the bench received his tweet and sent him a kissy face emoji as well. They looked back over to one another with a loving gaze.

Practically everyone was falling victim to spring’s influence...

Like the birdies in May

Get into the mood

And be merry today

Forget all your troubles and warble away,

That is...everyone except Bogo, the middle aged water buffalo that served as the Chief of Police in the city’s Precinct 1. It was his day off and the tired old water buffalo napped at one of the park benches. He thought to get away from all the lovey dovey attitudes going on around his neighborhood and assumed the park would be the perfect quiet place to get away from it all -- boy was he wrong.

He took one last snore before sputtering awake. “Wha--? Who-Who's ther--” Bogo looked around to realize that spring truly was everywhere! Nowhere was safe, not even his usual quiet spot in the park. “Oh what now?” he groaned, annoyed with it all.

Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do

Oh!

Let’s sing a gay little spring song

Music’s a wonderful thing

He looked around. There were chippery and merry young couples all around him. It was like a plague! “Hey! Hey!” yelled the grumpy water buffalo, “Stop that racket! Scat! Shoo! Shoo!” His angry shouts fell on deaf ears as everyone continued to sing and act lovey dovey toward one another.

Come on and rejoice,

At the top of your voice

Oh, let’s sing a song about spring

Spring, Spring, spring

“I’ll show them.” He cleared his throat with a very polite, “Ahem,” spoke as gently as he could, “Excuse me, but could you all just please be a little more...QUIET!!!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. That finally got a reaction as all the young couples at the park immediately flinched and grew quiet, greatly intimidated by the buffalo.

“There,” he huffed triumphantly, “That's more like it.” He resumed his nap. Only to be awakened from it two seconds later when everyone resumed their singing again.

Let’s get together and sing

Let’s sing a gay little spring song

This is the season to sing,

Ah, ah, ah

Bogo sputtered awake again. He covered his ears, while simultaneously gripping his head in frustration, “Oh, what's the use?” He got up and left. Opting to seek out a quieter section of the park to continue his nap.

He moved to a quieter, less occupied area and found a lone bench. The grumpy buffalo plopped himself down, “Same thing every spring,” he grumbled annoyedly. “Let's sing a little song about spring,” he mocked, “ Love’s sweet song,” he cupped his hooves and batted his eyes. “Bleh! Pain in the tail is what it is.” Bogo crossed his arms in a huff and yawned. With his eyes growing heavy, he resumed his nap and snored for about five seconds when--

“Flowers sir?”

“Aah! Wha--?!” Bogo awoke in a shock, waking up to the sight of flowers pressed against his face. He looked down to the mammal holding the bouquet of flowers -- it was a somewhat familiar looking red fox with emerald eyes dressed in a green Pawaiian shirt, brown khakis, and a red and blue tie. “What is this?”

“Flowers! It is spring! Care to buy some for your sweetheart? This pretty little number right here is going at half the price you’d pay for it at the store.”

“Swee--? Look fox, I’m not interested in buying flowers!” Bogo shoved the flowers away from his face.

The red fox held on tightly to his flowers, ensuring that they didn't fall from his grasp. “Boy, I’ll bet the ladies just go crazy for you with that irresistible charm--” The fox said, before taking a good look at the buffalo. “Bogo?”

The grumpy buffalo’s eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

“You really don't recognize me?” the fox scoffed casually, “And here I thought I made more of an impact given how angry you used to get whenever I played in your yard.”

Bogo’s jaw dropped, “Wilde? Nick Wilde?!” the buffalo exclaimed in surprise.

“The one and only!” Nick stated casually.

“My, my you haven't changed a bit! ...What a shame,” he muttered at the end.

“Ha! Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor there Buffalo Butt.”

“Shut your mouth Wilde!” Bogo rebuked in a huff.

Nick gave him a cocky smile, missing this type of banter from his old next door neighbor.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Bogo inquired curiously, “I thought you moved away ever since your mother…”

Nick's ears fell back in sadness. Bogo’s words reminding him of the day he lost his mother years ago when he was a nine year old kit. She had been taken from him when a vengeful criminal stalked and followed them on their way home from school. He could still remember the terror in his mother’s eyes when they reached a fenced alleyway. She had managed to create a hole for him to crawl through and once she was sure he was on the other side, she had told him to run to the neighbor’s home and call his father. Nick initially refused until his mother promised him that she would meet him there. Nick trusted her and fled. The last thing he remembered was seeing her running back out the opposite end of the alleyway, luring their stalker away from him -- and desperately shouting to him to run and not look back.

After that, he could only very vaguely recall hearing a single loud piercing sound...then silence…

His mother never arrived to Bogo’s home as she promised she would.

Bogo called Nick’s father, Jonathan Wilde, who was the highly respected Chief of Police of Zootopia’s precinct one at the time. His father arrived some hours later to pick the boy up from Bogo’s home and told Nick the sad, terrible news that his mother couldn’t be with him anymore.

Given his father’s position, Nick hardly ever saw him during his first few years of life as he was always busy ‘protecting the city from bad mammals’ -- as his mother would put it. Heavy responsibility was hardly the only thing his father had to worry about however, as his position also brought forth many risks -- particularly the risk of crime lords and other criminals vowing revenge on the chief reynard for putting them away behind bars.

After his mother was killed, Chief Wilde had spend countless hours, days, weeks, and months to capture his wife’s murderer, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. Though he never openly expressed his grief, Nick could still see the hurt in his father’s eyes whenever he would ask him about his mother’s killer. The last time he had asked, Nick was ten years old and the only answer his father had given him was that he had asked for a transfer to a different precinct in another district.

Nearly twenty years had passed since then and Nick decided to finally come back to Zootopia. For what purpose he had no idea, he simply felt the need to come back to his old childhood home.

Bogo noticed the fox’s sudden silence and felt a wave of guilt for having reminded him of such a tragic memory. “I-I’m sorry,” Bogo said apologetically, “I probably shouldn't have said anything.”

“No, it's alright.” Nick replied, forcing a sympathetic smile as silence fell on them both.

Bogo cleared his throat, hoping to clear the depressing awkwardness in the air. “Well, in any case... it's good to see you again.” Bogo smiled sincerely.

Nick returned an appreciative smile, then returned to his usual cocky bravado. “Come on, don’t go getting soft on me buffalo butt. Being friendly doesn’t suit you.”

“And there he is again,” Bogo said annoyed.

Nick chuckled, “It’s good to see you too my literal old friend.”

Bogo huffed, once again annoyed.

“Hello there Nick!” a striped gray hare called out from behind the two. He wore a black suit and tie. Very formal looking and had piercing icy blue eyes. “Remember me?” he asked with a large welcoming smile.

“Stripes!” Nick called out happily, immediately recognizing his old childhood friend.

“Right-O!” the hare replied with a chuckle.

Bogo peeked behind Nick, also recognizing the striped hare. “Young Jack Savage, is that really you?”

“Ah, I see you’re here as well Commissioner Bogo. It’s an honor to see you once again sir,” replied the hare politely.

“Nice to see you too Savage. At least it’s nice to know you grew up to be polite, unlike some mammals,” Bogo huffed, glaring at Nick, who simply shrugged nonchalantly.

“Well I suppose I owe that to my mother. She was always quick to remind me of my father’s teachings,” Jack turned to Nick, “How have you been Nick? I haven’t seen you since we were children.”

“Eh, I just moved to a different city with my dad, got bored of it so I decided to come back. Start my own life back home,” Nick replied casually.

“And how goes it?” Jack inquired curiously.

“Well, I just got back yesterday, but I recently got in touch with Finnick and we’re going into business together.”

“Business?” Bogo echoed surprised, “You mean you’re not going into police work like your father?”

“Nah,” Nick brushed off the suggestion with a wave of his paw, “I’m not really cut out for the cop life like him. Not with all the trouble it brought him.”

“I’m surprised as well,” added Jack, “You always seemed so adamant about growing up to be just like him when we were children. To be a ‘Great Chief of Police’ as you would put it.”

“Yeah, well...things change.” Nick brushed it off, attempting to hide the fact that his reluctance stemmed from his mother’s incident. “ Besides,” he grinned coolly, “With my smooth talking skills, I think my skills are best put into business.”

Jack noticed the flowers in his paw, “Are you planning to become a florist?”

“Until Spring ends, you betcha!”

Bogo raised a curious brow, “Why only until Spring?”

“Because,” Nick replied confidently, “Finnick tells me flower sales tend to go up during this time of year here in Zootopia. So we’re gonna strike while the iron is hot.”

Jack scratched his chin pensively, “Yes, I see. That’s actually rather smart. Do you think I can enter into this business venture with you? Father actually wanted me to take over his farming industry, but I told him I wanted to venture out into the city to try my luck with my own business and this sounds like an excellent starting point.”

“Sure,” Nick agreed, “We could use someone with some math and flower skills. Although just so you know, we plan on shifting to selling pawpsicles once summer rolls by.”

“That’s fine. The more experiences the better. Though I must ask who is your supplier for the flowers? Must we look into forming a connection with botanists or farms?”

“No need,” Nick answered without a care in the world, “Our supplier is right over there.” Nick pointed to a flower patch on the park’s grass.

Jack looked on at the patch, confused, “But that’s just a barren patch?”

“Exactly!” Nick replied.

“Wilde, for your mother and father’s sake, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you just confess to stealing those flowers straight from the park’s flower patches,” Bogo stated with his usual gruffness.

“Well if you know a better place to pick wildflowers then by all means let me know,” Nick replied with a cheeky grin.

Bogo face-palmed a hoof on his face, “How are you your father’s son, I’ll never know.”

“Hey fellas!” called a gruff, heavy voice from behind them. It was a small fennec fox with a black and red bowler shirt and black shorts. He pulled a red wagon full of flower bouquets.

“Finnick!” Nick called out happily to him, excited to see his best friend after so many years. “You…” Nick paused, taking a good look at him. He snickered lightly, holding back his desire to laugh, “Looks like you haven’t changed a bit there buddy!”

“I’ll say,” Bogo said equally shocked at his short height.

“Ha,ha. Funny. Like I don’t know you’re talkin’ about my height.” Finnick gruffed annoyedly.

“Sorry about that buddy,” Nick offered him a friendly paw, “Good to see you again old pal.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Finnick shook his paw. “So we ready to do this Nick? We’re burnin’ daylight .”

“Sure. By the way, Jack here says he wants to join us.”

“You?” Finnick scoffed, “I thought your dad had a business plan for you?”

“He did, but I don’t want any part of it,” answered the hare, “I’d rather venture into business with you two.”

“Alright then,” Finnick gave in, “You deal with the money, Nick and me ‘ill work the crowd.” He handed Jack the black cash box.

“You boys never change,” Bogo muttered. The three younger mammals turned to face him, “You’ve been doing this since you were kits. Don’t any of you remember? Nick and Finnick here would come up with troublesome schemes...normally involving my lawn in some way...and then poor Jack would somehow end up getting dragged into them.”

“Hey it’s not our fault Jack is a literal dumb bunny,” Nick said casually.

“True, it’s not my fault I’m a--hey!” Jack frowned while Nick simply gave him a cheeky grin.

Out of nowhere, a young interspecies couple consisting of a tigress and a panda sauntered in front of the four mammals -- waltzing with a weightless grace.

The four stared at them dumbfoundedly, but more so the three younger mammals. “Huh, what’s up with them?” Finnick asked confused once the couple passed them by.

“Why are they behaving that way?” Jack added, just as equally confused.

Bogo chuckled, “Don’t you know?” Bogo leaned closer, as if to whisper to them, “They’re twitterpated.”

“Twtitterpated?” the three young mammals echoed.

“Yes, nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the Springtime,” Bogo continued, shifting his gaze left and right as if fearful of others listening in to their conversation. “For example,” Bogo stood, walking in place. “You’re walking along, minding your own business. You look neither to the left, nor to the right. Then all of a sudden...you run smack into a pretty face.” Bogo jumped, letting out a scream to scare the three.

Jack jumped into Finnick’s arms, scared by the buffalo’s sudden scream and terrifying tale. “Get off” growled Finnick, dropping Jack on his tail.

Bogo jittered his knees, continuing with his terrifying description of love, “You begin to get weak in the knees. Your heads in a whirl! And then you feel light as a feather,” Bogo cups his hoofs and bats his eyes, leaping ever so weightlessly into the air, “And before you know it, you’re walking on air. And then you know what? You’re knocked for a loop!” Bogo punched himself on the cheek, spinning in place. “And you completely lose your head!”

“Gosh! That’s awful!” Jack gasped fearfully.

“Dang,” added Finnick.

“Terrible,” Nick said.

“And that’s not all,” Bogo said, stalking slowly towards them, hiding his face behind his hooves, “It can happen to anybody. So you better be careful. It could happen to you!” He pointed at Nick, “And you!” He pointed at Jack, “And…” Bogo stopped, hesitating with Finnick. Would any girl really be interested in a small, child-looking fox like him? Well, he is an adult regardless of his size and face...Bogo reasoned.

“Yes, it could even happen to you!” Bogo said, pointing at Finnick. Finnick merely frowned in annoyance, knowing why Bogo would doubt any female could ever fall in love with him.

“Well, it’s not going to happen to me,” Jack stated after growing terrified of how enslaving love sounds.

“Me neither,” Nick stated as well, equally terrified of love’s hold.

“Me neither. There’s no way I’m lettin’ some filly control my life,” Finnick stated in agreement.

“There you have it,” Nick replied with his cool, confident bravado, “So if you don’t mind, we have a business to run.” Nick gave a confident wink and a two finger salute to the buffalo, leading his two friends with his head held high. His two business associates followed suit, walking away with their backs straight and chins up.

The three poised mammals walked through the park, keeping their prideful strides in tact and pulling their wagon of bouquets.

Not too far ahead of them, a beautiful Gazelle sat beside a flower bush covered with white flowers. With a flower in her hooves, she picked at the petals in a “he loves me, he loves me not” manner, until she was left with only one petal, causing her to sigh with a smile -- surely ending at “he loves me”.

The gazelle’s ear flickered, hearing the footsteps of approaching mammals. She glanced back to catch sight of Nick, Jack, and Finnick approaching in her direction. The gazelle smiled wide when she saw the three young males, but more so when her eyes landed on Finnick.

She blushed at the sight of him, for as tall as she was, there was always something about short males that immediately called to her. Perhaps it was because they tended to have this weird combination of handsome, yet a plushie adorableness to them -- and the fennec in her sights, certainly had both those qualities -- along with an air of confidence to him.

Eager to meet him, the gazelle plucked another flower from the flower bush and placed it in her tuft of blonde hair and then hid behind one of the taller flower bushes.

The three males rolled by. First Nick, then Jack, and last but not least Finnick who immediately stopped in his tracks the second his large ears heard a flirtatious giggle emanate from the bush. He turned to face it and spotted what looked like feminine light brown colored eyes peeking at him from between the flowers. Finnick’s own light brown eyes widened. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Was he seeing things? Or did this flower bush have eyes?!

Finnick looked back at the flowers only to spot the source of the eyes peeking her head out from the flowers. He took a few steps back when he came face to face with the mystery gazelle’s pretty face. “U-Uh...hey,” he stuttered nervously with a brief smile and looked back at his friends who were still marching, unaware that he had broken off from their group. Finnick tried to walk away and regroup back with the guys when the gazelle giggled again.

Her giggle, it was like a pan flute to mice to him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her again. Only now she had finally stepped out from behind the flowers and he managed a full view of her. She was tall, much taller than him and she had a very curvy physique. Finnick’s jaw dropped at the sight of her and his mouth felt fry. She wore tight blue jeans and a white t-shirt that accentuated her lovely figure.

The gazelle sauntered over to him, moving her hips side to side. “Hi I’m Gazelle. What’s your name cutie?”

“Fu-Fennec…”

Gazelle giggled, noticing the tiny fox’s nervousness. “That’s a strange name.”

“I mean, I’m a fennec fox!” Finnick immediately shook his head, only now noticing that he messed up on his own name. “Sorry, let me start over,” He took a breath, realizing he’s been acting like a moron. Seriously what’s wrong with him?! A girl is flirting with him! He’s gotta put those smooth moves to work! He stuffed his paws into his pockets and cleared his throat to start over, “Hey, how ya doin’ girl? The name’s Finnick.”

“Charmed to meet you Finnick,” Gazelle extended her hoof down to him. The flower perched in her hair falling to the ground as she crouched down, “Oops!”

“Don’t worry I got it,” Finnick immediately ducked down to grab the flower like a gentlemammal, “There ya g--” The second he lifted his head up to offer the flower back to her, she also happened to look up to him, causing both their lips to meet in a kiss.

The second he felt Gazelle’s lips on his mouth, Finnick’s golden fur immediately grew redder than a red fox’s and his body stiffened as did his upright tail. Finnick fell back like a slab of concrete, landing first on his back, then head, then face and belly first. He peeked up at her. She smiled.

In the distance, Nick and Jack continued onward. “So how much farther till we reach this sweet spot Finn? Finn?” Nick turned back only to realize that Finnick was no longer with them. Jack crashed into the red fox not noticing that he had stopped in his tracks. The hare turned back to look where Nick’s attention was and saw that Finnick was casually walking away with a tall pretty gazelle beside him.

Finnick glanced back and realized that his friends were glaring at him from a distance. Not knowing what to say, Finnick simply shrugged and chuckled as if saying ‘c’est la vie!’ Finnick placed a paw on Gazelle’s calf and continued on his way with her.

Jack huffed offended, “Twitterpated.”

“I’ll say,” Nick scoffed, equally upset at their friend. Nick went over to grab their abandoned wagon with the bouquets. “Great, this was all Finn’s idea and he’s the one to abandon ship. Talk about not letting some ‘filly’ control his life.”

“Fear not, Nick old boy. I still know where most mammals tend to gather during this time of the year. Do you still remember the 'the watering hole’ fountain where we used to play during the summer?”

“You mean the one we used to collect wish coins from to buy ourselves some pawpsicles? How could I forget!”

Jack frowned, “You know mother was quite angry with me when she realized I was doing that.”

“Eh, so was mine, but you gotta admit it was worth it. Now come on we got flowers to sell,” Nick said as he slapped Jack on the back, ushering him forward. The two mammals continued on their way, Nick at the forefront pulling the wagon of bouquets and Jack following close behind him.

Ahead of them in the nearby distance, sat a pale-yellow furred vixen with sapphire colored eyes underneath a tree. She wore beige colored khaki overalls and a striped black and white elbow length top. The vixen sat eating yogurt covered strawberries and reading a romance novel titled, The Business Mammal and the Inventor, a novel about a male business rabbit who gave a young struggling inventor her first big break. She didn’t know what she loved better -- the scientific innovations the female protagonist would conjure up or the depiction of the gentle, yet strong no nonsense attitude of the male rabbit who served as the head of the company and was the only one kind enough to give the protagonist's inventions a chance.

The vixen sighed, bringing the book to her chest. She had just finished reading the best part where the male rabbit shared a kiss with the leading lady, thanking her for his company's success. Though she was a vixen and therefore the natural enemy of rabbits and other lapins, she couldn't help but feel deeply attracted to the male rabbit and the novel. Plus the writer’s descriptions of him -- gentle, adorably naive in a certain way, soft, cuddly, yet strong, proper, brave, classy, a bit uptight and conservative but in a good way -- it had her curious about perhaps crossing the line and dating outside her species. If only she could find someone like him...with those tall ears…

Just then, the vixen heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned to see a somewhat scruffy --- yet to be fair -- handsome looking male fox and right behind him she saw just what she was looking for! Behind the fox was a gorgeous male hare in a black business suit! The vixen’s jaw immediately dropped, “Oh!” she let out a dreamy gasp. She just had to get his attention!

The vixen hid behind the tree trunk and waited for the fox to pass. Once the hare was about to pass her by too, she immediately let out an attention grabbing “Ahem.”

It worked! The striped hare immediately froze in his tracks. He turned to see the beautiful vixen curling her long fluffy tail in a coquettish manner. Jack’s cheeks burned red and his eyes bulged at the sight of her. The vixen hid her face behind her tail, then moved it to bat her eyes at him.

Jack felt his gaped mouth grow dry. Strange. He had spend most of his life around foxes both in his neighborhood and even at school and he had always been fine around them. So why was it then that this vixen had such a hold on him?

But perhaps it was that. He had spent so much time around them that there were times he felt like he was one of them. Not to mention, there were times when he felt attraction towards some of his vixen classmates in the past. What with their long fluffy tails and their cunning natures and this vixen was no exception. She was the absolute most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

The female fox coquettishly made her way toward him, humming a light little tune, “La, la, la, la-la, la”. Once right in front of him, she batted her eyes once more to him, “Hello,” she said in a sultry voice, “I’m Skye and you are?”

Jack couldn't say anything. He merely took a deep gulp and felt his bulging eyes pulse as his ears twisted into one another. He was like a deer in headlights. Skye giggled at his shyness, “I don't know if you can tell, but I really like stripes on a mammal. I think they make you look...cute.”

That made Jack finally react, “O-Oh? Thank you, although you really shouldn't call a bunny cu--” As he spoke Skye slowly moved her muzzle toward his and placed a soft kiss on his lips, causing the shocked hare to immediately thump his foot to the ground in excitement.

Skye pulled back realizing his foot has yet to stop thumping. She pressed a finger to his nose, causing the hare to stop thumping his foot.

With an love dazed expression on his face, Jack continued with his previous statement, “But you may call me cute if you like,” he fell forward on his belly during his elated haze, while Skye cupped her paws together and wagged her tail happily.

In the distance, Nick reached the fountain. He turned back to talk to Jack only to realize the hare was no longer with him. Nick’s ears perked in surprise. Where could he have gone? He looked further back and saw Jack curled up on a vixen's tail.

Jack had a goofy smile on his face all the while Skye played with one of his ears. She flicked at it with her paw while once again singing, “La-la, la, la. La, la,laaaaa…” She held onto that last note, flicking his ear even faster. The sensation to his sensitive ears and the excitement of it all caused his foot to thump again.

Nick frowned and shook his head, “Traitor,” he grumped under his breath. Great, now he was all alone on his business venture. Though it was Spring, it was still a fairly warm day so Nick decided to pull his wagon to a nearby water fountain to drink some water before setting up camp to sell.

He started to drink when he suddenly heard a feminine voice speak to him, “Hello Nick.” Nick spit the water back down in shock. He looked up and saw a drop dead gorgeous gray rabbit with the most beautiful yet somehow familiar amethyst colored eyes he had ever seen. Nick gulped and his jaw slacked as the smooth talking fox felt his brain shut off at the mere sight of the pretty rabbit. The mystery bunny giggled, “Don't you remember me, Slick? I'm Judy.”

Judy?! Nick thought, at last feeling his brain function once more. It was no wonder he recognized her! How could he ever forget her? The two met as children when his mother used to work at the neighborhood bakery shop. He remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Hopps used to come all the way from Bunny Burrow to deliver fruits to the bakery. And every time they came they would always bring their little spitfire five year old daughter Judy along with them. Ugh, how much she would annoy him back then. Especially when she gave him his first kiss -- the one he had never asked for! I mean he was only eight at the time. Yuck!

Regardless of that kiss however, he’d always look forward to seeing her every chance he got! He never wanted to admit it, especially not to her, but he actually really liked that kiss.

And now, years later...he was finally meeting her again…

“Carrots…” Nick quietly uttered the nickname he had given her as he took in the sight of her full grown curvy figure that was well complemented by her pink flannel shirt and blue jeans. This wasn't the cute little dumb bunny he remembered. No, this was that same little bunny but now blossomed into a beautiful young lady.

Judy giggled at his stunned behavior and took a few steps forward, causing the nervous fox to take a few steps back. “I'm glad to hear you remember me, slick Nick.”

“H-How could I not remember a pretty--I-I mean dumb bunny like yo--ahh!” Nick fell back, tripping on his wagon of bouquets.

Judy gasped as the fox was covered in flowers and petals. Nick looked up at her, severely embarrassed by what just happened. Who was he kidding...anybody could see through his ‘sly, uncaring’ ruse. He was smitten by the bunny and she was forcing him to display a vulnerable side that no one had ever seen before.

An air of awkwardness lie between them, until Judy snickered a light-hearted giggle. Despite his embarrassment, Nick found himself also snickering a chuckle. In an attempt to play it cool, Nick grabbed one of the bouquets that was still in tact and offered it to the bunny, “For you Carrots.”

Judy’s eyes widened and she smiled. She took the bouquet in her paws and smelled them. She blushed, “Thank you Nick. They’re beautiful.”

Nick felt his heart beat wildly in his chest at the mere sight of her gentle smile. He felt himself blush as he chuckled nervously. Then without warning, Judy moved her muzzle close to his cheek. Nick gasped quietly and closed his eyes as he felt the bunny place a soft kiss on his cheek.

Nick’s eyes immediately popped open as he felt his head spin in a heavenly daze. The corners of his mouth rose in a goofy grin. The red fox sighed, his eyes practically rolling to the back of his head. Bogo was right. The second he felt that bunny kiss him, he felt light as a feather! And he could swear he was literally in heaven, with nothing but clouds surrounding him as far as the eye could see! And there hopping amongst the clouds and enticing him to follow, was a beautiful bunny shaped angel named Judy Hopps.

“Nick…” He heard her heavenly voice echo. “Remember when we used to play cops and robbers? Think you can catch me now?” She said, batting her purple eyes at him.

Nick smiled and without a word, sat up from the ground and made chase for the giggling bunny. It was a classic scene -- a fox chasing a rabbit. Or rather a predator chasing his prey. But in this case it wasn’t for food, but to woo over the prey in question to be his mate.

Nick chased after her through the heavenly clouds he had conjured up in his mind. The two of them leaping weightlessly, practically dancing amongst the soft clouds. Judy giggled and gleefully hid behind a bush shaped cloud. Nick chuckled and peeked through the cloud with a playuful grin, “Oh, Carro---”

He was cut off, as his nose butted against another male fox’s. His heavenly daze was over and was brought crashing down into the real world.

“Nick? Nick Wilde?!” said the other fox, somehow recognizing Nick. Nick stared at him in shock and confusion. A brown cat popped his head out from the bush behind the intruding male fox. “Why look who it is Giddy! It’s good old Nick Wilde!” the taller fox chortled and grabbed Nick in a noogie, “You old rascal! Thought you could get away from us could you?”

“Remind me how I know you?” Nick groaned, struggling to break himself free from the taller red fox.

“Why, don’t you remember me?” the fox elbows his associate as Nick breaks free from his grasp, “He doesn’t remember us Giddy. It’s us! Your old pals Honest John and Gideon.”

Nick’s eyes widened as he massaged his neck, “Honest John?” Memories immediately flooded the fox’s mind. He knew the so called ‘honest’ fox since they were both kits. The other fox was a couple years older than him and he would see him around the neighborhood a few times. Honest John was a bully to Nick growing up and he would constantly tease the younger fox for wanting to grow up to be a cop like his father -- more so because Honest John was constantly getting in trouble with the law and was always quick to remind Nick of their lot in life as no good, sly foxes.

“Ha,ha,ha good to see you remember me old friend!” laughed Honest John with a slap to Nick’s back. “So tell me, is your old fox still failing at being a fox? Or did he finally decide to quit the force?”

Before Nick could answer, Judy called to him, “Nick?” Judy resurfaced from a nearby grove of trees. “Nick,” she looked beside him and immediately frowned at the sight of Honest John. She too remembered the older fox and of how he would torture poor Nick with his demeaning words.

Honest John’s eyes widened and he whistled while his feline associate adjusted his raggedy top hot, wanting to look presentable in the presence of a lady. “Do my eyes deceive me or is that little Judy Hopps all grown up?”

“Hello ‘Honest’ John,” Judy said apathetically with her ears pushed back.

“Well, well! So I see you remember me,” Honest John adjusted his cheap suit’s collar and shoved Nick back on his tail. Judy’s jaw dropped and she glared at him as he swaggered over to her, “I guess I must’ve made quite the impression on you, didn’t I?”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t imagine…” Judy practically hissed under her breath.

Honest John scanned his eyes over her and smirked flirtingly, “My, my. You really have grown haven’t you? Say,” he wrapped an arm over her small shoulders and shoved the bouquet of flowers Nick had previously given to her from her paws, “Given that it is Spring and l’amour is in the air,” Honest John made a rose pop up in his gloved paw via a sleight of hand trick. He offered it to Judy, “What do you say we take a little stroll in the park? Hmm? If you’d like I can even get Giddy here to pull us on a nice romantic carriage. Isn’t that right Giddy?”

His feline associate nodded in agreement.

Nick glared at the taller fox in jealousy. His fear were put to rest however when Judy said, “Sorry ‘Honest’ John.” She pulled away from his arm and dropped the rose he gave her, instead picking up the bouquet Nick had given her. “But Nick and I already had plans for this evening. Isn’t that right Nick?” She looked over her shoulder to him.

Nick smiled. That sly bunny, he thought. She always was quick at thinking on her feet. Nick stood back up with a confident grin. “That’s right!”

“Nick?!” Honest John said with a bad taste in his mouth. “You may have grown Judy, but your taste sure hasn’t. Honestly, a pretty farm girl like you going for a disgraced cop’s con artist son.”

Nick gulped. How did he know that he wasn’t living an honest life?! Was he spying on him and Finnick when they were picking the wildflowers from the park?

Judy crossed her arms defensively, “For your information, I’m not a farm girl anymore. I’ve come back to the city to become a cop myself.”

“What?” Nick gasped quietly underneath his breath. Honest John meanwhile just laughed.

“What? You’re joking right? A bunny cop?!” he guffawed, “I’m sorry to laugh at you my dear, but that it the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! Hahahaha!” Gideon joined him in silent laughter.

Judy scoffed offended, “It’s not funny! A bunny can be a cop! Just look at Nick’s father, many mammals didn’t believe a fox could ever be a cop yet he proved you and everybody else wrong!”

“Right! Next thing you’re going to tell me is Nick there also came back to the city to become a cop too! Hahahahaha!” He and Gideon continued to laugh boisterously.

Judy turned to Nick for an answer, here eyes hopeful. Staring deep into her caring amethyst eyes and glancing back at Honest John and his incessant laughing, Nick took a deep determined breath. “So what if I did?” he asked the fox with his chest puffed out.

“Ha!-Huh?” Honest John and Gideon seized their laughter as Judy smiled wide with happy, cupped paws toward Nick.

“I...uh…” Nick glanced at the happy bunny. He smiled, decided. “I did. I’m going to become a cop just like my old fox and before you know it, I’m gonna be Chief of Police. That is, if a certain bunny doesn’t beat me to it.” He gave Judy a wink, causing her to blush.

“You? Chief of Police? Don’t make me laugh. Judy, you can’t possibly believe a sly fox like him could ever make an honest living when he’s off picking wildflowers from the park’s flower patches.”

Nick’s ears fell back in humiliation while Judy stood defensively for him. “That’s not true!”

“Oh no?” Honest John took the bouquet from her paws and unwrapped it, “Then why do your flowers still have roots and bits of dirt on them? Not to mention if you look around the park, you’ll find some bald flower patches. Care to add some input on a possible explanation to that Wilde?”

Nick’s face flushed in embarrassment as Judy turned to face him with a disappointed look on her face. “I…” Nick was at a loss for words. How could he lose her like this? Over a stupid con that he didn’t even manage to execute. Nick glanced up at Honest John who smirked victoriously at him. The older fox’s cocky face incited a furious fire in Nick.

No...he won’t lose Judy like this. Not because of him! Nick took the disappointed bunny’s paw in his and gazed into her eyes with sincere regret. “I’m sorry Judy. Honest John is right. I did take those flowers from the park and I was planning on selling them to others.” Judy’s gaze dropped in disappointment once more. “But...but then you came along and I managed to give them a better purpose. I promise I won’t ever do something like this again. And I promise you that I will become a cop and do what I can to make right by you and this city.” Nick gave her a sincere smile and she returned his smile. Her faith in him growing again.

Judy pressed against Nick’s chest and stood on the tips of her toes to rub her head affectionately underneath at the crook of his neck. “I forgive you, you dumb fox.” She smiled up at him with a boop to his nose. Nick smiled in relief and he reached down to give Judy a soft kiss on her cheek.

Honest John’s jaw dropped, “What?! You’re going to forgive him just like that?!”

“He at least had the courage and true honesty to tell me the truth and apologize for what he did. When have you ever done anything to live up to your name? Dishonest John.”

Nick chuckled, “Good one, Carrots.”

Honest John growled in anger.

“Sorry Johnny boy, but the lovely Judy and I have a date to get back to. So see ya around, old pal.” Nick gave him a two finger salute.

Honest John huffed and turned around, “Come Giddy. Let’s get out of this dump!” The brown feline immediately rushed to the rejected fox’s side. Both of them leaving the park in utter humiliation.

Nick offered an arm to his new bunny girlfriend, “Officer Hopps.” Judy took his arm.

“Why thank you, Officer Wilde.” The two left together, arm in arm as the sun set on the horizon making way for a romantic evening in their wake.

#zootopia #fanfic #bambi #crossover #disney #raspberries challenge

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rebelquilts512 · 6 years ago

Text

The Wizard of Fulcrum

So my high school’s musical this year was The Wizard of Oz and since I was in it, (For those of you who are curious, I was a tree, a munchkin, and a citizen of the Emerald City) I had been surrounded by the story and songs of The Wizard of Oz since we started rehearsals in late August. I decided that since I was seeing so much of The Wizard of Oz, I might as well put it to fan fiction use and make a Rebels AU. I hoped to get this done by the time the show was over (the show ran November 8 to 10) but that didn’t happen. (I had up to the scarecrow scene done by then though)

This is an AU of Rebel Assault where instead of crashing in the Capital City, Hera crashes her X-Wing outside the city in the plains around some rock spires or whatever the weird mountains are called. So Hera isn’t captured by the Empire (the Ghost crew finds her before they do), and a lot of the back-half of season 4 doesn’t happen.

Some scenes are a little iffy. It’s hard to combine Rebels characters with Wizard of Oz characters. That, and I think I’m overdue for a Rebels re-watch.

Now that all that’s been established, this fic has been brought to you by Star Wars Rebels, the Wizard of Oz movie, and the Wizard of Oz stage musical.

There will be a cast list at the end. AKA What Wizard of Oz roles each Rebel character played, or what I intended them to play.

Reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated.

--------------------

Hera was disappointed, to put it lightly. She had hoped the squadron would have been able to get passed the Empire’s defenses on Lothal and destroy the Tie Defender factory. But alas, the Empire was ready for them and most of her fighters were either destroyed or shot down.

Hera herself had been hit and was now hurtling towards the planet’s surface. She, with a little help from Chopper who was fortunately unharmed, managed to steer their descent away from Capital City and towards the empty plains beyond.

Hera was starting to lose control as they fell towards a cluster of rock spires. Her X-Wing scraped the side of one of them and Hera banged her head on the console. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was......Minister Tua?

***

When Hera came to, the first thing she heard was Chopper cursing and yelling for her to wake up and see what was outside.

It took Hera a few tries to get the hatch open, but when she did she was assaulted with color.

Hera hopped out of her X-Wing and looked around. Chopper used his rocket to get out of the astromech socket.

They appeared to have crashed in some sort of town square. They were standing on a plaza of multicolored bricks arranged in strips that formed a swirl design. There were huge brightly colored plants everywhere and the plaza was surrounded by equally as colorful buildings.

“Chopper, I have a feeling we’re on Lothal anymore,” Hera said, looking at the droid.

Then Hera looked down at herself. The red pilot’s outfit she had worn for the attack had been replaced by a brown leather lace up vest over a cream colored shirt and a midi length orange skirt with matching leggings and brown boots. It was similar enough to her usual pilot outfit that Hera figured it must have been based off of it.

She started to walk around, trying to figure out where she was. Chopper followed close behind.

Then Hera heard music. She turned around and saw a small circle coming towards her. It almost looked like a bubble, but the outside of the circle was white while the inside was black, somewhat obscuring the bubble effect. The circle grew larger as it approached her, until it landed on the ground in front of her taller than she was.

“Definitely not on Lothal anymore,” Hera mumbled.

A woman emerged from the circle as it faded away. She was a tall Togruta with blue eyes, orange skin, and blue and white striped lekku. Her montrals were covered by the hood of the long white cloak she was wearing over her white dress. In her right hand she held a white staff with a ring on top. She seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t place how, and Chopper wasn’t offering any suggestions.

Hera took a few steps back.

The Togruta stepped toward her and asked, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

What?

Hera glanced around her. “Me?” she asked. “I’m not a witch at all. My name is Hera Syndulla, from...Lothal,” She decided to name the planet she had just been on.

“Oh,” the woman replied. “Well is that the witch?” she asked, pointing the tip of her staff at Chopper.

“Chopper?” Hera asked. “Chopper’s my droid. He may be a little mischievous and cranky at times, but he’s no witch,”

“Hmmmm,” the woman hesitated, “Well I have to say I’m confused. The Lonchkins called me because a new witch has just crashed a large metal contraption on Maketh Tua, the Wicked Witch of the East. And there’s the metal contraption,” She gestured to the crumpled mess of Hera’s X-Wing. “And here you are, And that is all that’s left of Maketh Tua,” She used her staff to point to the pair of legs sticking out from under the X-Wing wearing glittering pale blue shoes. “And so what the Lonchkins want to know, is are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

“I already told you,” Hera said. “I’m not a witch at all. Witches have mystical powers and do cruel and crazy things to people,” She based her knowledge on what Ezra, Kanan, and Sabine had told her of their experience with the Nightsisters on Dathomir.

Then there came the sound of high-pitched laughter.

Hera looked around to see where the sound came from.“What was that?” she asked when she couldn’t find anything.

“The Lonchkins,” the woman replied. “They’re laughing because I’m a witch. My name is Ahsoka. I’m the Witch of the North,”

“You are?” Hera asked. “Really? Well, you’re not what I expected a witch to look like,” But appearances can be deceiving, Hera reminded herself.

“People are often surprised by what good witches look like,” Ahsoka told her. Then she made a large sweeping gesture with her arms. “The Lonchkins are happy because you have freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East,”

“Freed them?” Hera asked, “You mean the Lonchkins, or whatever they are, were enslaved by this Maketh Tua, the Wicked Witch of the East?” Hera narrowed her eyes, feeling less sorry for landing on the witch. “What are Lonchkins anyway?” Hera asked as an afterthought.

The high-pitched laughter came again.

“Yes,” Ahsoka answered. “The Lonchkins are the little people that live in this land, called Lonchkinland. And now, you are their national heroine,”

Ahsoka turned and opened her arms. “It’s alright,” she said, probably to the Lonchkins “You may all come out and thank her,”

Then, a bunch of very small people (the tallest didn’t even reach Hera’s chest) emerged from their hiding places in the plants and buildings and moved towards her and Ahsoka. They didn’t all look human. Hera could pick out a few species that she recognized, just in miniature.

Chopper cursed aload and Hera hoped that no one else understood Binary.

Ahsoka lead her to the center of the swirl in the middle of the plaza. All the while encouraging the Lonchkins to come closer. “Come out and meet the one who has freed you from the Wicked Witch of the East. She’s come all the way from Lothal”

“Well I didn’t intend to crash on her,” Hera admitted as the Lonchkins surrounded her, “But from what you’ve told me, I can’t say I regret it all that much,”

The Lonchkins didn’t seem to care much about that as they started celebrating.

Hera was pulled into the mix and lead to a carriage pulled by two small black horses. She was sat down and promptly thanked by some of the Lonchkin citizens.

Hera was just going along with whatever they were all doing at this point.

“Let the news be spread that Maketh Tua is dead!” Ahsoka proclaimed, raising her hands above her head.

The carriage started moving towards one of the larger and more extravagant looking buildings as the Lonchkins continued to celebrate. Chopper, upset at being left behind, turned on his rocket and flew over to her, surprising the Lonchkins even more.

The carriage stopped in front of the door and a Lonchkin wearing a very tall hat and a large pocket watch came out followed by a few others, with less extravagant hats and no pocket watches.

He helped Hera out of the carriage (although Hera didn’t need it) and removed his hat before saying, “As mayor of the Lonchkins City in the county of the land of Fulcrum, I welcome you most regally,”

He was prevented from saying anything further by a little concern of whether the witch was really dead, which was solved when the coroner confirmed her death, that Hera didn’t pay much attention to.

Then the mayor turned to the crowd of Lonchkins and said. “Then, this is a day of independence, for all the Lonchkins and their descendants! Let the joyous news be spread, the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

A cheer erupted from the Lonchkins crowd before they went back to celebrating, letting everyone know of the witch’s death.

Hera was welcomed to Lonchkinland by assorted groups of Lonchkins. Then the mayor proclaimed that she would go down in history, which Hera just took in without thinking much about it.

The Lonchkins were still celebrating when there was boom and a cloud of gray and red smoke appeared, sending the Lonchkins screaming and running back to their hiding places.

When the smoke cleared, there was a woman standing there. She was human, with bobbed black hair and wearing a long gray dress and a tall wide brimmed hat. She held a broomstick in one hand. She started walking around menacingly, terrifying the Lonchkins. She stopped by Hera’s downed X-Wing and looked around it. She definitely looked like a witch, but at the same time, she had a familiarity that Hera couldn’t quite figure out.

“I thought you said she was dead,” Hera whispered to Ahsoka.

“That was her sister,” Ahsoka answered. “The Wicked Witch of the East. This is Arihnda Pryce, the Wicked Witch of the West, and she’s worse than the other one was,”

“Who killed my sister?” the Witch of the West asked threateningly. “Who killed the Witch of the East!? Was it you?” she asked Hera.

Hera stood up tall. “I did,” she admitted. “Although it was more of an accident,”

“Well my little Twi’lek,” Arihnda Pryce replied. “I can cause accidents too-!”

“Aren’t you forgetting the Kyber Slippers?” Ahsoka interrupted.

The Witch paused. “The Slippers,” she said with a grin. “Yes!”

“The Slippers,” she said as she walked back to where Maketh Tua’s legs were sticking out from under Hera’s X-Wings. As she reached for the shoes, they disappeared and the legs flattened.

“They’re gone!” the Witch exclaimed. “The Kyber Slippers!”

She turned and stomped back over to Hera, Ahsoka, and Chopper. “What have you done with them?” she threatened. “Give them back to me or I’ll...”

“It’s too late,” Ahsoka interrupted again.

“There they are,” she said, pointing to Hera’s feet with her staff. “And there they’ll stay,”

Hera was surprised to see that her boots had been replaced with the Kyber Slippers.

“Give me back my slippers,” Arihnda Pryce ordered. “I’m the only one who knows how to use them. They’re of no use to you. Give them back to me! GIVE THEM BACK!”

“Keep tight inside of them,” Ahsoka told her. “Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly,”

“You stay out of this Ahsoka or I’ll fix you as well,” the Witch snarled.

Ahsoka smirked. “You have no power here, and you’d better go before someone crashes something on you too,”

The Witch took a quick searching glance at the sky. “Very well, I’ll bide my time. And as for you my fine lady,” she said as she pointed at Hera. “It’s true I can’t attend to you here and now as I’d like, but just try to stay out of my way. Just try!”

Chopper took this opportunity to zap Arihnda Pryce with his shock prod.

She jumped back and growled at him.

“I’ll get you my pretty,” the Witch snarled at Hera. “AND YOUR LITTLE DROID TOO!”

The Witch stepped away and disappeared into another cloud of gray and red smoke, which then turned into a pillar of fire, and when that disappeared she was gone.

“It’s alright. You can get up. She’s gone,” Ahsoka told the Lonchkins. “It’s alright. You can all get up,”

Then she turned to Hera. “I’m afraid you’ve made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Fulcrum, the safer you’ll be,”

“Oh, I’d give anything to get out of Fulcrum,” Hera said. “But...what’s the way back to Lothal? I can’t go the way I came,” Hera eyed her crumpled X-Wing.

“No that’s true,” Ahsoka said. Then she thought for a moment. “The only person who might know would be the great Wizard of Fulcrum himself,”

“The Wizard of Fulcrum?” Hera asked. “Can he be trusted?”

“Yes,” Ahsoka answered. “I trust him,”

“He lives in the Crystal City, and that’s a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?” Ahsoka asked.

Hera gave her a confused look. “No,” she replied. “No I didn’t,”

“Then you’ll have to walk,” Ahsoka said. “The Lonchkins will see you safely to the border of Lonchkinland. And remember, never let those Kyber Slippers off your feet for a moment, or you’ll be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West,”

“But how do I start for Crystal City?” Hera asked.

“It’s always best to start at the beginning,” Ahsoka replied. “And all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road,” She gestured to how the strip of yellow bricks branched off and lead through the city.

Hera and Chopper moved to stand on what was now known to be the Yellow Brick Road and looked out in the direction they were heading.

Then Hera turned back to Ahsoka. “But what happens if I...” she started to ask.

“Just followed the Yellow Brick Road,” Ahsoka interrupted as she started fading into her white and black circle until she completely disappeared. Then the circle shrank and flew off.

The Lonchkins waved goodbye as it disappeared from sight.

“Well that’s one way to get around,” Hera mumbled.

Then she turned to her droid. “Come on Chopper. Let’s get going,”

They followed the Yellow Brick Road through Lonchkinland. And true to Ahsoka’s word, the Lonchkins stayed with them until they reached a gate that was probably the border of Lonchkinland.

They continued down the Yellow Brick Road as the Lonchkins waved goodbye. Hera spared a wave back at them before heading on her way.

After a while, Hera and Chopper reached an intersection. The Yellow Brick Road branched off into three separate paths.

“Now which way do we go?” Hera asked after looking down each path.

“Uuuuuh...” A voice said behind her. “Well that way is a very nice way,”

Hera turned around and saw a scarecrow hanging on a pole with one arm pointing to the path on her right. Then she looked around. “Who said that?”

Chopper started blabbering and pointed at the scarecrow.

“Chopper it’s just a scarecrow,” Hera scolded. “He can’t talk,”

“Course it’s pleasant down that way too,” the voice said again.

Hera looked up and saw the scarecrow pointing to the path on her left. “Huh, wasn’t he pointing the other way?” she asked Chopper.

Chopper replied that of course the sack of hay had been pointing the other way.

“Of course people do go both ways,” This time Hera saw the scarecrow cross his arms over each other and she was sure he was the one talking.

“You did talk, didn’t you,” Hera said as she approached him.

The scarecrow just stared at her. Then slowly he nodded.

“Are you doing that on purpose?” Hera asked, annoyed. “Or can’t you make up your mind?”

“Well that’s the problem,” the scarecrow replied. “I can’t make up my mind. I don’t have a brain, just straw,” He lifted his hat to show the straw sticking out of his head that looked a little like hair.

“Then how can you talk if you don’t have a brain?” Hera asked.

“I don’t know,” the scarecrow said. “But I guess I need a way to ask my questions somehow. And I’ve been told I ask a lot questions,”

“Alright,” Hera said, unable to come up with a good argument. “Are you okay up there?” she asked as she climbed over the fence and got closer to him.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I’m stuck up here with a pole up my back all day,”

“Can’t you get down?” Hera asked.

“No,” the scarecrow answered, reaching behind his neck. “Cuz’ I’m tied to the pole,”

“Little help?” he asked.

“Oh of course,” Hera said, walking behind the pole.

“Thank you,” the scarecrow said.

Hera started fiddling around to see how to get the the scarecrow down. “Hey Chopper, can you give me a hand with this?”

Chopper came rolling over.

“Have you tried pulling the nail down in the back?” the scarecrow asked. “I don’t know if it will work, but it might,”

Hera found the nail he was talking about and pulled. As soon as she did, the scarecrow slid down the pole and on to the ground.

When he landed, some of his straw flew out. “Oops, there I go again,” the scarecrow said as he started gathering the straw.

“Are you alright?” Hera asked as she came up to him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to stuff this back in,” The scarecrow said, sticking the straw in his green shirt.

Then he stood up and started to take a step. “It’s good to be free...” he said before he tripped over the fence and landed on the ground.

Hera gasped and rushed over to him.

“Did I scare you?” the scarecrow asked with a grin.

“No, I’d thought you’d hurt yourself,” Hera replied, concerned.

“But I didn’t scare ya?” he asked.

“Of course not, it takes a lot more than someone falling over to really scare me,” Hera said.

“Didn’t think so,” the scarecrow said disappointedly, resting his elbow on his knee and setting his chin on his hand.

Hera finally got a good look at his face. Besides the faded red patch over his nose, he had a brown patch that covered his chin. And his eyes. His eyes were a sparkling teal that stood out against the rest of his face. Hera also noticed a bundle of straw that stuck out the back of his head under his hat that almost looked like a ponytail. His features seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t remember where she’d seen them before.

A crow flew over and landed on the fence beside them.

“Go on. Get outta here!” the scarecrow said, waving his hand at it. “Shoo!”

The crow poked at him a bit and then flew away.

“See? I can’t even scare a crow,” he said. “I’m a failure, because I haven’t got a brain,”

“Well what would you do with a brain if you had one?” Hera asked, unable to stop herself from getting pulled into this conversation.

“Well if I had a brain, I could find the answer to any question had,” the scarecrow answered, standing up. But he stumbled when he tried to take a step and Hera had to stand up and steady him.

“I’d been able to understand how things happen and why they happen a certain way,” he continued, starting to walk around. “I could even figure out new ways of doing things,” He said as he turned to face her and spread his arms out wide, walking backwards. Then he tripped on a loose brick and fell flat on his butt on the Yellow Brick Road. A few clumps of straw fell out of him when he did.

Hera couldn’t help but chuckle at his antics. She walked over and helped him gather up his straw. “Well there certainly aren’t any scarecrows like you on Lothal,” she commented, which was true.

“Lothal?” the scarecrow asked. “Where’s Lothal?”

“It’s where I was before I ended up in Fulcrum,” Hera answered. “And I don’t know how to get back. That’s why I’m going to Crystal City to see if the Wizard of Fulcrum can help me,”

“Oh, and Chopper too,” she added as the droid came up to her.

“You’re going to see a wizard?” the scarecrow asked. “Do you think if I came with you the Wizard would give me some brains?”

“I don’t know,” Hera answered, realising he was offering to go with her and she found she didn’t mind that prospect. “But even if he didn’t you wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now,”

“That’s true,” the scarecrow admitted.

Then Hera remembered the Wicked Witch of the West.

“Wait, maybe you’d better not. I’ve got a witch mad at me and you might get into trouble,” Hera said.

“Witch?” the scarecrow asked. “I’m not afraid of a witch. I’m not afraid of anything,”

“Except a lighted match,” he added, more quietly to just her, tugging on a bit of straw.

“I don’t blame you for that,” Hera replied.

“But I’d face a whole box of them for a chance at getting some brains,” the scarecrow said. He turned to face her. “Look, I would be any trouble because I don’t eat a thing, and I won’t try to manage things because I can’t think. Won’t you take me with you?” he begged.

Hera found that she couldn’t deny him his request. And it would be nice to have someone other than Chopper for company. Plus, who knows, maybe he’d be helpful in dealing with the Wicked Witch.

“Well of course you can come,” Hera said, standing up.

“Alright!” the scarecrow said as he joined her. “We’re off to see a wizard!” He jumped in the air. He stumbled when he landed and Hera had to catch him before he fell.

“You’re not starting off very well,” Hera said as she helped him stand again.

“Oh I’ll try. Really I will,” the scarecrow said.

“Well, to Fulcrum?” she asked.

“To Fulcrum,” the scarecrow confirmed, offering her his elbow.

“By the way, what’s your name?” he asked.

“It’s Hera,” Hera answered, taking his elbow. “And that’s Chopper,” she pointed to the droid. “What about you?”

“You can just call me Scarecrow,” he replied. “I don’t really have any other name to go by,”

“Okay,” Hera said. “Let’s get going,”

“Yeah, but which way do we go?” Scarecrow asked.

They ended up choosing the path that went straight through the intersection after Chopper pointed out that Ahsoka, the Good Witch, probably would have told them if they needed to turn anywhere.

They continued walking for some time. They talked along the way. Scarecrow told her about how long he’d been trying (and failing) to keep the crows out of that field and all that had happened during that time. Hera told him about what had happened before she ended up in Fulcrum and what she’d been doing since she arrived.

After a while, Hera started to feel hungry.

“You’re hungry?” Scarecrow asked. “But I thought only crows got hungry,”

“All living things need to eat,” Hera said, although she was reminded of how often she skipped meals in order to get more work done.

I don’t need to eat,” Scarecrow said. Then his eyes widened. “Does that mean I’m not alive?”

Hera shook her head. “No, Chopper doesn’t need to eat either and you both are some of the liveliest people I know,”

“Why, thank you,” Scarecrow said. “Just for that, you can eat as much of my hay as you like,” He reached in his shirt to pull out a handful and extended it to her.

Hera giggled. “That’s very sweet of you, but I can’t,”

“Why not? I’ll be fine,” Scarecrow said. “As long as my legs are stuffed enough to walk, it doesn’t matter what shape my top half is in. Besides I’d rather make sure you’re alright,”

“No,” Hera said. “It’s just that I don’t eat hay,”

“Oh,” Scarecrow said, lowering his hand. “Well if you say so,” He stuffed the straw back in his shirt.

Then Hera noticed something in the trees. “Oh look Scarecrow, apples,”

“Apples,” Scarecrow repeated. “What’s apples?”

“In the trees,” Hera answered, pointing.

Scarecrow looked. “You mean those little red birds hanging upside-down by one leg?” He asked.

“No, they’re something you eat,” Hera said as she walked up to the tree. Although some birds can be eaten, she thought.

Hera tried to pick one, but then her hand was suddenly slapped away.

“Ow!” she yelped.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the tree asked accusingly.

“Well we’ve been walking a long way and I was hungry,” Hera said automatically. Then she paused. Something wasn’t right here. “Did you just say something?”

“She was hungry,” the tree mocked to the other trees.

“She was hungry,” another tree repeated.

“How would you like it if someone came up and picked something off of you?” a third tree asked.

The trees had a point, but Hera would be more sympathetic if they weren’t actual talking trees that bore actual fruit that would eventually fall off and would grow back every year. Besides, Hera’s day had been crazy enough already and she didn’t need trees with attitude added on to that right now.

Chopper zapped the first tree, but it had no effect.

“I keep forgetting I’m not on a sensible planet any more,” Hera groaned.

“Come on Hera,” Scarecrow said. “You don’t want any of those apples, yuck,”

What was he doing?

“Are you implying that my apples aren’t what they ought to be?” the first tree asked.

“Oh no, it’s just that she doesn’t like little green worms,” Scarecrow replied.

“Did he just say we had worms?” the first tree asked the others.

“That’s what it sounded like to me,” the second tree said.

“I’ll show ya how to get apples,” Scarecrow whispered to Hera. Then he started leading her away, taking louder to the trees as he walked. “Sure you got worms; worms, caterpillars, probably a whole bunch of woodlice too,”

The trees gasped offendedly. “How dare you! Let him have it girls!”

The trees started throwing apples at them and Scarecrow turned around in time to start catching them. Hera turned around and gathered the apples that had ended up on the ground, with Chopper’s help.

They all had their arms full before the trees stopped throwing apples at them.

“Run, Hera!” Scarecrow yelled.

They ran down the Yellow Brick Road dodging apple projectiles.

Once they were out of range, Scarecrow turned around and performed a rather clumsy bow in the trees’ direction. “Goodbye ladies! Pleasure doing business with you!” he said before continuing to get away from them.

They ended up with more apples than Hera could eat. Fortunately Hera’s skirt had large pockets that held most of the leftover apples and the rest were tossed in the bushes for the wild animals to eat.

The Yellow Brick Road lead them into a dark forest. The bushes were so overgrown they covered parts of the Road, making Scarecrow stumble more than usual, and the trees blocked out the sun almost completely. Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow stayed close together as unseen creatures made noises all around them.

“Don’t like this forest,” Hera said. “It’s dark and...creepy,”

“I’m not really sure,” Scarecrow commented. “But I think it’ll get darker before it gets lighter,”

“Do you think we’ll meet anything in here?” Hera asked, to both Chopper and Scarecrow.

“We might,” Scarecrow replied. While Chopper said he wouldn’t let anything touch her.

Suddenly the air was filled with a great roar of anguish that made Hera jump and Scarecrow stumble backwards.

“What was that?” Scarecrow asked once he recovered.

“I don’t know” Hera answered, glancing around.

Then there was a despairing cry that activated Hera’s kindhearted desire to help someone in need.

“Sounds like someone’s in trouble. Come on, we need to see if they need any help,” Hera said, gesturing for Chopper and Scarecrow to follow her as she left the Yellow Brick Road and took off in the direction of the cries.

“Are you sure about this?” Scarecrow asked as he trudged after her.

“Yes!” Hera answered, looking back at him.

“Is she always like this?” Scarecrow asked Chopper.

Chopper replied that yes, yes she was. Although Scarecrow couldn’t understand his answer.

Hera went around a tree and gasped at the sight before her. When Scarecrow and Chopper caught up to her, they were equally as shocked.

There were remains of over a dozen huts that looked to have either been burned or crushed.

A sob drew their attention away from the destroyed huts to a hairy purple beast kneeling in a pile of rubble.

“It’s...gone. It’s gone!” the beast sobbed and Hera, Scarecrow, and Chopper approached. “Why?”

“Are you alright?” Hera asked, concerned, as she kneeled down next to him. This close, Hera could see that he had heavily muscled arms, tall pointed ears, and lime green eyes. Again, he seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t figure out for the life of her where she’d seen him before.

“It’s gone! The Wicked Witch destroyed everything,” the beast cried.

“What’s gone?” Scarecrow asked.

The beast finally looked up at them. “My village,” he answered. “It was my job to protect them and I failed,” He stood up and Hera stood up with him. “I failed. I don’t have any honor or courage,”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Hera comforted. “I’m sure you did everything you could,” She and Scarecrow started to guide him away from the village and toward the Yellow Brick Road. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have any honor or courage,”

“If I had any, I sure as hell don’t anymore,” the beast grumbled.

They were silent for moment, until they reached the Yellow Brick Road.

Then Scarecrow asked, “Hera, Do you think the Wizard could help him too?”

“I don’t see why not,” Hera said.

“Who? What?” the beast asked.

Hera turned to face him. “We’re on our way to Crystal City to see the Wizard of Fulcrum, and were wondering if you’d like to come with us to see if he can help you too,”

“Are you sure you want me to come with you?” the beast asked.

“Of course,” Hera reassured, placing a hand on his arm.

The beast looked at her, then at Scarecrow and Chopper. “Alright, I’ll come with you,”

Hera smiled. “Great,”

“Oh, and I’m Scarecrow, she’s Hera, and that’s Chopper,” Scarecrow said, pointing to each of them in turn. “How ‘bout you?”

“Lasat,” he answered.

“Okay, let’s go,” Hera said.

Lasat and Scarecrow both extended their elbows to her and Hera took them. They walked down the Yellow Brick Road for a few minutes before Lasat suddenly stopped.

“Wait, what if the Wizard won’t help me, or any of us, when we get there?” he asked.

“I’m sure he will,” Hera answered. “I doubt the Good Witch of the North would have had me travel such a long way if she didn’t believe he would help,”

There was a loud cackling laugh from one of the trees. The group turned to see the Wicked Witch standing beside the tree a few feet away from them.

“You call that long?” Arihnda Pryce snarled. “Why, you’ve only just begun,”

Lasat growled. “You,” he accused, approaching her with a fist raised. “You were the one who-”

He was cut off as a wave of the Witch’s hand sent him stumbling back.

“Yes, and it almost served its purpose,” she replied coldly. She took in the entire group. “And now I see your helping the little Twi’lek along, my fine gentlemen,”

Scarecrow slowly moved in front of Hera.

The Witch noticed.

“You stay away from her, scarecrow or I’ll stuff a mattress with you,” Arihnda Pryce threatened. “And as for you, Lasat, I’ll turn you into a throw rug,”

“I’m not afraid of you!” Scarecrow said bravely.

“Well that just proves you don’t have a brain,” she responded. Then she started doing something with her hands. “Here scarecrow, allow me to educate you. Want to play ball!”

The Witch produced a fireball and threw it at their feet.

Scarecrow was the one panicking the most as they all scrambled to get away from the fire, until Chopper put it out with one of his attachments.

“Just remember scarecrow, helping that Twi’lek reach the Crystal City could be you last burning ambition!” Arihnda Pryce finished as she disappeared in another cloud of gray and red smoke.

“I’m still not afraid of her,” Scarecrow said, straightening up after she was gone.

“I’ll see you get safely to the Wizard whether I get a brain or not,” he told Hera. “Stuff a mattress with me, heh!” He waved his hand at where the Witch had been.

“And I’ll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get honor and courage or not,” Lasat added. “Throw rug? Ha! Let ‘er try and make a throw rug outta me!” He glared at the spot the Witch had been standing.

“Thank you,” Hera said. “You’re the best companions anyone could ever want on a journey like this,

“Although I wish I could remember why you both seem so familiar,’ she sighed. “Well I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. We know each other now and that’s all we know right now,”

“That’s right,” Scarecrow replied.

“We do,” Lasat added.

“To Fulcrum?” Scarecrow asked, extending his elbow again.

“To Fulcrum,” Lasat repeated, copying him.

“To Fulcrum,” Hera confirmed, taking their elbows again.

They continued to walking down the Yellow Brick Road and out of the dark forest without any further interruptions. (Unless you count Scarecrow’s stumbling)

They continued down the Yellow Brick Road. Hera and Scarecrow filled Lasat in on their stories and why they were going to Crystal City while he told them about what his life had been like in his village.

Eventually, they came upon a light curve in the Yellow Brick Road. The group would have continued on if a flash of silver hadn’t caught Hera’s eye. When she turned to get a better look, Hera couldn’t believe what she saw.

She lifted her arms to stop Lasat and Scarecrow. “Wait,” she said.

Even Chopper stopped.

“Look,” Hera said, pointing. “ It’s a person made out of metal,”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, and Lasat approached the figure. Up close, it looked distinctly female, but it was hard to be completely sure with the helmet they were wearing. It was stuck in a running position, as if they were frozen mid-stride, and they were holding a dagger in each hand. And although their body looked to be completely made of metal, the metal being was also wearing armor that, along with the helmet, was covered in faded streaks of color, like it had been painted at some point but had been left alone since.

As they were looking at it, a muffled noise came from the metal being’s mouth and they all looked up.

“Did you say something?” Hera asked.

The metal being repeated themselves and Hera understood what they said.

“They said oil can,” Hera told the others.

“Oil can what?” Scarecrow asked.

“Oil can,” Hera repeated, looking around.

“Oh,” Hera said when she saw Chopper found it. “Thanks Chopper. Here it is,” She took it from him and faced the metal being again. “Where do you want to be oiled first?” she asked.

The metal being tried to say something else, and this time Scarecrow was the first to understand.

“She said her helmet,” Scarecrow said, taking the oil can from Hera. He oiled the helmet everywhere he could reach on his side, including where the helmet met neck, before Hera took it from him to get the other side.

When they finished, Hera placed both hands on the helmet and tried to move it. “Can I take this off?” she asked.

After receiving a muffled affirmative, Hera tugged the helmet off.

“Th-th-thank you,” the metal girl said. “Now people can actually hear me. My helmet was so rusted I couldn’t get a sound out. Oil my arms please. Oil my elbows,”

With her brown eyes and multicolored metal hair, Hera thought she looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember where she’d seen anyone like this girl before, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had.

Hera, Scarecrow, and Lasat passed the oil can around and oiled her arms.

“And my legs too, please,” she added.

They continued to oil her until they were pretty sure they had gotten everywhere. Then Lasat tried to help her move her left arm and nearly got stabbed in the eye for his efforts. Hera tried to help her move her right arm and successfully pushed it down. It fell with a clang.

“Does that hurt you?” Hera asked.

“No,” the metal girl said with relief. “It feels wonderful. I’ve had my arms stuck like that for ages,”

“How did you ever get like this?” Hera asked.

“Well,” the metal girl replied. “When I was flesh and blood like you, I left my family to work for the Wicked Witch of the West. I was one of the people who made weapons for her armies and my family was proud. An accident cost me my body, but fortunately I knew a Beskar worker who gave me a new body just as good as my old one and I could still wear my armor. Then I got a little too carried away in my experimentation and the Witch took advantage of it, so I left. I tried to go back to my family, but they had heard about what my invention had done to our people and rejected me. They chased me out of their territory and I just kept running. Then I started to rain and I rusted solid before I could find shelter. And I’ve been here ever since,”

That was way more information than Hera had expected, or asked for, or what was considered normal any other place she’d been, but alright, at least it was informative.

“Well,” Hera said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re alright now,”

The girl’s head turned sharply toward her. Her neck creaked and she grimaced. “My n-” she started, but Scarecrow already had the oil can and oiled her neck.

“Alright?” she asked. “Just bang on my chest if you think I’m alright,”

Hera, Chopper, Lasat, and Scarecrow hesitated. Hera certainly wasn’t expecting the conversation to go in this direction.

“Go ahead, bang on it!” the girl said again.

Finally, Hera hit the girls chest. There was a revertabrating bang.

“Wow, what an echo,” Scarecrow observed.

“It’s empty,” the metal girl sighed. “The Beskar worker didn’t give me a heart,”

“No heart!” Scarecrow, Hera, and Lasat all blurted out at the same time, although Hera wasn’t entirely sure why she did.

“Of course I don’t have a heart!” the beskar girl wailed. “How could anyone who did what I did ever have a heart!” She started to cry. Then her face started to stiffen unnaturally.

“I think you’re rusting again,” Hera said, drying the girl’s eyes with the handkerchief she just happened to have in her pocket. Then she took the oil can from Scarecrow and oiled her face again.

Lasat and Scarecrow started whispering. Then Lasat said. “We’re going to Crystal City. Why don’t you come with us to ask the Wizard of Fulcrum for a heart,”

He looked at Hera to see if she was okay with it. Hera didn’t have a problem with the girl coming along so she gave him an encouraging smile and a nod.

“Do you really think he would?” the beskar girl asked.

“At this point,” Hera answered. “I’d be surprised if the Wizard refuses to see any of us, with the size of our group,”

“Alright, I’ll go with you,” the beskar girl said after a moment,

“Great,” Lasat said with a grin. “I’m Lasat, she’s Hera, he’s Scarecrow, and that’s Chopper,”

“Call me Beskargirl,” she replied.

“Alright,” Hera said. “Let’s get going,”

The quartet linked arms and continued down the Yellow Brick Road.

***

Far away in her castle, the Wicked Witch of the West was watching them through her crystal ball.

“Aha!” she laughed. “So you won’t take a warning. All the worse for you. I’ll take care of you now instead of later,” Arihnda Pryce walked over to a nearby table and started mixing something. “When I have those Kyber Slippers, my power will be the greatest in Fulcrum!” She picked up what she’d been mixing and walked back over to her crystal ball. “And now my beauties. Something with poison in it I think, with poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell,” She laughed and started sprinkling her mixture over her crystal ball. “Poppies!” she chanted. “Poppies! Poppies will put them to sleep,”

“Now they’ll sleep,”

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl followed the Yellow Brick Road through some more trees and came upon an enormous poppy field.

“There’s Crystal City!” Hera guessed, pointing to the tall sparkling city on the other side of the poppy field. Strangely, the Yellow Brick Road curved around the poppy field instead of cutting straight through. “We’re almost there. If only the Yellow Brick Road didn’t curve so much,”

“Well we could just run across the poppy field,” Scarecrow suggested.

“Yeah, that’ll be shorter,” Lasat agreed. “Let’s go!”

Hera couldn’t see why they couldn’t just cut across the poppy field. “Sure, come on Chopper. It’ll be faster this way,”

They all started running across the poppy field. It wasn’t long before Hera and Lasat started lagging behind.

“Come on! Come on!” Scarecrow called.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Beskargirl shouted.

Chopper was a bit concerned with Hera’s pace but continued moving.

Scarecrow and Beskargirl reached a small hill.

“Oh, look!” Scarecrow shouted, when he reached the top of the hill, pointing towards the city. “Oh. Look, you can see it here. Crystal City!”

Hera was the last one up the hill, and she was breathing heavily. Lasat was too.

“What’s happening?” Hera panted. “Something’s wrong. I can’t run anymore. I’m so tired,”

Hera didn’t understand why she suddenly felt so tired.

Scarecrow reached for her hand and Chopper put a manipulator on her back.

“Here, give us your hands and we’ll pull you along,” Scarecrow offered, taking her hand.

Hera felt like she needed to lay down. “No,” she said. “I need to rest for just a minute,” Hera lowered herself to the ground and laid down among the poppies.

“But you can’t rest now, we’re almost there,” Scarecrow protested.

Chopper prodded at her arm, but she had already fallen asleep.

“Ooooh,” Beskargirl groaned and sobbed at the same time.

“Hey, don’t do that. You’ll rust yourself again,” Scarecrow told her.

Then Lasat yawned. “Come to think of it,” he yawned again. “A couple of winks wouldn’t be so bad,”

He started to lay down but Scarecrow and Beskargirl stopped him.

“Don’t you start it too,” Scarecrow scolded, setting him back up.

“Maybe we could try and carry Hera,” Beskargirl suggested.

“I don’t think I could, but we could try,” Scarecrow replied.

They let go of Lasat to go over to Hera, and as soon as they let go, he toppled over and fell asleep.

“Oh, look at him,” Beskargirl groaned. “This is terrible,”

“Come here, Beskargirl. Help me,” Scarecrow said, reaching for Hera.

Both of them, and Chopper, tried to move her, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Oh, this is terrible,” Scarecrow said. “Can’t move her an inch,” He looked around. “This has to be a spell,”

“The Wicked Witch,” Beskargirl gasped. “What do we do?”

She looked around. “Help!” She screamed. “Help!”

“It’s no use yelling at a time like this!” Scarecrow shouted. “Nobody will hear you!”

He looked at Hera’s face again. Chopper was still beside her and was pointing her gently with his manipulator, but she wouldn’t wake up. She looked so peaceful.

“Heeelp!” Scarecrow suddenly yelled. “Heeelp! Heeelp!”

The Good Witch’s white lined circle appeared, although Scarecrow and Beskargirl couldn’t see it. She looked through it and saw their predicament.

“I hear you Scarecrow,” Ahsoka said. “And although I cannot undo the magic of the Wicked Witch, perhaps a little magic of my own will help,” She waved her staff and snow started to fall over the poppy field. Then she disappeared.

“It’s snowing!” Scarecrow exclaimed.

“No it isn’t,” Beskargirl replied doubtfully.

“Yes it is,” Scarecrow insisted as the snow got more visible. “Maybe it’ll help,”

“Oh, it couldn’t help,” Beskargirl said, already stiffening, as the snow covered the sleeping curse and Hera started to wake up.

“It does help,” Scarecrow said, kneeling beside Hera. “Hera, you’re waking up!”

“Oh,” Hera yawned as she sat up.

Lasat yawned loudly and sat up. “Unusual weather we’re having,” He commented as snow covered his head.

Then they all noticed Beskargirl. She was frozen in place as she was covered in snow.

“Look, she’s rusted again,” Hera said. “Give me the oil can, quick!”

Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow got up and started searching for it.

“Where is it?” Scarecrow asked.

Lasat noticed there was something under his bottom and reached for it.

“I just realised something,” Lasat said.

“What?” Hera asked.

“I was sitting on it,” He replied as he got it out and handed it to her.

Scarecrow and Lasat helped Hera oil Beskargirl so she could move again.

***

Back at her castle, the Wicked Witch of the West saw that Hera was awake through her crystal ball. She was not pleased.

“Curses! Curses!” Arihnda Pryce fumed. “Someone always helps that Twi’lek! Shoes or no shoes I’m still brave enough to conquer her! And woe to those who try to stop me!”

***

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Hera said once Beskargirl could move again. “Look! Crystal City is closer than ever,”

The group linked arms and walked through the rest of the poppies and back onto the Yellow Brick Road. They were almost to Crystal City.

***

The Wicked Witch snarled. “That’s it! I’m going to Crystal City myself!” She got on her broomstick and flew off towards the Crystal City.

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat reached the gates of Crystal City. They were shut, but there was a rope with a tassel on the end of it hanging from the doorframe. Hera pulled on it and a bell rang.

A small round door opened just above their heads and a man stuck his head out.

“Who rang that bell?” the guard asked. He looked old, had a bald head, fluffy white beard, and brown eyes. Just like almost everyone else Hera had met in this land, he bore a sort of familiarity Hera couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“We did!” Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat said at the same time.

“Can’t you read?” the guard asked.

“Read what?” Scarecrow asked.

“The notice!” the guard answered.

“What notice?” Hera and Scarecrow both asked.

“It’s on the door,” the guard replied. “As plain as the nose on my face,” He looked around as if he looking to point it out to them. “It’s...aahhh, oh,” he said when even he couldn’t find it. “Just a minute,”

He disappeared behind the door and reappeared with a sign that he hung on a hook next to him. Then he shut his little door.

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat gathered around the sign and read it aloud.

“Bell out of order, please knock,”

Hera knocked and the guard opened his little door again.

“Well, that’s more like it,” the guard said. “Now, state your business,”

“We want to see the Wizard!” Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat all declared.

The guard shook his head. “The Wizard? But nobody can see the Great Fulcrum. No one’s ever seen the Great Fulcrum! Even I’ve never seen him,”

“Well, then how do you know there is one?” Hera asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t appreciate being made to come all this way for nothing.

The guard clearly wasn’t expecting that question. “Because he...ah... because...because...” the guard fumbled. “Well if there wasn’t a wizard, then why would you be here? Now go on, you’re wasting my time,” He moved to disappear behind the door again.

“But I’ve got to see the Wizard,” Hera said. “The Good Witch of the North sent me,”

The guard’s eyes flared in recognition. “Ahsoka?” he asked, then his eyes narrowed. “Prove it,”

“She’s wearing the Kyber Slippers she gave her,” Scarecrow said pointing to Hera’s feet. Hera stuck out her toes so they were more visible.

The guard bent over for a better look. When he saw the shoes he smiled. “So she is. Well bust my buttons! Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” He asked. “That’s a horse of a different color! Come on in!”

The guard disappeared again, but it wasn’t a full second before the gates opened and Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat got their first look at Crystal City. There were people everywhere, just walking about their business.

A carriage pulled by a white horse rode up to them. “Cabbie! Cabbie!” the driver shouted. He looked almost exactly like the guard; the exception being he was cleanly shaven and wore a near permanent grin. This meant he also bore the same confusing familiarity as the guard. “Just what you’re looking for! We’ll take you anyplace in the city you want!”

“Would you take us to see the Wizard?” Hera asked.

“The Wizard?” the driver repeated. “The Wizard? Well...I... Yes, of course! But first I’ll take you to a little place where you can tidy up a bit,”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Hera said as Scarecrow helped her into the carriage, after which he and the others followed her in. “Although that really isn’t necessary as we need-” Hera cut herself off as she got another look at the horse pulling the carriage, for it had turned purple. “What kind of a horse is that? I’ve never seen a horse like that before,”

The driver laughed. “And I doubt you will again! There’s only one of him! He’s the horse of a different color you’ve heard about!”

“Oh,” Hera said as everyone took their seats.

The driver drove them through Crystal City as the horse continued change from purple to red to yellow and other colors, fascinating Beskargirl.

As promised, the driver did take them to a place where he insisted they get cleaned up.

Scarecrow got fresh new straw, Beskargirl was polished and got her dents fixed, Hera’s dress was cleaned and her nails were polished, and Lasat’s fur was washed and trimmed. Even Chopper was wiped down.

Just as they were all walking out, everyone looked up at the sky and the townspeople screamed. The Wicked Witch was flying above them, with a cloud of smoke trailing behind her, and she was writing with it.

“The Witch!” Hera exclaimed. “She followed us here!”

“Surrender Hera,” Beskargirl read aloud.

“Hera? Who’s Hera?” One of the townspeople asked.

“The Wizard will explain it!” Another one suggested.

“To the Wizard!” A third announced.

“To the Wizard!” the crowd repeated as it started to move.

“We’d better hurry if we’re gonna see the Wizard,” Scarecrow said. Then Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat took off.

They didn’t manage to beat the crowd to the Wizard’s door. A guard was standing at the top of the steps trying to calm them down. He had amber eyes, strawberry-blond hair, neatly kept mutton chops, and wore a stoic expression. He was also yet another person Hera thought looked familiar but couldn’t remember why.

“Here! Here!” the guard shoutd. “Everything is alright! Everything is alright! The great and powerful Fulcrum has matters well in hand!”

“I hope,” Hera heard the guard say under his breath.

“So you can all go home,” the guard continued to the crowd. “There’s nothing to worry about. Go on! Get out of here. Go on home now,”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat pushed their way up to the door as the crowd started leaving and approached the guard.

“Excuse me,” Hera said. “We want to see the Wizard right away. All of us,”

“Orders are no one can see the great Fulcrum,” the guard replied. “Not nobody, not nohow,”

“Please, it’s very important,” Hera insisted.

“Not nobody, not nohow!” the guard repeated.

“But she’s Hera,” Scarecrow piped up.

“The Witch’s Hera?” the guard asked. He thought for a moment. “Well that makes a difference. Just wait here and I’ll announce you at once,” He turned around and walked through the door.

“Did you hear that?” Scarecrow asked. “He’ll announce us at once! We’ll get what we want in no time!”

Chopper beeped out a long string of binary and waved his arms around.

Hera smiled. “Yeah Chopper, I hope we’ll get back in time to get back in the fight,”

“Yeah, things’ll work out for everyone,” Lasat added with a hopeful grin.

“Wait Hera,” Scarecrow said, placing a hand on her arm. “What do you mean ‘get back in the fight’? Is there something wrong in Lothal? What are you fighting there?”

Hera sighed. “Yes, you see-”

She was cut off when the door was flung open and the guard stepped out.

“The Wizard says go away,” he announced before turning around and going back inside, shutting the door behind him.

“Go away?” They all repeated.

“Looks like we came a long way for nothing,” Scarecrow said solemnly.

“Oh,” Hera sighed, sitting down on the steps, the others kneeled down and surrounded her. “I thought I was getting back to the Rebellion,”

“Don’t worry, Hera,” Beskargirl comforted. “We’ll get you to the Wizard,”

“We certainly will,” Scarecrow declared.

Behind them, the guard had opened a small window in the door and was watching them.

“The Empire has such a strong grip on Lothal and so many other planets,” Hera continued, crestfallen. “We were trying to destroy their Tie Defender Factory so the Rebellion would have a better chance of succeeding, but I don’t think we made it. Now I’m stuck here and I don’t know what’s happening on Lothal right now,”

The guard’s face softened. He was suddenly concerned about this Lothal and what the Empire was doing to it. “You needn't worry anymore,” the guard said, making everyone turn to look at him. “I’ll get you in to see the Wizard somehow. Come along now,” He disappeared behind the door again.

Then it opened and Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, and Chopper all walked through. There was a long corridor. They all walked down it until they reached a set of doors, which they all stopped in front of.

“Here we go,” Scarecrow said as they all steeled themselves.

“Come forward!” a large booming voice commanded as the doors opened.

“Karabast,” Lasat said.

They all linked arms and walked into the room. There were trays of smoke framing what looked like an organ. They erupted into fire as an face appeared on the organ.

“I am Fulcrum!” the face announced with the same booming voice from before. “The Great and Powerful!” Pillars of smoke and fire rose as he said those words. “Who are you?”

Hera stepped forward. “I’m Hera Syndulla,” she answered. “We’ve come to ask you-”

“Silence!” the Wizard interrupted.

Hera took a step back.

“The Great and Powerful Fulcrum knows why you have come,” he continued. “Step forward Beskargirl,”

Beskargirl had no choice but to do as he said.

“You dare come to me for a heart, do you?” the Wizard asked. “You clinking, clanking, clattering mass of malformed metal!”

Well Hera thought that was unnecessary.

“Y-yes sir... yes your honor,” Beskargirl stuttered. “You see, a while back we were walking down the-”

“Quiet!” the Wizard interrupted, sending Beskargirl scurying back the the rest of the group.

“And you, Scarecrow!” the Wizard continued. Scarecrow stumbled forward. “Have the effrontery to ask for a brain. You billowing bale of bovine fodder!”

Again, Hera thought that was a little to much.

Scarecrow had ended up on his knees. “Y-yes your honor... I mean your excellency...” He fumbled. “I mean your Wizardry...”

“Enough!” the Wizard shouted. “And you, Lasat!” Lasat stepped forward and looked up at the Wizard’s face. “Well?!?”

Lasat stood frozen, unable to get any words out.

Hera had just about enough of this. She pushed past Lasat to face the Wizard herself. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” Hera scolded. “Scaring us all when we came to you for help!”

“Silence, Twi’lek!” the Wizard ordered. “The magnificent Fulcrum as ever intention of granting your requests!”

Well he sure had a funny way of showing it.

Even Lasat perked up at the Wizard’s announcement.

“But first you must prove yourselves worthy, by performing a small task,” the Wizard continued.

Now what?

“Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West!” the Wizard declared.

That?

“But we’ll have to kill her to get it,” Beskargirl said.

“Bring me here broomstick, and I’ll grant your requests,” the Wizard repeated. “Now go!”

“But what if she kills us first?” Lasat asked.

“I said go!” the Wizard ordered.

“Alright, we’re going!” Scarecrow hollered as they all rushed out of the room.

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat received directions to the Witch’s castle from one of the guards and started on their way.

They reached the Haunted Forest some time later. Beskargirl had her daggers out and Hera, Scarecrow, and Lasat had all they could find in Crystal City that they thought could be of use.

There was a sign that read:

Haunted Forest

Witches Castle

1 Mile

It pointed in the direction they were headed.

Below it, another sign read:

I’d turn

Back if I

Were you!

They all took a deep breath and continued on. Lasat started growling as they walked.

Strange noises started coming from the trees. They looked and saw owls and vultures with glowing red eyes, and there was an unrecognizable howling noise that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

“I have a feeling there are spooks around here,” Scarecrow said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Beskargirl replied. “Spooks. That’s silly,”

“Don’t you believe in spooks?” Lasat asked.

“No, why-” Beskargirl started to answer before she started flying upwards, much to everyone’s shock. She crashed down a few yards in front of them.

Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow rushed over to her. Lasat had froze in the spot they’d all been standing before.

“Are you alright?” Scarecrow asked as they helped her up.

“Oh yeah,” Lasat said. “I believe in spooks alright,”

***

The Wicked Witch was watching them through her crystal ball.

“You’ll believe in more than that before I’m finished with you!” Arihnda Pryce cackled.

She turned to her best warrior. He had gray skin and eyes, sharp teeth, arms that were longer than his legs, and spikes that ran down the center of his very tall forehead.

“Rukh, take some soldiers to the haunted forest and bring me that Twi’lek and her droid!” she ordered. “Do what you like with the others, but I want her alive! They’ll be no trouble for you I’m sure,”

Rukh turned to leave but the Witch stopped him.

“Take special care of those Kyber Slippers. I want them most of all!” She added. “Now go! Go!”

Rukh left to gather some troops and set off to intercept Hera and the others.

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat had gotten back on track and heading towards the Witch’s castle. They stopped when they saw Rukh and the Witch’s white and black clad soldiers coming towards them.

Then quite honestly, they all panicked. There were way more soldiers than they were prepared for. They all took off in different directions. Chopper stayed with Hera, but everyone else was by themselves.

Rukh went after Hera while the soldiers chased Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl.

Hera tried to lose Rukh, and then tried to fight him, with Chopper’s help, but it was all in vain. Rukh grabbed her and headed back to the castle, with a disabled Chopper under one arm.

Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl did their best to fight off their attackers, but they all failed.

Once Rukh signaled that he had Hera, the soldiers retreated back to the castle.

“Uh, help! Help!” Scarecrow shouted when they were gone. He’d been, quite literally, ripped apart and his straw was everywhere.

“What happened to you?” Beskargirl asked as she and Lasat approached him.

“They tore my legs of and they threw them over there! Then they ripped my chest out and they threw it over there!” He said, pointing in all directions. “And-”

“Well, you’re all over the place,” Beskargirl interrupted.

“They sure knocked the stuffings outta ya, didn’t they?” Lasat commented, with a bit of humor.

Scarecrow didn’t appreciate the sentiment. “Don’t just stand there talking!” he barked. “Put me together. We’ve got to find Hera!”

Beskargirl and Lasat gathered up the loose straw and put Scarecrow back together.

“I bet that was the Witch’s men,” Beskargirl guessed. “Which means Hera’s probably at the Witch’s castle,”

“Good thing we were heading there anyway,” Lasat responded.

By that point, they had Scarecrow standing and were gathering the last pieces of him.

“Are you ready?” Scarecrow asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” Lasat answered. “Here’s your hat,” He handed it to Scarecrow.

“Thanks,” Scarecrow said, taking it from him. He secured the hat on his head. “Let’s go get Hera,”

***

Hera and Chopper had been taken to the Witch’s castle.

“What an interesting little droid,” Arihnda Pryce commented as she flicked Chopper’s antenna, much to his annoyance. Then she had Rukh grab him and carry him under one arm, as she turned to Hera and approached her. “And you, my dear. What an unexpected pleasure. It’s so kind of you to visit me in my loneliness,”

Hera tried to get Chopper away from Rukh but he growled when she approached. She turned back to the Witch and asked. “What are you going to do with my droid? Give him back to me!” she demanded, wishing she had her blaster.

“All in good time, my little Twi’lek,” the Witch replied. “All in good time,”

Hera was getting angry now. “Give me back my droid,” Hera threatened.

“Certainly,” Arihnda Pryce assured. “When you give me those slippers,”

Hera looked down at her feet where the Witch had pointed. “But the Good Witch of the North told me not to,” she protested.

“Very well,” the Witch growled. She marched over to Rukh. “Throw that droid off the mountain and let him get crushed!” she ordered.

“No!” Hera screamed. This Witch may be wicked, and who knows what she’d do to Fulcrum once she had the Kyber Slippers, but with her own galaxy in such turmoil, Hera had bigger problems to worry about, and she couldn’t lose her oldest friend over a pair of shoes. Besides, surely both Ahsoka and the Wizard would have enough power to stop the Wicked Witch. “You can have your old slippers but give Chopper back to me!”

“That’s a good little Twi’lek,” Arihnda Pryce praised. “I knew you’d see reason,”

The Witch knelt down to grab the Kyber Slippers. When her fingers were an inch from the shoes, lightning shot out of the tips and shocked her hand.

“Aahhh!” the Witch screamed as she recoiled.

“Sorry, I didn’t know that would happen,” Hera apologized. “Do I still get Chopper back?”

“No!” the Witch yelled. “Fool as I am, I should have remembered! Those slippers will never come off, as long as you’re alive,” she snarled.

Well that’s gonna be a problem Hera thought.

“But that’s not what’s worry me,” the Witch continued. “It’s how to do it. These things must be done delicately, or you hurt the spell,”

Chopper used this opportunity to zap Rukh hard enough to drop him and made a run for it.

“Go Chopper! Go!” Hera shouted.

“Catch him you fool!” Arihnda Pryce ordered.

Rukh chased Chopper through the castle.

“Go Chopper! Find the others!” Hera shouted as the Witch’s soldiers joined the chase before Chopper blasted off the drawbridge and disappeared.

“He got away,” Hera breathed a sigh of relief. There was still hope yet.

“Which is more than you will!” the Witch snarled. “You’ve been more trouble than you’re worth one way or another! But it’ll soon be over now!” She walked over to a table and picked up an hourglass. “You see that?” She asked, before she flipped the hourglass so sand was pouring into the bottom. “That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive, and it isn’t long my pretty. It isn’t long! I can’t wait forever to get those shoes!”

Part of her wondered why the Witch didn’t get it over with now, but Hera supposed the Witch had preparations to make so she didn’t mess up the spell. Another part of her was thankful that she had some time left, if not so that Chopper would have more time to get the others and find a way to help her.

The Witch shoved the hourglass into the hands of one of the guards by the door. “Take her to the dungeon!” she ordered at him and his companion. “And make sure she knows how much time she has left!”

Hera tried to fight the guards, but they easily overpowered her. They hauled her out of the room and down the stairs to the deepest bowels of the castle where the dungeon was. Then they tossed her in the closest cell.

Hera landed on her hands and knees on the dirty stone floor.

The guards shut and locked the door behind her and placed the hourglass where she could easily see it, but wouldn’t be able to reach it.

Hera had just started to get up when she heard a noise coming from the dark corners of her cell.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Hera asked, standing up and taking a step forward.

There wasn’t any reply other than the sound of someone hiding.

“It’s alright. I’m not gonna hurt you,” Hera reassured as she approached where she thought the noises were coming from.

Her eyes had adjusted to the dark by the time Hera reached what she thought the noises were coming from.

What she saw surprised her. It was dirty, shaggy haired teenager who looked like he hadn’t eaten in a long time.

“Please don’t hurt me. The Witch has done enough,” the boy whimpered.

Hera placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The boy stiffened at the contact.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Hera said gently. “The Witch doesn’t like me either. Can you come into the light please?”

The boy nodded and followed her out of the shadows.

Hera gasped when she saw him in better light. He was human, with shaggy blue-black hair and bright blue eyes that poked at Hera’s memory but didn’t spark anything definite. His clothes were dirty and ill-fitting, and he was indeed as thin as Hera suspected.

Hera suddenly remembered the leftover apples that were still in her pockets. She took one out and offered it to the boy. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

The boy hesitantly took the apple from her and retreated a few steps back. He glanced at her nervously before digging into the apple.

He ate down to the core faster than Hera anticipated. He looked at her expectantly and took a step forward.

Hera smiled. “Don’t worry. I have more,”

She produced two more apples from her pockets and gave them to the boy.

The boy ate his fill of apples while Hera looked at the hourglass and how much sand was already at the bottom.

“What’s your name?” Hera asked, turning back to the boy. “I’m Hera,”

“The Witch and her guards just call me Lothrat,” the boy admitted. “I don’t think I’ve been called anything else,”

“How long have you been in here?” Hera asked.

“As long as I can remember,” Lothrat answered. “Since I was seven,”

“I’m sorry,” Hera said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“What are you doing in here?” Lothrat asked. “The Witch is more of a kill or torture to death type. I’m pretty sure she’s forgotten all about me,”

“The Witch wants my shoes,” Hera replied as she stuck her feet out to show him the Kyber Slippers. Lothrat’s eyes widened when he saw them. Hera pointed to the hourglass. “The only way she can get them is if she can kill me without ruining the magic, so she given me ‘til that hourglass is empty to live while she gets things ready,”

“Wow,” Lothrat commented. “That sucks,”

Hera snorted. “Yeah, my only hope is that my friends can find a way to help get me out of here,”

“Good luck with that,” Lothrat said sullenly.

***

Meanwhile, Chopper had made it down the mountain and found Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat, who had just started on their walk through the woods again.

“Look there’s Chopper!” Beskargirl pointed out. “Where’d he come from?”

Chopper came up to them, tugged on Scarecrow’s arm, and started beeping frantically.

“Hey!” Scarecrow realised. “He can show us exactly where Hera is! Come on!”

Chopper took off in the direction of the castle and they all ran after him.

Eventually they had to climb the mountain. Chopper simply used his rocket to go from ledge to ledge. The others had a harder time. Beskargirl’s metal body made it difficult for her to grib the rocks properly, so she relied on Lasat to help her over the more difficult patches.

“I hope my strength holds out,” Lasat grunted.

“Me too,” Beskargirl added.

It wasn’t long until they reached the Witch’s castle and hid behind some boulders nearby.

“Is that it?” Lasat asked, pointing at the castle.

“That’s the castle of the Wicked Witch,” Beskargirl confirmed.

“Hera’s in that awful place?” Scarecrow asked.

“Oh, I hate to think of her in there,” Beskargirl sniffed. “We’ve got to get her out,”

“Don’t cry now,” Scarecrow said gently. “We haven’t got the oil can with us and you’ve been squeaking enough as it is,”

“Who’s them? Who’s them?” Lasat asked, pointing at the Witch’s soldiers guarding the front entrance.

“I’ve got a plan how get in there,” Scarecrow said, glancing at the guards.

“He’s got a plan,” Lasat repeated to Beskargirl.

“And you’re gonna lead us,” Scarecrow continued.

“Me?” Lasat asked.

“Yes you,” Scarecrow answered.

“I...I gotta get us in there?” Lasat asked.

“That’s right,” Beskargirl confirmed.

Lasat took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll go in there for Hera. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch. Gods or no gods. I’ll tear ‘im apart! I may not come out alive, but I’m going in there,” He got more ferocious as he said each word. “There’s only one thing I want you guys to do,”

“What’s that?” Scarecrow and Beskargirl asked.

“Talk me out of it,” Lasat’s voice fell and his eyes were wide.

Scarecrow and Beskargirl shook their heads.

“Ooooohhh,” Lasat groaned.

***

The pile of sand at the bottom of the hourglass continued to grow.

***

Lasat, Scarecrow, and Beskargirl got closer to the castle.

They didn’t notice the three guards coming up behind them until the guard tackled them behind the rocks. Chopper joined in the ensuing fight.

By the end, all three guards were knocked out and Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat put on their armor. Or tried to. The armor clearly wasn’t made for a lasat, so Lasat couldn’t get it to fit right. It wasn’t perfect on Beskargirl or Scarecrow either. They watched the rest of the guards march into a line that looked to be going into the castle.

“Come on,” Scarecrow whispered. “I’ve got another idea,”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat crept up to the gate and situated themselves at the end of the line. Chopper sneaked up behind them as they made their way into the castle.

Once they were all inside, Scarecrow stuck his arm out and pulled them into an alcove as the soldiers went on to wherever they were going.

“Where do we go now?” Beskargirl asked.

“Yeah,” Lasat agreed.

Chopped did a quick scan for Hera. When he beeped and waved at the others and took of in the direction of the dungeon.

“There!” Scarecrow pointed.

They followed Chopper down the stairs and to the dungeon.

“Hera, are you in there?” Scarecrow called, taking off his helmet. The others did the same. “It’s us!”

Hera heard them and ran to the door of her cell. “Yes, it’s me!” she called. “I’m locked in!”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat came up to her cell door.

“We’ve gotta get her out,” Lasat said. “Open the door,”

“Hurry!” Hera said urgently, glancing at the hourglass. “We don’t have much time left!”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat shed their disguises and tried to open the door. They used one of Beskargirl’s daggers on the lock and the door swung open.

Hera rushed out. “Chopper!” she exclaimed, kneeling and running a hand across his dome. “I knew you could do it,”

“Hurry! We’ve got no time to lose!” Scarecrow urged, trying to get them to go.

“Wait,” Hera said, going back into her cell.

She took Lothrat’s hand. “Come with us,” she offered. “You can be free,”

“All I ever wanted was a home,” Lothrat admitted.

“The Wizard of Fulcrum could help,” Scarecrow suggested. “And if not, you can just stay with us,”

“Okay,” Lothrat finally said. Then he followed Hera out of the cell.

“Now we got to go,” Hera said.

They all rushed up the stairs and to the main gate.

The doors slammed shut before the could get through.

The Witch laughed and they all turned around and saw her standing at the top of the stairs to her room. The empty hourglass somehow in her left hand.

“Going so soon?” Arihnda Pryce sneered. “I wouldn’t hear of it. Why, my little party’s just beginning,”

“We’re trapped,” Lasat said as the Witch’s soldiers surrounded them.

The soldiers pointed their weapons at them but didn’t attack, yet.

“That’s right,” the Witch cackled. “Don’t hurt them right away. We’ll let them think about it a little further,”

Scarecrow looked up and noticed that the candle-lit chandelier above them was supported by a rope. He followed the rope with his eyes until he saw where it connected to the wall, which happened to be right beside him.

“Mind if I borrow this?” Scarecrow asked, taking one of Beskargirl’s daggers.

He cut the rope and the large chandelier fell right on top of the soldiers.

“Seize them! Seize them!” the Witch screamed as Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper ran down a nearby corridor. “Stop them, you fools! Stop them!”

“Seize them! Seize them!” the Witch continued to scream, coming down the stairs to lead her men after them.

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper had hidden behind a wide pillar. They waited until the Witch and her men had past before they started up the stairs.

It wasn’t long before the Witch caught on and turned around.

“There they go! Now we have them!” Arihnda Pryce exclaimed when she saw them on the stairs.

“Half of you go this way! Half of you go that way!” the Witch ordered, planning on cornering them. “Hurry! Hurry!”

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper ran out to one of the walkways connecting the towers.

The tower they got to was just an empty room without a viable way out of the castle.

“Where do we go now?” Lasat asked.

Scarecrow noticed the walkway to the next tower looked clear. “This way. Come on!” he urged, motioning them to follow him.

They’d made it halfway across the walkway when the Witch’s soldiers started coming out of the tower they were heading towards.

“Back! Back!” Scarecrow shouted as they all turned and went back to the tower they were in before.

Soon soldiers were on both walkways and it wasn’t long before they were cornered.

The Witch laughed as she entered. “Well! Ring around the rosie. A pocket full of spears. Thought you’d be pretty foxy didn’t ya! Well!”

“The last to go will see the first four go before her,” Arihnda Pryce threatened, snarling gleefully and menacingly.

Now Hera was scared. She didn’t want to see the Witch kill her friends in front of her.

“And your scrappy little droid too!” the Witch added.

That was even worse.

Then the Witch stuck the brush of her broom into the torch hanging on the wall nearby. It easily spread the fire to her broom.

Scarecrow’s eyes widened in fear as she brought the broom closer to them.

“How about a little fire, scarecrow!” the Witch cackled.

She jabbed the broom at him and suddenly his arm was on fire.

Scarecrow started screaming. “Help! I’m burning! I’m burning!”

Hera screamed too.

Chopper was stuck behind Lasat, so Hera grabbed the bucket of water she found on the ledge behind her and threw it over the fire.

Enough water got on Scarecrow’s arm to put the fire out, but Hera overshot her mark a little bit and the rest of the water landed on the Witch.

“Aaahhhhh!” Arihnda Pryce screamed. “You cursed brat! Look what you’ve done!”

The water fused into her skin, which started to run down her face.

“I’m melting! Melting!” the Witch screamed as she indeed started to melt and collapse onto the floor. “Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a Twi’lek like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness! OOOhhhh!”

It wasn’t long before there was nothing left of the Wicked Witch than a pile of her clothes.

What just happened? Hera wondered as she stared at where the Witch was terrorizing them a minute before.

“She’s dead,” one of the soldiers said after a moment. “You killed her,”

“Well I didn’t mean to kill her,” Hera said. “I didn’t know that would. It’s just...” She pointed to Scarecrow. “He was on fire...”

“Hail to Hera! The Wicked Witch is dead!” the soldier announced.

“Hail! Hail to Hera! The Wicked Witch is dead!” all of the soldiers repeated, kneeling before her.

“The broom,” Hera murmured.

“May we have her broom?” Hera asked the main soldier.

“Take it,” the soldier answered, handing it to her.

“Thank you,” Hera said. She turned back to Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper. “Now we can go back to the Wizard and tell him the Wicked Witch is dead!”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, and Lothrat went back to Crystal City and were immediately brought to see the Wizard. Although there was a brief argument with the guard on whether Lothrat could be let in or not that was soon resolved.

“Can I believe my eyes?!?” the Wizard questioned when they came back to see him. “Why have you come back?”

Scarecrow, who had been holding the broom, handed it to Hera, who stepped forward.

“We’ve done what you told us. We brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West,” Hera answered. “We uh... melted her,”

The Wizard chuckled. “Ah, you liquidated her, eh? Very resourceful,”

“Yes sir,” Hera replied. “So we’d like you to keep your promise to us,”

“Not so fast! Not so fast!” the Wizard shouted. “I’ll have to give the matter a little thought! Go away and come back tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow!” Hera protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’ve had plenty of time already!” Beskargirl added, stepping up beside Hera.

“Yeah,” Lasat agreed as he and Scarecrow joined them. Lothrat hesitated before he came up behind Scarecrow.

“Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Fulcrum!” the Wizard yelled. “I said come back tomorrow!”

Chopper picked up something on his scanners and decided to investigate. He rolled around a wall and disappeared behind a curtain.

“If you were really great and powerful you’d keep your promises!” Hera accused.

“Do you presume to criticize the Great and Powerful Fulcrum?” the Wizard retaliated. “You ungrateful creatures!”

Chopper pulled back the curtain to reveal a man standing in front of a bunch of mechanical contraptions.

“Think yourselves lucky that I’m giving you audience tomorrow!” the man spoke into a microphone and took the voice of the Wizard. “Instead of twenty years from now!”

The man turned around and noticed that they were all staring at him. “The Great Fulcrum has spoken!”

He frantically pulled the curtain around him.

“Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain!” the Wizard ordered. “The Great Fulcrum has spoken!”

Hera walked up and pulled the curtain back again. The man revealed had a straight white beard, mustache, and hair and blue eyes.

“Who are you?” Hera asked.

“Well...” the man answered. He turned back to the microphone. “I am the Great and Powerful...” He turned away from the microphone and back to them. “Wizard of Fulcrum,”

“You are?” Hera questioned. “I don’t believe you,”

“I’m afraid it’s true,” the man/Wizard admitted. “There’s no other wizard but me,”

“You fraud!” Scarecrow accused, clearly upset.

“Yeah,” Beskargirl and Lasat agreed. Even Lothrat nodded his head disapprovingly.

The Wizard nodded. “Yes, you’re exactly right. I’m a fraud,”

“You’re nothing but a liar,” Hera concluded. “The kind who’s a cruel man,”

“No,” the Wizard shook his head. “I am a good man. I’m just a... bad wizard,”

“What about the heart you promised Beskargirl?” Scarecrow asked, his voice rising. “And the honor and courage you promised Lasat?”

“And Scarecrow’s brain?” Lasat and Beskargirl asked together.

It’s not like they’d forgotten about Lothrat. It’s just that he wasn’t here for when the Wizard made his promise so technically the Wizard didn’t know what he wanted yet, and they figured right now wasn’t the best time to bring it up anyway.

“Well,” the Wizard replied. “I’ve figured out that having a brain doesn’t mean that someone is a good thinker,” He turned around and started rummaging through a box. “What makes a good thinker is being able to understand and apply information to anything,”

Finding what he was looking for, the Wizard stood and handed Scarecrow a gold and crystal blue cube. “This holocron possesses great knowledge, but only someone who yearns for it can access it,”

Scarecrow examined the holocron. All of the corners turned and a blue light illuminated Scarecrow’s face and traveled up his arms.

“The force acted on an object is equal to its mass times the acceleration,” Scarecrow suddenly said. His face lit up. “Hey! I’ve got a brain!” He turn to the Wizard. “I can’t thank you enough,”

“You’re welcome,” the Wizard said. Then he turned to Lasat. “As for you, now for what I know of Lasats, they have a strict code, particularly in the Honor Guard,” The Wizard walked over to a closet as he continued to talk. “You believe to have broken it, and that is why you do not believe you have honor or courage. I heard what the Witch was doing to Lasat villages and I can honestly say that the mere fact that you survived shows that you possess the traits you believe to be missing,” The Wizard took something out of the closet and handed it to Lasat. “Maybe this will convince you,”

Lasat stared at what the Wizard handed him. It looked like a weapon of some sort.

“A borifle,” Lasat whispered.

The Wizard smiled. “I thought you’d recognize it. You are worthy of it,”

Lasat continued to stare at his borifle. Then he smiled and tightened his grip on the weapon.

“Thanks,” Lasat replied. “I don’t know what to say,”

The Wizard turned to Beskargirl. “And as for you young lady. You want a heart,”

“Yes sir,” Beskargirl answered.

The Wizard looked her up and down and noticed her colors, some faded more than others.

“I think I have just the thing for you,” He said after a moment. He rummaged around a bit and produced a small, red, heart-shaped metal object. He handed it to her. “Hear you are,”

Beskargirl ran her fingers over the object until she found a hinge. She opened the case and gasped at what she saw inside. It was a case full of paints and brushes. Almost automatically, she picked up a brush and started painting her armor, helmet, and hair. It wasn’t long before she was covered in bright colors.

Beskargirl sighed. “I can’t believe I have a heart again,”

The Wizard’s eyes landed on Lothrat, who straightened up under his gaze. “I don’t believe we met before. Who are you?”

“I’m Lothrat,” the boy admitted. “I just want a home,”

The Wizard stroked his beard. “I’m afraid that I can’t help you with that, son,” He replied.

Lothrat deflated. Then Scarecrow wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Don’t worry. You’ve got us,” he reassured.

Lasat, Beskargirl, and Scarecrow all gathered around Lothrat next to Hera and Chopper.

“Hey!” Scarecrow exclaimed after a moment, turning back to the Wizard. “What about Hera?”

“Yes! How about Hera?” Beskargirl agreed.

“Yeah, Hera next,” Lasat added.

The Wizard stroked his chin again. “Yes Hera-”

He was interrupted by a loud siren and the whole room shook.

“What’s happening?” Lothrat asked panickedly.

There was a clatter from behind them.

“Hera look out!” Scarecrow shouted right before something collided with her head.

The next thing Hera knew she was laying on her back surrounded by blurry faces.

***

“Hera? Hera, can you hear me?” voices asked.

Finally Hera managed to open her eyes. She was surrounded by Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb. They were all leaning over her in concern.

Hera reached her and down until her fingers brushed the top of Chopper’s dome. It was then that Hera realised she was in a medical bed.

“Hera, it’s us,” Kanan said, placing a hand on her arm.

Hera looked up at him and smiled, as everything started coming together. “I know,”

“You crashed pretty hard,” Zeb commented. “And we’re lucky we found you before the Empire did,”

“I’m fine. I think,” Hera said, trying to sit up. She touched a hand to her forehead. “Although I think I just had a really weird dream. Chopper and I were in a very strange place and all of you were there,”

“What happened?” Ezra asked.

Hera looked at all of them before saying the first thing that popped into her head. “ Well, Governor Pryce tried to set you on fire,” She told Kanan, pointing at him.

“Well I’d like to see her try,” Sabine said with smirk. “Especially now,”

“Why? What happened?” Hera asked.

“One of the Rebel fighters the Empire shot down landed in the fuel depot and it exploded, taking all the fuel with it,” Sabine explained. “All Imperial factories on Lothal are down,”

“So the mission wasn’t a total failure,” Ezra reassured.

Hera smiled. “Well I’m glad I’m back. And I know that I love you all,” She grabbed Kanan’s arm and pulled him towards her. “Especially you,” she said before she kissed him.

“Now I know I’m home,” Hera said after she broke the kiss.

Cast:

A very confused Hera Syndulla as Dorothy Gale

Chopper as Toto

Kanan Jarrus as The Scarecrow

Zeb Orrelios as The Cowardly Lion

Sabine Wren as a genderbent Tinman

Ahsoka Tano as Glinda the Good Witch

Maketh Tua as the Wicked Witch of the East

Arihnda Pryce as the Wicked Witch of the West

Rex as the guard to the gates of the Emerald City

Gregor as the carriage driver/owner of the Horse of a Different Color

Alexsandr Kallus as the guard to the Wizard’s chamber

Ryder Azadi as the Wizard of Oz

#star wars rebels #wizard of oz #star wars rebels fanfiction #hera syndulla #chopper #kanan jarrus #zeb orrelios #sabine wren #ezra bridger #ahsoka tano #maketh tua (briefly)#arihnda pryce #rex (briefly)#gregor (briefly)#ryder azadi #ironically the wizard was never actually a fulcrum #I spent way too much time on this

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