#so i just picked which would fit better in which trio

[little-pondhead]

I forgot about this.

The whole reasoning behind the Supervillain Danny AU sketches was that his villain persona was the complete opposite of his normal, sane self and hero persona. Danny plays into the Fenton name really hard, and ramps up the “mad scientist” bit, taking inspiration from both his normal civilian life and his parents, thus using just his last name as a villain.

And then I wanted to add what Sam and Tucker might look like if they joined in on his shenanigans. To keep with the “opposite of their normal life” bit, let’s throw in some ghostly artifacts that help the two keep up with Fenton’s madness.

Sam would get an angel’s halo that helps her form ghostly wings, and she’d play into the good-two shoes angelic look, and then she opens her mouth and verbally assaults you. She pins her bangs back and wears clothes that better fit a celestial aesthetic and uses all the etiquette training her parents taught her. Manson looks like some sort of regal angel and people expect her to be the nicest out of all of them. She’s not. Manson is the sneakiest and most bloodthirsty one, and heroes regularly wonder if she has actually committed murder or not.

Tucker takes inspiration from his time as a pharaoh. He has a metal postiche that enhances his physical ability. (Maybe it gives him dreadlocks too, but I like to think Tucker is just wearing a whole ass wig.) He wears a strange mix of street wear and his pharaoh outfit, and throws his tech-obsessed self out the window. Fenton is the nerdy one here, so now Foley is the muscle. Foley plays up meathead American bully stereotype hard. He delights in throwing hands, and hunts down supers just for the sake of a fun spar. (For him not for the supers.) Foley’s favorite people to fight so far is Killer Croc and Superman. Heroes are concerned about what would happen if Foley fought for real, but then they saw what he did to the Joker “as a joke” and decided not to ask any more questions.

Basically, the trio looked at their civilian lives and picked out what they considered “villainous traits” from the people around them that they then played into as villains themselves. If that makes sense. Sam hates how her parents want a perfect child, so she makes herself look like one. She speaks in backhanded comments and has a snooty attitude, which she learned from other rich people. Tucker is constantly confronted by bullies everyday, and all the rogues that come to Amity are always fighting, so that’s what he decides to mimic. Yeah, he now gets to be the big and strong protector of the group, but all his experience with fighting have been bad ones, and that reflects in his style. And finally, Danny. Why does he take after his parents and play into the family name? Because the Fentons are one of the biggest obstacles and source of anxiety in his life. Danny associates mad scientists to pain and other bad things, so even if all he’s being helpful in a really annoying way as a villain, his parents and the threat of the GIW still influence how he presents himself. Because to Danny, those two things are far more scary than a kid with a pirate ship or a man wearing a bat fursuit.

[callalillywrites]

His Scarred Omega Part 1

Alpha!Bucky really put me in a chokehold the past couple of days. I wasn't even trying to write his story just yet. Was actually trying write a one-shot that would happen after the main story, but yeah, he quite changed my mind and this feverish, 7-part story came to be in two days.

This is set in the same universe as Their Sweet Omega (aka It Takes All Packs to Make It Work). You don't really have to read that story first, which features Alpha!Jake Jensen with Beta!Pre-serum Steve Rogers and their Omega!Reader, but I would love it so much if you did. They hold my heart as much as Bucky does.

Relationship: Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader

Word Count: 1450

Summary: While helping out his friends, Bucky makes a shocking discovery. He's got a daughter he never knew existed.

Warnings: not much in this part beyond one shell-shocked Bucky

A/N: I wrote this story really fast as I mentioned above. It’s proofread but all mistakes are my own.

I also do not give permission for my work to be copied or posted on other sites or fed into an AI machine.

*****

Bucky is a weak man.

He really is.

All it takes a pretty face making those awful puppy eyes at him, and he’s putty in Angel’s hands.

She doesn’t play fair, either, enlisting Steve’s equally effective puppy-dog eyes.

Bucky kowtows in less than five seconds though he’ll forever say it took more than that to get him to agree to help them.

Spooky Season is right around the corner.

Angel and Steve feel bad for telling Jake he can’t buy any more big decorations for their home. It’s already overflowing as it is, but they do know he’s been eyeing a couple of pieces. He really is the best Alpha for them as Jake’s constantly doting on them and taking such good care of them.

One of said pieces is what Angel and Steve have wrangled Bucky into this whole mess.

They drag him to the store to pick up said piece, needing his Alpha strength and build since the piece weighs more than the two of them combined plus some. No way they can get it home, let alone carry it into their home. Delivery isn’t an option, either, without paying triple what the item costs.

So, he’s there and eyeing the piece with them.

A few grumbles come out under his breath. “I’m holding you to your promise, Angel.”

Angel simply smiles at him, knowing she still has his help and nods. “I haven’t forgotten. Name the date, and I’ll be there. We’ll take down that ogre boss together.”

“Your truck will hold this, won’t it, Buck?” Steve can’t help asking, seeing the piece himself and having his own doubts about this plan he and Angel came up with for Jake.

Bucky eyes the box holding the piece for another few moments before he finally nods. “It’ll be a tight fit, but I’ll make it work.”

With that, the trio begin working on pulling the giant statue from the low shelf and onto the flatbed cart they snagged from an employee.

With that successfully done, Angel quickly grabs up a spare ticket for the cashier to scan since the barcode is poorly placed on the bottom of the box. Not something they’re going to want to deal with and slow down the few lanes open at this time of day.

“I’ll go ahead and pay for it if you two want to start making your way to the truck,” Steve says, taking the ticket from Angel and rushing off before she can think to argue.

Bucky bites back a smile when he sees and hears Angel huff at Steve’s retreating back.

“The punk is gone, Angel,” he says.

“He promised we’d split this gift.” Angel turns back to Bucky with a look he’s come to understand all too well in the almost two years he’s known her now. He does his best to brace himself as she grabs the front of the flatbed cart. “Time to do some extra shopping, I guess. If I can’t use my money on Jake, then I’m going to use it on Stevie.”

Shaking his head, Bucky knows better than to try and dissuade her at this point. “How are you going to hide this gift from him when he’s with us?”

Rather than answer, Angel just gives him a mischievous look that has him bracing for whatever he’s about to witness.

He can’t help wondering how Jake handles these two most days as Angel drags him towards the art supply aisles of the store. A basket somehow ends up in the crook of her arm where she’s already tossing several items within it. How that happened, he can and will never be able to explain.

Within five minutes, she has the basket overflowing with supplies.

Bucky can make out a lot of the brands that Steve really likes, including some of the more expensive items that Steve only splurges occasionally to get himself.

When Angel is satisfied with her overflowing basket, she grabs hold of the flatbed and helps him maneuver toward the front of the store again.

Seeing the satisfied grin on her face, Bucky can’t help wondering if he’ll ever find someone who wants to spoil him as much as Angel, Steve, and Jake spoil each other. That’s the kind of love Bucky wants, but he’s not sure it’ll ever be in the cards for him.

It’s on their way back that they overhear a young girl, probably no older than 8 or 9 as she whined about one of the latest costume trends. “All the girls are going as Harley Quinn this year, Auntie. Please? Please?”

The woman’s voice niggles at Bucky as he overhears the woman say, “You can go as a butterfly or a witch, but I draw the line at Harley, Gracie. We can talk about Harley when you’re older.”

“Mama would’ve let me go as Harley,” the young girl named Gracie grouses back. “I wish she was here instead of you.”

Bucky isn’t sure why or how it’s possible, but it’s like he can feel the disappointment and sadness of the woman at the young girl’s words. No doubt the woman is an Omega, but he’s never had such a reaction to someone like this before. He briefly wonders if Jake has had this reaction with either Angel or Steve before. A mental note is made to ask Jake later about it.

When they round the corner, Bucky gets his first glimpse of the Omega and the young girl named Gracie.

He forgets how to breathe as he takes in the familiar features of a woman he never thought to see again. A woman who’d been little more than a young lady when he last saw her.

Has it really been almost ten years since he’s seen her?

Yet, it’s not the Omega from his past that captures his focus as much as Gracie does.

The little girl’s appearance is enough to send Bucky to his knees.

It’s not possible.

It can’t be.

Yet, there’s no denying this Gracie looks just like him. The same dark hair. The same crystal blue eyes. Even her nose and mouth match his as they pout up at her aunt.

“You okay, Buck?” Angel asks, her gaze going between him and the Omega with the little girl. “Bucky?”

Her questions don’t go unnoticed, either, as the Omega turns her attention to them. Her eyes widen and her lip instantly goes between her teeth. A gesture that Bucky recalls she does when she’s feeling guilty about something.

No one speaks for another full minute.

At least, not until Steve happens upon them and sees the Omega.

“Sapphire, is that really you?” Steve asks before his gaze drops to the little girl.

Bucky knows he’d be laughing at Steve’s comically shocked expression if he could just get the ability to breathe and function back into his own body.

“Who is this?” Steve finally asks with a soft smile at the little girl. He holds out his hand to the little girl and introduces himself.

“I’m Gracie.”

She adds her last name as she takes Steve’s hand.

Steve’s gaze bounces between Gracie and Bucky. It’s clear he’s coming to the same conclusions Bucky already has made at seeing the little girl.

Gracie is his kid, and Dot is her mother.

Dot, the woman who broke his heart all those years ago with a Dear John letter. The same woman who has given birth to his child and never bothered to tell him.

“So, I think we need to talk,” her aunt says, her gaze never leaving Bucky.

Bucky nods, drawing on his inner alpha to help him regain control of himself.

“Yeah, we do.”

He wants answers, and he’s going to make sure he gets them one way or another.

“Tomorrow at noon?” her aunt asks, naming a quiet café not too far from the store.

Bucky nods again, then turns his attention to Gracie.

A small smile grows on his features as she’s lost interest in Steve and has turned her attention to him. Her eyes study him in a way that he knows he’s done with others throughout his life. She’s taking note of everything about him, and he can only hope he doesn’t end up disappointing her.

Whatever doubts he might have, they disappear the longer he and Gracie measure each other.

She’s his.

When she holds out her little hand to him, he has to swallow the emotions clogging his throat as she introduces herself. It takes him a few tries before he can tell her his name in return.

Now, he has to make sure he doesn’t lose any more time than he’s already lost with her.

*****

Main Masterlist

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Has this already been done? Arven, Penny, and Nemona with The Loyal Three.

Nemona is the Brawn, Penny is the Brain, which makes Arven the Beauty.

If you meant the saga of Reader introducing the Scarvi Trio to Legendaries, here it is <3

........

"How dare you bully sweet old Ogerpon?! You punks should've picked on someone your own size..like me!"

"Oh no.."

"Maybe you should've left that part of the story out, [y/n]."

"I probably could've worded it better, but I didn't think she'd freak out that much." Sighing, you turned away from Penny and Arven, looking to see Nemona scowling at the Loyal Three, giving them the reprimand of a lifetime.

Never before have any of you seen her get so....angry.

She was almost never angry at all. Not even after you've defeated her in battle over and over again did she lose her cool.

Perhaps you should avoid using the word "bully" to describe Pokémon. She was definitely acting like she was back in her early student council president days.

"I guess it makes sense why [y/n]'s friend Carmine called you the "Lousy Three"..because your attitudes were just plain lousy-!"

"Alright, Nemona. That's enough. I've already given them a lecture over it..and then some." You whistled for the trio to come to you, and they were rather quick to run over and hide behind you.

They seemed somewhat grateful that you rescued them, although Okidogi was quick to snarl as she approached, the fur on his tail becoming bristled. He cracked his knuckles with anticipation, clearly looking for a fight.

Munkidori kept trying to grab ahold of his arm, trying to discourage him from doing anything rash (such as starting a fight, which is what you specifically told them all not to do). But the larger Pokémon just huffed and tried shaking off his grip.

Fezandipiti, in the meantime, just turned his attention to Arven and Penny, trying to look anywhere but the embarrassing scene unfolding in front of him. He did like seeing their surprised faces, smirking and even stroking a wing over his head to show off.

You just shook your head, wondering how you were going to deescalate this mess yet again.

After your short trip to Kitakami, you've returned to Paldea with four extra companions: all of them being legendaries with a story tied to them.

One that turned out to be quite false.

You explained how Ogerpon was mistakenly considered the "bad guy" for many generations while the Loyal Three were deemed "heroes" who sacrificed themselves to save the village...but in reality it was the opposite.

They attacked Ogerpon for her masks and killed her trainer, and she fought back and defeated them all, yet she was scorned rather than praised, going into hiding for many years since.

After the trio was revived somehow, you went on to retrieve her masks and eventually captured them all, although of course they were anything but "loyal" and thought you were just lucky.

Not to mention they continued to annoy Ogerpon every time your back was turned, stealing bites of her sandwiches and throwing the toy ball in her face like they were playing dodgeball.

You only intervened after she nearly destroyed the picnic table with her cudgel in a fit of anger..clearly an obvious set-up by the trio who thought you'd be mad at her.

But you saw through their plan and got fed up, reminding them who exactly kicked their asses.

You didn't hold back at all.

Munkidori was quickly humbled, recalling that he got beaten up first in front of his two friends...so he apologized to Ogerpon right away. His future sight forewarned him of the consequences of acting out of line again, so he encouraged the others to do the same.

Fezandipiti, being the sassy and vain bird that he is, rolled his eyes. Although he valued his looks and would rather not get dirty from another battle with your Pokémon. He's suffered through enough of those to know it's just not worth it. So he promised to never bother Ogerpon again.

Okidogi, however, had the toughest time letting go of his pride. He refused to apologize at first, acting immature and snapping at the other two for going "soft". But he only turned over a new leaf after you threatened to stop giving them all mochi.

You meant it as a joke, although it was super effective in making the stubborn poison/fighting type panic and apologize to her, willing to do whatever you wanted from there on.

That day, you quickly learned that just like Koraidon/Miraidon..you held power over some mighty Pokémon.

Not with any special items or ancient relics, but with ordinary food.

So with the Loyal Three finally in your control, now seemed to be the perfect time to properly introduce them to your closest friends in Paldea.

Although...you weren't expecting Nemona to scold them like you did, nor did you think she'd still have such an intense staredown with Okidogi.

"Nemona." You warned again.

She snapped out of her trance and looked to you, frowning a little. "Sorry about that, [y/n]. It's just...whenever I hear a sad story about someone getting bullied just for defending themselves..I get heated. Especially if it's between Pokémon."

"I understand." You gave her a reassuring smile, before you reached up to pet Okidogi's arm. "Don't worry, big guy. When I said she was great at battling, I didn't mean with words."

He only snorted in response, but otherwise remained silent as his haunches relaxed.

"I promise you're gonna absolutely love her strategies. She helped me become a great trainer....I learned a lot from her."

"...you did?" Stars formed in Nemona's eyes at your praises, both hands going to her chest as her smile grew. "Awh, [y/n] that's so sweet of you!"

'Well it's true, but-"

"Hold on." She interrupted, staring at the doglike Pokémon. "Does Okidogi actually wanna battle me???"

His ears perked up, and he smiled and nodded his head, to which she gasped with excitement. "Oh can I please battle him, [y/n]???" She clasped her hands together. "I wanna see what he's got!"

"Of course." You chuckled.

"Wait, what's happening?"

"Nemona's gonna try to fight a Legendary? You sure that's a good idea?"

Turning around, you were met with the confused and concerned looks of Penny, Arven, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti.

But seeing them all standing there gave you another idea, causing a bigger grin to form on your face. "I got it..how about you guys have a battle with them, too? It could be a great way for you all to get to know each other!"

"Huh, that sounds like something I'd orchestrate...but I'm loving the idea!" Nemona agreed, before she and Okidogi rushed to get into their battle positions.

"Okay, so she and Oki got a battle of the brawns going on. Which leaves..." You spun around and pointed to Penny, then Munkidori. "...you and him to have a battle of the brains!"

"I'm not sure about that," she mumbled. "You have that much confidence in me?"

'Of course I do. You fight well with your Eeveelutions, so I'm sure you'll be able to outwit Munki somehow."

"Mmmikay?" The poison/psychic blinked, although he seemed to take that as a challenge and huffed confidently, looking to Penny.

"......alright. Let's do this, I guess." She sighed in defeat before the two went to do battle somewhere nearby.

You then looked at Arven. "Well uh...this is a little awkward, but-"

"Fezandipiti and I are gonna be the "battle of the beauty"...of course." He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "I haven't freshened up my battling skills since the tournament, but I wouldn't mind a little practice."

"Yip-ippy!" The birdlike Pokémon trilled, flying over to a random spot as Arven quickly chased him down, Mabosstiff not too far behind him.

Now that it was just you and Ogerpon standing side-by-side, she turned to you with a look of confusion. "Pon?" She took out one of her masks, tilting her head.

"Oh no. We've already had our battle and I got to learn so much about you." You chuckled, gently patting her head between the horns. "But if you want...maybe they can battle you later and see how your masks work. How about that?"

"Hmm....pon!! Ponni!!!"

"Haha, I thought so. Until then, we'll be their cheerleaders."

[littlechaoticwitch]

A Hypothetical Season 2 for Dead Boy Detectives

As the title states, this is an overview of my hypothetical version of Season 2 for Dead Boy Detectives.

~0~

BASIC OVERVIEW

-This would be a 10-episode season (because Netflix can't tell me what to do and they can go fuck themselves)

-This would be a more "low-stakes" season with a slightly more episodic format

-Because I am a monster-lover at heart, most of these episodes would focus on monsters and I am not ashamed of my choices

-There would be some on-going plotlines such as the aftermath of Niko's death, an exploration of Edwin's past, Charles getting some closure on his past, and Crystal just picking up the pieces and learning how to heal herself

-Sadly, I could not fit St. Hilarion's being fucking burned to the ground by Crystal but that might be a later story. Because it needs to happen

-As much as I do really like Cryland (Crystal/Charles) and would have rooted for them if things have been different, it cannot be ignored that they are a tragedy in the making. In my opinion, there are only two ways for their relationship to actually work out: Crystal has to die but not move on (which would kill Charles because we all know he would blame himself for her death) or Charles has to become human again, but that would mean leaving Edwin behind and we all know that will not happen. This post by @bluebugjay is an amazing analysis on their relationship, and honestly, their dynamic works so much better as a friendship rather than a romance doomed by the narrative. Also, I just want Crystal to continue to grow as a character and have her own thing going on that isn't a romantic subplot, because my girl needs to heal and take a break from romance.

-That being said, I am a sucker for slow-burn ships and Payneland is no exception to this rule, they were literally made for this trope

~0~

EPISODE SUMMARIES

-Episode 1: The Case of the Churchyard Phantom (A month after Port Townsend, the agency is given quite the interesting case: Investigate the mysterious occurrences surrounding an all-too familiar church graveyard, where ghosts are been reported to go missing around. But when the culprit is a familiar face from Crystal's still-hazy past, it forces the trio to confront what they thought to have left behind in America)

-Episode 2: The Case of the Deranged Dollmaker (When the agency is given a relatively simple case, Edwin puts Charles and Crystal together, in the hopes they will work out their problems. Meanwhile, he decides to step out of his comfort zone by giving someone a chance. Crystal finds a book about astral planes, causing her to open her own case without the boys knowing)

-Episode 3: The Case of the Butterfly Grotto (When a still-living client comes with the request to investigate her mother's mysterious suicide, the detectives believe it to be a fool's errand. But when the evidence begins to point towards the fae folk and ancient rituals, they begin to wonder if the client knew more about the case than she previously claimed)

-Episode 4: The Case of the Mangled Mermaids (Crystal decides to go visit her parents, hoping to reconnect and form an actual relationship with her mother, who should understand her daughter's struggles as a psychic. Meanwhile, the boys are sent to the seaside, where they investigate the sightings of a skeletal pirate ship and a gruesome play about mermaids)

-Episode 5: The Case of the Iron Dragon (The detectives are hired to recover a lost family heirloom from a dragon known for its ability to destroy ghosts. But when the case becomes entwined with Edwin's past, the boys have to come to terms with how much they still don’t know about each other. Meanwhile, Crystal continues her research despite being seen as a disappointment in her father's eyes)

-Episode 6: The Case of the Birmingham Beast (The detectives set off to Charles's hometown of Birmingham, where a mysterious string of murders is happening in an area once known as The Dell. But as the others are learning the tragic history of the killer, Charles is forced to face the past he tried to run away from)

-Episode 7: The Case of the Red Moon Gala (The agency is invited to an exclusive party, where the living and the supernatural can mingle for one night. But when guests start showing up murdered, it is up to them to save the remaining partygoers, which includes Crystal's parents and a surprise guest, who has his eyes set on Charles)

-Episode 8: The Case of the Polar Bear Charm (When the boys come across the secret case Crystal has been working on, she agrees to let them help her find closure on what happened in Esther's home. But as they follow the clues all the way to Japan, they realize the truth is far worse than they could ever imagined)

-Episode 8: The Case of Niko Sasaki (After learning of what happened to their beloved friend, the detectives are horrified to learn about the connection between Niko and the Principal. In an act of defiance, Crystal takes it upon herself to bring their friend home and prove herself worthy of her family's gifts as she travels across an icy astral plane

-Episode 10: The Case of the Dying Astral Tree (While her mother is still reeling from what happened at the gala, Crystal decides it is time for the others to meet her, but an uninvited guest returns. Now, the detectives must discover a demon's true identity in order to save their friend once again. But when learning the truth becomes too much to bear for one, the other has to decide how to save their friend- their literal soulmate- from a fate worse than Death)

[penguwastaken]

Headmaster Naegi makes perfect sense (+ DR3 Makoto Analysis)

There's a lot of misunderstandings about the Danganronpa series, and if I had to pick an entry that's "the most misunderstood," I would easily say it's Danganronpa 3.

I went into the anime completely blind and I loved it, only to be shocked by the amount of hate it gets, most of which I think is undeserved. I've written plenty of posts about the anime so far clearing up a lot of misconceptions with it, but there's one I really wanted to talk about. That would of course be the ending.

The amount of backlash I've seen towards Makoto becoming the headmaster of Hope's Peak and rebuilding it was always so strange to me, because to me I couldn't think of a more perfect conclusion to his character. So I wanted to write about it and explain why I feel like this is a perfectly in character and satisfying conclusion.

What went wrong with Hope's Peak?

The usual reason give for why this ending is bad is something along the lines of "Hope's Peak is evil, why would you bring it back?"

This is a fair assessment, at least on the surface level. Starting with Danganronpa Zero and Danganronpa 2, Hope's Peak began to be portrayed in a more negative light by doing things like human experimentation, practically extorting kids by weaponizing their dreams, or covering up murders. However, this take lacks any nuance.

In the original Danganronpa, Hope's Peak is painted in a pretty positive light. The class is seen having fun in all of their pictures, enjoying themselves. When the tragedy hits, Jin, the current headmaster, takes responsibility and helps protect the students.

This paints a very different picture of Hope's Peak than what we'd see later. So what happened? What changed?

If you look back at those things I mentioned, the human experimentation, extorting kids, and covering up murders, all of that ties back to the Steering Committee.

"Not only that, it was the intent of the new Steering Committee members as well to strictlyconceal the incident and keep it under wraps." -Danganronpa Zero

Once Hope's Peak grew in size and the Steering Committee began to gain more power, more bad things started to happen. They introduced the Reserve Course to gather more funds for the experiments they just started doing and there was now an effort was to conceal their crimes.

Danganronpa 3 expanded on this by making it pretty clear that the people running Hope's Peak and the Steering Committee don't always see eye to eye. Jin gets pretty angry when he discovers the Steering Committee plans to sweep the most recent incident under the rug.

(Forgive the awful image quality LOL)

Hope's Peak wasn't always like this, it became this. This is a point that's even pretty consistently brought up in Danganronpa 3, with the main motivation of the Class 74 trio being to fix it.

There was a time when it nurtured true hope. People made friends and memories in Hope's Peak, to act like it was some pure evil entity kind of misses the point. In the end, what tainted Hope's Peak was their flawed view of Hope seeping into it and corrupting it until it became unrecognizable.

Kyosuke wanted to fix Hope's Peak, but eventually his view of Hope became warped as well. Kyosuke would never get to accomplish his dreams of fixing the school and becoming the headmaster, instead choosing to carry the burden of his crimes and pass down his dreams to someone else, someone whose views of Hope were strong and untainted...

Why Makoto?

I can't think of a better person to carry on Kyosuke's wishes than the Ultimate Hope himself. I would argue Makoto rebuilding Hope's Peak couldn't be any more in character.

Right off of the bat, Makoto is known to understand Hope better than anyone else. He's given the title of the Ultimate Hope, a title so fitting that even those at the Future Foundation acknowledge it. The entire series shows that Makoto understands "true hope" better than anyone else.

Makoto also has a history of wanting to help those he sees the good in. In Danganronpa IF, he sees good in Mukuro despite the horrible things she's done because he knew about the good in her. In Danganronpa 2, Makoto attempts to rehabilitate the Remnants of Despair because he knew they weren't always that way.

The obvious natural next step would be for Makoto to fix Hope's Peak, a school that used to embody his ideals, a school that brought him many memories and helped him meet many great people. Of course lots of bad came from Hope's Peak, but bad came from Mukuro and the Remnants of Despair, but that didn't stop Makoto from trying with them.

Makoto running Hope's Peak isn't even out of character. In Danganronpa 2, Makoto is behind the School Trip inside of the Neo World Program, already taking on a "teacher-like" role. Makoto's vision of the school trip is that they spend their time getting closer to each other and building true hope, which is exactly what Hope's Peak should be.

Heck, if I wanted to go even earlier than that, in the original Danganronpa during Kiyotaka's free time events, he comments on about how he "doesn't totally hate" being called a professor. And considering how the writers played the games before writing the anime to catch themselves up, I wouldn't even be surprised if this was intentional.

While not a branch head, Makoto even gets a job at Future Foundation in the branch of public relations. Makoto has pretty much every single qualification to be the headmaster of Hope's Peak and it's not something that comes out of nowhere.

Makoto's arc

While I'm at it, I should also go into Makoto's arc. At the start of the anime, Makoto acts confident. Makoto rejects Monokuma's game, not wanting to give in again and believing that nobody will kill each other this time.

However, as more people begin to die, Makoto's resolve begins to shake. He's reminded how his words were unable to save his classmates, and now he's unable to save the Future Foundation. He's the Ultimate Hope, so why can't he do it? Are his words truly hollow? Are they just worthless platitudes?

But over the course of the anime, Makoto is reminded that his words did have power. He's changed the lives of many and his hope is real. When he sees his friends fighting to protect him, or Komaru eagerly awaiting for him to rescue her, he begins to realize that his hope truly did inspire those around him

Kyoko's sacrifice and her trust in him to carry her hope to the end and end the killing game is the final push he needed. All doubts he had were gone, even despite the constant torment they faced, Makoto had all the proof he needed to know that his hope was true and he gained the confidence to finally face Kyosuke.

I've seen people say that Makoto's conflict with Kyosuke is never properly resolved or that Makoto's point of view on hope is never proven right, but this here is that proof. By carrying the hope people have placed in him, the hope created by his "platitudes," he was able to prove to Kyosuke that his hope was the true hope in the end.

Why does this matter?

Ultimately, Makoto's understanding of hope is what makes him worthy of continuing Hope's Peak. Makoto's values are what Hope's Peak needed, and with a his grasp on true hope, only Makoto could save Hope's Peak. This is what the entire series was building up to.

From a person who saved people with words to finding the good in otherwise horrible people, Makoto carrying the burden of hope and attempting to restore Hope's Peak's image is the perfect conclusion for his character.

Some may say "what if things go wrong in the future," and while there's that possibility, there's always going to be that possibility. There was a chance him trying to save Mukuro would fail, there was a chance him trying to save Class 77 would fail, but in the end he had hope and kept going anyways.

The reason I never understood why people didn't like this ending is because I always felt that this was the most natural continuation of his arc. Why wouldn't Makoto try to restore the symbol of hope, a former titan that brought many people together and once motivated the world? As headmaster, Makoto would be in the perfect position to continue to help the world and spread hope to future generations, even as a "normal" person.

So that's why Headmaster Naegi makes sense.

[thelesbianluthor]

Saw people talk about the fact that the trio knows every single threat they have to face before they have to confront them in the show vs in the books they actually fall into traps and then have to find a way to escape it.

This is one of the main issues i have too honestly. I understand the choice of making annabeth pick up on the statues and the name of the place and obviously guess "oh that is medusa". It works bc medusa is important and connected to her mother and like the context clues are staggering.

But comparing that moment to the start of episode 7 (which i actually really enjoyed especially compared to ep6) makes the show lose most of the tension they could have.

Like why make it an immediate exposition dump on "oh you are this and you do that and we are here for this and that" i don't mind the change of making the shop the entrance of hell but why can't they just for once fall into a trap like? They are 12 years old trying to avoid a war and fix a situation way bigger than them, they are smart and quick witted but let them make mistakes and NOT KNOW some things.

I feel like a lot of the potential of the first scene went out of the window and it just became a "here's an exposition of a scene that happened in the book" and that way even if you cut it you don't lose anything really.

Changes are a GOOD thing and that is not my issue with the show at all! I have already said that I mostly enjoy the changes that were made and I am not expecting nor want a scene for scene copy but it does make it a lot less interesting imo if they go into EVERY SINGLE SITUATION knowing what they are up against for no real reason.

You can have them know some things and guess who they are up against but like if it happens every time the tension of the danger gets lost a lot and it becomes repetitive imo.

On the good side of things tho I think you can see in general that the trio has gotten a lot more comfortable in the characters and the improvement it's very visible. I already said how I really love the casting and I only expect them to get better at portraying the characters that is a no brainer.

The flash backs were probably my favorite part of the episode along with the way they decided to visually represent Hell.

I love that we get to see a peak of Sally and Poseidon's dynamic and how hard it was for Sally to raise Percy, not only bc of the risks his godly heritage brings but also bc she was a single mother and society in general tends to give up on people that don't fit the mold.

Small Percy thinking his mom wanted to get rid of him and saying "I would never do that to you" even tho she has spent every moment doing her best to protect him vs an older Percy having to choose to leave his mom behind so he can do the right thing even tho everything he has done has been fueled by the desire to save her. That was beautiful and tragic.

Casting in general is incredible bc even with the little we saw of Poseidon (I knew the actor from black sails so I knew he would be great) I think he really nailed it.

Hades is maybe a BIT too silly but I can live with it honestly. Like we'll have time to explore and make other characters deeper later on so i don't see this as an issue.

The decision to make them aware of Kronos and tell Hades is interesting and I do like that he offered to protect Percy if he believed to be at risk.

I understand that with how things are now you never know if a show will be renewed and if you'll get to actually finish your story so I don't mind them making certain stuff known sooner and sprinkling references to future events or call backs (MOA percabeth reference I am talking abt you).

Overall I think that the strongest suit of the show right now is the cast and the way they show characters dynamics and their potential.

Like I have said before my criticism stems from my love for the material and my wish for it to do well. I have opinions that maybe will not match with others and it's okay! Not everyone has to like something! I WANT the show to keep going and grow and evolve into a better adaptation with each step because I really love the basis they laid down, the story and the characters and I see the potential most of all. I can't wait for the last episode.

[what-have-i-unleashed]

I have been on a MARINA (& THE DIAMONDS) roll lately, so naturally a lot of thinking about which of her songs fits which of the Murder Time Trio. So here's my top picks:

Killer: Oh No!

I know exactly what I want and who I want to be I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy Oh! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no, oh!

The self-assured destructive tendencies. The self-aware obsessive personality. "I just wanna change" being repeated again and again - I think it just fits his want to crave something new, doesn't matter if it'll make him better or worse.

Dust: Living Dead

I'm living dead, dead, dead, dead Only alive-live-live-live When I pretend-tend-tend-tend That I have died, died, died, died, died, died I haven't lived life, I haven't lived love Just bird's eye view from the sky above I'm dead, dead, dead, dead I'm living dead, dead, dead, dead Dead

Not being able to live life to the fullest. Being stuck in a perpetual depressive state. That's my boy Dust for sure. There's this regret of having done the wrong thing, which I think fits the canonical detail that Dust hates his current self.

Horror: The Outsider

These people are weird in here And they're giving me the fear Just because you know my name Doesn't mean you know my game I look myself in the face And whisper "I'm in the wrong place" Is there more to lose than gain If I go on my own again?

I just headcanon he never really gets along well with the gang - he still has his brother, his Underground is still there and intact. He doesn't feel like belonging to these genociders, and I feel he would be suitably wary of them. Even to his own people back in his universe, he's a secretive person with an agenda. Naturally a distrustful person.

[missgryffin]

Thanks for the tag @jamesunderwater! Loved reading your answers!

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction?

My first (very bad, very cringe) foray was between releases of OotP, HBP, and DH. Back then I was writing Marauders as well as 7th Year for the Golden Trio and a post-Hogwarts fic called "Friends" in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione lived together in Grimmauld Place 🥲

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

Just HP!

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

I mean, I went through the early childhood fanfic phase that lasted 1-2 years, but then I didn't write again until picking it up in 2020 as an adult. So really, only about 4 years now of writing consistently, and maybe 6 years total in my life.

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I also definitely write way more than I read. Mostly this is a product of limited time—writing is a creative outlet for me, and when I have the time for it, that's usually what I reach for.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

I think I've improved a lot with descriptions and vocabulary. Like for example, with revising LFTS and ES, there's been so many moments where I find myself just intuitively taking a sentence or small exchange or small paragraph, and expanding it into something that is just a better portrayal of that moment? It's hard to explain, but when I do the side-by-side comparison, it feels more elevated, and I think that's going back to improving on writing descriptions of what's happening that feel more fluid.

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Oof okay not sticking to a solid writing routine resonated with me too, that's definitely something I'm trying to be better at but it's hard!! Also a major bad habit for me is focusing too much on word count and setting unrealistic expectations for what I can accomplish in certain amounts of time. I've had to do a lot of mindset work to adjust to the fact that some of my old methods were unhealthy and unsustainable, and simply aren't realistic with making writing fit into my current, healthier lifestyle. But it's hard! Old habits and mindsets are ingrained and so tempting to default to. Like I've tried using daily word count goals several times, and it's always a trap. One would think I've learned my lesson, ha!

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Hmm nothing's really coming to mind as being particularly "weird." I do ping @redrobyn285 and @welsh-green about Britishisms from time to time, and that often sparks funny conversations about cultural differences. Like for example, we recently had a very in-depth conversation about terminology for dorm rooms and different sizes of beds 🤣 But in all seriousness, I learn a lot from them and owe so much of the Evans family lore to their input!

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

The play-by-play reactions are my absolute fave! It's so gratifying and fun, especially when there's suspense and tension involved in the story and you feel like you're bonding with the commenter through the shared experience of all the emotions happening.

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

Hmm Castling was pretty fringe, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read, but I'm not aware of any other Jily fics dealing with ~that~. But besides that, I don't think anything on my current slate is that fringe tbh. I've mostly been writing Hogwarts Jily lately, and that's pretty vanilla as far as tropes go. But I do have some adult!Jily in my back pocket that have some more fringe tropes for me 👀

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Angst. Hands down. I think because I'm an empath, dwelling in dark emotions for a story can be really difficult for me. Probably the angstiest scene I've ever written is the opening scene of Vindicated, and there's a reason that's only like 800 words 😂

🍏What is the easiest type?

Rom-com style fluff and smut! I'm such a sucker for all the classic sexual-tension builders: bantering, jealousy, flirting, a little sprinkle of comedy, pining, awkwardness. It makes me giggle and kick my feet while writing, and it puts me in a happy mood every time I'm writing it, which is probably why I'm addicted to it 😇

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Scrivener! I'm at a point now where I've learned enough of its functionality that I truly can't imagine ever going back. It's my fave. I also use Notion religiously for my whole life, and that includes fanfic, but I don't actually write in Notion unless I'm jotting down ideas on my phone or brain-dumping an idea that doesn't have a Scrivener doc yet.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Domestic/Pregnant/Parent Jily. For the simple reason that I haven't experienced being pregnant/having kids yet and I feel like a fish out of water trying to write it because I don't know what I'm talking about 😂

🍇What made you choose your username?

I don't really remember the whole thought process anymore, but I love the musician/DJ Gryffin and was listening to some of his first album a lot in formulating ES, I am very much a Gryffindor, and also wanted something short, sweet, catchy that would be easy for people to remember and spell. And honestly I think missgryffin just popped into my head at some point after that!

I might be late to the game on this one, but tagging @petals2fish @apalapucian @blitheringmcgonagall if you're interested! 🫶

[utterlyhopeful-fics]

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda (Part 2)

a/n: I’m terribly sorry this is late but it’s been a busy week. Please forgive me. Currently finishing up part 3!  Warning; this is angstyyyyyyyy

Joel Miller x Reader 

Word Count: 2186

PART 1         Masterlist 

-------------------------------------------

Awkward tension disseminated the stifling space they found themselves trapped in. Ellie and Y/N’s attention darted to the cranky man, an element of surprise sneaking up on both.

Y/N fidgeted nervously picking at the hardened callus adorning her right palm. Her cheeks flared to life nearly unmissable to the common eye, but Joel? No, not a day passed he didn’t linger a second longer than appropriate. Shit, he practically lived for an accidental touch of the shoulder or brush of the leg. Joel was in stuck in hell and acutely aware of the angel and demon at war. Y/N was magnificent and he sure as hell didn’t…doesn’t say it enough.

Hastier than usual, Y/N grabbed her backpack with expert speed sprinting out the door towards freedom. She flew like a bat outta hell. Sunlight danced across her face. The warmth a welcoming distraction. Y/N gulped an anxious breath quelling her jitters. Whether by choice or not…she was fate’s bitch again.

Ellie’s hands waved maddeningly trying to nab Joel’s attention but the cowboy stood frozen transfixed by the last five minutes.

“Uh, earth to Joel?!”

Reality snapped back in place as Joel stared at the proud youngster. An aggravated grunt was all he mustered walking towards the door and out of this shithole. Ellie trailed behind.

The trio journeyed further down the path the wilted map laid out, one step closer to Wyoming, to a new beginning. Eager to break the discomfort, Ellie reached for her book. Anything was better than nothing, right? El thought so.

“Hey, I got a new one for you guys.”

The pages whipped in the wind forcing her to lose track of the current page.

“Any day now would be nice, ya know?” Joel’s prickly mood settled the score. Things were definitely soaring past uncomfortable and landed on planet catastrophe. Y/N stopped kicking dust up on Joel’s heels.

“Cut the shit, Joel. Let the girl speak.”

His answer or lack of must have been sufficient enough for Y/N as they moved onwards. Y/N grew fond of the child eventually loving the sweet but sour teen chiseling bit by bit but Ellie was worth the risk. Always.

A lighthearted tone filtered through their ears; a welcomed noise to the alternative.

“Why can’t you hear a pter—pt”

“Pterodactyl. It’s a dinosaur.”

Ellie repeated; the word feeling foreign on her tongue.

“Whatever. Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom?”

Y/N smiled waiting for the punch line. Joel staggered ahead trying his best to ignore the current ladies of his life. Y/N counted to ten; “Oh out with it already! Enlighten us.”

An innocent laughter accompanied hardly allowing Ellie to reveal the answer; “Because…the p is silent!”

She broke into a fit of giggles amused at her own joke.

“Wow, might have to file that way away for a rainy day kiddo.”

They trekked six more hours before finding stable campgrounds. One by one, their sleeping bags rolled along the frosty, unforgiving terrain just close enough but never touching. With the sun long set and a fire ablaze, everyone settled into their nightly routine which usually consisted of Ellie reading her comic books and Joel retreating so far into his own head. Easier that way... It annoyed the living piss outta him. His hand clenched wishing to lace his fingers with hers, a pathetic token of affection. But the rational part of his brain told him to shut it off and bury it so deep not even he would know its residence.

“I’ll take first and second watch. Y’all catch some sleep.”

His eyes shifted over Ellie; “And don’t think you can stay up all night reading, tomorrow’s a big day for all us. That includes you, Y/N.”

Two silent beats passed. Joel resumed; “And don’t think I don’t know bout Frank sneakin you that sack of books you keep poorly hidden. Don’t fool yourself, darling. I’m always one step ahead.”

Her eyebrow rose in morbid curiosity; “Just because some of us are determined to quite literally suck the fun out of this shitty world doesn’t equivalent said person having absolutely anything to say about mine.”

Ellie agreed quickly nodding intuitively; “Oh, Y/N. What would I do without you?”

Her rebuttal was quick witted; “Not sure, die maybe?”

“Yep, you are so my favorite.”

A miserable grumble echoed back; “Heard that.”

“Goodnight o loveable child I never wanted but slowly let into my cold wretched heart regardless.”

“Sweet dreams, sucker.”  

Hours ticked by bringing him to the cuff of midnight madness. Joel surveyed the frozen forest scattered in shadows and secrecy. He hated when there wasn’t a clear-cut option. When it was kill or be killed, you’re suddenly forced to choose and fast. Little snores filtered the frigid air reminding him they at least would live to see another day.

 For the next couple minutes, Joel scavenged his memories; the ones that tugged at him most frequently were with his beautiful baby and Y/N. Every birthday, holiday, and Saturday movie night of their lives was spent creating infectious happiness. If only he had stayed the night he opted to run or kissed her without hesitation, given an ounce of himself so she could possibly understand the gaping hole she forever filled in his heart. She was his best friend, his confidante, his past. Too scared to be lovers, eternally looped in boundless temptation.  

Sarah’s death had permanently hardened him reliving the screeching cries of Y/N, the utter desperation tied in her howls, and the forlorn terror taking ahold of Tommy at the sight of Sarah’s lifeless limbs. The aching emptiness of her death shaped him into the monster he was today…maybe always has been. Y/N was a reminder of everything decent he ever had and for was reason alone to keep her at arm’s length no matter the cost. Joel Miller was a man of his word…most of the time.

Dampened twigs snapped beneath worn boots in the distance between him and the girls. His girls. Deep down Joel knew things could never pan out even in pre-Outbreak. He hid like a coward in plain sight from anything out of his control and that usually meant Y/N. Never predictable, a constant that scared Joel to his core. But not now, not when survival predictably remained on the forefront of his mind. He made a promise to Tess and he’d be damned if he didn’t do his best to fulfil it. Life was merciless and winter didn’t help their shared misery. He too was thankful to be closing in on their predicted coordinates, to Tommy.

A small hand rested atop his shoulder squeezing slightly. Joel tensed turning around. The pair exchanged looks. Her voice was soft like churned butter; “Let’s switch. You go rest up.”

At her cruelest, Y/N was compassionate. A calloused palm connected with her warm cheek. Y/N inadvertently leaned into the reassuring stroke. Her hypnotic eyes fluttered open at the foreign sensation jolting back. She sighed. Why did it always feel so natural with Joel? Why was this curse laid upon Y/N, to love and never truly know love. She was convinced it was some cruel cosmic prank handcrafted just for her. He lingered, thumb caressing the corner of her rosy lips. Flickers of hazel filtered through his irises allowing himself a moment of reprieve and relaxation. He bathed it in.

Their blissful bubble burst too quickly pummeling them to reality. Y/N pulled away instantly missing the welcomed heat.

“Y/N…”

With lightning speed, Y/N propelled off the soggy ground sprinting near a clearing. When deemed far enough, Y/N paused her back facing Joel. He stopped leaving minimal space.  

“No. You don’t get to do this. Not now, not ever. You hear me, Joel Miller?”

Confusion was written all over his face; “Darlin’, please talk—”

Y/N shook her head, her shoulders slumped forward; “See Joel, you can’t say things like that. I’m not your girl, you’ve made that abundantly clear time and time again so what else could we possibly have left to discuss, hm?”

“That’s not fair.”

A chortle slipped from Y/N only angering his budding temper.

Her gaze seared into his; “You really wanna do this?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”  

“Fine, let’s fucking go.”

Y/N angled her body facing Joel.

“You love the way I make you feel. The endless compliments, the incessant worship, the prioritized attention, I mean the list just keeps going. You give me just enough of yourself and then inevitably pull away. Girl after girl just waltz through and I let you because I figured it was better to have you in any capacity than not at all. I fucked up by putting you first, but you allowed it, didn’t you?”

She bit the inside of lip refusing to cry in front of him. He didn’t deserve the privilege. His mouth opened ready to interject. Y/N continued.

“I’ve been in love with you for so fucking long, humiliation would be too nice of a term. Don’t bullshit or bait me. Every morning I wake up, I have to swallow this bitter pill. So no offense but fuck you for using me to make you happy until you felt like you didn’t need me anymore and left me wondering where I went wrong.”

Words flew fast; “Yer putting words in my mouth! Haven’t even given me a fighting chance. You’ve already called the winner.”

Y/N’s hands fisted by her side in attempt to suppress her irritation.

“I gave you two decades. I hated myself for imagining you. Every kiss, every caress, every fucking thing. And then you--.”

His heart jumpstarted genuinely fearful of the path they were going down.

“The night we made love, I thought I’d finally won, that the heavens aligned or some bullshit. You’d never kissed me like that before. When I found you gone in the morning, I still held out, you were going to be different. You fucked me and discarded me for the newest model. Guess you got it out of your system.”

“S’not how I remember it.”

“No? Remember making me your glorified secret until Outbreak Day? You were embarrassed and I was heartbroken. Luckily, some higher power saw fit to give me a six-year breather until running into you …and Tess.”

Joel was solemn, remorseful and unsure what qualities she found attractive.  

“Is it my turn yet? Great. Now listen here, I was an asshole and a manipulator, and an overall garbage human. I worked too much, made no time for hobbies of my own, I didn’t...don’t understand why you--.” His voice shook for barely a second finding his footing quick; “You deserved an entire galaxy. I couldn’t give you that, not on my best day. Eventually, you would resent me. An ordinary loser who couldn’t begin to make you happy.”

“That wasn’t your choice to make alone. It takes two to tango.”

“I know.”

“We’ve done this dance before. I’m tired, Joel. I wanna live just for a second without this hostility, this fury underneath my skin. I need to—exist.”  

Ellie’s sweet snorts erupted the intensity. Thank God, the youngster isn’t eavesdropping for once. The rustle of trees casted dazzling shadows and a far spookier imagery.

“It’s bout time we go our own ways. Don’t you think?... Joel, I’d rather live without you than like this.”

It tasted putrid leaving an unpleasant taste in her mouth; “Ellie is the only reason I’m here. That girl softened something in me and I know you hate that and yer a hardass but guess what, Joel? You aren’t the only one that lost somebody so quit being so damn selfish and buck up. It’s more than just you and me, old man.”

His signature scowl was more than enough for Y/N to know he got the message. She awaited his rebuttal but it didn’t come. She stood resolute and waited again met with nothing. His upper lip snarled but Joel nodded nonetheless. Dreadful relief flooded her system. The metallic taste of blood overcame his senses realizing he’d torn the inside of his cheek. Say something, anything you idiot!

He didn’t. Because this wasn’t a fairy tale and he wasn’t a prince. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellie awoke with a loud yawn, alerting the group. Y/N and Joel ignored each other packing in complete silence. Ellie’s eyes bounced from grump to grumpier electing not to rock the boat. Y/N pulled the map showing Ellie the trail; “How many days does that equal? My math isn’t, uh, 100% reliable.”

Joel butted in; “Day or two give or take. Almost to Jackson County which means it just a few miles at that point. Time to get goin’.”

El trudged through the infinite icy slush together. Her socks were damped sticking to weirdly to the heel of her left foot. Though crisp, cool air was much welcomed compared to stale, humid summers. Turns out, global climate was indeed not a joke. Luckily, that too fell with the collapse of society. With their destination soon in sight, Y/N could’ve sworn a spark of hope ignited in her veins.

----------

Tags: @beltzboys2015-blog @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @wildmavs @brittlebarbie @freyafriggafrey @deansgirl79​ @neoqueen306​

[thebrawlerina]

Hiii- me again :P (i message so freqently because i just honestly adore your writing) I was wondering if you could do the headcanon thing for Rico- i don't think you did already becasue when i cheacked i didn't find anything but i might be wrong

:DDD You have no idea how happy I am getting all these asks. Keep them coming! (If you can. No pressure there.)

To celebrate this new blog, let's open with some

Rico HC's

When Starr Park opened with only a western theme, Rico played the role of a 'Bounty Hunter'. He was essentially the security of the park who would have some themed events with Colt and Shelly.

Once the Park decided to include other themes, an Arcade place was added to the mix. Rico found that he loved that places vibe more than the western style and eventually made his way into being part of that scene instead.

That wasn't the only reason for his drastic remodel. Rico loved interacting with kids, but found that his Bounty hunter persona and looks sometimes scared kids which made him sad. When he became a part of the Arcade theme, he requested to have a new body built to fit better and appear friendlier to kids.

Even though Rico sort of left his security job when he switched roles, he still keeps a vigilant eye out for wrong doers in his area.

Even though Rico has a pretty monotone and bland voice, he can actually be pretty emotional and dramatic. Though sometimes people think he's being sarcastic because of his voice, when if he means everything he's saying.

He met Piper after mourning the loss of his lover (the vending machine lol). Well, he actually knew of her beforehand but that was the first time they properly interacted outside of work related duties and brawls. Rico was soon smitten and asked her out on a date. To his surprise, she actually said yes.

Rico is absolutely the type to do grand gestures of love to Piper (or whoever his lover is in the case of other fics). That doesnt mean that he doesn't like the cute subtle things too. But he is a dramatic lover and he will get a boquet and chocolates every chance he gets.

Rico has a program that lets him easily calculate angles to bounce things in real time, and he can activate it outside of battles too. This leads him to doing all sorts of dumb and mundane trickshots, like bouncing some trash off the wall before it goes in the trash can or tossing a coin and making it spin before it goes in a jar.

This program was actually meant to be used so he could be a thrower like Barley. But he picked up a gun and found that way more fun than lobbing stuff. Also the higher-ups were worried about the similarities between him and Barley so they let it be.

Actually he likes doing trick shots a lot. He'd make a youtube account for it, but many others agree that him doing it would be cheating because of said program.

While nothing could top Arcade games in his mind, Rico is actually decent in more slow paced strategy games. Brock tends to just brute force his way through those games and 8-BIT cant be bothered to sit down and play it.

He and Colt used to be really good friends due to their initial roles. One could even say they were best friends. But over time, the two of them started drifting apart and Rico started hanging out with Brock more. They're still friends but definitely not as close as they were before.

Rico and Brock vibe really well with each other. Brock can easily tell what the robot is feeling with his subtle cues, and Rico is good at getting Brock to challenge himself and be better.

8-BIT and Rico like to talk shop about all things video-game related even when outside of work. Rico marvels at the fact that, because of 8-BITs short temper, he's actually the calmer one in this situation.

Rico is completely smitten by Piper. She is his queen, his goddess, and he's grateful everyday that she said yes to him. He'd like to put a ring on her but it waiting for the 'perfect opportunity'. But hes got big things planned.

Rico regards the Starr Park security trio as his successors of sorts and feels an odd parental feeling towards all of them, even if their AI's are made to have them be technically around the same age.

Rico sees Barley and Darryl as like friends who also see each other as family. Barley is the older one and Darryl is the younger one. This unfortunately means that he is the middle one, which Darryl sometimes likes to poke fun of.

[little-pondhead]

Thinking about if Dani ever gets added to the Villain Everlasting Trio au, like how would she fit in? Obviously the JL would have to figure out she's a clone and try and figure out why she exists ("maybe fenton is just that narcissistic?" flash asks, meanwhile batman is already texts agent a to get ready another room in addition to the three already prepared). Maybe she acts like the innocent kid in danger until heroes get close? batfamily trying to pspspsps her away from fenton? The trio collectively calling her their daughter?

I love this au so much, even if I still don't fully forgive you for making Tucker hot.

The way I SPRINTED to my computer.

Disclaimer: This particular AU has nothing to do with Fun Sized and Feral by @nutcase8691 or my Dani Fenton redesign from a while ago. This isn’t really important, but I thought the plot of this au might be straying the tiniest bit too close to the Feral AU (which I love btw) and I just didn’t want to cause confusion.

TLDR: Dani had to mature too quickly in their home world, so when she arrived in the DC universe, she finally got to slow down and be a kid. :)

Okay okay. Give me a moment. Since everyone is acting like the opposite of their usual self when they're playing villains, your question was, how would she fit in? To backtrack to this earlier post, I said that each of the trio's specific gimmicks somehow ties into their everyday lives. They looked at their immediate friends, family and acquaintances, picked out the traits they saw as 'villainous,' and then applied that to themselves.

Danny became a mad scientist because even though his parents love him through and through, they still hurt him the most. The threat of capture and dissection from the GIW didn't help, either. He wears a suit similar to his parents, pushes his hair up so he can see better, and his white lab coat looks a little like the GIW's suits. The suit is also red, which is the opposite of green, distancing himself further from his hero life as Phantom and connecting him more to his civilian self, where red is present on his shirt. He refuses to use his powers, as well.

Sam looks like an angel, which seems odd given her completely goth look and slightly pessimistic attitude. And if she uses her plant powers (shut up, she totally has them) as part of Team Phantom, then that rules out using them as a villain. They want to completely separate these alter-egos from each other. Well, one of the most significant sources of strife in Sam's personal life is her parents. In the show, they're seen constantly fighting with Sam, trying to mold her into their perfect daughter, when Sam is very obviously happy with how she is right now. So as a silent fuck you to her parents, Sam gets a hold of a Realm artifact, the halo, which gives her a pair of ghostly wings and the ability of flight. Now, she's the one in the air, and Sam is still doing what she does best, even as an angel. She tries to show the world that not all angels are perfect, and in fact, they can be downright monstrous. (This is where her more aggressive and destructive attitude comes in.)

As far as I'm aware, Tucker doesn't have any trauma related to his parents. (The lucky bastard.) He is the tech-nerd stereotype, however. And since he's from a cartoon from 2004, that means he gets bullied. A lot. The show focuses mainly on Danny, but you cannot tell me Tucker wasn't bullied like that, either. For the sake of the au, let's say Danny was taking all the beatings for Tucker. Maybe he was in canon; I can't remember. But not only is Tucker being physically bullied but so is his best friend. (Eventually lover!) And imagine his feelings when Team Phantom shows up to a ghost fight, and Tucker is absolutely useless the entire time. He just can't help at all. Danny and Sam are on the front lines, redirecting hits and doing damage control, and here he is, waiting for the Wi-Fi to catch up on his PDA. It eats him up. He wants to be helpful in more ways than one, and that's what the DC universe gives him. He takes another Realm artifact; this time, it's actually his by birthright, and the artifact drastically increases his physical power, just like he's always wanted. He learns Egyptian magic and dresses in a way that gives homage to his time in Egypt-which was traumatizing by itself, but hey, he has sweet beetle magic now.

Basically, Fenton, Manson, and Foley are all the results of the trio's frustrations and fears. They become the things they stress about the most to help cope with their everyday lives. The DC universe is their outlet.

So where does Dani fit in?

Well, Dani is a clone, as we know. Her creation and introduction to the world were rather sudden if you compare her to a typical baby. And that's what she is; a baby. Unless you jumped the timeline far into the future, Dani is barely a year old in canon (I think.) And after her team-up with Danny to defeat Vlad, she makes the decision to leave Amity and travels the world. She has to navigate an entire world independently, even if Danny wants to help her. So now, plop her in the DC verse. What's the opposite of an independent clone who's had to fend for herself from a very young age and has had almost no real familial bonds?

A kid. A scared, touched-starved child who's had no one to look after her for who knows how long. (Vlad doesn't count here.) Dani gets to the DC verse and cries because she and Danny can finally bond like she always wanted to. She doesn't have to put up a strong front because the trio is there to protect her. Dani is extremely young, and now she can finally be a kid. It's not mental age regression; instead, Dani no longer has to hold herself back from doing childish things or crying. Both are things that could be a danger when you're living on the streets. She spends almost all her time here now.

The Everlasting Trio had already missed her before, but they had just fully adopted her in this new world. Dani is their baby. Their little girl. She didn't ask to be born-she shouldn't have to suffer because it was unsafe at home. Well, they can make a new one, just for her, here in this universe. And look! There’s more clones for her to bond with! The GZ is more accessible than ever, and their commute between universes really isn’t that bad. They like it here! And the heroes and villains will never take her away, no matter how hard they try. Sure, Dani can have playdates with some of them, but she will wail and scream if anyone so much as suggests she stay the night without her parent's permission.

Oh, and she never stops being a little shit. If anyone doubts that Fenton and Dani are related, they are simply ushered online to see that one viral clip of Dani latching on to King Shark with her teeth and not letting go in the middle of a shopping plaza. The camera pans to the left a moment later, and the audience spots Fenton doing the exact same thing to John Constantine.

The first time the Justice League meets Dani, it's right after she got lost during a spacewalk with Danny and Sam. She enters the first place she sees, the Watchtower, and breaks down in front of Wonder Woman about how she can't find her parents and doesn't know how to get home. The heroes are baffled and try to comfort her until Danny comes barging in five minutes later, panicking over his baby girl missing. They reunite, the heroes are reeling, and Superman mentions he didn't think Fenton was old enough to have a kid.

Fenton looks up from his bear hug and goes: "Huh? Oh, no. I'm only seventeen. (work with me here) Dani is technically my clone, but we adopted her properly as soon as possible."

And now the League has two issues. Their most annoying enemy is only seventeen. And he has a clone.

What the f u c k.

Extra analysis: Dani's outfit is cleaner and a little fancier than what she wore in the show. She ties her hair up like Tucker and pins her bangs back like Sam. She already looks identical to Danny but likes to wear his sweaters, especially in cold weather. The oversized clothes remind her of her time with Danny in Amity Park, and helps hide her physique better, so it's hard to tell how old she is. She wears leggings to show that she no longer has to fight for her life every day on the streets. Now that the trio adopted her, she can relax and let someone else take the hits for a while. (We all know how fast leggings and tights can be ruined when doing literally anything.) Fright Knight gifts her a cursed doll that helps protect her in stressful situations and functions like an SOS beacon. JLD hates the bear. (She named it Strawbeary.)

She acts on her impulses more often, which the trio sees as a good thing. Even if that impulsive desire gets her in trouble, it gives everyone a chance to learn and grow as a family. Dani also refrains from going ghost at first, following her dad's wishes. Right now, she's just giving herself a break from her previous nomadic lifestyle. After a bit, she and Danny will bond over their halfa status, and she'll grow into her own unique core and powerset. The heroes dread the day the littlest Fenton decides to join her parents in their shenanigans.

[snirtsnirkarts]

The Adventure continues!

That is, until they’s stumped in the small town of Ponyville on their way to update the princess and see the wonderbolts! Many mysteries about that place. But given their trio would be stuck for a while, they get comfortable for the time being. Twilight investigating their history, the ever free forest, and many more. Pinkie trying very food in town, and making parties for every new friend in town. And Rainbow would tag along, although of course is rather distracted by an earth pony giving her rather nasty looks…

There was allegedly an on going Freud between some farmers and a veterinarian, of sorts. Something about getting rid of bats and missing apples.

We eventually meet Apple Jack, who doesn’t like these strange creatures coming into her town. The only normal seeming on being Twilight, who had no interest in talking with others, but seemed to have the two creatures following her around everywhere. Apple Jack was worried for that unicorn for a while. Until it turned out she was strange too. Strangely powerful, raising a baby dragon, lack any social skills. She doesn’t trust not a one of them, until of course, Rainbow, determined to be liked by ponies, and prove a point to AJ for judging them by how they look, offers to help solve her Vampire Fruit Bat problem. AJ is rather suspect and stubborn about not needing their help, but she did desperately need this to stop.

That is where we meet Fluttershy! She would avoid the trio and successfully evade them for a while. But Pinkie would find out she hadn’t made friends with one pony. They actually found them arguing one day(Well, as much as you could call AJ yelling at Fluttershy while she just stood there and gave soft answers arguing). What makes her come out of her shell of course, is the baby dragon. She’d never seen one before and was absolutely obsessed, asking Twilight for all the information she had. Which, lucky for Fluttershy and Twilight alike, Twilight loved talking about her research, and she had researched a lot on dragons, and was raising one. Of course Twilight knew a lot.

Finally, it is revealed that the culprit of the missing apples was Fluttershy all along! (Same reasons in season 4 ep 7 Bats!, although this time not much of a cure for her looks. That’s why she’d hidden her wings and ears) probably through Twilight’s magic they’d fine a way for her to manage herself better. Effectively solving AJ’s problem.

Eventually they go to leave town, but not before Fluttershy and AJ would join them, Fluttershy seeing they’re traveling and wanting to learn more about other animals and creatures, and them being the only friends she really made. Plus she promised Twilight to help babysit Spike, so of course Twilight was delighted to have someone who wouldn’t be burdensome on her trip. AJ using the excuse that she’d think selling around would bring more business to her Apple farm, the truth being these were very strange ponies, and she wants to keep a close eyes on them. One of the reasons they were in Ponyville was to get a cart, as they were collecting quite a few things along the way, and it’d be much easier for them. AJ agrees to pull it, as long as her Apple business could fit inside. And it did. AJ would also adjust their stops to pick up more apples at other family’s farms. And we effectively have AJ and Fluttershy join the fray!

On, but I forgot to mention one person, who’d actually appeared through out their trip, selling her fashion line to gain traction, and traveling herself to better learn all of the fashion trends from around all of Equestia! Rarity they would meet at a market around the wonderbolts performance. Pinkie would be the one to recognize her, even if she did stand out as a Zebra. Zebras didn’t normally live in these areas. Rarity finally really approaches them when she sees Fluttershy, and her outfit. (Fluttershy hides that she was from the city, and a rich family. She knew a thing or two about fashion, and even more so about sewing) Rarity compliments it although complains about being unable to see Fluttershy’s cutie mark, and furthermore her wings! They were incredibly stunning, one of a kind. Rarity would be the one to encourage her to change her outfit to show her further, to give Fluttershy a makeover because she should feel proud of who she is.

Now Rarity would ask why they were traveling, having herself seen them about. And by hearing it, now Rarity wanted to tag along. She wanted to go those places in any case, and now with Fluttershy she could help Rarity with her work, and be her model! And Rarity would tell them of her own childhood legend, as her home was not somewhere on the list, but Twilight would now add it to find out about this one as well. Sounding like another of The Six Pillars. Lucky they had Rarity too, because it was hard and dangerous to get there if you don’t have someone who knows the way.

With Rarity eventually warming up to AJ, she too will get a knew haircut, as Rarity promises it will look nice, and stay out of the way of AJ’s hard work. That’s something that happens a little later and probably plays out similarly to Look Before You Sleep(season 1 ep 8) I hadn’t really decided on when Rainbow will be revealed, just know it’ll be dramatic. Since Changlings are still evil in this story. It think it’ll have to be when they eventually visit the crystal kingdom or a magic free area where changling magic just isn’t affective.

But that concludes how I imaged each of the Main Six would join the party! And of course how I think they’d look. I hope you all enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to look!

[raayllum]

Very non-consequential, but still fun question: what animal do you associate with each of the main trio? (plus anyone else you feel like doing!)

I overthought this question because I couldn't just do animals in general and had to go with specific species so:

Callum is a bird, obviously. The boy loves his Ocean arcanum too but birds have the wings, and the intelligence and mating for life bonds (more often), and sharp little beaks that can gouge your eyes out. Man has teeth. Let's leave them there.

From there it was whittling down which bird to pick, so I learn towards either a standard Rock Pigeon or a Clark's Nutcracker bird.

Rock Pigeon

Rock pigeons for a few reasons.

Elegant but not overly pretty, which fits Callum pretty well. He's grown into a handsome boy but he'll always have a tiny bit of awkwardness, and the green sheen nicely ties into his eyes

Callum's name means dove, and pigeons and doves are very similar overall. However, Callum is less squeaky clean/outright peaceful than just a dove would indicate, so pigeons have a more grey/black down to earth colouring felt right. "Dirtying yourself with dark magic" and all that

They mate for life, which is a memo re: Rayla Callum has definitely gotten on board with lbr here

Pigeons are very smart, remembering faces, see the world in complex colours (artist anyone) and able to navigate complex routes to find locations / their way home (hence why they were used as messenger birds during wartime).

At his best, Callum is very communicative, has a great memory, and will eventually learn to navigate his own path away from others' imposed destinies on him

Clark's Nutcracker

They're in the Corvidae family like crows and ravens, which makes me happy, as those are two of my favourite birds

Again has the intelligence that our boy needs/deserves; these guys in particular are very good at prying seeds apart with their beaks, which gives me key of Aaravos / Callum unlocking secrets vibes

Sharp pointy beak to bite/stab people with. It's what he deserves

They also mate for life hell yeah

I also feel like they somehow match him better aesthetically but Idk why so grain of salt

Rayla I defaulted pretty easily to either a wolf or honestly more likely an arctic fox.

I wanted something smaller and more solitary than a wolf, since even within her village community Rayla has always been an outsider

Also very influenced by aesthetic (white, fluffy, slim) in addition to being loyal the way canines tend to be + a hunting animal bc like look at her swords

They also change colours as their coats update with the seasons, which felt very on par with how Rayla has transformed her wardrobe colours and herself / tries to take on different faces and identities depending on where she is on her arc

Constantly shifting like the moon amirite?

They are described as playful, cunning, cheeky, and curious

Bc they're heavily arctic animals / places with long winters, they depend more than other animals on hiding and stowing food away for later, which makes me think of how Rayla is pretty consistently carrying secrets / stashing the coins away in Stella's portal

Ezran to me is a Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog.

I chose this one cause I feel like an amphibian of some sort would best reflect Ezran, given his associations of being torn more explicitly between two worlds and two things. On the one hand, he's a child and should be treated/respected as such, and on the other hand, he's also a king and should be treated/respected as such. So amphibians having water and land, the way that Ezran does well both in times of conflict and times of peace (the latter being something Rayla really struggles with in particular) is well reflected. Also Bait, obviously

I went with orange > red even though Ezran wears the latter, cause orange feels warmer than the danger! zone red puts in, as well as mixing well with Ezran's brown hair. The touch of blue is for his eyes and his connection to Zym, and a tropical lil guy who likes sunshiney weather. Frogs are also pretty slippery and fast and Ezran (esp pre-series) is pretty wily and mischievous, getting into nooks and crannies he shouldn't be and then getting out of hot spots later on in show, so that matched up in my head

Other notes:

Viren always makes me think of serpents, and Claudia and Aaravos always make me think of spiders, so I'll toss those two in as well (although I feel they're more self explanatory symbolism wise / more offered within the text itself).

[kafus]

OKAY HERE'S MY CYNTHIA BATTLE FROM LAST NIGHT!!! i actually recorded it with my cap card and then put some subtitle commentary on it. i managed to do the entire battle in just under 10 minutes so it would fit on tumblr though i did have to make the file crunchy as fuck/low quality LOL. instead of typing out everything here you can just watch the battle happen. here's my team for context (i took these photos after beating her):

i did not record the E4 nor am i gonna talk about it much because it was honestly 10x easier than cynthia and not that interesting. i solo'd flint with my lumineon and i solo'd lucian with my scizor, and bertha/aaron weren't much better.

a few notes about the team though:

i wasn't thinking ahead to specific strategies to beat the E4/cynthia, i just picked movesets i thought were generally good and was like "i'll figure it out when i get there"

as a reminder scizor has technician which boosts the power of moves 60 base power or less, which is why i'm using shit like bug bite lmao

lumineon has ominous wind over attract literally just bc i wanted to use my stockpile of shards on a move tutor move SOMEWHERE on the team and the idea of her getting an omniboost in a fight was objectively funny (though it didn't happen during this run rip)

i picked thunder on clefable over blizzard because of the potential synergy with rain dance (zoom lens doesn't make either 100% accurate but rain makes thunder always hit) however i brought a blizzard TM along in case i needed to change my mind midway. i did not end up having to

return is on luxray just because luxray's movepool sucks and i think it's cute for my pseudo starter to have Return on it

sucker punch's priority ended up being ESSENTIAL to the cynthia fight and i'm very glad i delayed murkrow's evolution until level 45 for it. i actually didn't change pepper's moveset at all before the e4, she's the only one who received no changes

the shiny golem named dandelion is from my qpp gold :] he traded it to me at level 7. i spent nearly 2 hours grinding her to level 50 and used her on the team and did not tell him. i sent him the battle video and the first he was aware of this was when he saw her use explosion LMAO (i plan to use my hippowdon on future runs of the E4!)

BUT YEAH!! YAY WOO

75 hours... very little of that was idling i just really spent that damn long on this game huh.... sdfkdfsksd

i'm pretty much wrapped up here, i intend to use this save as my main platinum save moving forward but i think the liveposts can come to a close now. i may post about me catching the lake trio but that's about it. I HOPE IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE SAGA THAT U ENJOYED IT. THANKS FOR READING MY INCESSANT AUTISTIC RAMBLING THUMBS UP

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Valicer In The Dark -- Fun With Special Abilities II, Time For The Crew

Because the post about their INDIVIDUAL special abilities got long enough that I felt it was a good idea to give their special abilities as a GROUP its own post. XD Because that is the thing about Blades In The Dark -- not only do individual characters get a playbook, the crew as a whole gets one as well! To help codify what kind of scoundrels they are, and what kind of scores they generally favor. The Three Pillars, at least in my head, are Shadows, first and foremost -- this means they favor scores that involve finding and stealing stuff, spying on people, and sabotaging things. Though I'm not opposed to them doing Hawkers scores from time to time, since that playbook is all about selling shit, and that syncs well with Smiler being a seller of Joy Serum to the masses... Anyway, the crew playbook provides special abilities and bonuses for all of the crew members to use, and upgrades to their lair to help them with their various scoundrel activities. Here's the abilities and upgrades for the Three Pillars as a whole that I have locked down so far:

-->Special Abilities: As per my original write-up on this topic, The Three Pillars start with the Pack Rats special ability -- the actual playsheet says that their lair is a "jumble of stolen items," but for my crew, this represents the fact that, while most of the actual house portion of their lair is empty when they first discover it, Elder Gutknecht's beloved library up in his tower is stuffed full of books, occult objects, and other articles of interest he collected when he was alive. (Plus, I'm not opposed to them finding other random crap hidden away while they clean the rest of the place up -- the initial looters couldn't have gotten everything!) Game mechanically, this allows them an extra die whenever one of them rolls to acquire an asset before or after a score, because there's a non-zero chance it might already be in that damn tower. XD Now, admittedly, I picked this partially because I didn't think any of the other special abilities fit for the trio at the very beginning of their career, but I'm pretty happy with it regardless. As I said at the time, it feels appropriate given how messy that tower is in the actual Corpse Bride movie! :p As for what they get as time goes on --

A) Everyone Steals -- they get better at the skills best-suited to their chosen scoundrel "trade!" In game terms, this lets you immediately add a dot to either the Prowl, Finesse, or Tinker action rating (which indicates how many dice they get to roll whenever they attempt something that involves that action) on each character's personal playbook -- and you don't have to choose the same action for each character either, you just have to pick one of those three. (Though you also can't go above three dots in any of the actions either, as the fourth and final dot in all actions is locked behind another upgrade.) This is the first upgrade listed on the sheet, and is considered to be a good "starting" upgrade for new crews, but I felt that, while I wanted it, it made a little more sense to take it a bit later to show how the gang is slowly getting better at some of their chosen tools of the trade. :) Specifically, I think currently Alice would take the extra dot in Prowl, Victor in Finesse, and Smiler in Tinker to represent their own specializations (Alice is the more physical one and could use the boost to moving around quietly that Prowl gives; Victor is the one most suited to delicate work -- and I've decided Finesse is the best action to represent his artistic/musical skills, so it only makes sense to boost that; and Smiler is the tech/chemistry person and thus should have a strong Tinker rating) -- but we'll see if I think differently based on where they are in the series when they get this upgrade!

B) Ghost Echoes -- they all gain the ability to see and interact with the unearthly echo of Duskwall that exists in the ghost field! Which is just more weird, cool, and dangerous magic for them to play with. :D The playbook indicates that this is gotten through "weird experience or occult ritual," and -- well. Victor already has the Ghost Mind ability that allows him to sense the presence of anything supernatural in his vicinity, and I'm planning for him to pick up Ritual and Ghost Veil abilities, so this crew ability just feels like a natural extension of all of that (meaning, obviously, those powers of his are prerequisites). Maybe once he figures out his own ability to shift temporarily into the ghost field, this group ability can cover him figuring out how to turn it into a ritual? Though I don't know if the characters are supposed to fully or just partially shift into the field while this is happening...we'll figure that out when we get there!

C) Slippery -- they're better at avoiding the consequences of their various scores! In game terms, this means that when you roll for "entanglements" (the various things you will have to deal with after committing a heist -- can range from Bluecoats picking up friends to interrogate, to devils taking an interest in the gang, to a friend needing a favor, to a rival trying to throw their weight around), you roll twice on the table and keep whichever result you want. You also get an extra die when you roll to reduce the crew's "heat" (which, the higher that goes, the worse/more complicated the entanglements you pick up, so it's good to keep it low). I think this one fits the crew because my stories for them have them building a reputation as "weirdly unstoppable for just three people" -- they manage to get one over on Six Towers' local nobleman Lord Rowan, they survive Lord Bethesda's assassination attempt and a trip into the Lost District, they survive ANOTHER assassination attempt by the fucking leaders of most of the criminal gangs of Duskwall, etc, etc. They are slippery little fuckers! And we love them for it. :p

D) Synchronized -- they become exceedingly good at working together as a team. Mechanically, this means that when they do a "group action" together (where everybody rolls to do one specific thing, with one character leading), if two people roll separate sixes, you can count that as a critical success. I like this because a) it's cool and makes group actions more interesting and b) it has great story idea potential! You see, I see this as a supernatural thing that they pick up accidentally -- I'm not sure precisely what happens yet, but there is occult nonsense that briefly links their minds and has them relive the others' memories, and after that...it's not precisely a full telepathic link, but there's some sort of lingering effect that they can use to just -- know what they all need to do when they're all working together on something. It doesn't always work perfectly, but when it does, they are a force to be reckoned with. Plus there would also be many feels involved from them getting a first-hand look at what the others went through and -- just understanding each other better afterward. I picture them all standing stunned for a second after the trip through the memories ends, then just moving to embrace each other because damn. They've been through some shit.

E) Ghost Market -- they discover how to make something that affects supernatural entities -- who are very interested in getting their hands on it... This one is from the Hawkers playbook, and it goes "Through arcane ritual or hard-won experience, you have discovered how to prepare your product for sale to ghosts and/or demons. They do not pay in coin. What do they pay with?" This is obviously a special ability that mainly relates to Smiler -- but it's not about them improving Joy Serum with Victor and Alice's help. Instead, I picked this because I had an idea revolving around them finally managing to invent Giggler Gas, and going with Victor and Alice to present it to the Advocates -- only to run into ghost trouble along the way. And when Smiler sprays the ghost with some of the gas just to distract it --

The gas affects the ghost. Leaving it giggling and allowing the trio to escape and go "what the fuck?!" I haven't gotten much past that point, but I do know that Smiler and the Advocates would be all for peddling this shit to sapient ghosts (and maybe ghost-hunting Whispers to use as a "stun" option while they try to catch other spirits), while Victor and Alice would be a bit like "do we really want to get into the business of selling drugs to ghosts?" XD I also don't know how the ghosts who actually buy the stuff would pay for it -- maybe just drip some electroplasm into a vial? Victor at least could always use that for his butterfly experiments... I'll figure something out, just because this whole idea amuses me. XD

-->Upgrades: Again, as per my original write-up, the trio's lair starts with the following upgrades:

A) Hidden -- the lair's location is a secret to most people and is hidden from casual discovery! In-universe, I'm representing this with Elder Gutknecht using special wards that he'd crafted to keep anyone he didn't want finding him from even seeing his house in Six Towers. After he died, he started to let them run down, figuring it didn't matter so much now what happened to his stuff now that he was no longer among the living --

And then some hooligans showed up, smashed all his windows, and started talking about setting fire to the library. Cue Gutknecht scaring them out and then refreshing his wards on the regular. :p The only reason Victor, Alice, and Smiler find the place is because they come in at just the right time between refreshes -- and when they prove to be nice and polite (especially to a ghost), Gutknecht lets them stay and incorporates them into the magic. :) A very lucky break for a trio on the run from the Bluecoats, to be sure!

B) Training: Prowess -- the lair has something in it that allows people to train in the "Prowess" skills -- Finesse, Prowl, Skirmish, and Wreck (when someone chooses to "train" in that skillset in downtime after scores, they mark two XP points on that skillset's XP tracker instead of one). Admittedly, this isn't something that the place has when the trio first arrives -- rather, once they decide they're all living there permanently, the Advocates give them some spare equipment they have at their headquarters so they can train those skills (I'm picturing old-timey workout stuff). As Shadows, they'll definitely need Finesse and Prowl to effectively pull off their scores, so this is important stuff!

C) Workshop -- the lair has the space and tools for tinkering and alchemy, plus a library of various books, documents, and maps, which makes completing long-term projects involving tinkering, alchemy, or looking up stuff easier. Obviously, I've already mentioned Elder Gutknecht's library at the top of the tower, but the level directly below is a workshop, containing a Fox-Lloyd alchemy bench (the best of the best, Smiler is THRILLED) and a Lumiere brand tinkering bench (guess where I got those names XD). I suppose Gutknecht also having a nice Harper upright piano for Victor to play with can count toward this too. :p I just wanted to give them ample opportunity to indulge their hobbies!

D) Cohort: Expert -- the crew has access to a single expert NPC who helps them with their work -- in this case, the Reconciled ghost of the original owner of the place, Elder Gutknecht! As will eventually be revealed in the final chapter of "Start At The Beginning...Sort Of," he became a ghost under unusual circumstances, and thus hasn't gone mad from the craving for life essence most ghosts suffer from. Plus, when the trio arrives, he's starting to feel a little lonely, haunting his house with just the ravens for company, so he's only too happy to let them use the place. :) In game terms, he is a Tier 1 Occultist (before you say anything, the Three Pillars start at Tier 0, soooo), with the edge Independent (they can trust him to make good decisions on his own) and the flaw Principled (he has his own code of ethics he won't betray, which means certain things he won't help with -- like actively helping the gang figure out a way to murder one Dr. Bumby. He'll let them STAY, he just won't help them plan).

Not a bad set of stuff to start out with, right? As for upgrades I would like them to get as time goes on --

E) Quarters -- the crew's lair actually has places for them to sleep and live in, rather than forcing them to go to another location for a bit of shut-eye. This one is a little bit unusual because, well, the trio are living in their lair even before they get this upgrade -- after everything with Barkis, Bumby, and the Van Dorts, Victor and Alice don't really have anywhere else to go, and while Smiler could stay at Advocate headquarters, they really want access to that Fox-Lloyd bench. XD So in their case, Quarters means they've made the place a lot more comfortable to live -- it's clean, there's some proper furniture in there, the sink works, they have a way to cook food, and they all have places to sleep (though, as noted in a particular fic's title, there's only one (proper) bed...). Hopefully they can score this sooner rather than later, the poor guys!

F) Secure -- the lair has proper locks, traps, and other measures to thwart intruders! This is actually an upgrade you can take twice -- ticking the first box protects it against mundane threats, while ticking the second protects it against supernatural ones. As you're allowed to tick two upgrade boxes every time you fill the XP track, I'd probably take both levels of this in one go -- I mean, Gutkecht ALREADY has wards up, it only makes sense that they'd cover buffing the place's defenses against humans and ghosts all in one go. Maybe learning how to make ghost-repellent wards can be part of Victor's Whisper training. :p

G) Thief Rigging -- the crew learns how to load themselves up with their tools of the trade more easily and efficiently! In game terms, this means they get two free slots of "load" for anything that counts as "gear" or "tools" (like a burglar's kit that includes lockpicks and oil for squeaky hinges, or Smiler bringing along a portable alchemy set). As all characters have a limited number of slots for items (with the exact amount depending on if they go for a "light," "normal," or "heavy" load), getting a couple of things for free means being able to carry more useful kit on scores! And we all like that.

H) Insight Training -- the crew gets some stuff to help train their "Insight"-related skills -- Hunt, Study, Survey, Tinker! Because those are skills that are also much-needed by Shadows, especially ones like them. Not a single one of them starts with a dot in Hunt, after all, and they might need that if they have any jobs involving tailing people or the like. Getting new books for the library will probably help with Study, and just practicing on the alchemy and tinkering benches for Tinker -- we'll see what I come up with to represent training in the other stuff. (Hide and seek for Hunt?) We want them to master some skills at some point! Speaking of which --

I) Mastery -- the crew gets access to stuff that allows them to really train up their skills as Shadows! Yeah, remember how I said above that the fourth and final dot for all actions is locked behind an upgrade? This is that upgrade, and it requires you to tick four boxes to unlock it. So even if I did two at a time, they'd have to sink all their XP into taking this twice to unlock it. So getting this one is probably going to take a little bit, but I think it'll be worth it in the end. Because, hey, we want them to be at least masters in what I think of as their "core" skills -- Skirmish for Alice, Attune for Victor, and Tinker for Smiler. And hopefully some others besides. They will be fucking earning it, let me tell you.

Whew -- that was a lot, wasn't it? How about next week we talk about something much more simple but still interesting -- good old-fashioned trauma! :D Because THAT in a system in this game too -- see you then!

[delopsia]

at this point i feel like i’m just straight up asking for to world building the trio™️ 😩💕 but the subject of birthdays popped into my head and i just 🥳✨

how do you think rhett x reader x robby celebrate?

are you team “the abbott family doesn’t really do birthdays unless it’s for amy” or team “rhett himself is just kind of indifferent because he hasn’t ever had anyone to celebrate with or had anything to do because wabang is so small” or something else entirely?

do you think robby is a birthday guy? i headcanon him as having a big family (single mom, lots of older sisters) which makes me think he’s more likely to get the birthday celebrations, at least when he’s home; with his favorite cake (maybe made by mama floyd), silly birthday cards and maybe a couple gifts 🤔 but what do you think? does he like the attention because it’s his family or does he maybe prefer something quieter with rhett and reader?

do you think reader is a birthday person? what do you think the cowboy and the pilot do for reader on their special day? breakfast in bed or birthday dinner? do they bake a cake or pick one up?

did the three of them ever celebrate birthdays together in the beginning, on discord or in person? what about once they live together, what do those look like?

oh my god this is just a jumbled mess of questions but also: the thought of them being able to throw rhett a birthday party in their space, loving on him all day and doing whatever he wants 💓😩💓

and because we’re whores: is birthday sex dealer’s choice or is it like “as many orgasms as we can lovingly wring from them until they pass out”? 👀❤️‍🔥

Now THIS is something 💃I briefly lost this ask, and I've never been so distraught in my life 😩I can't believe I've never even really thought about them celebrating birthdays until you sent this.

I don't know why, but the Abbott family seems like the kind of family that's sort of split on birthdays. Cecelia always wants to celebrate and shower her boys with sweet treats, but Royal's of the "them boys would be of better use on a horse than stuffin' their faces with cake" thought process.

So birthdays are more or less normal days, where Cecelia slips Rhett a cupcake with a candle in it while Royal is out, and that's the most celebrating they can do. Otherwise, Royal pitches a fit because it's "softening up them boys" and "well, now they'll work lousy today."

Rhett's old enough to know that he can celebrate on his own now, but even if he allows himself one more beer just for that special day, he almost feels...guilty? He's just constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting Royal to chew him out.

Oh my god 😭evidently, we both headcanon Robby with a single mom, lmao.

Robby's family absolutely goes all out when he's home. There's an entire hallway wall dedicated to birthday pictures of him and his siblings. It's an excuse to let loose and share Ms. Floyd's famous birthday cake, and they always wind up getting a little carried away. I love the image of everyone sitting at the table, asking Bob to blow out the candles, and he's sitting at the end of the table, red face buried in his hands, party hat sideways, flustered to the high heavens.

Robby absolutely prefers to just have dinner, a movie, and cake, but he doesn't voice that to his family because he sees how much they enjoy those over-the-top birthdays. If that means being mortified as everyone sings happy birthday and forces party hats on his head, then so be it.

I like to think that when Bob, Rhett, and the Reader come down to visit Bob's family, he lets it slip that Rhett's birthday is coming up. Queue rushed preparations while Rhett's out of the house, and a big yell of "surprise!" that scares poor Rhett so bad he jumps back out the door😭That's the one time they have to tone it down because this cowboy is both unsocialized and rattled to the bone.

If the Reader wasn't a birthday person before, they're going to be. Bob may not realize it, but his family has rubbed off on him. If there is a birthday, it shall be celebrated. As soon as the Reader wakes up, they're wrapped up in a pair of very, very sleepy men; Rhett's lazily snuggling into the space in their collar bone, and Bob's asking what they want to do today, in that unusually rough morning voice of his.

Whatever the Reader says, goes, no if's, and's, or but's about it. Lay in bed all day? Sold. Go out to a nice restaurant for dinner? Rhett's going to be tripping in Bob's too-big dress boots, but they'll make it happen.

If Bob's not working, he's in the kitchen for half the afternoon making a cake from scratch, while Rhett sort of...lingers like a feral cat. He'll fetch things from the pantry and run off to terrorize the chickens if Bob needs eggs, but he's not allowed to touch the mixing bowls. Neither is the Reader, for that matter. Once Bob's in his 'zone,' he gets very particular about his kitchen not being messed with.

In the beginning, birthdays were celebrated in the form of hour-long calls where there would be an...attempt at getting everyone to eat cake together? Attempt meaning, Robby and Reader eat cake, and Rhett eats whatever birthday-cake-flavored treat he could find at the store.

Rhett's birthday wasn't acknowledged the first year simply because he forgot to mention it, and neither Bob nor Reader knew what day it was. Until one day, his age was one number higher than before, and Reader put two and two together.

BUT since moving in together, birthdays are entire days dedicated to whatever the hell they want. They've spent a whole day at a festival that the Reader wanted to visit; Bob's had two birthdays where all he wanted was a day to binge movies, and Rhett's most recent birthday was spent taking him to the zoo for the first time.

Getting Rhett to feel alright with celebrating is a whole process of its own, but there's a birthday when he comes home late from work, and there those two are, bickering as they frantically light those candles before he can walk into the kitchen. God, he just melts. Doesn't know what to do when they're both hugging and kissing him because he's too flustered to blow them out. He doesn't know what to do with all the attention and just winds up burying his face in the nearest shoulder.

Birthday sex is almost always the dealer's choice, but the choices aren't usually a surprise.

Bob's got a thing for making an absolute mess out of Rhett and Reader, doesn't want to stop until they're batting him away, can't handle any more of him; he loves it to the point he almost forgets to take care of himself.

Rhett, though shy about it, always ends his birthday nights shuddering as he's worked toward another orgasm, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. The kind of overworked that requires several hours of carefully spoken words and cuddling to bring him back down.

Reader has a secret third option that Rhett so lovingly calls the "fuck around and find out." Someone's going to wind up breathless and overstimulated by the end, but it just depends on the way things go. Sometimes it's the Reader themselves, sometimes it's Rhett, and sometimes it's Bob.

Hell, once it was all three of them ✨💃

🌻💕