#okay maybe I have four active writing projects. maybe. big maybe. I have no ideas yet.

[moonfurthetemmie]

I hope one day I have the will to practice drawing and git gud so I can make some evil little bastards kiss after trying to beat the shit out of each other. Because there’s only so much you can do with words

…especially when you have not ever kissed anyone and all your knowledge comes from bad fics written by other people who have (likely) never kissed anyone

[ghostlyaerobics1984]

What If YOU were the killer…?

Summary: Being Ethan Landry’s sibling, you were also dragged into your father’s psychotic plan. But it was too late for you to repent for your sins. You have caused a lot of damage, fatal wounds, and the Carpenter sisters were pissed off at your entire family.

Word Count: 2,445

Parings: Tara Carpenter x Gn!Reader, Tara Carpenter x Male!Reader

Author’s note: I guess ghostface!reader isn’t exactly a new idea, but I wanted to write Reader as morally gray instead of the hero of the story.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, murder, and cussing.

You ran after witnessing your older brother, Ethan, choking on a knife.

It wasn’t intentional on his part. Tara Carpenter had shoved the sharp edge of the weapon through the roof of his mouth.

Honestly, she was torturing him. It was not suitable for the weak-minded to watch.

You weren’t weak per say. You were just the youngest of the family.

Hence, you basically got everything handed to you on a silver platter.

You were most similar to Ethan in the shy, reserved, and introverted aspect.

Quinn and Richie were the more outspoken siblings. They weren’t afraid to try new ideas outside of their comfort zone.

Richie was the favorite child, but ever since he was murdered, your father made an effort to pay more attention to you.

Although, killing people was not a healthy, bonding activity for any type of relationship.

You didn’t need to learn that from a therapist because, unlike your family, you were sane.

You really didn’t belong here. The irony of it all? You applied to colleges in New York to pursue your own dreams, months before Wayne Bailey contacted you.

And here you were.

In the past, you spoke about your passion for helping others, and the “Core Four” took the bait.

They thought you were less likely to snap and murder people if you didn’t have a preexisting mental illness.

Try having a dad who’s present, but not really—because he’s neglectful to you and your siblings.

And it’s like none of his other children mattered to him because his son died.

It was all Bailey’s fault. He admitted to encouraging Richie’s obsession for gory, slasher films.

He could be honest about that, but in the same breath, he accused Sam and Tara of being the villains behind it all.

Which was even more ironic.

He was the reason your family split apart.

Richie replaced his family with film bros. He left home to create his own projects and never left a second glance.

During his absence, your family became dysfunctional. When the news of his death circulated, you were further estranged from your family members.

So, why were you here?

Truthfully, you couldn’t muster up the courage stand up to your father. You didn’t hold a delusion-based grudge against Sam and Tara.

Prior to the time you stabbed your first victim in New York, your friendship with Tara had begun to blossom, and you felt a genuine connection to her.

It was real to you.

She was heartbroken beyond belief when you revealed yourself as one of the Ghostface killers.

Considering that, after the big reveal, Tara’s vengeful attitude was directed specifically towards you, the friendship was probably real for her as well.

Okay, you had a hand in murdering Chad. But, in your defense, you were coerced into the act. And… he did get annoying at times.

Like your brother said, he was an egotistical jock literally named Chad.

You hid yourself in a corner far away from all the fighting and killing. Hoping, if you made yourself as small as possible, no one would find you.

No one. Not Kirby, Sam, or Tara. Including your family—if any of them somehow survived, that is.

You hugged your knees to your chest and waited it out.

There was an ear-shattering crash. Then, the theater was filled with silence for a while.

During that period of stillness, your heart beat loudly against your rib cage. If you didn’t know any better, you would think your heartbeat was exposing you.

But if you did get busted, it would be because you hid in plain sight.

Maybe, if you told them the truth about your situation, they would understand. Maybe you would be spared.

Wait, that’s not a bad idea. You could spin the story to work in your favor.

You heard muffled speaking, and what sounded like distant footsteps.

You didn’t catch much of what was going on. It was hard to differentiate the noises when they were all one big jumble.

You recognized the pained cries from your father, and the all-too-familiar sound that came from stabbing someone in the flesh.

He was facing the brunt of the sisters’ wrath now.

You didn’t want to be next.

A gunshot was fired, nearly startling you out of your position because of how unexpected and loud it was. Wayne Bailey had gone quiet.

Sam and Tara were having a conversation. They spoke a little louder, so you were able to eavesdrop.

“We survived.” Sam said.

“I’m sorry…” Tara was apologizing. “I haven’t been nice to you lately.”

“No, it’s okay. I know I haven’t been giving you the space you need. But that’s going to change.”

A laugh from Tara. “We are getting a lot of therapy after this.”

“Yeah.” Sam agreed.

There was a beat of silence.

You held your breath, desperately wishing they forgot about you. Your heartbeat was racing because of how anxious you were.

Then, Tara asked the question you dreaded most.

“Where’s y/n?”

“I don’t know.” Confusion was laced in Sam’s tone. “We didn’t kill them?”

They were on the hunt, searching for you.

“No, I would’ve remembered if I did. Y/n betrayed my fucking trust. I’m going to show them how much it hurts.” Tara uttered that statement with complete seriousness, your heart plummeted to the pit of your stomach.

“I won’t get in the way. Y/n is all yours.”

You pressed yourself further into the wall, but there wasn’t much you could do to hide at this point.

Unless.

Based on the volume of their ongoing conversation, Sam and Tara still seemed nowhere near you.

So. It was a long shot, but you pushed yourself up into a crouching position, and tiptoed your way toward a more concealed hiding place.

You thought the universe was shining down upon you, that you were destined to escape from the ending your family suffered through.

Oh, how wrong you were.

You wanted to avoid crossing paths with Sam and Tara, and yet, you almost collided into them.

“Don’t you dare touch us.”

Tara brandished a knife covered in dried blood. It gleamed in the light.

She was not in the mood to be tested.

You let out a surprised yell, stumbled backwards, and raised your hands in surrender. “Please don’t kill me!”

Tara was glaring at you. She refused to lower her guard, and the knife.

There was a snarl on her lips. The same unhinged look you had seen when she ruthlessly stabbed Ethan.

Sam crossed her arms. “Why shouldn’t we?”

Like Tara, she was just as skeptical, but at least she pretended to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Your eyes darted from Tara to Sam.

Figured you were living on borrowed time, so you spilled what they didn’t learn from your dad’s revenge monologue. “Detective Bailey, my father, he was manipulative.”

You clenched your jaw, feeling a hot flash of anger surge through your body. “He didn’t care about us. It was always, ‘Richie this, Richie that.’ I was the baby in my family, do you know how much that affected me?”

Neither of them were interrupting you, so you continued on, “I know, there’s no excuse for teaming up with my selfish father. But he threatened to carve me up if I didn’t help avenge Richie. They kept telling me that I would be the family’s disappointment.”

Part of your sob story was a lie. Bailey never threatened to kill you, but to get out of this alive, you had to sell the act.

You were more cunning than you gave yourself credit for.

Tara’s posture relaxed, and she no longer pointed the knife at you. Instead, she let it relax by her side.

As for Sam, her expression changed from pure cynicism to sadness. It seemed like your story hit close to home.

“Please understand. My dad and siblings, they made me kill.”

Taking several steps back, your hands remained where they could be seen.

The knife was hidden in your sleeve, anyway.

Sam and Tara followed your every move. They weren’t allowing you to run from them.

“Your dad was an asshole.” Tara tilted her head, observing you curiously. “Ethan, too.”

The sisters shared a look as if they knew something you didn’t.

“Quinn was a bitch.” Sam added to her sister’s previous comment.

For some reason, you got a vague sense that they were deliberately provoking you.

“Ethan boasted about killing Chad, and it felt so goddamn cathartic to get rid of his fucking mouth.”

Tara laughed, but there was a lack of emotion. No remorse. Nothing.

She wasn’t sorry at all.

You couldn’t help but grow uneasy. Sam and Tara’s insults about your family shouldn’t have bothered you as much as it did.

But they struck a nerve. Especially Tara’s offhand remark about deriving enjoyment from your brother’s murder.

The words slipped out faster than you could stop them. “Fuck you.”

“Funny, Ethan said the same thing.” Tara replied coldly. Whatever sympathy she had left just dissipated.

“Hate to break it you, but you aren’t the first Ghostface to fake a sob story.” Sam smiled.

It wasn’t a kind smile.

It was the malicious and calculating type. A smile that conveyed the message: Your ass is dead.

“What do you mean? I’m telling you the truth!” You tempted to shout, but decided it was best for your sake to keep an even tone.

“How do we know? Like Richie and Ethan, you’re a fucking traitor and a pathological liar.” Tara spat.

The aggression was clear in her voice.

Lowering your hand, the knife’s handle slid right into your palm. You gripped it discreetly.

If the opportunity presented itself—and it would—You were going to be ready.

You really should’ve been paying attention to where you were walking, though.

The heels of your feet bumped into something hard.

You swayed backwards, arms flailing around as you tried to control your balance.

Unlucky for you, Tara didn’t hesitate to take advantage of that split second where you were preoccupied.

She took a fistful of your shirt collar and yanked you forward with surprising momentum; You nearly choked.

If you were brought any closer to her, the two of you would be kissing.

Tara’s free hand slid to the nape of your neck, keeping you rooted to the spot without any leeway to escape.

Tara leaned in, lips moving as she said, “Now die like your fucking family.”

Your face felt hot from an influx of anger and shame.

Ashamed that you were defeated so easily.

Furious at your siblings and father for putting you in this situation.

Still wielding your knife, you cocked your arm and thrust rapidly. You intended to stab her before she did it to you.

An unpleasant squelching filled your ears.

Your knife slipped out of your hand and bounced onto the floor.

A maniacal grin spread on Tara's face; She forced the knife deeper into you, and the hilt of it pressed against your skin.

Intense, grueling pain flared in your stomach. It coursed throughout your body, causing your limbs to weaken.

Your mouth had fallen open. The only reason you were still upright was because of Tara.

Then, your legs gave out once the knife was withdrawn. You were sent into a kneeling position, hitting the hard floor.

Tara craned her neck to address her sister, who was just standing aside and watching you suffer. "This part brings back memories."

After those words left her mouth, Tara faced you, lifted her foot, and she kicked you down.

You cried out in pain as you fell on your back.

You tried to curl into a fetal position, but Tara situated herself on top of you, purposefully placing all of her weight on the deep cut in your stomach.

You moaned begrudgingly at the pressure, feeling more of your blood ooze out.

Raising the knife above her head, Tara glanced over her shoulder at Sam.

You knew why.

She was asking if murdering you was really worth it.

Would she be willing to face the psychological consequences if she sent herself over the edge and released all of her unbridled rage on you?

Her hesitance almost refilled you with hope.

Sam must’ve given her the answer she needed because—at lightning speed—Tara was plunging the knife into your torso once, then twice.

And she didn’t show any signs of stopping.

You shrieked in agony, yelped, and flinched each time the knife pierced your flesh.

Blocking off her attacks with your arms, you whimpered, “Stop, please!”

As if granting you one last act of mercy, Tara faltered.

Your breathing was shaky. Multiple stab wounds were littered across your chest and stomach.

Blood from these wounds seeped through the holes made in your shirt.

“I’m…” It was hard to speak because of how much pain you were in. “I’m sorry that I hurt you and made you feel like I deserve this.”

Droplets of tears flowed from your eyes and you whined like a baby, “I don’t want to die!”

Tara peered down at you with a glossy look in her eyes. “I know you don’t.”

You continued to cry; You felt miserable, cold, and your body was damp and shivering from blood loss.

She lifted your head.

You were really losing your mind, because for a second, you thought the gesture was meant to be comforting.

Well, that lasted until Tara spoke again. “Chad also didn’t want to die, but you killed him.”

You were struck with the realization that, in spite of your efforts to tug on her heartstrings, she was still as pissed off as ever.

Your eyes widened, and you blurted out a random motive that came to mind, “Crime of passion? I am madly in love with y—”

“No, stop.” She shook her head, brows furrowed in confusion.

Your hopes of surviving diminished like hot air from a popped balloon. You sighed, wincing as sharp pain shot through your stomach, and lolled your head to the side.

“It’s over.” Tara interjected, before you had a chance to come up with another dumb excuse.

You didn’t understand what she meant.

It’s over?

Was she letting you off the hook? Or, were you going to be thrown in prison?

Turns out, it was neither of those options.

The knife was held to your larynx.

And without another word, Tara sliced your throat open.

Your vision went black after that.

Sam and Tara Carpenter overlooked two factors when they left the old theater that was reinvented into a Ghostface shrine.

1. Chad survived.

2. They forgot to shoot you in the head.

[russellsppttemplates]

All the kids having huge meltdowns because they wanted to build homes for the bees with uncle Seb too!

Tw: mentions allergy to bee stings

How could uncle Seb not invite them to his activity? I mean, it involved painting and drawing and being around uncle Seb? Obviously, the kids had a meltdown, but luckily, their mothers know just how to save the day (after many cries and arguments with little ones, which can honestly be the trickiest ones one can face).

Gasly household

In the Gasly household, the kids were all getting ready to make their own bee homes, "Papa had hay in the video, mama! We need hay!", Alexandre called for you, making you write the word on the paper, "so, so far we have hay and wood rolls? What are wood rolls, darling?", you asked your oldest, recognising his scribble, "they had it in the video, mama, so I'm sure papa will let us know what to do with them", Louis simply stated, "do you think we should ask him though? He didn't ask us to go with him", Alexandre said, "it's only fair we do this alone", he stated.

"NO!", Élodie declared, "papa was there with uncle Seb, so he knows how to do it, we can do it with him", her protective side came out, willing to do anything as long as her father was with her, "Oh, we could also paint them all colourful!", Louis announced, that way even Celeste can help!", he pointed out, smiling at his brilliant idea.

"Figures your brother would be the one to have the idea where the four of you get covered in paint from head to toe", you tapped Celeste's nose, earning a giggle from the little girl attached to your hip.

Schumacher household

"I wanted to be there, too! I want to see the bees happy in their new homes! Can we go there and see them?", Sebastian asked, looking at the photos you were showing on the iPad, hopeful. Chuckling, you brushed his hair, "maybe now it's not the best idea, my love. You remember how the last time you got stung by one and your hand got really big?", you recalled, "yeah, because of my allergy?", he struggled the last word out, "yes, my love", you confirmed.

Russell household

"Still, mama! Just because my body gets angry when they bite me, it doesn't mean that they don't get a comfy house to live in and that I couldn't help", he reasoned with you, sitting on your lap, "I know, Seb. You're too pure for this world", you kissed his head, "maybe we can get papa and uncle seb to give us a tour if we go next year, or maybe he can build one somewhere else", you suggested, "mama, can I have your phone, please? I'm going to text uncle Seb to see if he wants to build another bee neighbourhood!", Aurora excitedly said.

Angie has an encounter with a bee

"I hope he invites us next time, but I understand that it was very far away", Olivia said as she looked at the shopping list, "Oh, mummy, daddy told me they put some boxes in there, like these ones. But his boxes had holes in them", she pouted, facing the first hurdle in building a home for the bees.

"We can make holes with the drill!", Arthur suggested, "I saw grandpa do it once, I can do it!", he said excitedly.

"I think it's best if we leave it do daddy when he comes back, okay? I can attempt at it, but none of your little hands are going near the drill, okay? It's bad enough you're trusting me to build this before daddy gets back", you looked around the shop, hoping to find rhe easiest way to this craft project.

"We need to show daddy we can do it on our own, so he won't think we didn't like that we were not invited", Olivia stated, grabbing some wood glue, "but you cried when you saw uncle Seb and daddy on the TV", Arthur pointed out, "daddy doesn't need to know that".

Ricciardo household

"Do you want to make one too, daddy?", Sophia asked, cuddling up to Daniel as they watched Natalie report about the event Sebastian had organised, seeing some familiar faces she recognised from the races, particularly Sebastian, Max, Lando, Yuki and Charles, and of course, Natalie herself, "That's a great idea, bug", he smiled, already planning their afternoon together.

"I know you're sad because you're not doing this with your friends and uncle Seb", Sophia said as she painted what looked like a rainbow on her side of the wooden material, "hey, Soph", he set his brush down and helped his daughter sit on his lap, "you're the best company I could ever have, besides, I think uncle Seb is the one who's losing here. I mean, look at this work of art", he pointed to their whole set up, "our bees while be really happy here, too", he kissed the top of her head.

"It's prettier than the one uncle Max made, that's for sure, but it's not like it's a difficult thing for it to be better than his", Sophia added, grabbing her brush again and dipping it in the purple paint Daniel mixed for her.

Leclerc household

"Why is Amélie inside and not here with us?", Thomas asked, not understanding why his sister preferred to stay inside sitting on the sofa while her brothers painted bees on the wooden material.

"She's upset still, I think", you explained, seeing Hervé swirl the brush around his cup of water to clean it, "you know, I don't think he didn't invite us because he didn't want us there. I mean, there would be a lot of people", your eldest offered, "I'm sure he didn't mean it to be a hurtful thing", he concluded, "I'm sure it wasn't, uncle Sebastian wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt you. You're right, imagine if everyone else was also there, uncle Pierre alone has four kids!", you exclaimed, hearing little footsteps approach you.

"I'm done!", Amélie announced, "You're done what, chérie?", you wondered, "I'm done being mad at uncle Sebastian, mama. I want to paint one too! And it's going to be really pretty and then we can send it to uncle Sebastian so he can use it too!", she smiled, her temper turning around from her meltdown just half an hour before, "so you're not going to tell uncle Seb that he can't do those things anymore?", Hervé joked at her earlier conversation, stating her "punishment" for whenever she first saw the German driver, "I will, but I will show him my painting so he knows I'm not too mad at him".

(Thank you for submitting an ask 🤍)

[annerbhp]

I was thinking about how in the past I have tried to describe my writing process as a sort of weaving or braiding as I try to keep various plot threads woven in and not dropping any of them. But it never felt quite right because there is still a linear quality to both of those activities, and I so far from a linear writer.

But the other day I was doing a jigsaw puzzle and I was like, no, no, THIS is the metaphor for my writing process. Like, a giant jumble of stuff (vague ideas, snippets of dialogue, character beats, plot), all in a giant mess (possibly all from multiple projects all in one box). And I don't know how other people do jigsaw puzzles, but the first thing I do is find the bright, obvious, easily distinguishable areas with maybe weird texture or a vivid color and go through and collect the pieces that might be part of it in various piles. And then I try to put each pile together into something recognizable and guess where it might fit in the larger frame. Like maybe the frame and then four or five very distinct areas. Until you've got something like this:

Like maybe some areas are big, and some are just two pieces together. And sometimes after a while you realize you have a part that's in the wrong place entirely, or upside down! Or, shit, that's from a different puzzle! (okay, that rarely happens. I am careful with my jigsaw pieces, but I am not with my writing.)

And slowly you add more pieces to connect them all, one at a time. Slowly, slowly. A few pieces a day. Here and there. Maybe adding one more piece to one clump and then pieces to a different clump until they connect. Maybe I leave it languishing on the dining room table for a while to collect dust and get trampled by cats. Maybe I go start a different one. (Nope, I don't do that with puzzles. I don't have the space.)

But the puzzle slowly starts to take shape! The pieces go in faster! Only then... At some point I am left with tons of little spaces and a pile of pieces that are all the same uniform color, but are all funky, different little shapes. And it feels like a drag to figure those out (these are the transitions and small filler bits I have just put off over and over again). Sometimes this is where I literally go back and sort all the puzzle pieces by shape and then try them all one by one until they find a place to go. Tedious. Not the most exciting. Easy to get wrong. But we're So Near The End.

And, sure, it doesn't really happen much when I'm doing a puzzle, but if I stretch the metaphor, in writing I can also find pieces that just don't fit and have to go back to the box.

But what TOTALLY tracks in this metaphor is the euphoric feeling of putting the last goddamn piece into place. And you sit there for a moment being like, "oh my god, it's actually done. It's actually freaking DONE!" And you don't know if you need to get up and run around in a circle or just stare in disbelief. Possibly take a nap.

But it is definitely, finally ready to send off to beta. Ah. So lovely. (Not that I have experienced this in a long while. YEARS.)

Anyway. That is a more apt metaphor for my writing process, for those of you who have asked over the years.

It's probably too early for 2024 resolutions or wishes. But I hope to feel this even ONCE in 2024. Yeah, that would be great.

[natigail]

Talk to me about writing!! How is your writing going? Anything you're working on you just want an excuse to talk about?

Ahh! Hi Mandy, this is such a lovely ask to receive and I'll happily take the excuse to rant about writing. I hope your writing is going well, I've seen all the fics you've posted in December so far and I'm so intrigued to check them out when I have a moment.

Writing is going alright. It feels like that's kind of been the vibe of the year overall. I've not been able to write as much as I did last year (granted that was an insane amount) and I've had more numb days or tired days where writing has been the last thing I've wanted to do. It's all been a combination of the ongoing pandemic, unemployment fatigue and then new job tiredness. I think I'm still adjusting to how I'm supposed to spend my days now that I'm a "real" adult.

All of that being said, writing is still a wonderful experience when I can make myself sit down and write. There's something so cathartic about it. Once I am writing, the ideas also come easier, like they line up because my brain is switched into the right frequency, it's a really lovely thing.

As usual, I'm working on too many things. I currently have four "active" works in progress that are partly posted - my phan Stardew AU Broke, Gay and New in Town, my Seventeen mafia AU 돈't Lie (at least not to me), my BTS producers AU Don't say you're okay because you're not and my phan Pokémon AU Project Poliwag. I love all of these fics but I also need to wrap the two latter ones up soon (they are only 1 or 2 chapters away from being finished) because having so many actively updating fics is getting a little much. My Stardew AU is my big baby and it has stalled a little in how easy it is to write, which is annoying but it's mostly because I end up somewhat overthinking 'cause there's still so much to go.

I have also been working on three as of yet not public fics. A Seventeen shapeshifter AU, my oldschoolphandombigbang witch/demon AU and a The Untamed journal fic. Writing all of this down, maybe that's also why my writing is all over the place. I might have taken on just a tad too many projects at once. I believe I can do it though, it'll just take time and it makes it a little hard to focus in. I always work best when I have a couple of fics to switch between but this is just over the top.

It's not like I can abandon any of them though, because they are all dear to my heart in one way or another. I think that's another cool thing about writing, how you can create the stories you'd love to read.

This was a really nice chance to just pour it all out. Thank you, Mandy <3

(Also if anyone is curious about any of my writing projects, my asks are always open, and I will happily gush and tell you whatever you want to know)

[recurring-polynya]

For the AU request, whichever one(s) you prefer (for RenRuki of course):

the X-Men universe

the Mafia/criminal underworld

the circus

as FBI agents (the X-Files world perhaps)

So, I got this ask, and I immediately wanted to go for X-Files, because I was hugely into X-Files when I was a tween/teen, and I think that my actual first published work of fanfic on the internet might actually be X-Files. (I didn’t even post it myself, I was like 12 and I didn’t have the internet at home, but a friend of mine posted it on Usenet for me, I have no idea whatever became of it). Anyway, I was going back and forth in my head who I wanted to be Mulder and who I wanted to be Scully, and then I got this ask:

@ulkoilla​ said:

I though the 10 would be full in about 1 microsecond so I didn’t even try :D This is maybe not AU enough for the purpose but I'd love to see your take on Bleach world where the shinigami work among humans as if they were in gigai -> they'll have to balance the supernatural, perhaps violent elements of their life with the modern day laws and such (like in Supernatural). Renji and Rukia have ofc gotten in trouble with the non-supernatural law (meet: Detective!Aizen?) and are on the run…

It suddenly occurred to me, What If: X-Files World, but Renruki are the cryptids. And it suddenly popped into my head exactly who I wanted to be Mulder. Anyway, I am sorry missrambler, if I messed it all up, I hope you like it anyway.

Also, I somehow thought that I would save myself some trouble by combining two prompts, but then it ended up… really long. (Forty! Eight! Hundred! Words! Go to Talks-Too-Much-Jail, Polynya!!)

PS: This takes place in D.C. because it’s X-Files and also because I am familiar with D.C. and I never get to write about places I know about. A half-smoke is a local delicacy that’s halfway between a hot dog and an Italian sausage. They are delicious.

Read on ao3 or ff.net

👻     👻     👻

Ichigo Kurosaki had known that an office with a view of the Smithsonian might be too much to ask, but he had not expected to take have to take two separate elevators down to sub-basement C, and walk past a storage room, two broom closets and a weird old vending machine full of brands of snacks he swore he hadn’t seen since he was a child.

Maybe Agent Inoue has a huge lab, he told himself. Maybe it needs to be 50 meters below ground because she collides large hadrons down here or so that her work can’t be picked up by spy satellites.

He had to turn sideways to get past a rack of wire shelves full of banker’s boxes, but there, on the other side was a door sporting a handwritten cardboard nameplate reading “Special Agent Orihime Inoue.”

“Come in!” a voice called inside, just as he raised his hand to knock on the door.

Ichigo blinked twice, and then went in.

The office was cluttered, mostly with more cardboard boxes, but books were also stacked precariously on top of boxes on top of books. The walls were plastered with maps and graphs and photographs of hazy blurs in front of staircases. There was a large poster showing a UFO, with the words “I WANT TO BELIEVE” in block caps below it.

A woman with long chestnut hair twisted up into a bun and held in place with three pencils was hunched over a metal box full of diodes and transistors and other things you would buy at Radio Shack. Or rather, that other people would buy at a Radio Shack. Ichigo had never set foot in a Radio Shack in his life.

“Er, good morning,” Ichigo said, as the woman looked up and blinked at him owlishly. “Agent Inoue? I’m Ichigo Kurosaki. I’ve been assigned to work with you.”

“To spy on me, you mean,” Agent Inoue corrected, cheerfully shaking his hand with great vigor.

Ichigo bristled. Yes, he had been directed to ‘provide additional documentation on Agent Inoue’s activities,’ but that hardly counted as spying. She was known to be somewhat scatterbrained, and having an organized person around would probably be a great benefit to her. “If you have any doubts about my qualifications or motivations--”

“Oh, don’t take it personally!” Inoue replied, slotting a lid onto her electronics project, and attacking it vigorously with a jeweler’s screwdriver. “Just because you’re a spy doesn’t mean you aren’t a nice person. Also, I read your file, you have a very interesting background! Degree in literature with a focus on folk legends. Teaching at the academy for the last few years while working on your book.” She took a momentary break from her screwing to fix him with her big, soft brown eyes. “Tell me, Agent Kurosaki, what do you think happens after you die?”

Ichigo froze. “I would be buried? Maybe there would be a funeral first?”

Inoue started laughing so hard that Ichigo was sure he caught a tiny, adorable snort. “Sorry, sorry! I wasn’t clear!” She sniffed, and wiped a tear from her eye. “Do you believe in continued existence after the death of the body? An afterlife, religion-based or otherwise? The existence of ectoplasm, cold spots, spirit photographs, EVP?”

“Are you talking about… ghosts?” Ichigo asked hesitantly.

“Yes!” Orihime replied with a nod. “Ghosts.”

“We-elll…” Ichigo drew out. “I believe that people believe they observe certain phenomena, as part of the cycle of grief and--”

“Just say ‘no’ if you don’t,” Inoue interrupted him.

“Er, no. I don’t.”

“That’s okay. Are you good at carrying heavy things?”

“Am I... I guess?”

“Perfect!” She shoved the box into his arms, and Ichigo’s knees almost buckled under the weight. “Let’s walk and talk, I want to go get a reading over near Franklin Square before 9 am. We’re gonna pass a really good half-smoke cart on the way, do you like half-smokes?”

  👻     👻     👻

“Take a look at this,” Inoue said, her cheek half stuffed with sausage, jabbing a finger at the LED read-out of her mysterious box.

It was rather hard for Ichigo to see, because he was holding the box and the readout was on the other side, but he did his best to crane his neck around. “What am I looking at? The squiggles? I’m sorry, it looks like nothing to me.”

“Exactly right!” Inoue announced, waving her half smoke in the air. “Not a sniff of spiritual residue!”

Ichigo pressed his lips together. “Um… is that good?”

“It is interesting,” Inoue corrected. “Five days ago, a sixty-four year old woman had a heart attack while sitting in that bus shelter.” On every day since, I have been able to record EMF fluctuations, and on Sunday, I was able to get a voice recording that sounded like a woman reciting a grocery list. But this morning, nothing! Nada!”

“Well, uh, ghosts gotta move on eventually, right? Otherwise, just about everywhere would be haunted, right?” It’s not that Ichigo had suddenly started believing ghosts or anything, but there was something about Agent Inoue that just made you want to go along with her and see where all this panned out.

Inoue shot him a finger gun. “Or, they get moved along.” She shoved a folded paper map at him. “You can put that thing down.”

Ichigo eased the Spirit Detect-O 9000, or whatever it was called, to the grass and accepted her map. It was a street map of DC, meant for tourists, emphasizing all the local transit routes and popular attractions. There was also a great loop marked on it in orange highlighter, zig-zagging back and forth through the city. There was a little ‘x’ marked on Franklin Park, with “Tuesday, early morning” written in a bubbly hand.

“What is this?” Ichigo frowned. It didn’t seem to match up with any of the metro or bus lines. It didn’t even match with the sidewalks, it appeared to cut straight through large buildings like the convention center.

“As far as I can tell,” Inoue said, her brown eyes very solemn, “that is the patrol route of our local grim reaper.”

  👻     👻     👻

“So I actually got interested in grim reapers,” Inoue explained, once they were back in the office, “while I was investigating violent ghost phenomena.” She was eating a bag of corn chips that she had gotten from that ancient vending machine by punching it and then shoving her own arm up the chute. (She’d gotten Ichigo a bag, too, but he was too afraid to eat them.)

Ichigo was sitting at a cluttered table that Inoue had told him “could be his desk.” Half of it was taken up by a large aquarium full of rocks and a water bowl, but no life forms that Ichigo could detect. The other half was covered with back issues of “Ghost Hunter Technology” magazine. “You mean like poltergeists?” he asked.

“Not exactly. Poltergeists are noisy, but they aren’t usually able to kill their targets.”

“Kill? Ghosts can’t kill people, aside from, like scaring them to death,” Ichigo scoffed. “I mean, folklorically speaking. As we established earlier, I am not a ghost-believer.”

Inoue tipped her head to the side. “They do, actually, it just tends to get blamed on something else.”

“By ghost-non-believers.”

“By everyone, really, and that’s what’s so strange.” Inoue pulled a fat binder from a stack of seemingly identical ones, and tossed it open in front of Ichigo. “Edison, New Jersey, 2014. An elderly woman dies ‘of a broken heart’ a week after her husband dies of cancer. Coincidentally, a telephone pole falls on her house the same night and rips a hole in her house.” She turned a page. “Norfolk, Virginia, 2017. A young woman dies in what the police rule as a suicide, despite the fact that she made a 911 call 48 hours previous, expressing fear of her ex-boyfriend. Three days later, the boyfriend is dead of mysterious causes. Coincidentally, his apartment complex suffered significant damages from ‘a wild cougar.’”

Ichigo squinted at the pictures. The walls of the building were scored with what did appear to be scratch marks. “Hell of a cougar.”

“Exactly! And I’ve got dozens of these historic cases. But about four months ago, I was able to investigate one myself-- a young man named Joe Wallace. He lives here in the city, over near Dupont Circle. Wallace had cut off his toxic dad years ago, and refused to visit him in the hospital as he was dying. Four days after his father’s death, a truck crashes into his house in the middle of the night and then drives away before the police can arrive.”

“And he died.”

“No!” Inoue held up one finger. “Scratches and bruises, but he doesn’t die!”

“Okay, great. So what does he remember?”

“He remembers a truck crashing into his house.”

Ichigo scratched his chin. “I am confused.”

“Look at this!” Inoue stabbed a finger at the pictures. “These are claw marks, not vehicular wreckage! There’s damage on the second story window! Wallace had scratches and defensive wounds, as if he had been fending off an animal! And look here, at the damage to the walls of the bedroom!”

“What am I looking at?” Ichigo asked, squinting at a photograph that looked like it had been blown up past the point of recognition.

“There were cuts and slashes in the walls and bedding as though someone had been fighting with a sword.”

“Like a Medieval Times sword? Was the guy a Medieval Times enthusiast?”

“More consistent with a katana. Do you like Medieval Times?”

“No one likes Medieval Times.”

“I like Medieval Times. You’ve probably never even been. But back to the ghost! Why would Wallace remember a truck crashing into his house, when nothing about the scene is consistent with that story?”

“He was...lying?”

“His memories were replaced.”

“His memories were replaced,” Ichigo echoed.

“Yes.”

“By… aliens?”

Orihime heaved a deep sigh. “By a grim reaper.”

“A grim reaper with a samurai sword.”

“How on earth did you come to this conclusion?”

Inoue raised one eyebrow. “Because when I placed him under hypnosis, Wallace didn’t remember anything about a truck. He did remember a monster with batwings and a mask made of bone and his dead father’s voice who tried to kill him, except that he was saved by a tall man dressed in black. The man had bright red hair and fought the monster with a sword that was also a whip and then he wiped Wallace’s memories.”

Ichigo stared at her. “You can hypnotize people?”

Inoue gave him a long-suffering face. Ichigo had the sudden flash that he was going to be seeing that face a lot in the days to come. “Yes, I am a certified hypnotist.” Inoue’s phone suddenly started playing “Tubular Bells”. “Oops, that’s an alarm. Come on, we have a meeting with some important people. Do you like diners?”

  👻     👻     👻

Agent Inoue apparently did not care for public transit, but she walked very quickly. Ichigo was concentrating so hard on keeping up with her that he nearly collided with her back when she stopped very suddenly.

“You don’t mind if we make a quick stop, do we?” Inoue asked.

“You said the meeting was with important people.”

“Oh, don’t worry about them!” Inoue pursed her lips. “You see that bodega right there?”

They were in a part of downtown that was mostly mid-to-upscale restaurants and government buildings and FedExes. But sure enough, there was a dingy little bodega nestled between a Mexican-Indian fusion place and an Au Bon Pain, the windows stuffed with t-shirts from the last administration and a variety of cell phone chargers. The overhead sign read “Urahara Shop.”

“Y...eah…” Ichigo replied.

“That place is a hotbed of supernatural activity.”

“Is it?” Ichigo asked.

“I am almost positive that it is a supply point and meeting place for grim reapers, monster slayers, cryptids, alien hunters, and lycanthropes, but the owner is on to me.”

“I see,” Ichigo said levelly.

“Can you go in and pretend to be a customer? They have lots of good candy you can look through. Inoue dug in her purse and came up with a fiver. “Here. Buy a scratch ticket or something.”

“I’m not buying a scratch ticket, they’re a scam.”

“If the big guy is working the counter, he’ll glare at you until you buy something, so be prepared.”

As Ichigo pushed open the door, he realized he’d never actually agreed to any of this. Agent Inoue’s secret hypnosis powers, once again. Whatever. It was a bodega, there were a thousand of them in DC. They all had the same Nats t-shirts and coffee mugs with pictures of the Washington Monument on them. Ichigo pretended to be interested in a rack of comics. He tended to prefer indy comics over the big publishers himself, but even so, he didn’t recognize any of the books. Maybe they were by local authors.

Up at the front of the shop, a tiny, dark-haired woman was giving whatfor to the man behind the counter, a tall fellow with pale, straw-colored hair sticking out in tufts from under the saddest hat Ichigo had ever seen, a shapeless, battered bucket, striped green and white.

“Well, I can sell you a new battery for your phone, Miss Kuchiki, maybe that would help.”

“Not if it only lasts as long as the last one you sold me! I really need to get in touch with my partner, except that even if I could get my phone working again, his battery is probably dead because everything you sell is the same crap!”

“Ah, that’s too bad! You know, I think Mr. Abarai was in here a few days ago… I wasn’t in at the time, but Jinta said he came in, asking about…”

The man trailed off, and Ichigo glanced up to see the shopkeeper looking directly at him.

“...metrocards. But as you know, we don’t sell metrocards anymore.”

The woman made an aggravated noise. “You’re so useless! If I write him a damned note, will you give it to him if he comes in?”

“Oh, of course! Anything for you, Miss Kuchiki!”

The conversation trailed off as the woman hunched over the counter to angrily scratch out a note.

Ichigo stuffed the comic he was flipping through back on its rack. He skipped the enormous display of bedazzled flip-flops and started perusing the surprisingly extensive selection of gum.

“Here!” the woman finished and shoved her note at the shopkeeper. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

“Have a wonderful day!” the shopkeeper tootled, giving her a little finger wave.

Ichigo felt bad for the woman. “Er, excuse me?” he said as she passed.

She turned to scowl at him. For such a tiny person, she seemed to contain a remarkable amount of rage.

“Do you need to call someone? You can use my phone, if you’d like.” He held it out like an offering.

The woman blinked at him for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to be nosy! You were just kind of loud and you sounded worried about your, um, partner.”

“I’m not worried about him, I just need to find him.” Her face softened. “Thanks, Mister, but I can’t reach him on a regular phone. Don’t worry, I’ll track him down eventually.” She turned to leave, then stopped to jab an accusatory finger at Ichigo. “And that’s professional partner, not… you know! Whatever!” She stomped out.

What a strange, tiny person.

Ichigo selected a gum and walked up to the counter.

“Oooh, dragonberry lime, good choice!” the man trilled. “Anything else I can get you? Bottled water? Fanny pack? Spare phone battery?”

“I’ll pass,” Ichigo replied dryly.

“I imagine it’s against FBI policy to let a stranger use your cell phone,” the shopkeeper said sweetly.

Ichigo’s brows furrowed. “This is my personal phone. And how did you…?”

The man gave a chortling laugh that sent shivers down Ichigo’s spine. “Because headquarters is three blocks away and only an FBI agent would wear a suit that square.”

Ichigo took his change and his gum and shoved them both in his pocket. “Yeah, well, your hat sucks.”

The man laughed harder. “Doesn’t it, though?”

Once he was outside again, Ichigo handed Inoue the gum and her change. “The owner of that place is a creep.”

“The guy in the green and white hat?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s Urahara. You’re right, he’s the owner. Were there any other customers?”

“Just the short lady. You must have seen her come out. She was ripping Urahara a new one for some dodgy cell phone battery he sold her. I think she must have been NSA or something. She said she was trying to get ahold of her partner, but she needed a special phone.” As he said it, Ichigo realized it would be pretty odd for an NSA agent to be buying cell phone batteries from some shady bodega.

“No one came out,” Inoue replied.

“She definitely did! I heard the bell over the door ring.”

Inoue regarded Ichigo very seriously. “Agent Kurosaki. I was standing here the whole time. You were the only person who went in or out.” She looked at the gum. “Ooh! Dragonfruit lime! Do you want some?”

  👻     👻     👻

They were late to the meeting.

Two men were waiting for them in the back corner booth. One of them had pinched, pointy features and piercing blue eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. His chin-length haircut was pretty dramatic, but not as dramatic as his pure white trench coat. A cup of black coffee sat on the faded Formica table in front of him, but it didn’t look like it had been touched.

His companion was an enormous, good-looking Latino who was shoveling pancakes into his face.

“Inoue,” the dramatic guy said. “Who’s this?”

“This is my new partner, Kurosaki,” Inoue replied. “Kurosaki, this is Uryuu Ishida,” she indicated the white trenchcoat guy, “and Chad,” Mr. Pancakes.

“Also known as the ‘Lone Archers,’” Ishida specified. “We are apolitical actors who are interested in revealing the truths that are regularly hidden from the general populace by secret forces that conspire within the machinery of the American government.”

“You can just call me Chad,” said Chad.

“Good morning!” the waitress said. “Can I get you folks anything?”

“Oh, yes! I’m getting mozzarella sticks! Do you like mozzarella sticks, Kurosaki? They’re so good here!”

“So’re the pancakes,” added Chad.

“I’ll just have a coffee,” Ichigo announced. He glanced at Ishida’s cup. “Black.”

“Double mozzarella sticks, please!” Inoue chorused. “And a cherry coke!” She leaned over to Ichigo and spoke out of the side of her mouth. “I’ll give you a mozzarella stick.”

“Do you want some pancake?” Chad offered to Ishida. “I never think to offer.”

Ishida waved him off with a hand. “Agent Inoue. At great personal peril, I was able to obtain a sample of the item we discussed.” He slid a small paper packet across the table. “There are two tablets inside, but one should be sufficient for your purposes.” Ishida leaned forward, his mouth set in a firm line. “I was cautioned very strongly against using this, unless one had a firm plan for handling the… consequences.”

“I understand,” Inoue replied, stuffing the envelope into her purse.

Ichigo wanted to ask more questions, but the conversation shifted very quickly to some USGS floodplain maps that Ishida wanted Inoue to obtain for him that were apparently not available from the public webportals, allegedly because of filesize. Ichigo could practically hear the air quotes around the word “filesize.”

“We’re going to look for Jersey Devils next weekend,” Chad explained, sounding pretty excited about it.

“There’s only one, Chad,” Ishida corrected. “It’s just ‘Jersey Devil.’”

“There could be more than one,” Chad shrugged.

Thirty minutes later, they departed. Inoue had an order of mozzarella sticks in her purse. Ichigo had an armload of backissues of the Lone Archers’ ‘zine, which was, conveniently enough, titled The Lone Archer. There was no doubt in his mind that at least Ishida was completely off his rocker. The jury was still out on Chad… he struck Ichigo as the sort of guy who just went along with Ishida’s nonsense because he was a good friend and also liked taking camping trips and doing layout for ‘zines.

“So what was that thing they gave you?” Ichigo pestered. The idea of that little paper packet had been burning a hole in his brain the entire time.

“You busy tonight?” Inoue asked, raising an eyebrow slyly. “Between 10 and 11?”

“What are we doing?” Ichigo asked cautiously, wondering if he would be able to charge his time.

“We’re going to try and attract an angry ghost.”

  👻     👻     👻

“Are you… sure this is… a good idea?” Ichigo asked for the sixteenth time, as Inoue focused the thermal camera on him.

They were in an old, abandoned lot that had formerly served as a Metro service facility. It was pretty spooky all on its own, filled with train cars too dilapidated for salvage.

It was 10:25pm. Inoue had set up no less than 17 different pieces of ghost detection equipment. Ichigo was questioning his life choices.

“You told me you don’t believe in ghosts. If ghosts don’t exist, then what could possibly go wrong?” Inoue posed.

“Well… that’s true,” Ichigo granted. “And, for the record, I still do not believe in ghosts. But in the Pascal’s wager sense of things, I am considering the ramifications of what happens if there are ghosts that exist, regardless of my belief in them.”

“And?” Inoue asked.

“Well, you said that these ghosts have hurt and killed people before. It seems like trying to attract one without having any method of, um, fighting it, seems kind of… irresponsible?”

“Ah, but you see, I’ve specifically picked this time and location to coincide with the grim reaper patrol routes I’ve been mapping out. Our friendly neighborhood psychopomp ought to show up just on schedule to fight the angry ghost for us. We’re doing them a favor, as I see it.”

“How so?” Ichigo exclaimed.

“It’s not like we’re creating an angry ghost out of nowhere. We’re just attracting an existing one to our location. We’re saving the grim reaper the trouble of having to hunt it down.”

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was it so difficult to argue with Inoue? Possibly because she was so incredibly earnest in all her beliefs, and all her arguments were in completely good faith, it’s just that her logic came from some other dimension. This woman has solved multiple, high-profile murders, including several that were ice cold, Ichigo reminded himself. So she’s quirky. I am sure I can learn a lot from her.

“Okay, everything is in place!” Inoue announced, placing her hand on her hips. “Go hide behind that pile of moldy seats!”

Inoue took Ichigo’s place at the center of her recording equipment. “Agent Orihime Inoue speaking,” she said, for posterity. “It is 10:28pm. I am crushing one tablet of a substance called ‘Hollow Bait.’” She crunched the little white tablet, which looked an awful lot like an Alka-Seltzer, between her fingers, and then made a flying leap for the rotting pile of damp, orange upholstery that Ichigo was crouched behind.

“So, just out of curiosity,” Ichigo started. “How long would we have to wait, theoretically, with nothing happening, before we would declare this a bust?”

Inoue pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Usually, I would give it about two hours, but if you’ve got somewhere to be, I don’t mind if you leave early. It is nice to have company for a change.”

“No, I don’t have anywhere else to be,” Ichigo replied. “I mean… sleeping, I guess.”

Inoue gave a charming little laugh. “I don’t sleep very well. And hunting for ghosts is more interesting than most of the stuff on Hulu.”

The way that she said it gave Ichigo the distinct impression that Inoue was, well, lonely. But that didn’t seem correct. She was weird, sure, but she was also friendly and talkative, and, er, well, she was extremely cute. Surely she had tons of friends.

“How’d you get into ghost hunting, anyway?” he tried to be conversational.

“Hmm,” Inoue hummed noncommittally. “Let’s just say there was an incident in my teen years, where my memories don’t match up to the property damage.”

Oh. Ichigo wondered if he should apologize, when suddenly, a cold chill ran down his spine and a sound like a roar echoed in his ears, except he didn’t actually hear anything. “Did you hear that?” he gasped.

“It’s the EMF detector,” Inoue nodded, scrambling for the reader and Ichigo realized he could hear a faint beeping.

“No, not the beeping, it was like a… a… scream…”

“You heard a scream?”

“I didn’t exactly…” Ichigo trailed off as he heard two more, coming from different directions. “There’s more than one. Monster screams. Not human screams.”

Inoue stared at him, eyes wide. “I don’t hear anything. Have you ever been tested for latent psychic ability?”

There was a sudden change in the air pressure, and a fetid, rotting smell, even worse than the Metro seats. Ichigo grabbed Inoue by the shoulders and rolled out of the way, just as the pile of junk they had been crouched behind compacted like it had been through a car crusher. Or smashed by a giant foot.

“Whoa!” Inoue exclaimed, trying to push Ichigo off of her so she could see what was going on.

Ichigo blinked through the night. He couldn’t see anything, but there was an area of space that looked thick and hazy, like it wasn’t refracting the harsh glow of the sodium street lights quite correctly.

“We have to get out of here,” Ichigo gasped.

“Can you see it?” Inoue asked, her eyes wide and excited.

“Not-- not really,” Ichigo replied, pulling at her arm. The air blurred, and Ichigo had the sense the thing was jumping at them. He could tell it was fast, but he couldn’t see it, he didn’t know what to--

“Howl, Zabimaru!”

It was both there and not quite there, a liquid blade made of glass and starlight, that snapped through the air at the invisible thing. The monster bellowed, and whipped around, charging at a dark figure standing atop one of the old Metro cars.

“Pick on someone your own size, ugly!” the man bellowed, and as Ichigo squinted, he realized that their savior was dressed all in black. He was tall, and his hair was pulled back in a spiky ponytail. It was bright red. He was also wearing sunglasses, even though it was the middle of the night. They were pushed up on top of his head, to be fair, but Ichigo had a feeling this detail would stick with him.

“You can see that guy, right?” Ichigo asked Inoue desperately. “The guy who’s fighting the ghost? The guy that looks just like the guy in your report?”

“There’s a guy?” Inoue asked. “No. Where is he? Can you usually see ghosts?”

“I don’t even believe in ghosts!”

“Well, maybe you don’t believe in them because you can see them and you don’t want to, did you ever think of that?”

“I don’t think now is the time to interrogate my personal traumas!”

Suddenly, there was another drop in pressure, and Ichigo had the sense of heavy breathing and sharp teeth. “Inoue. I think there’s another one.”

“Well, can you get the guy to come fight this one, too?”

“He seems busy,” Ichigo squeaked.

Something black flashed by his vision, and there was a loud crack and a sound of something screeching in pain. A second dark-clad person had arrived, landing softly on sandaled feet. There was the same unreality to her, a sense that she wasn’t entirely there, as well as a certain familiarity that Ichigo couldn’t place. Her sword was bright in the darkness, like moonlight reflecting on snow.

“Oi, there you are, you big dummy!” she shouted at the first man and Ichigo realized with a jolt that it was the angry woman from the bodega. “I’ve been looking for you for four days!”

“I had a problem with my gigai and maybe you should check your texts once in a while!” the tall guy shouted back. Ichigo refused to think of him as a grim reaper. A grim reaper would not wear sunglasses.

“My phone died!”

“Can we-- ow! -- discuss this later? I’m glad you’re okay, I missed you. Why are there so many Hollows in this train yard?”

“You’re such a sap! And the Hollows are here because some stupid humans got ahold of some Hollow bait.” The woman turned, and glared at Ichigo. Her eyes burned with blue flame, like the burner of a gas stove.

That would have been the last thing Ichigo remembered, if he had actually remembered it, or any of the things that came before it.

  👻     👻     👻

Ichigo was sitting at his desk.

Inoue was sitting at her desk.

The sun was streaming in the window. The clock on Ichigo’s phone read 7:12am.

Inoue frowned. She examined a coffee cup on her desk. She took a hesitant sip, and then made a face. “Why are we here?” she wondered softly.

“I hate to pull an all-nighter,” Ichigo said, stretching, “but it sure does feel good to be caught up on paperwork!”

Inoue regarded him. “Kurosaki,” she said, “how long have you worked here?”

Ichigo frowned. “Well, I guess this is my second day.”

“Right. So… how much paperwork did you have to catch up on?”

Ichigo blinked. He very distinctively recalled working through the night-- his hand cramping, the incredibly spicy Thai food they’d ordered, Inoue’s seemingly infinite Boy Bands of the 90’s playlist. “I… was helping you, I guess?” Come to think of it, why was he filling out paperwork by hand, anyway? His laptop sat next to him, the lid closed. It wasn’t even plugged in.

Inoue’s fist slammed down onto her desk. “Gosh darnit! They wiped my memories again!!”

[dutten-does-the-fanfic]

Obviously you don’t have to say anything if you don’t feel motivated or don’t want to write but i was wondering if you had any big plans for the future- both personal/original projects and fan fictions. Love ur writing! Again, plz i mean not to pressure you just genuinely curious

Hello! And thank you, that’s so sweet of you :3 I don’t remember if I’ve said this (I’m pretty sure I have??) but I’m currently in uni, and course-load and exams have practically made it their mission to kick my ass at every possible moment, which is why there are these long breaks where I’m just, completely inactive (and I hate it, but I haven’t unlocked enough levels of adult to figure out how to healthily balance my work life and personal life - maybe in a few years ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

But I am still writing!! (or, am going to be when I get a moment to breathe) Definitely motivated and interested and keeping at it!! :D

As for projects, oh boy. What haven’t I got going on (loads, is the answer, but to go over a few!)

I don’t really have any original projects - I’ve never really liked creating oc’s for some reason? I much prefer having the characters from a show/book/whatever and working off of them for the story/plot whilst still keeping some of the character we all fell in love with intact - I don’t know. I really love making small comments about the OG platform (quotes, moments, mentions, really anything, just small easter eggs for myself and whoever reads the story) that I obvs wouldn’t be able to make with my own OG content xD Everything would be canon then.

As for fanfiction! So much!! Absolutely none of it is finished, because I have zero patience or sense of delayed gratification when it comes to posting - I just want it all out at once and to read everyone’s comments at once xD

I’ve got stories going for a few different fandoms and ideas just written down in my ever-growing ideas-doc for even more! I think I’m going to correctly assume you might be here for the SKAM fics, tho ;p

Basically, I’m horrible with understanding what is and isn’t a spoiler because I know the twists and turns so I just take it all for granted - however, when I actively try to describe a fic without spoilers, they end up sounding genuinely dull xD But I’ll do my best without giving too much away!

I’ve basically got so many stories going at once that I genuinely have no idea how many there are as I always forget some, so here are a selected few!

Obvs, there’s Even’s POV for “Something Great” (aka “that fic” aka my twitter legacy) which is nowhere near done. I’m really loving what I have got down, though! As far as I remember, I’m about 8k in, but I’m shooting for 30-40k, so no time frame. In case you didn’t know, I’ve done an entire announcement post where there are also a few previews included :D

Then there’s a pretty much crack fic with some angst and a way for me to memorize my course work that actually isn’t too far from being finished, but... it needs some work. It’s basically one of those “heeey, you’re pretty much my best friend and I don’t have unrequited feelings for you at all (lies), so it’s totally okay that we pretend to hook up to get back at our roommate who keeps sexciling us only for it to turn real” kind of AU.

Then there’s the other crack fic from boy squad’s POV (well, Jonas, but they practically serve as one entity) about them being oblivious to Evak until one day Isak announces #Evak is real, but they’re just so sure they would have noticed something, so they think Isak and Even are pranking them, so they set out expose them. A+ content, if I have to say so myself.

Next there’s my newest pride and joy that I’ve currently got sitting somewhere between 50-60k with no end in sight. I love this story, I cannot being to describe just how much I love this story. There is so much to this story, and I don’t want to give anything away :’( Basically, Isak has quite serious trauma from something that happened in his childhood, and it’s set during his second year in high school - he’s living in the Kollektiv (with four rooms, ‘cause I aint sending Noora to London), and he’s got the boy squad, Eva and Jonas are still dating so the girl squad also make a lot of appearances. And it’s basically just this major character exploration of the different ways Isak’s trauma appears, how it impacts the way he interacts with other people, the way he sees the world and other people, how he basically doesn’t deal with the trauma and how severely it affects him. And then there’s this entire thing about the sudden suicide of a famous Norwegian pianist (not one of the major characters, I ain’t about that life) that somehow ties into everything and everything turns very shady.

That barely covers the actual story and I’m pretty sure it sounds so jumbled up, but I literally can’t figure out how to describe it without spoilers.

Then we’ve got another angst-galore! A traveling AU! Which, timing, I know. We’ll ignore that. With my pace, it won’t be ready until traveling is allowed again anyway ^__^’ It plays on the themes of lost and found, and it’s basically about how Even travels to find out who he is, but he ends up finding Isak instead, running into him in different cities and countries, and they fall in love, but Isak is traveling to lose himself and everyone - ah. Angst-galore indeed.

What else - there’s a snakesak ABO!AU, because I’ve never written either, and for some reason, I must’ve apparently felt the need to put the two together. ABO is the kind of AU that pretty much everyone holds different opinions on - it’s not a tag I filter out, but it pretty much differs from story to story how much I like it. All I know is, when it is done well, it is done well.

I know there are more, because there are always more. I’ve definitely got so many ideas that I haven’t gotten anything down more than the premise: There’s a murder mystery AU, because I’ve wanted to do one pretty much since I wrote the first chapter for Beat the Record (you know, back when it was still just supposed to be a oneshot xD) and now I’ve finally got a basic storyline for it! Featuring detective Even who has been demoted to a permanent deskjob and basically only kept on out of pity after screwing up evidence? an assignment? plans still pending. Not accepting this, he sets out to catch the new serial killer with the help of newly hired forensic scientist Isak, whom he asks for help because of how talented Isak is, not because Even has a big-ass crush on him. Then there’s the university AU that’s basically a rom/com where Even is one of the hosts for the uni’s radio station, sees pretty boy Isak generally being a mess, falls instantly in love and keeps talking about “the cute boy” on the radio, asking if anyone knows his name and if they can get him his number. Isak only finds out about it because Magnus is a listener and accidentally figures it out.

And so many more. Literally. We are talking pages upon pages, let alone some quite long stories I also have going for other fandoms. I seriously can’t wait - I just need to get myself writing xD

I hope this helps tide over the long waiting period a little :) xx <3

[alexiaugustin]

pls give your honest opinions on eliola friendship / relationship 🤣

Okay so I think that most people already know that I'm not found of it at all so at the beginning I just wanna say that I do not hate it simply because I want to hate it and everything that happens on that show, but because I was thrilled and had high expectations when they first announced that they would have a brother- sister relationship this season. So everything I'm gonna say now isn't coming from a place of hate but complete and utter disappointment because that's what their storyline was. Also disclaimer; everything I'm gonna say isn't me hating the characters but me criticizing the writing and how the writing made both of them quite unsympathetic at times.

So let's begin with the first lola/eliott clip I ever really liked and that was their first meeting at the funeral. I just like how Eliott noticed that she was all alone and decided to talk to her because that's probably smth he wishes people would have done for him when he was lonely. I loved their bickering n how Eliott was the second person who made Lola genuinely smile that season and just like Maya he didn't let Lola's cold attitude throw him off. So being the naive clown I was I actually believed that they might do something good with them and that their storyline could live up to my expectations but oh hell no.

The opportunity of them getting closer n talking at the urbex party was right there and skam france just didn't use it. I actually thought that they would drop a clip after midnight as the first clip of ep3 where they would start making conversation because they were all hanging out with eachother anyway and then maybe start following eachother on instagram or smth. But no. Eliott and Lola meeting eachother at that urbex party wasn't there to develop their friendship and make them have a natural connection in the clips afterwards. Eliott being an urbex legend wasn't there to actually give his character more depth, it was just there so Eliott could lie to Lucas and Lola knowing about it so she could manipulate Eliott in ep8 but we're coming back to that plot later.

Well yeah wasted potential on that urbex party let's talk about the next party where they meet again: Daphné's birthday party. Again I know that it's a party and it's likely for people to just talk to everyone so I wouldn't say that Eliott and Lola talking there was coming out of nowhere. What did come out of nowhere tho, was their dialogue: "We're the same you and I" I'm sorry but first of all what teenager talks like that??? And second of all what exactly do you even know about eachother. Ah yeah right nothing because you never really talked to eachother before. I know that in interviews they have made up a whole background story as to why Eliott felt so cOnNeCtEd to her but none of this was ever brought up on screen so for me there's no explanation why he would say smth like that. Then the whole urbex lying to Lucas convo yada yada I pretend not to understand french and we're just gonna skip over that part of ep3 now. Next clip of the party Lola feels lonely and left out because Thierry acts like Daphné is his only daughter and for some reason Eliott looks @ Lola from across the room like that: [I'm to lazy to put a screenshot of the scene but y'all know the shot I'm talking about] and I remember the evening they dropped that clip and everyone was yelling and thinking that this look means that he's gonna fall in love with her. Yeah at best I would think that this looks like falling in love, at worst this look reminds me of Joe Goldberg. And I know that the scrip wasn't like: Eliott side eyes Lola like some penetrator from across the room but it really looked like that and it's the director's job to correct Maxence's acting because that really really wasn't it.

Next eliola clip is Lola going to Eliott's video shop. How she knew that he was working at that exact place at this exact time will forever stay a mystery. If only skam france would remember that they are a transmedia show and Eliott and Lola could have just texted after Daphné's birthday party??? But no she was just completely out of nowhere visiting him at his workplace and don't get me wrong the clip itself was good and them watching a movie together cute but I still wanna know where it suddenly came from. She didn't even seem to like him that much before so her going there when she wasn't feeling well just threw me off and I was like okayyyy whatever. It truly feels like they either deleted clips in between or forgot to upload some text messages.

Aymeric plot: I was kind of torn between liking the clip n disliking it because back when they dropped the clip I was just glad that Eliott got Lola out of there and I knew that he would bring her to his flat so she would feel safe but on the other hand I'm not a huge fan of this whole savior trope in general even tho I do get that it made sense for her to call him in that situation. But now that the season is over I don't even have to feel torn and can just say that I absolutely hate this whole storyline because they used sexual assault as a plot device so they wouldn't have to come up with some complex writing ideas to build up their friendship. So the next day skamfr acted like sexual assault isn't something traumatizing and never brought it up again it truly just existed so Eliott could play hero and Eliott and Lola could be friends. It was never brought up again not even in one single fucking conversation. How fun😑😑

I've said it before and I will say it again I will always hate that Lucas was allowed to have many friends and hang out with them whenever he wanted n be affectionate with them while Eliott's only friendship was actively written to cause problems in their relationship. I'm not even blaming Lucas' for his reactions this season because I'm sure that I would have reacted the same way if I were him but they could have just written the eliott/lola friendship in a decent way and left lucas out of it. It would have been really simple but instead they chose to make almost every Lola n Eliott interaction a problem between Lucas and Eliott and then they never even solved their relationship problems, not even off screen so that's truly a whole next level of skamfr being one hell of a stupid show.

Apart from that I really really liked the Saturday clips and they were the only clips I ever got sibling vibes from. Eliott being ready to run with Lola so she wouldn't have to face Daphné and Lola saying that she's gonna take responsibility and Eliott looking at her like a proud big brother> very cute also the way Eliott and Lola both got to speak for themselves about their mental health was one of my fave convos this season even tho- and call me a petty bitch for that- they even ruined that clip for me when Lola used everything Eliott told her in that clip against him later🙃🙃

The whole movie plot is ridiculous and I'm actually too tired to bring all of it up again so I'm just gonna say that Eliott asking a girl with zero acting experience and a crew with zero filming experience to shoot his uni project with him still has me laughing until today. No way in hell that this is something realistic to happen but #ohboy #nicetry for trying to sell that storyline. Eliott and Lola should have never kissed n they should have either changed the script to a friendship version of L&O for Lola and Eliott or let Maya take over Eliott's role when she showed up. This way it would have actually had a meaning for s6 and it would have made sense to end the season with a screening for that movie project. But what the hell was skamfr tryna tell us with that eliola kiss storyline?? The moral n the message where????

Ughhhh my favorite storyline: episode 8. Well I was gone over one weekend and this is the shit I came back home to. Let me tell you it really wasn't fun to watch these four clips in a row I literally had to pause the videos the entire time just to yell n question if I was hallucinating that shit. If their friendship wasn't written badly before then this was definitely the last straw for me. We all know what happened I'm not gonna explain it again let me just say that if I were Eliott I would have felt so damn betrayed and would have never just forgiven that shit in a week. Imagine trusting someone that much with your past and stories about your mental illness and relationship n even your relationship issues and all this person does is using everything you ever told them and even more (still wanna know how she knew abt the houseboat story) against you to manipulate you into drinking which then triggers you into a depressiv episode. Who wrote this and thought that we would still be rooting for this friendship?????

And well yeah that pretty much was it for the eliott/lola sIbLiNg storyline this season. Eliott didn't get to speak for himself about what happened and Lola only apologized for having called him and making him stay at the party but they never actually acknowledged what happened at that party and Eliott just took the blame n happy ending!!! They didn't even get one scene in the last clip together so that already shows us how the writers really didn't give a damn about their friendship this season and it solely existed to serve the mc and to get us to watch the new season n not because they actually cared and let's just say that one could really really notice that🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

[symphonicspecter]

Subcon Family Headcanons

Have I mentioned that I LOVE the idea of Snatcher basically just adopting a hundred child spirits and all these kids hanging out in the forest and caring for each other as siblings? @birdsareblooming‘‘s post inspired me to get my butt in gear and finally write all the thoughts I have

These are going under a read more because there’s a lot

(Any time I say spirits, I mean both Dwellers and Subconites)

All those little dolls the Subconites possess? Snatcher made those. He’ll drop everything to repair them if they get damaged. He spent days making all of them early on. Some of the Dwellers just didn’t want bodies, and he respected that and let them be. He’s taught some of the Subconites how to sew, so that they can repair themselves or if they want to make modifications or clothes for themselves.

Everybody knows everybody’s names. Some of the spirits use the same names they did in life, others made up new ones. They think it’s very important to always spell and pronounce names correctly.

If an outsider makes anybody uncomfortable everyone else goes into Get His Ass Mode

The Minion/Boss relationship is mostly just for intimidation. Regularly, the spirits refer to Snatcher as “Snatcher” “Dad” , or a nickname they made up, some like how “Boss” sounds too, But when outsiders are around, he becomes ““The Boss” exclusively, and they pretend like he’s intimidating. They like taunting about eternal servitude and permanent soul removal in their idle chat. And Snatcher acts a little bossier with them. It’s all to scare whoever is currently contracted.

Snatcher is very adaptable for the spirits. Some of them are easily discouraged or self-conscious, so he speaks more softly to them and never has them talk to him in work mode. Others love to do tasks, so he gives them chores, even when nothing needs done. He knows which ones are mute, have trouble talking, are sensitive to certain words, like to rant about their interests...

Everybody is valid! When Subcon froze over and everyone became ghosts (some with memories, others without), it essentially became an opportunity to start an entirely new society. They all foster a ““you can do whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt anybody”attitude. Along with choosing new names, some of the spirits wanted new pronouns. Queer? Neurodivergent? It’s all cool with the Subcon gang they will accept and validate you

Subcon Village is where the most houses are. The spirits take up residence in old houses, trees, anything that can be a cozy shelter. They mostly live close to each other, and several live together. 

Snatcher has a check-in rule...if somebody has gone unseen for several hours, it’s time to look for them. Even with everyone already dead, there are a lot of dangers in the forest. So anytime somebody plans on hiding away for a while or wandering off by themselves, they tell somebody else. They all keep tabs on each other to stay safe

One of the Subconites made Snatcher a #1 Boss mug

The Subconites get excited to show Snatcher things they’ve made/done and he always turns into Proud Boasting Dad for them

Like a Subconite could show him their drawing of a tree and he’d be like Wow That’s So Good You’re So Talented!!!!!

Some of them want to give him the things they make. He has a special little place higher up in his tree where he keeps all of it. Sometimes he just goes up there and looks through stuff

Some of the more musically inclined spirits get together to practice and play. And they’ll invite Snatcher too

Games! Whether it’s Tag or Uno or Monopoly. The kids are always playing something. Sometimes it’s a big group of dozens, other times it’s a little group of four or five. And of course, they invite Snatcher to play with them too. 

They all talk to each other so much, any news, gossips, jokes, what have you gets spread to everybody in a few hours 

Movie nights...They get a big cloth and hang it between trees for a screen, and hook up an old projector and some type of player. It could be a movie left laying around from old Subcon,or something Snatcher stole from outside. A big crowd will settle on the ground and in trees and they’ll watch one or two or five movies

Campfires! They make a fire and gather around it and tell stories. Maybe they’re scary, maybe they’re not. It could be a story made up on the spot, something from a book, something they wrote themselves..they pass stories around for hours. None of them eat but they’ll put various things on sticks just for the thrill of catching it on fire

The spirits know not to bring up Vanessa 

Most everybody knows how to deal with Snatcher in a bad mood. Whether he’s depressed or angry..after enough time they’ve learned what sets him off, when to give him space, when to give him hugs and kind words 

Hugs and cuddles galore oh my god

All the Dwellers and Subconites are like siblings and say ““I love you” all the time

Snatcher has a hard time saying or accepting the L word but that’s okay, there’s a hundred ways to show it

Snatcher will take recommendations on what tasks to put on contracts

Snatcher has a hard time saying no to any of the kids, unless he’s in a bad mood. If he says no or seems annoyed, it’s a clear sign that something is bothering him

Cuddle piles...this mostly happens amongst the Subconites but sometimes a Dweller or two joins in or some of them want to cuddle on Snatcher

Snatcher steals from people in nearby towns...In game he says he steals mail. That’s his main method of theft as it’s the easiest. He redistributes to the Subconites. They love reading gossip in mail. Even a bill can be used for an art project. The best is when he snatches packages...who knows what fun things are inside! That’s how some of them ended up with smartphones 

If Snatcher finds out that any of them want something specific, he’ll look for that when he’s out, That’s when he breaks the mail theft routine and might steal from elsewhere or con somebody into giving him whatever the item is

Besides just getting mail that Snatcher stole, the Subconites like to send each other mail. Yeah they can easily go talk to each other, but writing letters and sending packages is fun. They take their mail to Snatcher and he distributes it once a week

Snatcher absolutely will tease the kids...pretending to not understand something they’re telling him, mispronouncing the name of whatever they’re talking about, terrible puns, holding something out of reach, silly voice imitations, standard horrible dad humor

If anybody so much as looks at one of the kids wrong, Snatcher will end them

How the Subconites respond to a contractor heavily influences how Snatcher treats them...if you make friends with them, he’ll consider letting you go, but if they don’t like you...

The spirits are just as protective of Snatcher. If a contractor talks bad about Snatcher or tries to hurt him, they go into defensive mode. They’re ready to make a little plush shield around him, to kick some ass, or to check on him and tell him nice things afterwards. Or, like in game, to be his cheer squad while he does the ass kicking himself

If anybody is having a hard time you can bet the rest of the forest is saying/sending nice things to them instantly

Subcon has its own inside jokes/memes..

Several of them pitch in to decorate or host activities for holidays. Around a holiday, Subcon Village is covered in decorations. They have their own traditions, taking from what they remember from being alive, what outside towns do, and anything they think would be fun to add

They all teach each other..Snatcher taught some of them to sew, he teaches some of them about law, he’s shown a few how to play violin and cello...they teach each other about space, biology, painting, historical figures...it’s very common for them to talk about their interests and to want to learn about someone else’s

Sometimes Snatcher reads out loud for a group of spirits. He picks out books specifically for it, and then lets them pick from the collection

Every so often they plan events..maybe a bunch of them get together to write/make/perform a play, or the musicians hold a concert, or there’s open mic/creative writing readings, or dances! They always run it by Snatcher to get the okay and to get help planning/scheduling/reaching out/spreading word. There’s always a great turnout at these, with most or maybe even all of the spirits attending!

Sometimes Snatcher practices his Intro with a Subconite or two, and they give him some tips on how to be scarier

Yeah, arguments and misunderstandings happen occasionally, but they get resolved quickly

The kids tend to go to Snatcher for advice and with questions. He doesn’t like to bring up his own problems with them as he doesn’t want to bother them.

Snatcher, the Dwellers, the Subconites..they tend to just get a little burst of happiness seeing each other/saying hello

Snatcher just genuinely enjoys the company of the kids, and playing with them, and when they get so excited to talk to him it just makes him so happy, and he’s so protective of them...And just the same they respect him so much, and look up to him, and feel safe with him, and try to look out for him

They’re all there for each other and have a secure relationship 🖤

[dulce-pjm]

tag game !

tagged by @jtrbluv !! ty love, i’ve seen this one going around and it looked fun !!

1. what fandoms have you written for (but do not currently)?

i only started writing fanfiction this year, so bts is the one and only lol 

2. what fandoms are you currently writing for?

bts !! i think i’ll be sticking to just bts x reader fics during my time here :) (but i am def a big fan of other groups and post about them sometimes !! my other interests can be found through the navi and i’m down to chat/fangirl anytime)

3. how long have you been writing?

like five or six years? i used to write original stories on wattpad in middle school but i have unfortunately forgotten both the username and password to that account and just realized those monstrosities might still be floating around on there oof 

4. on which platforms do you post your stories?

just tumblr !! i’m the process of making an ao3 in case something happens to my account, but i probably won’t crosspost unless i have to, just kinda depends

5. what is your favourite genre to write?

def fluff and comedy !!! i enjoy angst but i’m a bit of a method actor in that i deeply feel whatever i’m writing so i normally don’t make it far writing angst lol but i will try one day !!

6. are you a pantser or a planner?

planner for sure !! i have def written fics that weren’t planned, but i tend to feel way better about the ones that i plan out. they flow better when i plan them and when you know where your story is going it’s easier to foreshadow and actually build tension towards the climax and ending !!!

7. one shot or multi-chapter?

it really just depends on the story !!! it’s all in how i envision it tbh. if i see the scenes more as episodic and almost separately working towards the ending, then it’ll probably end up fitting into chapters. but if the scenes and arcs all really rely on each other and flow as a group, then yeah it’s a big one shot !! as a reader, i tend to binge anyway so it doesn’t matter to me lol

8. what is the perfect chapter length in your opinion?

lol again it depends on what suits the story !! and i think it’s fun sometimes for there to be a variety of chapter lengths 

9. what is your longest published story? is it complete?

stepsisters and squires at 11.0k, and yes it’s complete !! although my current biggest project is probably going to end up around 15k and if i had to guess, part two will probably be a bit shorter than that 

10. which story did you enjoy working on the most?

hmmmm for sure @alpacaparkaseok’s request case closed!! i was being very silly writing it and had a grand time, but takes two to tango is a close second behind !!!

11. favourite request you've have written and why (if any?)

oh well there we go it’s case closed !!! i love some good silly ridiculous romance and i feel like i did an okay job achieving that lol

12. are there reoccurring themes in your stories?

awkward people finding love ???? LOL and lots of overthinking only to realize things aren’t quite as big as they first appeared wait omg yeah that’s it that’s the one lmao. scrolled through my masterlist and it seems that the central conflict is always the main character versus their own mind which is basically my day-to-day life so makes sense i guess 

also i’ve accidentally written people talking over each other and then said something like “timing’s funny” right after in two separate fics and needless to say i’m disappointed in myself LOL how did i do that ??? tsk tsk 

13. current number of wips?

ahhh i’m not really sure how to count them but i’m like actively writing around four or five, i tend to bounce around and then suddenly binge write an entire one

14. three things you have noticed about your own writing?

hmmm well 1) we’ve learned my characters are too caught up in their own heads (like me muhahaha), 2) i tend to write pretty colloquially even though i have the vocabulary to be more descriptive lol, and 3) even when i don’t mean to i tend to end up writing based off of things i’ve experienced before

15. a quote you like from a published story

lol this isn’t particularly well written or anything i just think it’s funny and i really enjoyed writing this scene. it’s from stepsisters and squires !

“Maybe you can trick the witch!” You suggest, words muffled by the dessert you’re chewing on as you blatantly talk with your mouth open. All manners have been abandoned as Taehyung is eating two eclairs at once, equally focused on the matter at hand. “Well, no, maybe trying to trick a magical scary lady is a bad idea.”

i’m very attached to tae’s character despite him making a very minor appearance and i love his and the oc’s chaotic energy together haha !! i’d like to write him his own spin-off sometime based on their interaction 

16. a quote from an unpublished story

hehe imma keep teasing the tae twoshot in the hopes that it makes me ACTUALLY FINISH IT FJKDLSHGLSDKJF anyway ~~~

“Your singing, on the other hand, is just fantastic,” he adds, smirking as he side-eyes you. He suppresses a laugh when he sees your mortified expression. You’re quick to cover it, crossing your arms and feigning pride.

“I know. You guys are lucky I’m not participating in the battle of the bands. I’d crush you.” Taehyung full on giggles then and you don’t hate it all that much. It’s a little squeaky though. But then his eyes light up and he’s grabbing you by the shoulders, a desperate look in his eye.

“Wait, would you wanna join? Because we could really use a mezzo voice, it’d completely change the sound—”

hopefully an official teaser will be dropped soon we’ll see !!!

17. space for you to say something to your readers

thank you guys for being so patient and supportive :( i know i’ve been very sporadic about posting and really haven’t posted at all in like a month and a half. it was very much my intention to write a bunch and then release things on a schedule (and it still is!!) but things have been difficult recently and prevented that from happening. to get to the point, you guys are so great and every piece of feedback and every like and every follow absolutely makes my heart soar. you guys remind me that i’m still capable of writing even when i really don’t feel like it and i appreciate you !! much love <333

tagging @softbobamilktae and @hyungieyoongi my go-to’s lol (sorry if you’ve already done it !!!)

[ask-marcus-cally-and-ari]

Only Human

Chapter 10: Downtime

Authors note: Apologies for the long delay. Schoolwork has been burying us and stress from Covid-19 has been at an all time high.

Within three days, Marcus’s mood had significantly improved. With two new allies by his side, he felt markedly more secure in his surroundings, although he still occasionally looked above him from time to time out of instinct. 

He was in the back of Spyper’s van with Ari and Cally, quietly playing a game of Uno amongst themselves. 

Looking up at Intelligent, he said, "Yo, big guy. You look like you wanna ask us something." 

“I do, actually,” Intelligent said, setting aside his book. “You three seem really close. How long have you known each other for?” 

"Six years and 348 days," Cally answered, setting down her cards. 

"Technically, longer," Marcus added, "But we officially met during the summer." 

6 Years and 348 Days Ago… 

The rec center was alive with activity during the summer. It made sense that three random 10 year olds would be here. Marcus, Cally, and Ari were all there, going about their business. Marcus was busy taking boxing classes, Ari was attending choir lessons, and Cally intently watched a lecture on computer programming. 

The classes all ended early that day, leaving the three kids not knowing where to go. So they all ended up in an empty tennis court, sitting and waiting for their parents. 

To kill time, Ari fatefully began chatting with Marcus.

“Hi. My name’s Ari,” He greeted, waving to Marcus. “What’s your name?”

“Marcus. Aren’t you that short kid who sits in the front of the class?” 

“Yeah, that’s me. You’re the kid who’s taking boxing lessons, right?” 

“The one with anger problems,” Cally chimed in from the corner, reading a book. “Yeah, that’s him.” 

Marcus threw a candy wrapper at her. 

“Hey, be nice!” Ari frowned at Cally.

“It’s true, isn’t it? No point saying anything that isn’t true for the sake of one’s feelings.” 

“You sound really mean.” 

"I heard that once you get smart enough you stop having emotions," Marcus shrugged. 

"That's a lie," Cally hissed. "I just don't see the value in being dishonest." 

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and the fact that I called you a loser that one time has nothing to do with it." 

"I just refuted your theory on my lack of emotions. I can hold a grudge." 

“How do you even know he has anger issues? Because he boxes?” Ari asked. 

"My mom is the school secretary. She has me do a lot of the paperwork so she can go out. Some of that paperwork got Marcus to see the school therapist." 

“Why does the secretary have a 10 year old doing her work? Isn’t that against the rules or something?”

"Not if the principal doesn't find out." 

“So you’re being mean to Marcus even though you’re the one breaking the rules?” 

“Look. Ari, right? If the people who fed and sheltered you and could kick you out if they felt so inclined and barely gave a crap about you told you to do something, would you do it?” 

“Isn’t it against the law to kick a kid out of the house?” 

“Probably. Wouldn’t stop my parents.” 

“You sound like you have issues. Maybe you should see the school therapist.” 

“I don’t want to get landed in foster care. Too much of a risk to my psyche.” 

“And being treated like sh_t by your parents isn’t?” Marcus asked. 

Ari and Cally stared at Marcus. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Cally asked. 

“Yes, actually.” 

Ari whined. “Isn’t cussing bad?” 

“Eh. Some people don’t like it, and my parents don’t let me swear when we’re in restaurants and things like that.” 

“Wouldn’t the community rec center count as a place you shouldn’t swear?” Cally asked dryly. 

“I guess, but there aren’t any adults around.” 

Cally deadpanned. Ari pouted. 

Leaning back, the intelligent kid pulled out some gum. “Want some?” 

“What flavor is it?” 

“Spearmint.” 

“Eh, sure.” 

“I love mint!” Ari beamed. 

“Not my favorite, but I’ll take it over 5gum,” Marcus added. 

“Ugh. 5gum.” 

“What’s wrong with 5gum?” Ari inquired, popping a piece of gum into their mouth.

“Tastes like trash,” Marcus groused. 

“It’s an insult to gum.” Cally sat. “The least horrible flavor is mint.” 

“And even then, this spearmint gum beats it by a mile,” Marcus added. “I don’t see how anyone can enjoy 5gum. It’s like eating plastic.”

“Better than nothing.” 

“I’ve never had 5gum before, but I’ll take you on your word,” Ari said. 

Present 

“So, yeah. That was fun.” 

“So you three started out arguing with each other, and now you three are basically inseparable,” Intelligent remarked, leaning back in his seat. “A lot must have happened in those six years.” 

“Yeah. For one thing, we became study partners. I had to tie Cally to a chair to keep her from doing all the work for us.” 

“I was not that bad, Marcus.” 

Ari winced. “Well...” 

3 Years Ago… 

“Cally, this is a GROUP project! That means we ALL have to work on this!” Marcus shouted, taking the papers away from Cally. 

“You guys did a lot of the research. And you know I’m a better writer than you,” Cally reasoned, reaching for the papers again. 

“Yeah, right! You were the one hogging all the research, and you’re the one who’s been doing all the writing so far! I know you’re a good writer, but you can’t just hog the entire project!” Marcus protested, holding the papers out of Cally’s reach. “Just about the only thing you haven’t tried to do yourself are the visual aids!”

"Ari can do those." 

“Exactly! That’s the only thing Ari’s been able to do with you hogging everything else!” 

“I just want us to get a good grade!” 

“And we will get a good grade! But ya gotta let us help, too!” 

Cally sighed, sitting back down. “Alright, alright.” 

“Thank you. Now let's get on with this,” Marcus said, dividing the papers equally between himself, Cally, and Ari.

Present 

"Okay, maybe I was a little too overbearing. But my grade was on the line!" 

“Cally, calm down. We got a perfect A on that assignment,” Marcus assured. 

“I know,” Cally granted. “And then you almost got suspended three months later.” 

Marcus scowled and grumbled to himself, folding his arms at the memory. 

“I still think punching that guy in the face was overkill,” whined Ari. 

“It was not!” Marcus protested.

Cally raised an eyebrow. 

2 Years and 9 Months Ago… 

“Violence was unnecessary,” Cally pointed out as she wrapped up Marcus’s hand. 

“Then that kid shouldn’t have ran off with my notebook!” Marcus snapped, wincing as Cally tightened the bandages around his hand. 

“You could have taken it back. Most everyone is scared of you anyway, given how your fight with Albert ended.” 

“That kid wouldn’t give me it back, even after I asked!” 

“And you decided to punch him in the face instead of just snatching it,” Cally added. 

“Both of those are mean,” complained Ari. 

“It was MY notebook!” 

“Still,” Cally frowned. “Your temper could get you hurt.” 

Marcus grumbled something, hissing as Cally started patching up another scratch. 

“Please stop moving.” 

“But it hurts!” 

“And?” Cally deadpanned. 

“Cally,” Ari pouted. 

“I know. Sorry, Marcus. I’m just worried, you know? I don’t want your temper getting you hurt one day.” 

“I know, I know. But I’ve got it covered, alright? I’ll be fine. I can handle it,” Marcus assured. He grunted and rolled his shoulders once Cally was done bandaging his wounds. “F_ck, I’m gonna be sore in the morning…” 

“Yeah, you are,” Cally sighed. “And try not to swear in front of Ari. You know he hates it.” 

“Sorry Ar, force of habit,” Marcus apologized. 

Ari hugged Marcus. “It’s okay.” 

Present

“And now here we are. Honestly, I wish all our problems were that I was a control freak over grades and Marcus punched people out.” 

Marcus nodded. “Preach.” 

“But they aren’t. Superbeings want to rip our guts out because we apparently can stop a world-ending event,” Cally sighed. 

Marcus folded his arms and thought for a moment. “What are we even supposed to do to stop it, anyways? Is there a superweapon we have to stop? Do we have to go to space and bring down a spaceship or something?” 

“I dunno.” 

“Hmmm...Hey, big guy! Do you know?”

“Sorry, I have no idea what the others are planning. Me and Spyper have barely heard anything about this whole situation,” Intelligent sighed.

“Well, what have you heard?” Ari asked earnestly.

Intelligent paused for a moment and closed his book. “I don’t know if it’ll help much, but I have heard that the Freaks found something they could use to turn everyone on the planet into Freaks. What that thing is, where it’s being kept, or if it can be destroyed, I don’t know.” 

"Sh@t. Anyone you know who may know something?" 

Spyper glanced to the back of his van. “We do know someone who may know. She works for HECU.” 

"I count four who fit that description," Cally said, eyes taking on a pink tint. 

Spyper paused. “Is Rudra included in that count?” 

"Yes. So is the scientist everyone is scared of for some reason." 

“Oh. Yeah, that would be Anita.” 

"What's her deal?" 

Ari shifted. “Is she evil?” 

“Well...I wouldn’t say she’s evil, but she is crazy,” Spyper shrugged. 

“How crazy?” 

“She builds weapons of mass destruction for fun.” 

“And wants to dissect us for ‘science.’” 

“Hmm… don’t like that,” Marcus winced. 

“Don’t worry, she’s not as evil as Brutal and his pals.” 

“That’s good,” Ari nodded. 

“But enough about that. We need information. And to get to safety. Spyper?” Intelligent turned to his buddy, who grinned and started his van.

[tibbinswrites]

Hi! If the slots haven’t been filled yet could you do prompt #635, Destiel, something in cannonverse (so preferably not au or endverse) and angst with happy ending? Thank you! I love love love your writing, you are one of my favorite Destiel writers! You capture the characters so perfectly! I hope you have a nice day!

*grovelling, so much grovelling* I am so, so sorry that this took so long Anon, especially as you picked a prompt that I was hoping someone would pick for ages! When it came to actually WRITING for it though I drew a huge blank. I wrote 4000 words then scrapped them all, then I cycled through about three other possible ideas but none of them did this prompt justice, and THEN I got an email about my big project deadline that I had completely forgotten about so I had to sort that, and then I was in that horrible mood where I was hating everything I wrote so I had to take a break and THEN I came back with fresh eyes and this happened. Thank you so much for bearing with me. I hope it’s worth the wait! You are far too kind! I’m so happy you like how I write. I still have one prompt slot left. I have now done prompts for: #1, #2, #4 and #16, #9, #10, #20, #26, #33, #77, #78, #170 (part 1), (part 2), (part 3), #327, #502 and #635 Anyway, ON WITH THE FIC!  635. “I can’t be mad because I let you slip away…”

Things had been kind of weird since Jack got his soul back. There were more tears than Dean was comfortable dealing with and more apologies than he knew how to forgive. There was only so much he could push aside for the kid’s benefit after all, and only so many times he could hear his mother’s name emerge from the mouth of her killer.

He hadn’t yelled yet though. He’d been trying so damn hard to keep his temper in check ever since Purgatory had him sobbing on his knees. The realisation of what his anger had almost cost him—more than once on reflection—had been burned into his very lungs. It had been a pretty big wake up call to say the least. So he hadn’t yelled at the kid. It wasn’t Jack’s fault. That was his new mantra and he replayed it every time he saw Jack start to tear up, every time he tried to (not so subtly) get Dean alone, as though it was the presence of Sam and Cas that was bothering him and not the fact that he couldn’t forget the weight of his mother’s body in his arms, or the all too familiar stench of her pyre as she burned for the second time. Dean had so far managed to dodge him, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before one of the others intervened on Jack’s behalf.

It had been a couple weeks now and Sam was starting to give him pointed looks whenever he made his feeble excuses about needing to make a grocery run or how he’d love to stay and talk but there was a special sci-fi movie marathon at the local movie theatre that he’d been wanting to go to, or how the washing machine had been acting up and he’d really need to concentrate while fixing it. Those looks were slowly inching from understanding towards judgemental, but he just wasn’t ready yet. He couldn’t look Jack in the eye and tell him honestly that he forgave him for killing Mary, because he didn’t. He might not exactly blame the kid anymore, but that didn’t mean Mary was forgotten.

It didn’t matter that Jack needed to hear the words from Dean’s mouth, this was something he couldn’t compromise himself on.

He hated that everyone else seemed to have a timeline for how long he was allowed to grieve, now that he had the time to grieve. It was different for Sam. It felt petty and resentful to think it but it was. Sam hadn’t missed Mary the first time, not really. You can’t miss what you never had after all and while Sam had definitely felt the absence of Mary growing up, in the spaces that Dean had been unable to fill, and he had peppered Dean with questions about her more than once, they had been more curious than sad. He hadn’t lost her the same way Dean had, nor did he remember the fire like Dean did, nor did he truly understand how different John had been before Mary died.

He wasn’t sure why that made a difference but it did. And sure, Mary had never been the idol he’d imagined her to be as a kid, but now he was struggling so hard not to put her back on that pedestal. He’d sorted through so much of his childish crap. Having Mary alive and well and fiercely stubborn had helped him to do that. Her unwillingness to compromise her independence and love of hunting in order to fulfil Dean’s fantasies of having someone tuck him in at night and tell him that it was all gonna be okay had helped Dean grow up in the way that he should have grown up the first time; not forced into it at four years old, confused and scared, the only thought in his head watch out for Sammy, but in the healthy way that Sam already somehow managed, true maturity instead of faking it because he had to.

Not just a mom, were the words he remembered most clearly.

But now he’d lost her again, and with her any chance of showing her how far he’d come. A foolish, selfish notion perhaps, but one that he’d been nursing in his chest for a very long time: the desire to prove his father wrong, to prove to himself that he wasn’t broken beyond repair, to prove to Mary that it had been her, not John, who had been the one to lay the foundation for the person he wanted to be. The person he could choose to be.

Without her he was struggling to remember why he should bother. Doing things for his own gain felt stupid and narcissistic, another lesson that John had imprinted in him. If somebody else didn’t need it from him then what was the point? Not that Mary had needed to see Dean figure out how to become a person but when she was alive at least he could lie to himself.

He’d retreated since Jack got his soul back. From everyone. Sam had been giving him space, Jack he actively avoided, and whatever progress he’d made with Cas had backslid into tiptoeing on eggshells around the guy, not wanting to hear how much he hated Dean for not showing his son the courtesy of accepting an apology, and definitely not wanting to risk a fight that led to him taking off again. He didn’t know how to fix any of it. How could he make himself forgive Jack? How could he make himself come to terms with everything he’d lost that his mother had represented to him? How could he stop missing Mary herself? The empty hole inside, imperfectly shaped, moulded around the two different Mary’s that he’d known just seemed to grow more ragged at the edges.

He was out in the woods, of course, at the spot Mary’s body had reappeared. This was where he came now when the air felt too stifling inside. It was like a grave, he supposed, a place to come and think about what a person meant to you. He’d never really had that before. He’d only been to Mary’s grave in Lawrence twice, on the day she was put in it and the day, twelve years later, that he’d had to go back. They’d moved around too much when he was young and though Bobby had offered to take him more than once when John had dumped them at his place, Dean had always refused, knowing his dad wouldn’t like it and not really seeing the point anyway.

He understood the point now. Even without a marker he still felt her here. Which he knew was dumb, because she was in Heaven with a husband who’d never really existed and two children who she’d never got to see grow up and hopefully, hopefully the two adult sons who’d grown up without her, the ones she could be proud of.

He sniffed. He always cried when he came here, he’d stopped trying to fight it. He didn’t talk to Mary, of course. She couldn’t hear him and he didn’t have anything worth saying anyway. He just came here to try and untangle the mess of thoughts in his head, maybe so he could figure out what to do next, how to fix everything without undoing whatever progress he’d made for himself.

“Dean?”

He froze, the age-old tactic of ‘if I don’t respond it’ll go away’. It didn’t of course. And to make matters worse, it wasn’t an it, it was Cas.

“What are you doing out here?”

Dean shrugged, casual. “Just needed some air.” He didn’t turn, but he heard the sound of recognition Cas made when he realised the significance of this particular spot.

“Avoiding Jack?”

Dean turned to automatically deny it but Cas’ face was calm and without judgement. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I know he’s coming on strong,” he continued. “I’ve tried to get him to dial it back a little but he really wants to talk to you.”

“I can’t do it, Cas.” Dean said, looking back to the place his mother’s body had materialised, his voice little more than a scrape. “I can’t look him in the eye and tell him that that I’m over it. I’m not. I might not ever be.”

There was a click in Cas’ throat as he swallowed. Then, “Your forgiveness is only part of it,” he said slowly. “Albeit a major part, but he understands, Dean. He understands that what he did can’t be written off, he just wants to hear it from you. If you explain it to him, tell him that you just need time and you’ll go to him when you’re ready, he won’t keep apologising. He’s just trying to get a reaction, I think, though sometimes even I want to snap at him.”

Dean chewed that over for a moment. Cas made it sound so simple. Maybe it wasn’t so black and white as either lying to the kid or yelling that he’ll never forgive him—the only two options that Dean had been able to come up with so far—of course, it meant talking, which Dean was notoriously bad at, but the way Cas broke it down, it didn’t sound so hard. Jack was a smart kid for a three-year-old after all, and he could definitely understand ‘I don’t hate you but I need time’, which was basically what his feelings boiled down to. He didn’t have to explain everything. Hell, he’d never even tell Sam everything but Jack deserved at least the basics, what with the way he’d been freezing the kid out lately.

“What’s the other part?” he asked suddenly, remembering the first thing Cas had said, he twisted his neck around to see Cas frowning at him, his head tilted adorably to one side (yeah, he thought it, so what?).

“Isn’t it obvious? He misses you.”

Dean just blinked stupidly. “Huh?”

Cas huffed and walked forward to stand at his side. Somehow he knew not to walk in front of him and obscure his view of the clearing, but instead stayed a solid presence next to him. Cas was good like that, Dean thought, he just knew things so they didn’t have to be said; he understood in the quiet kind of way that meant more to him than he could ever express, but he was pretty sure Cas knew that too. Still, sometimes he toyed with the idea of saying it aloud.

“He misses spending time with you,” Cas clarified. “You took him fishing once, let him drive your car, taught him how to fire a gun and got him hooked on those horror films you like. He loves you, Dean, and he hates that he hurt you.”

Dean looked down then, and he dug the toe of his boot into the soft dirt. “Oh.”

A comforting weight landed on his shoulder and he didn’t need to look up at the sudden touch. Somehow, Cas had become a safe person even to his subconscious. He didn’t know when that had happened, honestly he tried not to look too closely at it, but he’d arrived at a place now where he could admit to himself, however briefly, that he really, really liked that it had.

“You’re his father too, Dean. Just as much as and me and Sam. You know that, right?

Dean shrugged the shoulder Cas wasn’t touching, not wanting him to remove his hand. “I was thinking of myself more like the fun uncle,” he said, trying to keep his tone light through the ball in his throat.

“No you weren’t.” Cas said, soft but firm, not letting Dean joke his way out of this. Which, actually, he was okay with. Cas always knew how far he could push, how far Dean needed to be pushed. Even when Sam couldn’t get the balance right, Cas always could. Still, he wouldn’t be Dean if he didn’t try.

“Prove it,” he said, flashing a grin at the angel, who merely rolled his eyes and let his hand drop. Suddenly, he was the one toeing at the grass, a hint of pink on his cheeks.

“I’ve missed you too,” he said. “For what it’s worth.”

“I’m right here.” Dean said, and then it was too late to take it back, because this wasn’t how the conversation was supposed to go. He was supposed to make another joke, a playful jab, not admiring the way the freckles of sunlight through the trees highlighted the chestnut in Cas’ hair, nor heeding the gentle warmth in his belly that only happened around Cas, nor stepping forward to place his own hand on Cas’ shoulder because he needed the contact, he needed to be grounded in these last few moments before he fucked everything up, again, and that pleasant warm feeling was beginning to twist into panic.

But then Cas met his eyes and he breathed again, even though the look in them was melancholy.

“You haven’t been,” he said. “You’ve been avoiding me as well. Or, not avoiding but you’ve been different. I wonder if perhaps you’re unable to forgive me either, but too kind to say so.”

Dean almost snorted. He was a lot of things, some of them even good, but kind wasn’t even in the top fifty. Cas gave him a look that said he knew what he was thinking and not to respond to it, so instead he pushed through his instinct and went with pure honesty.

“I can’t forgive you because I never blamed you, Cas, not really. I was just lashing out because… I dunno, because I expect more from you than I should, I guess. And it’s not fair, I know that, I just… I’m used to you fixing things, and I don’t know what to do when you can’t. And you left because I was being a dick and I can’t blame you for that. I can’t be mad because I let you slip away.”

Cas’ expression shifted then, and it was only that moment that Dean realised they were standing so close. One of Dean’s hands gripped at the arm of that damned coat and Cas was so close that he could probably—fuck—he could probably see the small tracks his tears had made. Dean was so close that he could make out the hope in Cas’ eyes, and for the first time, he wasn’t scared shitless at the sight of it. Or at least, he wasn’t so terrified that he could let Cas slip away again.

“I’m right here,” Cas echoed.

“We could be something.” Dean said, his voice a very unattractive croak, well aware that talking about this shit was so far from his wheelhouse it had a different zip code. His breath hit a few errant hairs on Cas’ forehead and they flinched in rhythm to the slight bump at the crest of each inhale where their chests nudged together. “If, you know, if you wan—”

Cas was already kissing him.

[twilightofthe]

@nerdgatehobbit Hey! Thanks for the question! Ik you asked this to my main but imma respond on my SW blog if that’s okay?

So whew that’s a big question. Do I honestly think that Dave kept Obi Wan and Padmé and then Anakin and Satine from interacting in the TCW show because they didn’t want shipping wars?

(Remember, these are all just my personal opinions. I do me and you do you!)

Short version? Yes and no. Long version? Under the cut because I can never shut up.

Firstly, I don’t wanna say this was all Dave’s decision. He was one of the top guys in charge of TCW, yes, but he was far from the only one, there was an entire creative team working on the project, and during the time of TCW’s original six seasons Lucasfilms was not owned by Disney yet and George Lucas himself had a very large amount of creative control over the entire show. So I don’t really think it’s fair at all to point fingers at any choices the show made and go “yep that’s completely 100% Dave’s fault alone”.

I also don’t quite think they were concerned about shipping wars in the way ATLA had them. Avatar’s shipping wars were so absolutely toxically rancid that they legit drove me right out of that fandom. I’m still hesitant to come back during the current renaissance because of them. Star Wars, prior to the Sequel Trilogy, never had shipping wars close to that calibre of pure nastiness. The fandom was a godawful cesspool that fought to the death on most aspects of the franchise, this has always been true, but shipping, if I’ve read right, was somehow never really one of those hot button issues within fandom. I don’t think Lucasfilms kept the Clone Wars four apart because they were afraid of fans fighting over ships.

That being said, Lucasfilms HAS always been Very Strict on how they want their characters to be seen, romantic-wise, way back to when they would terrorize Original Trilogy slash shippers back in the 80’s and 90’s with threats of legal action. It’s part of why they were Very Firm in their insistence that they had absolutely nothing to do with all the Luke/Mara Jade EU stuff. You either abided by LF’s canonical romances or not at all in their world. So yes, in the case of Obi Wan and Padmé, I absolutely think the writing team’s decision to keep the pair of them apart was almost entirely so fans didn’t ship them together.

Why do I think this? Because there is no other rational reason why Obi Wan and Padmé haven’t had a single second of screentime in TCW that hasn’t had either Anakin or Satine also in the room as a buffer. Not when Revenge of the Sith EXPLICITLY portrays their relationship as relatively close friends who care about each other. So nope, I genuinely think the show just doesn’t want the fans to consider any other relationship for Padmé besides Anakin.

But why would they do this just to her and Obes? Obi Wan and Padmé both have other friends of different genders, why don’t they worry about us shipping THEM? Well for Obi Wan’s case, it can be excused that he flirts with everyone, so we’re conditioned to think that it’s never anything serious, and none of the other characters are married to the main character of the series. This is entirely because of Padmé’s position. Yes, she has other male friends, but either they’re nonhuman and not conventionally attractive so the series doesn’t see them as a threat, they’re Clovis, who they actively show Anakin going into a jealous fit over, or they’re Bail, who can be excused by the fact that he’s already married and also because he’s never actively shown as in competition with Anakin for anything, so he’s not threatening either.

Obi Wan, on the other hand, is a major threat to Anidala in the show’s eyes. They already constantly make a point to compare him and Anakin in almost every opportunity. Which is strange, the show’s decision to force them into the role of narrative foils to each other when in the movies that isn’t the case at all— Obi Wan is much more of a foil to Sidious and Anakin’s foil is Luke —but yeah, the show very often has Obes and Ani going through similar situations with competing viewpoints— ESPECIALLY their canon romances, and I won’t rant about how the show’s attempted Anidala and Obitine parallels fall apart under scrutiny right now but if yinz want the rant sometime let me know.

Obi Wan also has the canonical ability to charm the pants off of literally everyone he meets. Nearly everyone in canon is in love with him, 80% of the fandom at least is in love with him, and I KNOW most of the crew was in love with him too. Anakin, on the other hand, has a very abrasive personality and is much easier to dislike. The show was ALREADY terrified of the fans not liking or wanting to root for Anakin to the point that they reworked his entire personality to make him more palatable to his critics from the movies. Plus, Obidala fans already existed! Since the first and second PT movies, a big group of people already shipped these two because they already thought Obi Wan was a preferable match to Padmé than Anakin. The studio did not want to encourage this.

So yes, I think it was a combination of the show’s tendency to already try and get the fans to compare Obi Wan to Anakin for everything else plus their insecurity in Anakin’s image and likeability as it was, that they did Not want the handsome charming not-future-evil guy around the leading lady and threatening her canon romance by existing as a possibly better option. So Obi Wan and Padmé got no stories together, just kinda throwing the opening ROTS left them in the garbage ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The worst part is, there is so many potential places in TCW where Obi Wan and Padmé could talk to each other, like during her investigation into her friend’s murder, during the Clovis arc, bits during the Malevolence arc, the earlier Naboo crisis arcs, even the one time where she’s just hosting a damn party and wants to invite her friends gahhhhhhhh

Anakin and Satine, I also think yes, but this is also a case of half and half because Satine isn’t nearly as major a character as the other three are, and out of the nine episodes she appears in, she only has more than a singular line in seven of them, and out of those seven, only two of them aren’t revolves entirely around building her relationship with Obi Wan. So really, there is a defence for the writers here in noting that there’s not as much room to explore Satine’s character as it is, let alone trying to shoehorn in a scene with Anakin.

Except no, I’m not gonna give them that defence because in the two episodes where she only has a speaking line or less— Obi Wan’s funeral and the Ahsoka and Lux meet Death Watch ep —I can already easily think of ways she and Anakin could have really meaningful interactions in them both. Y’all have already heard my bit on how they could have a real important conversation at the funeral, but y’all HAVEN’T seen my idea for a rewrite of the Carlac ep where it’s a two-parter, Anakin comes with Ahsoka and Padmé to the negotiations on Mandalore, and it ends up with a subplot of Anidala chasing after Ahsoka and Lux with Satine as the put-upon third wheel and we get foreshadowing to Satine being Bo Katan’s sister, so when the reveal happens the next season it actually means something.

So yeah, it was partially because of timing constraints, but it was also DEFINITELY in part because they didn’t want Satine being shipped with Anakin— which ppffffft, if they were brave enough to actually try writing these two in a conversation in-character, they’d understand how much of a not-worry this would be xD —because the show is set on the fact that despite maybe there being other flings at some point, Obi Wan and Satine are each other’s one true tragic love (Or, at least Obi Wan is Satine’s. He’s always had more freedom and decision than she has in this narrative, and that’s always kinda bugged me). So, that means Satine can’t interact with any men unless they’re gonna betray her trust and try to kill her by the end of the episode, because the show needs Obi Wan to have a loyal, steady, good girlfriend because he is a good man.

(And yes, before anyone says it, I have heard the more unpleasant rumors behind why exactly Obi Wan was given a girlfriend in the show, but as I’ve yet to see any official proof of them besides fandom salt, I’m not gonna spread them because those are hefty accusations to throw around).

So yeah, Satine can’t talk to Anakin partially because time constraints, but also because she isn’t allowed to talk to any other nice men besides Obi Wan and her son (no I don’t particularly like the Korkie Kenobi thing, but it is blatantly obvious that that is what the show was implying and I’m not gonna pretend otherwise), and Obi Wan and Padmé can’t talk to each other entirely because the show saw Obidala as a threat to Anidala.

Again, just my opinions and things I noticed, y’all are more than free to disagree and discuss with me.

[sufferingink]

Mixed up Miraculous AU Part3: flaws

a lot of my problems with the current show stem from characters not having flaws, or at least flaws that cause long standing issues throughout episodes. Marinette herself is a pretty good example of this to me, because her flaws are treated more like funny quirks that come up very little. Like with her almost kissing a wax statue because it looked like Adrien, haha so... so funny. so because no one asked for it, I’m going to write a full post detailing the flaws of some characters. (note: started writing this before the specials came out. might be irrelevant now)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (the big one)

So you know how in canon, marinette tripping over something or walking into a wall is a gag that’s in like a grand total of 12 scenes per season? and that’s considered one of her major flaws??? It’s not! But I’m going to dial it up a bit so the contrast between civilian and superhero is incredibly obvious!! This makes her the one that’s the most cautious but also the one that can wave away injuries the easiest.

One of the more fleshed out aspects of her character is that she is always losing arguments. That sounds weird. It’s more like the reason behind why she loses them is fleshed out. Most of the people she argues with are very good at make people believe they gave them evidence when they really just handed them hot air. Marinette knows what they’re saying isn’t true, but is so lost in anger that she doesn’t even provide hot air. It makes her seem like she just expects people to believe her because she’s... Marinette. the goody two shoes(have you seen how much stuff she’s stolen?). the one that never lies (or is at least semi-okay at it). It’s kind of rude to have the belief that everyone should believe you because you’re you, but that’s kind of always how it goes in hidden role games sooooo... maybe she’ll be fine.

BURNOUT!!yay. marinette is constantly signing onto new projects and throughout this hypothetical series you could see it take a toll on her. she becomes irritable and her anxiety goes through the roof. Pumilio jumps from rooftops half asleep. It worries everyone around her. She is near constantly complaining about her workload but has convinced herself that taking even a day to recharge is being lazy

she carries around fabric and buttons everywhere. just kind of does, for some reason. Jumpp doesn’t care so..

something something kissing a wax statue because it looks like your crush isn’t cute it just makes you look creepy. 

fuckin’ BAMBOOZLED by automatical doors, apparently.

Adrien Agreste

This kid has SO many trust issues and anxieties. He’s constantly aware that everyone trying to get close to him might just be doing it for fame (that’s why he’s more comfortable as a superhero. not much fame you could get from that). He’s constantly aware of his own appearance because he doesn’t want to upset his father. He worries that someday his friends will realize how much of a disaster he is and just... leave. Of course, he has to hide all of this (”worry wrinkles are bad for business”).

This dude can’t properly sit still to save his life. Not necessarily a flaw and more a character trait I guess? That’s why he looks so sad at homeschool. He wants to socialize, sure, but he also wants to climb a damn tree.

(this is one specific to this au) When the group discover the cat miraculous, Adrien was hesitant to take it. Pollen was one of his friends, and the only one he could really talk to about everything. Not to mention Pollen’s own worries, as most of their holders gave them up to become something different. he still took it, because the reasoning was sound and he had no real reason to deny it. But he never properly activated it. He didn’t want Pollen to feel like they were getting replaced.

He lets people off the hook far too easily. Doesn’t want the anger.

Alya Cesaire

For a reporter, she jumps to conclusions far too quickly. Barest amount of evidence and she will go reveal it to the world without even checking the sources (tip: check your sources. I can’t believe i have to say it). That being said, I do like the idea of her slowly piecing together the heroes’ identities. Like at the end of the first season,she makes a small comment about how much Adrien looks like Abeille and there’s little hints that she may be figuring it all out.

Gets frustrated with her friends easily because she knows they’re hiding something but she can’t tell what. Stupid AND terrible at lying? unacceptable.

kind of sort of really used to justifying invading other people’s privacy. She... really shouldn’t be doing that. stop, please.

Alya can’t ever force herself to do something. If she doesn’t like the work she’s given, she will either choose something adjacent to it, or will just straight up ignore it. Makes her grades suffer and her confidence in herself plummet

Nino Lahiffe

This kid just might be the most stable one here. He doesn’t overwork himself, he finishes his work on time, he’s relatively steady on his feet. but where everyone in his class is famous to some extent, nino just... isn’t. the most impressive thing he’s ever done is win an obviously rigged game show. He jealous, most days. When Marinette hands out free croissants, he’s thinking about how much he would have to pay for just one. When Alya’s complaining about how few people liked her posts, nino’s remembering the day where he finally hit 1k. Everytime Chloe uses her father’s influence for something petty, he remembers listening to his parents sob about not being able to afford their tiny apartment. he keeps it to himself.

He highkey feels like an outsider in his own life. (this might be triggering, I’ll put a funny summary at the end) Like maybe one day, he’ll wake up and everything will be perfectly fine without him. Pavonine will still be there, his friends, his family... none of them would ever even notice if he just sat in bed forever. Duusuu would probably notice and try to cheer him up, which would only make it worse.(hey, did I say the end? I meant right here. summarizing two sentences: Nino may or may not have depression. Duusuu may or may not be accidently making it worse.) Ironically, these days come most often when people notice him the most. Adrien straight up hands him four duct taped lunchables because Nino mentioned ants got into his food. Alya jokingly accuses him of being Pavonine for her blog (”He wears a SUIT, dude,” is really the only evidence he gives for it not being him. this somehow works). SOMEONE filled his locker paper frogs and Shrek Devito strickers (real thing. i have one on my desk). No one’s as surprised as he is when Mme. Bustier agrees to put them on well written papers.

kind of overbearing when it becomes to groups, but doesn’t like being the leader.

has this really terrible cough, hmmm I woNDER WHERE THAT CAME FROM.

Tikki (Kwami)

Gods, no matter how small and cute, work in absolutes. Their moral standing is no different. Tikki has particularly strong moral compass, and pretty much never sways in her belief. if her holder tries to use a lie she deems unnecessary, she will use her hold over them to voice her opinion in a less than savory manner (she’s a god, and she’s basically been in lockdown for one hundred years. She’s allowed to have a bit of a disconnect from what hurts)

Plagg (Kwami)

You know how in the last one I basically said that all Kwamis are all somewhere in the Good alignment? Plagg’s a straight up Chaotic Neutral. He wants his owners (and tikki) to be happy, but he’s only there for that. will happily leave as people stop yelling at him. He doesn’t hurt his holders, but he is very sarcastic.

Pollen (Kwami)

Very loyal, very quickly. they find their group and protect them to their final breath. Their holders tend to be offered better Miraculous and leave Pollen in the dust. They take this very personally, and refuse to work with that holder ever again. These holders have... not great endings, but Pollen refuses to feel guilt. 

Duusuu (Kwami)

they basically have no control over their emotions, and tend to increase their holders emotions. More recently, their Miraculous has broken, and infects their host with some sort of strange sickness. They’re so determined to spot any symptoms that they miss their current holder’s worsening mental health.

Jumpp (Kwami)

They have gone so long without everything that they cling to it so tightly that they restrict change. When your holder very much needs a change, there’s tension. They try to force their holder to stay transformed, so they don’t throw away their miraculous.

[herocentral]

Possible Hero 6

Authors notes: Chapter 9 is done folks, worked on it all day yesterday and finished it this morning, I think thats a new personal writing record. Anyway enjoy

Kim Possible & Big Hero 6 (c) Disney

Chapter 9: Countdown to Catastrophe  PT2

On the campus of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology at the Ito Ishioka Raobotics lab the young genius Hiro Hamada was hard at work on his secret project. 

In his lab lay the recently completed energy amplifier that was sitting inside a scanner as it flowed with purple energy. Hiro looked over the device with anticipation as he continued the test. He wasn’t alone however the Tweebs Jim and Tim Possible were also present, as from their sister they learned what Hiro was up to and decided they wanted in on it fortunately Ann already asked Hiro if he could look after the boys since Kim was busy with the others. Which Hiro was more than happy to encourage younger geniuses such as himself. 

“Whoa that looks awesome!” Tim said looking at the device. 

“Because it is awesome.” Hiro said as he rolled his chair over to his computer opposite the scanner and typed on the keyboard.

 Baymax was walking over Hiro then moved his chair back to the scanner then back to the computer again and so on and so fourth whilst the computer screen was measuring the energy output of the amplifier. Hiro and the tweebs looked at the diagram to see the results. 

“Okay if my math is right the results from this energy amplifier should be off the charts.” Hiro said looking over the chart on his computer seeing the levels were optimal. 

“Looking good so far.” Tim said. “The results appear to be on the chart.” Baymax said as the three geniuses looked at the inflatable robot confused.

“Uh dude you know thats an expression  right?” Jim pointed out to which Baymax just blinked. 

“Yeah and I meant incredibly amazing.” Hiro said as he went over to the amplifier followed by the tweebs and Baymax. 

“Oh.” Baymax said as he waddled over. Hiro took out the amplifier ready for its next test. 

“Now I just need to test it before showing it off at Open House.” Hiro explained as he activated it. 

“Man we should have brought our rocket packs!” Tim said 

“Yeah that would be awesome to amplify their power!” Jim agreed. 

“Uh no guys whilst a good idea we’re going to start small.” Hiro said as he pulled out his phone which was extremely low on power. 

“Only one percent if my modifications work no overload this time.” He hopped as he placed the phone on the amplifier and it began to glow and as it did the energy began rising. 

“Hey it’s working!” Tim exclaimed. “Good good,” Hiro said liking the progress of the charging battery. and thankfully no overload occurred. 

“Huh.” Hiro breathed amazed. “Look it’s working.” 

“Sweet!” Jim agreed. However Baymax saw differently as the humming noise from the phone got louder and louder.

“Yes it is also about to combust.” He said as the phone began smoking overcharging the battery Hiro and the Tweebs stepped back with caution. 

“ammonium phosphate is required.” Baymax explained as he used the fire extinguisher in his finger to put out the nearly destroyed phone. 

“We’re those results off the charts?” Baymax asked. 

“Slightly.” Hiro said a little disappointed he hadn’t cracked the overload part yet.

“Slightly it was way off the charts!” Tim exclaimed “HUSHA!” The twins agreed as they high fives. 

“We are so building an amplifier of our own when we get home!” Tim said. 

“Yeah imagine the supercharged rockets we could build even boots our other stuff too!” Jim agreed. 

“Whoa whoa hold up guys whilst it’s good to be enthusiastic I think an energy amplifier maybe too advanced for you guys.” Hiro advised. 

“Huh don’t know where that came from?” He then wondered. 

“I detect Professor Granville approaching.” Baymax said getting Hiros attention as he quickly hid his energy amplifier as he didn’t want Granville to know about his secret project.

“I estimate she will be here in two…” “Mr Hamada.” Granville said opening the lab doors just as Hiro hid it behind his back.

“…Seconds or less” Baymax finished and Granville noticed the two Possible brothers in the lab with Hiro and Baymax. 

“May I ask what they are doing here in this lab?” Granville asked. 

“Uh well Professor Granville you see uh…” Hiro tried to explain. 

“Our mom asked Hiro to watch us because Kim was busy this afternoon.” Tim explained. “Yeah and we heard about his final project and thought we’d learn a lot from a robotics wiz.” Jim added. 

“Yeah yeah thought Jim and Tim could learn a lot from seeing things in the robotics trenches if they wanted to enrol here someday heh.” Hiro finished with an innocent smile. 

“This seems like an inconvenient time to be taking on young protege’s Mr.Hamada.” Granville noted and then noticed her students burnt out phone. 

“What happened to your phone?” She asked. “Krei tech heh you know.” Hiro said innocently. 

“I do, they’re trash.” Granville then said as Tim hid the amplifier in Hiro’ hood. 

“However, I’m here to discuss your final project.” Granville said with some serious tone. 

“I’m just um, still, kicking around a few ideas,” Hiro said trying to hide his secret project. 

“This is no time for idea fooseball!” Granville explained. “The open house is tomorrow.” She then reminded but noticed that her student was in fact hiding something.

“Are you hiding something Mr Hamada?” She tried to look behind his back but Hiro kept moving to avoid her seeing what was in his hoodie.

“Professor Granville I am shocked.” Hiro breathed in shock. “After all we’ve been through?” 

“Yeah what would he have to hide?” Tim asked helping him.Baymax managed to come between them and Granville before anything else happened. 

“Professor.” Baymax said. “The sound of your grinding teeth indicates stress.” He then diagnosed. 

“Our boy genius is on the verge of failing.” Granville said with her hand on her hips, “and he is clearly hiding something from me so yes I am a little stressed.” She was trying to get past but Baymax kept blocking her path.

“Would you like a hug?” Baymax asked with open arms quite literally. 

“I would not.” Granville said as she was backing out of the room. 

“Next time we talk Mr. Hamada I expect results!” She then called out as she left the room leaving the four in the lab. 

“Man she is relentless!” Jim said, “You have no idea.” Hiro agreed as he pulled out the amplifier from his hood. 

“Well, she wants results.” Hiro activated his amplifier and it glowed with energy. “Lets give her some results.” He said confidently as he turned to the twins. 

“You in?” Hiro asked. “Hica bica boo.” Tim said “Husha” Jim added. “We’re in!” They then said together.

Gogo’s Apartment

Late that very night on the far side of town, the shadiest part of the city Gogo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Kim were gathered in Gogo’s apartment. 

Gogo sat at the table and looked over the wax cylinder that Wasabi, Honey and Ron recovered in Shimamoto’s lab. 

“So you just took this?” Gogo asked holding the cylinder. Honey Lemon meanwhile was placing the gramophone they ‘borrowed’ from Baron Von Steamers lair onto the kitchen table, as Wasabi moved a plant pot out of the way.

“We left a lot of notes.” Honey said “And wiped everything down.” Wasabi added. 

“To erase your finger prints?” Gogo questioned in a knowing tone. 

“No just to tidy up.” Wasabi said wiping the table with a cloth whilst Honey Lemon was smiling. 

Gogo just shrugged at this point. “So are we going to play it or what?” She asked. 

“EEE This is soo exciting!” Honey squeaked with joy. “Say where’s Ron thought he’d be here to see this since he did help us find it?” Honey asked. 

“Oh yeah he said he had plans with Fred.” Kim pointed out whilst looking over the Kimmunicator. 

Honey just shrugged and moved to insert the wax cylinder into the gramophone. 

“For the first time ever, Linore Shimamoto in her own words.” She said as she turned the gramophone handle turning it on. Kim decided to listen in just for general interest. 

However when it played the words couldn’t be made out it was just a scrambled message. This was confusing to everyone. 

“Are we sure those are words?” Gogo wondered. “Maybe it’s some kind of code?” Kim guessed.

“Hm somethings not right.” Honey took a closer look at the gramophone. 

Wasabi then closely examined the wax cylinder and instantly gagged as he clearly saw what the problem was. 

“ ‘Blech’ This is nasty!” He whispered as Gogo looked at the cylinder and determined the cause as well. 

“Yeah a hundred years of dirt and dust will do that.” She said. 

“Good thing I bought my detergency kit.” Wasabi began unlocking a grey briefcase that had password locks and biometric scanners which were unlocked by his hand print. Inside was a vast collection of cleaning materials all organised and maintained. 

“The key is to have the proper tool for the job.” Wasabi said looking among his tools whilst Kim was all but perplexed.

“You really need all that security for this stuff?” She questioned whilst looking over her Kimmunicator. 

“Hey can’t be too safe Kim.” Wasabi pointed out. 

“Ah” He then pulled out a small motorised brush from one of the compartments. 

“I knew the humming bird would come in handy one day.” He said. 

“Oh we have to have it ready for the open house tomorrow.” Honey said with some concern. 

“The Humming bird Honey Lemon, tiny but mighty.” Wasabi explained as he turned on the humming bird brush and applied it to the cylinder and just like that huge clouds of dust began pouring off it. 

“Impressive.” Gogo admitted, and everyone looked rather surprised, was Gogo actually giving a compliment. 

“What I’m being sincere.” Gogo said. 

“Really?” Wasabi said. “Don’t think I’ve seen you sincere before?” Kim agreed.

“Well not completely, like eighty percent.” Gogo said and everyone just gave questioning looks. 

“Thats really not bad Wasabi.” Honey Lemon admitted putting a hand on Wasabi’s shoulder. “Right Kim?”

However Kim was too occupied looking something over on her Kimmunicator which she had been doing all evening. 

“Kim?” Wasabi asked but no response and so Gogo proceeded to slam her hand on the table which immediately got the red headed teens attention. 

“Huh what what?” Kim said rather startled.

“You okay?” Gogo asked. “Yeah you seem kinda distracted.” Wasabi noticed. “Plus you’ve been looking over that thing of yours all evening since you got here.” 

“Is this because of our failed plan at Krei tech?” Honey asked. “Cause if it is don’t worry I’m sure we’ll catch Shego and figure out what she and Obake are up to.” 

“No no it’s not that.” Kim explained and took a deep sigh as it was time to share what she was thinking but she was afraid to. 

“What do you guys think about Professor Granville?” She asked openly which was more than a surprise to everyone else. 

“What do you mean?” Honey asked. “I mean do you think she’s capable of hiding something, something she doesn’t want anyone else to know about.” Kim explained. 

“Oh boy.” Gogo said pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look Kim, Hiro was suspicious of Granville too especially when he found out she taught at SFIT before he enrolled.” She explained. “and when he was looking into her turns out she was working on security drones for the school.” 

“No it’s more than that,” Kim explained as she stood up and paced the room. “Hiro proposed creating an energy amplifier for his final project but Granville said no.” 

“So whats so suspicious about that?” Wasabi asked. 

“Its the way she said it, the tone in her voice indicated that she had been through this once before and not in a good way.” Kim then explained. 

“Well maybe if you ask her about…”  “I did Honey Lemon but she shut the door on that conversation, and when I asked her if any of her other students approached energy amplification she said no.” Kim interrupted Honey. “But I could tell she was lying.” 

This had gotten the groups attention why would Granville their trusted dean lie about something, especially if it concerned a certain project.

“Thats not all, take a look at this.” Kim placed her Kimmunicator on the table and pressed a button to show a hologram of the screen she was looking at it was the SFIT student database. 

“Whoa since when did Wade go holo-screens?” Wasabi asked. 

“I asked Wade to do some checking in the SFIT database and it turns out one of her students did approach an energy amplifier before.” Kim said as she brought up the file. “A student named Bob Aken, but when Wade tried accessing the file it was sealed and required administrative access.” 

“And the only person who would have that kind of access…” Gogo theorised “Would be a university Dean, namely Professor Granville” Kim confirmed. She then moved the holo screen to an article about an accident at SFIT. 

“Wade also found a newspaper article relating to an accident at the robotics lab claiming that an accident with one of the professors experiments sent a student to the hospital” Kim explained  “which coincided with Aken’s leave of absence from SFIT sometime after.” 

“Kim what are you saying?” Gogo asked. 

“I know a cover up when I see one, Granville’s hiding something.” Kim then started to wonder. “and I have a bad feeling it’s somehow connected to Obake.” 

“But how?” Honey asked. “Yeah it doesn’t make any sense?” Wasabi agreed, Kim then came to a decision about what to do next.

“Thats what I intend to find out.” She deactivated the Kimmunicator holo screen, picked it up and left the apartment. 

“Where are you going?” Gogo asked. “To make an office call.” Kim replied and she left. 

Back at SFIT: ITO ISHIOKA ROBOTICS LAB

Meanwhile Hiro, Baymax and the Tweebs were in the hallway standing in front of a vending machine full of snacks and treats. 

“These snacks are un healthy.” Baymax analysed as Hiro prepared his energy amplifier for the next test. 

He placed the amplifier onto the vending machine and as it began supercharging it Hiro and the twins took cover behind Baymax as they pulled him away in case anything went wrong. All of a sudden a packet of chips came flying out of the machine and smashed open above Hiro’s head who screamed as the chips exploded onto his hair. 

“Whoa!” Tim said amazed “And dangerous.” Baymax added. They looked to the machine and it started firing out snacks at them like a machine gun gone wild. 

“TAKE COVER!” Jim exclaimed as they all hid behind Baymax and they used him as a shield to get closer to the machine as it fired more and more snacks at them Hiro reached for the amplifier and removed it shutting it down. 

“Whew.” He breathed in relief. 

“Man I’ve heard of snack attacks but this really takes the cake!” Tim said pulling a chip out of his hair. 

“Its still over loading things with the charge.” Hiro said rather disappointed. 

“Well Hiro maybe the problem is we’re still thinking too small, small devices have a small charge.��� Jim suggested. 

“Yeah hence why they keep overcharging things and causing the overloads.” Tim agreed. 

“So we need to test it on something big enough to handle the power surge.” Hiro guessed. 

“Yep pretty much.” Jim and Tim said in unison. “Wow you guys sure pick up quickly.” said and impressed Hiro.

However they first needed to find something big enough for the test where would they find that? Then as if on cue. 

“Hiro!” everyone turned to see Fred, Ron and Rufus at the end of the hallway open doors. 

‘I’ve gotta show you something and it cannot wa…” Fred then noticed how Hiro’s hair was coated photo chips. 

“Whoa! who over snacked the place?” Ron asked. “I mean if you guys were planning to raid the snack machines why didn’t you invite us Rufus is great at that?” 

Fred meanwhile started picking off the chips from Hiro’s hair and ate them. 

“Hm garlic fresh seriously my fav.” Fred said and Rufus hoped from Rons shoulder onto Freds then onto Hiro’s head and ate a chip from it. 

“Hmm yummy.” Rufus agreed. 

San Fransokyo Bay area harbour  

Soon they found themselves at the harbour where a lone seagull flew off from its perch. Heathcliff Freds butler had driven them down to the harbour to show them something. Fred had covered Hiro and Rons eyes whilst the tweebs and Baymax covered their own eyes. 

“Okay you can open your eyes” Fred said removing his hand as Hiro and crew opened their eyes and they saw something amazing standing before them. It was a large three eyed green coloured Kaju monster with darker green horns and a long spiked tail. 

“Whoa!, wait is that!” Ron said amazed. “Yep behold my friends Kantuki Kaju 2.0!” Fred confirmed in excitement. 

“WHOOOOA!” the Tweebs said amazed.

“AWSOME I’ve seen that movie but the actual monster thats a level ten BOOYAH!” Ron gasped in excitement.

“YEAH!” Rufus agreed. “But wait didn’t you say you had one of these before and…” 

“I know I know the last one almost destroyed the city” Fred interrupted Ron. “But this one..” 

“Is perfect for my test.” Hiro said pulling out his energy amplifier from his hoodie and activated it. 

“Oh yeah!” Tim breathed amazed. 

“Hey whats that?” Ron asked. “Oh it’s my energy amplifier for my final project.” Hiro explained. 

“The one Granville told you not to work on?” Ron asked. 

“Yep, why?” Hiro asked. “Oh nothing besides nothing says amazing grade like a little rebellious student along the way, trust me dude I’ve been there.” Ron said. 

“I… don’t know what your talking about,” Fred said but last one into the dangerous monsters a rotten egg!” He then said in a child like tone.

“Oh yeah this rocks!” Tim said as he and his brother raced Fred over to the Kaju mech. 

“Rotten eggs can cause gastrula intestinal distress, it is also common that..” Baymax explained as they went over to the kaju. 

Soon everyone was on board in the cockpit wearing crash helmets just in case anything should happen. 

“Probably should warn you this might be a bad idea.” Hiro said activating the amplifier.

“Bad idea, you never said this was a bad idea!” Ron suddenly panicked. 

“Ron relax what could possibly happen.” Tim said assuringly. 

“Besides this is a bad Idea is my middle name!” Fred added. 

With that Hiro plugged in the amplifier and the control console lit up in purple lights engulfing the whole cockpit in a purple glow. The monster raised itself high and the cockpit doors which were also the eyes closed down and turned from yellow to purple. 

“Whoa!” The Tweebs said in amazement. However Hiro was looking a little worried as was Ron but Fred on the other hand was all but excited. He was about to reach for the lever until Hiro stopped him. 

“Lets just start slow.” Hiro insisted. “Right baby steps.” Fred agreed. 

“Oh come on Hiro, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.” Jim disagreed. 

“I’m good with baby steps.” Ron pointed out. “Uh huh uh huh me too.” Rufus agreed. 

With that Hiro carefully pushed the lever up to level one but.

“EsA…..YYYYY!” Suddenly the Kaju mech just took off into the sky with one massive jump taking off like a rocket into the sky. 

It hovered above the cloud bank and inside everyone was floating in the air Rufus quickly grabbed onto Rons shirt before. 

“Oh no.” Baymax and Ron said as the Kaju began crashing down to the ground and inside everyone was now flattened on the roof of the cockpit. 

“YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Ron screamed as they toppled down from the sky. 

“Hiro! your amplifier thingy rocks!” Fred exclaimed. 

“YEAH THIS IS AW…SOME!” Jim agreed

“I’m more concerned about our landing right now!” Hiro pointed out rather scared.

“That makes two of us!” Ron yelled terrified.

The kaju crashed into the bay with a very large splash and the water wave was heading for Heathcliff who prepared an umbrella for such an eventuality. The water splashed all over him and when it receded he had a squid on his face along with some seaweed and some sea creatures were scattered everywhere. 

In the cockpit of the Kaju mech Hiro deactivated the amplifier and unplugged it as he stood up. 

“Everyone okay?” Hiro asked. “There were no major injuries.” Baymax reports. 

“We’re good.” Tim called out. “Yeah let’s do that again!” Jim chuckled.

“Lets do it again!” Fred exclaimed before he fell to the floor rather dizzy not surprising after all the G-Force he took.

“Uhhh guys I don’t feel so..” Rons cheeks puffed up and he instantly vomited all over the place whilst Rufus just waddled around rather dizzy himself. 

SFIT The Robotics lab

Back at the robotics Lab Hiro looked at his amplifier with admiration he had done the impossible it was tested and ready to show.

“An and they said it was impossible.” Hiro said deactivating the energy amplifier and put it away in a cabinet draw. 

“It was off the charts.” Baymax agreed. 

“Yeah so off the charts!” Tim agreed also. “Yeah it’s already given me some ideas for our next project.” Jim added.

“Yeah guys totally off the charts, I can’t wait to see the look on Granville’s face.” Hiro said rather confident. 

“Hiro, it is approximately two minutes past Jim and Tims bed time.” Baymax reminded looking at his monitor clock with pictures of Jim and Tims faces next to it. 

“Oh yeah come on I’d best get you guys back to the hotel.” Hiro realised and so the three and Baymax walked out of the lab not before they turned out the lights in the lab. 

Elsewhere on campus:

Professor Granville was heading out of her office for the night picking up her purse and then exited her office switching off the lights and locking the door behind her. She then took her leave of the campus. 

Unknown to her however someone was waiting in the hallway dropping in from the roof was Kim Possible clad in her stealth suit and wore the visor from her armour. She knelt down to the door handle and used a pick to pick the lock on the door. It was unlocked and Kim entered the office but snuck in carefully to avoid the security cameras. 

“Okay Wade where would the student files be kept?” Kim tapped her visor activating the Kimmunicator. 

“They should be located in a cabinet at your 11 o’clock.” Wade relayed. 

Kim looked and saw a cabinet on the left hand side of Granville’s desk, she smiled and made her way over too it. Luckily thanks to the stealth suit she was able to blend in. She arrived at the cabinet and saw it needed an electronic key to unlock it. 

“Think you can hack this lock Wade?” Kim asked. “Ask and you shall receive.” Wade replied and using the visor link he was able to hack into the lock and deactivate it.

Kim opened the cabinet draw and looked in the file sections that were labeled alphabetically. She looked in the row marked B. 

“Okay Bob Aken, Bob Aken.” Kim said to herself and eventually she found the file she was looking for.

“Bingo.” She said as she pulled it out and looked at the contents she saw a photo attached with a paper clip of Professor Granville standing with said student with brown full out hair that looked rather puffy and wore a light coloured cardigan with an orange dress. 

“Whoa looks like Granville had a thing for crazy hair styles.” Kim commented. “And a cardigan a little retro?” 

She then looked under the photo and at Bob Aken’s enrolment record she saw a photo of him he had black grey hair and one side covered his left eye and had a trace of red in it, with pale skin and violet coloured eyes. He was listed as a gifted student who was passionate about his work. She then looked at his project records and what she found all but confirmed her suspicions. 

“So Aken was given access to the campus after hours in order to work on his projects, with Granville’s permission?” Kim analysed. Then her visor beeped the kimmunicator tone.

“Go Wade.” She answered. 

“Kim I’ve looked into the hospital records of the accident at Granville’s lab and it says some weeks after her leave of absence, her student fully recovered but hasn’t been heard from since.” Wade explained as he looked on his computer.

“So he’s a ghost story?” Kim guessed. “Bang on the nose.” Wade replied. 

Kim then began to think about what Hiro had told her about Obake and how he’s been acting from the shadows like a ghost and only showed himself during the incident involving a certain journal. She wondered could the two be connected somehow?

“But it looks like this ghost may not want to remain hidden any more.” Kim said out loud. 

“What?” Wade asked. 

“I don’t know yet, but we better keep our eyes open at the open house tomorrow, I’ve got a feeling whatever Obake’s plan is the Open house maybe the key.” Kim deduced as she put away the file and locked up the cabinet as if she was never there.

However there was a camera in the room and someone was watching on the other side it was a certain glowing faced man who watched with interest.

“Hm, seems I’ve underestimated her deductive skills.” Obake mused. 

The Lucky Cat Cafe: The Following Morning:

The day of the SFIT Open House had arrived and in the Lucky Cat Hiro’ aunt was treating him to a pancake breakfast with a smily face made from berries oranges and cream.

“You know it feel like yesterday when Tadashi was going to his first open house.” Cass said rather happy. “And now here you are, I’m so proud of you.” she gave her nephew a hug.

“Thanks Aunt Cass.” Hiro thanked. “I think your going to be impressed.” 

“I hope so, oh and the Possibles and Ron will be there as well the best way to spend their last few days of their trip before going home.” Cass explained. 

“Well let’s hope it’ll be one we won’t forget.” Hiro said as he began eating his pancakes. 

As Aunt Cass walks away Baymax’s scanner then sounds off an alert. 

“My scanner has detected.. Obake.” The mention of the word caused Hiro to choke on his pancakes in surprise as he spat it out.

“Whats an Obake?” Cass asked overhearing the conversation. 

“Uh Obake Hunt.” Hiro explained as he stood up from his seat and moved towards the exit. 

“Its a, it’s a game heh,” He pulled out his phone for empathise. “I gotta go catch me some Obake’s, Baymax let’s go.” Hiro said pushing Baymax to the door. 

However Cass looked at her nephew with a suspicious look she had never heard of this game called Obake’s not to mention Hiro was behaving strangely. Said nephew kept pushing Baymax through the door but got stuck and when he was free it caused Hiro to fall onto his back. 

“Good luck catching your Obake’s.” Cass just said waving goodbye. 

The Hotel:

Meanwhile the Possibles were up and about getting ready to leave for the SFIT Open House. James was tying his tie and Ann was putting her shoes on whilst the boys were just waiting in the living area. 

“Kimmie come on we’re going to be late for the open house!” Ann called. 

“Be right there!” Kim called back. 

“Boy I can’t wait to see what the next generation of scientists and robotisist’s will show today at this open house.” James said rather eagerly. 

“Yeah dad we’re gonna explore it too.” Jim said. “Yeah and maybe even try a few free samples.” Tim agreed. “Husha!” 

“Nice try boys you’ll be staying with us the whole time besides we’re also going to support Hiro and his friends.” Ann explained. 

In her room Kim had finished brushing her hair and wore a turquoise green shirt with black pants and indigo blue shoes, just as Ron came in wearing a green and white jersey and his normal brown pants. 

“KP lets go I don’t want to miss the open house.” Ron said.

“Ron its so not the drama we’ll..” Just then she heard the Kimmunicator sound off. 

“You know Wade has the worst timing.” Ron said. “Its not Wade.” Kim pointed out. 

“Hey Hiro whats the sitch?” Kim asked. 

“Kim its him! We’ve found Obake!” Hiro relayed and the two teens looked wide eyed in shock and Rufus just popped up out of Rons pocket. 

“What where is he?” Kim asked. 

“Baymax was running scans for Obake since we first met him and he just detected him in Night Market Square.” Hiro explained. 

“Thats a pretty far off side of town?” Kim wondered as she remembered that area from her tour of the city with Cass some time ago. 

“Yeah its the perfect place for a villain to hold up.” Ron pointed out. 

“But how was Baymax able to find him I thought he couldn’t scan for Obake?” Kim then asked. 

“I know thats what I thought too, but his scanning jammer maybe malfunctioning.” Hiro explained.

“And biometrics and vocal analysis match the readings from when we met, Obake.” Baymax added as he and Hiro were in an alley way not to far from the Lucky Cat Cafe.

“I don’t know Hiro, doesn’t seem a little weird that he shows himself now this smells like a trap.” Kim wondered. 

“Unless it’s a trap inside a trap.” Ron added. “Please don’t start that again.” Kim cut Ron off after hearing a reminder of the whole trap trap thing that resulted in being pulled into cable TV.

“Whatever it is this could be our one chance to catch Obake once and for all.” Hiro pointed out. 

“Yeah but dude what about the open house?” Ron reminded. “what about your final grade?”

“I know I know if I don’t show Professor Granville will fail me.” Hiro said. “But Tadashi always taught me to help even if it means putting me or my grade at risk, and theres no way I’m letting Obake escape again.” 

Kim took a moment to think about what was just said on the one hand this could indeed be the only chance they have to capture the mysterious Obake and find out his plans, but on the other hand this could be a trap luring them in. However she knew whatever it was they couldn’t let this villain run loose forever. 

“Okay find Obake.” Kim said “but I’m coming with you I’ll meet you in Night Market.” She decided. 

“Okay see you there.” Hiro said hanging up the call.

“Lets suit up KP.” Ron said. “Booyah!” Rufus agreed. 

“No Ron I need you at the open house just in case.” Kim said. “In case of what?” Ron asked. 

“In case this is a trap and if anything else should happen.” Kim said to which Ron nodded.

“Now all we have to do is explain the sitch to my parents.” Kim said as she pressed a button on the Kimmunicator calling the Sky-max unit. 

SFIT Open House:

The SFIT Open House was now in full swing the booths were up and the banners were hanging from the ceiling, and Professor Granville was looking everything over making sure everything was in place. 

She was walking over to the other booths when someone dressed in pink and purple with an orange coloured lab coat, green hair in pig tails and purple goggles jumped in front of her playing a song on a ukulele. 

“I love science fairs don’t you too Professor Granville? oooo.” Wendy Wower sung and was about to hug Granville but she avoided it. 

“So glad you could join us Doctor Wower.” Granville greeted. To which Doctor Wower shook her hand. 

“You know professor, you were the inspiration behind my TV character.” Wendy explained Professor Granville just looked at the good doctor and wondered how she could have been the inspiration for her former student.

“Hmm is that right?” She said simply. “Thats very flattering.” she then moved to inspect the other students booths.

Meanwhile Karmi was in her booth showing off one of her latest projects to Liv Amara one of the leading bio geneticists in San Fransokyo. She had blonde hair fair skin brown eyes and wore a red dress. 

“So you created an electric circuit inside the rose?” Liv asked just as Alister Krei was walking by. 

“I fill lysilum” Karmi explained. “with a conductive polymer” Liv said.  “wow Karmi this could give a whole new meaning to.” 

“Power plants.” The two then said and shared a laugh to which Krei also joined in but when they turned to see him he stopped laughing. Just then he recognised a familiar face. 

“Dr. James Possible this is a surprise.” He greeted as James only just noticed the Krei Tech CEO.

“Why Alister it’s been too long.” He said sharing a handshake. “I haven’t seen you since that space conference in Geneva last year.” 

“Was it last year I lose track of time, you know if only you considered my offer for Krei Techs space tech program we could have done great things.” Krei recalled. 

“Yes but if I recall you couldn’t find the trained pilots for said program.” James recalled. 

“Oh oh yes I remember, well enjoy the Open House.” Krei said as he left to look at the other booths.

James then saw the booth he and his family were looking for and saw a rather concerned looking Aunt Cass with a box of cakes waiting at her nephews booth labeled Hiro Hamada. Just out of stress she starts eating a cake. Just then she notices Gogo and Honey Lemon setting up their booths for their projects Gogo was hanging a picture up of Linore Shimamoto whilst Honey Lemon cleaned the presentation table. 

“Hey guys have you seen Hiro?” Cass asked as she came over and Fred was in his mascot costume sitting on a chair. 

“Oh he’s not here yet?” Honey asked. “He said he was going to meet us.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.” Fred added as he came over. 

“I think their right Cass.” as Ann came over to comfort her. 

“This is a big day for him he’s probably a little nervous.” She said covering up the real reason as her daughter explained.

“Yeah and you know he could be planning to make an entrance on his big day.” James also added. 

“Yeah like I saw in a film once.” Ron added. 

“Okay.” Cass decided. “Well anyone want a cupcake?” She then asked offering a box of cat shaped cupcakes.

“I do.” Jim and Tim said as they took one. “Awesome.”Gogo said 

“Thanks Aunt Cass” Honey lemon said as she Ron, Gogo, Fred, James, and Ann took one too and with one bite Ron all but enjoyed the taste of it.

“Man these are delicious reminds me of some I made back home.” Ron explained. “You cook Ron?” Gogo wondered. 

“Yeah I was even in charge of my home mech class back in Middleton, thats is until the Health inspector saw Rufus.” Ron explained.

“Oh sorry.” Rufus squeaked. 

Fred meanwhile was still trying to choose which cake to have. 

“Hm it’s not going to work.” So he basically took the whole box and poured the contents into his mouth all at once. 

“Dude thats awesome!” Tim said admiring Freds ingenuity. 

However everyone couldn’t help but notice Cass still looking a little worried about the absence of her nephew. And rightly so. 

“If Hiro keeps flaking he’s going to flunk out.” Gogo whispered to Honey Lemon and Ron. Then Honey noticed something someone else was absent too.

“Hey where’s Kim, shouldn’t she be here too?” She wondered. 

“Uh well she’s uh well probably setting up something for Hiro when he gets here.” Ron said. “Which he will, any second.” 

However Gogo wasn’t convinced she knew Ron was hiding something and decided to find out what.

“Okay Ron spill it where is Hiro really?” Gogo asked and Ron just smiled innocently. 

Meanwhile in Night Market Square:

A truck had just pulled up in front of what looked like a condemned shop and out of it was Kim armoured up in her mission gear/armour.

“Thanks for the ride Mac.” Kim thanked the driver. 

“Ah no problem Kim it’s the least I can do after you saved my shipment in San Diego last month.” The driver thanked.

“Ah no big one of the reasons I wear laced boots.” Kim thanked remembering that one mission. 

Just then Hiro and Baymax arrived armoured up too. Hiro climbed down off of Baymax and they greeted the teen hero.

“About time you guys got here.” Kim said. “Hey weren’t you only just arriving?” Hiro cracked as they turned their attention to the condemned shop.

“Nice hideout.” Hiro said rather curiously as he expected more.

“And here I thought this Obake guy would be another one of those based on an island in the middle of nowhere types.” Kim wondered. “Baymax are you sure he’s here?” 

“Scanning” Baymax begins a scan of the building then suddenly detects something. 

“Obake is inside.” Baymax relayed. 

“We better call the others.” Hiro suggested. 

“Hold on Hiro, we should probably hold off on that until we know for sure he’s inside.” Kim pointed out. “Besides I think they’re where they need to be.” 

“Whys that?” Hiro asked. “Just got a feeling thats all.” Kim simply said. 

“Obake is approaching the rear exit.” Baymax then relayed. 

“Your right we better go in now.” Hiro said as he approached the door. Kim however was a little uneasy not just about this sitch but about Baymax, as he’s usually on the side of caution. 

Hiro reaches the door and is about to open it.He turns to his comrades. “Its Hero Time!” Hiro said.

This left Kim with a blank look and a raised eyebrow whilst Baymax just blinked.

“Hiro, you do know that lines been taken right?” Kim pointed out. Which left Hiro with a defeated pout on his lip and a little ticked they didn’t like the catchphrase.

“Never mind, c come on.” Hiro said as they entered the building. 

Back at the Open House:

“WOW!” Fred exclaimed as he looked to see loads of people gathered including the Possibles were at Honey Lemons project booth. Ron had just informed them about what Hiro and Kim were doing so they decided to try and buy them some time. 

“Honey Lemon, look at all the big dogs who showed up for your final project.” Fred observed.

“Big dogs no don’t say that.” Gogo protested. “Why whats wrong with big dogs?” Ron questioned. 

“Yeah I like big dogs.” Fred protested. “Gogo who doesn’t like Big dogs?” 

“Yeah?” Rufus agreed but Honey Lemon was feeling a little worried as there was one piece of her project missing one that another absent someone was working on. 

“Wheres Wasabi with the Wax Cylinder?” She said rather worried.

“Don’t worry I’m sure he’s on his way.” Ann comforted. 

“Yeah I still want to know if it was worth me nearly getting..” Gogo elbowed Ron in the gut before he could say anything else. 

Just then Wasabi arrived working his way through the crowd carrying said wax cylinder. 

“Excuse me.” He said coming between Liv Amara and Professor Granville. 

Honey Lemon was all but glad to see Wasabi had made it in time with a freshly cleaned wax cylinder as he handed it to her. 

“Sorry it took so long.” Wasabi panted as he handed the shining cylinder to her. “I pushed the humming bird to its limit!” He whispered as the cylinder glistened in the light. 

“Ah thank you Wasabi.” Honey Lemon said giving her friend a hug before turning to the crowd. 

“You need better hobbies.” Gogo said after popping a bubble of gum. 

“She’s got you there dude.” Ron agreed. “Like you need a new hobby besides kick boxing.” He then groaned. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, for my final project I am unraveling the mystery of Linore Shimamoto’s secret work as a scientist.” Honey Lemon explained whilst Granville and Live looked at each other about the viability of the project. 

“I believe I have found the key.” Honey held up the wax cylinder. “A recording made by Lenore Shimamoto herself 

“Are you sure this is authentic?” Granville questioned just to be sure. 

“Uh huh it was hidden in her lab, I believe she wanted a future generation to find it and now we have.” Honey explained as she loaded it into the gramophone. 

“We will be the first people to hear her speak in over a century.” Honey said excited as she wound up the gramophone and moved the horn in place as it began to play. 

“April 4th 1907.” Said the voice of Shimamoto and Granvile and Liv were more than surprised by this.

“If you are listening to this, then you have proven yourself clever enough to follow the clues I left.” Shimamoto said.

“Nerd power, for the win.” Wasabi said. “Booyah!” Rufus squeaked as everyone else looked excited however their optimism was short lived. 

“Undoubtedly, you have uncovered the diagram under my painting city rising.” 

A flashback showing Shimamoto hiding a strange looking diagram behind an old painting of San Fransokyo from that time period. 

“I preserved it for study only, do not let yourself be tempted by blind ambition.” Shimamoto then said. 

As the recording played everyone at the open house were listening closely at the mention of those words and some even looked with concern even Rufus hid in Rons pocket as he didn’t like the next bits. Nor did Liv or Granville.

“To recreate my work will lead you down a pitch dark path.” 

A flashback of Shimamoto building something in her lab that was made of cogs and gears she was using a welding torch to bring it all together. She then flicked the on switch on the wall next to her and watched with hopeful eyes to see if her creation was a success. 

“I built a machine, which I thought would create a source of unlimited power.” Shimamoto described. “However thats not what happened my experiment was responsible for…” 

The room then shook and everything was consumed in a bright light and the light faded to reveal San Fransokyo of old had been destroyed rendered to a baron wasteland. 

“…I am responsible for, the Great Catastrophe.” 

The very mention of that made people gasp in horror even more for James and Ann as the recording continued on its final message. 

“The destruction, the devastation.” Said an upset Shimamoto who was recording her final message. “I’m sorry, I’m so very sorry.” She broke down in tears as Honey Lemon stopped the gramophone from playing. 

However the damage was done everyone looked in shock and horror at what they just learned the scientist the very founder of the city was responsible for its destruction  so many years ago. Honey Lemon was completely frozen in shock and horror knowing her idol was responsible for the city’s destruction. 

“Hm you might want to put on a happier wax cylinder next time, oh maybe one with ray gay.” Fred suggested but no one said a word. 

“No way.” Ron breathed in shock. “Man am I glad KP wasn’t around to hear that.”  “I can’t believe it.” Ann said in horror. 

Back at Night Market:

The door of the condemned building opened and Hiro, Kim and Baymax stepped cautiously inside, they knew that Obake was here, but where was unclear as there are many shadows for scorpions to hide in. 

“Hiro I should take point just in case.” Kim suggested and Hiro nodded in agreement. So Kim took the lead. 

Suddenly they saw a light flicker at the end of the room and sitting at a table in the corner of the room was the very person they were looking for. 

“Obake!” Kim called. “Give it up Obake, theres nowhere to run.” Hiro called as Baymax stood behind them. 

“My dear Hiro why would I run.” Obake turned round to reveal he was part machine with exposed metal components. Something that would put even Metallo from Superman to shame.

“When I have you and Miss Possible exactly where I want you” 

“He’s a robot?” Kim exclaimed. “No it’s not the real Obake!” Hiro exclaimed realising this was a trap. 

Suddenly the imposter extended his arm and pushed Baymax into the support pillars one by one and he crashed to the ground. 

“Oh no!” Baymax looked up and saw the roof where he was crash down on him Kim covered Hiro to protect him from the debris, the smoke cleared to reveal him buried. 

“Baymax!” Hiro called. 

The imposter then extended his other arm and tried to grab Hiro but Kim pushed him out of the way just in time. Kim quickly got up and ran towards the robot, and it attacked with its arms and she performed a tipple flip to avoid them. 

Hiro was moving fast too to avoid the robots attacks from below and above moving him to the left side of the room. He managed to duck underneath the robots hand. 

This distracted the robot long enough for Kim to get in close and perform a flying swing kick on the robots head knocking him down . 

“Hiro Now!” Kim called. Hiro used his magnetic glove to grab hold of the robots arm and tried to hold him still. Kim then joined him in holding the robot in place. 

“Baymax Rocket fist!” Hiro called. “let go!” Kim said as they released the arm and it flung right back into robot Obake’s face. 

Baymax freed his left arm and fired his rocket fist at the robot and hit him dead in the head knocking out the robots power. 

“Baymax are you okay?” Kim asked “My damage is minimal.” Baymax replied as his hand returned to him. 

“Thank you for playing.”  said the robot and it dropped to the ground and caught fire. 

“I should have known it was a fake, we’ve been had.” Kim deduced. 

“But I don’t get it?” Hiro wondered. “Baymax why’d the bot confuse your scanners?” He then asked Baymax.

“I am uncertain.” Baymax replied. 

“This was all a trick he must have known if he showed himself we’d come after him best guess he mimicked the robot to match a human life sign.” Kim deduced.

“Very observant of you.” The robot turned its head all the way around to face the three heroes. 

“Well done Hiro, unfortunately for you I kept you and Miss Possible busy just long enough…” The robot lost power and shut down. 

“Kept us busy from what?” Hiro wondered Kim thought for a moment and wondered why would Obake go to this much trouble unless…

“From him getting something from the one place he doesn’t want us at right now!” Kim realised in horror. 

Then Hiro realised what Kim was talking about as his eyes widened in horror. 

“Oh no.” He breathed, “We need to get to SFIT NOW!” Kim said as they hurried out of the building. 

Back at SFIT Open House:

At the Open House, Professor Granville was looking at the portrait of Lenore Shimamoto herself. However knowing what she knows now from the recording she heard she was still completely frozen in shock over the revelation. And more surprising shocks were about to come. 

“Hello professor.” Said a voice and Granville turns around to see Obake (the real one) standing behind seeing a face and voice she recognised all too well. 

“Bob?” Granville said in surprise. “Bob Aken!?”

“In the flesh.” Obake/Bob Aken said. 

“I.. I haven’t seen you since…” “Since my little accident?” Obake said finishing the sentence of the still in shock professor. 

“What… what happened back then, I’m sorry.” Granville apologised. 

“Ah ah ah ah.” Obake interrupted. “Sorry for what you did exactly what was best for me what was it you used to say, you can’t hold back genius.” He said with a sadistic looking smile. 

“A philosophy I’ve come to regret.” Granville admitted. 

“Ahh a pity.” Obake said admiring the gramophone. 

“your current protege deserves the same creative freedom.” Granville knew he was referring to Hiro Hamada. “After all, you made me the man I am today.” 

The left side of Obake’s face glowed neon purple showing a horrified Professor Granville what had happened to him on that night. 

“Wonderful to see you again.” He said as he was leaving and Granville could only bear a look of horror at what had become of her former student. 

He was then walking by Gogo’s booth where he recognised the five people there as the other members of Big Hero 6. 

“Fascinating presentation Honey Lemon.” Obake whispered and everyone was in shock and horror to see the very villain they’d been facing appear here of all places. 

“Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing?” Wasabi questioned.

Totally that kid stole my sparklers idea!” Fred pointed to a booth where they saw a kid standing at a booth named Never-ending sparkler and he stood with a sparkler next to a timer

“Guys who was that?” Ron asked referring to the man they saw. “Ron that was Obake!” Wasabi said in horror.

“Wait what!” Ron exclaimed and Rufus squeaked with fright. 

“Obake’s here!” Fred said in surprise. “OBAKES HERE!”

“But Ron I thought you said Kim and Hiro tracked Obake somewhere else?” Honey questioned. 

“Yeah they did but that means.” Ron suddenly realised something. “Oh no it was a trap!” 

Fred and the others chased after the villain with Ron close behind. They saw him leaving through one of the doors however before they could reach it a familiar looking glob of pink goop landed in the way. 

“And he’s not alone.” Honey Lemon said and she was right the glob formed into Globby himself. “Uh oh.” Rufus squeaked on Honey Lemons shoulder.

One overweight girl gasped in horror at the sight of Globby whilst everyone else looked frozen in shock. 

“Geez lady didn’t your parents ever teach you its rude to scream at strangers.” Globby said as he proceeded to gag the girl with some of his goop and everyone fled in a panic. 

Then out from another door came Noodle Burger Boy and Momakase wielding her graphene katana. 

“Hello can we take your order.” Noodle said taking a fighting pose whilst Momakase swung her Katana. 

“Now it’s a party.” She said.

Then landing in front of them was Shego who energised her hands and drew her plasma blades from her gauntlets. 

“Greetings geeks mind if we crash the party.” Shego announced with a sadistic smile.  

“Wow good entrance.” Momakase said which did perk Shego’s mood. “For a noob.” She then said which just caused her to frown. 

“Oh great the gangs all here!” Ron gasped. As he and Ron reached for their phones and called their Skymax pods. Ron then sent a text to Kim saying. 

“VILLAINS AT SFIT HELP NOW!”

“Yep all the bad dogs showed up.” Fred said in concern. 

People were fleeing for their lives whilst the guy at the sparklers booth was completely unaware of what was going on around him given he was wearing dark glasses. He suddenly got the message as debris was sent flying into the air crashing into his stall and the loud roar which came from T-Rex Globby grabbed a table in its mouth and flung it at the exit whilst Noodle Burger boy was firing lasers all over the place. 

Everyone evacuated out of the building and at the exit Professor Granville was evacuating everyone along with Dr. James Possible.

“Please evacuate in an orderly fa..” “LOOK OUT!” James tackled the professor to the ground before she was hit by a blast of green energy they both looked to see Shego blasting everything with her energy blasts, Noodle Burger boy was shooting his eye lasers all over the place whilst T-Rex Globby crushed another booth under his foot. 

“Professor we need to get out of here.” James advised as he helped Granville up. 

“You go Dr. Possible I’m activating the security robots.” She said as she moved to a panel on the wall which required finger print recognition. She placed her palm on the scanner and it recognised her palm print and immediately activated the campus security systems. 

A security spider drone which was an orbed robot with four spider looking legs took to the ceiling and crawled along whilst the others rolled into the room in ball form. One stopped under a table and then transformed catapulting the table which was then sliced in half by Momakase. 

The four villains then found themselves surrounded by more of these spider bot security drones who readied their defensive capabilities. 

“Really this is the best they have?” Shego questioned then suddenly a security drone fell from the ceiling only for Shego to blast it with her plasma blasts destroying it. 

Another one then fell to the ground and unfolded its legs and T-Rex Globby chose to face it. 

“Bring it on!” He said as he grabbed the bot in its mouth and swallowed it. But that was a mistake the bot unfolded itself again and used its legs like a razor saw blade to slice T-Rex Globby in half.

“Ow.” He cried. 

 The bot was free only for Momakase to slice it in half with her graphene katana. She then looked to Globby who reformed himself on the ground. 

“You’re terrible at this aren’t you.” She said. “Terrible please he’s a rank amateur.” Shego agreed. 

Then out of nowhere four of Big Hero 6, Ron and Rufus arrived on the scene armoured up and ready to fight. 

“Ah yeah heroes on the scene!” Ron exclaimed as Wasabi formed his plasma blades. 

“Granville’s security bots.” Fredzilla noticed. “Sweet give them some room to do their thing!” 

In a flash Momakase sliced apart every single security drone in sight in what felt like two seconds flat. The heroes were more than surprised but not completely. 

“Thang really?” Gogo said. The villains then turned their attention to the heroes in front of them.

“Oh goody if it isn’t Big Loser 6, well come on kiddies pain schools in session.” Shego taunted energising her plasma blasts. 

Gogo blew a bubble gum bubble and when it popped she lowered her helmet visor. “Lets dance!” Gogo said as the heroes stood in a battle pose and Ron readied his gauntlet energy shield. 

“Aw yeah AVENGERS ASSEMBLE TIME!” Ron yelled. 

“You got it Mister!” Noodle said and strangely the robot mascot began singing and dancing much to Shego’s humiliation.

“Come on everybody do the noodle, do the noodle a do the noodle.” The mascot sung much to everyones shock and confusion. 

“Okay is this guy for real?” Shego asked the heroes. 

“Yeah he does that sometimes.” Fredzilla answered. 

“Noodle this!” Gogo said throwing her mag lev disk knocking the robot unconscious. Shego and Momakase leaped into battle. 

Wasabi dodged the sushi ninjas strike as he fought back with his plasma blades and Momakase blocked the strikes with her katana.

Honey Lemon throws a chem ball at Globby who catches it in a glob wall then throws a punch at Honey who rolls out of the way to avoid it. Fredzilla then jumps in and unleashes a fire blast on the villain. 

Meanwhile:

Not to far away Hiro and Kim rode on Baymax’s back flying across the city at top speed in an effort to get to SFIT before it was too late. 

“Hurry Baymax we’ve got to get to my lab!” Hiro said. 

“And fast I have a feeling I know what he’s after!” Kim agreed. “Yeah me too, I just hope we’re not too late.” Hiro agreed. 

They arrive at the campus and head for the robotics lab. 

Back in the open house:

Wasabi and Momakase clash blades but the ninja can see some fear in her opponents eyes. 

“Scared of me?” She taunted. “No it’s not you.” Wasabi answered. “Its everything NOW!” 

Just then Rufus flies in with his suit and delivers a kick to Momakase’s face knocking her off balance and Wasabi delivers an upper cut knocking her onto her back which she’s able to recover from. Then charges for them with her katana blade Wasabi dodges her strikes and tries to land a few of his own but Momakase kicks Wasabi in the gut sending him flying. Rufus tries to hit the ninja but she just grabs him in her hand.

“Nice try rodent.” She said as she tossed Rufus over to Wasabi. 

Meanwhile Gogo and Ron are fighting Noodle Burger boy as Gogo tosses her mag lev disk at the mascot. Suddenly a looming shadow is over her and she sees its Shego, Gogo quickly dodges her attack and blocker her plasma blasts with her disks. The two then lock hands in a heated stand off. 

“You know your new boss has some nerve showing his face here!”Gogo said “Why are you here what does Obake want?!” 

“Yeah yeah details details if you ask me speedy you have a more immediate concern.” Shego said as she formed her plasma blade. “Like keeping your head on!” 

Shego tried to strike Gogo but she manages to skate away then using the rubble as a ramp she throws her mag lev disks at Shego which she just incinerates with her plasma blasts. 

“Oh boy!” Gogo said. 

Ron meanwhile had his hands full with Noodle Burger Boy  who was firing lasers all over the place and Ron blocked them with his shield as he ran and took cover behind the rubble.

“Ooo I love hide and seek.” Noodle said with his eyes glowing bright red. 

“I’m fighting a fast food mascot!” Ron breathed. “Well at least it ain’t monkeys gah.” He shivered. 

Ron tried to look but he just saw incoming laser fire. “Ready or not here I come.” Noodle said.

However Ron noticed one thing that he could use to his advantage and he remembered what Kim would do in this situation, improvise. 

Making a run for it he dodged all off Noodle burger boy’s attacks then quickly dived for the tarp banner under Noodles feet and pulled it from underneath him tripping him up. 

“Boom that’s how the Mad Dog does it!” Ron exclaimed. 

However Noodle burger boy just got up and looked at Ron and Gogo still fighting Shego. 

“Now serving breakfast all day!” He said as he fired a gold liquid from his left hand which coated the floor and as Gogo skated towards Shego she ran into the goop, lost her grip and crashed into Ron and they were stuck. 

“Syrup, seriously?” Gogo said in surprise. “Eh I’ve seen weirder villain attacks.” Ron shrugged. 

Globby was flying in the skies gliding on a path of his own glob whilst avoiding fiery attacks from Fredzilla. Globby rises in the air and fires metal shards from his arms at Honey Lemon who thanks to her training with Kim was able to flip and avoid the shards and took cover in some rubble. Fredzilla was taking cover nearby.

“Honey Lemon toss one up surprise me!” Fredzilla said as Honey Lemon dialled in a chem ball formula and received the ball out of her purse. 

The two then emerged from their hiding place to face their enemy. 

“Batter up!” Honey said as she tosses the ball into the air and Fredzilla swings his tail and hits the ball like a base ball bat at Globby. However he then turns his right hand into a tennis racket shape and hits the ball back encasing Fredzilla and Honey Lemon in pink goop as he stands victorious. 

“Advantage Globby!” Globby said in victory.

Elsewhere:

At the doors to the lab belonging to Hiro Hamada Obake approached and held up an old SFIT ID card with his former identity on it. The scanner recognises the student ID and unlocks the door. 

“Mm still works.” Obake said smiling as he entered the lab and breathed in the air. 

“Feels like home.” He said as he walked into what was once his lab. He looked around like he was looking for something.

He picked up the cap that belonged to Hiro’s brother Tadashi and tossed it to one side. 

“Now where oh where…” He looked at a certain cabinet draw and when he pulled it out he found what he was looking for. 

“Ah the final piece.” He breathed as he held up the energy amplifier but was unaware that three certain heroes stood behind him.

“So the real Obake I presume.” Kim asked with a knowing look. 

“Ah the great Kim Possible.” Obake greeted as he turned to face them. “We meet at last face to face, I must admit, your not at all how I pictured you to be.” 

“Yeah well your everything I’ve been told you are not coming out of hiding and letting your lackeys do the work for you.” Kim described. “Just like every other supervillain that me and my new friends have had the pleasure of stopping this week. 

“Hardly my dear I am nothing like that amateur Drakken, if anything I am more superior.” Obake scoffed. 

“Put it down Obake, it’s over!” Hiro warned. 

“Quite the opposite things are just getting started.” Obake said with a sinister look. 

“So not your not going anywhere!” Kim said. 

“Oh have you not learned anything, I’m always one step ahead.” Obake chuckled.

“Blast him Baymax!” Hiro ordered and Baymax raised his rocket fist and fired it but he missed his target and instead broke the circular window in the lab.

“What!” Kim breathed as she clearly saw that Baymax missed but she also saw he did it intentionally, she figured it was part of his programming not to injure human life or was it something else.

Obake turned and saw he had an exit. “Oh why thanks.” He pulled out a remote and uncloaked a pack of Buddy guards which he jumped on as they carried him away. He gave a two fingered solute as he bid his enemies farewell.

Kim, Hiro and Baymax watched as Obake was getting away. 

“Guys come on he’s getting away!” Hiro exclaimed but suddenly a green blast of plasma energy nearly hit him Kim and Baymax.

“Going somewhere Kimmy!” Shego smirked and Kim just glared at Shego and used her own armour jet pack and rocketed at trying to punch her only for Shego to catch her fist in mid air. 

“Hiro get Obake I’ll deal with her GO!” Kim exclaimed with that Hiro and Baymax took to the sky however Globby arrived and threw some goo at the red robots jet boots rendering them powerless and as a result the two heroes were sent crashing to the ground. 

“NO!” Kim exclaimed as Shego then blasted Kim out of the window with a huge focused plasma blast however the cheerleader was quick to protect herself with her gauntlet shield. She crashed to the ground and saw the downed heroes. 

“Hiro Baymax!” She exclaimed as she took off her visor and ran over to them. 

Hiro groaned as he regained consciousness and could hear the sound of Noodle burger boy singing as they saw the villains escape holding onto Globby as they swung away. 

“Please stop!” Momakase groaned. 

“Until the next time Big Loser 6!” Shego exclaimed. 

Hiro just growled in defeat. “Hiro!” Kim came running over. 

“Are you okay?” She asked. “Gah’ yeah a little battered but alive.” Hiro said holding his side. “We didn’t exactly save the day this time did we?”

“Nope bad guys two good guys zero.” Kim said counting a scoreboard. 

Just then the rest of Big Hero 6 arrived to help their comrades. “Are you guys okay?” Honey asked as Gogo and Kim helped Hiro up whilst Wasabi and Ron helped Baymax up onto his feet. 

“We are without injury.” Baymax diagnosed. “But Obake got away.” Hiro breathed as he limped over. 

“Yeah that seems to be happening a lot lately.” Ron pointed out. 

Soon everyone regrouped back at Hiro lab Honey helped support Hiro as he limped into his lab and Ron helped Kim as well whilst Rufus sat on Baymax’s shoulder. They looked to find Professor Granville in the lab looking over the damage. 

“Students, is everyone alright?” She asked in concern. 

“We’re fine professor.” Fredzilla said until Gogo elbowed him in the monster mouth realising who they were speaking to. 

“Uh I mean ah complete stranger, who we’ve never met..” “Enough with the charade Mr. Frederickson” Granville then interrupted with a knowing look.

“Yeah she’s right guys, she knows.” Kim then admitted. 

“Hah, w, wha, y, you know we’re.” “Big Hero 6, I see all.” Granville said confirming Hiro’s worries.

The six heroes looked at each other very worried now their university dean knew their secret what was to happen next. 

“Calm down, your secret is safe with me.” The professor then assured.

With that each of the six heroes unmasked one by one revealing their identities to professor Granville and Hiro was the last. Ron felt no need to wear his visor anymore so he took it off and Rufus removed his own helmet. 

“My primary concern is why the school was attacked for a third time this semester?” Granville then questioned.

“Hiro.” Kim said openly and Hiro looked to find his cabinet draw empty. 

“This was all my fault.” Hiro admitted getting everyones attention. “I disobeyed you, I created an energy amplifier.” Hiro said to his teacher. “Good news is it worked.” 

“Let me guess the bad news.” Gogo asked already knowing the answer. “Obake has it.” Hiro confirmed. “Mmhm.” Gogo hummed knowingly.

“Obake?” Granville asked not understanding the situation. “Yeah you know the creepy guy with the nightlight in his face.” Fred explained. Immediately Granville knew who they were talking about. 

“But you already know something about him, don’t you professor.” Kim asked knowing her theory was right. 

Granville took a breath before she answered. “Follow me all of you.” with that everyone left the lab and arrived in Granville’s office where she brought out a file that Kim recognised all too well.

“Obake, once my star student, I knew him as Bob Aken.” Granville explained and Hiro looked at the name label on the file and blanked out the words B and N leaving the name Obake it was an anagram. 

“He had so many ideas to make the world a better place.” She then explained 

Flashback some years ago:

A young Bob Aken working on something in the late hours of the night in his lab. 

“I encouraged him to explore fearlessly.” Granville continued. “Unfortunately the path he chose lead to the energy amplifier.” 

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say it didn’t end well?” Ron guessed. 

“No Mr. Stoppable it did not.” Granville said 

Young Bob Aken smiled with pride only to be consumed by a glowing green light. The flash ends and a younger Professor Granville is looking through the remains of his former lab. 

“He, wasn’t as successful as Mr. Hamada.” She explained 

 Young Granville found in the wreck a strange looking rock that was spiked looking which would later be the very ornament that once lay on Granville’s desk prior to Hiro enrolment but was no longer there after the incident with Yama’s evil Baymax army.

Present day:

“The boy needed limits, I did not provide them.” Granville said with some form of guilt in her voice. “It was a mistake I never wanted to make again, however it seems I have.” 

Hiro just looked away with his own feeling of guilt not listening to his teacher and now receiving the full story of her former student.Kim placed a consoling hand on his shoulder as everyone stood in silence. 

“His real names Bob?” Fred openly said as everyone just glared at him.

“Really thats the one thing on your mind!” Gogo scolded. 

“What I can’t be the only one thinking it.” Fred said Ron was thinking the same thing but for the risk of injury from Gogo he kept quiet. 

“So thats why you didn’t want Hiro to pursue the energy amplifier as a project.” Kim realised. “You were trying to keep history from repeating itself.” 

“Yes, but it seems I underestimated Mr. Hamada’s over eager ambitious mind to prove the impossible.” Granville confirmed. “And it seems the past has a way of coming back to haunt the present as it did today.”

“Professor, I’m sorry if, if I had known I…” “It wouldn’t have made much difference.” Granville interrupted Hiro. “But I apologise for not being straight with you about this.”

“This isn’t anyones fault but Obake’s professor.” Kim said. “This was all part of his plan, he must have known Krei tech was nowhere close to making an energy amplifier so he needed someone else, someone who couldn’t resist the challenge.” She explained.

“And I fell for it.” Hiro guiltily said. “Hiro, theres no way you could have known.” Honey consoled. 

“Yeah but that still doesn’t tell us what his endgame is!” Gogo said. 

“Whatever it is, it started the day of his accident, he’s been patient scary patient.” Kim explained. “Which means he’s going to make his move soon everything will have been carefully planned.” 

Later on:

Soon everyone was out of SFIT and out of their armour, well everyone except Kim they needed to discuss their next move. 

“Guys we need to figure out what Obake’s up to?” Gogo insisted. 

“Lets check the conspiracy board.” Fred suggested.”Freds right, wow never thought I’d hear myself say that, maybe theres a pattern we missed.” Wasabi agreed. 

“Right let’s meet up at the garage and compare notes, I gotta go check on Aunt Cass.” Hiro said still feeling a little guilty. “Come on Baymax let’s go.” 

Hiro and Baymax took their leave of the others and as Baymax retracted into his charging port on the back of Hiro’s scooter Hiro mounts it and then starts the engine and rides home. Kim couldn’t help but notice the change in Hiro’s mood and she knew why. 

“He’s blaming himself for whats happened.” Kim saw. 

“Yeah it’s like what happened to Tadashi all over again.” Honey said. 

“Lets head to the garage.” Gogo said. “You guys go I’ll catch up later.” Kim said. 

“Wait what why?” Ron asked. 

“I want to go back to Night Market Square and have another look at where Robo Obake ambushed me and Hiro.” Kim explained. “There could be a clue there.”

“Okay lets go.” Ron said until Kim put her hand out and stopped him. 

“No Ron I have to do this one solo.” Kim explained. “What by yourself?” Ron said in surprise. “But we’re a team you and me right?” “Hey!” Rufus called as he popped on his shoulder. 

“Oh yeah and Rufus.” Ron corrected. 

“Yeah we are, which is why I need you with the others to figure out what Obake’s next move is if what I find doesn’t pan out.” Kim explained. “Look if I run into trouble I promise I’ll call.” 

Ron took a moment to think and he was never one to question his friends judgement, in a way she was right but he still felt like he was being benched. 

“Okay, it’s just I don’t like the idea of you going in alone.” Ron said. “And it’s sweet of you to worry.” Kim admitted. 

“Yeah support it’s what the sidekick does what a best friend does.” Ron smiled and Kim smiled back. 

With that Kim activated her armour jet pack placed her visor back on and flew away towards the city. Ron just looked as he saw his childhood friend fly away but he couldn’t help but worry. He turned to see the others give him a knowing look.

“What?” Ron asked and Rufus just shrugged. 

“Oh nothing.” Gogo said “No love the shrubbery.” Honey Lemon said as Wasabi and Fred were whistling to themselves. 

Ron just shrugged as he and Rufus left the campus and were soon followed by Gogo and the others who were having a quiet chat among themselves. 

“Okay I’m not the only one who sees it right?” Gogo questioned with a knowing look. 

“Oh absolutely.” Wasabi agreed. “Defiantly I see it too.” Honey agreed in a cheery tone. 

“See what?” Fred wondered not knowing what they were talking about. 

“We’ll tell you later.” Gogo whispered and they all left the campus. 

Lucky Cat Cafe: 

Meanwhile as night fell lights were still on at the Lucky Cat Cafe, and with good reason. In the living quarters Cass was stirring a bowl like crazy, she was greatly worried about Hiro and Baymax so she started stress baking, she had already baked a cake along with other desserts and was now making another one. She then grabbed a donut and put it in her mouth. 

James and Ann who were waiting with her just to calm her nerves just watched in complete amazement. 

“Uh honey did she always do this back when you knew her in high school?” James whispered to his wife. 

“Only when she gets stressed or tense.” Ann whispered back nodding. She then went over to Cass. 

“Uh Cassie look I know your a little worried about the boys but I’m sure they’re on their way back right now, so just calm down.” Ann tried in a calming tone. 

“Calm I’m calm why would you say I’m not.” She said in mouthfuls. “I’M COMPLETELY CALM!” Cass exclaimed spitting crumbs all over the place. 

Ann just looked with shrunk pupils in surprise. “I guess somethings never change.” Ann said knowingly.

Just then they heard the sound of foot steps coming up the stairs and Cass dropped the donut in her mouth. Then Hiro and Baymax appeared in the room and Cass was more than relieved to see her nephew alive and well after the chaos at the open house. She dropped the mixing bowl and ran over to him.

“Hiro! Where have you been?” Cass asked as she instantly pulled him into a hug. 

“Agh uh careful.” Hiro winced as he felt some pain from the hug as he was still a little banged up. 

“Oh are you hurt?” Cass asked as she looked him over. “Ann is he hurt anywhere?” 

Ann looked Hiro over and saw he was fine but had a few minor injuries. “Don’t worry Cass he’s fine just a few bruises here and there.” Ann diagnosed. 

“Yeah I just got a little banged up with all the chaos at school” Hiro explained. 

“I got so anxious when I couldn’t find you at the open house.” Cass said putting her hands on his shoulders. 

“Yeah I’m sorry, for showing up late that must’ve been really scary.” Hiro apologised. 

“I’m just glad you two are back in one piece.” Cass said relieved. “Well two pieces because there are two of you, probably didn’t need to explain that.” She said gesturing to Baymax. Hiro just smiled knowing that his aunt was safe and well.

“Okay then Cass we’ll be going we have to check on the boys and we have some packing to do before we head home soon.” James said. 

“Okay thanks for staying with my aunt Dr. and Mrs Possible.” Hiro thanked.

“Not a problem Hiro we’re all practically family, we’ll see you all soon.” Ann said as she and her husband took their leave of the Hamada house hold. 

Meanwhile:

Back at Night Market square Kim had just arrived and was looking over the burnt remains of the Obake decoy. She knelt down so that Wade could take a look. Through the visor she was having Wade scan it for clues. 

“Anything Wade?” Kim asked. “Well this thing was made with advanced components some even similar to those Destructo Yamas that Drakken used.” Wade explained. 

“Makes sense he’s stolen Krei tech before.” Kim recalled from Hiro’s stories.

“Hold up I think I may have something.” Wade said as he looked over the scan and detected a certain component inside the robot.

“What have you got?” Kim said standing up. “As far as I can tell from the scan, theres a small transponder inside probably controlling it.” Wade relayed as he zoomed in on the component. 

“And get this it’s still transmitting a signal.” Wade said. “Can you track it?” Kim asked. 

“Way ahead of you.” Wade began typing on his keyboard and used the Kimmunicator satellite to triangulate the signals source and where it was, was surprising. 

“Wait this can’t be right?” Wade said surprised.

“What is it?” Kim asked. “The signal source is right where you are.” Wade answered and Kim looked around the room but couldn’t see anything. 

“Where exactly?” she asked. “Directly below you.” Wade answered and Kim looked down to the ground and instantly knew what could be below her feet. 

“Let me guess this building has a basement?” She said knowingly. 

“Your smart and psychic.” Wade answered “The basements through those doors ahead.” 

With that Kim proceeded to the doors at the rear of the room she managed to open them but only part way as there was a collapsed part of ceiling blocking it. She slipped through the gap and found a set of stairs leading down. She moved slowly, if there were any traps this would be the ideal place to set them. Thankfully she reached the bottom of the stairs with no trouble. She moved down the hallway and saw a door at the opposite end. Kim cautiously opened the door slowly in case someone was waiting for them. She fully opened the door and found there was no-one there just a set of computer screens and a table with a small button on it. She approached it and saw there was a small note attached. 

“Okay thats weird?” Kim wondered. “Why..what ..is it.” Wade said faintly. 

“Wade your breaking up, the signal must be weak down here.” Kim deduced. “But theres a note next to a button.” She said and read the note. “It says ‘Press me and all your questions shall be answered.’” she read. 

“Okay if that doesn’t scream obvious trap.” Kim guessed. 

“Kim I.. don’t like this.. maybe … call the others.” Wade suggested despite the poor signal. 

“No, if this is a trap, I don’t want to drag the others into it.” Kim declined. “plus if this is a trap theres only one way to see who’s set it.”

So a rather cautious Kim proceeded to press the button on the desk, then suddenly the computer screens blared into life and revealed something alarming. It was surveillance footage specifically it was of Hiro, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred, Gogo, Baymax and even of Kim and Ron when they first arrived in the city a week ago. Kim looked and saw the time stamps and it was from the past few months. There was footage from their respective homes, the Lucky Cat and Hiro’s Lab at SFIT whilst he worked on the amplifier and in his garage when he was creating an enhancement suit. 

“He, he’s been watching them?” Kim said in horror then noticed a small screen which had their faces and their Big Hero 6 personas this told her only one thing. 

“He knows who they are, thats how he’s been one step ahead!” Kim breathed. “But why?” 

She then noticed a surveillance camera at SFIT that showed Granville and Gogo working on what looked like a large electro magnet  and then some news footage from when Baron Von Steamer attacked the city with his statue bot. 

The pieces began forming in the teen heroes mind, she began to realise what the components Obake stole could be used for and that with Hiro’s energy amplifier. She covered her mouth with horror realising what he was trying to do.

“Oh my god, he’s actually going to do it!” 

Then suddenly a certain devil avatar appeared on the centre screen. “I told you and Hiro this before, I’m always one step ahead Miss Possible.” Obake’s voice echoed on the speaker in the room. 

“Obake! Or should I just call you Bob Aken!” Kim called out. 

“Don’t call me that name!” Obake growled. “Bob Aken failed but Obake won’t I will change the face of this city forever.” 

“I know what your trying to do, your going to use the components you’ve stolen and the energy amplifier to create a machine to generate an unstable energy star.” Kim said. “The very same kind of star that Shimamoto created, your trying to recreate the Great Catastrophe.” 

“Hm you truly are bright, though Id expect nothing less from the daughter of the great James Possible.” Obake said from the confines of his lair as he watched the surveillance camera. 

“You’re insane Aken that catastrophe killed thousands of innocent people and destroyed the entire city!” Kim exclaimed. “And you think it’s a good idea to do a sequel!”  

“I am merely pushing the limits of what Shimamoto created succeeding where she did all those years ago.” Obake merely voiced. “They revered her work for years aI now wish to be remembered from the ashes of San Fransokyo I will create a new civilisation guided by technology and science, my work.” 

“No! the only thing you’ll be remembered for is a mass murder, your no scientist your a villain!” Kim exclaimed. 

“Villian, no a visionary I see a world that only I can create, and I shall not guide it alone.” Obake then said getting the teens attention. 

“What are you talking about?” Kim then demanded. 

“Think of it like a game of chess, I have captured the armoured knight and now he shall claim my prize.” Obake said and then footage appeared and it was of a certain younger genius in his room at the lucky cat. 

“Ow.” Hiro said as he sat down on his bed. He turned to face what looked like the camera, and Kim could see this was footage  and looked in horror as she knew from where or rather who. 

“I said ow?” Hiro said but he had no response. “Uh alerted to my need for medical attention?” 

“Oh no.” Kim gasped as she realised what had happened to Baymax during the fight at Krei tech.

“Nothing?” Hiro said as he approached Baymax and opened his access port. “There must be something wrong with…” Hiro discovered a purple data chip with a certain devil avatar stamped on it. 

“What?” Hiro gasped. He reached for the chip but Baymax’s hand grabbed his wrist. “Baymax?” Hiro breathed 

Baymax looked down on Hiro but his eyes were glowing bright red with evil the feed then cut out. 

“Hiro!” Kim breathed in horror and hurried to the exit only for a metal panel to cut her off from the exit. 

“I’m truly sorry, but I can’t allow you to stand in the way of progress.” Obake’s voice echoed. 

Suddenly Kim heard another noise in the room it was beeping and thats when she saw in the far corner of the room an arrangement of explosives with a timer set for ten seconds. 

“Progress requires sacrifice Miss Possible, and in my new city I’ll be sure to put up a statue of you labeled relics of the past.” Obake’s voice echoed. 

Kim tried to pry the door open to no effect, she then pulled out her laser lip stick and tried to cut through the door but the metal wasn’t burning quick enough.

“Kim.. Kim whats.. going!” Wade tried calling in on the Kimmunicator but it was being jammed. 

The timer was now counting down. 6…5

“Admit it it’s better this way.” Obake said as Kim scanned the room trying to find a way out. 

4…3…

“We were both” Obake said as Kim looked in horror that there was no means of escape. 

2…1

“Out of time.” …0

Outside the condemned building everything seemed normal. Then a huge explosion blew out the windows shocking everyone around it and a massive blast completely destroyed the front of the building as it crumbled to the ground. 

From his room Wade could hear a blast and knew what it was and looked in horror. “KIM!” Wade shouted at his computer screen. 

The smoke cleared to reveal a burning pile of rubble where the Night Market was fires were still burning in the night illuminating the scale of the destruction, as it seemed the teen hero had stepped inside had perished along with it Obake had dealt a great hand tonight. 

Authors Notes: DUN DUN DUN Now how's that for a cliffhanger folks, I was feeling inspired after playing a bit on Avengers PS4 and I always thought Obake was an amalgamation of Ultron from the Avengers (MCU) Devoe from CW’s The Flash and recently MODOK from Avengers PS4  when I saw his character. But whats to come next Obake’s entering his endgame will our heroes prevail find out in the next chapter.

[matildainmotion]

Extreme Times, Transitions and Your Extreme Powers for 2021

This time last year I wrote a piece entitled ‘An Encouraging Blog about Despair’ – this was in early January, before the pandemic. My son loves that moment in a story when someone says, “Well, at least things can’t get any worse,” and then, right on cue, a whole lot of worse-ness happens. This year I am not going to attempt to be encouraging – I think we need something else, to match the gravity and uncertainty of the times, that recognises all the worse-ness that has happened. But what? Right now I am not sure. Let me see if I can write my way to find it.

The thing that has saved my sanity through the year has been the working on and writing of a novel. It has kept me sane but also driven me mad, but at least it has been my madness, of my own making as opposed to the world’s. It has been astonishingly difficult. Often, I have felt more articulate about the toughness of the process, than about the story I am trying to tell. The images I have used to describe it have included marathon running, mountaineering, white-water rafting and tightrope walking. I am struck by the extremity of these metaphors. I have done none of these things in real life, and yet I have had a visceral sense of their accuracy. Most of my writing has taken place where I am now, crouched on the children’s bedroom floor. I do not look like I am engaged in anything wild or dangerous, but I like the idea that both my making and my mothering – activities that are often seen as domestic, docile – are in fact extreme sports. 

Photo credit: Viola Depcik, as part of the online exhibition: Portraits in Motherhood and Making during lockdown.

For now, I have come off the mountain of the book. Come January I will set about editing it – an attempt to turn the manuscript into something someone might actually want to read. This morning, I am in a moment of transition. What to write in the dark bedroom, before the children wake? Christmas wish lists and new year’s resolutions are the traditional seasonal texts, but I notice I have two counter impulses to these – two very different lists I want to write. 

The first is not a wish list, but a list of the unwished-for. A backwards-looking list of some of the worse-ness of the year, not as a plea for sympathy, empathy, not out of a need to confess, or because I am looking for advice, but because it feels important to name it. In these last months, on those precious trips out of the house, I have had many two-metres-apart exchanges of the “How are you doing?” kind. “Okay. We’re surviving,” I reply, and then come away, with my groceries in hand, my mask hanging round my neck, feeling desolate, surprised that I should feel it so deeply, when I was not expecting any more from the exchange. I think it is because I want to lay bare the utter ugliness of the year, like when you pull the fridge out and expose the amazing accumulation of dirt underneath. I know that we have been lucky, so when I list some of our un-wished for times, I do it in full recognition that others have had it worse, much worse. 

Here is a selection of my unwished-for list:

Easter – everyone in the house either shouting or crying or both. Still ill. My husband and son red in the face. My mother and daughter, white. 

Then the times – more than one -when my son, who is on the autistic spectrum, needed a play fight, to channel the aggression he displays when he feels threatened (and a threat may be as slight as a joke he did not understand, a small change of plan). I offer to fight him, and as I face him, hold his wrists, the energy in his body, but also in mine, is far from playful. 

A recent one - a double meltdown – my daughter screaming whilst we are Xmas shopping because she and I cannot remember something I said three days ago about her and a bauble she was hanging on the tree. Meanwhile it is raining. She is refusing to wear a coat. She runs away from me, up the pavement, beside a busy road, whilst my son, who cannot bear loud noise, lays down on the concrete and puts his hands over his ears. I am caught between the two of them – one on the run, the other on the ground. Masked people watching me, the rain coming down, the dark coming on. 

Three in the morning and no one is screaming or sobbing but me – the children are sleeping peacefully, and I am not. 

There is an edge to this – it is allowed to be hard, but it feels dangerous to expose the difficult details. It has not all been like this, but I do not want to sweep these times aside and hurry on. So I set them down, one by one, on the page. Then I can begin list number two. 

This is a list not of changes I resolve to make in the new year, but ones that came on their own, and are ongoing, unresolved. A list of the transitions already underway. Because these arrive unbidden, this is a list of the moments when I understood that change is happening:

When I find I cannot read the instructions on the side of the ‘stuffing mix’ and I realise I need reading glasses. 

When my period is two weeks late one month, and two weeks early the next. The skin on my eyelids grows dry. I read this too can be a symptom of the perimenopause.

When my daughter is at last weening (shhhh, don’t tell her, or she will object) and her favourite game is to play at being a ‘dumb baby’ who cannot remember where its mummy’s boobies are. She runs about the room, looking behind bookshelves and under covers, until eventually the baby realises that the boobies and the milk are on its mother’s chest. She does not want the milk now, she wants to play at being the silly baby, because she is turning into such a competent ‘medium big girl’ (her current definition of her size).

When my mother (granny) no longer wants to cook meals for us, but would rather that I cook for her. 

When my son starts to grow a greater awareness of his separateness to me and I find him in tears one night because earlier in the day he heard The Beatles song “She’s Leaving Home” and grew afraid that this might happen to him – that he would leave one day, leaving only a note behind.

When my husband and I realise we are going to need to move again, find somewhere we both want to be, to settle, where we can grow older.

When the children wait for snow, go out keen to find the ice on top of puddles to crack and splinter, but the winter stays mild, wet. 

And then there is the ‘transition period’ the whole of the UK is supposed to be undergoing, moving out of the EU, whether we like it or not. Lorries, stationary, but in long lines of transit, waiting to cross the border. And then there are the transitions- endless- from one tier to another to try to control the virus. 

I think of others’ transitions too, of friends, and friends of friends: people waiting for a baby to be born; waiting for a loved one to recover, or die; transitions of age, gender, status. 

What to do in response to these unchosen changes? I almost admire my daughter’s wish to fight them. Her maxim is not ‘to keep calm and carry on,’ but rather to keep screaming, whilst being carried. I am impressed by the volume of rage in her four-year-old frame as she attempts to stop things:

“You have to stop the car now,” she cries from the back seat, when we are in the middle of the road, “Right now. You have to do it. You have to, you have to, you have to…Mummy stop! Now! You have to stop!” It is a work-out of the will that can go on for hours and which leaves us both exhausted. It is extreme, and it makes me think back to the extreme metaphors for which I found myself reaching in trying to describe my writing process with the novel. 

I counsel her in acceptance, but I recognise my own desire to scream against the times, to stop the world. Perhaps I need to flip things round - to harness the power of the scream, even as I accept the ways things are. Often I think of acceptance as passive, equanimity as cool and quiet. But I am not sure balance, as figured in this way, is the right metaphor for our times. The feat of balancing required now is that done by the tightrope walker, cliff face climber, white-water rafter – an athletic equanimity, a muscular form of acceptance that takes all our might, all our will. 

Maybe it is time to reclaim the male image of the superhero. I like the way in the film of The Incredibles, the superheroic is recognised as a form of divergence from the norm, a daring difference, how the super ability can become a disability if the surrounding culture judges it as such. The image helps me to see my differences as potential superpowers. 

A third and final list then comes to mind, a forwards-looking one, that might support me through the transitions of this time, and on into 2021 – a list of my extreme powers. If it comes to needing to grow food, hunt, light fires – wilderness survival skills – I will be useless, but I can do the following:

I can survive on little sleep. 

I can hold onto the thread of a creative project or conversation through multiple interupptions and across many days.

I can imagine disaster, very fast, in almost any situation.

I can mother two intense children, both often awake till midnight.

I can name the elephant in any room. 

I can write a novel in the hour per day when my children are watching TV (this is a slight exaggeration - when school was happening I had a little more time, but on a list like this you are allowed to exaggerate). 

That’s it for now. I do not think we need to know or understand how our superpowers, our athletic abilities, can be put to good use. I do not think it is our job to calculate this, but rather only to keep in training. Ready. Skills honed. And also to notice, name and honour one another’s skills. I think I should write a list of my children’s superpowers too. As I write this, the children have woken and my husband is now showing my daughter the trailer for the latest Wonder Woman movie. My daughter likes her outfits, especially the golden bracelets. A glittering dress sense will be on my daughter’s list of wondrous powers. 

The other day my husband shared with me a quote, from a Hopi leader in the year 2000, which seems relevant to my three lists as 2021 begins:

“There is a river flowing now very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on to the shore…..The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.  And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.”

Writing a novel has felt like white water rafting, but actually being alive right now feels like that too. This year I offer, not encouragement amidst despair, but something more extreme - a call to arms, to your arms, my arms, arms that can carry children, stir soups, make stories - superhero arms strong enough, not to grip, but to let go of the shore. Mid river as we are, I want to celebrate each other’s extreme, extraordinary abilities. So, tell me your lists: the list of things you did not wish for, the list of changes underway, unresolved, and then the list of the superpowers you are hiding, honing, as we are swept along. What powers, however ordinary, bizarre, or seemingly superfluous, do you have to offer?