#that's because APPARENTLY in a recent update the game has made it so the special cosmetic headbands are now locked to specific hairstyles

[nattikay]

[from this post] @bookqueen1755 use Photo Mode, like so! Then just mess around until you get something you like :)

[mhedusard]

Five Reason why YOU🫵 should play fly forever Loving you 2

First of all what's Fly forever Loving you 2 ?

Fly is an indie otome game where your character will enter in 11th grade at the Hummingbird Highschool and where you'll eventualy find love and discover some hidden secret along the way.

It's a sequel of another game of the creator who found that the first lacked of constancy. You Can play the 2 without having to play the First since the important plot point are reminded (but I personally recomend you to try the first since it's still very enjoyable and you'll understand the story better).

Reason number one: custom your character

You Can chose your,apparence, pronouns and customize your character.

Reason number 2: Choose your best Friend

A recent update grant you the possibility to chose who is your best Friend between two character:Rachelle and Nabil.

Rachelle is your default best Friend since Fly 1 she's a Sunny girl who is determined to help you find love

Nabil is a funny and layback Guy with a baffling Bad Luck.

Reason number 3: Awesomes love interest

In this game you have 8 love interest.

(I'm going to présent them from left to right for first Line and same sens for the second.)

-Evan is a shy and reserved but nice guy passioned of litterature.However he seems to have some family trouble lately.He's Rachelle's best Friend.

-Josh is the guitarist of Nuggets on the run a group that he created with his brother Ben and Friend Beatrice. He's an Honest Guy who don't like drama.

-Juliette is the pianist of Nuggets on the run and an artist to the core.She's a very sensible girl who has been bullying last year partly because of the fact she's lesbian. (It's one of the main story Line of Fly 1).

-Kanan is an activist whose everyday life turn around making the World better in term of ecologie and politics. This made him gain the Title of kill joy by some of his peers.

Kanan and Juliette are both exclusive love interest: if you Choose the girl apparence you Can date Juliette and if you Choose the boy one you Can date Kanan.

-Clement is Rachelle's and Evan's best Friend. He's a flirty Guy with a hight self-esteem. He's still a lovely and comic person.

-Thomas a Guy who likes to act all mysterious and with who you share the custody of a cat named Java.He work at the Highschool despite being only 19/18.

-Mélanie is your local Mean girl who's a lot more tolerable than last year.She still likes to throw uncalled mockeries at you.

-Dahn is an ex star player of the Best basketball Highschool team of France who decided to change School and to go to Hummingbird.He's a sociable Guy who seems to blend in easely.

-Laurène is a very strong girl and Juliette's best Friend.She's serious and much more mature than most of adults.You Can have truth her without any worry.

Reason number 4: a beautiful story with gorgeous illustrations

While the setting of the story is not revolutionary some episodes genuetly made me gasp especialy for the episode 8 who spoke about revenge porn.The characters feel very humans(for the better and worst).

Reason number 5: HER

This is Candice Mc's best Friend until they move out and I love her so much. Part of it because of a side story that made me relate to her.

If this post convince you to give this game a try you should keep two things mind:

-This game is 100% french and there is not translation from what I know.

-Ajeb the creator of the game do all the sprites, illustrations,coding and writing alone so the update of episodes are slow but there is some special épisode who are disponible !

Side note: you Can download this for free on your computer/laptop and phone (it's not disponible for IOS thought)

[robobirdie]

Anatomy of a Droid written in a script format.

Just testing out my writing skills and tried writing my short story Anatomy of a Droid out in a different format; the format used for scripts. Since I already had most of the dialogue which is the primary component to a script format and the story outlined already written I took a try at formatting the story into a script format. It really didn’t take long to rework it a bit. I took creative writing in high school and excelled quite well in it so know a few formats for writing. Script format can be useful in displaying physical happenings in a story but is more monotone and I find not so lively as it’s less in depth and descriptive method prevents proper and good relay of emotions and concepts as it relies heavily on dialogue with only simple descriptive wordings to actions, feelings and concepts. Because of these I’m not a big fan of this style however it can sometimes be useful to portray actions that aren’t easily written into a typical stories format such as how the author envisioned things happening in their story.

Act 1

Jay enters Zane room and looks for him asking if Zane wants challenge him to a few rounds of a game. Doesn't see him so leaves confused. Cuts to him entering the common room where the others are sitting on the couches playing a video game. 

Jay comments as he comes into the room: Zane wasn't in his room, has anyone seen him this morning? 

Nya comments: You know thinking of it I haven’t seen Pixal all day either. (They talk while continuing to game.) 

Kai comments: the two love birds probably went out for some time together on their own, just let them have their time with each other. 

Jay states as he joins the others to game: Yha they haven't had much time alone together recently they deserve some time by themselves. I'll challenge him to a few rounds later.

While they are playing Kai wonders: What do those two do together when they’re on their own?

Lloyd adds: I don’t know droid things I guess.

Kai asks confused: And what would droid things be? 

Also confused Lloyd: I’m not really sure. Going over the latest software updates or potential new upgrades maybe? 

Feeling confident Kai: Yha that kind of sounds right.

Cole pausing playing to address the others: that’s not it they just like to hang out together just chilling sometimes playing video games, watching TV, reading or going for walks in the wilderness or gardening; sometimes visiting a museum, botanical garden or Zoo. They especially like aviaries, apparently birds really like seeing them too. They also like to volunteer at animal shelters and wild life rehabs. Sometimes they also just like resting together. They just like to be with each other and don’t need to be doing anything fancy or special; sometimes being in the same room with each other as they do their own thing is all they need.

Kai confused: Why would you think that? That’s not really something I’d think of for droids; I’d think of them doing more tech things.

Cole a little annoyed at Kais lack of understanding: cause I asked them. If you just asked them it wouldn’t be such a mystery to you two.

Nya and Jay pausing in gaming. 

Nya: Just because they’re droids doesn’t mean they do things much differently from us. Sure something’s are different and their thinking’s are quite different but they aren’t too different from us. They like to do the same things and enjoy some of the same things as us. Nindroids are special and are more like us than some mere robot

Jay: yha just because they’re droids doesn’t mean they have to do droid or tech things. The two are a lot more down to earth than their artificial makes suggest. Maybe if you two learned more about the nature of Nindroids a lot about Zane and Pixal wouldn’t seem so mysterious to you. You should take some time to read that book me and Nya made for the rest of you; it explains a lot. Or you could always help us out once in a while when we’re working on them. Cole has done both.

Jay picks up and shows the book they made which they have sitting on the table in the room for easy access for the others. 

Confident and happy for his praise Cole: yha, I wanted to know why some of my cooking had real bad effects on them now I know… I also know more than I felt like knowing. I guess though it’s worth it to make sure they’re safe and properly cared for.   

Pausing the game and grabbing the book to look at it a little uneasy with the book. 

Lloyd: I guess you’re kind of right even if it sounds rather gross to learn about it… (Kai adds 'really gross' before Lloyd continues) hey does anyone else find it a little creepy how the two can talk with each other without well talking sometimes? 

Nya: it’s part of being a droid. They can communicate directly into each other’s brains whenever they want to kind of like a form of direct messaging with your phone. I will agree it can be a little creepy yha. They try not to do it around us cause they know it can unsettle us but they sometimes can’t help it. It’s just part of their nature to communicate that way. 

As they get back into the game. 

Jay: Yha it’s creepy when they do that especially when you walk in on them and their just looking at each other or it looks like they are meditating with their eyes closed but they’re reacting like they’re talking yet it doesn’t look like they are… how do we know they’re not saying bad things about us to each other behind our backs?

Cole: like the rest of us don’t? 

His statement annoys Jay but amuses Kai and Lloyd. Nya then gets a call on her phone and answers it. 

Nya: Hey Pix we were just wondering about you and Zane… oh okay we’ll be rate there (She hangs up.) 

Cole curious: So what are the two lovebirds up to?  

While looking at her phone confused. 

Nya: Pixal wants to see us in the hanger bay and to bring our weapons; said it was urgent. She sounded nervous. 

The comment makes the others confused so they decide to go see what is going on. They get up and leave the room.

Cuts to in the hanger bay where Pixal and Wu  are waiting for them looking over Zane who is lying on a table with a panel over his heart open, is hooked up to the main computer which is monitoring his vitals and wearing worn dirty pants. 

 Kai teases: Had a bit of an accident did we?

As they enter Kais comment catches Pixal and Wu's attention. 

Pixal confused: no it is something worse.

Flashes back to that morning as Pixal talks. She entered the room wondering why Zane was still asleep when he was usually up already. Zane is lying curled up on his one side looking to be asleep yet in serious pain. She attempts to connect her communication circuits to his but can't and finds him in a strange state not fully awake but also not fully asleep. She's not sure what's going on but is worried. She tries to wake him but he doesn't respond. She picks him up commenting to him 'don't worry Zane I'm going to find out what is wrong and keep you safe. You're going to be okay.' 

Pixal: I noticed Zane was sleeping in later than usual so I went to check on him. I was unable to wake him and I could sense something was wrong.  

 Flashes back to the hanger bay where. 

Pixal continues: After I brought him down here I put him offline so he wouldn't feel anything and after quick analysis I found several major damages and multiple mild ones to various systems that appear to have been done solely to cause pain. It made no sense how he had received them till when I was repairing the damages I found one of these.

She picks off a smaller table next to the one Zane is on which has various tools, bottles and containers the worm and shows it to them. There is a tear in its side with some wires sticking out.

Lloyd confused: What is that?

Pixal: it is some form of robotic worm solely designed to destroy a droid from the inside by slowly and painfully tearing it apart.

Kai: I guess not even droids are immune to parasites.

Pixal: parasites generally do not want to kill their host after all if their host dies they die. These are worse than parasites. Their sole purpose is to destroy the host by any means at any cost. I found that one trying to cut into his spine and destroyed it.

Picking up the robotic worm to get a better look at it.  

Nya: Where’d this thing come from? 

Pixal: I do not know. I have to do more investigations into it but I can deduce this thing is responsible for some of the damages done.

Her comment makes Cole uneasy. 

Cole: some? What do you mean by some?

Pixal shows them on the computer a scan she's done revealing four foreign signals in Zane's body. 

Pixal: The damages were so numerous and severe it seemed odd such a little thing could cause such damage on its own so I did a scan and picked up four other signatures matching this worm meaning there are four more inside him. Since I started making repairs they are hiding in places that are not easy to reach to prevent from being harmed and they are giving off signals to try and prevent being found. I can find the general location they are hiding but not the precise location. If I was to try and get them they likely would move off to another location to avoid capture meaning I would have to remove everything in order to reach all of them.

Cole worried: I’m guessing that’s very bad.

Pixal: Indeed. Not only will it take a long time but could cause damages and has a high chance of potentially proving fatal.

Jay worried: So then what do we do?

Wu holding up a spell book: we have already thought it out and we are not hopeless here. There is one thing we can try that will hopefully work. I found a spell that can shrink you to a size decent enough to enter his body and deal with these worms on their own field.

Cole: On their own field, are you saying what I think your saying? 

All of them nervous of this statement.

Wu: we can shrink you small enough to safely enter his body and fight the worms on their own field. 

Nya and Cole agree that sounds like the best option for their circumstances. 

Cole: Sounds like a plan.

Nya: Indeed and this is probably our best option.

Jay: it sounds kind of scary and uncomfortable but if it means saving Zane I'm willing to try it. 

Kai and Lloyd are very uneasy with this idea.  Lloyds quite but clearly nervous.

Kai worries: Being shrunk and going inside Zane's body... are you sure that's safe?

Pixal: It should be fairly safe. It is not as if he will be active and moving around so you will not get hurt plus I have temporary shut down all systems so if you end up in them you will not get harmed at least not much. I have also quickly whipped up some masks with air tanks so you will be able to breathe as there will not be sufficient oxygen in most parts inside his body for you to get enough to breathe effectively for an alert and active state. They will also protect your face from any of the potentially dangerous substances in his body and provide sufficient light to help you see while in there.

They are still uneasy but decide to do it. 

Lloyd: if that's all we have then lets do this.

Pixal gets them the additions for their outfits which are rebreathers which are connected to oxygen tanks. They put them on Kai and Lloyd visibly a bit nervous. 

Pixal once they are dressed: The workings of Zane's own body will interfere with the signals for communicators but I can work around this by routing their signal through Zane's systems so we can still keep in contact. 

Wu uses the spell on them. They are encompassed by a bright light which when it dissipates they are shrunk to the size of ants. Nya isn't bothered, Cole comments "this feels weird", Jay and Kai are nervous though Kai is trying to pretend it isn’t bothering him and Lloyd is nervous but trying to hide it.

Lloyd: alright let's get this started. 

Pixal picks them up and places them gently in Zanes chest on the holder for his power source.  Lloyd Nya and Cole focused while Jay and Kai are looking around nervous and feeling a bit uncomfortable. 

Lloyd: Okay where is the first place we should check? 

Pixal directs: his left shoulder area; some damages are starting to appear in the area likely indicating one is active in the area. 

They turn on the lights in their masks and start to make their way to the area. They are crawling between Zane's skin and his inner makes .  The underside of Zane's skin bares structures that are hybrids of normal wires in a metallic synthetic material. 

Lloyd: I thought his skin was just metal plates.

Jay explaining: on the outside it looks like that. The metal plates are like the armoured scales of a crocodile providing not only form but protection for the interior of his body. They are fused into a more flexible synthetic skin like material to allow him better movement and flexibility. Those wire structures built into them are like nerves. They not only allowing him to get a sense of feeling and touch but to feel if pressures applied to areas could harm or damage the interior parts of his body. 

Kai uneasy and cautious of where he's putting himself: what are these we're on?

Nya explaining: they are synthetic muscles. They act and look like real muscles. They follow a similar pattern to ours however they are worked around some spots like the area over his heart that way if major components needed to be worked on it is easier to access them. All of the synthetic muscle like structures are connected to his internal skeleton through special rectangular connectors. Like with his skin the muscles bare the same wire like structures fused into them. These wires transfer the communications for movement from his brain into the fibres and provide feeling for them to help prevent stressing them out. These wire structures are connected to wires that run through small hollows in his titanium internal skeleton that way they are kept safe from getting pinched or damaged by other parts in his body. His internal skeleton largely replicates a human skeleton. The most notable differences are the frames around ports for things like storage or hiding of small foreign items and for connectors from devices and computers to be hooked up through in his chest and abdomen and of course the holder for his heart.

Lloyd getting a closer look at the structures: I didn't realize he had muscles.

Cole a little proud of himself for knowing this: if you read that book you would know that. You would also know they help take pressure off his joints so they can move better, receive less stress from movement and provided extra strength for his body both in support and physical strength though he still doesn't have as good a strength as me. They also help protect the more important internal structures and systems from damage particularly from impacts and help dampen sounds from deeper in his body.

A noise from his heart a slightly electric toned sound that mimics' a normal hearts beat can be heard in his body while they are in him. Depending on where they are in his body it's sound is louder or quieter. 

Kai uneasy: speaking of sounds what is that sound?

Jay: It's just his heart. It's actually rather quite in here rate now probably because his all his other systems are offline. If they were on it would be a lot noisier in here. Normally you can't hear sounds from in his body unless you put your ear close to the sources sound. The dampening his skin and muscles give helps keep the sounds from his internal workings quite for us plus him preventing them from interfering with his hearing. 

Kai unnerved: I don't want to know what sounds are normally in here. 

Lloyd: it is kind of unnerving to hear his heartbeat but it's a good thing we can hear it; it means he's still alive. 

Nya: indeed. We still don't know what the material that makes up his heart is but if it was to stop working it would likely not start again and we'd permanently loose Zane.

Jay: yha his heart is very special and very powerful but also very sensitive and fragile. Zane's father refused to tell us what it was. We guess he wanted to keep the source secret and considering how special it is I think it's probably a good thing it's kept secret. It functions like a battery storing and giving electrical energy and can last a long time only if though it is taken care of properly such as not letting energy outputs get too low. That's why Zane and other droids like him and Pixal have a specially designed digestive system which can convert organic matter into an energy format their hearts can use and store. Outside Zane and Pixal we've never found any other droids using the same material for their hearts. All others use special batteries which are nowhere near as efficient or powerful as the material Zane's heart uses.

Nya: It might not have highly dangerous corrosive acids in it like a typical battery but in ways Zane's heart is far more dangerous. If overworked or overloaded like from being electrocuted by Jays powers it can explode. Because of this and the fact Zane's body is largely made of highly conductive metal Jay you can't use your powers in here. 

Jay: yha that's probably a good idea.

They come up to the area of his shoulder. A synthetic muscle has been de-attached from the upper arm which normally went through a frame that connects his arm to his body. They inspect the site. There are some cuts to the synthetic fibres with some wires sticking out. Jay and Nya take a close look while the others look for the worm.

Nya: This doesn’t look too badly damaged. Some minor cuts to the synthetic fibres but some synthetic re-grow should fix it. 

Kai coming to see what they are looking at: is that what that weird sickly yellow green liquid stuff I’ve seen you and Jay use while working on him is?

Jay: Yha, you should always use gloves when working with it cause if you get it on your skin it really burns; it makes synthetics re-grow while it de-grows organics. 

Cole: yha I can attest to that. I mistook it for peroxide once and boy was that a mistake. Made the cut worse and gave me blood poisoning. That was an unpleasant week. To be fare it was in the same bottle as the peroxide… I guess I should have read the label though before using it.

Nya: And that’s why we now keep the first aid equipment for Zane and Pixal in separate different looking containers and we don’t keep them in the bathroom with our first aid supplies.

 Lloyd unsettled: what does that stuff do exactly?

Jay and Nya carefully put some of the wires back in place in the synthetic material as they talk. 

Nya states: Basically it makes synthetics re-grow and repair themselves. Unlike our fleshy makes the materials that make up Zane and Pixals make generally cannot repair themselves without an external aid. Only components of their digestive tracts can do that but that’s because those parts are made from tougher more complex self repairing synthetics unlike everything else which lack that ability. That’s where that stuff comes in. It’s a bit dangerous to work with and takes a few hours to complete its work but is much cheaper, just as efficient and I’m pretty sure Pixal and Zane prefer that method over other methods especially just removing and replacing parts. Unless something gets too badly damaged we use that method to fix things for them. 

Cole: yha I’m probably with them. I don’t know about you but it probably isn’t a nice feeling to just have a part of your body removed and thrown away if some things wrong with it. Like that was a part of you, part of your being and it just gets thrown away like some piece of trash. Sure it was damaged but it was still part of you part of what made you well you. Having that done probably would make you feel disposable; like your being means nothing like your life is almost meaningless and fake if someone does that. I know that’s how I would feel having something like that done.

Everyone slowly looks at him a bit surprised by his dark comment.

There is a pause then Kai states: Yha I could see how that would really bother them; that’s not something pleasant to think about. 

Jay: by the looks the only damage done here is to the fibres. Everything else is fine. 

Lloyd goes over with Nya to inspect the frame Zane's arm attaches into. 

Lloyd: Any sign of one of these worms?

Nya: no. It’s not here now but it couldn’t have gone far. Since these muscle structures pass through the framework his arm attaches too in order to connect his arm to his body and they’ve clearly been pulled out to allow access to his arm I think it might have made its way into his arm.

Cole notes a sound nearby and looks to where it came from. They are sitting on what is the top of his shoulder as he lays on his back but the actual top relative to when he is standing is below them. This is where the sound came from. 

Lloyd: so I’m guessing then we’re going to have to make our way into his arm; looks like we’re just the right size to get through. 

Coming to look with them. 

Kai: You know it always kind of confused and unsettled me that he could remove his limbs; why can he remove his limbs? 

Jay notes Cole looking below and comes to see what is going on. 

Nya: while it can prove useful if his limb gets caught or trapped it’s actually supposed to be in case the limb gets too badly damaged so it can be removed and replaced with little complication for the rest of his body.

Things are focused on Lloyd, Kai and Nya as behind them Cole is surprised before Jay reaches him from below by the worm which shoves him into the underside of Zane's skin with its body. The worm moves letting him fall while it goes after the others. Cole is winded.

Kai scared: Did this thing make a trap? 

They get into a fight with the worm. It uses the plier like structures for its mouth to try and crush them. 

Jay dodging one of the worms attacks: Well this thing is a machine not an actual worm so that is a possibility. 

It is hard for them to fight as they have very little space to move under Zane's skin and the worm is bigger than them. Kai uses a blast of fire at it which comes out as a weak fireball just catching the machines attention and not doing damage. 

Kai complains: That was not what I was trying to do, that was pathetic! Why are my powers so weak!

Nya: It is likely because of our small size.

Lloyd gets knocked on his back. Cole having regained his breath shoves the head of his warhammer between the pinchers  preventing the worm from closing them on Lloyd. It tosses its head around as it tries to throw Cole who is hanging on trying to keep it hindered. Lloyd gets up and goes to stab his sword into the things head but it knocks him aside before breaking free of Cole breaking its pinchers in the process. With the pinchers damaged it shoots out a blade from its head which it proceeds to try and stab at Cole and Lloyd with. While they dodged its attacks the worm leaves some more damage to Zane's synthetic muscle fibres. 

Nya yells at them: Careful we don’t want to cause more damage to Zane.

Lloyd trying to avoid getting stabbed: try to not cause Zane more damage, I’m trying to not get damaged! 

Nya quickly rushes in to shove her trident into the machines blade getting it caught on her weapon and letting her hold its head back a bit pinning it against the underside of Zane's skin Cole comes over and helps pin it using his warhammer. Kai rushes in scared to stab it in the power source. with their small size he is struggling to get through the machines skin and Jay rushes over to help. They pierce the power source destroying the machine which goes dark and still. 

Lloyd as they take a moment to settle: This is going to be tougher than we first thought!   

Jay panicking: that thing was scarier than I thought it would be!

Nya: Well we at least got it destroyed. That leaves only three more to go. 

Nya through their communicators: the one in his shoulder has been dealt with. There is some damages to the muscle and it will need to be reattached but it doesn’t look to bad. What’s the next one we should go after?

Flashes for a moment to outside Zane's body where Wu and Pixal are waiting for the others to contact them having been in the dark over what has been going on for the past couple minutes. Pixal checks the computer. 

Pixal: I am picking up one in his chest on the right side close to his right lung.

Switches back to the others as they are moving through Zane's body and come up to a synthetic muscle that has been disconnected and moved back so something could move deeper into his body slipping between two ribs. 

Kai nervous: Think it has gone deeper or could this be a trap? 

Nya inspecting the space: looks like it has gone deeper. We’re going to have to follow to get it.

Nya, Cole and Jay are unfazed while Lloyd is nervous and Kai is scared but trying to hide it. 

Kai: Are you sure?

Jay: We’re pretty sure, hopefully it hasn’t gone too deep, there are places in him I defiantly don’t want to end up in.

Nya leads down into the hole followed by Jay then Cole. Lloyd and Kai are hesitant glancing nervously at each other before following the others. The worm has pushed aside various structures including tubes, wires, synthetic muscles and structures making a path they follow. They are all being cautious as they move. Kai and Lloyd are nervous and uncomfortable scared to touch some things. 

Kai grossed out and nervous: Uhm what is this stuff? 

Kai is poking at a tube with an icy blue liquid in it nervous. 

Cole inspecting another tube with the same liquid but isn't bothered or scared instead curious: it kind of looks like that stuff you see in ice packs.

Nya: It’s kind of like that stuff. It’s his cooling fluid, it’s what Zane uses to keep his body temperature stable and fairly uniform through his body.  

Jay: that stuff is the closest thing Zane has to blood.

Kai still nervous: If it’s supposed to keep him cool then why is it warm?  

Nya explains as they continue to move: well for one his systems have been shut down for several hours while Pixals been working on him so the fluid has just been sitting warming up absorbing the heat from his body also while we call it cooling fluid it’s actually a thermoregulation fluid. It’s just easier and simpler to call it cooling fluid. It can be both warm and cold. When the fluid comes out of the systems central hub a larger pump like structure which sits in an insulated casing to prevent its workings from affecting the rest of his body near his bodies’ core it usually is fairly cool. There is a small compressor in the structure that cools the temperature of the fluid. The structure then slowly pumps the fluid through the rest of his body where it transfers the cooler temperature out and absorbs the heat from his bodies core where it then transports the heat out to his extremities. This helps cool his body and warm up the less insulated parts of his body that lack major system functions like processors which produce heat. It both helps cool his body and keep his overall temperature stable around the same as our temperatures. Many of the materials in his body both synthetics and mechanical don’t handle extremes in temperature well especially if they rapidly arise. Too much heat and circuits will start to fry, wires will get damaged and synthetics will receive heat damage like burns and even melt damage. He can handle the cold better but still too much cold makes wires brittle, various components become stiff making movement difficult and extreme cold can mess with sensors giving them false readings and numb feelings which can cause him to hurt himself.

Jay adds: Yha after his stint as the Ice Emperor we had to fix quite a few things that got damaged from the cold that had gripped him in that time. 

Things flash to a flashback of Zane as the ice emperor showing various things he did including leading his ice warriors into combat, ordering the warriors around and sitting on his throne. Things then flash to later after they have rescued Zane and Nya and Jay are working on him to fix things up and pulling strange items and ice out of his body while he is laid on a table offline. 

Jay continues to speak over the flashback what he says lining up with what is shown: Also a lot of his systems running super low so were slow so produced little heat to compensate for the cooling. With how slow everything was working he wasn’t using as much energy as usual, he was spending a lot of his time in this strange light sleep state like a cat and with how slow his body was working it was like he had the metabolism of a reptile. At least the cooling part to his cooling system was shut off the whole time but without the heat normally produced by his body not much heat was being transferred around so it made things worse preventing many areas from receiving heat to combat the overpowered state of his powers. Using his synthetic muscles at those temperatures in that state especially for activities like fighting caused tears and damages in them and most of his systems needed some serious maintenance. Some parts kept seizing up because of low use and cold damage. Not all of it was from the cold though quite a bit also came from lack of maintenance. His stint as the Ice Emperor also really messed with a lot of systems. They didn’t fully shut down during that time but were working much slower than they should. The cold that gripped him was pretty intense; his heart was slower and functioning largely only at half its potential, the cold had also caused ice to build up in various fluids through his body even his cooling fluid and stomach acids. Luckily those melted when his body started to warm up so weren’t a problem unlike some of the ice that had built up in some joints and on other components. We had to pull the remaining ice out and dry off parts to avoid shorts and problems. Not to mention we ended up pulling out a lot of weird items out of his digestive tract. That guy Vex who was manipulating him seemed to think he could just be given anything to eat. Luckily because of how the cold was affecting him he was only eating about two to three times a week preventing some of the non editable items he was given from building up and causing problems in his system.

Cuts back to the five of them as they continue to move through Zane's body.

Cole inspecting one of the tubes: So this is how Zane keeps from overheating; I always wondered about that. I know from my laptop when just playing a video game it can get hot even with its fan going full blast and Zanes body obviously does more functioning and is more active than my computer all the time and he’s told me he doesn’t use fans to cool himself so I’ve always been confused by that. I thought it was his powers helping him but then that doesn’t explain how Pixal or other droids do it. 

Nya explains: yha fans are not efficient enough to maintain a safe and stable temperature for a droid and are also too noisy for them; it would interfere with their sense of hearing. This method is the much better option. It isn’t perfect though since certain temperatures can still get too much for him and his cooling system can take a great deal of energy especially when it’s really hot to function which is made worse as the processors and other mechanics operating the cooling system also produces heat kind of taking down how effective the system works. If Zane or Pixal can’t efficiently cool themselves they have to shut down systems, I’ve even caught them eating ice and using cool to cold showers in order to help cool themselves. If these don’t help they’ll pass out offline for a while to prevent from serious overheating to prevent damages which can be real dangerous if they’re not in a safe place.

Kai trying to remain calm: Is that why during heat waves like that one a few weeks ago the two were often hanging out in the walk in cool storage room in the basement for a while for several hours every day largely around noon? It was creepy to find the two just hanging in there when you went to get a drink. I guess it’s not as creepy though as finding Zane resting in the fridge.

Cole: Yha, it helped them keep cool during the hottest part of the day and didn’t task them a lot of energy to help keep cool...  

Flashes to a flashback. Coles coming to get a drink out of the cold storage and is confused about the extension cords leading into the room. Walks in to find Zane and Pixal have made themselves a little space to relax and play video games in the room. They have set up a game system hooked up to a TV and have various cushions lying around. Cole continues narrating over the flashback.

Cole: I asked them about it and yha I’d have to agree it was rather relaxing and it isn’t too cold in there. It’s not full fridge cold but defiantly cool enough to keep drinks and yourself cool despite the heat outside. 

Jay: Yha that’s why and yha it was creepy to find them hanging in there but it was creepier to find you in there too.

Flashback shows Jay coming to get a drink and getting surprised then confused to find Pixal, Zane and Cole hanging out in the cold cellar. 

Cole defending himself: hey it was hot I went to get a drink and found them in there and when they told me what they were doing I decided to give it a go too. They said it was safe and could help; they weren’t lying.

It flashes back to the five as they continue their journey.

Kai: Maybe for you it wasn’t bad but I find it a bit chilly in that room. 

Nya: that’s because as the master of fire you handle the heat better than the rest of us. Heats more dangerous for Zane and Pixal than the cold; they can better handle and counter cold temperatures than hot ones though not too cold of temperatures. Zane better handles the cold than Pixal; I think his powers are the reason for that but even then it is not too much better. If they get too cold they can shut down the cooling function of their temperature control system in order to help warm up along with using attire and blankets like us to help trap in body heat and keep warm. While he has a higher tolerance to the cold than the rest of us and with being the master of ice Zane still has limits with it and he can be hurt by too cold of temperatures just like the rest of us.

Cole pausing to think about it: Imagine being able to shut down parts of your body when you don’t need to use them, I’m betting that would be a bit cool.

Jay: yha it sounds cool but it isn’t as cool as it sounds. Some like his cooling system he can shut down with little problem but others take some work to prevent complications like his digestive system. If he wants to shut that system down for more than a day or two he has to fully empty it to prevent anything from rotting inside him and the system has to neutralize and absorb and store the materials and chemicals it uses in the storage structures for them to prevent damages. That can take a day or two to do. Not to mention he can’t leave systems off for too long. They serve purposes often major and necessary ones so it can hurt him if their off for too long plus he might have trouble getting them started again if they have been off for too long, like a year too long. 

Brief flashback to Nya and Jay working on Zane after rescuing him in the Never Realm trying to get his cooling system working again using a tablet connected to his system and having trouble getting it started.

Jay explains: It took quite a bit of work to get the cooling function to his cooling system started back up after it had been off for so long as the Ice Emperor. To prevent problems it’s best we don’t let him have his systems off for more than a few days. 

It flashes back to the five.

Kai mumbling unnerved: That’s gross and more than I needed to know.  

Kai is unsettled and trying to keep his eyes focused ahead of him not wanting to see more than he had to of where he is. 

Cole regales: yha I’d agree for not letting him go more than a few days with things shut down especially when it revolves around eating. 

Things switch to a flashback of Cole, Jay, Kai and Zane in the First Realm. Flashback follows Cole and Jays talking. Shows them checking over the rations and Zane declaring everything's for them as he can go longer without food and it is more important for them to have it. Cuts to another scene two days later and Zane's getting a little annoyed at small things like the others not picking up after themselves, things they are working with being misplaced, etc. Next is shown he's showing signs he's uncomfortable with the heat and tired but is trying to ignore it. Then shown is the others finding him randomly passing out or already passed out in the area while he was trying to work. They take him and lay him in the shade every time they find him passed out. The last flashback scene is Cole forcibly giving him a bowl of rations with the others telling him he needs to have them as he's scaring the others. Zane accepts without hassle noting the others are uneasy around him.

Cole narrating: When we were trapped in the first realm because we didn’t have many rations he decided to not have any so there would be more for the rest of us. It was okay for a day but by the second day he started getting short tempered and moody. It got worse on the third day and by the fourth he wasn’t just temperamental but started passing out at random during the day often in not ideal or safe locations. We forced him to eat and by the next day he started getting back to his normal self. We made sure he ate with the rest of us the rest of the time to keep him from getting like that again.

Jay adds: Yha that was because he was putting a lot of stress on his power source; he was not only functioning more than usual with the rest of us just to survive but because of how hot it was getting in the day there with hardly anywhere to shelter from the heat he had his cooling system on and functioning a lot higher than usual to try to keep from overheating. It was all taking quite a bit of power and since he wasn’t doing anything to restore the energy being taken from it he was stressing his heart. To prevent being overworked he was passing out when his heart got too stressed. It’s a safety feature I wisely turned on the first day when he decided to go without eating; I knew it was a good idea to do so.  

Flashes back to the five as Jay finishes: Sleeping helps him conserve energy and stabilize the power outputs from his heart along with letting his brain rest so it doesn’t get bogged down or overworked plus he can run things like defrags, system updates, restores and reboots and stuff like that without interfering with normal daily functioning’s when he sleeps sometimes. Sleeping can also help him cool down since he’s not functioning as highly when awake. To stay in peak condition he has to sleep for a couple hours a day like we do. Having low energy and trying to function at such high levels during that time in the first realm was making it like he was hangry and tired angry, tire-gry, at the same time making him incredibly moody. I don’t think many of his systems including his emotional circuits handle low energy conditions well. 

Kai: Yha I thought Cole was bad when hangry or tired, when Zane’s in those equivalent states he can be much worse. Then again when he gets in certain states he can be much worse than the rest of us… personally I think the worst is to make him mad. I’ve learned too many times not to do that.  

Jay agrees: yha especially don’t make him do your chores when he’s tired or you’ve tricked him too many times in a short period of time into doing them… that doesn’t end well.

Nya: Despite what many think Zane's power source is limited. His heart has a decent lifespan of about 200 to 300 years or so but only if he takes proper care of it. It can be depleted including to the point that it would kill him which is real bad. If his heart gets to that state it will burn out and be unable to be recharged or reused. Luckily its energy can also be replenished to counter this keeping it powered, stable and healthy. 

As Jay talks the scene cuts to a clip of Jay hooking some jumper cables to Zane heart. Zane is tired and sitting on the ground. Zane's commenting nervous how he doesn't think this is going to work and might be very dangerous. Jay ignores his comment telling Zane he won't know it is actually dangerous unless he gives it a try. Jay then sends electricity through the cords shocking Zane who is in a lot of pain from the action. The glow from his heart starts to glow brighter and recognizing that's a bad sign Jay stops and Zane falls back unconscious leaving Jay worried. 

Jay adds: the best way for him to do that is through his digestive system. I tried with my powers once to help give him some energy and that nearly led to the opposite risk his heart has. It was nearly overloaded and exploded! Not to mention it didn’t really restore any energy for his heart and just stressed it out. 

Cuts back to the five. 

Kai confused: but doesn’t his heart use electricity as its energy? 

Nya explains: Yha but electricity isn’t all the same. The difference is the volts in its current that’s why you have to use an adapter when charging your phone or laptop. If you just plugged them into an outlet without an adapter you would damage your battery and it wouldn’t really charge it properly. Pure raw electricity is dangerous for Zane's power source that’s why when we do hook him up to a computer or anything that could transfer electricity to him the connectors we use have adapters built into them that way they don’t cause any stress to his heart. That is also why Lloyds powers are safer to help Zane than Jays. As pure energy his can deliver a much lower and gentler form of electricity that doesn’t easily hurt or overwhelm Zane's heart. Since he only has half the material from his original heart it’s more sensitive to being overworked and overloaded. Luckily his new bodies’ digestive system is more efficient at producing energy than his old body so it really helps keep his heart stable and healthy.

Kai: given the effects it has on him do you think Zane ever regrets giving up half his heart? 

Cole: Are you kidding, you just see him and Pixal hanging together and you know he doesn’t regret it. Not only that he would do it again no matter how much it affects him. 

Kai: Yha there’s no denying that. Those two were meant for each other... hey if this cooling stuff is supposed to warm up his extremities like his hands then why are they often cold; like sometimes icy cold? 

Cole: I’d say his powers but then why are his hands sometimes warm?

Nya: yha that is odd. I’m not sure why that is, it could be his powers. Maybe they sometimes override the heating? He is able to use his powers to cool his skin and when combined with his metal skin can block his internal temperature from being recognised by thermal sensors. It could be this ability malfunctioning causing that. I do tend to notice his hands are warmest when he’s been active or using them a lot they’re also warm when he’s calm and relaxed. At the same time along with when he’s using his powers his hands are coldest when he expresses certain emotions particularly if he is mad so maybe his activity levels and emotions play a role in that? He can also make the place a bit chilly when he’s mad and if he’s scared, sad or upset enough he can lose a bit of control to his powers so I think his emotions can sometimes influence his powers causing his hands to be cold.

Jay chuckling a bit to think of it: I’d agree with that and he’s not the only one. I think it’s the same for all of us.

As they talk scenes change to flashbacks showing some comedic examples of what they are saying.

Jay giving a chuckle as he speaks: Our powers sometimes are influenced by our emotions. Just look at Kai when he’s mad. Not only does he make the room hot he can sometimes have fire burst up on him.

 Kai annoyed by Jay: how about when you get all super scared; you become a super static magnet. You shock everything you try to touch. 

Cole: yha that’s very unpleasant. At least he doesn’t make light bulbs explode when he gets real mad like Lloyd sometimes can. 

Lloyd:  I don’t mean to do that besides it’s not too bad; Jay can blow circuits when he touches certain electronics like light switches when he’s mad or super scared. Let’s not forget Nya’s affects on the plumbing when she’s real mad not to mention Kais not the only one to make things hot when he’s mad Cole can too. He can also damage things with his super strength if he’s not careful. When Zane’s mad not only can he make the room cold but he can freeze most liquids nearby which isn’t pleasant when he freezes your drink, the toilets or even worse the shower especially when you’re in it. 

The scene switches back to the five as they come up to a large synthetic structure forming a wall in their path. There is a large tear in it leading to darkness. Nya and Jay look it over. 

Nya: You should recognise these structures brother, you had to help replace parts from them remember that? 

Kai regales: yha don’t remind me; it was uncomfortable seeing and working on his insides. I never meant to hurt him, it was an accident. I didn’t realise he was there when I made that fire storm. 

The scene switching to a flashback as Kai narrates: I was just cutting off the bad guys so they couldn’t escape I didn’t mean for him to end up breathing in incredibly hot burning embers. To be fair Zanes disguise was really good, a little too good I didn’t know he was there.

In the flashback Kai and Zane who are undercover as some thugs and have been found out are fighting to trap them in an alleyway. Some Zane has trapped in ice. A few are trying to escape so Kai blocks off their attempted escape with a strong blast of fire creating a wall of flames causing them to get singed. Zane had been trying to cut them off and got caught in the flames. He quickly escapes and puts himself out his cloak shutting off revealing to Kai whose worried and comes to help him that he had been there. Zane appears relatively unharmed but has soot all over himself, burnt attire and keeps coughing as if he has a cold. Cuts to later Kai who is nervous and embarrassed showing Zane who is hurt still coughing and soot covered to Jay and Nya who knowing somethings wrong quickly come to inspect him. Cuts to them making repairs to Zane and Kai who is uncomfortable with the work is trying to help them. 

Jay: How hot did you make that fire? It melted many of the sensors in his lungs and damaged most of the rest plus some of its tissues. We had to replace the whole things! Zane just wanted to repair what was there but it was all too badly damaged. 

Scene fades back to the five in Zane's body.

Kai uneasy: I helped out with the cost and work in the repairs to show I was sorry. I prefer not knowing what his insides are like but I felt so bad especially since he spent a week in pain, with off sounding and weird breathing and frequently coughing from what I did. It was so sad, like seeing a sick kitten or puppy. He can shut off systems so why did he keep his breathing going if it was causing him such problems? It was to make me feel bad wasn’t it? 

Nya: No more like the opposite. He didn’t want to unnerve anyone. He knows when he doesn’t breathe it unsettles some of us especially you and Jay… 

Nya getting cut off by an unsettled Kai: there is just something unsettling seeing someone who’s living and so human like not breathing… 

Nya then continues: yha that plus when he had his breathing off so he could get some sleep Lloyd had a bit of a panic thinking he was dead when he went to check on him so Zane kept them active to not scare or worry anyone despite the problems they were giving him. 

Scene clips to a flashback of Lloyd coming in to check on Zane and after shaking him a bit and he doesn't react Lloyd rushes off worried to get help. 

Lloyd narrates over flashback: Hey he was unnervingly still, he’s normally a restless sleeper so that wasn’t normal plus he wasn’t responding to me when I tried to wake him, that’s usually not a good sign. I was worried. 

Flashback shows as Nya talks Pixal (who is calm and not worried) comes in with Lloyd (who is scared), Jay and Nya (who are calm knowing there is nothing wrong) and using her ability to connect to him wakes Zane up. Zane's confused while Lloyd becomes relieved.

Nya: He wasn’t responding because he was in a deep sleep being very tired from the days events and from having trouble getting to sleep because of the damages to his lungs. He didn’t want to be disturbed so set his body to basically a sort of do not disturb mode so he could get some sleep.

The scene switches back to the five who are inspecting the tear in the material.

Cole: Yha cause Jay has a rude habit of disturbing others while they’re trying to sleep. 

Flashback of clips showing what Jays talking about as he talks. 

Jay: I’d say sorry but there is no need for anyone to be sleeping till noon; sure I sleep in late but I’ve rarely gone that late besides it’s not fun having to wake any of the rest of you up. You can all be rather rude. You’ve punched me, thrown me across the room, thrown stuff at me, hit me with blasts of fire ice dirt water or energy not to mention set my clothes on fire, freeze me from the waist down to the floor, sent the chicken after me do I need to go on? 

As Cole speaks clips of Jay annoying each of the others while they are trying to sleep are featured. Each of those he's bothered push him off through various methods matching what Jay is complaining about. 

Cole: I think I’m with everyone when I say when you’re sleeping it’s not pleasant to be awoken especially by your loud babbling and frantic shaking when you do it. Maybe we should wake you up in the same way  

Jay then rants clips of what he talks about showing: hey what I do is not as annoying as some of you. Flipping my bed on its side, dragging me out of bed, making an earthquake, freezing my room, playing pranks on me like lighting off those little loud firecrackers in a metal bucket oh and how could I forget the time you dragged my bed outside and left me in the courtyard… during a rain storm! Again do I need to go on? 

Scene cuts back to them. Cole, Jay and Nya are rather chill but Lloyd is nervous and Kai is very uncomfortable and on edge as they talk.

Cole: Hey sometimes you deserve it besides your reaction to some of those methods is hilarious anyway change of subject why is his lungs different colored from his synthetic muscles? 

Jay amused: really you can tell it’s a different color. 

Cole confused: What do you mean by that? 

Lloyd: you have a tendency to mis-describe colors or not recognise them properly

Jay curious: yha did you ever take that test we suggested you to? 

Cole is uneasy and guarded: I did 

Jay eager to know the answer: and what answer did you get? 

There is a pause before Cole responds with: I have something called due-ter something. I forget the name it just means I can’t really tell the difference between red and green very well. 

While they talk Lloyd cautiously approached the tear to look into it feeling nervous.

Jay comments with a bit of a chuckle amused at what he hears:  that explains some things like often mixing up Lloyd and Kais clothes or not following our instructions in video games like hit the red button and not the green. 

Cole annoyed: Can we not make fun of my problems. 

Jay: I’m not making fun just surprised you could tell his lung is a different color. As for why it is like that it’s to help differentiate the various components of his anatomy that way when you’re working on him you know which parts are for what system. You don’t want to accidently hook the wrong things up to each other. That really won’t help him and could cause problems. 

While Jay talks Lloyd looks into the tear but can't see anything but darkness. This scares him so he tries to move back uttering to himself that he should let someone else take a look first but bumps into Kai who unnerved by where he is isn’t watching where he is going knocking Lloyd off balance and into the tear. He lands face down in the structure as the others come over to see what has happened. 

Lloyd getting to his knees: I’m fine just watch your step. 

The others come in to join him Kai getting more scared and on edge once in with the structure.

Kai unnerved and grossed out: great we’re in his lung aren’t we? I was really hoping we wouldn’t end up in any of his organs. 

Jay: Trust me this is probably the nicest and safest place you could end up in his body. Not much can hurt us in here. Trust me there is way worse places in Zanes body to end up in. 

Kai more unnerved by Jays comment: please don’t tell me I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know about them. 

They have much more space in Zanes lung so stretch out from the cramped conditions they have been facing. 

Cole: Finally my legs were starting to cramp up. 

Kai looking around still nervous but calming a little: I guess it isn’t too bad in here… you know I always found it weird and a bit unsettling he could breath. Like he doesn’t need oxygen so why does he need lungs?

Lloyd is also nervous but everyone else is fine.

Nya: Well you probably won’t notice much because anything to do with biology grosses and unnerves you… 

Gets cut off by Jay who teases: yha it does. You should have seen how red his face went when Wu sent us to have some health care classes when we were younger at a community college; you were in the girls class so you didn’t get to see but it went redder than his shirt or how about the that Day of the Departed and Zane read to us some of those horror stories by that guy who wrote that creepy poem on a raven and the really gross ones had you sick and nearly throwing up just to hear them. We also all remember that time we went fishing and Zane showed us how to properly gut and de-scale a fish for dinner. He just started cutting into it and you passed out. 

Kai defending himself: As I told you then it wasn’t from the fish; I was feeling lightheaded from low blood sugar that day and who thought it was funny to put those fish in my arms and make me hug them? That was a very unpleasant smell to wake up to not to mention it took three washes to get the smell off my clothes. 

Jay: that was Coles idea and it wasn’t blood sugars you fainted from it was seeing the fishes guts! 

Kai uneasy: Well Zane didn’t help by explaining a bit about the fishes anatomy and showing us the guts while gutting it. Does he know he doesn’t need to turn things into a teaching lesson just because we don’t know about it? I’m fine not knowing about the guts of things; I don’t have to know about what all the slimy and grossness I’m pulling out of it is… didn’t help he fed the guts to some seagulls who made a mess with them. I don’t know what was grosser the fact he fed them the guts or that they fought over them like they were candies. 

Jay: Zane's got a lot of knowledge and likes to share it even if it’s gross or others don’t care to learn anything also he likes birds and he didn’t want to let the fish guts go to waste so gave them the guts. As for the gulls yha they were gross but I’ve seen them eat grosser things out of the garbage including the maggots and bugs eating the garbage; fish guts are probably the least gross thing they eat. They’re just full out gross on their own… 

Cole cuts in to joke: It was funny how the one pooped on you and you acted like you were being attacked. 

Jay who is not amused: hey it came suddenly was hot and was super gross! Besides I think that bird was aiming for me, it laughed at me! Despite what Zane says that noise it was giving wasn’t just its call. I know a laugh when I hear it and it was laughing. It was amused with what it had done.

The scene then cuts to some flashbacks as Jay continues: That aside it was the biology that got you that day Kai we all know it. I also remember the time we helped out for the harvest dinner; Cole cut his hand opening a can and you threw up when you saw the blood. Or how about the time you got a splinter and Nya had to pull it out because you were too nervous to do it yourself? She hadn’t even started and not only could you not look at it but you passed out as she pulled it out. 

In the flashback first they are all working in the monasteries kitchen. Cole is working with a can and expresses pain catching the others attention. Jay panics a bit while calm Zane and Nya help Cole holding a towel to his hand while Kai is swaying a bit uneasy before rushing over to the sink startling Lloyd who was washing some dishes to throw up in the sink. The others just look at him confused. The next Kai is sitting at a table with Nya and holding his hand out for her to take a splinter out. He is scared to look but is peaking at what's happening. Before she can take the splinter out Kai faints falling off his seat to the floor.

The scene switches back to the five. They are noticing Kai looking sick and swaying a bit.

Lloyd: We get it Jay Kai has a nervous disposition when it comes to biology especially injuries and guts now can you stop before he passes out. If he does you’ll have to carry him around.

Jay still amused a bit: fine, I just think it funny how Mr. Macho can be knocked out just by seeing some fishes guts. 

Nya continues having been annoyed to have been cut off: As I was saying before I was interrupted Zane's0 lungs are pretty simple compared to those of flesh like us. They’re pretty much just a simple elastic sack and lack all the features for acquiring oxygen like us. That doesn’t mean he has no use for them though. Along with helping look like he is alive and like any other person they allow him to be able to administer resuscitation to others if they need it plus the walls in here are lined with various sensors that help identify various chemicals and other potential hazards in the air including things that are dangerous for the rest of us. That’s how he is able to warn us of potential dangers like toxic gasses so we can avoid them. 

Jay adds: yha he’s like a canary in a coal mine. Except he doesn’t keel over from toxic gasses, he will pass out though from gases that will put you to sleep. Also things you drink or eat that will put you asleep too; that can be useful like when he decides to chastise you about trying to push your chores off onto him or when you don’t do your chores. Just slip him a sleeping potion mixed into something so he isn’t suspicious and you’re free; well until the potion wears off that is. 

Cole: Yha how does that ability work exactly? It always confused me. He doesn’t have the anatomy to be affected by them so why does he react like he is affected? 

Nya: that’s to do with part of his programming that helps him fit in with people. As long as no one is in danger and he’s safe when his sensors pick up the presence of the chemicals that would knock us out they activate a programming that makes him react in the same way as we would and force him to sleep. If he does at any point feel in danger however he can override this programming to prevent being affected. For the longest time though he didn’t realise he could do that so had no control over that ability and always fell to the effects of things. Pixal had to show him he could do it and how to do it. He’s gotten better at controlling it but still doesn’t have full control so sometimes still can’t fight the effects. He has similar sensors in his digestive system as are in his lungs that do the same thing. 

Cole begins: That will explain that one night

Fades to a flashback.  

Cole narrates over the flashback: Wu wanted me to lace a drink to give to Jay with a sleeping potion since he had been up all weekend playing video games in order to make him finally go to sleep. I accidently messed up and laced the drink I gave to Zane to not make things suspicious with the potion instead. I couldn’t wake him after he passed out… I thought my drink had done something bad to him. 

In the flashback Cole, Zane, Kai and Jay are hanging out in the common room. Jay is focused on the game. Kai and Zane are in on the plan. Kai keeps Jay occupied while Cole gets some special drinks. He gives one to everyone to not look suspicious. They all drink them also to not look suspicious; Kai and Zane surprised that the drink doesn't taste to bad. Jay drinks it not taking much note too focused on the game but comments it doesn't taste too bad. Some minutes pass and Cole and Kai are confused why Jay is still awake and isn't tired until Cole notices Zane who is sitting next to him is sleeping. Cole tries to rouse him but Zane doesn't respond. Cole becomes worried realising he mixed up the cups causing Zane to drink the sedative and thinks he's hurt Zane. Shakes him a bit trying to wake him but Zane doesn't wake up. Kai is also worried but Jay is unbothered claiming Zane will be fine.

Jay amused: obviously he felt safe and didn’t see the need to fight the effects then that’s why he didn’t wake up. As I told you then he’d be fine and he was wasn’t he? 

It fades back to the five. 

Cole unamused: Yha but you could have explained what was going on instead of joking about my cooking skills. You left me worried that I’d seriously messed up and hurt him again.

Lloyd: Yha I remember another time you Jay and Kai stayed up all weekend playing video games and seeing who could last the longest without falling asleep.

Scene fades to another flashback. 

Lloyd states over the flashback: We’re ninja we need to be ready to go at any time and being tired and cranky because you stayed up with no sleep for a few days isn’t going to be helpful. I set a trap in the walk in cool storage room so it would lock you in and flood with a sleeping gas. When it triggered I thought I had caught one of you. Instead I ended up catching Zane! He’d come to restock the fridge since I had taken all the drinks out to lure you three into the room. I put him in his bed to sleep it off and luckily he wasn’t mad later when he woke up from my trap and was very understanding; I’d hate to have made him mad. He’s quite scary when he’s mad. Unfortunately my trap only worked on Cole after I hid his cake he had hidden in the back of the fridge down there. 

In the flashback Lloyds mad that he can't get the others to listen to him so sets a trap in the cold cellar. He hides behind some crates and waits for his trap to spring. Zane is doing some chores and finding nothings in the fridge goes down to the cellar to restock it. Lloyd doesn't know he came down thinking it is one of the others. While he is grabbing some things the door to the room closes surprising Zane as a gas fills the room. After a few seconds in the gas Zane passes out. Hearing his trap is a success Lloyd comes out to see who he caught and instantly panics when he realises it was Zane he caught. He quickly picks Zane up mumbling to him that he is sorry to carry him to his bed.

Fades back to the five in Zanes lung. 

Cole: Yha that was a dirty trick you played; you made me drop my cake on the floor! Not to mention I lost the bet, I had to do some of Jays chores for a month! Kai only had to do some for two weeks.

Jay: even without Lloyds trap I knew you two couldn’t beat me. I’m like a supped up battery, I’ve got plenty of energy to burn. Just some caffeine and candy and I can go for hours. You know it was gross you still ate that cake after it had touched the floor. 

Cole: Hey it’s cake I’m not letting that stuff go to waste!

Kais panicking: Can we please find this thing and get out of here? This whole situation is really bothering me!

Lloyd unerved: It’s a bit weird and uncomfortable yha besides it’s probably best we deal with these machines before they can cause too much damage. 

They look around but can't see anything. 

Cole gets the idea: some of those worms inner workings give off a glow right? Do you think if we turn off our lights we could better see it?

Nya: Maybe.

Lloyd: we could give it a go. 

They turn off the lights on their attire Kai being the last and nervous about it. Its dark in there and soon they see the glow from the worm. 

Lloyd: I think it’s over there. 

Kai covering his eyes with his hands: where?  

Lloyd tossing a ball of energy at the worm: There. 

They turn their lights back on as they get into the fight. The worm tries to stab Lloyd with its head blade. Nya stabs it in underside of the head at the base of the mouthparts with her trident and disables the apparatus that controls the pinchers and blade preventing it from retracting the blade and from being able to crush them with its pinchers. It knocks Nya aside then goes after Jay. Jay swings his nunchucks which gets wrapped around the blade; the worm rears up and tosses its head around flinging Jay away. He lands a few feet away his nunchucks following shortly after to smack him in the chest and wind him. 

Cole taking a couple hits at the worms body: Damn this thing is much stronger built than I thought it was.

Nya hypothesizing: the synthetic skin covering it might be absorbing the impacts and protecting its vital workings. 

Having recovered Jay: We’ll either have to hit it harder or get through its skin in order to really damage it. 

Kai makes repeated cuts at it but is only leaving knicks.  

Jay: Do you think if I shocked it that would make it easier to defeat this thing?

All the others don't hesitate to yell at him: NO. 

Nya reminds Jay: because his body is made with a great deal of metal Zane's body is highly conductive and has a high chance of attracting your powers which because we’re in him would shock us as well. 

Cole knocking the worm over with a hit to its head: Yha and with how small we are I don’t think we’ll fare too well to that. 

Lloyd manages to make a decent cut to it but it moves away from him. 

Kai: We’re just going to do this the old fashioned way, the way of hacking and slashing. 

They work together to subdue the worm with Lloyd aided by Cole getting onto its back and stabbing it in the head to stop it.

Jay settling down: Two down two to go. 

 Kai highly unsettled: okay now can we get out of here? 

Nya contacts Pixal: we got another down. It’s in his right lung; there are some minor damages and a tear you’ll need to fix but not much else. Where are the remaining two hidden? 

Pixal comes through their communicators: Ones still in his chest by his neck the other I am having trouble locating. 

Cole: don’t worry we’ll find it. 

Cuts to the five climbing out of the hole they went through to get to Zane's lung. 

Cole: Great cramped conditions again.

Lloyd: what do you think that worm is doing by his neck? 

Nya hypothesizes: Chances are probably trying to speed up their task by cutting the main cords that provide power and communication between his brain and body. 

Lloyd: we defiantly don’t want it to do that. 

Jay pointing at something: Hey is that it there? 

Looking to where he is pointing they see the worm looking at them. It then turns and rushes away. They follow and it drops out of sight confusing them. They come up to where it disappeared where another muscle has been pulled back leaving a dark hole.

Kai nervous and confused: Uh where’d it just go?    

Nya: It must have gone down there.

Kai highly nervous: and where does that go? 

No one answers him and Nya, Jay and Cole hop down into the hole. Though nervous Lloyd soon follows and dreading it Kai follows last. They find themselves in a dark damp slightly ringed tunnel like structure.

Kai wonders afraid to move and looking around scared: Okay now where are we? Or do I maybe not want to know? 

Lloyd is grossed out and unsettled by the slimy substance coating the tunnel which he finds coming off on his hand as he rubs it against the tubes walls trying to figure what the stuff is. Nya and Jay are looking around worried clearly knowing where they are and worried about it. 

Jay begins: Uhm I think this is one of those you don’t want to know about… 

They notice faint icy blue circuit looking markings looking like tattoos appearing in the synthetic material that made up the structure they are in. They are all pushed down the tube as it fades to black. 

End of act 1.

Act 2

Cole, Nya, Jay, Kai and Lloyd find themselves in a dark structure the same color and just as slimy as his throat that is half filled with a dark liquid. They quickly move to the sides of the structure and hold onto it to help stay afloat; Cole and Lloyd are helping Kai to keep him from drowning. Kai’s panicking making their work harder. They're all scared but Kai is the most scared. 

Kai panicking and yelling: Please tell me we’re not where I think we are. 

Jay scared but keeping it fairly together: yha you know how I was saying there was worse places to end up in here… this is probably the worst and most dangerous place! We’d be safer if Cole had eaten us! 

Coles not happy about Jays comment. The walls of the structure quickly develops the same style circuit markings that were in his throat and begin moving with a slow steady repeating constricting then relaxing motion causing the liquid to slosh around and knock about various things that were in there with them. They try to climb out of the fluids. 

Kai still panicking: We’re in his stomach aren’t we! We’re actually in his stomach! He ate us! He actually ate us! 

Kais panicking giving Lloyd and Cole trouble. 

Nya: I don’t think he ate us on purpose in fact he shouldn’t have. His systems are offline they shouldn’t be active. 

Cole struggling to hold Kai and the organ: his stomach looks pretty active to me. 

Nya suggests: That worm must have activated his system. 

Jay panics starting to freak out: the worm set a trap! It lured us in to get digested!

Nya annoyed by Jays panicking: Jay you’re panicking isn’t helping. 

They are struggling to hold onto the walls which are slimy and moving and things are moving about. Each slips off a couple times into the fluids scaring them but Nya, Lloyd and Cole are trying to remain calm. 

Cole: Kai’s not helping either. 

Lloyd struggling to not panic: we need to shut down his system before something bad happens to us! 

Cole: How is it active when his other systems aren’t? 

Nya explains: to relieve processing power on his main neural system many of his systems are controlled through separate secondary processors. This also allows him to separately put systems offline without interfering with other systems. This means though he can only manually influence if the system is on or off and if they need to be sped up or slowed down along with on rare occasions if he needs to cough something up temporarily reversing their normal actions. He can’t control their functioning. The systems themselves operate pretty much on their own; he has almost no control over what they do. 

Nya quickly contacts Pixal: Pixal we need you to shut off Zanes digestive system and do it now! 

Cuts to Pixal and Wu who are confused by her demands as Pixal has opened Zanes chest to access his lung area to work on it. She inspects the computer.

Pixal confused: but it is off. I shut down all his systems.

While she inspects the computer Jay comes through to yell in a panic: No it’s not shut down! It’s active and trying to destroy us! 

Inspecting the computer she's surprised and worried. 

Pixal: it is active but everything else is still offline. How did it get turned on?! Hold on I am shutting it down now. 

Pixal quickly works on the computer.

When done Pixal asks: There; is everyone okay? No one was hurt were they? 

Lloyd comes through to state: I don’t think so, just shaken really. 

Cole: not to mention grossed out really grossed out. 

Pixal: What happened, why are you in his stomach? You shouldn’t be in there it’s too dangerous for those of flesh like you to be in his stomach. Your equipment was not designed to withstand his digestive fluids. They will not protect you much in there  

Nya: trust us we didn’t intend to end up in here. 

Jay a bit calmer now but still worked up: “that worm did it! It tricked us into getting eaten!

Pixal working on the computer: It does look like he was hacked to turn on just that system. 

Cole: great these things are smartening up and trying to destroy us now. 

Pixal: Given these are advanced machines and not simple animals that is a very strong possibility. Do you need me to get you out of there? 

Scene cuts back to the five inside Zanes stomach which has stopped moving the markings in it gone and things have settled.

Lloyd: give us a minute to think some things out.

Looking around they note things to stand on to make things easier for them and hop onto them. There is a half digested peach pit and some chunks of bones. Nya and Jay  get on the peach pit, Cole gets on a piece of bone and Kai and Lloyd get on another larger shared piece of bone. While shaken most are calming down except Kai who is rigid, largely unresponsive and panicking. 

Kai muttering terrified: No no this is real bad! We’re in Zane's stomach! We’re going to get digested! There’s no way out we’re doomed! This can’t be happening it can’t be!  

Lloyd gives him a smack silencing him. 

Jay panicking: Of all the places we could end up in this is the worst! There are only two directions we can get out of here and I’m not wanting to get out through the other direction especially if it involves having to go through the rest of his system! 

Nya responds to him looking around on edge: Jay chill Pixal will help us out of here. We’re not going to have to go through the rest of his system… I hope.

Lloyd scared: There are ways of getting out of here without having to go through his entire system right?” 

Lloyd is looking scared into the fluids below them. All are nervous and on edge.

Nya nervous: yha. To make it easier to work on his digestive system is split into four main parts which can each be separated separately for work; his throat, stomach, small intestines and large intestines. Unfortunately though the worm could lock them preventing Pixal from operating them or if the worm went further in his system we might have to go down there to get it. 

Cole as they start cleaning themselves off a bit: Let’s hope we don’t have to do that. 

They clean themselves off a bit as they have slimy substances and various chunks of debris. They are all still a bit dirty after a brief cleaning. 

Jay complains starting to calm down: This is the worst place we could have found ourselves in! So gross and dangerous! Very dangerous! At least it doesn’t smell too bad rate now. 

Lloyd who is unsettled: What do you mean not too bad, it can smell worse in here? 

Jay begins: Yha, Cole and Kais cooking can make it way worse like that time Cole made that stuff before Wu got lost after battling the time twins that made us all super sick…

Fades to a flashback. All of them plus Zane are at the dinner table nervous as Cole dishes out a meal he made to all of them. All are hesitant to start eating but eventually dig in not wanting to be rude. Cuts to them later at night in their PJ's. They are all having trouble sleeping feeling sick and all but Zane keep rushing to the bathroom to get sick. Eventually all but Zane end up camping out in the bathroom all sick. Jay keeps complaining while the rest are mad at Cole who's trying to apologize for what he made. 

Kai narrates over the flashback: how could any of us forget that. It was nasty. All of us except for Zane and Wu spent the night in the bathroom so we didn’t have to rush to the toilets every time we had to throw up. You spent most of the night thinking we were dying. Wu was smart not to have some of that stuff. 

Jay then narrates as flashback shows Zane who is sick and in pain coming to Jay and Nya for help. They take him to work on him and do an analysis to find what's wrong. 

Jay: Hey it felt like we were dying didn’t it! Anyway Zane didn’t escape from that stuff either. Pixal warned him it was dangerous but he didn’t listen not wanting to be rude. What it did to him was nasty! Zanes system made the stuff into this very sticky dough looking stuff that got stuck and clogged up his stomach and like the first 20 centimetres of his intestines. It was not only disrupting and obstructing his system but causing him quite a bit of pain. It smelt horrid, one of the worst things I’ve ever smelt. To make it worse we had to use our hands to clean a good deal of it out of his guts…

Fades out of the flashback back to them.

Cole looking a bit sick thinking of the memory: please don’t remind me of that. If the smell hadn’t been bad enough you making me clean the stuff out with my bare hands just made it worse… just remembering it makes me want to throw up.

Nya grossed out: You know sure it normally is not nice smelling in here it’s not supposed to but I think the smell is stronger and fouler than it should be. I also don’t recall a haze in here. I think because his systems have been off for a few hours but there is still stuff being broken down in here the gasses made by the process have built up a bit instead of being emptied or moving on in his system to then be emptied like they normally would making the smell worse than it should be. 

Cole looking at the partially digested bones in with them including the one he's on: Why are there bones in here? Feels like I’m in a gator with them here. I made enough ribs for everyone to have their fill last night he didn’t have to eat the bones as well. 

Unsettled and grossed out Lloyd asks pushing a chunk of bone away from himself with his sword: why are there bones in here? 

Nya looking around grossed out: I’m not sure; I can’t see how Zane would enjoy them so I think he does it by accident or maybe he doesn’t understand he’s not supposed to eat them or that he doesn’t need to eat them. He also tends to eat other things that you’re not supposed to like peach pits, the skin to melons and pumpkins and the whole of a corn cob though he can’t turn most of the matter from those to energy even though he can break them down. I know he can not only break down bones but is capable of converting some of the materials from them like the marrow into energy unlike the other things he eats that he’s not supposed to so it’s not bad for him to eat them. He’s just not supposed to purposely eat them. His ability to digest bones is meant to be a safety precaution to prevent damages if he was to accidently swallow some after all with his jaw strength and metal made teeth and bones it’s very easy for him to accidently eat bits of bone every now and then and when broken bones often develop sharp edges which could cut up and damage his system so his system dissolves them so they can’t hurt him. Eating them on purpose isn’t going to hurt him but it’s not the healthiest nor is necessary. Pixal doesn’t do it very often nor does she ever do it on purpose but then again she better understands what it means to be a nindroid and understands human ways much better than Zane does. If he is doing it on purpose then all I can think of as a reason behind it is maybe he doesn’t want to waste any of his food or maybe he doesn’t realise he isn’t supposed to eat them on purpose. 

Lloyd: I could see him not wanting to let them go to waste. He doesn’t eat everything like Cole but unless he doesn’t like it or it makes him sick or from what he says it has no use for him or is dangerous or causes him problems he’ll eat most things including things people can’t eat or drink like motor oil and unlike some of us he always tries to eat all of his meal especially if it’s something someone else made and gave him; he thinks its rude to refuse it. He might not eat it all at once like Cole will but will save it and finish it later. He also has a habit that when someone gives him something to eat or drink as a gift he'll have it even if he doesn’t like it, it hurts him or makes him sick; he thinks it’s really rude to not have it even if he doesn’t like it or it hurts him. Remember that fermented fish stuff someone gave us once? 

Cole: Dude how could we, that smell was horrid! 

Fades to a flashback. They had gotten a weird tin in the mail as a gift and all of them gathered in the kitchen of the monastery to investigate it. Jay is the one to open it some water spraying out of it some getting on him causing him to freak out. The smell is awful offending and making them all sick; Zane and Pixal shut off their sense of smell while Kai gets sick throwing up in the sink. Zane and Cole eat it neither liking it grossed out and sick from it. None of the others are going to eat it. They eat it as Zane doesn't want it to go to waste while Coles been dared to eat it and doesn't want to back down from the dare even though its making them sick.

Kai: that was one of the worst things I’ve ever smelt! Just the smell made us all nearly barf! Pix and Zane were lucky they could turn off their sense of smell around that stuff. 

Jay: How could we not forget that stuff! 

Lloyd: yha, none of us were going to have the stuff but not wanting to let it go to waste Zane had it… well him and Cole after we dared him to have some.

Cole grossed and feeling sick to think of it: Yha the taste was slimy and gross even after rinsing them and it did not make me feel very good after that. I am never having that stuff again. We should have just taken the stuff to a zoo or park and fed some gators the stuff.

Nya: yha Zane didn’t feel too good from it either. The chemicals and bacteria from the fermenting of those things upset his system. A droids system doesn’t handle fermented matter very well; the chemicals and bacteria from it upsets and irritates their systems and they can’t process the stuff very well.

Fades out of the flashback to them.

Lloyd: Yha and unlike that stuff it’s obvious bones don’t upset or hurt him and since he can make energy from them maybe he has them so they don’t go to waste.

As Jay talks cuts to a scene of Zane collecting some random scraps from the kitchen and taking them outside to place in some feeders for birds set outside the monastery then to a scene of Jay taking out some rotting food to dump it in a compost bin after Zane's put some things in it and Jay nearly throws up from the smell and molds and fungi growing in it after opening it up. He wastes no time dumping what he has in the bin and running away from it gagging.

Jay: yha I could see that; he does after all collect food scraps and often puts them out for animals to have so they don’t go to waste. He also likes putting any rotting or out of date food he finds when cleaning the kitchen or elsewhere in the house in the green waste bins for disposal or the compost bins out back the monastery a lot instead of just throwing them out like I often do. He’s even dumped curdled milk in that thing sometimes. That bin smells nasty for a few days after he does that. Thank goodness those are held outside the monasteries yard so the smells kept some distance away; how can those bugs that live in that bin handle the smell from that stuff? They must either not care or have no sense of smell! 

Cuts back to the five of them.

Jay: You know at least when Zane eats bones he doesn’t usually do it around us or make it evident when he is doing it, he knows it unsettles the rest of us especially since he has no problem with biting through bones which he knows that fact scares some of us especially Kai and me. I guess biting through bones isn’t hard when your teeth and jaws are made of metal and you have a much stronger bite force than us thanks to his make. I guess we should be thankful he has this strange habit or we’d have nowhere to stay out of his digestive juices and we’d be in real trouble in here.  

Cole unsettled but relieved: I guess you’re right there even if this is really weird, gross and unsettling. You know with how strong his bite is it’s a good thing then he doesn’t usually get nippy when we have to restrain him like some people huh Lloyd? 

Lloyd defending himself: I don’t bite that hard, defiantly nowhere near as bad as when Zane bites.

Cole: That is true. He broke skin and I’m pretty sure cracked a bit of bone that one time and I could feel he wasn’t biting with his full force. I’d hate to know what the full force would have been like… why did he go crazy that time anyway? It was like he just snapped and started going all evil and attacking us.

Cuts to a flashback. They are in the Monastery. The five of them are having to fight Zane and Pixal who are going crazy attacking the rest of them trying to destroy them or force them to bow to them as servants. Because they are all skittish and having problems with their powers from a magical tea they are all struggling against the two. Zane isn't having troubles with his powers and because of his state his powers are having effects on the environment causing ice to build up on things including the floor making things slippery and the environment has become rather cold. Not only are Pixal and Zane not hindered like the rest but crafty and frequently outsmart them. They have to trick the two and mess with their senses to get the upper hand. They have to split them up to take down the two. They take down Pixal first as without powers she's safer and easier then go for Zane. They eventually manage to knock Zane and Pixal out then hook both up to the computers in the hanger bay to work on them everyone else mad at Cole for his cooking having caused the whole mess.

Jay a bit annoyed at Cole: thank your bad cooking. It was that weird duck stew you made where you accidently put in that magical tea thinking it was seasoning. It made us all skittish and jumpy and had our powers all out of whack but it had a much more opposite effect for Zane. It really messed around with Zanes system and caused some programming to get a bit out of whack making him think he was the Ice Emperor again. That was a nasty fight, didn’t help that stuff affected Pixal in the same way and she was on his side. Luckily we were able to finally knock the both of them out and fix things before the whole incident got out of hand. After some restores and reboots and a couple hours rest for the stuff to pass through most of their systems they were back to normal. Whatever you do don’t make that mistake again; we really don’t need them to go all evil again especially Zane. He’s really scary and dangerous when he’s like that!

Scene cuts back to the five inside Zanes stomach. 

Lloyd: Thank goodness we don’t have to give Zane medicine, I’d hate to have to give them to him especially if we’d have to force him to take them and he was bite-y. 

Cole: like you… hey if he doesn’t need medicines then what’s that stuff you sometimes make him have? I’ve heard you refer to it as a medicine.

Nya explains: It’s a formula to help maintain the health of the symbiotic organisms and the systems that create enzymes in and apart of his digestive tract. He has a bad habit of drinking too much motor oils and on occasion eating or drinking things he’s not meant to so that stuff helps combat any negative effects from that. He knows it’s good for him but it’s sometimes hard to make him take it because he doesn’t like the taste that’s why we hide it in things like chocolate milk or milk shakes to hide its taste. The stuff also binds well to the fats and proteins in the stuff helping keep it in his system longer so it works better and longer. 

Jay adds: most of the things he consumes that he’s not supposed to aren’t really his fault. It’s weird to say but Zane doesn’t fully understand what it means to be a nindroid. He lived for a long while thinking he was human which has just left him confused about a lot of things. Add on he doesn’t have a built in instinct so to say to tell him what is and isn’t safe for him plus he’s very curious to things so if he thinks it’s edible for him he’ll try it. If it doesn’t cause him much problems he might think it’s okay for him to have it even if it isn’t healthy or usable for him. Doesn’t help some people don’t seem to get not to joke with certain things as he’ll take their word for it or take their words too literal; right Kai?

Kai defends himself but still highly unsettled and freaking: Hey how was I to know he’d take what I said as literal? I was just having a little joke. I couldn’t believe he’d never seen a glow stick before. When I told him it was a fancy freezie I thought he’d look up the truth and not take my word on it! I didn’t mean to make him sick… or make his guts glow from it; that was disgusting and unsettling. 

Nya disciplining Kai a bit: you know he’s very trusting to us and has a high likely hood to trust our word even if it’s wrong before actually looking into the truth if what you say proves wrong or someone tells him otherwise. Because of this you shouldn’t mess around with things he might take literal especially if it is dangerous and can hurt or prove problematic for him. For most of his life Zane lived pretty sheltered from much of our human world so many things of our world especially non daily use items things like glow sticks are new and foreign to him when he comes upon them so when he first encounters them because he trusts us he often seeks us out to figure out what the foreign thing is.

Jay: Yha I remember the time I first gave him popping candy. He didn’t understand what it was exactly so just swallowed the stuff and thought after I’d given him something dangerous like some sort of explosive material because of all of it popping in his stomach at the same time. I probably shouldn’t have laughed at him for it cause it just had him worried and scared till I explained everything but it was funny. 

Fades to a flashback. When they are younger they are out at some festivities at night. There are fireworks and people playing with sparklers. Zane's confused over the sparklers as the others have fun with them. They give one to Zane and he just stares at it mesmerized even as it looks to burn him. Zane reacts like he is burnt but when the others check him they can't find anything just soot which washes off leaving no mark. Zane burns himself a few times more before they show him how he's supposed to hold the sparkler so he won't get hurt.

Jay: There was also that time around a year after we all first met we showed him sparklers for the first time. The first few times he held them too close to the part that burns and burnt himself as he just watched the sparkling on them a little mesmerized by it. We had to show him how to properly hold them so he wouldn’t get burnt. He kind of reminded me of a bird with a shiny object with how he was staring at it… you know thinking back we should have realised something was different about him then cause he didn’t really get a physical burn from that even though he acted and felt like he had been burned. With how pale his artificial skin was it should have been real easy to see a burn. Instead he just had some soot from the sprinklers on them. You know the fact his skin was so oddly pale as well should have told us something was different about him. He was almost albino like as if he’d rarely experienced the sun; I actually thought he was sick when we first met it was that oddly pale. I guess though when you don’t have blood in your skin to help give it color you are going to be paler than normal.

Nya: as I was saying when coming upon something he doesn’t know what it is at first or understand Zane trusts our word when we tell him what they are. Zane and his father lived largely alone in the middle of the wilderness and didn’t get many visitors and when they visited settlements Zane didn’t explore much or interact much with people; even though he was curious he was often nervous to and confused on how to do so plus we all know he’s not the social type. Because of this there wasn’t a lot of things he got to experience about the human world so there was a lot he never got to come across or experience. We were the first ones outside his father to really take him in as family and show him things he’d never seen or experienced before.

Flashback switches to when Zane was with his father as Nya talks. In one clip they are in a town one day. Zane is sticking close to his father who is doing some work for the townsfolk. Zane's looking around curious of those in the town but he's too nervous to do anything and just helps his father even though his dad tells him he's free to explore if he wants. Zane doesn't admit his nerves. Next clip is Zane and his father doing some shopping in the local town. Zane sees something he doesn't recognise, a music box, so his father shows him how it works captivating him. Last clip fades to in the old monastery one of the others hands Zane something he's never seen before  (for humor could be a bra)  and he looks at them confused.

Nya: Plus until after he met Pixal he didn’t fully know how to be a nindroid she had to teach a lot of things and even now he still gets confused by things. He’d lived for quite a while thinking he was just human so didn’t know or understand things about him were different nor that he was able to do certain things we can’t till he learned the truth. Even after that he didn’t know or understand how to be a nindroid and still struggles at times with this. 

Flashback changes to Pixal working with him on how to combat sedative gasses. She hits him with some and hacks his brain to show him the codes he needs to use to counteract its effects. Zane is surprised not realising he could do that.

Cuts out of flashback back to the five.

Nya: For the longest time he didn’t know how much of his body properly worked, what he could do and what is and isn’t safe for him. It’s kind of sad but me and Jay know more about his anatomy and programming than he does even to this day. Because of his trust and lack of understanding when one of us tells Zane glow sticks are fancy freezies for droids he’s going to trust your word.

Jay: And that is why we created that care book for you three for him and Pix for when we’re not around. Your screw ups when trying to help them or when just goofing around plus some of your cooking’s are not healthy for them and cause problems we often have to solve not to mention they can be dangerous for not just them but everyone else like that time we were gone for a weekend and the two nearly started a robot takeover to the human race because you messed up on a reboot after the chili Cole made gave them problems causing them both to short circuit and get knocked offline from it. 

Cole unhappy and defensive: hey that tech stuff for them is really complex and your explanation over the phone was a little hard to follow. Also why do you always have to complain about my chili?

Kai panicking: Can we please focus so we can get out of here before we’re digested!  

Lloyd nervous looking at their surroundings: yha how long do you think we could last in here?  

Nya nervously looking into the fluids: Not long. Our masks and the oxygen tanks are letting us still breathe in here and protecting us from any gasses that are present that probably would not be good for us but nothing will protect us from his digestive fluids. We’d only last about ten to 20 possibly 25 minutes in it but I don’t think you’d want to hang on that long. It would be very unpleasant. We’d be almost entirely dissolved within an hour if his system was active that is. In its current state it would likely take longer still though only a few hours. Truly I’m not sure how long we’ll last, as long as we don’t end up in the fluids we should be able to last longer than if we end up in them. 

As she talks breaks a piece off the pit she is on and watches it sink getting unnerved by the sight.

Jay trying to calm down but still worked up: first you have the acid which is strong enough to dissolve bones which means all but our teeth and hair, weapons and scraps of our clothes will be left in just a few hours and if that wasn’t scary enough there is the enzymes and bacteria both in here and the rest of his guts which are powerful enough they can break up motor oil! We don’t stand a chance at surviving in here!

Cole: Yha I think whatever this belonged to found that out the hard way. 

As he talks Cole picks up a beetles leg that is floating in the fluids near him. The insides to the creatures exoskeleton pour out as a liquid before the leg drips off in pieces out of his hand. All of them are unsettled by it Kai and Jay most of all. Cole drops the few scraps left in his hand back into the fluid grossed and unnerved by it.

Jay with a few nervous chuckles: You know seeing him choking on that beetle last night when it flew into his mouth when we took out some recycling was funny at the time but seeing what’s become of it now and that we could easily share its fate it isn’t so funny anymore. Kind of have to feel sorry for it though it was the one that decided to make itself lunch by forcing Zane to choke on itself so it kind of deserved what it got. 

As Jay talks cuts to flashback of Zane and Jay taking out recycling. The beetle which was hanging around the bins flies to Zane's eyes and starts pestering him. He tries to shoo it away but in his attempts ends up eating it gagging on it a bit. Jay laughs at his misfortune to Zane's annoyance and dislike.

Lloyd grossed out: why are insects so attracted to pestering him especially in his face?

Flashback fades to a few clips of Zane trying to shoo away various insects attracted to his eyes at various times including while on a mission, while training outside, while relaxing reading a book, while out around campfire at night, when taking out some garbage at night, etc.

Nya: It’s his eyes. Their attracted to the light in them and in their attempts to get this light while avoiding his attempts to shoo them away they end up in his throat and getting swallowed a lot. When it comes to why insects are so attracted to lights they’ll kill themselves to get it I have no clue. 

Cuts out of flashback back to the five. They start looked around for any sign of the worm a few of them poking at random unidentifiable objects in the fluid around them with their weapons.

Cole: you know motor oil is some tough stuff. If we drink it we get sick, I know I tried some. How can he drink it with no problems?

Jay grossed out by Cole's comment: I know you can be a bit like a dog and will eat anything at least once but why would you try motor oil?! It says rate on the container it’s not for drinking.  

Cole: I was wondering why Zane likes the taste of it so decided to give it a try. It didn’t taste good. 

Lloyd: Why is Zane attracted to motor oils?

Nya explains: I’m not entirely sure. I know Motor oils are made from well oil which is made from plankton that have been compressed for centuries under rocks or is made from a special types of kelp which we’ve noticed he is also rather fond of though it isn’t too healthy for him; his system isn’t able to properly process the stuff. He tends to get indigestion from it if he has too much. This kelp is found in shallow seas and bays around Ninjago and commonly harvested to make various forms of oil among some other uses. Both oils technically come from the sea and Zane has commented that they have a fishy taste to them so maybe that has something to do with it. I do know he is also similarly attracted to oils from fish yet he’s not as interested nor enjoys as much oils from plant sources like olive and canola. That just adds more questions than answers though. I do know it’s the enzymes and bacteria in his system that normally break down more consumable oils particularly cooking oils and the oils and fats from animal based sources that are the ones that break down the motor oils and help him make energy from them. They’re very powerful stuff even though they can't get him much energy from the stuff; they're not powerful enough for that. Maybe it has something to do with those organisms; maybe they enjoy the oils and are somehow influencing his tastes to get more. Or maybe he likes them because it’s a droid thing; I know Zane’s not the only one who likes oils most droids do so it’s not unique to him. Pixal also enjoys them but she has way more control than Zane does over the urge and attraction to drink the stuff. Zanes like Cole in that regard; if he likes something he has little control over himself and will have too much just like Cole with cake. Oils meant for cooking or from foods are fine and cause little problem for him but motor oils are not that healthy for him. They’re rough on his system and tough for him to properly break down. Unfortunately he’s more attracted to motor oils than cooking oils. He shouldn’t have more than a few cups a month of motor oils to prevent causing issues like imbalances to the symbiotes in his system, irritating tissues and causing digestive issues with his system especially if it is the typical oil from fossil fuels. He should only have that stuff on occasion about once a month or so. It’s a lot tougher than other oils so much rougher on his system and takes him longer to process than other oils. The one made from kelp is much better for him to have and luckily he likes that one better. It’s much easier for him to process so gentler on his system not to mention he gets more resources out of it than from typical motor oil but still it’s not too healthy or good for him to have too much. It can still cause problems like regular motor oils luckily though it takes more to have serious negative effects on him but at the same time unfortunately he often gets carried away with it. Like with us and things like candies or cookies he should have them in moderation. Pixal does, she’s pretty good at keeping in control around the stuff but Zane lacks that control; she’s sometimes not happy with that because it’s not healthy for him. She has tried to teach him some control before but hasn’t really had much luck so has largely given up on that effort. She’s told me it’s like trying to teach a dog not to eat bacon or Cole to not touch a cake. 

Cole not liking her comment: why does everyone always have to pick on my eating habits? Why not Jay or Lloyds for once?

Lloyd nervous: Anyone see any evidence of the worm? 

None of them can see anything but they are still looking around. 

Jay scared: how do we even know it’s in here? It might have just lured us to our doom while it chills somewhere safe!

 Nya: If it went into his throat to lure us here then chances are it had gotten swallowed too so it would have to be in here somewhere. 

Cole grossed by the thought: or maybe it moved further through his system?

Nya: That is a possibility.  

Kai scared: how would we know? I don’t want to end up deeper in his gut! 

Jay a bit panicked: and you think I want to; I don’t want to either! I know what happens to stuff like us in here and it isn’t pretty!

They are all suddenly spooked causing Lloyd, Jay and Kai to jump as they get a communication through their communicators.

Pixal through communicators: Are you guys okay? You have been oddly quite. Given the highly dangerous location you are in we were hoping to have heard from you already.

Nya with an idea: yha we’re fine just trying to figure where this worm went. Hey Pix can you find its signal? If so where is it?

Pixal after a few seconds of silence: It is in his stomach with you. 

Nya using the communicator: Thanks Pix.

Nya addressing the others: It must be in the fluids somewhere then. 

Kai panicked and impatient: then it will get digested there problem solved now let’s get out of here! 

Nya: Zane's system is tough but that will take a while for his system to do, it could take hours. Not to mention metal, plastics and most synthetics are pretty tough for him or anything really to break down much so the worm will get damaged but not really digested much. That damage might not be enough to stop the worm plus his system would need to be active in order to help deliver sufficient damage to the worm. Just sitting in a soup of acids and enzymes isn’t going to be enough to damage it alone and even when active it could take several hours for the worm to receive the needed damages to destroy it.

Lloyd: and in that time it could escape from here and cause damages. We need to personally see it’s destroyed so it can’t hurt him.

Lloyd: How deep are these fluids? 

He and the others are looking into the fluids feeling unnerved as they look into them trying to see the worm but unable to see anything. The fluids were dark and relatively opaque making it near impossible to see anything that wasn’t floating on or just below the surface. There is mainly just bits of bone and beetle shell floating on the surface.

Jay nervous: well his stomach looks to be at about a third its max size basically at its resting size but I think the fluids are still deep enough to fully submerge us though as they’re clearly still working on stuff in here…we defiantly don’t want to get submerged in this stuff!

Cole nervous: If it’s in here then how do we find it without you know… 

Looking into the dark opaque fluids around them Cole pokes a piece of what looks like bone feeling shivers when he feels it is squishy like wet bread and bits break off of it.

Jay panicked: Getting dissolved into his lunch no I don’t think there is any way!

Lloyd looking at his sword: our weapons are much more resistant to getting dissolved maybe we can poke around with them and see if we can find anything.

Nya: I guess that is a good and probably the only safe option.

They slowly and cautiously begin poking around with their weapons in the fluids. The act grosses all of them out. They are quiet for a while as they search focused on the task. Every now and then they have to push aside chunks of bone and other materials when they floated close getting unnerved by the action. Occasionally as they work they ended up stirring up pockets of gas, random non identifiable items or remaining bits of beetle shell that brake apart when interacted with grossing and unsettling them more. Occasionally fluids or matter in the fluids gets splashed up onto them and they try to clean themselves off when this happens highly grossed out and unsettled by this. 

Lloyd uneasy: I guess we should be thankful Zane didn’t have breakfast or it would probably be much grosser in here huh? 

Nya: Yha plus we might not have had as much space in here and would have more fluids and debris to search through at least though we’d still have some space as Zane rarely stuffs himself like Cole. His system has sensors that make him get a full like feeling to prevent unnecessary strain on his system and potential internal damages to nearby components from over expanding his stomach such an act would do. Clearly Zane's synthetic system and programming function better than Coles instincts and body do.

Cole a bit annoyed: hey that’s kind of mean you know… you know I never thought much about it but does Zane have to eat like us? He always does so I never really thought much into it; is that out of necessity or is he just copying us to fit in?

Nya: Well his body does require a lot of power more than ours to fully function at normal levels after all there is a lot more going on in his body especially his brain than ours and all that needs power and like all things his power source needs a method to restore energy to keep from being depleted and by far his digestive system is the most efficient method to keep it charged plus to keep the symbiotes in his system healthy by feeding them he does need to eat on a regular basis at least once or twice a day like us but he can go a few days without eating if he has to or wants. Also if he has to he can survive longer without food than us but if he is to go without food especially for more than a day he has to take precautions to prevent strain and overworking on his power source. Cautions like shutting down non critical functioning’s, lowering his activity output, and taking more time to rest to conserve energy. Luckily the symbiotes in his system go into a hibernation state when they can’t find food but it’s not healthy for them to remain like that for long.

Lloyd: if he can feel full can he also feel hungry?

Nya: Yha he has programming that can give him a sense of hunger making him feel like and think he's hungry just like us; it’s part of the many programming's and functions he has that help him fit in with people. He is capable of shutting this sense off when he wants. He normally has it on as it can help him remember to keep track of his energy levels and output but he often shuts it off during missions to keep it from interfering in his performance.

Kai looking uneasy and spooked: you know that feature of him always kind of unsettled me about him; a robot that can feel hunger and could eat you, really scary when you think of it.

Lloyd: Yha but I doubt Zane would ever want to eat us. We’re his family and I doubt he’d ever willingly do anything to hurt us.

Jay uneasy but trying to remain calm joking a bit: willingly is the key word. If push came to shove or he had no control I think yha he may just eat us after all he kind of already has and it wasn’t by his own choosing. You know I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take much for Cole to eat us; just have no food in the house and he’d probably do it. 

Cole is not amused by Jays joke.  

Lloyd: Hey how do we tell when Zane's energy gets low? 

Nya: well getting moody and easily irritated is a sign; low energy can cause more sensitive systems like his emotions to function oddly. Getting anxious for what appears like no or odd reasons is another, that’s because when his energy gets low his heart activates his anxiety as a warning signal. He will also clearly be tired. Unfortunately he doesn’t always recognise that these signs mean his energy is getting low. Probably from his time that he mistook that he was human he sometimes mis-interprets or doesn’t recognise these signs for what they are. He normally keeps tabs on his energy levels so we don’t have to worry about it but he does sometimes forget to take note of it and needs reminding to care for himself. If he’s showing signs of low energy just give him something to eat or just notify him of his odd behaviour and he’ll take care of it himself. Don’t do what Kai tried once by trying to charge his heart with the charger for an electric scooter. Zanes body doesn’t use the same format of electricity as those devices so it won’t work and just stresses his heart out. Only the special connectors and chargers we have on the Bounty and in the hanger bay can be used like that for him and we only use those if his or Pix’s energy levels get extremely low. Luckily we haven’t had to use those yet but we still make sure they are properly working by testing them at least once a month just to be safe. Another method that is a bad idea is Jay trying to shock him to give him energy, not only does it stress out his heart but it causes him pain and what Jay does is dangerous for him. It can overload and explode their hearts.

Jay: Yha that and a few accidents have made Zane nervous when I play with my powers around him. I wouldn’t really blame him though, getting shocked causes him a lot of pain especially to his heart. If I was in his situation I’d probably be feeling the same. Best thing to do when his energy is low is just give him food besides like us I’m pretty sure he likes to eat, I know he loves chicken nuggets especially the ones shaped like dinosaurs; he also loves when he can dip them in oil even though he knows he’s not supposed to do that very often. You know he does often copy things we do even if he doesn’t have to like trying moisturizers or sunscreen on his skin or using our soaps instead of the ones meant for droids to clean himself; I think he copies us with such things to try and better fit in and understand human ways so mimics us with things he normally doesn’t have to or can do to learn. 

Kai commented: so he has been using my body wash, I knew I recognised the smell! That will also explain why I keep going through it so quick.

Nya: Yha he’s not the only one who has been using it.

Cole defending himself: hey I like the smell of it besides Jay has used it too and Lloyd. You and Pix have used it too so you’re not innocent there either. I’ll admit I even used it on the chicken once and I think she liked it even though Zane told me soaps are actually bad to wash birds with unless they get something like oil on their feathers…  

Lloyd stirs up a strange item that is stuck on his sword catching their attentions. The item is a solid plastic bigger than they are. It is crushed up and mangled as if having been crushed and ground against other objects and has some minor pitting with what had once been bright colors having been bleached by acid.

Lloyd unsettled by the item: Uhm what is this?

Jay after a moments thought: it kind of looks like one of those little plastic dragons we put in ice cubes as a fun decoration for your birthday party three months ago.

Kai anxious and scared: That’s been in here for three months?!

Lloyd staring at the item spooked: and why is it in here?

Jay: I think he thought they were the same as those candy dragons that were on the cake. I told Cole what they were cause I knew he would eat them if I didn’t tell him but I didn’t think I would need to tell Zane. I thought he’d know better and knew what they were… this will explain why I couldn’t find three of them when we cleaned up; truly I thought Cole had eaten them. This will also mean there are likely two more in here somewhere. Pixal didn’t eat them so why did he?

Nya: Well they did look a lot like candies and Cole was licking them like they were…

Cuts to a flashback of them having a birthday party in the monastery. It is a small party with just the ninja, Pixal, Wu and Misako. They are all enjoying themselves. Zane is confused about what is in the ice cubes and is silently watching the others to figure out what they are. He notes similar looking items on the cake which they are eating and notes Cole who looks like he is eating the ones from his drink and decides they are safe to eat so just drinks them.

Cole defends himself: hey I was cleaning them. I had been playing around with them on my slice of cake and they got some icing on them so I decided to help clean them plus I didn’t want to waste any of the cake or its icing. It was real good.

Jay jokes: That’s because it was from a bakery and not made by you.  

Nya: given his habit of easily getting confused over human things and the fact Zane often looks to the rest of us for many things like how to behave with certain things and what things are he likely mistook them as candies because of Coles actions and he just drank them with his drink. 

Cuts back to the five in Zane's stomach. Lloyds trying to work the item off his sword uneasy and not wanting to directly touch it.

Cole confused: Didn’t he think to analyse them to find out what they were before eating them? 

Jay guessed: well since we normally don’t put things in ice cubes, they looked like candies and you were sticking them in your food and licking them like they were candies he probably just assumed they were. 

They are now all more grossed out but continue to search. Lloyd gets the item off his blade. It sits back in the fluids half floating around them unsettling them.

Jay: I guess next time we’ll have to tell Zane not to eat them even if Cole tries to. 

Nya: we’re going to have to keep an eye on Zane for a while. If those things are still in here in a month we’re going to have to manually remove them. Given it’s already been in here for three months we’re probably going to have to manually remove them. 

Jay unsettled: I’m not going to look forward to that.

Lloyd: That pit was from two days ago and the bones were from last night, is it normal for something’s that aren’t made of plastic to still be in here this long?

Nya: Yha tougher stuff like bones and this fruit pit can take a few days to fully break down. His system is set to operate at levels comparable to a high metabolism so most of the stuff should have been broken down and moved on within a few hours. This stuff will likely be gone in a day or two.

Cole: I’m pretty sure I don’t want to see what happens to what gets moved on.  

Jay struggling trying to keep his nerves stable slowly getting more worked up as he talks: Yha I wouldn’t want to end up there even though it would be notably safer than being in here. The acid gets diluted after it leaves his stomach so things aren’t as corrosive but you still have all the enzymes and bacteria to deal with that will continue to eat away at you and turn things into a format his system can use. It all wouldn’t be pretty or fun as you get squished and pushed around as you’re moved along his intestines which are a couple inches longer than ours that way he can extract more resources but it means you’d have more of a ways to go to travel to get through and out of them. At least the energy converters wouldn’t hurt you. They line the outside and absorb the materials through the walls of the intestines and don’t intrude with anything dangerous into them; just these small soft rubbery like fibre like structures that make the walls look and feel a bit like those rubber scrubby things you can use in the kitchen for cleaning some things. Anyway they help filter out and absorb the materials the converters need. The converters then use the stuff they get to make energy that he can use which they send straight to his heart which can either store the energy for later or put it into use rate away. There’s lots of these converts lining his intestines, their built into the outer walls of the organ. Their sole job is to convert all sorts of matter into an energy form Zanes heart uses to power everything in his body in order to keep the power outputs from his heart stable and restore used energy to keep his power source from getting drained. As long as you haven’t been dissolved in his stomach they’re not going to do anything to you. You would probably get dehydrated in there though especially in his large intestines. Them and the lowest parts of his small intestines reabsorb and take in any new or pre used parts of the chemicals and enzymes his digestive system uses so they don’t go to waste and can be reused. These are then either stored in special organ like structures for later use or put straight back into use. Those parts of his system also absorbs chemicals that can be used to create his synthetic equivalent to saliva and even his synthetic tears which help prevent the clear stone that coats his eyes from getting scratched up by his eyelids by keeping a layer of liquid on them to prevent friction and scratches along with clearing away dirt and dust from them so they don’t interfere with his vision or hurt his eyes. The whole thing is a very complex and geniusly designed system… when you’re not the one in it and it’s not trying to turn you into lunch! You know he’s kind of lucky it’s so efficient. The design produces a bit less waste than us so he can go a few days usually about three to four without having to use the bathroom unlike us… I defiantly don’t want to end up that far in his system; I’d never be able to get that out of my head!

Along with being grossed out the others are a little startled by Jay quickly getting worked up. 

Lloyd: How come he can eat bones and motor oil with no problem but if he has more than a single orange in less than 24 hours it makes him unwell? 

Nya: it’s the citrus to them. The chemical irritates the materials and sensors in his digestive tract which causes pain and disruptions to his system. A small amount won’t bother him too much just some slight irritations but too much causes quite a bit of problems. It’s kind of unfortunate for him cause he likes Clementine’s but he can only have one every once in a while unless he wants to get sick. Citrus isn’t the only thing that does that. Other things like highly acidic things like pops which disrupt the natural biota of their systems not to mention the acid in pops is citric based, fermented things and certain spices especially hot or strong spices do it too. That’s why Kai’s more than Coles cooking tends to bother him. You use too many strong spices bro.

Jay: Yha see Kai if it makes Zane sick then you know it’s bad and unsafe. 

Kai: you just say that because you don’t like a lot of spice in your food. You think regular barbeque sauce is spicy. 

Nya: he does have a bit of a point but also just because it hurts Zane doesn’t mean it will hurt us and vice versa. He can sense if something will be dangerous for us but it might not have any effect on him while things that don’t hurt us will hurt him.

Lloyd: Is that why he avoids certain things that seem fine yet he’s fine with others that seem dangerous or questionable like wild mushrooms or bad and raw meats that would kill the rest of us?

Nya: Yha, his system handles certain things better than others. Generally when feeding a droid you feed them more like a dog than a deer; much more meat than plant, be cautious what plant matter you feed them and you don’t have to make things bland but be cautious with how much and what kind of spices you use. Their systems don’t handle a lot of plant based matter very well. A lot of plants use chemicals to defend themselves and these chemicals can irritate the sensors or disrupt the symbiotes in their systems which then irritate the system causing problems and making them sick so they have to be careful with a lot of plant matter. Also while the materials will get dissolved and broken down they don’t always get broken down enough for Zane or other droids to make anything from them. The cell walls of many plant based things are too tough for their systems to efficiently break them down enough to properly use them; it also takes more energy and time for them to process the stuff. To efficiently use plant matter they would need a much longer and more complex system which would be very inefficient and not fit their bodies design taking much more space and power and they would also need very unique bacteria and enzymes which aren’t cheap and are quite sensitive making them harder to work with and maintain. That’s why Zane generally sticks to mainly common fruits and certain vegetables along with rice or wheat based items if he is to have something from plants. They’re the easiest and safest ones for him to use. Most others he can’t do or use so to avoid problems he avoids them. He has no problems with animal based products though no matter what they are from. They don’t have the chemicals plants have and their cells are easier to break apart so they’re much easier to process so he has no problems fully breaking them down and he can get far more resources to make energy from them. Only things like horns, claws, teeth and hair are too tough for him to process. Plus he’s exposed to animal sources more frequently thanks to the strange obsession insects have with getting in his face which often causes them to get eaten. Zane doesn’t find that very pleasant. He told me once it’s not a pleasant feeling and can hurt a bit especially from bigger insects or those with decorative features or stingers. 

Cole grossed by the thought: can you blame him I doubt that’s pleasant. Having a live insect buzzing and crawling down your throat or in your stomach can’t be a pleasant feeling especially when they have like horns and spines on them or are equipped with pinchers, stingers and claws.

Jay having calmed down a bit: Yha he’s gotten scratches in his throat from a few of them before so it defiantly can’t be very pleasant. You know it’s kind of funny you say feeding him is like feeding a dog cause he sometimes reminds me of a dog or cat… I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t like to hear me say that considering I once commented to him that he has the eyes of a hawk and he was stuck confused for hours trying to figure out what I meant and why I would compare his eyes to those of a bird.

Kai pretended to search just dragging and poking his sword randomly around in the fluids around them: You know I’m not finding anything are we sure it’s still in here? 

Kai has spent the last couple minutes as they search with his eyes closed only opening them to see what Lloyd had pulled up with his sword before tightly closing his eyes again more unsettled.

Jay angry at Kai: How can you tell when you’re not even looking? You’re eyes are closed.  

Kai opening his eyes: how come you’re not freaked out over where we are?! I’d expect you to be panicking even more than me! We’ve been in here for well over half an hour possibly a whole hour by now surrounded by the highly dangerous digestive fluids that could completely dissolve us of a droid which a dangerous robotic worm which can hack Zane and cause him to digest us is hiding in and could spring up at any time to drag us to our doom! Not to mention there’s a chance we could end up deeper in his gut and I don’t want to go in there! This would normally have you all crazy panicked how are you not panicking?!

Jay getting a bit worked up but trying not to loose it as he talks: You don’t think I’m panicking! I’m on the edge of losing it but I’m holding it together to help my friend, my brother. I don’t want him to be torn apart by evil cyber worms besides it wasn’t his fault we ended up in here. It was that worm using him as its puppet! Also Zane can’t help it if his guts are like something you’d expect to find in a monster it’s just his nature, how he is, and I just have to accept it even if it has me freaked out! Besides I wouldn’t change him no matter what, I like him the way he is so why should I mess with who and what he is just because it scares me. If he wants to eat bones like some sort of scavenger than that’s up to him it’s his body after all and as long as it isn’t hurting him I won’t complain. Besides it’s not as bad as some of Coles bad eating habits.

Cole not pleased that his habits are being questioned again: hey what’s so bad about my habits?

Jay: Well for one no cake or other baked good is safe around you even when it’s not yours, you don’t care if something fell on the floor or even the ground you’ll still eat it even if there’s dirt leaves pine needles or other things on it, you’ll eat things even if they are out of date and going bad. Zane does that too, his system can actually destroy most pathogens and harmful bacteria, plus he’ll eat raw dough like you, I think he likes the taste and texture of them when they’re raw more than cooked sometimes, but his system can safely handle those and it won’t make him sick unlike ours, not to mention how about the time you ate those pebbles cause you thought they were fruits… twice within a week of each other.

Cole: hey it wasn’t entirely my fault! It was a community garden and they said anyone could have what they wanted. Besides who in their right minds shapes and paints rocks to look like berries?!

Lloyd: According to Zane it’s a trick you can use to keep birds and other animals from eating all the berries from your garden. It makes them think the berries are rocks so they won’t take them from your plants.

Nya: it apparently works on Cole too though I doubt the animals actually eat the rocks like he did.

Cole in defense: well I learned my lesson and know that now. Make sure their actually berries before eating them, especially if you’re going to swallow them whole. That was a very unpleasant experience.

Kai terrified but trying to act calm: You know why don’t we just let Jay shock this place to fry that worm and make it quicker to get out of here? 

Lloyd nervous: do you think that could work?

Nya: Again you’d probably just end up getting us all shocked. 

Cole anxious from the idea: yha and I’ve been shocked by you before and it isn’t pleasant. 

Jay defends himself: that was an accident and I’ve said sorry every time I’ve accidently shocked anyone. You know shocking the thing could work and we might be safe where we are. Most of what’s in here isn’t conductive… at least I don’t think they are?

Kai almost pleading: Come on let’s just give it a try? 

Lloyd: it’s three against two.

Kai, Lloyd and Jay are up for the idea while Cole and Nya are nervous of it.

Nya after a brief pause to think: fine we could try but keep the volts low and be careful.

Jay wastes no time in directing a blast of lightening into the fluids. Just as others had cautioned however the rest of them including Zane get shocked. Jay isn’t immune to his own attack shocking himself causing him to stop his attack.

Jay seeing he has ended up hurting everyone: I'm sorry!

With electricity reaching into his body Zanes stomach to temporarily activates causing it to constrict and relax a couple times before stopping again. This causes things to get sloshed around and smack into each other including the items they are sheltering on. They managed to stay on the items they have chosen to float on though some of the fluids splash up on them with Kai getting the worst of it. A large splash ends up washing over Kai coating him entirely in the digestive fluids and dropping a few miniature pieces of nearly fully digested debris on him which slowly slid off him. Kai is left so stunned and shocked he just crouches looking blankly at himself and the debris dripping off him. The others are all nervous and grossed by the stuff that ended up on them but Cole feels some amusement from Kais predicament. Everyone else is just grossed out by it. 

Wu coming through their communicators: What just happened? It looked like Zane got shocked. 

Lloyd grossed out trying to clean himself off: that was just Jay screwing up.

They try to clean themselves off a bit.

Jay nervous: Okay that didn’t work… Nya what about your powers? Maybe you can work this liquid around to help us see what’s in it? 

Nya a bit angry from being shocked: this stuff isn’t water Jay it’s acid and various other liquids.

Cole grossed out as he is still cleaning himself off: Is there any water in him? 

Jay nervous: kind of. Technically water isn’t as essential for him to live as us so he can go without it far longer than we can but to help balance out and restore some chemicals in his body and to help the health of the symbiotes in him plus maintain moisture in certain synthetic organs like his guts and to help remove waste in this system plus he needs them to help create things like his synthetic tears he has to drink water based fluids a couple times a week. Any excess water and if he has too much in his body he can remove kind of like us. Again he can go several days without having to do that though, must be nice to not have to use the bathroom everyday nor to wet yourself when too scared… I mean yha he usually only has to remove excess water every few days. This way also allows him to reuse excess water if he hasn’t had water based liquids in a while and cannot get access to any. He had iced tea last night so I thought there might still be some form of water in here.

Nya annoyed: That wouldn’t be in here anymore and if was in here it would be broken down and not really water anymore besides even if I can affect this stuff I don’t want to risk playing with it. It’s too dangerous. 

Lloyd worried: aside from diving in this stuff which I’m pretty sure we don’t want to do then what are we going to do? 

Before they can do anything the worm they were looking for lunges out of the fluids behind Jay and tackles him off the pit and into the small space between where they are floating in the fluids the two disappearing in it. The action causes the fluids to slosh around a bit rocking the items they were sheltering on before settling back down. 

Nya scared and worried: Jay! 

Cole trying to stay positive but nervous jokes: look at that looks like it found us! 

They looked around in the fluids trying to see any sign of where Jay is but see nothing.

Nya worried: we need to get him out of there fast!

Cole nervous: And how are we going to do that!” 

Jay comes back up in a panic trying to make his way onto the pit clearly having been in a fight. Nya tries help him but the worm comes back up and constricts around him to pull him back down into the fluids. Nya quickly stabbs her trident where the worm went down hoping to hit the worm but hits nothing frustrating her. 

Nya angry: get back here you filthy scrap parasite!

When Jay comes up again he s close to Cole. Cole tries to help him but there wasn’t enough space on the bit of bone he’s chosen for Jay to get up on. He tries to help Jay over to another bit of bone for him to get onto.

Cole: hold on pal we'll get you to safety.

The worm intervenes. The worm comes up trying to grab Jay but using his lava arms Cole punches the worm in the head breaking off the one side of the pinchers which fall into the digestive fluids. The worm shoots out the blade in its head and attempts to stab at Cole. Dodge the worms stab Cole looses balance on the bit of bone and falls into the fluids. With him knocked over the worm then wraps back around Jay and pulls him back under causing things to get sloshed around again.

Lloyd nervous watching everything: That thing really has something against Jay!

Cole climbing back up onto the bit of bone he had been using: well he did shock everything. I bet that felt worse for that thing than for us.

Jay comes back up again by Kai and Lloyd. 

Jay terrified: why aren’t you all helping me! It’s getting very tiring fighting this thing, I’m pretty sure it’s trying to hold me in this stuff till I become lunch!

Kai equally terrified: And you think we want to end up becoming lunch too!

Lloyd tries to help Jay up onto the bone with them. The worm is quick to burst back up and goes to stab at Jay. Quickly Lloyd intervenes and swipes his sword to intervene with the blade. His swipe cuts the worms blade off near its base the blade falling into the fluids. In fear of the worm and falling or getting knocked into the digestive fluids Kai stabbs his sword as deep as he can into the worms body with as much force as he can. Lloyd continues to hit the worm working on cutting through the skin in order to more easily reach its interior while Jay relieved for the break climbs up onto the bone some pieces of bone breaking off as he climbs up. To escape the attacks the worm pulls back and dives into the fluids taking Kai who is too scared and stunned by everything to let go of his sword which is stuck in the machine with it.

Nya shocked and worried: Kai!  

Lloyd equally shocked and worried: why didn’t he let go of the sword? 

They all just stare at the fluids as they settled back down trying to see where the worm and Kai have gone all worried and scared. 

Nya worried: What are we going to do? Kai’s not going to survive long in there.

Lloyd worried: not to mention he can’t swim so I don’t think he’ll be able to get out on his own!

Even though they want to help him none are brave enough to get into the fluids. Seeing no one is daring to jump into the fluids to go after Kai, since he has the fluids and digested matter already on him and is worked up with adrenaline from fighting the worm and being in and coated in the dangerous fluids Jay braves up and dives back into it. 

Jay as he dives in: don’t worry Kai I’ll help you.

The others just float there for a short time looking for any sign of Kai, Jay or the worm all on edge.

Cole nervous: do you think we should do something?

Lloyd scared sounding a bit like Jay: and risk getting digested?

After a couple seconds they can see some light appear in the dark fluids emitting from somewhere deep in it and some minor electric sparks dance across the surface of the fluids with the light. The light and shocking then disappear.

Cole: what just happened?

Nya nervous: I don't know.

After a few second Kai and Jay then resurface by the peach pit. Jay is helping hold up and drag Kai who is rigid in a state of shock and barely doing anything just still tightly clinging to his sword which has been pulled out of the worm. Nya helps the two onto the pit.

Jay as he is being helped up: I managed to give that thing a direct shock.  

Nya: Did you finish it off? 

Once the two are on the pit the worm jumps up onto the pit with them trying to sink it into the fluids and is swinging its head trying to knock them off the pit. 

Jay nervous: apparently not! 

He and Nya waste no time in attacking the worm. Kai is too stunned to say or do anything just staring at the worm. Jay hits it several times with his nunchucks sending small bits of electricity with each attack briefly stunning the worm with each hit. Nya takes several stabs at its head steadily creating and deepening a gouge in its synthetic skin then metal interior. Sensing they are getting close to destroying it the worm starts backing up. Terrified of the thing getting away and dragging him back into the fluids Kai quickly rushes over and stabs strait into its brain shutting it down. Once dead they stop their attacks Nya and Jay having to hold Kai and pry his sword out of the things head to keep him from being pulled into the fluids as the worm slides off the pit and sinks into Zane's digestive fluids the pit returning to floating. They all just remain where they were all worked up but starting to settle down. Kai is still staring at where the worm went and shaking terribly.

Jay: Okay, three down and one to go. 

Kai his voice cracking a bit and still in shock: can we now get out of here?! I’m going to have nightmares about this for weeks!  

Nya still worked up and on edge but slowly calming down from the fight: Yha just give us a minute and we’ll get Pixal to help us out of here. 

Kai still in shock and voice cracking in fear: why am I getting this tingling burning feeling to my skin?

Jay starting to panic: Yha I’m getting the same thing, it’s Zane's digestive fluids they’re starting to eat away at us! They’re turning us into his lunch! 

They are all grossed out and unnerved looking at themselves as they are covered by the fluids and feeling the same thing. 

Lloyd contacting Pixal scared: we got the worm you can get us out now and we’re going to need a bit of a cleaning.

Cuts to the five of them now outside Zane's body on the small worktable next to the table Zane is on. Pixal is closing up Zane after working on him leaving only the port over his heart open. They have cleaned themselves up in a shallow dish filled with water then dried themselves off with a towel. All are missing patches of their clothes particularly on their gloves, footwear and the lower arms and legs and have reddish patches to their skin in these areas. They have taken their masks off. All but one have calmed down now that they are safe. Kai is the only one still in the dish to get cleaned up. He's still in shock and not moving so Nya hits him a couple times with the water to knock him out of his state. Her actions work and he starts to come back to his senses.

Kai still in shock and nervous: I’ll never be able to un-see all that!

As Kai cleanse himself Nya hops down with the others who are watching Pixal.

Lloyd: Have you been able to find the last worm?

Pixal: no, it is somehow hiding itself very well. Every now and then I have picked up its signal and it seems to be hanging in his chest largely on the left side. That does not bode well. His heart is in that area. It luckily has not caused any damages yet but that makes me worry it is up to something.

Nya: And given where it is hanging I don’t think it intends anything good. 

Nya, Lloyd, and Jay are inspecting the worm Pixal removed from Zane's shoulder and lung. 

Nya: Have you figured out anymore about these worms? 

Wu: not much. There is something about them that gives an aura of familiarity. Something with their workings and programming is familiar.

Pixal: Indeed plus these worms are operating on their own and not being controlled; they are however sending signals to somewhere else but the signal is encrypted and will take a few hours to decode where it is being sent. That could help us find who made and sent them.

Jay: Whoever made these things clearly is no friend to us and wants to see us suffer. 

They get a notification on the bays computers that someone is at the monasteries doors. 

Lloyd curious: Who’s at the door?

Cole eager: did you order in some dinner for us when we’re done? I could really go for some. Hopefully you got double desert too I could use it after all this.

Kai getting out of the dish nervous: Seriously! We nearly just ended up becoming food and all you can think about is food!

Jay: Yha foods the last thing I want to think about rate now.

Wu confused: No we have not ordered anything, I will go see who is there and what they want. 

Pixal: we will continue to work here. 

Wu heads off leaving the rest of them there. They continue to work trying to figure out where the last worm is and getting a look at the worms they have pulled out.

Lloyd: Well we could always go back in and do some exploring to find this thing. 

Kai scared: and risk getting into a trap that ends with us in his stomach again! No thank you!

Nya: That could be a possibility but I think the chances we’ll end up there again slim. Given where this thing is hanging I think it is seeking to go after his heart.

Jay: why do you think it hasn’t gone after his heart yet?

Pixal: I am not sure. Considering they could have easily and simply have just destroyed him why did they instead cause random damages that largely caused pain and harm instead? It all seems odd and makes me worried over what this worm has planned. 

Cole curious: you know how did Zane even get these worms?

Pixals looks at some data on the computers.

Pixal: We searched the memory data of the first one we found and it did not reveal much. These things became activated when in the yard already by the looks of which from after being thrown over the wall though we can find no evidence of by who or exactly when they ended up in the yard. We can only identify when they became active. They were activated around two in the morning while we were all asleep where they made their way to Zanes room and hacked him in order for him to let open the hatch over his heart so they could climb into his body and begin their work. 

Jay: wouldn’t Zane have been aware of their actions when they hacked him?

Pixal: It is hard to tell. I have gotten better with showing him how to identify when being hacked and ways to try and counter it but there are still things he has trouble with. As far as I can tell he does not seem to have been aware that he was being hacked. 

Kai surprised and confused: wait he doesn’t realise when he’s being hacked?

Nya: Again this is some of that not knowing how to be a droid thing and confusion from when he thought he was just human issue. It wasn’t till Pixal started helping him with it that he learned he could actually do something about it and not just fall victim to it. 

Flashes back to when they were working at Darkleys. Kai and Cole note some kids playing outside when they are supposed to be in class. They check on Zane finding his class empty and him asleep at a desk. Cuts to the two bringing Jay and Nya in to work on a tablet to wake Zane up.

Jay: yha I remember the one time when we were working at Darkley’s which became Wu’s school teaching and some of the kids found a way to hack him and make him fall asleep so they could get out of class and play instead of learning. What they did wasn’t too complex and should have been so easy for him to counter but he didn’t know how to. That’s when me and Nya set it up so only those with the correct codes could connect anything to him and do anything with him that way no one could mess with him. 

Transitions out of flashback.

Jay: It works quite well though if someone is really determined and has good enough skills they can bypass these codes and still hack him like Ronin did once.

Kai: You don’t think Ronin could have done this could he? 

Nya: I don’t think so. These things don’t seem like something Ronin would make besides why would he want to hurt Zane? He has no interest or reason to do so. 

Jay: yha if anything Ronin should have reason to fear Zane. Zane hasn’t forgotten Ronin hacking him and I don’t think he’s ever paid him back for that.

Cole: Yha but Zanes not super vengeful and Ronin really didn’t do much harm to him so I don’t think Zane feels the need to get back at him for that. 

Kai: then who could have done this?

Jay: Well for starters obviously someone who knows about the anatomy of droids. 

Lloyd: who would know about that? 

Nya: Not many would, it’s not really a common knowledge. A robotics specialist would know but there isn’t many of those and outside Cyrus Borg who wouldn’t do this we know none who would have a reason to do this, of course we all know… 

Kai who is still shaken cuts Nya off: yha a lot more than some of us are comfortable with now. I felt better not knowing what is inside him and how it all works.

Jay: Okay. 

Nya: outside that I don’t know. Zanes very guarded over who knows about his anatomy and we don’t let others know that way the wrong kinds of people can’t find ways to hurt him or Pix like this or do worse things to them. It’s better the public is left in mystery about it.

Jay amused: You should hear some of the strange hypothesizes a lot of people especially kids come up with to explain how Zane works and what powers him; a lot of them think it’s some sort of magic or we feed him some sort of robot feed made from oil like he’s some sort of animal… some people though get a little creepy with it thinking we do some dark ritual sacrificing criminals to give him power, I think those individuals spend too much time playing certain video games. They also think he can do weird things like shoot lazers from his eyes or shoot rockets from his arms. He can’t do any of that. Droids are much more human like than other robots plus I don’t think Zane would want anything like that. He prefers being more like those of flesh and blood than some machine. 

Lloyd: then who could have done this?

Pixal coming back to the others: Again it will likely take time to figure that out. 

Cole worried: was their hacking just to get inside him or did they do anything else to him?

Pixal looking over Zane: Luckily none of his programming has been touched. They just hacked him to operate the hatch and to paralyse him so he couldn’t move or make a sound so he could not get help. They even hindered his ability to connect to me. They left all his sensors and senses active however so he could feel the pain they were giving him while he could do nothing to stop it. 

Cole angered by this fact: that’s incredibly cruel. 

They all are angry that someone would do something so cruel to their brother.

Kai having calmed down by now: Yha it is. Defiantly whoever did this likely isn’t and would never consider us friends. 

Lloyd: indeed you know it’s probably best if we… 

Lloyd is cut off by Wu contacting them through the computer.

Wu rushed: Pixal lock down the hanger bay.

Pixal confused: Why?  

Wu: some thugs are here to… 

Wu’s end cuts off.

Lloyd worried and confused: What’s going on?  

Pixal checks the computers.

Pixal: It would seem whoever implanted these worms in Zane wants to interfere and stop our work. 

The computers give her a warning about Zane worrying Pixal.

Cole: Now what’s going on?  

Pixal quickly explains: it seems this worm was waiting for a distraction to make its move. It is attempting to cut through the back of the casing to get at his heart! 

They are all worried.

Jay panicking: What do we do?! 

Keeping relatively calm Pixal does some work on the computer before coming over to them.

Pixal: I and Wu will deal with the thugs you will deal with the worm. 

Cole: sounds like a plan.

Pixal picks them up and places them down onto the casing for Zanes heart.

Pixal: While I’m gone to keep you all safe I will close you into Zanes chest. Given your size it will be safest if you remain in his body till we return no matter what. When it is safe I will contact you.

Kai nervous: yha cause being this size we could easily get stepped on and squished.

Once they are placed in his chest Pixal closes up the port accessing the area near his heart. They quietly and quickly make their way to get the worm. In order to reach behind the casing they had to detach and move one of Zanes synthetic muscles to access the interior cavity of his chest. Being careful not to disrupt any of the wires or his synthetic lung that are in the cavity in that area they quickly make their way to the back of his heart remaining as quiet as possible hoping to catch the worm by surprise. The worm is occupied using the blade in its head to scratch at the solid metal plating of the back of the casing trying to cut into it. It is leaving a scratch that is slowly getting deeper as it works. They wasted no time in ambushing the worm. Jay and Cole who activates his lava arms grab its body to try and restrain it while the others work on cutting into it to reach its inner workings to damage them. The moment they contacted the worm it switches attention from attacking the casing of Zanes heart to them. It sheaths its blade and attempts to pinch them to free itself. It doesn't take them long to take the worm down Nya and Kai both landing blows in its head while Lloyd stabs it in its power source.

Cole pleased: Last one down. 

Nya and Jay inspect the casing for Zanes heart to access the damage.

Lloyd worried: It didn’t do much damage did it?  

Nya relieved: just some scratches it luckily didn’t get far.

Lloyd: That’s good. 

Kai: I can easily fix these.

Using his powers getting them as hot as he can Kai welds the cuts made by the worm shut. 

Kai once done: okay now that is done and the last of these worms are taken out what do we do?

Nya: Well Pixal said to wait for her contact. 

Cole looking over the worm: maybe we could make it easier for her and try to get this worm thing to somewhere easier to reach it? It’s kinda heavy but we might be able to do it if we work together.

Lloyd: I guess we could… 

Before Lloyd can finish they find themselves being tumbled around as Zane is sat up and moved about. They try to grab things in order to stabilize themselves but everything happens so fast they were unable to grab anything in time and found themselves getting knocked out from their tumbles… scene fades to black.

End of act 2.

Act 3

Wu and Pixal find themselves coming too in different parts of the monastery. Wu is in the one hall while Pixal is in the recreation room. When he comes too Wu meets Pixal in the recreation room and helps her up.

Pixal: What happened? 

Wu: one of those thugs was pretending to be someone from the power company wanting to check the meter. When I tried to shoo him away telling him the meters had just been checked last week he refused and when I tried to close the doors on him I was jumped by his pals. Some of them got past me saying their employer was not going to let us interfere anymore.

Pixal: They were trying to get into the hanger bay; I think they were after Zane. One of them surprised me with a taser. 

They wasted no time in heading into the hanger bay. When they get there their suspicions are confirmed. Zane is no longer there which means the others aren’t either. Pixal immediately heads over to the computer to search for Zanes internal tracker in hopes to pick up where they could have been taken but was unable to find the signal.

Wu: This is not good. 

Pixal: no it is not. We are not helpless though since all damages were repaired in case something was to happen I set up Zanes systems to re-calibrate and reboot so he should wake up when that is done. Hopefully once awake he will be able to find a way to escape or at least help us find him. I will keep searching in the meantime.

Wu worried: What about the others? Where are they? They will not fare too well against those thugs at the size of ants. 

Pixal confident: I placed them back in Zanes chest to deal with the last worm and closed it up after they were in to keep them safe and hidden. As long as they do not do anything to reveal their presence whoever took them might not know they are there keeping them safe. They might even be able to help Zane escape.

Cuts to inside Zane's body. Cole, Nya, Jay, Lloyd and Kai are regaining consciousness. All are confused and a bit roughed up from their tumbles. They are scattered through Zane's chest and upper abdomen caught up in wires and the tubes of his cooling system. Kai is laying on part of Zane's stomach which is active. The markings like before displaying in the material as it slowly moves. Kai is very unsettled with where he has landed. Cole is caught up laying in some wiring by Zane's lung. Jay is hung over a tube of cooling fluid with a hand and foot caught in wires not far from Cole. Nya is also caught up in wires laying face down a bit below Jay and Cole. Lloyd is caught by his legs and waist stuck in wires facing down his half end drooped down near Kai. Zane's systems are all turned back on making things warmer and noisier. Sounds from his breathing, his digestive tract and cooling system now join the sound of his heart. By the orientation Zane has been sat up.

Kai nervous and grossed: Why did I have to end up on this part?! At least I'm not in it this time.

Jay coming to his senses: What happened?

Nya: I’m not sure, I think he was moved. 

Lloyd: How long do you think we've been out.

Cole: Not sure but is it just me or does it feel warmer in here?

They all cautiously get themselves free from where they have found themselves trying to not damage anything and make their way out of the interior cavity of Zane's body before climbing over to congregate on the casing for Zane's heart being careful not to touch or disturb his heart or the various major wires that came out of it to curve back into his internal body cavity and his internal skeleton.  

Lloyd: Sounds like everything is functioning again; does that mean he is awake? 

Nya: I don’t know. If we had some way to contact him we could see if he responds. 

They all look at Kai who is confused and unsettled that they are all looking at him.

Kai nervous: What? Why are you looking at me?

Jay holding a hand out: hand it over.

Kai nervous: Hand what over? 

Cole: we all know you always have your phone on you mister addicted to social media. We could use it rate now so hand it over.

Kai is not happy with it but takes his phone out of a pouch on his attire and hands it over to Jay who gives it to Nya who has no problem getting into it.

Kai surprised: hey wait how do you know my password when I haven’t told you it yet?

Nya unamused: I’m your sister; you told me it already besides it’s really not hard to guess your password when you use the same one for everything. Anyone can log onto your stuff with ease when you just have the one. 

She works on the phone.

Jay with a teasing tone: yha mister Fiyah451 and 3173 in place of fire plus 11 for numbered codes. You know how easy it is to hack your accounts and mess around with things; it’s too easy.

Kai surprised: Wait a minute it was you then who changed the language on my phone to serpentine; do you know how long it took me to get it set back to normal! I can’t read that language and Zane refused to help thinking it a good punishment for having such a simple predictable passwords… are you also the one who bought the 12 1 litre bottles of dog shampoo, 2 gallons of moustache wax, 10 various animal plushies, full head pigeon head mask and a maids outfit in my size that came with the note ‘for when doing your chores fire-boy’ on my ninjazon account! 

Jay defending himself: Hey, it wasn’t just me. Cole was in on it too plus Zane. He thought it might teach you to pick a less obvious and get some diversity in your passwords.

Lloyd to Nya who has connected the phone to Zanes communication circuits: anything?  

Nya: No, I think he’s asleep. 

Cole: if he’s asleep then what moved him and why are his systems active?

Nya: I think as a safety precaution Pixal might have started his body back up so he could defend himself but I don’t think he’s fully booted up yet. I don’t know what moved him but I know how we could hear what’s going on out there.

She does some work on the phone then they can hear what Zane is hearing. 

Nya: there I’ve connected our communicators to Zane's hearing so we can hear what his audio input sensors are picking up. 

They listen in to someone ranting. Sounds like some metal tools are being thrown around during the ranting.

Voice (Mechanic): I don't get it how did they do this? These cuts are so small and fine how did that meddling she-droid leave them on my works while they were hidden inside him? There is no other machine or device in him that could have done this and there is no way she could have easily done this and where were those meddling ninja; did they have a hand in this and if so how did they do this? Do they know how long it took to make these things; months! It took months and within only a few hours they have somehow magically destroyed them! It's going to take me hours to get these things working again if I can! Hopefully those ninja don't clue in and figure out where we are before I can get this done. When I get those ninja they're going to regret messing with me.

Jay: Does that voice sound familiar or is it just me?

Cole: It defiantly sounds familiar. 

They pause to think it over. When they realise who it is they all get mad.

Nya: of course it's familiar, it's the Mechanic.

Kai: The Mechanic, we should have known he would be behind this. 

Jay: yha, he has an annoying fascination with trying to tear Zane apart. Figures he’d want to cause Zane pain while destroying him after all he likes to call Zane the pain all the time.

Mechanic ranting: This should have been easy. They get in tear him apart from the inside making sure it is as painful as possible then pierce that thing he has for a heart and destroy him for good! Somehow those pesky ninja have taken out every single one of my worms…

Cuts to outside Zane's body in the Mechanics little workshop. The Mechanic is trying to fix the one robotic worm mad. Along with the Mechanic he has five henchmen in the room with him. All are dressed similarly with eye masks and plain black hoodies. The henchmen are nervous as the Mechanic rants. Zane is stuck tied onto an office chair with rope asleep.

Henchman 1: but they had only taken three out of him and there is two still inside him.

Mechanic annoyed: They may still be inside him but they aren’t working anymore. They’ve been destroyed. 

Henchman 1: oh I thought you meant taken out as removed from his body not destroyed… my bad.

As the Mechanic rants the one Henchman standing guard by Zane notes he looks to be waking up.

Henchman 2: You know I think this thing is starting to wake up, what do you want us to do with it?

Zane not fully awake or aware yet: where am I? What is going on? Why am I not wearing a shirt?

Cuts back to the five in Zane's body.

Jay: Zane your up, can you hear us buddy.

Nya unamused: Jay he can't hear us in here.

Cole: Is it just me or does his voice sound a bit weird to hear from inside him.

Kai nervous: Yha.

Cuts back to outside Zane's body. He's looking at himself confused and getting worried noticing he is captured and restrained.

Mechanic mad: So Zane the pain you wake up to have miraculously escaped the doom I had planned for you thanks to your rotten friends but I will make sure you do not escape this time. 

Zane confused: what are you talking about?  

Mechanic brings the worm he has been working on over to Zane and shows it to him.

Mechanic: You see this you talking scrap heap. I had five of these worms find their way into you last night while you slept where they were slowly working to painfully tear you apart for all the pain you’ve caused me before they would finish you off. 

Zane surprised and scared: what?!

Mechanic: Yha and they would have succeeded if your meddling friends hadn’t somehow intervened. I don’t know how they did it but they destroyed every single one of my worm bots and saved you but I am going to make sure I have the last laugh. I’m going to fix these up and send them back in to complete the job then once you have been removed without you around to detect my little creations I will move on and get your friends. I’ll probably have to take out your female pal as well then I can move on to your fleshy pals. I have similar worms that will sneak into your monastery and inject them with the most painful venom I could find that will over a few hours slowly and painfully destroy them as well. 

Zane worried and angry: why would you do this? We haven’t done anything to deserve this.

Mechanic: On the contrary Zane the Pain you and your friends have been nothing but pains in my side for a long time; all my troubles, all the times you’ve ruined plans on me, all the times I’ve been locked up it’s all your faults…

Zane cuts the Mechanic off and talks calmly: I think if you look it is not our doing that has led to your troubles. It is your own doing for going along and aiding the wrong kinds of people, your own choices and actions and your lack of foresight and acceptance to the consequences of your own actions that have led to your ill circumstances. All we have ever done is make sure you receive the proper repercussions for your actions which often brought harm to those innocent of any wrong doing.

Mechanic looks at Zane for a second before motioning for one of his henchman to bring him something. Knowing what he wants Henchman 1 picks off the work table a taser and brings it over. The Mechanic then shocks Zane with it. Cuts back into Zane's body where the others are recovering from the shock all a bit dazed.

Jay: I think we need to remind Zane even if he’s right to watch what he says around crazy people… especially when their evil and have captured you.

The others are in agreement. Cuts back to the outside of Zane's body. Zane is a bit dazed from the shock while the Mechanics happy with it.

Mechanic: Think what you want metal man but you won’t change my mind. I’ll take out you then your friends and then I’ll finally be free to do as I want without the likes of you interfering.

Mechanic addressing two of the henchman: take him to a random room and dump him there for the time being while I fix these worms. Make sure he has no access to the outside and I don’t care how big it is. It can be a broom closet for all I care and Zane the pain try all you want to try and contact for help. I’ve shut off any means for your friends to find you or for you to call for help; might as well accept your fate. 

Zane struggles a bit to free himself scared as the two henchman wheel the chair he's on out of the room and down a hall. Seeing he can't break free Zane stops fighting feeling defeated. 

Henchman 1: Sorry metal man we have nothing personal against you it's just business. 

Henchman 2: Yha sorry about this. Just accept your fate and things will be over quickly.

They roll him into a small dark room and leave him there closing and locking the door behind them as they leave. Zane looks around the room nervous looking for something to help in his situation but he sees nothing.

 Zane quietly to himself: this is not good.

Cuts back into Zane's body. They are all nervous and worried. They can hear Zane's heart and breathing are revealing his emotions that he is scared.

Jay panicking: What are we going to do? The Mechanic has a plan to destroy all of us, he’s kidnapped Zane who we are stuck in and currently stuck at the size of ants!

Lloyd nervous: can we contact Wu or Pixal through our communicators or Kais phone?

Nya: No because we are inside him and for our communicators to work while in him they are routed through Zanes workings so whatever they are doing to block Zanes ability for them to contact or locate us is affecting us as well. It’s also affecting Kais phone because it’s inside him plus due to its shrunken size it has a very poor signal. I doubt it can reach anything outside Zanes body no matter how hard we try. 

Lloyd: is there any way we can at least talk to Zane? Maybe we can somehow work this out together.

Nya: Give me a minute and I’ll see what I can do.

She works on the phone a few seconds on Kais phone.

Nya: Okay that should work.

Lloyd through his communicator: Zane can you hear me?

Zane surprised and confused: Lloyd is that you?

Lloyd: yha buddy it’s me.

Zane: Wait the Mechanic said he was blocking any way of you contacting me… is this some cruel trick by him? 

Jay: serious you think we’d trick you?

Cole: Uh you and Kai have a tendency to sometimes mess with him when things are serious. 

Nya: boys you can talk about this later… trust us Zane it’s us.

Zane: How are you able to contact me then? 

Nya: the Mechanic has only blocked your internal gps and your ability to contact others but he isn’t preventing others from contacting you by hacking directly into your brain. Sorry about doing that but it was the only way we could communicate to you.

Zane: That is okay you are just doing it to help me so I am not bothered by that. How did you find me?  

Jay with a laugh amused: you wouldn’t believe us even if we told you.

Zane: Are you the ones who hacked my hearing? That is what woke me up, being hacked especially having my senses hacked without my permission I find uncomfortable and very threatening. 

Nya comforting: don’t worry Zane that was just us. We meant no harm.

Kai: Yha buddy you weren’t responding so we just wanted to see what was going on around you; you know in case you were in danger plus to see who got you. We should have guessed the Mechanic was behind all this. 

Zane: I am fine with that then. 

They can hear from his heart and breathing that hearing them and knowing he isn’t alone is calming Zane.

Lloyd: Zane do you have any clue where we are? Where did they put us? 

Cuts back out of Zanes body. He is looking around confused trying to determine what the room is.

Zane: I have no clue, it is a small room… most likely a broom closet like they said. It seems they took the Mechanics instructions as literal.

Lloyd: Are you able to do anything to get free or can you see anything to help us get out of here? 

Zane fidgeting a bit to try and loosen the ropes but getting nowhere: I have been tied to an office chair using a rope. They have tied me so my arms are pinned against my body so I cannot move them and they have tied up my legs so I cannot move them either. As for the room the only thing I can see that could potentially hold something to help me get free is a locker against the one wall but there is nothing I can do to investigate it… wait you said us. What do you mean by us? Are you trapped somewhere in the building too?

Cuts back to the five in Zane's body.

Cole: You could say that. 

Cole (silencing his communicator from Zane): should we tell him?

Lloyd (silencing his communicator from Zane): Might as well it is kind of important. We’re going to need him to get us all safely out of here. 

Jay: you will probably have a hard time understanding this pal but we’re inside you. We’ve been chilling by your heart the past while.

Cuts back to Zane who is confused and looks at his body trying to understand what Jay means.

Zane confused: What do you mean? The interior of my body is no place for living organic beings such as yourselves to be in. There are many parts that are highly dangerous to your kind. Not to mention at your size there is no way you could fit inside me... is this some idiom or saying I do not understand? 

Jay amused: no pal I’m not joking you we’re literally inside you watch I’ll give you a shock as proof. Sorry about this everyone I’ll try to keep this low. 

To give Zane proof of what he is saying Jay gives Zane a small shock. Zane is startled by the shock and greatly confused as he looks at his chest at his heart.

Zane baffled: What! How and why are you in my body?! 

Lloyd: We’re why the Mechanics worms failed… 

Jay cutting Lloyd off: yha Pixal was having trouble catching them so we shrunk ourselves to the size of a carpenter ant to go after them in order to save you.

Kai uneasy: Trust us pal this has been just as uncomfortable to us as it likely is for you… not to mention very unpleasant. I have seen things! 

Jay amused: yha I’m pretty sure if you had been awake you would not have been comfortable with it either. We had to chase them through your body in order to get them. One was in your shoulder, another went into your right lung and one was in your stomach, it’s still in there but don’t worry we destroyed it so it can’t hurt you plus you’re going to end up doing more damage to it now that your systems are active. There was another going after your heart but we destroyed that to; it fell somewhere in your body when the Mechanics thugs picked you up I’m not sure where it is now but don’t worry we’ll make sure to remove it. Those things were nasty to take on not to mention they tried to destroy us. They kept trying to stab us with this hidden blade in its head and crush us with their pincher mouth like thing and one tried to get you to digest us; that part was really unpleasant.

Zane surprised: What? You were where… what were you doing in my stomach? You know it is too dangerous for organic beings like you to be in there; it is not a place you should seek to put yourselves if you want to remain alive and unharmed.

Zane is very confused and getting uncomfortable. 

Jay a bit uneasy: trust us we didn’t want to end up in there. One of the worms tricked us into there and activated your gut to try and get you to digest us to stop us from destroying it luckily Pixal was able to intervene and shut your system down before we got hurt; the whole thing was gross and scary. Don’t worry you didn’t really do any harm to us while we were in there besides it wasn’t your fault; unfortunately we spent more time in there than any of us wanted to…

Kai unsettled: Can we not talk about this?! No offense Zane I know you can’t help it but the sounds in here are unsettling and I would like to not be reminded of all we went through while in here.

Cole: yha Kais going to need some therapy after today. He experienced more than he wanted to. 

Zane is still confused looking at his body core and feeling uncomfortable.

Zane mumbling to himself: this makes this whole situation even more uncomfortable. 

Kai: Again no offence pal but it isn’t pretty in here especially in your stomach. 

Zane confused: how long have you been inside my body?

Cole: A few hours I think; hey Zane were you aware of what those worms were doing to you? 

Zane after a short pause: kind of. The pain and disruptions to my systems from their actions woke me up in the early morning. I didn’t know what was causing it all at the time I could just feel the harm they were doing to me. I couldn’t sense them I could just feel what they were doing. Along with the damages and pain they had done something so I couldn’t move or make a sound so I could not get help. I could not even open my eyes; it was like I was trapped. I could just hear everything going on around me and feel everything the worms were doing. I remember Pixal helping me and telling me everything would be okay. She put me offline so I wouldn’t feel anything but those worms did some sort of trick so it looked like I was offline but I was only half out. I could still feel everything she was doing… and I guess what you were doing. It all felt weird like this thing you call a dream.

Remembering what he went through makes Zane nervous and upset.

Cole: Don’t worry pal you’re safe now we made sure to teach those worms a lesson for messing with our brother and we’ll make sure to teach the Mechanic a lesson for what he did to you. No one’s going to hurt our droid brother while we’re around.

Cuts back to the five in Zanes body.

Kai (silencing his communicator from Zane) : You know that’s a weird way Zane phrased that; why didn’t he just say it felt like a dream? He dreams why does he not like to acknowledge it? 

Nya (silencing her communicator from Zane): it’s part of that confusion he has over understanding how to be a nindroid. I don’t think he understands dreams very well not to mention I think they scare him; both what he sometimes sees in them and his inability to understand them are what scares him. He might even be confused and think they’re not natural for him even though from what we’ve all seen and me and Jay have analysed is that he does dream. It’s perfectly natural for him; Pixal dreams to and she accepts it and openly admits to being able to dream. She never denies it unlike Zane. Also along with being a restless sleeper Zane’s prone to having nightmares which further scare him about dreaming. We’ve managed to help him a bit by putting on relaxing music and ambient sounds when he sleeps to combat it but it doesn’t work as much as we’d like. I think Zane’s fears and confusions to dreams sometimes makes him afraid to admit he dreams.

Jay (silencing his communicator from Zane): I don’t think he’s the only one who has problems with nightmares. 

They all agree with his statement but don't want to admit it.

Zane: When you were in my synth-gans did you at some point shock me? I think I recall being shocked, why did you do that? 

Kai confused: synth-gans? 

Jay (silencing his communicator from Zane): synthetic organs. He thinks because they’re not made from flesh like us his organs can’t be considered organs so he came up with that term to name them. It’s kind of sad really as while we consider his organs no different from ours despite what they are made of and how they work he doesn’t see it like that and thinks he has to view them differently. We’ve tried to get him to stop thinking of it like that as it just points out to him that he’s really a machine and not of flesh and blood which makes him feel isolated and a bit embarrassed about himself but we haven’t had any luck breaking his thoughts on that. Pix understands their organs are different from those of flesh but she’s willing to accept that despite their differences they are the same as ours. She hasn’t been able to change Zanes mind on this either no matter how hard she tries. I think it’s that confusion thing from thinking he was a flesh and blood person for so long then finding out he was a nindroid that’s caused him to think like this.

Cole: Yha we tried to fry the one worm by shocking it… that just backfired and made the thing mad at Jay. I’m sorry if we hurt you pal. 

Zane: it is okay. It hurt but you didn’t mean to do it. Besides it was a short lived pain unlike what those worms left. I can still feel those.

Kai: Pixal fixed the damages they left though; how do they still hurt? 

Zane: Synth re-grow takes a while, usually a day or two, to fully complete its work and in the meantime it is not a pleasant feeling as they repair. There are electric tingling’s as materials get repaired, there is also pain and the area feels very warm till the process is done.

Kai: That does not sound pleasant. 

Zane letting some pain show in his voice: no it is not.

Lloyd: We can talk about all this later guys now we should focus on getting out of here.

Jay: hey Zane why don’t you chew through the rope to set yourself free.

Cuts back out of Zanes body. Zane inspects the rope. 

Zane: that is a possibility but the time it would take to do so might not be ideal to escape before the Mechanic could complete his work.

Kai getting an idea: You know if I could access those ropes I could probably burn through them in no time.

Kai reaches out from where he stands on the casing for Zanes heart and tries to push open the hatch over the area having to stretch out to push on the inside of Zanes skin trying to push the hatch open.

Nya unamused: What are you doing? 

Kai eager: I can go out there and burn the ropes off him so we can escape.

Nya: First off our small size has made our powers weaker than when we are our normal sizes so your powers won’t be as efficient. 

Kai: I can still try. It might take me a little longer but I can still burn it.

Jay: Secondly you do realise Zane has full control over the hatches in his skin; if he doesn’t want them open you won’t be able to open them. Unless damaged they’re fully latched all the time and will only open if Zane allows them; or if we use the special permission he gave us so we can work on him to open them. That helps prevent foreign items from getting into his body and from anything or anyone posing any danger to his inner workings especially his heart. 

Kai: Zane give me a hand buddy and I’ll get you free.

Zane: I do not think that very wise. If you are as small as you say you are it will be very dangerous for you to be wandering outside my body especially with me being tied up. If you fall it will be very dangerous and could deliver serious and potentially fatal harm to you plus I will be unable to help you and you could easily be hurt by items falling on you or by someone else finding you…

Jay cuts: yha they might think you’re a real ant and squish you.

Zane: Also the way they have tied me up pins the hatch over my heart in a way that prevents it from opening.

Kai unhappy: well there goes that idea. 

Kai goes to relax and settle back on the frame for Zanes heart but he is in a position that has him stuck and unable to get back without falling. He works himself up to try and push himself back but as he preps himself he ends up slipping and falling. He manages to prevent falling too far by grabbing onto one of the protective plates that cover most of the area over Zanes heart; in doing so his hands accidently hit Zanes heart which in defence sends a shock into all of them and causes Zane serious pain.

Zane scared and in pain: Please be careful around my heart! 

Kai: sorry that was an accident.

Nya unamused and angry by Kai: Kai be more careful. Any sudden touch to Zanes heart will cause it to release an electric pulse in defence. It’s painful for him and multiple pulses in a short period of time will stress his heart.

Kai: I’ll be careful. 

The others begin talking over things they could do to help with the situation while Kai slowly and cautiously climbs up the frame for Zanes heart. He moves slowly cautious of where he puts his hands trying to avoid touching the icy blue material that makes up Zanes heart not wanting to cause it to spark. 

Kai mumbling to himself mad: It would have been so easy to just burn the ropes. It would take seconds. I go out there burn it and we'd be free.

At one point while climbing up Kai’s hand slowly touches Zanes heart but he doesn’t realise at first he has touched it. Because he had moved slowly Zanes heart didn’t react to being touched. Kai is unaware he has touched it till he notices a strange tingling in his hand and arm.

Kai confused pausing as he climbs: what is that feeling? Feels like that strange tingling those balls with the lightening in them give... or Jay when you sometimes touch him and he's all worked up from anxiety.

Kai looks to where he has put his hand and is surprised to note it is touching the material of Zanes heart. 

Kai: this is a bit weird. I've never really gotten a close look at Zanes heart before. The others are right this stuff is strange. I always thought it was some sort of metal glass stuff from how the others describe it. Instead it looks like that weird polished colorful stone stuff gift shops like to sell. It doesn't look like it's electrical even though it's glowing and you can feel a strange energy to it. Now that I'm also thinking of it this is also really weird. This is Zane's heart, I'm actually touching his heart! 

Kai then notices something strange. Where his hand is touching there is a faint reddish dis-colour to the material. 

Kai: huh, what's that redness from? 

As he looks at it the color slowly vanishes. Kai pulls his hand back confused. 

Kai: wait where'd it go? Was it from something on my hands?

Looks at his hands. His gloves and lower parts of sleeves are missing considerable patches due to Zane's digestive fluids having eaten them away. 

Kai: Great Zane ate a good deal of my clothes... and a bit of my skin (Kai shivers at the thought). I hope this doesn't make him develop a taste for people. I guess it's not too bad, looks like a real bad sunburn with some scrapes in them. It hurts a bit but I'm pretty sure some skin cream will fix it just fine. These couldn't be the reason for that color could it?

He slowly and cautiously touches the material again but there is no color. 

Kai: hmm no it isn't from the skin damage nor my touch... unless... I was thinking about those ropes and how easy it would be to burn them... 

He sees the redness reappear. He stops thinking of fire and they disappear.

Kai: I wonder I bet fire isn't good for Zane's heart but maybe... I know he doesn't like heat but hopefully he isn't too bothered by this.

Kai heats up his hand and arm it gaining warm glowing markings at it heats up. The redness re-appears and gets bigger.

Zane nervous: What are you guys doing to my heart? There is a burning feeling starting to appear in it! 

Jay (sounding more playful not judging): Kai what are you doing? 

Kai stopping the heating of his limb: hey is electricity the only energy Zane's heart can absorb?

Nya confused: I don’t know. I know it can take in and use pure energy, only for a short time though. Why do you ask? 

Kai heating his arm up: look at this! 

The others watch the redness appear in Zane's heart confused.

Cole: Uh is that supposed to happen? 

Nya confused: as far as I know no it’s not supposed to do that.

Cuts to Zane who is looking at his heart worried; he can only hear the others talking through their communicators and has no clue what's going on. His anxiety causes his heart rate to elevate a bit.

Zane: What is going on? Why am I feeling a strange mild burning to my heart? 

Lloyd confused: yha what is going on?

Kai a bit excited: When I think about my powers or use them a bit and touch his heart it makes the red color appear. 

Jay: maybe it’s some sort of energy transfer like how I can charge my phone or power the game station with my powers! You must be doing some sort of energy transfer. Other than discolouring his heart what else do you think your energy transfer can do?

Zane startled and scared: You’re doing what to my heart?! 

Cuts back to the five in Zane's body.

Cole: how is Zane’s heart able to make an energy transfer? Fire isn’t electricity though electricity can spark fires… learned that from a toaster oven with damaged wires. Thank goodness Zane was there to help put the fire out.

Nya: It might not seem it but technically our bodies run off electricity too… 

Jay cutting her off: yha like your brain can actually power a light bulb if you were to stick a light bulb in it.

Nya: yes but our bodies use far less electricity than Zanes does to work. It is largely our nervous systems that use electricity; apart from the symbiotes in his digestive system everything in Zanes body uses electricity to function and as its energy source. Technically with the right connectors you could theoretically transfer energy from our bodies into something else but I don’t see how just touching Zanes heart could transfer energy.

Lloyd: Maybe it’s absorbing it through his skin? 

Nya: but we’re wearing our gear which covers our skin. 

Jay nervous noting the damages to his attire: it was when we first started now uh not as much in some spots.

They all look at themselves unnerved by that fact.

Kai: Yha no offense Zane but your stomach ate holes into my clothes including on my hands. 

Nya: okay, I guess it’s possible. We don’t know a lot about Zanes heart; what it can do or how it fully works so there is a possibility it could do that. It would only transfer electricity though not fire; it doesn’t absorb or use elemental energy.

Kai: I wonder… hey Zane I want you to do something with me. Do what you would do when coating your arms with ice but instead of ice think of fire; think of having your arms on fire and burning the ropes on you off. 

Cuts to Zane who is confused and worried. He looks over the ropes. 

Zane: I do not see how that will do anything. My powers are ice not fire; that would only make the rope cold and wet and would be of no help. Also can you please stop playing with my heart! It is very uncomfortable and unnerving to have you doing whatever you are doing.

Kai: Zane just humour me here. 

Zane confused: you want me to joke with you? How is that going to help our situation?

Jay: He means for you to go along with his plans. Humour me means to temporarily comply with someone’s thoughts or actions even if you don’t follow generally to keep the peace or get out of a tough situation Zane. 

Jay (temporarily flashes to the five in Zanes body as Jay silences his communicator from Zane): I think we should give Zane some lessons on the meanings of common sayings.

Zane: Fine but I do not see how this will help. 

Zane closes his eyes doing as Kai suggests. Cuts to inside his body. Kai focusses his powers into Zane's heart causing the red coloring to get bigger and branch out across his heart. The others just wait to see if anything happens. Cuts back to Zane who after a few minutes opens his eyes to inspect the ropes.

Zane at first calm then scared: I do not think anything is happening though my arms feel oddly highly warm, too warm for my comfort… they’re on fire!

Cole stumped: What? 

Zane worried: they’re on fire! How is that possible! I am not comfortable with this! 

Kai eager: it worked now what about the rope? Zane what is the state of the rope?

Zane taking a moment to respond worked up by the fire scared and panicking: It is on fire from the fire on my arms.  

Zane breaks his arms free from the ropes which are weakened by the damage from the fire. He tosses them away before quickly creating ice on his arms over the fire to put them out. He brakes the ice off before taking the ropes off his legs and tossing them away. The ropes remained on the ground the one slowly burning though there was not much of a fire on it. The others can hear from his heart and breathing rate that this is really scaring Zane.

Zane anxious: I’m free of the ropes now please stop whatever you are doing with my heart! I really don’t like it! 

Cuts back into Zane's body. Kai stops the transfer of his powers and taking his hand away from Zane's heart. 

Kai thrilled: yes it worked!

He starts to continue climbing up to the top of the casing to Zane's heart.

Cole: Uh how? How did it work? 

Nya confused: I don’t know. I don’t see how his heart could transfer fire. His heart has nothing to do with fire or our powers?

Jay: It can transfer energy though, maybe Kai was sending like some fiery energy or fire is tied to his energy which he then sent through Zane's heart for it to manifest like his powers on Zane. 

Lloyd after a pause: I guess that could be possible. Now that you are free Zane we can get out of here.

Zane: I guess I can. 

Cuts to Zane who gets up and goes over to the rooms door to check it. He is shaking a bit and nervous having trouble shaking the feelings what had just happened left him with. 

Lloyd: you can calm down now Zane. You’re free and we’re getting somewhere in our escape.

Zane not wanting to acknowledge his unnerve: I am calm. 

Briefly cuts to the five in his body.

Jay: You can’t lie to us buddy we’re right by your heart so we can hear your heart and breathing rate. They’re not calm.

Zane: Well that was strange and unnerving with the fire… it is very unsettling. 

Lloyd: don’t worry buddy we’re not going to do that again to you. Just the un-calm rate to your heart and breathing is unsettling some of us, especially Jay. 

Jay is nervous and on edge but he is fairly calm. Lloyd and Kai are the most unsettled by the noises making them feel anxious but neither wishes to admit this and are trying to hide it. 

Cuts back to Zane who is slowly calming down as he looks around. The door is locked so Zane looks around the room looking for something that could help him escape the room. The lights in the room aren’t working with only the light from under the door in the hall providing any light to see anything. He can see there is ventilation in the room but it is too small for him to fit through and he doesn't want to risk letting the others out of his body. With their small size there is too much danger for them. 

Zane uttering quietly to himself as he looks around the room: ventilation is too small for me. With the others as small as they are they could fit into it with ease but it is too dangerous for them at their small size to be wandering around outside my body. No windows, not really much in here; there has to be something here that could help.

Zane notices the locker and heads over to investigate it. 

Zane telling the others what he is doing: The door is locked so I will see what is in the locker. 

The locker isn’t locked but doesn’t have much in it. There is a lunchbox on the top shelf with nothing in it, an old completed crossword book, an old pair of shoes and an item Zane is not entirely sure what it is. As he takes them out Zane sets the items aside trying to not make any noise not wanting to catch any unwanted attention.

Zane explaining as he pulls the items out of the locker: the locker holds an empty lunchbox, an old completed crossword book, a highly worn old pair of shoes and... (startled noise)

Zane notices some movement and reflecting light in the back of the locker startling him. He takes a moment to inspect the movement and light getting confused about the distance between him and the object before realising it is just a mirror showing a reflection letting him relax.

Nya as Zane inspects the mirror:  Zane what is it? Is there something dangerous?

Zane: no there is just a mirror in the locker that I did not notice was there. Sorry I didn't mean to scare anyone.

Cuts into Zanes body.

Jay: that's okay buddy mirrors can be a bit scary. Especially at night when it's dark and you don't expect to see them... especially when you’re still sleepy and on your way to the bathroom and it's one of those magic trick mirrors that make your reflection all creepy looking that someone left there to play a prank on you and make you wet yourself!

Jay looks at Cole, Lloyd and Kai who are all holding in laughs.

Kai (silencing his communicator from Zane): Why did his reflection startle him? Is he scared of his own reflection or something?

Jay (silencing his communicator from Zane): no. He has extreme difficulty reading his reflection when it’s mirrored like when in a mirror. Unless he’s purposefully using one he often gets startled when seeing the reflection from a mirror especially when he’s not expecting to see his reflection. It’s not unique to him; all nindroids seem to have this problem. I think mirrors confuse their senses and their brains have trouble reading mirrored images especially when it’s themselves and their actions they are trying to read.

Lloyd (silencing his communicator from Zane): So that’s why he and Pix act weird to mirrors. I always thought surely they could tell it was them they were seeing and they’d have no problem with spacial awareness or telling directions when looking in a mirror. Guess I was wrong.

Cuts back out to Zane: the last is this thing… it kind of looks like a crowbar but lacks the characteristic ends of a crowbar being more of a small slightly cupped piece of it looks to be wood or maybe some plastic mimicking the appearance of wood.

Zane holds the item, a shoehorn, looking at it confused.

Jay confused: small cupped plastic or wood bar? 

All of them are confused.

Lloyd: is there some way we can see what he sees?

Nya: Zane would you be willing to let us see what you are seeing? We have Kai’s phone that you could use to help us.

Zane: sure. 

Zane closes his eyes while connecting the feed from his vision wirelessly to Kais phone. Cuts to inside Zane's body. The others are looking at Kais phone as it connects and shows what Zane sees when he opens his eyes. 

Cole when seeing the item: Zane that’s a shoe horn.

Zane confused: Shoe horn? This does not look like an instrument nor do I think shoes can have horns. 

Cole: it’s a tool to help get your shoe on and fix the shape of your shoes heel. My dad has one for his formal shoes.

Zane still confused: If that is its use then why is it termed a horn? 

Cole: I have no clue. 

A noise outside the door catches their attentions. 

Henchman 3: do you smell something burning. 

Looking around Zane notices the rope is still burning where he had left it. It makes them all nervous.

Lloyd worried: Zane quick put out the fire. 

Zane hits the rope with ice putting out the fire but it is too late. They can hear someone at the door. They are unlocking it.

Henchman 4: did you hear that. 

They begin to worry. Thinking quickly Zane picks up the shoe horn and hides behind where the door opens. He stands nervous as the door opens. He's hidden behind the door. Two of the Mechanics thugs dressed as common crooks came into the room. They quickly note Zane isn’t there.

Henchman 3: Uh oh this isn’t good. How did the metal man escape?

The one crook investigates the chair Zane had been tied to the other notices the open locker and investigates it. Zane goes over and hits the one looking at the chair with the shoe horn in the back of the head. He catches the person before they hit the floor and slowly lays them down so they don't make a sound before heading over towards the other. Just as they turn around to look at their co-worker Zane wastes no time to punch them in the face and knock them out.

Jay praising Zane: Good work Zane. 

Zane closes the door to avoid catching any attention. 

Zane: I did not really have much of a choice.

Lloyd: That’s okay we should see if they have anything of use before trying to make our way out of here.

Cole: obviously one of them has keys to this place as they must have used them to open the door. 

Zane drags and sits both the henchman over to the locker then inspects their pockets. The one has two separate sets of keys. One is a decorative key chains on it leading Zane to deduce they were likely a personal set the other is just plain keys.

Zane looking at the plain keys: These must be the ones for the building. 

He takes the plain set and puts it in a hatch to a small compartment in his abdomen to store them. Other than the keys he can't find much else of use, just mainly some coins and their wallets. The one has their phone which instantly catches their attentions.

Kai: A phone, we could use that to help contact Wu and Pixal! 

Zane: Indeed. 

Zane takes a moment to hack the phone allowing him access to it. They are all a mix of confusion and grossed out by the screen image on the phone. The image is of the thug happily giving affection to what they could only guess was his. The dog resembles the Chinese Crested breed but a bit on the ugly side (look up worlds ugliest dog Mr Happy Face); largely no hair except long tufts on the top of head, back of neck, ears, shoulders, paws and tail.

Jay: Is that a dog or some mutant rat? 

Cole: I think it’s a dog. 

Kai: whatever it is it is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. 

Nya: I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

While the others wonder over the dogs photo Zane contacts the monastery. It doesn’t take long for someone to pick up. Wu picks up.

Wu (through phone): Hello who is this? 

Zane: Wu it’s me Zane.

Wu (through phone): Zane is that really you? Where are you? 

Zane: yes it’s really me and I have no clue where we are. They placed us in a broom closet.

Wu (through phone): We; the others are still with you? Are you all safe?

Zane: Yes they are here as for safe that depends on what you consider safe. We are not in immediate danger but there is a danger present.

Wu (through phone): What is the danger?

Zane: The Mechanic has plans to eliminate us. The worms were his doing and he is working on more for not just me but to harm the others as well. The Mechanic has hired thugs and the others are no bigger than ants so we will not fare well if we run into trouble and are forced to defend ourselves.

Wu (through phone): That is not good but do not worry we are on our way and can help. Pixal has locked onto the signal of the phone you are using. Just hold on in the meantime and avoid catching attention till we get there.”

Zane: Understood. 

Zane hangs up the phone. The others had listened in to the whole conversation. Cuts to the others in Zane's body.

Lloyd: Okay we just need to wait for Wu and Pixal to show up then we can deal with the Mechanic. I think it’s time he gets locked in higher security than what he’s been locked in so far. Clearly if he keeps breaking out then he’s not locked down enough. Until Wu and Pixal arrive we need to lie low. 

Kai: why just wait around how about doing some scouting instead you know find where the Mechanic is working to cut down on our work? 

Cole: I don’t think that’s a wise idea. Technically even though we are here Zane is on his own and if he gets in trouble we won’t really be able to help him. At this size a mouse is very dangerous for us. 

Jay: yha I don’t want to get stepped on and squished. 

Cuts back to Zane who is putting the phone back in the thugs pocket. While putting the phone back Zane notes the one crooks plain dark zipper up hoodie is the right size to fit him. Zane looks over himself for a moment. He isn’t wearing a shirt and isn’t too comfortable with that.

Nya: Kai under our current circumstances it is best that we lie low to avoid any problems. I do agree though we should not stay here. Ideally we should find a more secluded location to lie low. 

Cole: yha when those two come to they are going to talk and that will have everyone looking for us not to mention it will be best we put ourselves in a place that is easy for Pixal and Wu to find us when they arrive most likely outside this structure.

Cuts back into Zane's body. Jay notices on Kai’s phone the feed from Zane's vision. Zane is taking the one crooks hoodie off and putting it on himself.

Jay confused: Zane what are you doing? 

Zane calmly: I am putting on a sweater. 

Cole confused: you realise that is someone else’s right?

Zane: Yes but I felt it would be best if I cover up to avoid drawing attention or unsettling others. 

Cuts for a moment out to Zane who after getting the hoodie on takes the items out of the pockets, largely a wallet, and puts them on the person. Cuts back to inside his body.

Kai: That’s Zane always the modest one. You’ll never see him leaving his underwear lying around the monastery or walking around in his underwear like some of us. 

Kai looks at Jay who feels targeted by the comment. 

Nya (silencing her communicator from Zane): yha he is modest but he also knows his appearance scares and unnerves others including you bro and he doesn’t want to scare anyone or make them uncomfortable. That’s one of the reasons why he often keeps decently covered.

Kai (silencing his communicator from Zane): I’m not scared by his appearance; sure sometimes his non human skin unnerves me a little; his skin is a bit odd. It kind of reminds me of a reptiles skin with all the metal patches which are like scales plus the glowing spot from his heart is… strange. The glow to his eyes can be a bit unnerving too especially in the dark plus you can clearly tell they’re not human when you really look into them. They have that really techi look and he can shrink and expand the equivalent to the pupil in his eye like a cat. That’s kind of strange too. Plus when he does that thing where he opens part of his skin and you can see his insides that kind of scares me yha; more of a grossed out scare than a scary scared way though. 

Jay (silencing his communicator from Zane): yha his eyes can be kind of creepy; that shrinking thing in his eye is from when he adjusts his vision is kind of like with cats it helps regulate how much light his eyes take in so he isn’t blinded by too bright of light and can see better in the dark than us. Plus it is also because he can zoom in his vision to better focus or see something further away. Yha there is somethings scary about him but they’re not too bad. I think when he’s mad that’s possibly one of the worst. He’s defiantly scary when you make him mad! 

Kai (silencing his communicator from Zane): yha sometimes very scary.

Cole: You should pull the hood up to cover your head so you can more easily sneak past everyone. 

Zane: indeed that is a good idea.

Cuts out to Zane who zips up the hoodie before pulling the hood up. He then goes out to the hall. It goes in two directions.

Zane: The Mechanic is in a room at the end of the hall to the right so it likely will be best to head to the left to avoid him. 

Zane picks up the shoe horn before heading down the left end of the hall keeping alert for any of the Mechanics thugs closing the door to the broom closet as he leaves to avoid suspicion. The first room they come across is a large room the hired thugs the Mechanic had are using as a hang out. Most of them are just chilling playing cards, pool or watching a television. None note Zane as he looks into the room before quietly moving on. Zane checks a few rooms. Outside the hall and the room all the thugs had been in all the rooms were dark and most light fixtures had no or broken lights. Cuts to the others in Zane's body.

Lloyd: I wonder where we are?

Cole: well there looks to be a few offices.

Nya: the place also looks to be in bad shape as if it hasn't been maintained very well.

Kai is noting the feed on his phone and is confused.

Kai: Zane what’s with all the stuff in your vision? 

Zane confused: what? 

Kai: there’s all these strange things that make it look like you have an overlay from a video game in your vision.

Zane: It is in ways like that. The overlays help aid in aiming, sensory processing and directional navigation. Are they unsettling you? I can turn them off if they are. I use them mainly for when on missions or training. 

Kai: not really, I just find it a bit strange. 

Jay cuts in: I find them kind of confusing and they make it a little hard to focus. 

After a second Zane blinks shutting off the overlays in his vision so when his eyes open the overlays are gone making his vision human like.

Zane: Is that better? 

Nya: you didn’t have to do that Zane.

Zane: It is okay, if you are sharing my vision it is best I use a setting we are all comfortable with to help us work together. Besides it does not hinder me much and there is something about this vision that I find relaxing and pleasing. 

Cuts back to Zane as he checks out another room which looks to be a small office space however only some desks and chairs that are moved and knocked over are left. He goes over to check out the windows in the room to see if he can see any hints of where the building is. All he can see is woods. The next room he looks into looks to be an old cafeteria. There are some vending machines against the one wall which instantly catches Coles attention.

Cole eager: Hey Zane can you check those machines and see if there is anything good in them? 

Jay: really?

Cole: Hey I’m hungry. 

Kai: really? After what we’ve been through today and where we were earlier? 

Kai quietly to himself looking over Cole: maybe not all those unsettling sounds are coming from Zanes stomach.

Kai moves a bit away from Cole uneasy. Cole doesn't notice.  Kai is unsettled by the sounds from Zane's systems being active. The noises have Jay a bit anxious but he isn’t as anxious as Kai. Lloyd is also put a bit on edge from some sounds but he and the others aren’t letting it bother them much. 

Cole: yha I’m largely over it now and hungry so Zane humour me and check out the vending machines.

Cuts to Zane who is just listening to the others.

Zane: You are using that saying right? 

Cole: yes. 

On Coles request Zane goes over and inspects the machines. One has soda, one has candies cookies and chips and another has various milks.  

Cole: Do you think any of those are good? Hey Zane can you check the dates on them? 

Jay grossed out: serious, who knows how long these things have been sitting here?

Cole: Yha I’m serious, again humour me Zane. Just break the glass to get them. If they’re still good I could go for some of those little single pack cakes and a Chocolate milk or two. You can put them in your pockets for later for me. 

On Coles request Zane looks at the items. He can't see the state of the items through the glass and can’t see any visible dates on items. He brakes the glass on the machine with milk using the shoe horn and takes out one of the bottles to inspect it looking for the date on it.

Zane: These are not safe for human consumption. The machines have clearly been off for a while and the expiration dates on these are three years old. 

Jay questioning: you better not still be thinking of having those, you’d get food poisoning!

Cole: Yha, those aren’t appetizing anymore. You can forget about it Zane. I’ll wait till we can get something safe and non moldy or curdled later. 

Zane drops the bottle back in the machine while listening to the others talk. 

Lloyd: we can have dinner later now we should focus on getting to safety then when back to normal taking down the Mechanic. You know given the state of this place, the fact what’s in these machines has been here for three years at least I think it is safe to say wherever we are is an abandoned structure. This would explain why no one has reported seeing the Mechanic since he escaped prison a month ago. He’s probably been hiding out here the whole time working on his plans while his hired thugs did all the work for him outside this place. 

Zane is suddenly startled as one of the henchman touches his shoulder from behind. He quickly cloaks his appearance changing his eyes, skin and hair to look human before turning to look who it is. Cuts briefly to inside his body to view the other five. His reaction causes his breathing and heart rate to suddenly and temporarily elevate silencing the others who go quite and on edge worried they have been found. Cuts back to Zane who has turned and is looking at the henchman quiet and nervous.

Henchman 5: Why are you trying to get something out of there? Unless you’re a hyena that stuff will probably kill you if you had it. 

Zane is quite unsure what to do so remains silent.

Cole: Tell him you were looking for a drink. 

Zane: I was looking for a drink.

Henchman 5: Why would you look in here when you could get something from the hangout down the hall? Not too bright are we?

Jay with a chuckle: really he wants to call a nindroid dumb… 

The others quickly shush Jay Nya covering his mouth with her hand. 

Lloyd: tell him you felt uncomfortable and overwhelmed around everyone else. 

Zane parroting: I am uncomfortable and overwhelmed around everyone else. 

Henchman 5: If you are that shy you could just get something and chill somewhere else you don’t have to hang out with the rest of us if you don’t want to. 

Zane: I guess I could do that. 

They begin to leave when one of the thugs Zane had knocked out, the one he has taken the jacket from, comes into the doorway. Zane becomes nervous recognizing them.

Henchman 3: Hey the boss wants all hands on deck; that metal skins escaped. We need to get him before he can escape and get his pals. 

Thug notices Zane making him more anxious. 

Henchman 3: You know I had a jacket like that. I think that thing took it so he could be trying to blend in with us or hide in the shadows. He also took some keys for this place from me so could be anywhere in the building. Best we get going, why don’t you two go help check the warehouse. 

Henchman 5: we’ll get it done. 

Henchman 5 leaves the room, Zane follows. They go down the hall in the direction Zane had been going. They shortly come out of the hall onto a catwalk in a large room that has several large structures against the one wall. Cuts to the five inside Zane as they watch through the phone.

Kai when seeing the structures: What are those? 

Nya: those are some pretty big smelters. I think we might be in either an abandoned steel mill or other metal refinery or a factory that made metal based items.

Cole: Good thing this place is abandoned and the Mechanic didn’t want to use those in his plan to destroy us huh, Zane like us wouldn’t survive being in a smelter would he? 

Nya: no he wouldn’t. 

Cuts back out to Zane. The catwalk goes through the room before entering another room, a large warehouse. There is still quite a few crates and shipping containers along with several of the henchman looking around the area. A staircase heads down to the warehouses floor. They head down to the floor. Once on the floor the thug instructs Zane to head out and search. Zane heads off on his own looking for a way out without being seen. To avoid possible detection he steers clear of everyone else. After a short search he manages to find a door they are pretty sure leads outside. There is one major problem however. To reach it he has to walk past a clear area to reach the door that the Mechanic is hanging in with two thugs. The Mechanic is real mad and ranting holding the burnt rope and threatening the two thugs who are cowering from his tone with it. The door is hidden from the Mechanics view by some crates but Zane has to sneak past them in order to reach it and Zane is scared to move.

Mechanic: How could he escape? He doesn’t control fire he controls ice so how did he burn through these ropes with fire?! He doesn’t even have anything in his anatomy to create fire.

Cuts to the five in Zane's body. Zane's heart and breathing are elevated indicating his fear.

Jay: this isn't good. How are we going to get past them?

Kai: Zane why are you just standing around, make for the door.

Nya (silencing her communicator from Zane): Zane's clearly very scared I think too scared to move near the Mechanic.

Cole (silencing his communicator from Zane): can you blame him? The Mechanic wants to destroy him and do it rather cruelly and painfully too plus Zane is pretty much alone and greatly outnumbered here.

Lloyd nervous from Zane's elevated heart and breathing rate (silencing his communicator from Zane): What do we do?

Nya (silencing her communicator from Zane): we're going to have to help him calm down and keep focused.

Jay (silencing his communicator from Zane): Yha despite how good and convincing it is Zanes cloaking ability has one major flaw we've been unable to solve. When certain emotions became too much like anxiety and fear the cloaking tends to glitch and fail. Also he has a problem that when emotions get too much for him he will have troubles functioning and if it gets real bad he will get knocked offline for a couple minutes as his emotional circuits calm down and reset to lower levels.

Cole (silencing his communicator from Zane): and that will be real bad.

Kai (silencing his communicator from Zane): yha we'll be in a lot of danger then.

Nya: Zane relax we're here to help you. You're not alone.

Cole: yha just take things slow and steady and keep the Mechanic behind you. Don't let him see your face.

Jay: yha just pretend your looking things over. Don't think about the Mechanic or what he could do to you. Trust me that just makes things worse. Think about something happy. Maybe all those birds that like to see you at the local aviary you know the ones that get all fascinated and cuddly with you. Maybe when this is all over you and Pixal can take a nice relaxing date there. Or how about funny cat videos those always make you happy; who isn't made happy from cat videos?

Zane's still nervous but starts to move activating the overlays in his vision. Cuts out to Zane as he starts heading towards the door stopping a few times to check a few crates. He keeps his back to the Mechanic who continues to rant his henchman terrified of him.

Mechanic: I'm sick of that walking scrap heap getting the better of me. When I get my hands on that thing he's going to wish he'd never been made. I told you he is smart so you have to keep a constant eye on him but did you listen no. Playing games is apparently more important than doing your jobs! Nindroids are smart and crafty you have to remain alert and aware to make sure you remain ahead of them. You should have had someone on guard watching him the whole time. Once he's caught and contained there is going to be some serious punishments handed out mark my words.

Jay: geeze does this guy have no chill.

Cole: don't listen to him Zane. You're no walking scrap heap; you're special very special. You're more of a person than he is. If he wants to call someone a scrap heap he should look at himself. All his implants look like they were crudely scrapped together from scrap.

Zane manages to get past the section and to the door without being seen. He begins to relax. When he gets to the door Zane tries to open it. The door is locked. He pulls out the keys he has stored in his body closing the port back up after he has the keys out. He slowly goes through the keys trying to find the one that unlocks the door without making much noise to avoid catching anyone’s attention. Tries two keys they don't work. As he puts the third key in he becomes startled and scared his cloak dropping as the Mechanics robotic hand grabs his wrist that is holding the key. Briefly shows the other five who are scared as well. 

Mechanic: So thought we could escape did we? I don’t know how you got out but you’re not going to get a second chance to escape this time. 

Zane gets shocked by a taser from behind causing him to collapse stunned on the floor letting go of the key and dropping the shoe horn. 

Mechanic: Take him to the control room and use chains to tie him up this time. He can’t break or burn through those. 

Two thugs lift Zane up by the arms and start dragging him back into the building. Zane is too stunned to defend himself or break free. Cuts to inside his body to the other five. They got stunned as well but managed to remain clung to the casing and wires coming out of Zanes heart.

Kai panicking: We need to stop them, I can’t burn through chains to break us free. 

Jay worried: I think Zanes a little too stunned to fight back. 

Lloyd worried: Zane you need to break free of their hold come on... why aren't you responding? 

Jay: I think the shock dazed him.

Cole: Then what do we do?

Nya thinking quickly: hold on everyone. Sorry about this Zane. 

She gives Zane's heart a punch causing it to send out a burst of electricity shocking Zane, them and the two carrying Zane. Cuts outside his body to Zane. Him and the Thugs collapse stunned though having his heart threatened causes Zane to quickly regain his senses in defence.

Mechanic angered by Zane escaping: Don’t let that thing escape! 

Zane is lying on his front recovering from the shock but looking around for a place to escape. He sees a shipping container with its door open a bit. He quickly gets up and rushes over to it getting inside and closing the door behind himself. He looks around at the dark empty interior of the shipping container. Taking a moment to think it over Zane realise he's made a mistake and gets nervous.

Zane thinking aloud: Wait a minute… this was a mistake. 

Mechanic heard through the container: lock the doors so he can't get out. You two retrieve from my workshop some chains to tie him up with and get shock proof gloves so he can't shock anyone again. 

Zane can hear them locking the container doors. Zane's nervous, worried and embarrassed.

Jay in a slight playful tone: Zane did you just trap us? 

Zane after a pause feeling embarrassed: it seemed like a good idea at the time…

Jay yelling and panicking: A good idea? We’re trapped! They’re going to get us, shove more of those worms in you which will probably try to destroy us likely by the easiest way it could by tricking us back into Zane's stomach to get digested! 

Kai: What?! No, no being in there when it wasn't active was bad enough I don't want to end up in there now that its active!

Cole annoyed at the two: Jay, Kai take a chill pill. 

Lloyd nervous but trying to play calm: instead of panicking we can use this time to come up with a way to escape.

Cole: Well we probably don’t have those keys anymore. 

Nya: we’re probably not going to have easy access to any doors either. There were some windows back up in that hall sure they were on what looked like a second or third floor but Zane could easily use his powers to make a safe way to get down from there. 

Zane listens in to their planning calming down.

Jay still worked up: Sounds good but how are we going to get out of this container?! 

Zane looking over the doors: I have no way of cutting through the metal nor do I have the strength to break the doors open which they have locked the doors and the hinges are on the exterior of the structures so I cannot interact with those to open the doors.

Cuts to the five inside Zane's body.

Cole: You know if I was out there and not the size of an ant I could easily smash out those doors using my lava arms…

Cole gives the air some mock punches before coming to an idea. 

Cole: hey if Kai could transfer his powers through Zanes heart do you think I could send mine through it too?

Nya: I guess, I still don’t entirely get how that was possible but if Kais could work then I guess the rest of ours could as well. 

Cole excited: alright! Sorry if this freaks you out Zane but just roll with me and we’ll be out of here in no time.

Cuts out to Zane.

Zane confused: Roll with me? Is this a saying the same as humour me or something else? 

Jay: kind of. It means to go along with his plan. 

Zane: alright I'm willing to give this a try.

Cole: Alright when I say so give the door as hefty a punch as you want then once they’re open run as fast as you can to those windows. 

Cuts briefly to Cole inside Zanes body as he slowly touching the material of Zane's heart so it wouldn’t react. Once touching it he activates his Lava arms causing an orange discolouring to Zanes heart. 

Cole: Alright pal now think of using your powers filling your arms then give those doors as powerful a punch you can. 

Cuts back to Zane who follows his instructions. Markings like Coles lava arms appears on Zanes arms intriguing him. Zane to do as he did when activating this power. He takes a second to prep himself then punches the doors with as much force as he can muster surprised as the doors smash open with the power he had been able to use. 

Zane quietly to himself: I could never muster this kind of strength!

The markings disappear from his arms. The Mechanic and his henchmen are all startled and confused by the actions hesitating on making a move. In their hesitation Zane hits the ground separating him from them with ice building a wall of ice to block easy access to himself forcing them to have to find a less direct route to reach him giving them some extra time to put some distance between himself and the Mechanic and his crew. With the ice made Zane wastes no time in rushing back to the stairs to climb up them and get on the catwalk to head back to the office room in order to get to one of the rooms that has windows to the exterior. The tactics worked to some extent. It hinders the enemies a bit but using an attachment on his arm the Mechanic burns a path through the ice with fire.

Mechanic: After him and don't let him escape. I don't care what you do to stop him I just want him caught and alive. 

By the time Zane gets on the catwalk the Mechanic and his henchmen are already on their way towards him. Zane doesn’t stop pausing only briefly to check where the enemies are as he exits the warehouse room before rushing through the smelter room. As he rushes through the smelter room Zane quickly finds his escape blocked causing him to stop in his tracks. The two who had gone to retrieve the chains and gloves for the Mechanic are coming back and blocking his path to the hall he needs to get into. The others are gaining quickly behind him. Looking around and thinking quickly Zane notices a stairway against the wall leading from the rooms floor to the catwalk coming up rate by the halls doorway behind the thugs. He quickly formulates a plan. Zane creates a slide of ice from the catwalk to the floor. He rides it down to the floor then rushes towards the stairs some of the thugs following him a bit nervous and clumsy with the slide. Most of the thugs follow him but some instead continued on the catwalk and cut off his access to the stairs. With not many options for an escape Zane puts himself backed up into a corner of the room for defence. The Mechanic and his henchmen quickly close in cornering him. Zane quickly gets caught up in a fight with them. He manages to hinder a few by freezing their feet to the ground and uses his Spinjitsu tornado. After he id done with his Spinjitsu tornado scene briefly cuts to the other five who are in Zanes body. They are all dizzy unprepared for the action all of them having to tightly grip the casing for his heart and the wires coming from his heart in order to remain balanced and keep from falling.

Jay: Zane while we’re in here please don’t do that again… we’re all dizzy now. 

Cole: is this what my lunch feels like when I do that? 

Cuts back to Zane. Zane manages to defend himself for a short time before some henchman shock him with a taser in the back causing him to collapse stunned. Zane is a bit stunned letting two of the thugs who put on the gloves pick Zane up holding him by the arms as he slowly regained his senses.

Jay in a panic: Zane get up! Get up! 

Nya: Jay that’s of no use rate now. 

Mechanic: Nice try Zane the pain. I don’t know how you did that but it was an impressive try. I thought only the shaggy haired dirt boy had that kind of strength. 

Cole offended: dirt boy!

Mechanic: Clearly keeping you safely contained is harder than I suspected. Maybe I should use a quicker method to destroy you to avoid the trouble of dealing with you anymore. You’re living up to your name of Zane the pain. 

The Mechanic notes the smelters in the room. While the Mechanic talks Jay begins to panic mutter annoying the others as he is making it hard for them to hear what is going on.

Jay in the background: Great now what are we going to do. We're stuck at the size of ants in Zanes body. Sure we can let Zane borrow our powers when we touch his heart but this nut still somehow knows how to get ahead of us. Can't this guy find a new nicer hobby that doesn't involve trying to destroy us? Clearly this guy has some missing screws and is dead set on seeing us destroyed. For once could he just remain locked up and accept his punishment.

Mechanic: You know they left behind here enough stuff to get those things working again for at least one more go. Why don’t we see how hot we can make them then we shove the pain in them and see how much heat the metal man can handle. If it doesn’t destroy him it could at least cause enough harm to keep him from escaping then we can slowly and painfully finish him off.

Mechanic goes on but Jay is talking loudly over him: We get it started and with the materials we have to work with we could have it hot enough in an hour or two. I think I might also have some oils and flammable gasses in my workshop we could spare to help speed things up. We're going to have to tie this scrap heap up in the meantime to keep him in control and from escaping again. We'll tie him up with chains to one of the support pillars for the catwalk. That should work and this time you will do as I say and one of you will keep an eye on him the whole time. He tries anything and you give him a shock and don't hold back. 

Jay loudly babbling: he’s going to burn us alive! No that’s said to be one of the worst ways to go! Only Kai is immune to that much heat! I don’t want to go by being roasted like some harvest turkey! I’d rather get digested by Zane than go that way! At least in Zanes system the gasses in there might knock us out before we actually start to feel anything either that or we could knock ourselves out. Why can’t he just paralyze us and leave us locked in a room. We can handle those worms again while we wait for the others to rescue us why does he have to go so drastic?! We never did anything to him! Zane's right he caused all his own problems why take it all out on us?!

Zane annoyed: Jay can you tone it down I can’t hear anything through your babbling. 

His words silence Jay but only after he speaks Zane realises his mistake of saying that out loud and gets nervous. The Mechanic and his henchman are confused while the rest of ninja are worried and scared.

Mechanic confused: Jay the babbly whiny sparky boy… how are you hearing and talking to him? One of you get my tablet. 

Briefly leaving to his workshop one of the thugs comes back and brings him a tablet. The Mechanic begins working on it.

Mechanic confused then surprised: My hindrances are still in place so no one from outside is talking to you and you haven’t been able to call for help so … wait what is this? Another signal has been routed through and connected to your senses coming from… inside him… oh I see. This clears some things up. That’s how they destroyed my worms; why my plan has failed. They’ve somehow shrunk themselves and went inside your body to protect you. Well isn’t this intriguing. They’re still in there aren’t they? That’s how Zane the ice pain burnt through the rope and got loose. Your pals helped you didn’t they? They can hear and see what’s going on can’t they? Well then hello there pain-jas you’ve made this so much easier for me. Do any of you have anything to say for your foolishness before I finish you all off?

Cuts to in Zanes body with the five. Nya works on Kais phone hooking its signal up to the Mechanics tablet. Cuts back out of Zanes body.

Lloyd (through the tablet): we’re not going to go down easily. This isn’t the end for us. We’re going to stop you.

Mechanic: Oh really and how are you going to do that? 

Kai boasting (through the tablet): if you haven’t noticed we found a way to let Zane use our powers. How well do you think all your simple henchman will fare against someone who can use all our powers against them?

Mechanic: Very cocky fire brat you think you have the upper hand. I think you over estimate your powers. You know I’m no expert but what do you think would happen if I set one of these to full power and struck your metal built host with it?

Zane is nervous shaking a bit. The Mechanic takes a taser from one of his henchman and switches it on to its highest setting before pressing it into Zanes chest rate over his heart. Zane is scared starting to shake.

Cole (through the tablet): Uh what would that do? 

Jay quickly panicking (through the tablet): Zane might survive but with our tiny size we’ll be fried! Fried to dust!

Mechanic boasting: How would you rather go? Cooked or fried? 

Cuts to in Zanes body. Nya covers the phone so the Mechanic can’t hear them talk while Lloyd quickly covers Jays mouth to keep him quite. 

Lloyd quietly: Wu and Pixal are on their way all we have to do is hold on till then and they can get us out of this. We just need to buy ourselves some time and not let them know we have help coming.

Cole: Then we’ll want the fire way. It will take them some time to get the heat high enough to have an effect on Zane and us giving us time. The zappy way will just finish us off in almost an instance. 

Nya: That would be the best option.

Kai: yha that sounds like the better option.

Jay who Lloyd isn't letting speak nods an agreement. They uncover the phone to address the Mechanic. Cuts out of Zanes body.

Lloyd (through the tablet): Zane is there anything you can do to get us out of this?

Zane nervous: I am afraid not. My make will make the shock worse for the rest of you and prove fatal. If not to me defiantly to the rest of you and I do not want to do anything that would put you all at risk. 

Lloyd putting on a sad defeated act (through the tablet): fine; I guess we don’t really have a choice here do we. I’d rather be burned than shocked then. I hope you’re happy for what you’ve done.

Mechanic pleased: Indeed I am now if you all know what’s good for you; you pains, I would refrain from any shows of powers or attempts at escape. If you do try anything I’ll give you all a hefty shock. 

The Mechanic pushes the taser deeper into Zanes chest as he talks to threaten Zane who is made even more nervous by the act. 

Mechanic: Start one of those things up. There is some left over coal in some storage rooms in here and sheds outside we can use those to fuel it. We can also use the various debris in the warehouse, plenty of dry old wood in there should burn nicely. As for you... do as I say or you'll deeply regret it.

Mechanic points and threatens the taser at Zane. The thugs holding him let him go and the Mechanic herds him over to one of the supports to the catwalk. As he walks over Zane keeps his hands on his chest over his heart to protect the others from possible danger. Once at the support the Mechanic forces his hands down and pins Zane standing up against it. Two thugs chain him to the support making sure to tie the chains over the panels in his body so he can't open them to prevent the others from escaping. 

Mechanic as Zane's being tied up: Make sure to cover all the ports in his body. We don't want any of his pals escaping to cause trouble.

One of the guards is kept standing by Zane holding the taser threateningly at him while the Mechanic goes over to oversee work with the smelters. 

Fades to some time later. The Smelters are getting pretty hot. The ninja are stuck only able to watch as the Mechanic and his henchman prep their doom. Cuts to inside Zane's body where the five are just watching through the phone. Zane is just listened not speaking to prevent any clues to the others conversation. All are worried.

Kai: How long is it going to take for them to get here?

Jay: well since we don't know where we are who knows?

Cole: If they don’t get here in time what are we going to do? 

Lloyd worried: I don’t know. 

Nya: Zane could withstand the heat for a very short time and he could use his powers to counter the heat but he can’t do so for long. The heat will eventually be too much and prove fatal for him.

Cole: Maybe I could let Zane use my super strength again and we can try to smash out of the back of the smelter when they shove us in there.

Jay panicking: Yha but that nut job will probably shock us if we try anything. 

Kai surprised to find himself muttering: I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Jay but yha he’d probably do that. Maybe even stun, knock out or paralyse Zane in some way to keep him and us from doing anything.

Cuts out to Zane as without warning a small canister suddenly drops on the floor by him bouncing away from him a bit while making a beeping sound. A few more follow scattered around the room and after a couple beeps each one explodes spreading a cloud of dust over an area quickly filling the room with smoke.

Jay panicking: What’s going on? 

Lloyd pleased: I think our helps arrived. 

They are all feeling happy. Zane can’t see very well through the smoke with his base vision but he doesn’t switchover to anything that could help him better see in the smoke as he is picking up a familiar presence helping free him. The chains holding him loosen and fall off. The presence he trusts then grabs his hand and leads him through the smoke into a storage room that comes off the smelter room and is free of smoke. When they are in the room they close the door behind them. Wu and Pixal who led him there are in the room.

Wu: Looks like we got here just in time. 

Zane hugs Pixal joyed to see her.

Pixal: Let’s get this over with and get the Mechanic locked back up. 

Zane opens the hatch over his heart holding up his hand for the others to climb onto. Once they are on his hand Zane places them on the ground where Wu uses the counter spell to restore the others back to their normal sizes.

Lloyd: Now let’s get this pain before he can escape and this time let’s make sure he’s put in high security. 

They take off the masks and air tanks they had equipped then waste no time rushing out of the room to prevent the Mechanic from getting a chance to escape. The smoke is steadily dissipating and the Mechanic is mad ranting on how Zane had managed to escape again. 

Mechanic: What happened? Who did this? How did that scrap heap escape again? Hurry he couldn't have gotten far. 

It doesn’t take them long to take down all the Mechanics henchmen who weren’t prepared for a fight or their powers. The Mechanic attempts to quickly flee but they quickly cut off his attempts to escape. He tries to put up a fight but is quickly taken down Zane freezing all but his head to the ground in ice to which Cole adds a layer of protection by making rock spires shoot up from the ground to curl up over and around the ice to hinder any escape. 

Cuts to outside the factory as the cops are taking the Mechanic and his henchman away. They are watching the cops lock up and take everyone away.

Lloyd: Well today was a weird day.  

Once the cops are gone Cole: could we go for dinner now?

Kai: Serious is that all you can think of especially after some of today’s events?! 

Kai is still quite shaken. 

Cole: kind of. I’m also thinking it would probably also be a good idea to have a shower and get some clean non damaged clothes on.

Lloyd looking at himself: I think that’s a good idea. 

Zane: that does sound like a good idea. This place is not very clean nor were many of the henchman; they left my skin a bit dirty plus I should give this sweater back to that folk and put on my own clothes. Not to mention all of you look rather dirty.

Kai his eyes wide and looking stunned: Yha I don’t want to be reminded of how I got dirty!

Jay: Yha a calm night at home to relax sounds like a good idea after today’s events. 

Zane: why does he look so startled?

Jay: we can tell you all about what happened today pal. How about later after we all get cleaned up maybe over dinner. 

Kai: please not when I'm around.

Cole eager: Sounds good now can we get going. Can we also get some extra desserts?

Wu: sure we can pick something up on our way home. 

They then headed off to the Bounty which Wu and Pixal had used to get there in order to head off. Cuts to in the monastery. Wu and Pixal have dropped them off so they could get cleaned. They all get cleaned up having a shower and getting into their PJs to relax for the rest of the night. 

A clip of Zane who has cleaned up and is in PJ's coming up to the others randomly while they are on their own to thank them for saving him while giving them a hug is shown. He gets to Nya first as she is in her room after getting dressed after getting cleaned up.

Nya: well Zane isn't this a surprise. You're normally not the one to initiate a hug.

Zane: I felt it necessary in my attempt to thank you for your work in saving me.

Nya: You don't need to thank us, your part of our family and we'd do anything to help you.

She gives him a hug in back. He gets Cole who is in his room next.

Cole: Oh hey pal you're looking better. What's with the hug?

Zane: I wanted to thank you for your aid in saving me and the hug felt necessary in this process.

Cole: You don't need to thank me, I'd do anything for you brother. Also you want a hug, here's a hug.

Cole gives Zane a bigger hug surprising Zane but he likes it. Jay is next. Jay is in the common room prepping the game station to play it. Jay jumps a bit too focused on what he was doing to note Zane till Zane touches him.

Jay: Oh hey buddy didn't know you were there. Well this is different... outside Pixal or animals you usually aren't the one to give the hugs.

Zane giving Jay a hug: I didn't mean to startle you I just wanted to thank you for helping save me. It clearly has you a bit scared.

Jay hugging Zane back: It's okay. Things were scary and gross... really gross but it's okay. I think knowing about your workings helped keep things from getting too scary. Anyway you had no control over what happened and you never would have meant to harm us besides it was worth it to keep you safe. Also don't feel bad or uncomfortable I wouldn't change anything about you pal, I like my nindroid brother just the way he is.

Kai who is still a bit shaken is in his room and is next. He is on his phone and gets startled by Zane when Zane taps his shoulder to get his attention. Zane is confused over his reaction.

Zane: Why did you jump?

Kai: Sorry you just startled me... was there something you wanted? 

Zane gives him a hug prompting Kai to question: You're not usually not the hugging type is something up?

Zane: I just wanted to thank you for your actions in saving me today you clearly experienced something that scares you.

Kai: Yha there was a lot of scary stuff... but it's not your fault and you don't need to feel bad about it. It's nothing to do with you; you're quirks or what normally happens in you... it's just where we ended up and things that happened there... a lot of it was really gross and scary. Again though that's not your fault. You really had no control over any of it.

Lloyd is last and in the bedroom hall when Zane comes up to him. He is little shaken from the day’s events but is calming down.

Lloyd: Is something up buddy?

Zane giving Lloyd a hug: I just wanted to thank you for your work in saving me.

Lloyd: You know you don’t have to thank us. 

Zane: You put yourselves in great danger to save me and I was one of those dangers probably the most dangerous considering the one place you ended up in. I could have easily harmed you or worse without meaning to; my interior is very dangerous for organic beings like you to be wandering in. I at the least owe you a thanks for any troubles or harm I may have caused you. 

Lloyd: no you don’t have to thank us no matter what buddy. We wanted to help you no matter the risks and you shouldn’t worry about those. How dangerous you are is not your fault it’s just how you are and none of us would change that no matter what. We like you just the way you are. Besides you’re our brother and we’d do anything for you no matter the risks. We all know you’d do the same for us in fact you often have.

Lloyd gives Zane a hug as he speaks. Kai comes up to them as he heads to the the entertainment room. He still looks shaken.

Kai: Yha you are our brother even if your insides are like something from a monster… I thought Cole had some weird tastes and eating habits you’re pretty bad too; not as bad as Coles I don’t think but defiantly strange.

Zane is about to speak confused however before he can say anything they hear Cole loudly and excitedly calling as he rushes to the kitchen from his room.

Cole excited: dinners here!

Kai: You know your insides Zane might be like something from a monster but I think somehow Coles would possibly be just as scary. 

Kai slowly starts heading off still looking rather stunned. Zane is looking at him confused as Lloyd and him follow for dinner.

Lloyd: it’s okay you know how Kai is about guts; he just got to experience more than he wanted to today considering we ended up in yours. Now come on buddy let’s get some dinner before Cole ends up going for seconds and don’t worry we’ll explain everything that went on today to you and don’t take everything Jay or Kai say too personal; thinking back on it the whole thing wasn’t really that bad especially since it meant saving you.

Kai: I guess your right there. You’re very special Zane in more ways than one and despite how uncomfortable or unpleasant all we went through today was I guess it was all worth it in order to make sure we still have you around… even if it’s going to give me nightmares for a while. No matter what you are or what you’re made of… or how gross or scary your insides are buddy you’re still our brother and we wouldn’t change that or anything about you.

Scene fades out.

End of act 3.

Story finished

To read the original story plus others here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robo_birdie/works

You can also find images pertaining to the story here: https://www.deviantart.com/nerdy-hyena/gallery/72478681/story-project

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

@when-kurt-met-blaine replied to your post “Apparently both Ooblets and Potion Permit got game...”:

Have you played Ooblets? I've been thinking about getting it and am wondering if it's worth it.

​I have and I liked it a lot. I liked it more than Potion Permit. Brb let me copy-paste my review here. I played on Switch.

It has elements of a simple farming simulation. You buy seeds to grow crops and those crops can be used to help out the town by fulfilling wishes and whatnot. A big new thing is the whole Ooblets thing. Ooblets are funny creatures that need to be grown on your farm as well. You can get Ooblet seeds through friendship, but most commonly you get them after dance battling a horde of wild Ooblets. Once you defeat them, one of the Ooblets literally shits out a seed (you hear a farting sound). There are three types of each Ooblet: common, unusual and gleamy. These Ooblets spawn randomly each day in different locations and all Ooblets need certain items before they allow you to battle them, so you need to collect or cook first. This makes some Ooblets harder to obtain than others.

These dance battles are integral to the plot, because you also need to dance battle in order to advance to new places or to get certain items and recipes (which is something I didn’t know until later, so oop, please use the Dance Barn the moment it’s opened). These dance battles are card based and all Ooblet types have their own special moves. These battles aren’t too bad, but they also aren’t my favourite part of the game (which is why I neglected the Dance Barn so long), but they’re fun enough. The thing that is a bit… uh… questionable is that the cards are random. I know this adds a necessary challenge, but it’s also made some things a bit messy. It’s happened that I only got a deck of useless cards (“steal 5 points” in the first round when the opponent doesn’t have anything to steal etc.), so it’s up to chance. Some battles are really easy, but some are difficult. I’ve definitely lost battles. The AI is also a bit weird though, because the opponent does often play useless cards, which can make the battles annoyingly long. I can’t help but yearn for a fast-forward option during those moments. Shout-out to the time my opponent placed 11 flusters on their team!

Another part that is actually difficult is the, well, economy of the game. In farming sims, you start out as a new and humble farmer and you build your wait to the top by selling produce and investing in new things. It’s quite hard to earn money (gummies) in this game, since most of the crops don’t make a lot of profit and you have to prioritise using them for quests that often do not reward gummies. Basically, you need a lot of patience, because crops take time to grow and unlike other games in the genre, going to bed does not end the day. Later you can unlock an item that allows you to sleep to the next day early, but oh man.

Lastly, the characters! This game has two kinds of NPCs: befriendable and non-befriendable. The befriendables NPCs can be spoken to every day in order to gain friendship and obtain friendship stickers. They also have more personality and they can hanker items that you can bring to them. Non-befriendable NPCs are static bland characters to fill up the town. Honestly, I find it clever. You still have a full world, but it’s not overwhelming. The befriendable NPCs are still not the most fleshed out NPCs ever, though. They don’t really develop and there isn’t a backstory to unlock, so they’re not Stardew Valley level of interesting, but they aren’t bland and uninteresting like the ones in Pioneers of Olive Town. They do have a limited dialogue pool, though, so after a lot of hours it’s not really interesting to talk to them.

Please save regularly, though. The game has an autosave, but unfortunately it’s happened several times that my software closed due to an error and I lost progress! They did recently update the game. I can’t find patch notes, so I don’t know what happened, and I haven’t gotten the error again, but I thought I’d mention it.

[samthecookielord]

Every question and where to find the answer, under the cut. And also a bonus edit of why i think i may have made the questions a little too hard at the start

1-Which Clive is closest to canon?

I guess this one could be cause for discussion but yeah like the explanation shown, Timeclive is a canon divergent post-canon, unlike the others who have larger changes starting from earlier on in the timeline. You can probably tell from their sprite edits too (i dont have one for triclive yet so i just put his drawing there). As you can see, Timeclive is the only one whos outfit is literally the same as in-game.

2-What is the in-universe nickname of every Cliver member? (i.e. what do the Clives generally refer to each other as?)

I realize now it is not very apparent from the clides. Oops. This was the first mention i could find FHHSFD

Well anyways this post has part of the answer. And I guess I just spread out the nickname usage across different posts dfjdsjfd

3-On the clides, there are two characters that get dedicated full slides despite not being Clive. Who are they?

Okay this one you can actually tell from looking at it. Considering its about the clides. Lukebot gets at least one slide, and Parker has one. Even if you weren't sure if Lukebot is considered a Clive or not, nobody else on the multiple choice gets a dedicated slide.

4-Which AU Clive came first?

I guess this one is a little hard to tell too but considering the fact that his slide comes first and he was present in an early post of pgw clive, hes a solid candidate for the answer. If you really wanted to exercise your right to taking this quiz open book you can use the "tumblrurl/tagged/name/chrono" thing for each au tag and look at the dates OOPS WAIT MY FIRST TIMECLIVE DRAWING WAS IN A DOODLE DUMP AND I DIDNT TAG THAT. SORRY </3 but i do post the original first doodle AGAIN later and MENTION that its an older doodle. im really good at this making easy questions thing.

5-How many guns does AV!Clive own during Curious Village?

Straightforward, check slide 19 and dont get confused by the previous text box.

6-How many iterations of the "cliver" image are there?

(1) (2) (3)

7-Clive Triton AU currently has 2 named custom songs made by me and Katie. What are their names?

Another terribly poorly thought out "easy" question. My badddd. If you comb through Triclive's slides, you can find i tucked away some music links (oh wait i should also update the artfight thing. hes there now!) (the answer to this may become outdated soon because Im cooking another theme for lukebot) (also im so sorry to anyone who took this quiz using the clides BEFORE i added the lighthouse link to it. it was brand new and i had recency bias HDJFHJSDF)

8-As of August 1st, there are 3 (dis)hono(u)rable mentions at the end of the Clides that are in a "special zone" due to being actual AUs and not one-off doodles. Who are they?

Straightforward check final slide they are there

9-triclive is losing it in this panel do you know why

Read my comic read my other comic.read my comic

If you want a precise lore location that tells you "he was kidnapped by dimitri and is currently fueled by 1 hour of sleep, trauma, and soul-crushing fear of lonliness", here's two panels from one of the posts i just linked

10-Where does Timeclive get his blue top hat?

On his ref. If you want context, here's the post

12-PGW!Layton interviewed PGW!Clive. Why?

Although this fact has been sitting around the mutual circle:tm: for a long time (CORRECTION: only me and pastel knew JFDSKJSD), I only very recently actually made it into a comic because I kept forgetting to draw it.

13-There is a non-Cliver AU with the original premise being Timeclive accidentally caused a lot of this AU's major changes. Which one is it?

You can check my layton status post.

Also this is my first tagged BEHUH post

It is also mentioned in this slideshow. I also have friends telling me I made a comic about Timeclive pushing Layton down a pit but I do not have any evidence of this comic existing and trust me I searched very hard. What

14-Who got Rifle first?

If you check the clides, rifle is mentioned twice. the kity :3 from the wording, you might infer that i gave rifle to pgw!clive first. also chronologically, i have drawn pgw!clive with rifle first

15-There is a drawing with the caption "Finally. Cliver." where each Cliver member is playing an instrument. Which instrument does each person play?

Finally. Cliver.

16-When does the fic "Second Chances" take place? (the one where av!clive gets burnt and shot)

Read Second Chances. As said in the uquiz explanation, "Can't be post-LF because Assassin AU Layton stops killing after that. And can't be before curious village because Flora is in the fic." It could go either way of between CV and DB or between DB and LF tbh. we picked the latter tho. u gotta guess lmao

17-AV!Clive has an AITA post on aita-blorbos dot tumblr dot com. What's the title of the post?

You can read it here

18-I have a blog where i post screenshots from the layton games. On April Fools 2024, I posted joke screenshot edits instead. One of them contained a cliver member. Who was it?

I tagged my april fools posts. This question is a little tricky because you see both Lukebot and AV!Clive. However, it is AV!Clive because he is the only actual official cliver member that fits the answer.

19-There are currently 5 Timeclive fics posted on AO3. Which one(s) is/are mine?

Look at my ao3 man idk

20-What's the name of my Cliver youtube playlist?

This playlist is actually public and you can find it linked on the first page!

21-In Flight Rising, which Clive did I make my first Cliver fandragon of?

sorry anyone who doesnt even know what a flight rising is HJFSDHJSDF look at my awesome dragon

23-What is the name of the doc for Second Chances?

youre on your own buddy. guess boy guess o7

24-Timeclive keeps notes on the various universes he encounters, giving nicknames to notable ones. This is shown on a slide i made. What is the second name he gave to PGW?

See the timeclive notes slides here

25-What is the original name for Null Solution? (THATS RIGHT YOU ONLY KNOW THIS IF YOURE ME LOLLL) (oh i guess not wow so many people get this right??)

guess boy guess

26-I snuck a cliver clive into a school project once by designing a character who was very based on one of them. Which Clive did I base this character off of? If it helps, this was for a murder mystery themed project.

This is definitely unfair and this is why its in the unfair section BUT it is possible to locate this info. probably better off guessing though. While not directly stated that this is primarily pgw!clive inspired, you can probably tell from the scarf and the text "hired commercial director". funnily enough the killer is the guy i designed after desmond

27-How many Cliver clives are active in my friend group's "interdimensional server" roleplay?

I have a tag for posting screenshots from this roleplay

Timeclive appeared once. However, I specify "and then he never showed up again" meaning he is not active. We only play as ocs for this, with very few exceptions.

28-Triclive can hear the Layton soundtrack, and there is a hypothetical bonus mechanic where post-game you can ask him to play a piano cover of any song from the current title, with a comment for each one. What does he say in reaction to Future British Gentleman?

The post is here

29-Before we called him Timeclive, someone suggested a different nickname that I eventually used for his tupper bot for his singular interdimensional server cameo. What was it?

guess boy guess

30-Okay here's the last of the unfair questions. Nice to end on a nice even number, right? Anyways, what was the exact message that spawned Timeline Hopper Clive?

guess boy guess

play my nefarious cliver quiz. here are my clides if you need it (you will).

[flightless-rising]

Made a new Flight Rising iceberg and also wrote an explanation.. man, this took way longer than it should have.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy :D

Iceberg explanation

( If there are any mistakes please let me know and I’ll edit this asap. Also, English isn't my first language so please forgive me for any grammatical errors)

EDIT 28/06: Added some new info! Thanks to everyone who tagged and responded with new stuff to add, I really appreciate it!

The Sky

Naomi

Back in the day, whenever you bought or sold something on the auction house a message would show up in your inbox confirming the transaction. These messages were sent by one of the dragon couriers: Pearl, Spitfire or Edgar.

On January 2016, a strange glitch occurred that replaced the images and names of couriers with the ones of a female fae named “Naomi”.

It goes deeper than that, though: if you looked up her name in the user search menu, a clan would pop up with over 15 million dragons.

It was quickly discovered that all exalted dragons had somehow become part of her clan. Naomi herself apparently didn’t exist, and clicking on her page redirected to an error page. This was later fixed and the original Naomi page can be now visited.

What exactly caused this glitch is still a mystery and today Naomi is still a well-known piece of Flight Rising history.

Missing Tidelord

In the official lore, the deity of the water flight disappeared in early 2018, as described in the short story “Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow”.

In the follow up story (Mixed Elements) posted in April of the next year it is confirmed that the Tidelord is still missing, but alive. This coincides with the fact that the Tidelord account hasn’t made any forum posts aside from festival announcements.

Emperors

Emperors are a type of unobtainable dragon that are formed when several Imperial corpses are left in close proximity to each other, which then fuse forming a multi-headed chimera.

Emperors are described in the lore as having an animal-like behavior and destroying everything in sight. They are extremely difficult to kill, which is the reason why in-universe Imperials have such strange burial rites.

An emperor named Luminax is first described in the Raising a Family short story, and their sprite can be seen walking around on the world map.

The Surface

Old color wheel

Originally, there were only 67 available colors for dragons. On June 8th 2016, 110 more colors were added, meaning that currently there are a total of 177 colors available.

When making a custom progenitor dragon, it is only possible to choose among the 67 original colors because it would be otherwise unfair for those who made their account before the new colors were added.

Imperial breed scrolls

Imperial breed change scrolls are one of, if not the most, rare type of item on the site. They were given only to those who pledged 30 dollars or more on the original Flight Rising kickstarter.

At the time, this was the only way of obtaining an Imperial dragon, which meant that the breed as a whole was pretty valuable. Now that Imperials are abundant this is no longer the case, but First generation Imperials are still extremely sought and probably the most expensive type of dragon on the site.

There were also other items that were only given to Kickstarted backers, namely Skycats, Bonefiend, Golden Idol and Cogfrog familiars, and those are also pretty much impossible to obtain.

Baldwin breed change

When Baldwin was introduced in 2015 he was originally a Pearlcatcher. On September 14th of 2016 however his site art started to gradually change, until his transformation was completed five days later.

In-universe, Baldwin started to change after a lightning strike hit his cauldron during an experiment, which made him slowly mutate into the breed we now know as Bogsneaks.

Trans Fiona

When Fiona was added as a trading post dragon people speculated that she was trans, because the female pose for Skydancers only displays two antennae, while the male one has four.

Since Fiona has four antennae in her site art, many wondered whether it was an oversight or actually intended. Aequorin later confirmed in a forum thread that Fiona is indeed trans.

Boolean

Speaking of rare items, the Boolean familiar was only given to a handful of Flight rising beta testers and as such is extremely rare and valuable.

Plaguebringer coli team

On the Plaguebringer’s page she is listed as being part of a coliseum team.

As of now we have no clue as to why this is, and even more strangely she is the only deity that does this.

Boston & Hope

This story is a bit complicated. I’ve scoured the forums in search of info but it seems like there are still some pieces missing. I’ll try my best to explain anyway.

So, for a long while the Lightweaver was the only deity that had other dragons aside from herself in her lair: these dragons were a Spiral named Boston and a Tundra named Hope. Strangely, they were both Earth dragons and apparently have been there since the beginning (?). When asked why (this happened back when deities would interact on the forums) the Lightweaver responded that they were having a dinner party together.

In August 2014 during a pretty heated dominance battle between Shadow and Light Boston and Hope disappeared from the Lightweaver’s lair.

The Shadowbinder now had them, and both their elements were alsochanged to Shadow. The two deities acknowledged this and changed their broadcast messages accordingly.

If I had to guess this was some kind of inside joke that the admins had, although some people got angry that the Shadowbinder now had both Hope and Boston. Some time later(?) Boston was returned to the Lightweaver and for some reason his element was changed to wind.

I don’t have any more info on the matter but if some of you do I would appreciate it if you tell me.

Shallow Waters

Eyepocalypse

On June 8th 2018 eye type variants were introduced. This update was pretty controversial for a bunch of reasons, and the topic is still discussed today. The majority of people(?) seemed to be upset by the fact the “best” eye types (primarily goat, primal and multi-gaze) could only be displayed on dragons that were born with them, and the fact that every dragon born prior to the update couldn’t have these eye types at all displeased a lot of users.

Another problem was the fact that most of the non-special eye types (i.e the only ones that could be applied to already existing dragons using a vial of Scattersight) were not clearly visible on the grand majority of adult dragons.

A smaller(?) complaint was that two of the primal eye types, Shadow and Plague, were seen as kind of disturbing by some people.

Three years later staff attempted to fix this issue by adding Eye type vials for every available eye type. This resulted in a market crash for special eye typed dragons, as now these eye types could be applied to any dragon. The value of Scattersights also tanked, and the people bought them and hadn’t used them yet lost money as now they were infinitely less useful.

EDIT 28/06: Goat isn’t actually obtainable via breeding, faceted is. Bad mistake on my part.

Also, Scattersights were given away freely by Galore on Flight Rising’s fifth anniversary in 2018 and could not be bought afterwards. I admit that I thought people could be able to buy Scattersights due to how upset people were that the value went down, but whatever.

Courier Breed

The courier dragons (Edgar, Spitfire, and Pearl) are part of an exclusive dragon breed that is currently unobtainable. Even though their eye color still reflects the flight they were born in, in-universe they are considered to be “neutral” and they are granted free access to all domains. This raises the question as to which deity created them, as every other dragon breed (Bogsneaks being the only exception) has been created by one of The Eleven.

Multiaccounting

According to the site’s terms of service, no one is allowed to have more than one account. This is pretty standard for pet sites, as having multiple accounts grants unfair advantages and can mess up the site economy. This doesn’t completely stop people for having more than one account, and the practice as a whole is called “Multiaccounting” or “having multis”.

Some people only do this to have multiple clans or reboot their account without deleting their old one. They mostly do no harm but it is reasonable that the site wouldn’t allow this because of how easy it is exploit.

The real harm of multis comes from a practice called “funneling” which is when someone creates multiple accounts only for the purpose of giving items to their main account. This practice violates the game’s rules and can result in a ban. Funneling is not limited to multiaccounting though, and having an account only to feed another is against the site’s rules whether or not the account in question belongs to another person or not.

Some people fear of being banned for multiaccounting even if they haven’t done so, especially if they share a computer with other people.

Purble

“he purble” is probably among the most famous Flight Rising memes.

In 2016(?) a rant was submitted to the original Dramarising blog by a very angry user that wanted to buy an XXX Purple Ridgeback back when triples were pretty expensive, but got beat by someone else.

I’m not going to copy paste it here because in my opinion it’s one of the funniest Flight Rising related posts ever and I don’t want to spoil the experience of reading it for the first time. You can find it pretty easily by searching it up.

Tert Picking

This is something that refaced recently, even though I’ve seen people talking about this for a while. Some people vividly remember being able to pick their custom progenitor’s tertiary color, even though the developers have made it clear that such thing would be impossible. This is without a doubt just one of those weird situations where a lot of people somehow remember the same thing wrong.

Still, it’s fascinating just how many people claim to remember doing picking their tert.

Swiftwings

Swiftwings were a dragon breed that was scrapped in development. The design was rejected because it didn’t fit the 2 arms 2 legs 2 wings format that every dragon design had to follow before the introduction of ancient breeds.

The reason for this rule is that otherwise it would mess up apparel placement. Although the concept was scrapped, echoes of the design were scattered throughout the site: for example, the empty dragon slots that were present prior to 2019 had the silhouette of a Swiftwings dragon. They are also mentioned in the April Fool’s update of 2018.

“Real” Lore dragons

Most people don’t know that some of the dragons featured on the lore stories are actually real, and you can visit their pages. This is the case for Tetra, Cracklinne, Velya, Liefa, Garote and Mirth, which are currently chilling in Aequorin’s lair.

All of the other dragons in the developers’ lairs are not canon and are used to test bugs and features on the site.

The Middle ground

True deity names

When the site first started the deities used to have actual names instead of titles. Some of these names were based off of the site founders’s usernames on other sites.

The names are the following:

Amogayvhi - Gladekeeper Xhaztol - Arcanist Rhenik - Tidelord Akiri - Flamecaller Thrage - Stormcatcher Undel - Shadowbinder Jhortanas - Plaguebringer Ghurab - Windsinger Artaios - Earthshaker Rhiow – Lightweaver

As you can tell, Xhaztol, Akiri, Thrage and Undel are the usernames of some of the admins of the site, and the flight they are a part of corresponds with the previous name of their deity.

No leg coatls

On January 16, 2015 an iconic thread was posted in the flight rising discussion forum, which displayed a photoshopped image of a coatl with its legs removed. Quickly the thread devolved into a general photoshop thread were people took official site art of dragons and modified it.

The thread was eventually locked due to spam and quote pyramids, but spiritual successors of the original “phoatlshop” thread still exist today.

Dress slot unlocking

A thing that a surprising amount of people don’t know is the fact that when buy an additional apparel slot, the slot opens for every dragon in your lair and not just the one you bought it on.

This is something I also discovered very recently and it’s kind of funny that so many people that have been on the site for very long don’t know this.

Clanbound scatterscrolls

I think the wiki explains it best, so I’ll just copy paste this here:

“Tri-Color Scatterscrolls suffered from an issue where they would only scatter a random range from colors 1-47 (white through sunshine) rather than 1-67 (white through rose). They have been fixed and are now functioning correctly with a random range within the 67 color set. The affected timeframe was from August 15th, 2013 until September 22nd, 2013. The admins allowed users who were unsatisfied with their bugged Tri-Color Scatterscrolls to receive the same amount of them back in the form of Clanbound Scatterscrolls to try scattering their own dragons again with the full color range.”

Beta Mirrors

Ever wondered why they’re called Mirrors?

According to Undel, the main artist of Flight Rising, mirrors originally were supposed to have every part of their body “mirrored”, meaning they had two sets of eyes, two pairs of wings, two tails, and so on.

This design ended up being too cluttered and looked weird shrunken down. The name was kept the same, even though the only mirrored part of the design are the eyes.

Dragons are evil

If you read the “Beastclans on the rise” lore bit, the dragons come across as… very evil, stealing territory from the beastclans when they have been living on Sornieth way longer than the dragons have and killing them for loot.

Furthermore, in the Bounty of the Elements lore bit the Beastclan rebellion guided by Talona is seen by the dragons as unreasonable and wrong even when in canon Beastclans are framed as the innocent party.

The Depths

Scroll of Divorce

In the alpha stage dragons were supposed to be monogamous and could only breed with the dragon they were “paired” with. To break their bond you had to use an item called “Scroll of Divorce” which even featured broken marriage rings in the art.

If I had to guess, this item and the concept as a whole were scrapped because the idea of dragons having “weddings” and needing to divorce before breeding with another dragon felt kind of weird, especially in a game targeted towards teens.

First Festival

The first Holiday festival in Flight rising history was the 2013 Brightshine Jubilee. The items that were available for this festival only are incredibly rare, particularily the Light Sprite which is one of the most valuable items on the site. Apart from that and the fact that the skincent contest only had 6 winners, not much is notable about it.

Offsite drama

Flight Rising has had its fair share of drama both on and off site, but due to the fact that it’s against the site’s rule to discuss user drama on the forums most of the notable drama happened off site (mainly tumblr).

Egg rot

Egg rot was a very early mechanic that was pretty quickly removed from the site. If you forgot to incubate your eggs, they would “rot” and no longer hatch.

It’s the reason why in the nesting grounds the text reads “Eggs healthy” and also the reason why on the stats section of the Account settings it says “Eggs discarded”. The mechanic was removed because it heavily punished casual players and the frequent downtimes of the site meant that even if someone logged in every day they could still have their eggs die.

Also, the images of egg rot look extremely cursed.

Pablo

From what I could gather, Pablo is a dragon which became somewhat popular after user “Desmondtiny” wrote a very long and detailed backstory of them being the Arcanist’s lost boyfriend.

I’m pretty sure it gues deeper than that but I couldn’t find any further information. As usual, if you know something more let me know.

Latest News

On November 12, 2014, a glitch(?) occurred that let anyone post in the Announcements thread. Anything that was posted went directly to the front page, which resulted in quite a bit of chaos.

This was fixed only half an hour later, but the screenshots people have from that time are extremely funny.

Lameforger

On the 2014 Flameforger’s festival announcement Undel accidentally misspelled “Flameforger” as “Lameforger”, which prompted the official account of the Flamecaller to respond aggressively. Lameforger is still jokingly used by users, even after the typo was fixed.

Festival of one (1)

On the first day of the 2014 Greenskeeper Gathering a glitch occurred which switched the site banner for the Starfall celebration banner instead of the Greenskeeper one.

It didn’t end there, in the coliseum Magical shards dropped instead of Bladed Flatleaves, even though skin chests dropped as normal(?).

The weirdest thing about it all was Joxar’s Space inventory, which didn’t display any items at all and had glitched dialogue.

The event was nicknamed by the fanbase “Festival of 1” and even the deity’s official accounts acknowledged the incident.

Vape Juice

As far as I know the original forum thread as been lost, but the vape juice fiasco will always remain cemented in Flight Rising History.

A company called Vape Daugz was making vape juice with Flight Rising dragons plastered on their packaging, completely violating the site’s policy.

The company’s site still exists, and browsing through their products I found that the products that previously had Flight Rising dragons on them still exist, but now feature completely different packaging.

I have no idea whether they changed the packaging spontaneously or staff did something about it.

I think there’s a potentially interesting story buried down there, but we’ll likely never the truth behind the Flight Rising vape juice.

The Abyss

Humans

There’s been some speculation over the years as to whether or not humans are canon in the Flight Rising universe. Some people believe that the “Mages” of the second age in the official lore are actually humans, but we can’t be sure because they are depicted with long robes that cover their whole bodies.

The idea of humans existing in canon has spawned a couple of memes, most infamously Thomas.

Plague healers

Again, I think the wiki explains this one better:

“According to Aequorin, Plague healers are an interesting bunch because rather than administer treatments that counter illness, they use a mixture of magic and contagion that stress the affected dragon further, allowing them to reach a stronger, healed, and resistant state faster than other elements. Plague healers will treat physical injuries with sutures, bandages, and braces, but they won't clean the wounds or apply ointments."

Akitla

As described in the original thread, Akitla was a dragon that user “qunii” saw on the front page, but noticed that she wasn’t accompanied by the username of the person owning them.

After clicking on her, an error page loaded. It was discovered that putting her color combination or ID in the search bar would result in an error page. This was later fixed, and both Akitla and her mate were now displayed as being exalted to the Arcanist. T

here are some theories as to what happened to the Akitla’s user, some think that she belonged to a deleted account, others that it was the result of an incomplete account creation.

As with a lot of things on this iceberg, it will likely remain a mystery forever.

Arcane sprite book

“what is the arcane sprite reading??” is probably one of the oldest still active threads on the forums.

On September 25, 2013 user “Kaadashi” started a joke thread were they wondered what exactly is the arcane sprite reading, and playfully suggested that it could be erotic fanfiction. People went crazy of course, and started to wonder what kind of juicy secrets were hidden within the pages of that book.

I don’t want to say too much because I really don’t want to spoil the experience of reading through this very cursed tread.

Sunshine

Sunshine is one of the most… interesting lairs on the site, and certainly one of the most well-known.

They(?) have a lair (almost) completely full of triple basic sunshine dragons, most of which are Tundras. So far they have collected about 320 triple hundred Sunshine dragons, almost all of which are also named “Sunshine”. They’re not all the same, some of them have apparel, some of them are gened and some have unique art and descriptions.

They’re dedicated and I respect that.

EDIT 28/06: Apparently some people seem to think that the sunshine-dedicated lair is based on a meme concerning the announcement of the color wheel expansion, which became so discussed that the itself site broke. The two things are unrelated however, as the Sunshine lair has been around for much longer.

The announcement of the color wheel expansion was cryptic, with only a few post showing off differently colored coatls and then 3 pages of reserved posts, with no explanation whatsoever.

Simple Farmer

Another very famous thread is the “I am but a simple farmer” thread started by user “someKindOfGenius”. It’s not really about anything specific, it’s just a rather silly thread were people photoshop flight rising dragons onto various crops.

Still, this thread is iconic so I had to include it.

Dragon Deaths

Way back in 2014 former flight rising programmer Thrage revealed on a forum thread that way back before the beta, dragons could actually starve to death if left unfed.

Yep.

Obviously they had to remove this mechanic because it would have been extremely harsh to casual players and make people frustrated with the game.

Zalvador

User “manojalpa” became fairly well-known for the extremely dark lore they(?) had written for their Clan, it was so dark in fact that every single one of their dragon’s bios had to moved to their tumblr where they couldn’t be easily seen by the site’s mainly underage usebase.

Their lore centered around their progen dragon, a tundra named Zalvador, which behaved and had the same powers as a flight rising user: buying dragons off of the action house, having “breeding projects”, exalting dragons, etc.

These things seem pretty normal when done by a player, but when taking them as actual real things that happen in universe… yeah, it was way too morbid for the site.

The Pit

Black linen neck wraps

For some weird reason, the apparel piece “Black linen neck wrap” when put on a male pose Coatl wraps around the dragon’s throat instead of it’s neck. It’s kind of subtle and hard to see, but if you compare it with the female pose the difference is clear. This is probably just an art error, although it’s weird that it hasn’t been fixed yet, since linen wraps are a very old piece of apparel.

Another weird thing about linen wraps in general is that the wing wraps just sort of… go through the membrane? This is not possible. These dragons are in pain.

Icewarden ears

Another very remarkably popular thread is the Icewarden ears thread.

In 2014 user “Llanai” simply makes note of the fact that the Icewarden has teeny tiny ears.

As we have come to expect from these threads, it quickly devolved into nonsense.

Forbidden Snapper lore

Snappers used to have a way different lore section that was changed because it deemed too similar to the lore of another petsite.

This is what the original section read:

"Snapper dragons do not sleep, but exist in a constant state of reverie. They receive and catalogue all experiences and stories told within their dreams. This persistent state of awakened dreaming awards them the longest memory of any dragon species. They are living encyclopedias, and any dragon who is seeking difficult-to-obtain information will have the most luck unearthing it from a Snapper clan - provided they have the patience for it. If you want two dozen quick answers, talk to a spiral. If you want a fully developed answer, camp out around a Snapper. These dreamers move at their own pace, which varies from dragon to dragon. For some, the awakened dream can prove to be more interesting than their surroundings. This leads to a focus upon the dream, and the waking world as filtered background noise. Interacting with these sleepwalkers can be a trying and repetitive task. Other Snappers may be fairly lucid, with a focus upon their surroundings and the constant hum of the dream pushed aside."

Bee movie script

I’ve seen this story around the forums a few times but I’ve never been able to learn the details.

From what I’ve heard someone copy pasted the entire bee movie script into their clan bio in a drop down text format, which completely broke the page for anyone who visited it. This was fixed, apparently, although I have no clue as to who this user is.

EDIT 28/06: Zeus

Zeus is an XXX gold g1 permababy imperial that used to belong to user "happywing".

Their account is now locked because Zeus was created with the use of a duplication glitch on an imperial breed change scroll, which is obviously not allowed (although I've heard some people say that the dragon was hacked in altogether). Before the account was locked, people speculated that Zeus was the most valuable dragon on the site, because an XXX g1 imperial is impossibly rare.

Wegg shaming

On July 2017 user “Dreamnorn” made a thread were they(?) claimed to have a dream where everything was the same except people used the term “wegged” when two dragons would lay only one egg in a nest.

Ex. Aw man! I’ve been wegged again! = Aw man! I bred two dragons and they only had one egg!

The dream ended up being prophetic, as the term catched on and people started to use it unironically.

The practice of “Wegg shaming” I think refers to the trend of people posting pictures of the dragons that “wegged” them in order to “shame” them.

Plague nest skull

The site art of the plague nest features an unique dragon skull that doesn’t match with any currently existing dragon breed or creature: It appears to have two sets of eyes, like a mirror, but also long and curled horns.

It’s probably just for decoration and it likely doesn’t have any significance whatsoever, but personally I believe it would be pretty cool if when they eventually release plague ancient it at least somewhat resembled this skull.

EDIT 28/06: On second thought, the skull doesn’t seem to have two pairs of eyes, It just has the generic shape of a carnivore.

Rock bottom

CAPTAINPLANET

…this is CAPTAINPLANET. Somehow, user “Decres”' managed to overlay a Fae skin on top of a Tundra, creating this horrifyingly fascinating abomination.

I have no idea how she did this, and she seems pretty adamant to tell.

EDIT 28/06: People have pointed out that this skin overlay glitch was actually somewhat common (although I still haven't found another dragon like CAPTAINPLANET). What you had to do was breed change a dragon while attaching a skin to them in another tab.

This glitch has been patched and such thing is no longer possible.

Lair 46264

A cursed lair.

Dreams

I’ve seen a lot of people, both on forums and on Tumblr, sharing dreams they had about Flight Rising.

A lot of people dream of just being on the site, while occasionally weird things happen.

I’ve read of people who dreamed the distribution of a new breed, buying an exclusive item, a new Fiona feat or Swipp trade, or just browsing the forums.

The most common type of Flight rising-associated dream I’ve seen however is being caught multiaccounting and having their account banned.

I’m no psychoanalyst, but I think it’s pretty clear that these nightmares stem from the paranoia of being banned from their beloved petsite instead of showing any actual intention of doing the “crime” in question.

Anyways, I think it’s fascinating how so many people dream about this site, and it reminds me of the dreams people claimed to have about Mario 64 where completely new levels were added or a scary monster appeared.

Dragon Slime

Dragon Slime was an infamous thread which was supposed to be start off point for an ARG.

It was deleted because it was considered too “spammy” and also because ARGs are banned from the forums. The thread has been lost, unfortunately.

EDIT 28/06: Thanks to @randompurple-fr for providing screenshots of the dragon slime tutorial! You can find them here

Cucumber

Cucumber is the only dragon ever to have been exalted with a skin, which is something that should not be possible. This raises some questions as to what exactly did the person that exalted them do to achieve this, but we have no way of knowing who Cucumber belonged to.

EDIT 28/06: Actually, we do know who used to Cucumber belonged to! Its owner was Osiem: an official flight rising artist. I couldn’t find the thread where they(?) acknowledged the glitch though, if someone has it please let me know!

[lilis-doodle-dome]

Had a dream last night about a game that didn’t exist, but like it was really interesting and I wanted to make fanart for it. But then I woke up and went oh shit it’s not real-

So I drew the two characters I remember most vividly

The smaller one in the back was the main character, very happy go lucky type, and mr. purple hair was the one everyone shipped him with? Also the instant favorite

For some reason the game had ps2 quality graphics (it was a recently made game), so it was all ugly, badly rendered polygons. It’s why both of the characters have tired looking faces it’s just what they looked like in game, and I remember people would get up in arms about *not* drawing it like the style of the game.

It’s also why main character has a white spot on his head, his hair didn’t render properly and left him with a weird white space in his head. The creators decided to just leave it because they couldn’t be bothered, but the fans took that as confirmation of that being part of his official design (even though none of the official art had the spot) and would attack people who left it out. The fandom, if you can’t tell, was kinda awful I think it might’ve been a big one from the vibes

As for purple boy, he apparently had a really good character, wish I could remember it but oh well. Anyway a large part of the fans hc-ed him as trans and during a special update that allowed you to take off purple boys jacket as a fun skin change for some reason if you took it off it fuckin blew up his chest area making it look like he had weird tits (understand it did not *at all* look like actual real tits more like someone stuck a log in his shirt) and even though the creators quickly removed that and said it was a glitch, as you might suspect, the fans took it as confirmation of his transness. Also it became a bit of a meme

The game style was a first person ?rpg? There wasn’t any normal combat, instead you had to solve puzzles to beat “enemies” and besides that you just went around and did things for people. The more you did the more you got to know people and their opinions on other characters, how they were relevant to the plot, etc.

[quirklessidiot]

Title: coward :: warm saki for the cold nights Pairing: Y/N x Miya Atsumu Genre: angst, romance, and very slow burn [ex to lovers au] Warnings: Cursing, alchohol, mentions of unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancy, and mentions of abortion

Synopsis: Atsumu deals with heartbreak again and while doing so, receives an unexpected call that may just help bridge you two again.

notes:

someone said that my character for atsumu was differently written from most fanfiction. tbh the only fuckboy i see in haikyuu is Yuuji HASHHSSHAHA have u seen the piercing and how agressive he is. that def screams fuck boi

also i will be closing the taglist already after this chapter :/ if you guys don’t want to be tagged in the side stories, just message me hehe its not a problem (also i will be updating the side stories every FRIDAY’S) the drabble requests will be open for ten drabbles after the side stories hehe ily all so much. stay safe and i hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Atsumu watches you walk out of his life again for the second time.

He doesn’t know what to do or why he’s here on his bed, playing with the silver ring band that he was supposed to give you six years ago after he’d been accepted in the jackals. As much as he was heartbroken by the fact that you didn’t want to get married then, he still wanted to give you a simple ring band as a promise that marriage was never the only way to get him to stick around you.

He couldn’t throw it away even after all these years.

Now that he looks at it, he’s reminded of that time you left him. The first time. 

He really thought it would hurt less this time around. It was the second time after all but it still stings especially now since it was right at his face. He lets out a bitter chuckle, ‘selfish, huh?’ he thought.

Those words were odd coming from you.

In the two year span of your relationship, you were never the selfish one. In fact, he came to the late realization that he was the selfish one between you two in the relationship. Atsumu always thought physical and loud declarations of affection were the key to a healthy relationship, mundane things like sleeping next to each other or being there everyday (hence why long distance relationships were a no go for him) but you, you took it up the notch.

It may have been your first relationship but you were better than any girl he had dated. He realized then that maybe that's why you broke up with him, because you probably thought that he didn’t care to know more about you (when in actuality he was just too scared to ask because he might lose you if he did)

The phone starts to ring and as much as he wants to ignore it again, something tells him that he should answer this unknown contact.

“...Yo, this is Daiki.”

He blinks as he hears the deep voice of the basketball player, wasn’t this supposed to be his rival? How the hell did he even get his number?

“I heard Y/N pushed you away again like before, want to grab that drink?”

Atsumu doesn’t know why he agrees right after.

They ended up at a private japanese bar, apparently they had the best saki in the whole of japan and Daiki was willing to treat him despite the high price of alcohol because of what happened between you two, “You look like shit, man.” he points out as soon as he arrived, “No offense. Then again, that’s what I looked like when Y/N first rejected me.”

Atsumu sits across him at the booth and ignores the man’s statement about his looks, “Do you still like Y/N that way? Even after she rejected you a lot?” he asks, suddenly.

“After I realized how much she liked those kid’s father. I sorta gave up.” He laughed as if it was nothing,  “He was hard to match, Y/N was begging me not to go to him to punch him in the face, she was in tears that night.”

“He’s a lucky bastard.” Atsumu spat bitterly, pouring more sake on his cup, “I’m guessing you know this guy?”

“Of course I do.” Daiki began, “Only recently though, Y/N never told anyone who the dad was. I had to figure that shit out on my own.”

Atsumu stares at his drink for a moment and swirls it around, he wants to know but at the same time he doesn’t. What would he even do if he knew? Would he find him and punch the asshole in the face for doing that to you? He’s starting to get Daiki, whoever this guy was, he was impossibly hard to match.

“I want to be in her life.” Atsumu confessed, “I want to replace that bastard’s place.”

Daiki’s eyes crinkle in utter amusement, just how long was this cat and mouse game going to play? What would happen if he told this blonde guy? Would you talk to him after he told Atsumu why you left? Would Daiki even be able to handle you leaving him?

Daiki’s take a deep breath as he ponders on that thought. He was willing to risk it though. He sees the genuineness in this guy’s eyes. From a man to a man, he could sense it. God, if only he had been a bit more pushy towards you back then about the whole tell-your-boyfriend thing, maybe you’d have it a bit easier now.

“What’s stopping you?”

“Y/N.” The blonde shrugs, the mere mention of your name stinged like the alcohol he was drinking, “I can’t force her. I can’t repeat the same mistakes I made before. Relationships were never her strongest suit and I feel like I forced it on her.”

“You didn’t.” Daiki proclaims, the basketball player ponders for a moment in deep thought, “The thing about Y/N is that she’s careful with whom she wants to be intimate with. The reason why she probably said yes was because she saw something in you but in the end…” Daiki paused, he’s not sure what to say next, this was a sensitive issue after all, “In the end, her fear got the better of her…”

“Sometimes I wish I could take it all away.” The setter quietly confessed, recalling the fear in your eyes back then made him sick. 

In the two-year relationship you had, it had always been about him. He really had the audacity to proudly proclaim that he loved you yet it seemed more like you had loved him more.

It showed when you’d quietly just hold his hand and draw small circles on it after a loss, how you’d listen to his stories without interruptions, how you’d help him out in classes that he had a hard time at, how you’d prepare a hot meal for him every night he stayed up later to train, and how you’d silently just let him snuggle on your chest after a long day. It was those little things, things he realized later on that you’d never do to other people but he was a special case.

It was always about you taking care of him and putting him first.

It wasn’t openly affectionate like the girls he had before or after you, you had your own little way.

It was always about wanting to get a physical reaction from you, he was too blinded to the fact that it was never your type of thing. 

He was the taker in the relationship, you had always been the giver.

Daiki was silent once again as he observed his devastating figure, “You really love her, don’t you?”

“I do.”  he chuckled, “People tend to call me a fuck up for that but they don’t get it. When Y/N shows a little side of her, you...you can’t stop loving her, ya know? God, when she smiled and laughed at me for the first time. I knew at that moment that I wanted to hear that beautiful sound for the rest of my life.”

It felt good to get that out of his chest for once, ‘samu would call him a sappy piece of shit if he had heard that but it was the raw truth. Every word he said, every feeling he tried to express, it was all so genuine and that’s what made everything so painful.

God, the saki was getting to him. He can’t believe he told Daiki out of all people about this.

“You said you wanted to know who the father of those kids was, right?”

Atsumu stops whatever he’s drinking and feels his ears perk up at the sound of that. Daiki looks dead serious as he downs the saki straight-up, the next few words sobers the blonde setter because it’s not what he expects.

“Y/N told me the father was her first boyfriend, a boy from tokyo university.”

Atsumu feels his heart thumping fast as he makes his way to your apartment in the dead of the night, the alcohol long gone but the words of Daiki still stinging and fresh, a father? Was that why you ran away?

Because you were pregnant with his kids?

He curses underneath his breath as he finally parks his car in front of your apartment, he’s still shaken by the sudden revelation and he feels like kicking himself, how he could’ve been so stupid? He should’ve known something was odd when you suddenly disappeared and broke up on the phone.

While he was enjoying his life as a pro, you were out there fending for the kids alone.

He shakes his head.

“...I can’t tell you why Y/N ran away, it’s better if you heard the story from her.” Daiki’s words echo in his head, “I know she placed a lot on your plate these past six years but she has her reasons, I’m not saying that you should forgive her immediately. I’m just asking you to listen.”

Atsumu gets out of his car and takes out his phone, calling the number he got from Daiki. You had never exchanged numbers even after all that had happened. Now that he noticed, you were keen on distancing yourself from him. Ever since the beginning, you were so adamant to push him out of your life in the same cold way like before. 

How could he not have noticed?

He curses himself in his head, for all the times he had to be slow, why now?

“Hello?” Your voice is groggy, signaling that you were asleep, “May I know who's on the line?”

“I’m downstairs.” he blurted out, not knowing what to say, he knows you recognize his voice, “Can we talk Y/N?”

“Miya-san? What are you?- It’s almost twelve-”

“One last time, Y/N.” He pleads, voice soft as he says your name, “Please?”

You hang up soon after, he doesn’t care if he has to stake out here in his car for the whole night and wait for you to come down in the morning. Right now, all that matters is you.

Only you.

Thankfully, he doesn’t need to do that since he sees you going out of your apartment a few moments later in a large black coat with mismatched socks, if it weren’t for the gravity of the situation, he would’ve teased you for your unusual get-up.

“I thought I told you that I didn’t want to have anything to do with you anymore.” in contrast to your soft tone, your words are harsh and if it were the old him, he’d have back down but he knows something now. 

He takes in a deep breath and lets out a drawling sigh as he removes his scarf, “It’s cold tonight.” He observes, ignoring the harsh words you said as he inches closer to you to wrap his scarf around your neck.

“You smell like alcohol.” 

“Aomine-san and I went out for a drink.” He recounts, tying the scarf on your neck. He sucks in a deep breath before he says the following words, “You know Y/N, you never told me his name.”

“Excuse me?” You're confused by the sudden words as you try to remove the scarf but he stops you and grabs a hold of your hands instead, clasping his fingers on yours like the old times. He loved the warmth you radiated. It always felt nice.

“The name of that bastard who left you.” He stated. He’s so close to you to the point that you could smell the saki and perfume on him, hear his ragged breathing, and hear the thumping of his heart. You try to remove yourself from his grasp but you’re trapped in his stare and tight hold, “What’s his name, Y/N?”

“I told you, it’s none-”

“Just a name, Y/N.”

Silence ensued between you two and you nervously gulp down.

So it really was him.

This was now or never.

“Just for one moment, can you stop running away from me?” he begs, as he inched closer to hug you and place his head on your shoulder, “Just stop running, Y/N. You don’t have to tell me what happened and why you ran away back then, just let me love you now and be a father to those kids.”

It's silent for a moment and he feels fear engulf him again, his confidence slowly vanishing. Were you going to push him away again? 

Yet he feels you starting to tremble on his hold and something wet on his shoulders, he suddenly stands up straight to find you crying on his shoulder, “You’re so fucking stupid, did you know that?” you suddenly cried, “I literally broke up with you on the fucking phone, ran away from you-”

“Yet you never forgot me and raised those kids very well on your own.” He hummed, cutting you off as he rested his head on top of yours, still hugging you tightly. Yes, this was right, the warmth that he wanted was right here, he was finally at ease.His anxiety was slowly dwindling, “God, I should’ve tried harder to not make you feel that way before.”

“I-It’s my fault.” You stammered, “I kept doubting you and kept running from you.” 

“You must’ve been scared, sweetheart.” He murmured, cutting you off as he ignores you recounting your past ‘mistakes’ --- he wouldn’t call it mistakes though, they were the seeds of doubt that he planted on you, so he was technically at fault there, he should’ve tried harder to not make you feel that way. He should’ve been more observant ---- He buries himself on your scent and draws small circles on your back to soothe your shaking figure. You’d do this to him a lot before, it was his turn now to return all the comfort and support you gave him. 

Atsumu slowly lets go and sees you’re a mess in front of him from the red rims under your eyes to the wet cheeks to your non-stop shaking figure.

‘...You always had trouble expressing yourself naturally to people after all.’

No, it seemed like you had turned it off towards other people except your kids. Atsumu noted how strong you were towards your kids, how you tried hard to build a home for them and be the most genuine mother you could be, it breaks his heart that he wasn’t there to help and support you.

He slowly brings his hands up and softly cups your cheeks to wipe the stray tears, “I know that I can’t take all your problems and baggage away for a night but I’ll be here, Y/N. I’ll be here even if you’re annoyed, I’ll be here even if you throw me out because of the confusion you have with your feelings. I’ll stay. Permanently, no take-backs.”

You shakily lift your hands to grab a hold of his rough hands and squeeze it to make sure this is all real, that this wasn’t a dream.

“You’re an idiot.” You sniffle, taking in his warmth and basking on it, “I really told you to be selfish, for once. Why can’t you do that?”

“That’s ironic coming from you.” he mused, “You were always the giver in our relationship in your own way, you raised our kids in the best way possible. I could think of a million ways that you were the giver in our relationship and I was more of the receiver.” Atsumu chuckles at the irony as he slowly runs his fingers through your hair. He feels better now that everything is out of the way, that he can finally hold you with no restrictions. The little family with you that was supposed to be a fleeting moment, was now slowly becoming a reality.

“In the end, all that matters is that I love you. It’s never changed for the past six years, Y/N. I doubt it’ll change in the long run.” he confessed, leaning in to give you a brief kiss on the temple. You feel yourself start to calm down as you rested on his chest and listen to his heart beat.

You missed that sound, the sound of home.

It takes a while for you to actually settle down and sit with your kids, Atsumu reminds you that you could take your time in the introductions, even volunteering that he could help you with it but you decided against it in the end. This was your responsibility. You still had to make up for the past six years of heartbreak you gave to the poor man and your kids.

Atsumu doesn’t shy away though, he comes by after his morning training during your lunch break to have lunch with you and even volunteers to pick up the kids after class before his nightly training.

Slow pace and baby steps as he’d like to call it.

“Jiji’s acting weird.” Yuuto frowns as he picks on his fish with his chopsticks, “He’s been hanging around us too much, kaasan.”

“Yeah!” Youta echoes, “Is he going to be like Daiki-ojisan? Is he going to be our ojisan?”

You place your chopsticks down and stare at the pair in front of you. It would be hard to explain to the pair about Atsumu and his relationship with them, you almost wanted to call the man himself to help you explain but you decided against it.

This was now or never.

“Can kaasan tell you something?” You softly ask, placing your chopsticks down, the steamed fish long forgotten.

“What is it, kaasan?” Youta asks innocently, tilting his head just a bit, “Did jiji do something again? Should me and yu do something about it?”

“No,” you shake your head, “It’s...It’s about your otosan…”

Silence enveloped the table, the boys never talked about their father in front of you because they noticed how sad you’d be by the mere mention of their father yet that didn’t stop them from asking around your close circle of friends like Atsumu and Daiki. Did you find out about their interest? Were they going to be scolded?

“I...I want to introduce him to you…” You slowly began, “he...he’s come home…”

Youta and Yuuto’s eyes widen immediately, “He? He has?” Yuuto suddenly exclaimed, standing up from his chair. You could detect the excitement in his eyes, “What does he look like, kaasan? Does he have the same hair as us? Does he look like us? Did- did he get all his dreams?”

“Is he a doctor, kaasan? Or does he play sports like Daiki-ojisan and jiji?” Youta adds, wondering out loud, “Weird. We’re not that famous yet, kaasan. Is he going to be proud of us?”

You feel your heart thump and your eyes water at the question as you swallow the lump on your throat, “He’s, he’s very proud of you.” you try to blink away the tears, “In fact, your otosan was very scared because you might hate him.”

“Is that why he wasn’t able to come home?” Yuuto asks quietly, he had always been smart for his age.

You were silent for a moment and you take in a very deep breath, when they were old enough you’d tell them all about what happened, in the meantime, you’d tell them a simple explanation, “No, it was kaasan’s fault...Your otosan wasn’t able to come home because of kaasan…”

“Will...will you tell us why, kaasan?” Youta questions, you could tell that he was scared to ask that question.

“Because kaasan was scared…” You paused, trying to find the right words to explain to them, “Kaasan had you when me and your otosan was still quite young so kaasan ran away…”

“Did o-otosan not want us then?” Yuuto quivers, his lifted spirits now down, you could tell that he was trying to hold it in. You immediately had to stand up and rush to their side to comfort them, “Of course not!” You exclaimed, taking their hands and bending to their level, “It’s just, kaasan had very bad things happening around her that she had to run away.”

“Are...are the bad things gone now then, kaasan?” 

You turn to Youta whose eyes were soft and spirits down too, he seemed to have grasped the situation yet at the same time, he couldn’t get it. Maybe it was a big kids type of thing? Would he understand this all when he was older?

“Almost…” You quietly replied, you knew you still had a lot of things to fix within yourself like Atsumu had said, it’s not something you can ever get rid of but it’s never bad to take a helping hand once in a while, “Your otosan is helping me and you guys are helping me too, so they’re slowly disappearing…”

“When...when will we meet him? Our otosan?”

You’re silent for a second and you nervously tell them to wait a moment as you go to your room to take out a Polaroid, one with you and Atsumu in it. It’s an old one, taken on your last anniversary. It’s one of those memorabilia's you kept of him that you could never throw away.

You come back to the table and sit across them as you place the picture in front of them, “You’ve met him already…”

Youta’s eyes widen, “Isn’t this…”

“Jiji?” Yuuto finishes, jaw slacken.

You couldn’t tell if they were happy or disappointed at all. Their faces were bare stripped of emotion, the only thing you detected was shock.

“It was never your otosan’s fault, I…” You shakily sighed, holding in the tears, “It was mine, I’m so sorry…I’m so so sorry…”

At that moment, you really didn’t know how you should face them or how you should explain it to them, you were so caught up in your fears and anxiety that you didn’t notice how soft their features became, “Will you tell us?” Youta asks.

You look them both in the eye.

“Will you tell us why where we’re older, kaasan?” Yuuto adds.

Your shaking ceased when you heard those words.

Ah yes, they were their father’s kids. Always so patient, always there to listen to you. How were you blessed with such good kids? You broke down a smile reserved just for them.

“Yes, when you’re ready and older.” You affirmed, bowing down in apology, “I hope you’ll be patient with me then.”

taglist [officially closed, if you guys want to be removed for the side stories, feel free to tell me hehe ilyasm]

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Genshin Impact Fanfic Rec List

(because this is my most current obsession~~)

The Narwhal of Dihua Marsh by GreyLiliy

Childe hears of a strong Adeptus living at the Wangshu Inn. Despite warnings from Zhongli that fighting Xiao would be a deathly mistake, Childe seeks out the Adeptus living in the Dihua Marsh eager for a proper fight.

However, Childe severely underestimates his opponent, and the consequences of his actions may keep him from returning home to Snezhnaya.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This fic is interesting primarily because it's not necessarily what you would call an easy story to read. The content can surprisingly get quite heavy as the relationship between Childe and Zhongli isn't healthy and it becomes increasingly obvious as the story progresses. You swing between wanting to separate the two and also desperately wishing that they'll work out because there is something there. The story snowballs from what seems like an innocuous, if stupid and rash, decision on Childe's part to a complicated mess that you can’t help but be enthralled in. I went in expecting your typical romance and ended up in something that was more complex than I expected but also beautifully thought provoking.

Entirely Out of Spite by Bgtea

"Welcome to a new user experience! You have triggered this interface with the keywords, ‘Stupid game! Stupid devs! I want my f*****g money back!’ You are now bound to the character Tartaglia, the Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui, codename: Childe! We hope you have an enjoyable user experience and we welcome you once again to Genshin Impact 2.0!”

Those are some of the first words Ajax, starving college student extraordinaire, has the misfortune of hearing upon waking up in a brave new world from what he's fairly sure is a very, very fatal accident involving water and a shit ton of electricity.

Okay, so he's not dead. That's good. But what's this about him being stuck playing the character Tartaglia? Tartaglia, as in the shitty, one-dimensional, cartoonish villain who met his untimely, gruesome death in the first act of the original game?

Fuck that noise. Like hell Ajax is going to share that fate.

And so begins one man's journey to unfuck himself.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Whenever this updates, I squeal. If you’re a fan of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System or just transmigration/reincarnation plots in general, you’re going to love it. Bgtea does a beautiful job in balancing humor with the trauma that comes with the whole reincarnation plotline. The whole of it is beautiful written and watching Childe/Ajax interact with the other characters (and the perspective of those characters) is a delight! 

the sister by glassdrachma

The tragic and unexpected death of Zhongli-xiansheng of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor occurred to the sorrow of many and the deep skepticism of a few.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: glassdrachma has a gift for humor and romance. In short, Zhongli fakes his death for plot reasons and comes back as Jianlao, the bereaved twin sister. Shenanigans ensue, featuring overprotective Liyue-ians (?), chaotic gremlin Venti, and Kexing. Very light hearted, good for the soul.

The White Cicada Society by clementinesgulag

After his little brother is bundled back to Snezhnaya, Childe makes good on his promise to the traveller and takes the first boat out of Liyue Harbor. Any sense of homecoming lasts about as long as an uncooked steak in front of Xiangling, however, when his boat sinks, grounding him back in the mainland.

It's just as well, because the next morning, a body is found in the Northland Bank. A visit from a fellow Harbinger reveals a far more insidious plot than anything Childe could concoct with a god of the vortex and twenty minutes without supervision. The murders aren’t limited to the one Bank. They’ve been trailing down the Liyue border, getting closer and closer to the city. The Tsaritsa has a new mission for him: to figure out who, or what is targeting Fatui forces.

Against his best wishes, Childe is forced to see Zhongli again at the morgue. It becomes clear that he’s going to need a guide, and Childe resolves to quash his pride, and their differences to request his help to navigate Liyue and solve the case.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: A diamond in the rough that I slept on and then stumbled back to by accident. I had it marked for later on AO3 and forgot about it for like a good week to my utter self-disgust. It. Is. So. Damn. Good! The mystery is intriguing but I live for the realistic portrayal of the aftermath of the whole gnosis plotline. The betrayal, the bitterness, but ah, the sexual tension. The harbinger interactions in this fic make it gold though.

Lungs full of Roses by SecretlyACatLady

Childe had always assumed that he would die young. He had accepted that a long time ago, ever since he accepted the mantle of a Fatui Harbinger. However, he always thought that he would die in a glorious fight, his body broken but spirit relishing the strong opponent that had bested him. He was okay with that type of death.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Fate had decided to add one last insult to injury, because, here Childe was, dying because he had fallen in love with the ex-Geo Archon. The same Archon who seemed to have discarded him like an old toy ever since the Osial Incident. --- In which divine beings are cruel and a cursed Childe starts preparing for his inevitable death because no Archon could ever love a mortal.

…Right?

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: The fic that started it all for me, the one that sucked me into the fandom. This fic is heartbreaking. We always do love a hanahaki plotline but something about the way it frames the disease and the shame that comes with it...I highly recommend giving it a read. The angst is real I tell you.

The Bride of The Golden Dragon by Erika_Bee

“You’re to be sent on a special mission, Tartaglia.”

The young man’s eyes gleamed in interest. “How special?” He asked as he wiped the blood off his daggers.

His superior grinned. “Special enough to put your name in Snezhnaya’s history books.”

—

In which the Archon War ravaged the land of Liyue and to ensure the people’s survival, the God of Geo established the Harvester Contract: One bride per village, every year, in exchange for protection and a good harvest.

Or: Childe is sent on an undercover mission to kill the Geo Archon, but things don’t go as planned.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Don’t let the title scare you off--this isn’t one of those fics where they feminize one of the male characters and reduce their personality to a mindless submissive bobblehead to the point that I want to throw my laptop out of the window. Not that there’s anything wrong if you like that kind of thing, just not my cup of tea. This fic though---READ IT! There’s just something refreshing about the writing and the plot, the way that Childe’s character reads off the page. I live for the interactions between the characters and how the author has mapped the relationships. Warning that recent chapters have swerved decided into NSFW territory though.

the brothers grim by izabellwit

Left in an unfamiliar land with a mission he never wanted, a young Kaeya lies, survives, and somehow finds a family in the process.

Or: How Kaeya came to Dawn Winery, and why he left it. Includes lore, sibling bickering, found family struggles, and a more in-depth look at the years between Kaeya’s arrival and Crepus’s death.

Ships: N/A

Notes: Ahh, little Kaeya. Cheeky ass little shit that’s too angsty and adorable for his own good. I don’t have words for this fic. It makes my heart warm but also makes me want to weep because god, this fic covers exactly how traumatic Kaeya’s situation is and why child soldiers/spies just shouldn’t be. And the dynamic he has with Diluc and Crepus--do me a favor and read it. Screams found family.

the wind through the mountain tops by glassdrachma

Boredom brings Barbatos of Mondstadt to bother a certain ex-Archon of the Earth.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: A light-hearted, humorous and fluffy as hell piece. Short word is that Venti comes to Liyue for some fun, causes chaos, accidentally plays matchmaker, and steals some vegetables. A get-together fic for Childe and Zhongli that includes a surprisingly self-aware (if blunt and snarky) Zhongli and jealous Childe that gets increasingly flustered.

melt (speak or forever hold your peace) by anatakana

Falling into bed with Diluc was an unbelievably bad idea given their tumultuous shared history, but Kaeya’s impulsive urge to amuse himself knew no bounds.

It’s all fun and games until emotions got involved.

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: THIS IS NSFW. With plot though? This is THE FIC that got me shipping the two (though the game did a good job on its own). The angst is real here and we love the sheer gal of both of these two stupid men.

Cascading (In a good way) by Hubbleablubble

Kaeya is a fascinating annoyance.

(Or: A series of events in which Albedo gets to know Kaeya, and they slowly go from strangers to acquaintances to something more.)

Ships: Albedo/Kaeya

Notes: Sweet fic. Not my typical ship pairing. Loved the Khaenri’ah mentions. Kaeya is Trans FTM here though it’s only briefly mentioned. There is also an incomplete sequel (as of May 2021) featuring an Overprotective Big Brother Diluc on a warpath giving shovel talks to everyone except apparently Albedo that’s also worth reading.

The Language of Flowers by Jules (Penwyn)

Kaeya Alberich has made a habit of lying—after all, the only truths he’s ever spoken cost him everything—but there are only so many lies a man can tell before the truth comes spilling out.

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Hanahaki! Except not! Basically, Kaeya pukes up flowers that say the truth whenever he lies. Cue, angst! Lovely and quick read--love Kaeya’s voice here.

i know i'm where i'm meant to go by paperclips (pastel_paperclips)

"Childe," Zhongli says suddenly. "I am enjoying myself greatly."

Childe’s face breaks into a grin. "Then-"

Zhongli gasps, grabbing his wrist and tugging him over to an unsuspecting peddler with a cart full of rocks. "Is that an intrusive igneous pegmatite formed in the Inazuma regions?"

Childe’s grin smooths into a small, adoring smile. He has all the time in the world to figure the other man out.

OR: Finding the Geo Archon is on Childe's to-do list but hanging out with Zhongli is significantly more fun.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Childe, you idiot. Humorous and funny, very light hearted. Makes you wonder if Childe has an IQ. He’s too busy pining/lovesick to realize that he told his target that he’s going to kill him for his gnosis. Zhongli and Liyue remain confused on how Childe still DOES NOT get it but half-ass hiding his Archon status anyway.

the bird without wings by Anonymous

"Kaeya!" someone yells. Small arms wrap around his waist tightly, red hair spilling out of the ponytail, and Kaeya's heart almost stops.

He's talked his way out of all types of situations. From placating international disputes to buttering up his informants, he's always had a quick response to everything.

But for once, Kaeya is speechless. He stares down at the boy with puffy cheeks, slightly crooked teeth and sparkling bright eyes.

Eight year old Diluc beams back.

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Diluc gets de-aged and Kaeya gets angsty. The interactions between the two are heartwarming and will induce tears. Childe makes a brief appearence that *chef’s kiss*

call me "lover boy" by Anonymous

Zhongli turns back, eyes bright with amusement, a stray lilypad still stuck in his hair, and Childe thinks, wow. I want to kiss him stupid.

Childe's not into the whole "swooning maiden patiently waiting for his beloved to swoop down and smooch the daylights out of him" thing. Nah, that's not his style. He's Tartaglia, eleventh of the Fatui harbingers, and he's going to kiss Zhongli right now.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: FUNNY AS HELL. Childe is straight up just trying to plant one on Zhongli but fate and people just keep interfering. It’s a weird trope aversion where the character is actively trying to confess rather than avoiding it but life gets in the way. 

springtime in snezh-nya-ya by miaomaomei

Tartaglia’s body moves before he can even think about it. He arches his back and flattens his ears against his head, baring his teeth in a hiss. Considering he barely even reaches Scaramouche's knees — Scaramouche, of all people! The guy is practically the size of a fourteen-year-old — he doubts that he is cutting as imposing a figure as he hopes.

It isn't a surprise, though. No one could become a Fatui Harbinger if they were scared of a little cat.

OR

Tartaglia is turned into a cat and he goes to Zhongli for help. It goes about as well as expected.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: TOO ADORABLE FOR WORDS. This is just pure fluff I swear. Love how Childe is written and the interactions between the two are just ahhhh. A balm on the soul.

Melt by tanktrilby

“My name is Diluc,” he says. A scowl naturally furrows his brow, and Kaeya looks like he wants to laugh.

He’s looking at him through his lashes again, blue eyes teasing and warm. “Diluc,” he says. “A knight in overalls isn’t quite where I thought my preferences would lie, but here we are.”

(or: Kaeya loses his memories and makes some assumptions. Diluc can't honestly tell him that he's wrong.)

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: As the summary says, Kaeya loses his memories. Diluc plays babysitter for plot reasons. Meanwhile, Kaeya freaks out and has an essential crisis because his instincts freak him out which = angst. Simultaneously, sort of love confessions? 

you are cordially invited by ktenologious

When the Traveler receives a mysterious invitation from a Snezhnayan businessman, they seek out help from the only Snezhnayan they are on good terms with. They decide it is a wonderful idea to go to this business party in the middle of the ocean because, well, what could be better entertainment than watching a Fatui Harbinger at work? It is too bad Childe couldn't come with them...

Meanwhile, the Tsaritsa needs someone to track down the source of a brand new drug at a party on a cruise; it just so happens that she has two Harbingers who specialize in causing chaos and sinking ships. Scaramouche is a sadist and loves this, and Tartaglia... Well, Tartaglia just wants to know why is he the one in the dress again.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe, sort of Diluc/Kaeya & Scaramouche/Childe

Notes: Features a crossdressing Childe and Kaeya for plot reasons. Funny as hell. Love Fatui dynamics/interactions. Highly recommend. Go read it. I’m serious. It’s so beautiful, I can’t. Also Zhongli is so love-sick and jealous, it’s hilarious.

The Road to Snezhnaya by paranoid_fridge

Everything's done and over. Now, Zhongli only needs to adjust to living like an ordinary mortal. Or that is what he thinks until a familiar face shows up in Liyue. Teucer comes looking for his brother who failed to return to Snezhnaya on the Fatui ships. And as Childe's declared "friend", Zhongli must help Teucer find him.

Or: Teucer drags Zhongli on a cross-country goose chase looking for Childe. Zhongli just happens to find a bit more along the way.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: I have no words for this fic outside of the fact that it is clear that Teucer has the only functioning brain and should be Best Man because he obviously did all the work here. Features an oblivious Childe and overprotective Zhongli, plus bystander Kaeya that is getting allll of the gossip. And also the most destructive group of children ever.

basket of knives by oronine

“I just want to be loved,” Childe says to himself, to whoever is listening. “Is that too much to ask?”

They are on the roof once more, this time Childe’s foot touches the edge of the building as he daydreams of something that cannot be. The sky is blank and cloudy and perhaps Lumine fears it’ll all end when he takes a step.

“Not at all,” she says. It’s still the truth.

Contrary to popular belief, Childe hates his family but loves them all the same.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: TW for suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, self-harm, depression, etc. Not a light read by any definition. Set in a modern AU, not in the genshin impact universe. Features a Childe that is Not Okay, good friend but also probably traumatized friend Lumine (and her brother Aether), and Zhongli. Family dynamic is messed up as hell and explores mental health quite well in my opinion. I’m not sure how healthy necessarily Childe’s relationships are but I think that’s a given considering the context and how derailed his mental health is in this fic. Definitely angst as heavy, made me tear up quite a bit. Read, but pay attention to the content/trigger warnings as it does get quite explicit.

Bane of All Evil by tzitzimeme

When Chongyun unintentionally offends Liyue's second most powerful adepti, he vows to mend the thorny relationship between Adeptus Xiao and human exorcists-- even though no one has succeeded in currying Xiao's favor for over a thousand years.

His best friend Xingqiu offers to come alone, mainly because he's worried about what kind of trouble Chongyun will run into. Along the way, they receive help from others: Xiangling packs them meals for their journeys, while Zhongli gives them advice on what demons to track.

Childe is just there because he thinks the whole thing is hilarious.

Ships: Chongyun/Xinqiu

Notes: JFKLFJS I LOVE THIS. I love Chongyun’s characterization and the interaction between all the characters. The dynamic between Chongyun, Xingqiu, and Xiangling are to die for. Also, this line: “Stuck-up Persnickety Bastard.” Random note but Xiao throws Chongyun off a balcony yet is also 100% a softie.

Talks about Nothing by tzitzimeme

In which Zhongli unlocks the Memory of Dust, only to find out:

1. Guizhong is 100% alive (just disembodied) within it, 2. Guizhong has been watching over him this whole time, and 3. Guizhong is very excited by the prospect of Zhongli getting a cute Snezhnayan boyfriend.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe, Venti/Xiao

Notes: The pure judgment that Guizhong unleashes on Zhongli (as well as her sass in general) is pure comedic gold. The dynamic between Xiao and Venti are also adorable. Meanwhile, Childe misunderstands and also just wants to know what the fuck is going on.

xi wangmu by tzitzimeme

Xiangling scales entire mountains to satisfy the palettes of her two pickiest customers.

(Or, two men who are emotionally stunted by their own immortality inadvertantly turn an overly enthusiastic chef into their messenger pigeon.)

Ships: Zhongli/Xiao (?)

Notes: Not sure if it reads romantic exactly, can definitely be read as platonic. The fic boils down to Xiangling trying to expose Xiao to variety because just eating plain almond tofu is a no no. Zhongli gives advice/uses Xiangling as a messenger pigeon. Backstory is explored!

Falling (Fallen) by asinglecrow

It’s only when Childe finds himself in front of Zhongli, a spear protruding from his stomach, that he thinks oh I might have fucked up.

Or: The worst (best) day of Childe's life.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Funny and lighthearted! Gets sort of NSFW with passing mention of mpreg but otherwise, it’s just pure humor/fluff. Get-together fic featuring deadpan dragon Zhongli and Childe that is just done with everything. 

the louvre by morisuke

Here in Liyue, the air is filled with the ocean, and the sun shines through the mountains like it’s flowing through a crack in the sky. Here in Liyue, there is a man with no wallet at a vending machine that is going to waste the rest of his day showing a stranger around their school campus for a pocket sized can of iced coffee.

It’s interesting here in Liyue, Childe thinks.

or

Where Childe flirts with a stranger at a campus vending machine.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Set in a modern/college AU. This is a relatively quiet, soft kind of story. Childe comes to Liyue because reasons and falls in love quietly. It’s more of a snippet of life type of fic that’s sweet and peaceful. Love the change that comes over Childe as he finds a home.

[sheriff-caitlyn]

I started this blog in 2014, as the first Caitlyn on tumblr, and obviously I’ve been through a lot of retcons and changes myself, not only adapting to Riot’s own public retcons (from the minor, like her aesthetics, to the major, like the removal of the Institute of War as an integral part of their lore) but also to my own. That’s the thing about playing a character as complex as this, is that you learn more as you go. In your interactions with others and the creation of backstory, history, and other bits of worldbuilding to better understand the world you’re in, a character goes from a handful of images and some in-game voicelines to a fully-fledged person with a complex narrative. Sometimes things change, and that’s fine. But there are some changes which... aren’t. 

For all the fingerprints I’ve put on her, she is still not my character. But I care. Sunk-cost fallacy, maybe, but I care about this character I have been involved in and I care about the direction she has been taken. So, without further ado, I’d like to delve into:

The Recent Caitlyn Update In Piltover’s New Context or, We Gotta Fetishise Police Violence, I Mean, Look At Her, She’s So Hot

Back in August 2015, I went, ‘Oh No, they’re going to try to turn Piltover into Gotham City, aren’t they?’, and lo and behold, suddenly we have Poison Ivy now. But I will get back to that, later. In this particular thread, I noted that many of the characters in Piltover seemed destined for a revamp that would rob them of what originally drew us to them in the first place, and that Piltover seemed destined for a rework that would wash out much of their character. Piltover and Zaun were always meant to be polar opposites, but suddenly we were seeing glimpses of Piltover being ‘not as good as everyone thinks’, which hinted that Piltover and Zaun were destined not to be polar opposites in the future, but indistinguishable from each other. It worried me that the only thing telling these two fascinating cities apart would be the sunlight.

So, when we have so much potential for a clash between Zaun and Piltover, between ‘Science No Matter The Cost’ and ‘We Must Advance The World With Care’, why change Piltover to some murky middleground, turning peace and security into wartime capitalism? A world where the people are shitty, where weapons and profit come first, and the only ones making a stand are the ones who are so embittered they have nothing better to do?

Because it has to be ‘interesting’. We’re going to lose bits that we like, that we’re familiar with. And that’s why I’m concerned.

This was before Piltover and Zaun were squished together in an ugly - and utterly ham-fisted - method of showing How Complex The Future Is. There’s layers, guys! Literal layers to this one single city! That means it’s deep! But when I say ‘bits that we like, that we’re familiar with’, I’m not clinging to a fanon interpretation. I’m saying the things that drew us to the world and to the characters to begin with. I could adapt from Caitlyn turning from brown-haired and brown-eyed to black-haired and blue-eyed, because even through I had been doing art, at that point, the change gave me an opportunity to express and discover more about her character (her eye colour being influenced by her mother’s magic, for one). But some of the more stark changes - to family, to job, to personality, to the city of Piltover itself - these result in a character changing completely. I was worried that the cool detective who literally made the world a better place would be chopped and changed into something unrecognisable. I even expounded on my concerns in November 2016, where I could see some of the ways the writers at Rito might make adjustments in the direction of their lore updates.

All this to say, I’ve been working on her for a while, and I was bracing for some bad news. This? This is kind of the worst.

Caitlyn has always been the Sheriff of Piltover, an authority figure, a representative of the law and order that Piltover is famous for. Piltover’s peace and financial prosperity has been directly linked to Caitlyn’s concerted effort to eradicate crime (not criminals, crime! Which, as I have mentioned particularly in this post from 2014, means she upended and reformed the justice system, from the legal process to the prisons to how people are treated as citizens). The city is safe, people have greater access to personal wealth and development, classism is erased, society is flourishing. Zaun, as Piltover’s polar opposite, is a corporate nightmare, with ‘do as thou wilt’, private bodyguards for the rich and powerful while the poor scramble to survive in a system that barely treats them as human. Vi, as a Zaunite, brings a lot of her ‘violence as a problem-solver’ methodology to Piltover’s law-enforcement, though she seems to have no intention of returning to Zaun and seems to have bonded with Caitlyn (‘teamwork!’) to Get Shit Done. And, apparently, there is still shit that needs to be done, though nowhere near as much as there had been in the Bad Old Days.

Vi was, at the time, the awkward-grit-teeth-grin-ha-ha-um-yeah representation of police violence. ‘Resist arrest’, she cries gleefully, as she beats people and breaks down buildings, and we are supposed to go ‘ha, isn’t that funny’ with varying degrees of sincerity. Of course Piltover is going to have problems: anywhere that has wealth and stability is going to be targeted by the envious and the needy. Peace needs to be protected. The problem lies in how that protection is enacted.

So now we have the recent Legends of Runeterra update to Caitlyn, an update which looked at the context of Piltover needing protection, as well as the modern context of Riot’s California location in the Years of Our Lord 2020-2021, and then decided ‘you know what we need? Police violence, everyone loves police violence’.

MAN I thought the stripper-cop skins were bad but here we go!

Her Yordle Snap-Traps (which I envisioned as from the Yordle Military, rather than a racially-profiling weapon as, y’know, they work on human-and-larger-sized people as well) have now been replaced by electroshock grenades, the intent gone from incapacitation and observation to outright paralysis and destruction. Her net-short is now apparently electro-conductive (admittedly, I have had one (1) single RP where that happened, but it came at both a cost to Caitlyn and to her weapon’s efficiency as a result, a last-resort against a dangerous opponent). Caitlyn’s cards in LoR take her from being a detective coordinating ideas and people and putting together a case to a SWAT team leader. This might be the biggest problem in working for a non-combat-oriented character in a MOBA, or in any fighting game: the game needs to find rationalisations for all of their characters being there, being combatants, being able to kill (even if, as Riot says, the lore is separate from the game). We have monsters and soldiers and ancient powers who of course they know how to spill blood and relish in doing so. But pacifists, like Karma or Bard? Explorers like Ezreal? And a sheriff, a peacekeeper, a law-keeper, someone mindful of responsibility and the importance of saving every life possible, like Caitlyn? They’re stripped of that depth and complexity in-game, but there was always the lore that backed them up. But they’ve done away with that completely. Caitlyn was never special operations. She was never military. But now she is, because she had to be changed to fit better into a fighting game. They had to make her violent, and as a result, they have undermined not only everything about the character that made her interesting to begin with - turning her now into a representative of police brutality, but with long hair, pouty lips, and a thigh gap - but they’re also re-writing the context of Piltover. It was bad enough to squish Piltover and Zaun together. But now, Caitlyn’s update is proof that Piltover has gone from a steampunk utopia to a violent, oppressive and cynical post-industrial world. The depiction of Caitlyn as a SWAT team leader (complete with special-forces beret, because hat! Caitlyn wears a hat! Nevermind the fact that she’s no longer wearing a distinctive tophat but instead a symbol of extreme state-sponsored force!) shows us that Piltover’s ‘army’ is not designed as a defence against outsiders, but as an offensive force against their own people. Caitlyn is supposed to be the representation of how peace and order is maintained in one of the largest factions in League of Legends, and if her method of maintaining order is straight-up police violence against their own citizens, then it’s not really peace and order. It’s authoritarianism at best, and facism at worst.

Piltover was different from every other nation in Runeterra because it didn’t have a military. It had defenders, and it had a powerful economy, and it had a democratic political system. But the Piltover update retconned Caitlyn’s hard work. The gangs were back - though now they’re big powerful families like Clan Ferros - and Caitlyn has been de-aged so that she’s still new to the force, that she hasn’t even had her chance to change anything. Her importance to Piltover is minimised... and why is Vi even there? (Oh boy I guess you’re going to have to watch Arcane to find out! Coming to a Netflix near you soon!) With a younger Caitlyn in a violent society, she has no choice but to be violent herself... even if that undermines everything previously established about Piltover and about Caitlyn. This update has made Piltover just as ugly and oppressive as Demacia, Noxus, and Zaun. It’s just another army equipped to do violence, but now that violence is turned inwards. This isn’t protection, it’s control. It’s fear. It’s oppression. Caitlyn is no longer a peacekeeper. She’s a monster. Chopped and changed, as I feared, into something completely unrecognisable from how she began in a world that no longer looks like what it had been... or should be.

It’s hard to tell what came first, the change to Piltover or the change to Caitlyn. Either way, the changes are inextricably linked. Caitlyn was integral to Piltover’s modern state, and Piltover is integral to Caitlyn as a character. Her (original) drive was to make the city and all its people better; Piltover was a utopia because of the effort of Caitlyn, and of people like her, people who wanted a better world. This new iteration of Piltover - full of fear and violence and hypocricy, layered over Zaun in such a way that makes ham-fisted commentary about the wealth/class divide - undermines the value of the individual. It removes agency. It removes hope, which had been integral to Piltover. Piltover is no longer the CIty of Progress... it’s the City of ‘you better be rich and pretty if you want to progress’. And Caitlyn is no longer a force for good or a representative of responsibility, because those things don’t exist in Piltover anymore. Legends of Runeterra has turned Caitlyn into a bitch, someone to hate. She has a marked lack of respect for people, as demonstrated in her new character traits of ‘casually-racist’ (her lines to Veigar), ‘condescending’ (her lines to Viktor), with some added pride in her violence (’here’s my calling card *shoots gun*’ and ‘I aim to win and my aim is excellent’). She is a representative of her city, and she is a terrible person now. Piltover is terrible. Piltover is ugly. 

But Caitlyn avoids that last part. And she’ll get away with it, because she’s a hot twenty-something.

In 2015, I drew Caitlyn-as-Swain, as an AU for what might have been. The overwhelming response at the time was ‘aaa she’s so hot I’d follow that leader of Noxus’, prompting a good friend Swain RPer to comment that Swain - who was, at the time, the withered man in green and gold who needed a cane - was just as smart as Caitlyn if not more so, a proven capable leader, but when it comes down to it, sex-appeal will always trump characterisation and storytelling, and that’s disheartening for someone who puts so much work into stories, to context, to something deeper than ‘Just another MOBA’. And here I am, in 2021, looking at how Caitlyn has been stripped of her fascinating and complex characterisation while maintaining her long legs, long hair, and corsetted figure. Now, I do appreciate the fact they’ve given her a better costume than miniskirt and boobtube. She deserves so much better. I even commissioned back in 2015 for a Better Look for Caitlyn; Tom aka FaerieFountain went on to make her new look canon. But she’s supposed to be a detective. She’s supposed to be careful and methodical and mindful of her status and power. Instead, she’s been made gleefully violent, leaving a lot of depth behind in order to become just Hot Cop With Gun. (As an aside, was anyone else uncomfortable with Caitlyn’s high-school skin? Especially when the writer actually tweeted ‘step on me’? Hello? Ma’am? That is a high school student, that is a CHILD you are talking about? But Caitlyn is hot so it’s fine! Sexualise a child! it’s fine, she’s hot, it’s fine!) Almost everyone who has contacted me about Caitlyn’s LoR cards has been excited to see her. Good! She’s a great character! Or, she was. But the enthusiasm about her is tied to how she’s so violent, how she uses her power to abuse those who don’t conform. But she looks great, smoking hot, you know? And when she’s smoking hot, her dangerous and abusive behaviour and attitude are completely excused. An update to a character needs to take into account characterisation as well as the visuals. Her update, sadly, has focused on the all-too-prevalent problem of the viciousness of state-sponsored violence, rather than the complexity of detective work, of puzzle solving and intellectualism, but because she looks hot and speaks in that British accent, no-one’s going to care. Hot ladies can get away with so much, because legs and pouty lips, but I guess she’s also a cop or whatever.

And, as a momentary aside, why is an eco-terrorist suddenly Caitlyn’s longtime foe? It makes zero sense for Piltover and for Caitlyn that someone who plant-based powers is her biggest rival and the city’s biggest threat. Zero sense, until you take into account that Piltover has been stripped of its character and made into something more aligned with modern authoritarianism than the hopeful vibes of steampunk. Environmentalism? Not on my watch! Deploy the police (the good guys!) to silence the protesters (who are obviously the bad guys becase they’re protesting)! Because Piltover and Zaun are one city now, and therefore indistinguishable, we have a fucking Poison Ivy character causing enough trouble in Piltover to warrant entire fucking SWAT teams opening fire within the city limits and around peoples’ homes! Not Zaun, which is the environmental nightmare, but Piltover! With its fresh air and open skies! Yes, that’s a great place for an eco-terrorist to blame and/or try to fix! The whole thing is honestly so backwards! Like they’ve decided to make a cool character in the form of Corina and just shove her into the story, rather than finding a place in the narrative that suits her. The idea that Corina is C makes no sense. Caitlyn vs C is supposed to be Sherlock versus Moriarty, Ganimard versus Lupin, ACME versus Carmen Sandiego, world’s greatest detective against the world’s greatest thief. It focused on the intellectual battle, the need for self-improvement, and - most importantly! - that this was a fight that didn’t result in gunfire or people being put in bodybags. But we can’t have that in our fighting game! We can’t have people thinking, because that’s not the kind of game we have, it’s left-click-shoot out here on the Rift or in the cards. So now we have a woman with plant powers bombing Piltover, and a policewoman kicking down doors and opening fire. And she’s right there, in Caitlyn’s new splash art, within reaching distance of the sheriff!

She’s right there! In hot pink with a flower in her fucking hair! And Caitlyn doesn’t even notice? Looks like one of my major gripes about Caitlyn being updated - Incompetence - is rearing its ugly head. She cannot even see someone not five feet from her. Oooh, look out, Piltover, no-one can figure out why this single eco-terrorist is causing problems for years, but Caitlyn will figure it out! With her gun! Because she’s a cop with a gun, and cops with guns never cause more problems than they solve, right?

Look... I know. I know she’s not my character. I know that everything I’ve done is fan-interpretation. But I’ve worked for so long and hard and done so much research, and things I’ve done have even been seen by - and used by! - the company itself (not just in the ‘oh what a coincidence’ sense, either, I know my link on Hextech as a form of magic made it to several of the writers, some of whom later contacted me). I might be too jaded by all the disappointment to take it personally anymore, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still happen. We know Riot Games could be and should be better. So many people in this community - and people who have since moved on - put so much love and effort into the characters and the world, building up from scraps and guesswork and extrapolation. It wasn’t our world, but we enjoyed playing in it. We enjoyed struggling in it, because it pushed us to be thoughtful, creative, to be engaged and interested. Critical Theory doesn’t have to be negative... but this recent update to Caitlyn’s character and to Piltover as a whole is... it’s a step backwards. They’ve gone for the ‘ooh isn’t this gritty and dark’ approach, and swept away so much of what made the original so interesting, creative, engaging to begin with. They’d rather have controversy than people genuinely enjoying the thing that they’re opening their wallet for. 

Caitlyn was a detective who focused on responsibility, intellectualism, and care. What she is now is not the same Caitlyn they started with, and expresses a set of values that I do not support. This blog will continue to be focusing on the old lore, on what Piltover has been and what it should be: a hopeful utopia, a place for people to grow and be responsible and thoughtful and mindful of their place on the world stage. It’s not going to be perfect, but there’s hope, and there’s people here who want the world, and everyone in it, to be better than it is. I hope you join me, no matter who you are.

[imaginesandinserts]

Irreverent Pt. 39 - Dinner Party

Title: Irreverent Pt. 39 - Dinner Party Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader Rating: M Words: 5812

Irreverent Series Masterlist

Clyde was handling another assignment so you were working out of Quantico for the time being. You'd learned really quickly that not everyone had a Penelope Garcia at their disposal and you needed to skill up fast. You'd bribed her with concert tickets and a very handsome Elliot Greenberg as her escort in exchange for teaching you the basics.

Elliot worked for the white collar crime unit in New York after the BAU rejection and had recently made the transition to Quantico for sex crimes. The two of you had kept in touch over the years and he'd hit you up when he'd moved back. He'd broken up with his girlfriend back in New York for the job - which really just told you the girlfriend hadn't mattered all that much. Elliot was smart, good looking, and doing well at work but you knew he also had a nerdy streak that Garcia would appreciate.

It was kind of fun being on the other side of a case and watching Penelope in action. You figured it would be easiest to learn on the job so you'd stayed holed up in her office and the two of you worked together with the team on a case. She taught you how to do some of the less complex stuff and you got to flirt with Hotch anytime he called for an update - it was a win-win really.

When they got back, he'd decided to have everyone be home for a week and do reports and consults to coincide with your schedule. No one was really complaining about a week of no travel.

Aaron had gotten home before you as you'd had a late afternoon meeting with McKinney to update him on your progress. When you walk in, you can smell roasted spices wafting from the kitchen. Aaron had always enjoyed foods from other cuisines but with you he'd really embraced cooking it as well, since you'd lived all over and had curated your own recipes over the years. If your nose wasn't mistaken, he was trying his hand at your Chicken Vindaloo recipe.

You walk into the kitchen to see him wearing an apron and manning the stove while Jack sits at the island doing his homework.

"Hi baby." You greet Jack and place a quick kiss to his head before going over to observe Aaron's handiwork - it smelled pretty good and he already had the rice cooker going as well. Jack mumbled a hello and you could tell something was off. You raise an eyebrow at Aaron who mouths "Soccer" to you, peaking a glance backwards at Jack's head bent over his worksheets.

Aaron and you had decided to sign him up for soccer lessons, figuring it was a good age to get him into team sports and be a little more active in a structured setting. Apparently he wasn't taking it too well, though you couldn't fathom why.

You take a quick taste from the spatula that Aaron had been using to stir and add a little pinch of salt to the pan. He throws you a mock glare. "I was getting to it," he mutters, shooing you away.

You leave him to the cooking and go sit at the island by Jack. Grabbing a tangerine from the fruitbowl, you peel it and break off a piece. "Orange for your thoughts?" you ask Jack.

You can see him hesitate but he still reaches out for the small slice, putting his pencil down. "I don't want to do Soccer," he confesses, reaching for another piece. Aaron's back is turned and he appears to be bustling around the kitchen.

"What part of it do you not want to do?" You pop a piece of tangerine into your own mouth as well.

He seems to consider your question as he chews on another piece. "It seems messy and the other kids seem mean."

You and Aaron had taken Jack by the soccer field a couple of weeks ago and you realize he's referring to the mud covered kids all pushing one another. Jack was a sweet and sensitive kid and you could understand how that was maybe a stressful situation for him. But you also wanted him to give it a shot because it would be good to do some team activities - help him make some more friends and be more active.

"It does seem kind of messy," you agree. "But I don't think the other kids will be mean. You're good at making friends and as long as you're nice to them they'll be nice to you."

He thinks over your response and you know you can seal the deal. "If you don't like it after you give it a fair shot, then we can discuss. Is that okay?" Jack was a reasonable kid and you and Aaron tried to give him choices as much as possible.

"Okay, Y/N." Jack nods, grabbing the last piece of tangerine from your palm.

"You know," you lean in a bit to Jack, lowering your voice, "your family has a special history with soccer fields."

"We do?" He quirks an eyebrow at you and he looks so much like Aaron in that moment. The cheeks are all Haley but the expression is completely Aaron.

"Well, you know how your parents met, of course," you confirm with mock seriousness.

Jack smiles and nods. "Pirate #4"

You laugh, ruffling Jack's hair. Aaron had kept his word to Haley and he did his best to make her a part of Jack's life as much as you could. But you had a feeling this wasn't a story Jack knew yet. Jack had been obsessed with all of the Disney movies lately so you know he'd appreciate a good romance story.

"Yes, your parents met during the play. But your dad was quite the young soccer star when he was in high school." You look and see that Aaron is adding the finishing touches to dinner and undoubtedly listening in. Jack has turned fully to face you, bringing his chair a little bit closer to yours.

"Well, your mom started to go watch him practice and go to his games. After a game where your dad scored the winning goal," you pause as Jack hangs on every word, "they were hanging out on the field and your dad finally plucked up the courage and asked your mom to be his girlfriend."

"That's pretty cool, I guess." He smiles, turning to look at his dad. "But not as cool as Buttercup and Wesley. Can we watch The Princess Bride again after dinner?"

You and Aaron laugh as he nods and tells Jack to go get washed up for dinner. The three of you had already watched The Princess Bride a couple of times and Aaron insisted that Inigo Montoya looked exactly like his old boss, Gideon. He'd pulled up pictures to show you, but you just didn't see it. It was probably the longest argument the two of you had had in recent memory.

As Jack leaves, Aaron turns to look at you, his face identical to Jack's from earlier, eyebrow quirked just the same. You know he's wondering how you knew that story about him and Haley because it sure hadn't been from him.

"Jess and I bonded while you were gone," you explained with a small smile. "He should know your love story."

Aaron nods as you get up to get changed for dinner yourself. He adores that you go above and beyond to make sure that Jack feels connected to Haley. Sometimes, though, he worries that you end up minimizing your role in his and Jack's life in the process.

As far as Aaron was concerned, Jack got to be witness to his favorite love story.

*------------*

With the whole team at home base for the coming week, you and Aaron decided to host the long postponed dinner party that you had initially aimed to have as your relationship reveal party. Between the team jumping the gun on you and then all of the work and cases, it had gotten pushed back indefinitely. However, now seemed like the right time to do it. You'd planned it for the end of the week when both Henry and Jack were invited to a birthday sleepover and all of the adults had the next day off.

Emily, Derek, and Penelope were all bringing dates. Rossi was seeing Strauss but knew better than to invite her to a team thing. You still remembered worming that particular secret out of Aaron. You had known something was up when you'd happened to catch his face when Rossi told him. You'd been too far to actually hear what caused that face, so you'd brought it up later. In his defense, he'd valiantly tried to protect Rossi's secret, but you had your ways. When he'd finally given in and told you, you regretted having tried so hard to get it out of him. Rossi and Strauss. Just the thought of it made you shudder.

However, with that large of a group, you decided to get some outside help, though you'd still make dessert. You'd left for lunch to go meet with the caterer, taking Rossi along with you since he'd actually be helpful. Aaron was in some budget meetings through lunch anyways and you'd grabbed him a salad on the way back. You thanked Rossi for joining you and he took Aaron's food up with him as you turned to see Derek and Emily hanging out by her desk.

"Hey, so what'd Hotch mess up?" Derek asks as he sees you.

You're confused for a second as to what he means but then you catch sight of the large bouquet of flowers on your desk. Your heart stops. You recognize that arrangement - the ostentatious roses arranged artfully. You'd forgotten what day it was. After he missed last year, you'd thought he'd forgotten - that he'd moved past it finally. This was the first time they'd arrived at the office. Usually it was sent to your home so you could deal with it in private.

You approach your desk not bothering to look for a note. Quickly, you pick them up and place the bouquet in your trash can, in the hope that no one else would see them. Both Derek and Emily eye you curiously.

You have to make sure your voice will come out steadily before you speak. "They're not from Aaron."

You hope they'll just go back to their conversation as you sit down in your chair, your mind whirling. You'd have to deal with this situation. Him sending them to work was an obvious escalation and to what end, you couldn't be sure.

From the corner of your eye, you see Derek stand from his spot on Emily's desk. He walks towards you with purpose and before you can stop him, he's reached into the trash can and fished out the note.

"Matthew? He's sending you flowers?" His voice is low and he looks troubled, holding the note in his hands and taking a seat on your desk instead. Seemed like him and Emily had decided he'd deal with it, as she was conspicuously missing, leaving just you and Derek in the bullpen.

You sigh internally. It had been too much to hope that they would've just ignored it. "It's our anniversary," you explain, looking around and making sure there wasn't anyone else around. "He didn't take the break up well. Now he sends flowers every year to torture me - though usually he's tactful enough to send them to the house."

Your revelation does nothing to ease Derek's mind. If anything he looks even more worried now than before. "So he's escalating. Trying to get your attention."

"He's not going to actually do anything," you say, trying to sound reassuring. "I can handle it, Derek." You place a hand on his knee closest to you and look firmly up at him. The last thing you needed was for Derek to be all worried and nosey about the situation. Or worse, for him to tell… "Do not tell Aaron."

He looks at you as though you're stupid and you can tell he's going to argue with you, but you really don't want to bother Aaron with this. Not in the one week you guys have at home together. "I mean it, Derek. He has a thousand other things to worry about. My sociopath ex does not need to be one of them."

Derek frowns and you know he's racing through the thousand cases you guys have done on stalker exes and escalation. Luckily for you, Matthew was too lazy to actually stalk anyone. Unluckily, he still found the time to order you flowers to remind you that he'd once been a very large part of your life. You didn't even like roses. With a glance up to Hotch's office, Derek nods, knowing he won't be able to convince you otherwise right now. He drops the note back into the trash can as Emily returns and you all go back to pretending to work.

It's late afternoon when you hear Hotch calling your name from the upstairs landing. "Y/N, can you come up here please?"

You'd gotten very little done, your mind whirling with what to do about the Matthew situation. You just wanted it to be over. You briefly wonder if Aaron wants to talk about the meeting with the caterers or Jack's schedule for the following week when the two of you will both be away. You enter his office, closing the door behind you.

"Hey, what's going on?" You walk in and take a seat on his couch. The blinds facing the bullpen are closed, but the ones facing outside are open, casting a warm glow around the room. Curiously, he hasn't moved back to his desk and is standing in front of you, with a concerned look on his face.

"When were you going to tell me about the Matthew situation?" he asks, placing his left hand on his hip and looking every bit the part of SSA Aaron Hotchner instead of your boyfriend.

You let out a breath. You couldn't believe Derek had told him, after you'd specifically asked him not to. And now he had that furrowed brow and the concerned face and he has a deadline from Strauss on the new budget. This wasn't what he needed right now and you knew it would distract from everything else.

You grit your teeth and stand up, ignoring his voice, and open the door to his office to scan the bullpen until you catch sight of who you're looking for. "Agent Morgan," you call out, "could you please join us up here?"

Derek looks up at you before he quickly walks upstairs and enters Hotch's office. He goes and stands by Hotch while you close the door once again, undoubtedly knowing what this was about. The two of them made quite the image - frowns marring both of their faces though Aaron's was less pronounced. I knew moisturizing was a good call.

Squaring your shoulders, you cross your arms across your chest, facing the two of them. "Figured it was more efficient to just talk to you both together. Save you the trouble of finding each other afterwards," you say, your tone hinting at how annoyed you were. Not that either one of them had the decency to look ashamed. If anything they looked defiant.

Aaron started to speak but you cut him off.

"You two need to realize that I can handle my own problems. If I say Matthew isn't an issue, trust me. If I say I have it handled, believe me that I do."

"No." You expected that, but not from Derek. Maybe from Aaron, but not from Derek.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, no. Not with our jobs. Not knowing what we do. I'll tell Hotch, I'll tell the whole team. The more people on the lookout the better."

"I -"

"Morgan's right. So, let's figure out what to do."

"There's nothing to do. He sent flowers, not a bomb. Leave it alone. If the worst thing he does is send me flowers once a year - well people have dealt with worse. You're both overreacting."

"You expect us to do nothing? What about when he escalates?"

"He won't!"

"You can't possibly know that." His entire demeanor is stiff and tense and he's aggravated with you for not taking this as seriously as he is.

"I was with him for four years, Aaron. Trust me. I know him. He has nothing to gain from an escalation and everything to lose. He's married, he doesn't exactly want me back. He just hates that I dumped him and once a year he remembers that and gets pissed off and drunk and in his own passive aggressive way, chooses to do this. It's not worth any of us wasting a second more of our time on!"

Derek looks like he'd rather be anywhere but standing in the middle of the two of you at that moment.

Aaron breathes out slowly before he speaks, as though if he takes a moment it'll prevent him from shaking you into seeing it his way. "I still would like for the team to be on alert. Just in case." It would appear he'd decided on the reasonable approach.

You groan, but know that's the best you're about to get. At your nod, Aaron and Derek exchange a look before Derek moves to leave the room.

"Hey," you stop him as his hand touches the doorknob. "Next time I ask you to not tell my crazy, overprotective boyfriend something. Just don't."

He grimly shakes his head at you. "No promises."

You narrow your eyes at him. The two of you will be discussing this later.

Turning away from you, he nods at Hotch before opening the door and closing it behind him.

Aaron sighs before sitting down on the couch next to you. "Why wouldn't you just tell me?" he asks, as though he's afraid of the answer.

You know he's genuinely worried about you and grasping at the implication of you not telling him about this. You reach across the couch cushion and grab his hand, squeezing it. His fingers intertwine with yours instantly.  

"Aaron, if I thought - for even a second- that this was some sort of actual threat, you'd be the first person I'd tell."

Which was the truth. If there was any chance that Matthew was a threat to Aaron or Jack, you'd have told him immediately. As it stood, however, your ex boyfriend was nothing more than a coward who got off on his little annual psychological warfare.

He nods, his mouth a straight line.

You spend a few more minutes in his office reassuring him properly (How convenient that the blinds were already shut), before leaving him to finish up the rest of his work.

*------------*

Derek watches from the bullpen as you exit Hotch's office, not a hair out of place, though he could imagine that hadn't been the case a minute earlier. He sees your eyes dart around furtively before making a quick phone call. You say barely two words before hanging up.

*------------*

Ricky Costello had the self-assured charm of a boy who had never questioned his place in life. He'd grown up scrawny and had to learn how to fight and stand up for himself. As he'd grown older and filled out some, people knew better than to pick on him or anyone he was friends with. He was loyal, headstrong, and the smartest of the family - which is why his father had pulled some strings and gotten him into a good school where he could learn something and be of some use to the family.

You'd met Ricky in your accounting class when he'd tried to partner with you for a project, thinking you'd do all the work for him. He'd had to rethink that strategy when you'd shown up at his dorm room, pretended to be his girlfriend to get rid of his flavor of the week, and then promised to continue ruining his chances with every gullible freshman unless he did his share of the work. Needless to say, the two of you had the best project in the class.

You arrived at the bar he'd texted you the address to. It was in a quiet street just off central downtown and at six in the evening, there were only commuters headed back home. No one paid much attention to you as you quickly looked around before entering.

The place was mostly empty save for an older couple seated at a table in the corner. You see Ricky seated at the bar and you make your way towards him. Feeling someone approach, he turns around, a grin breaking out on his face when he sees you.

"Hi Doll," he stands and wraps you in a hug that lifts you off the ground and elicits a small squeal of surprise.

"Hi Ricky." Your face lights up at the sight of him. It had been a while.

He indicates to the bartender for another round, before guiding you to a small table at the other corner of the bar. He pulls out a chair for you as the bartender sets down two glasses of scotch.

"Cheers," he says, lifting his glass and clinking it with yours. "To seeing old friends."

"Cheers," you smile, taking a sip, your eyes studying him. He looked older, the beginnings of grey could be seen near his temples. His leather jacket hugged him just right and he'd grown out his usual stubble into a full, well-kept beard. His smile was still very much him - a little cocky and every bit as affectionate as you remembered it.

The two of you drink for a while as he catches you up on all the drama your old group had gone through recently - the weddings, the breakups, the kids. It was odd to have missed out on all of it.

"So, tell me, why'd you really call?" he asks, leaning back in his chair, his hand playing with the rim of his glass.

You take a breath, mimicking his posture. "Matthew is planning on running for Congress."

He takes in your pursed lips and the tenseness of your shoulders. "I heard," he says slowly, deliberately. "Been meaning to pay him a visit. Congratulate him."

"Congratulate him for me too."

The quirk of his lips tells you he knows why you're telling him this. There was no love lost between Matthew and Ricky. If they were in the same room they were bound to get into it. You'd done your best to keep them sequestered in different parts of your life - however some events were inevitably meant for larger groups.

He nods with a soft laugh, before indicating to the bartender for a second round, which is delivered promptly.

"You should come back, Y/N. Give up the straight laced thing. The crew, we miss you, doll." His voice is earnest and for a moment you see the hint of the boy who'd confided all his secrets to you during study sessions that had bled into the early morning hours.

You smile, and your voice catches ever so slightly. "I've met someone - and well, he's pretty much as straight laced as they come."

Ricky laughs at that and you know he's just a little surprised. "What's his name?"

"Aaron." His name feels right at home in your mouth.

"Nice Catholic boy?" His face is one of boyish teasing.

"I always did have a thing for those," you joke. And you know, you know Ricky will take that in the friendly manner that it was meant.

The two of you wrap up and Ricky closes out the tab before walking you back to your car. As you're about to pull out of the parking spot, he leans into your window, placing the lightest of kisses to your cheek.

"Tell your boy Aaron, he's the luckiest guy in the world."

*------------*

You hear the front door open and close as Aaron arrives, having dropped Jack off at the birthday party sleepover he was invited. You'd spent the day making sure you'd made enough tiramisu for all the guests while both Jack and Aaron snuck bites of it when your back was turned.

You've just finished dusting off the final pan with cocoa powder, when you feel Aaron's arms circle your waist from behind. You have to slap his hand away as it makes its way into the dessert. Him and Jack had polished off half a pan that morning and at this rate, you'd have none left for the actual guests.

"You can't eat all of the dessert before the guests get here. At this rate, you're pretty much cut off from it entirely. I don't think I can make it again if you and Jack are going to be like this," you scold, turning and poking at his stomach.

He doesn't have the decency to look even a little embarrassed. He just smiles and shrugs, his arms encircling your waist again. "I'll just have to find something else to eat instead, I guess."

His words send a spike of heat and desire through you. The two of you had been making the most of being home at the same time and every night had ended with him between your legs - one way or another.

Shaking your head, you escape his hold and move to clear the island for the caterers. He was relentless, however.

"You expect to wear this and have me keep my hands to myself?" His voice is a deep rumble behind you as his arms cage you against the island countertop and his mouth finds your pulse point. He's referring to the off shoulder dress you'd changed into while he'd been gone, highlighting your collarbone magnificently. It flared out from the waist, making you look like the epitome of the perfect housewife you had once been destined to become.

"I'd hoped you'd at least wait till the end of the night," you retort. His arms are warm and his chest firm behind you and you really didn't have it in you to push him away again. You were pretty helpless against him.

"I always like to get a head start." You can hear the humor in his voice as he pushes you against the counter a little more firmly, his arms coming from around you to clear the space right in front.

"Aaron." His name escapes you with a soft sigh as he plants warm kisses along your neck down to your exposed shoulders. He sweeps your hair to the front, lips traveling down your spine as his hands move underneath your dress, finding the waistband of your underwear and then slipping inside to find you wet, warm, and waiting for him.

He lets out a groan at the feel of you and can't help but grind himself against you. He knows he's working against the clock and is surprised you've let him get this far.

You let out a sharp gasp as his thumb presses against your clit and he inserts two fingers deep within you. He had the art of getting you to come, down to a near science. He quickly pumps his fingers in and out, his thumb rubbing your clit in repeated circles. With his other hand he brings your head around and captures your lips. The press of his lips against yours is a feeling you'll never tire of you.

You come embarrassingly quick, fluttering around his fingers, your back arched and your ass grinding into his hard length behind you. He turns you around, his mouth hot and needy against yours. When you pull away, his eyes are blown wide and there's a sheen of sweat on his forehead from the exertion of keeping himself from simply plowing into you.

You make quick work of his belt buckle and help him work his jeans and underwear down, eager to have him in you. With one eye on the clock behind you, he hoists you up to the countertop, placing you on the edge, and enters you swiftly, eliciting a loud groan from you.

"Fuck, sweetheart. Always so ready for me. Always tight…wet." His voice is rough and low and makes the coil in your stomach tighter and your breath come out harsher. He moves efficiently, his head tucked into the crook of your neck and his arms working to keep you balanced on the edge.

His breath is warm against your neck, and he's panting and leave wet open kisses to any skin available to him. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he thrusts into you. You're close and you know he is too based on how irregular his movement is becoming.

You remove one hand from his shoulder, pulling on his hair to move his head enough to reach his mouth in a lazy kiss. He groans into your mouth as he comes, drawing your orgasm out right after, causing you to tremble against him.

As you come down, you're entirely slumped against his chest and he's moved you to sit more firmly on the island. You know you look nowhere near as presentable as you did fifteen minutes prior, but you're finding it hard to be too upset about it.

Still, you can't help but be a little bratty about it. "I'm going to have to redo my makeup," you whine against him.

Laughing breathlessly, he picks you up to carry you upstairs. It was a wonder he had the strength to do that right after. You could barely stand up when he deposited you outside the shower.

The two of you work quickly to get cleaned up and Aaron is the one to let the caterers in as you redo your hair and makeup. You fish out another dress - one with sleeves and a higher neckline. You couldn't afford to be pulled into the coat closet with people around.

*------------*

An hour and a half later, the party is in full swing. Emily had brought Henry Eastwood - Senator Williams's Chief of Staff. The two of you had run into him while out shopping a few weeks back and having recognized you, had come up to say hello. You had a feeling that had Emily not been with you, he would've entirely ignored some girl his boss had dated for a few weeks a year or so ago. However, you couldn't deny that they made a handsome couple.

Penelope had brought Elliot - the two of them had really hit it off and you were happy to see her smiling and laughing with someone. You'd given in and allowed Rossi to bring Strauss and you were pleasantly surprised to see her being on her best behavior around Aaron. Derek had brought Savannah and they were talking to JJ and Will.

You walked to the kitchen to open up another bottle of wine and refill everyone's glasses. It seemed Savannah had followed you, empty glass in hand. Laughing, you top off her glass with the almost empty bottle in hand, before opening the next one.

"Thanks for having everyone over," she says, taking a drink from her glass.

"Of course. Aaron and I honestly meant to do this ages ago, but work got away from us."

You have a feeling Savannah wants to talk to you about something else, however, so you don't say much more, trying to give her the chance to speak up.

She looks around a little nervously, but seems to make up her mind. "You're different for Derek, you know. Different from Emily and Penelope. He's very protective of you."

"I'm protective of him too," you respond softly. You know what she means however. You and Derek had gone through the worst thing in the world together and only came out the other end because of one other.

"Savannah, you have nothing to worry about," you reassure her, knowing that's what she really needed at the moment. Her and Derek hadn't had much time together lately and you could understand feeling insecure. "Derek loves you and you're good for him. You challenge him and you're the first girl I've seen him be so head over heels for."

She smiles and you know that helped a bit. "Thanks."

The two of you each grab a bottle and head back to the main living room. As you pour more wine into Dave's glass, you catch Aaron's eye and you feel warmth pooling in your stomach, the promise of a good night ahead of you. You walk around the room and top off everyone, making sure there's enough appetizers still out.

Derek offers to help you carry back the empty platters and follows you into the kitchen. "So, I heard something interesting today," he says, placing the platters on the counter.

You hum, as you grab more of the stuffed mushrooms from the warmer and arrange them on the empty platter.

"Cops responded to a call about a break in in New Hampshire, placed by someone's neighbor," he pauses and he knows you're listening. "When they get there, guy living in the house was obviously beat up, but his wife seemed alright. Just a little shaken up. Funny thing is - dude refused to press charges, even though cops could tell that the house had been broken into."

Your posture has gotten incredibly stiff as he spoke. He knows. You don't say anything, simply look at him apprehensively.

"Tell me," he continues, "what's the Italian mob's going rate to put the fear of God in someone?"

You take a breath, before meeting his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't. Probably get the friends and family discount," he trails off, grabbing the platter and walking out of the kitchen.

Crap. He really did know. He knew about Ricky. Which meant he'd probably gotten Penelope involved as well.

Quickly composing yourself, you carry the other platter out, joining him by the appetizer table.

"Derek - "

"Don't worry. Garcia won't say anything."

You look at him, and you know he won't either.

"Thank you."

He nods, popping another mushroom in his mouth and smiling at you. He wouldn't be doubting you again when you said you had something under control.

He wouldn't tell anyone. When Hotch asks him later about the Matthew situation, all he'd say was that it was handled. Hotch would pause, look at him, but then trust Morgan to know that it was really handled.

[amazildoessomethingstupid]

Chapter 68: December

Hey guys, welcome back.  As you can tell by the title, we have a very special rant in store.  As you guys may know, this rant series is meant to be about me catching up with BCB and where it’s been going recently, and give my thoughts about it.  But today we are going to be doing something a little different, instead we are going to go back.  And I mean WAY back.  To one of if not the most notorious, the most infamous chapter in all of Bittersweet Candy Bowl.  That’s right boys and girls…

WARNING: Very long Tumblr breaking rant below the break.

If you’re wondering why I’m doing this, it’s mostly because I wanted to do another Let’s Rant video but most of the boys don’t know about BCB.  So when I made comparisons to December, they didn’t really understand what I was talking about.  And I know that some of you new viewers may not understand why people hate December as much as we do.  To really understand, you must put yourself in the shoes of a dedicated reader.  Back to the year of 2011, a simpler time.  A dark time.  And we start off with one of my personal favorite pages in Bittersweet Candy Bowl.

SNOW.  FUCKING SNOW!

FUCK. YEEEAAAAAAAH! LET’S HEAR IT FOR FUCKING SNNNNNNOOOOOWWWWWWWW!

Alright that may seem like an over reaction, but let me set the stage for you alright, because at the time that this chapter came out I was a dedicated reader.  And I mean full blown fan, waiting for the hour to change to read the pages as they came out.  And at this time, Taeshi was going through a real rough time and it was quite apparent to everyone who was in the community.  The plot seemed to stagnate, and there wasn’t much happening.  Taeshi’s behavior had grown very strained and it was the common consensus that she needed to take a break.  

So she did, and in order to take a break the upload schedule turned to two pages a week… The problem was that up to this point, Bittersweet Candy Bowl was uploading on an every other day upload schedule.  Now the problem that comes when you slow down your schedule like that, is that it’s meant to be temporary, or that you compensate that with content in the pages and chapter that makes the wait more bearable or at least less tedious…

Now with all that in mind. Imagine if you will, that you had to wait 4 days for a new page to start a new chapter, and you were greeted by…

FUCKING SNOW! And a dread filled your heart as you realized you’d have to stare at snow for another full 2 days before you could look at something else, and hope that it’s more interesting than fucking. Snow.

The next page does not disappoint though, because now we actually have characters! And dialogue!

And look a joke, haha! Except

Look at all the characters in this page.  You got Daisy, you got Paulo, you got abbey, you got David, you got sir Noodles, and you got a reinforcing action to remind us about how Abbey and Paulo’s relationship is.

Guess how how many or which of these characters actually matter in this chapter or have an effect on it. Can you guess?

Yup, yeah that’s right none of em.  Not a single fucking one of these characters matter.  Not a single fucking thing in this page fucking matters at all, it barely even constitutes as a set up for the rest of the chapter.  Congratulations, we just wasted a week of your time. Actually I was wrong, you know what the one and only thing that this page does that means anything?

There! That one fucking line.  You waited a whole fucking week to digest two pages and all it really tells you that you didn’t know is what FUCKING TIME IT IS! EXCEPT EVEN THAT IS TOLD TO YOU

BY THE TITLE OF THE FUCKING CHAPTER! I am losing my shit this early because I want to make it abundantly clear just how infuriating this chapter was to read.  This was when I realized we were in for a LONG ride.  To better understand this, the chapters that preceded this one were centered around Lucy’s slow decline into depression, after her friendship with Mike had become fractured leading to her isolating (or at least distancing herself) from Mike (and the rest of the gang by proxy). This chapter was billed to be the culmination of all that fallout, which makes this pacing SO GRATING.

Thankfully page 3 actually does have characters that matter, and it actually is a set up for what the chapter is going to be centered around which is the kids working on a World War 2 Essay.  

And we finally get a bit of substance to sink our teeth into! But before we go any further I should tell you a bit about my. Man. Mike. So Mike is a moody bitch.  I talked a bit about what happened to Lucy, but Mike despite literally NOTHING happening to him directly since then aside from the rest of the gang not understanding why he wanted to separate from Lucy is still being moody and bitchy.  And here we see him reach PEAK MOODY MIKE!

Haha that’s an actually good joke.  I appreciated that when it came out.  

And so, because Mike is being a moody bitch he ends up sealing his fate and is paired with Lucy. And for a second here, I had hope. Since Taeshi is pretty much declaring how frustrating and stupid Mike’s moodiness has been for the past number of chapters.  Also while we’re here, I’d like to point out how everyone in this page apparently got their arm lopped off.  I mean look!

At least Lucy was able to find her right arm at the end there.  But also, look at Abbey!

Oh look at him, you can see how he cares about Mike’s position on distancing from Lucy!  Awww such a good friend.  Oh he’s definitely not going to make a heel turn and accuse others of not caring about Mike!

I am so glad I saved that image.

Anyway the next page is Mike and Lucy deciding to go to the library to work on the essay.

And then the page after that is Lucy trying to make an effort to ease the awkwardness, while Mike gives her the cold shoulder. Congratulations.  We have spent a week, walking to the fucking library.

The monotony is broken up though, as we get to see that Augustus is at this library.

It doesn’t stop the back and forth that we just got in the last two pages from continuing though, and as a reminder this is all that we’ve been given to sustain ourselves for three whole weeks!

At least Augustus is able to break up this feet-dragging by giving us SOMETHING different to talk about.

Ooh look, something actually interesting! We get some insight into Lucy and Augustus’ relationship. For context, Augustus has been a very interesting side-character; one of the best.  And his relationship with Lucy is a pretty nice one with its own complexities and great chemistry.  As I’ve mentioned before, Lucy had spent the last few chapters isolating herself from Mike to try to let things cool off and respect his wishes.  In that time, she ended up finding company in Augustus, the resident bad boy.  He was suspected of attempted rape on Daisy, but we’re not talking about that.

Well maybe a little.

Lucy expresses what she’s dealing with and like before, she’s trying to find understanding from Augustus.

And he is having NONE OF IT! As someone who actually has serious problems, he calls Lucy out for being a privileged blue-eyed white cat whose only problem in life is being rejected by someone she loves.  

But Augustus does give Lucy some advice, in how he sees and deals with his situation.  Showing that while he does think Lucy is stupid for even thinking about killing herself over Mike, he does want to help her.  It’s just…

He’s wrong.  He’s so fucking wrong.

We now know through the power of hindsight, that Abbey and Daisy’s relationship was a total sham! It wasn’t a healthy loving relationship at all! It was all a lie!

GOTTA LOVE THEM RETCONS AMIRITE?!

Nah we haven’t even STARTED to begin.

Anyway, Augustus leaves and we’re back to this bullshit.  Now Mike’s not just being moody, he’s being judgy!

Oh no, fuck you Lucy! I don’t want anything to do with you, I want you to be out of my life!

Hey, what are you doing, talking and having a conversation with someone I don’t care about?  Stop being such a leech! Just because I don’t want you to be in my life, doesn’t mean you can just go and move on to find company in other people!  Why don’t you just die alone and unloved like I tell you to?!

But don’t worry right after, Lucy breaks the ice and gets a smile out of the boy!

It’s a breath of fresh air, and we see the dynamic with the two is still there and-

No, I didn’t buy that when this page came out either. It’s meant to portray that Lucy can make Mike feel better and break him out of his funk, but…yeah at this point I knew better. By the way, it has now been one whole month of December.

And we’re only a third of the way through.

And thankfully we’re out of the library.  And even more fortunately…

Taeshi learned that you don’t have to spend two whole updates on moving your characters from one location to the other!  She’s learned you can smash two pages together and NOT WASTE YOUR AUDIENCE’S FUCKING TIME!

As for the actual content of this page, Lucy and Mike go to Mike’s house and we get a bit of Lucy interacting with Mike’s family, and how they get along well.  Mike’s still moody as ever though, and we get our first glimpse that things aren’t perfect for him.  Also

RIP the boy, Chris. he ain’t dead but I do miss him.

Anyway, the two go to Mike’s room to study, and it’s still awkward until Lucy breaks the silence!

Old joke is old, but I love it nonetheless.

Okay, enough foolin’ around. Actually Lucy decides that she’s tired of pussyfooting around, and decides to say, “fuck it” and let off some steam by playing some video games like old times!

Mike is of course denying it and content in stewing in his anger. But lucy is adamant about doing something to break this stupid cycle of drama.  I like it.  Even though I didn’t buy the bit of Lucy making Mike laugh by showing a funny face, this one I do like.  And while some (especially at the time) would point to this as an example of Lucy emotionally manipulating Mike to get what she wants in making him not angry at her, I would say-

SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME HAVE THIS ONE, JUST THIS ONCE!  I HAVE BEEN SO GOD DAMN CONTENT STARVED, THIS FUCKING DRAMA HAS BEEN GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS!  MIKE AND LUCY HAVEN’T TALKED OR ADVANCED THEIR POSITIONS IN MONTHS! LET ME EMBRACE THIS ONE LIGHT IN DARKNESS BEFORE IT IS SNUFFED OUT!  LET. ME. HAVE. HOPE.

THANK YOU!

And so after a bit of a timelapse we get to see Mike and Lucy playing together, and how the turns tabled!

It’s great, and we even get a glimpse at how Lucy has been progressing herself.  Perhaps the improvement in gaming being a metaphor of her own self-improvement.

We even get a bit of Mike reflecting and thinking how it is nice.  And remembering that Lucy isn’t really that bad.

The scene continues, and we get a peek into Mike’s circumstance.  As Mike kind of reveals that he himself has felt quite alone without Lucy there.  And it’s really touching, it’s good character development.

And Lucy continues to take initiative to stop the awkwardness, by giving Mike a distraction. Not looking to fill the hole in his heart, not looking to force him to accept her.  But allowing him to enjoy himself in the moment.  It’s nice.  It’s…

Really…nice…

Y’know…

It really was nice.

Ladies and gentlemen.

This is December.

[redacted due to Tumblr purposes.  insert the entire Mike yelling scene from January here]

One month.   That’s how long this scene lasted in real-time. Everyone who was a fan in 2011, everyone who had been so deeply invested in these characters watching them grow, interact, struggle, and suffer for years.  All of them could only watch for one entire month as Taeshi ripped their hearts out. People defended this scene when it came out.  There’s still people who defend this scene to this day, saying that Mike was right.  I wasn’t one of those people.  When this scene came out, I was shocked.  I couldn’t understand what was going on, but I knew it was wrong.  It was the first time I ever got into a discussion about BCB, because I just had to understand what the fuck was happening and why.  Why is this happening?  Why would Mike do this?  How is this possible?  And the only response I got, was that I just couldn’t understand.  And y’know…

They were right.  I didn’t understand.  I was never really abused as a child.  I never had bad friends, or was really bullied (except one time).  There was no way I could grasp what the fuck just happened.  Which felt so bizarre, because when this chapter came out…I was 15. I was the same age as these characters and I couldn’t fathom doing what Mike just did.  I couldn’t imagine any of my friends saying what Mike just said. And yet everyone else seemed to understand, to the point I thought that I was the weird one.   Did I just fucking win the social lottery or something and just not have any shitty friends?

Maybe so…But y’know after all these years, stewing and thinking about December which has haunted me as I’m sure it has, many other readers.  And after all this time, running it around my head, and arguing about it, I think I finally understand.  I get it…I finally get what Mike’s saying here.

That being said, no this scene is still bullshit.

Now let me tell you why.

First of all, look at this face.

Just look at this dopey doe-eyed cute cat right here, BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER SEE THAT AGAIN.

But just to recap, let’s start with the actual preamble to the bullshit.  Mike gets a text from Sandy which makes him revert back to his moody Mike self.  And I will say at least here, Mike is in character.  He’s been a bitch this whole chapter, and he’s just snapping back to it because he is reminded “Oh yeah, Sandy exists!” so he tells Lucy to beat it.

Lucy is understandably frustrated because we were seeming to finally get to a better place between these two characters.  And instead of Mike being upfront about what his problem is, he chooses to shutdown the conversation and act like there’s nothing.  Or to put it in another way…

So what exactly is causing Mike to revert to his moody mode?

Right, right, of course. It’s because Sandy’s coming!  And just to catch up those of us blessed enough to not remember…

This is Sandy.  Mike’s long time long-distance girlfriend and central conflict for BCB for the last…well for pretty much most of BCB at this point.  Mike loves her, bordering on the point of obsession.  To where most of his actions in BCB can be linked directly to Sandy.  We’ll get to that later, but this is all you really need to know right now.  Just briefly keep it in mind,

Lucy is surprisingly taking it in stride, or at least trying to be supportive of Mike and Sandy’s relationship.  Obviously it does hurt her, but she is trying to make the best of it.  Taking what Augustus had said to heart, in accepting Mike and Sandy’s relationship but still trying to be there for Mike.  Using that to grow and maybe be a stronger person.

But sadly…this is December.

And nothing is allowed to grow in December.

Well…yes.  Partly because we were literally told NINE PAGES AGO!

I believe this is what the kids call…gaslighting. But I prefer to call it

BULLSHIT!

But now we’re getting into it…

Let’s dig into the real hard bullshit of December.

You ready?

I’m ready.

Yes, right.  Lucy is a bitch who has absolutely nothing for Mike, and never acted like a friend, or god forbid did something selfless for Mike like oh I don’t know…

Risking her life to try to save you from drowning, when she herself couldn’t swim and knew it could very well lead to her death.

Or what about when she was almost raped, and put literally put herself between you and danger!

TWICE! Wait, what the hell? They changed Confrontation! She’s supposed to say…

Because before mike got pinned he was saying…

That was like an actually cool and bad ass line.  One of the best moments in BCB, why would you change it?  Why would you change it to something as soft as that? And I’m the guy who wrote a comic where the moral of the story is that you can solve everything through the power of friendship!

But I digress.  Was Lucy mean to Mike?  Yeah.  Did she pick on him a lot in the early chapters? Sure!  But here’s the thing that people seem to forget about those early volumes…

Mike was kind of a little shit back then!

Lucy often picked on Mike because he was doing something wrong like trying to treat her like Sandy.

And lest you forget, Mike was more than capable of doing the exact same things!

Yes Lucy picked on Mike, but Mike also gave shit to Lucy.  They both were active participants in giving shit to one another, but no it’s not bullying.  It’s giving someone shit for doing something stupid, to keep them grounded, it’s a form of support that helps to build someone up not just through violent means, but because you care enough to want them to stop being stupid.  And as the saying goes, “A good friend will hold you and support you to tell you everything will be okay no matter what. Your best friend, will kick you in the side and tell you to stop being a pussy and get over it.”

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS FUCKING DO! THEY DON’T LIFT YOU UP! THEY MAKE YOU PICK YOURSELF UP! AND Y’KNOW WHY MIKE IS THINKING THIS WAY?  YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT THE FUCKING CHERRY ON TOP OF THIS BULLSHIT CAKE IS?!

Sandy…

Mother…Fucking…Sandy. Up to this point Sandy herself had little to no presence as a person in this story. I mean she had an effect on a lot of things, but as an actual character we never got to see much of her personality outside of one standalone chapter: To the Top which only served to give us a shallow and basic understanding of her character.  But even then, as far as actual personality, writing, hobbies, and chemistry we really didn’t get much at all as far as understanding who she is. The only things we knew for certain was that she’s in a long-term long-distance relationship with Mike. She’s a model.  She goes to school.  And she’s beautiful.  That’s it. But that in and of itself doesn’t make Sandy a bad character.  I mean for cryin’ out loud, two my favorite characters that I shoe-horn into all my projects are McCain and Carter.  And they’re the most one-note characters in this comic! No, the problem with Sandy isn’t that we don’t know anything about her.  It’s that despite us knowing nothing about her, Sandy has her fingerprints on almost every fucking conflict in Bittersweet Candy Bowl.  And worse, the only purpose she seems to have on the comic is INFLUENCING MIKE! Let me pull some examples…

Mike and Lucy go on an adventure into the city which fleshes out the inner problems in their relationship.

Because Sandy might be there.

Mike and Lucy are starting to act awkward with each other, and it’s making everyone take notice. Why?

Because Mike is delusional about Sandy.

In the chapter directly after that, Mike is now suddenly obnoxiously happy and giddy, why?

Because he finally got to talk with Sandy!

It’s Christmas time, and Tess is having a party and Mike’s coming, why?

BECAUSE OF FUCKING SANDY!

Mike rebuffs Daisy’s advances during the carnival date…why?

Because of Sandy!

Although, to be fair of course there WAS a lot of other things going on in that scene, primarily Daisy being REALLY pushy, and needy.  So it’s not JUST because of Sandy.  It was because we just weren’t ready for Slut Daisy. The Free Daisy.

Tess is organizing a group vacation trip to Acapulco!

And what’s this? Mike doesn’t want to go? Is it because he thinks Lucy is gonna go and he wants to separate himself from her? Is it because he’s finally woken up and decided to stand up for himself?!

NO YOU FUCKING IDIOT! IT’S BECAUSE OF MOTHER FUCKING SANDY! AND THE WORST PART OF IT ALL, IS THAT NONE OF THESE SCENES ARE EVER DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF SANDY’S ACTIONS AS A PERSON! IT’S LITERALLY JUST BECAUSE SHE EXISTS! YOU COULD MAKE UP ANYTHING ABOUT SANDY, AND SHE WOULD STILL HAVE THE SAME FUCKING IMPACT ON THE STORY THAT SHE HAS HAD UP TO THIS POINT! All that Sandy’s character has been used for is just a means of influencing Mike!

And that’s not a character…that’s a plot device.  

And nothing makes that point more clear…than this scene.

We get a scene where Mike is talking with Sandy, and he shows how over and over, Lucy’s jabs and abuses which were played for laughs in Volume 1 apparently were a super serious problem and we should’ve seen them as such.  Now as a reader, I didn’t buy that for a fucking second, for reasons I’ve already explained.  However, Sandy being on the other side of that long-distance relationship doesn’t fully understand the situation.  But still she’s very worried and concerned for Mike, which leads to this.

Sandy making Mike hate Lucy. Some have pointed out that this is actually a good scene.  Because here we get to see that Sandy at least cares about Mike.  Except that, if you strip away those tears, and all the bullshit.  What little characterization we get here, which is shit we already know in Sandy caring about Mike and Lucy’s relationship.  Is something we should already know.  She’s in a long-term long-distance relationship with Mike SHE FUCKING BETTER CARE ABOUT LUCY! The problem though, is like I said… Sandy isn’t treated like a fucking character.  She’s treated like a fucking plot device! If she were an actual character, we should’ve seen her actually have a back and forth with Mike.  The whole conversation about Lucy should’ve come up a LONG time ago.  Because if she were treated like an actual character with agency…

She would’ve already known this.  

You telling me that after how many phone calls, in the time that elapsed between these phone scenes Mike never actually told her about Lucy; the other biggest part of his life?!  Did Mike never tell her about the amount of times that Lucy almost died to save his life?  Or the amount of times he did the same for her?  No! Because that would bring character growth.  And we don’t want character growth.

We want to push this narrative! We want to implant these thoughts into Mike.  We want him to have  a victim complex so that he can do shit like THIS!

We want to push this plot point.  And Sandy is the vessel to drive it off the cliff. This is why I fucking hate December. Because worst of all THIS…

Is no longer Mike speaking. This is Sandy’s influence speaking. Now LITERALLY ALL THE FUCKING SHIT THAT MIKE PEDALLED ABOUT NOT WANTING TO BE LUCY’S BABY SITTER AND BULLSHIT, CAN NOW BE ATTRIBUTED TO SANDY INFLUENCING HOW MIKE SEES HIS OWN FRIENDSHIP! And since we don’t have a clear timeframe of where these calls were made, and when exactly Sandy got through to Mike, that means you could pick any time where Mike was being cold or distancing from Lucy and blame it on Sandy! Including…

This scene…

Lest you think characters were the only casualty of December’s nuclear blast, it took with it one of the most emotionally tense and moving chapters of Bittersweet Candy Bowl: A Distance Apart.  

I’ve already talked about this chapter in my rant on Golden Hour (aka December 2: homosexual boogaloo) so I’m not gonna get too into how the perspective of this chapter was changed because of December, but I will say that lines like the above now are specifically what’s tainted because of December.  No longer is this Mike realizing that Lucy isn’t who he thinks she is, or him realizing that their relationship is not a healthy one on his own. It’s because as he said himself!

It’s Sandy’s fault.  Because all she heard about Lucy was the negative, and now all Mike can see is the negative.  And this chapter is saying it’s all Sandy’s fault that Mike now has a victim complex and it’s totally fair for him to say what he’s about to say.  

WAIT! DID YOU JUST SAY…

JANUARY?!

Hah, nah I’m just fuckin’ with ya.  We’re trying to stay focused here, so I’m holding off on the January references. Don’t worry kids, you’re safe for now.

For now…

Let’s unpack this first, because believe it or not we still have a LOT of ground to cover. Specifically, let’s talk about Mike’s glorious plan to leave the table!

God it is taking a lot to not just paste panels from Daisy’s rant in January.  You people have no idea… But to summarize, this is fucking stupid at best and manipulative at worst.  What Mike is talking about, is selfishly pide-pipering their whole friend group (minus Tess because Tess doesn’t exist anymore) away from Lucy, and he’s betting all of that on the fact that he knows Daisy is still head over heels for him.  And what’s absolutely stupid about this fucking idea (which by the way seems to be premeditated so this can’t even be blamed on Sandy) is that if this was Mike’s plan all along.  And December didn’t happen, and he did this table move guess what? Sure.  Daisy follows Mike, Abbey and Paulo follow Daisy, and David follows Paulo…and then they invite Lucy, because in case you forgot SHE’S THEIR FRIEND TOO! (also I just noticed Mike completely forgot about Susan.  That’s kinda fucked up, dude.)

But not as fucked up as this!  Seriously, that’s a fucking low blow.  And so fucking judgy.  I guess we now know where Abbey learned to stoop so low while grand standing on his high horse! And yes I have heard the “muh hormones” and “they’re just KiDs!” excuses.  But none of that really explains…

WHY THE FUCK DOES MIKE CARE?!  DO YOU SERIOUSLY CARE IF LUCY (as you would put it) LEACHES OFF OF PAULO?  HE’S LIKE ONE OF THE TOP OFFENDERS FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY ABUSED YOU! THE MOTHERFUCKER SICCED A GAGGLE OF GIRLS TO BEAT UP ON YOU FOR BEING A “CHEATER”! Or are you worried because if Lucy clings to Paulo, then it ruins your fool-proof plan of going to another table since she’ll follow Paulo?  OH NO, WE’VE FOUND A HOLE IN YOUR INGENIOUS PLAN!  But speaking of worst offenders…

THIS. LINE.  THIS FUCKING LINE!  I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what the fuck you think.  YOU DO NOT COME BACK FROM SAYING THIS.  YOU CAN NOT FUCKING SAY THIS SHIT, AND THEN BE THE GOOD GUY! This is the point where I and many others realized Mike, was too far gone.  And yet SOME PEOPLE WILL STILL ARGUE ABOUT THIS SHIT!

Oh you don’t understand, Amazil! He is just a stupid 16 year old ball of emotions and hormones!  This has been building up THIS ENTIRE TIME! You even pointed out how Mike’s frustrations have been hinted at since the Vacation Arc! Obviously this has been hinted at for years! You’re just too ignorant to understand what Mike’s doing here! Of course he’s being overly cruel here, he feels backed into a corner, and is facing off against his abuser!

Now listen here, you may be right.  I can’t, I hope, and I am grateful that; I don’t fully understand how it feels to be abused for all my life.    But what I do know, is that NO ONE. Child, Teenager, or adult.  Would fucking stoop that fucking low, and think they have any business.  Any chance. Of coming back from that terribly burnt bridge. No one is that fucking ignorant!  WHEN YOU BURN A BRIDGE LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU GO THAT FAR, YOU BETTER FUCKING BE READY TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES!  AND MIKE AT THIS POINT, SHOULD KNOW VERY WELL WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES MAY INCLUDE!  AS THE PERSON WHO KNOWS LUCY MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE ABOUT LUCY, HE SHOULD BE FULLY FUCKING AWARE WHAT SHE IS GOING TO FUCKING DO WHEN TOLD THAT SHE IS A PARASITE AND THAT NO ONE FUCKING LOVES HER, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU EXPECT SHE WAS GOING TO FUCKING DO, MIKE?!

JESUS CHRIST, HE’S LITERALLY USING HER DEEPEST SECRETS AND HIDDEN INSECURITIES THAT ONLY HE KNOWS ABOUT AGAINST HER! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU SUPPORT THIS SHIT?  AND FURTHERMORE, “Like I’m the only one who cares about you.” TO QUOTE YOU LITERALLY A PAGE AGO!

YOU FUCKING TOLD HER THAT NOBODY LOVES HER.  AND THAT SHE’S A FUCKING PARASITE!  HOW ARE YOU THIS FUCKING STUPID!  HOW CAN YOU STILL THINK THAT YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT?  HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE THINK YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT?  HOW CAN YOU STOOP SO FUCKING LOW, WHILE GRAND STANDING ON YOUR HIGH HORSE?!

Now, imagine if you will, after 2 whole months of reading December.  You sit there and you wonder what is going to happen now.  What is left to say?  What more is Mike going to do? I mean there’s no way this chapter can get any worse!  There’s NO WAY that Mike can be any more of an asshole.  It’s not possible!  And as if to get one last knife twist out of you.  To kill the last shred of hope you had, that maybe.  Just maybe this could be salvaged, and Mike can’t be worse… Taeshi does this.

….

Y’know, I once heard a story that someone actually killed themselves over BCB.

And I completely believe that.  Two whole months we spent, having to watch week after week as this character we cared about.  Rips apart the other character we’ve spent so much time learning about, growing with, understanding, and learning to love.  And how do you end this chapter?

Grindingly slow.   With Lucy throwing up, then eyeing Mike’s phone.

Followed by a nothing page where Mike’s happy.

Another nothing page where Mike goes to his room.

Dialogue that means nothing.

A whole fucking page of Lucy leaving.

MORE FUCKING SNOW

And one last lie.

And that, kids.  Is the chapter of December.  The most infamous chapter in all of Bittersweet Candy Bowl.  And I hope you’re starting to understand why that is the case.  Although, I’m sure a lot of you may have some contentions especially given the newer chapters that have come out.  I mean, I often compare bad or infuriating scenes to December. And many may wonder or feel like those chapters are worse than December.  I mean sure Mike ripping into Lucy is bad…

But what about the one-sided and almost carbon copy of December in Golden Hour?

Or what about Guest of Honor with it’s Abbey Smash?

And what about the second coming of the Carnival Chapter, with its DISGUSTING implications?

Or lest we all forget the wonderous return of Lucy herself, in Love Again!  All of these chapters are fucking terrible in their own right.  And it’s debatable how they ruin some characters worse than December.  But there’s one very important factor that is lost to us now, that makes December in my eyes worse than any other chapter that Taeshi has put out.  One singular thing makes December worse than anything Taeshi has come out with so far…  And what is that factor?

Why, it’s TIME my dear reader.  Time is what sets December apart from every other chapter.  Readers at the time had to spend three whole months waiting for this chapter to end.  We stared at each singular page for days, waiting hours on end, hoping that the next page would somehow be better, or give us an out.  Instead it got worse and worse and worse.  But what also sets it apart from all those other chapters I’ve mentioned is that, unlike Guest of Honor, Golden Hour, or Return to Carnival chapter; December was a very important moment in Bittersweet Candy Bowl. Not only because of how it changed the character, but because it is one of the only times in this fucking comic where the plot actually starts to develop.  And we finally get a clear conflict to grasp onto and focus on.  

In the chapters that came before December, the conflict of Mike and Lucy was just slowly getting worse and worse.  And for the most part it just seemed to stagnate, with Lucy trying to keep her distance from Mike, and Mike constantly giving Lucy the cold shoulder.  And everyone else having to deal with that.  December was meant to be (and it did succeed in becoming) a bombshell chapter.  A big revelation moment where things finally kick into high gear.  Like, “Oh man that was brutal!” “What’s gonna happen now? Sandy is coming!”  “Lucy just got fucking REKT!” “What is she gonna do?”  “Taeshi just dropped the biggest bomb on top of us, where is she gonna take us?  How are we going to follow up this momentum?!”

BY RELEASING ONE OF THE LONGEST.  MOST NEEDLESS CHAPTERS EVER!

FOURTY EIGHT FUCKING PAGES. ALMOST FOUR MONTHS DEDICATED TO A PLOT POINT THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GIANT NUCLEAR BOMBSHELL THAT WAS JUST DROPPED ON US!  And it’s especially needless because the entire point of this chapter is to tell us that Abbey’s mom died.  Except that WE ALREADY THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD! Oh you mean this character who all we know about was that she in a terribly abusive marriage, who we have not heard from since Abbey was introduced into the comic, who was in such a terrible state that she left her son and daughter orphaned. You mean the person so fucked up, that the last time we saw them was on a fucking stretcher is…DEAD?!  SAY IT AIN’T SO! Y’know, it would’ve actually been more of a twist, and a lot more interesting if we found out ABBEY’S MOM WAS ACTUALLY ALIVE!  

INSTEAD OF BUILDING OFF THE FUCKING MOMENTUM THAT YOU JUST SET UP, WE GET STRUNG ALONG FOR FOURTY EIGHT FUCKING PAGES!  INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON LUCY, AND USING DECEMBER AS A LAUNCHING POINT TO DRIVE THE FUCKING PLOT, ALL OF THE MOMENTUM IS GROUND TO A FUCKING HALT IN SERVICE OF A PLOT POINT THAT ULTIMATELY DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER! And if you made it through that and was hoping, “okay NOW we can start to get into the actual plot! NOW we can focus on Lucy, and what the aftermath of December is!  Well…

Paulo tries to give a cake to Lucy, and he mostly fails, giving us

NOTHING!

Just beautiful! The one chapter where it would be okay to not give all the attention to Mike and Lucy’s relationship.  The one chapter where we could maybe get to see Sandy be a character!  Mike X Lucy is fucked, but maybe we can find comfort in Mike X Sandy!  Maybe we can have some sweet moments, and strengthen this central love triangle that we’ve been dancing around for all these years!  Maybe, just maybe, Sandy can be more than just a fucking plot device!

BUT NOPE! SHE’S JUST THERE TO BE USED SO THAT MIKE CAN REALIZE THAT HE WAS WRONG AND FEEL BAD, SO HE CAN TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO LUCY!  TOO BAD IT’S TOO LATE, SO IF YOU WERE LOOKING TO HAVE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT EITHER FROM LUCY OR SANDY, I’M SORRY BUT YOU GET

TWO BIG HEAPING SERVINGS OF NOTHING!

AND IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE STARVING FOR CONTENT BEFORE,  BRACE YOURSELF FOR A ONE-PAGE CHAPTER THAT GIVES YOU

NOTHING!

AND I HOPE YOU FUCKING LIKE THAT ONE-PAGE BECAUSE YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FOR

FOUR

WHOLE

MONTHS!

Although… to be fair, I think during that hiatus period Taeshi had guest comics and exclusive content to keep us occupied, but you get the point. As for the rest of the chapters…

Paulo breaks up with Jasmine in the most hackneyed fucking way possible, and we get a fake-out of Lucy’s suicide attempt.

We finally get the play chapter, and it teases us with the idea that Lucy and Mike are getting better except that no one falls for it because IT’S IN THE PLAY.  AND WE ALL KNOW THAT IT’S JUST AN ACT AND IT’S FUCKING…

And then Lucy finally attempts suicide and it’s all OFF-SCREEN! THEY KILLED OFF THE MAIN CHARACTER! THE ONE FUCKING BIT THAT WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND IT’S OFF-SCREEN!

Do you see what I mean now? December isn’t just a fucking chapter. It’s an arc.  The most teeth grindingly slow, and agonizing arc Taeshi ever made!  This is why December is and always will be the absolute fucking worst!  It’s like Taeshi knew what we wanted and refused to deliver! Instead being content with teasing the readers over and over for almost two years, with the prospect of seeing Lucy go through a depression arc. Instead, we’re focused on literally everyone else and all of Lucy’s inner turmoil, heartbreak, thoughts, and progressions are just hinted at and we’re just left in the dark.  We never got to see Lucy in her final moments.  What was she doing? What was she thinking?  Where was she?  How is she doing?  We wouldn’t get that information for

Nearly four years! And even then, IT WAS ALSO BULLSHIT!  December is like a nuclear warhead of a bombshell that was dropped on us, except instead of going off and blowing us away, sending us to the greater plains. It just leaked radiation everywhere and killed us from the inside slowly.   Its carbon footprint can be felt to this very day, we can’t get over December.  Because THE COMIC ITSELF CAN NOT GET OVER DECEMBER! People who wanted to see Lucy become a better person, to see her try to get better, get help, or do SOMETHING! Would never get that relief.  When I thought about December and how it treated its characters.  I felt sorry for all the people who had to read this, who felt for Lucy.  Who wanted to see her get better… I felt bad because I knew deep down that we were never going to get that story…

So I did it myself…

Don’t act surprised. You knew I was gonna go there.  I literally warned you!  There is no way in hell I’m gonna talk about December without bringing up the comic I literally made BECAUSE of December in: January.  And this time we’re looking at January as a whole.  Because now that you know WHY and WHAT I hate about December, you can start to see why January was made the way it was.  I feel the need to explain this, because January still gets a bad rap by people saying that it’s “hate-filled” which it’s not.  January is not a death threat  , nor is it meant to say “I’m better than you”, it’s not a love note to BCB, it’s a Get Well Soon card.  Not necessarily saying that I can do it better, but rather this is what you could’ve done.  Whether or not it’s better is up to you to decide.  And with that context, you can see why January was written the way it was. And it all starts with one simple change.

Instead of just outright removing December, the only thing I changed was that Mike didn’t get paired with Lucy and throw a fit.  It doesn’t spitefully act like December never happened, in fact…

December plays out the exact same way as it did in the canon, just with Susan supplementing for Lucy. So Sandy’s still coming home, Mike’s still pissed at Lucy, and he’s planning on moving to a new table to get away from her. But because Lucy’s not there…

She’s able to fucking do something.

We get to see her try.

We get to see her fail.

We see how Mike’s plan comes to fruition.

We see how things fall apart, even with Lucy’s best efforts.

We see how December still takes its toll.

We get to see her snap out of it, briefly.

We see her at her lowest point.

We see what she’s thinking and why she’s doing what she’s doing.

We see her try to figure out what to do.

We see her picking up the pieces.

We see her take action to improve herself.

We see her getting help.

We see her taking action.

We see her getting better.

We see everyone come together to support her.

We see her at the end of her journey, come to terms with what she’s done.  And wanting to improve not only herself, but her friendship with Mike. She shows maturity, empathy, and most importantly GROWTH as a character.

And in the end, the reader never gets to see how Mike and Lucy end up talking things out, but they can rest easy knowing that everything is going to be okay.  And if THAT’S hate-filled, I don’t know what the fuck you’d call the canon’s handling of Lucy in the December arc.    

The fact that we never got to see Lucy try.

The fact that the comic kept dicking us around, and baiting us with the inevitable.

The fact it KEPT FUCKING BAITING US WITH FALSE HOPE.

The fact we don’t get to even see her at the end of the line. The fact we had to wait three years for her to come back and let us know that she’s even ALIVE!

The fact that when she does comes back, SHE’S A HORRIBLE CUNTY SHELL OF THE PERSON SHE ONCE WAS…

That… is why December is the most infamous chapter in all of Bittersweet Candy Bowl.  Not just because of what it did.  But because of what it didn’t do.  Because it promised the end to Mike and Lucy’s drama one way or another. It promised us that we were going to tackle these issues that Mike brought up in Lucy, but yet… Here we are.

Back to square fucking one. You know what they say…Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. So you better brush up on your December knowledge, or at least I hope this rant serves as a good refresher. Cause from the looks of it, we’ve been repeating these plot points for almost 10 years…

Y’know I thought I was actually going crazy there for a second.  Obsessing and never getting over December for all these years. But now I see. This comic…never moved on from it. We’ve never recovered.  We’ve been stuck in December for almost 10 years…

0/10 never forget…

[fatesdeepdive]

Entry 37: Shigure the Disney Princess

Paralogue 3: Surprise Duet

While the group is sailing to...somewhere, Azura’s sky knight son Shigure arrives, injured. Shigure explains that he is being hunted by the spooky ghost dudes we keep running into. His entire village was destroyed by the ghosts. Azura, being mysterious, says that the ghosts are hunting him because he’s her son. She doesn’t explain why, because Azura never explains anything in this path. Shigure leaps into battle to avenge his fallen friends.

This is a fun chapter. It’s split between three boats and which ones are connected changes from turn to turn as they move. After the battle, Shigure has a breakdown over the deaths of his friends and sings the only song anyone in his family knows to mourn them. Shigure, not wanting anyone else to die protecting him, joins the group so he may become stronger.

Shigure

I genuinely forgot how cool of a character Shigure is. His mourning of his fallen friends and desire to grow stronger give him a lot more depth than most of the portal babies. All I remembered were a bunch of Supports about art and singing. His design is very reminiscent of his mothers, in concept if not actual pieces of clothing; he also has armored shoulders that look weird but also establish that he’s more combat focussed than Azura. His blue hair covers half of his face, which I’m not sure I like. His personal skill, Perfect Pitch, gives him a custom Rally command that heals nearby allies. I actually think I’ll like this character.

Hey, something I noticed while writing this update: Corrin has two Supports for each portal baby. Or, because Corrin can be a parent for each portal baby, three Supports. The point is, male and female Corrin have different Supports with the kids. For some reason.

Support: Lady Corrin/Shigure

C: Corrin finds Shigure singing the magic song that caused his mom to die. Shigure is singing this song while riding on a pegasus, because he's shy, something that would probably be hard to do.

B: Shigure takes Corrin on a pegasus ride.

A: Shigure takes Corrin to a beautiful waterfall with a rainbow.

S: Shigure takes Corrin back to the waterfall and proposes. Corrin, being a propper, accepts this opportunity to marry a much younger relative.

Review: Fine, but a bit shallow.

Support: Lord Corrin/Shigure

C: Corrin finds Shigure drawing.

B: Shigure shows Corrin his drawings of his destroyed village and slain guardians, which Shigure says helps ease the pain.

A: Shigure shows Corrin drawings of a place he sees in his dreams, a strange world where everything is floating.

Review: My god, a Support conversation that foreshadows plot elements. That alone makes it great. Although, now that I think about it, it is entirely possible for you to get this foreshadowing of a mysterious world of floating islands after actually visiting that place, which is odd.

Support: Azura/Shigure

C: Shigure and Azura sing together. Unfortunately, Shigure, who apparently just hit puberty, can't sing along properly.

B: Azura rewrites the song, you know which one, to be a harmonized duet. Shigure acts really shocked at this obvious solution.

A: Shigure says that he isn't as good of a singer because he doesn't have the same magic. Azura explains that her magic comes from her pendant. When Shigure asks to use it, Azura explains that the pendant kills the user. Shigure freaks out and begs his mother to let him take on the responsibility. Azura tells him no and asks him to throw the pendant into the lake if she ever dies.

Review: This Support line has a fantastic A-Rank that does a lot for Azura and Shigure as characters. The other two conversations are just kinda mediocre, though. Side note, how old is Shigure? Because this Support implies his voice only recently dropped. I was operating under the assumption that he was one of the older portal babies, perhaps even as old as twenty, but that implies he’s very young.

Support: Shigure/Father

C: Shigure's father finds him painting and says that Shigure's unseen art is really good. Shigure's father decides to set up an art exhibit, despite Shigure pointing out that a war is going on.

B: Shigure is anxious over being unable to finish a special painting he's making for the exhibit.

A: Shigure shows up to the exhibit late, having spent the entire night painting a portrait of his parents.

Review: Kinda mediocre, all things considered.

Support: Shigure/Sibling

C: Shigure's sibling finds Shigure singing in the woods, surrounded by wild animals like a goddamn Disney princess. The sibling accidentally scares the animals away. The sibling asks to hang out with Shigure and he says no.

B: Sibling scares off the animals, again. Shigure tells his sibling that the animals aren't comfortable around them because they can sense their negative emotions.

A: The sibling admits that the animals got scared off by their jealousy of Shigure. Shigure helps his sibling pet a rabbit.

Review: The fact that I’m keeping this vague made me write sibling a dozen times. Setting that aside, this one is decent.

I don’t talk about the voice acting in this game very much, mostly because I don’t know too much about the VA industry. The Fire Emblem series recycles VA’s a lot. For example, Matt Mercer, who you know for appearing in everything, voices four different characters in this game.

He voices Chrom, one of the main lords of Awakening who reappears in a DLC chapter. He also voices Ryoma. Now, this makes sense, Chrom and Ryoma are both noble, heroic princes. Mercer also voices Shigure, who is very different than Chrom and Ryoma, but is still a royal and still a heroic warrior.

The last character Mercer voices is Azama.

[thatgamefromthatad]

3 more games like Merge Mansion - the genre is evolving!

More and more games like Merge Mansion (two-item merge games) are being released and I can hardly keep up, but I’m glad because I find this genre so satisfying! Here I’ll review three more relatively new games, which are all unique in that they break off quite a bit from the original Merge Mansion, and include their own mechanics not seen in the other Merge Mansion-esque games I’ve covered!

You can see my original Games like Merge Mansion review here, although it’s quite outdated as many of those games have made significant changes since I wrote that in early March. I’ll try to add some updates to the original post sometime in the near future to better reflect that current status of each of those games. You can also find links to the other two-item merge games I’ve previously reviewed in my final ranking at the end!

Read my full reviews of Plantopia, Merge Adventure and City Boom below:

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***

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Plantopia: Merge Garden (Early Access)

Developer: Voodoo

Release Date: May 7, 2020 (Early Access)

This game is an interesting one because I only found it recently and started seeing ads for it recently although it’s apparently been around for about a year. I’m thinking it was soft launched and only recently made available in my region. The title screen indicates it’s still early access so that would make sense.

An initial release/soft launch date of May 2020 would actually make it older than Merge Mansion, which I believe was released in Sept. 2020. However I’m not sure about the exact timeline as they could have been in development/soft launched around the same time and the games are actually quite different overall so the basic similarities could be a coincidence.

This game truly amazed me because although it has the basic elements of what I would consider a Merge Mansion-like game, that being the two-item merge mechanic on a two-dimensional grid-like board viewed from the top, with item generators and item collection objectives, it’s otherwise very different from the other two-item merge games I’ve played. There are at least three separate boards, possibly more considering the tool shed and flower lab unlock a bit later in the game, and instead of completing objectives by getting items right off the board, you use items from the greenhouse and tool shed boards to start growing plants and then harvest the resources. The flower lab adds an additional step, as you can take the plants you’ve harvested to that board and merge them further to create bouquets and oils etc.

This game is probably the most complex and challenging out of all the two-item merge games I’ve played, which I think makes it more fun but less relaxing. Basically if I want something to play mindlessly while chilling out and watching YouTube videos I would play Merge Mansion or Merge Friends, but when I want to play something more advanced and for a longer period of time I play Plantopia.

🌼 Art: 3/3 (although I mostly prefer all 2D art, this game does the 3D/2D mixture better than some other games and I just love the colors and style of the different plants, boards and products. It all feels very “cottagecore” as the kids these days would say lol. The 2D character designs are also OK and pretty cute)

🌼 Story: 2/3 (it’s definitely a step above the “moving into this old mansion with my grandparents” story, I did get to know the characters a little better and some of the objectives are plot-related, such as growing aloe to help another character with his sunburn, or growing a special flower that reminds another character of her late husband etc. But I wasn’t really feeling like I wanted to learn more, and the storyline didn’t have a huge influence on my overall experience)

🌼 Gameplay: 5/5 (definitely the strongest game in terms of gameplay in my opinion, like I said it is more challenging and there’s more to think about but it makes for a really fun and varied experience!)

🌼 Variety: 2/3 (although there are three whole boards and you unlock different plants as you go along, there isn’t as much variety in the merging part since you basically just merge seeds into sprouts, sprouts into younger plants etc. until you have the full plant to place in a plot. You know exactly what you’re merging up to and there’s no thrill of discovering a new item by merging up. The items also come from boxes or from preset, unmovable generators so there’s no fun in discovering new generators either. But it is cool that each plant has its own planting requirements like more water, more fertilizer, more light etc.)

🌼 Playtime vs. Wait Time: 4/4 (another huge advantage of this game, there’s no energy system so you can play for very long, the only time constraint is waiting for plants to grow)

🌼 Overall Enjoyment: 4/5 (I’m definitely very impressed with this game but the things I mentioned in the Variety section are probably the biggest thing that prevents me from giving it a 5/5 overall. It is exciting when you unlock something new by progressing through the game but I especially enjoy moving up item ranks and discovering new generators, so in that area this game didn’t really do it for me. But otherwise it’s really a great game and a very unique entry within this genre!)

🌼 Total: 20/23

Merge Adventure - Dragons!

Developer: Ludigames

Release Date: March 25, 2021

First of all, even though the full name of this game includes the word dragons, I haven’t seen a single dragon unless one was mentioned in the written adventure logs, which I don’t usually read.

With that out of the way, this is another very unique game in terms of merge games as it is also an RPG. Some of the items you merge on the board are used to equip your hero, while others are used to unlock new adventures that yield different loot upon completion. You don’t actually get to engage in battles since the adventures themselves run on an idle system where you just get an adventure log to read to how your hero is doing and then collect the loot after a certain period of time. It is definitely something new for two-item merge games and deserves credit for the unique concept, but execution-wise it unfortunately fell short in a lot of ways.

🗡 Art: 1/3 (the art here isn’t necessarily awful but it is on the uglier side compared to a lot of the other games in this genre, specifically the board pieces. Maybe I’m biased because I prefer fun and colorful items, and these items involve a lot of wood and metal and such, but the board often seems so monochrome I can’t even tell certain items apart or remember which item track they belong to. Some of the level 1 items are just differently-shaped scraps of metal. The hero design isn’t bad but I only have one character to base that opinion on. We’ll get to that later)

🗡 Story: 2/3 (I honestly can’t remember if there’s an overarching plot but I will give it a point for the adventure logs, even though I usually don’t read them, it is cool that you can read what your character’s doing and how they obtained the loot they ultimately bring back)

🗡 Gameplay: 2/5 (I want to give it more points for being unique but despite the interesting concept I did have trouble with the gameplay. First of all, it has one of the smallest boards out of all the games I’ve played and a lot of different generators, which guarantees your board will become clogged very quickly. The numbers in the corners of each tile are supposed to help you keep track of what level items you have I presume, but they only make an already cluttered board look more cluttered, and the fact that I already couldn’t tell some of the item designs apart means having all the items crowded and jumbled makes for a very confusing and frustrating experience. Getting new items through loot from adventures seemed cool but then led to more frustration with more items to squeeze onto my fully packed board. Also I have no clue how to get more heroes, I’ve only had one this whole time playing so far, so there’s not much more to the RPG experience other than equipping more powerful items)

🗡 Variety: 2/3 (technically there’s a wide variety of items but as mentioned previously the very monochrome nature of the items makes the experience feel less varied and you can barely enjoy discovering new items when you’re just trying to find space on the board 90% of the time. Also, most of the item tracks just go: item, bigger item, bigger fancier item, biggest fanciest item, or, piece of item, more pieces of item, mostly put-together item, fully assembled item)

🗡 Playtime vs. Wait Time: 1/4 (your time is limited by the energy system, generators needing to refill AND waiting for your hero to return from an adventure)

🗡 Overall Enjoyment: 2/5 (sadly I didn’t really enjoy this game, although I guess my favorite part would be merging up weapons and other equippable items to make my hero more powerful, which isn’t something I could really do in any of these other games)

🗡 Total: 10/23

City Boom

Developer: Playwind Ltd.

Release Date: April 9, 2021

This game is very interesting as it’s the only merge game I’ve personally played that has you compete against other players. This game actually works pretty much exactly like a game I played loooooong ago called Coin Masters, where you gain coins by attacking or raiding other people’s bases while spending coins to build up your own base. The main difference here of course is that the other way to get coins is to merge items and complete requests, while in Coin Masters it was like a slot machine thing. I checked and they are not made by the same developer.

Anywho, the multiplayer aspect of this game was exciting since I definitely have a competitive streak, and I’ve been playing every day to try and climb up the leaderboard (I’m in the top 1,000 so far lol!) However this game is still new and pretty wonky, and it aggressively tries to get you to buy things, much more than any of the other two-item merge games. Also, this game is one of those games that’s very reliant on a constant internet connection so if you don’t have great internet (which I don’t) you will have a lot of issues with the game freezing, just a heads up.

💰 Art: 3/3 (I got to admit I’m a sucker for the cute, colorful and cartoony, and I just can’t get enough of the silly little cats in this game 😂 I appreciate that the 3D art style in this game is very consistent in all parts of the game, and this game also has 3D animated sections: for example, when you go to attack another player a cat rolls up in a little tank and rockets fly around)

💰 Story: 2/3 (there isn’t really a linear story but I give it a point for the different themed areas you progress through as you grow your town, plus the personality put into the cat characters)

💰 Gameplay: 3/5 (I do enjoy this game, especially the fact that I get to compete against other players, but there are a few issues. This game has a lot of limited time events, there’s seriously like 2 or 3 running at a time and seem to change every day, which does add some fun and variety, but creates a unique problem of having event-specific items on the board that I don’t know what to do with when the event ends. I don’t know if that event will come back again or if those items are just completely useless and should be sold now. Currently they’re just keeping my board very clogged. Also, this game really aggressively pushes overpriced microtransactions, which can get very annoying, but I will say that I was still able to play and enjoy the game a fair amount without paying anything. Lastly, the items make a really off putting clunk sound when they merge. May not seem important but it makes the merges less satisfying for me personally)

💰 Variety: 2/3 (There is a variety of event items but as far as the main items there’s very little variety, basically just four categories of items, so I put this in the middle)

💰 Playtime vs. Wait Time: 2/4 (what I like is that there are a lot of chances to get extra energy but what I don’t like is that rather than having energy refresh one at a time every few minutes, you have to wait like half an hour for all the energy to refill at once)

💰 Overall Enjoyment: 4/5 (honestly despite all my criticisms of it I kept coming back to this game, I really enjoy the competitive aspect and none of the problems with it are to the point where it seriously impedes my ability to play. That’s why I kind of have a separate category for overall enjoyment to begin with, because even if a game scores well or poorly in specific categories that won’t necessarily reflect my overall experience)

💰 Total: 16/23

Rankings

Plantopia (scored the same as Travel Town but after playing Travel Town for a while I’ve gotten more bored with it. Plantopia is the new reigning champion! 🎉)

Travel Town

Merge Design

Mergedom: Home Design

Merge Friends

Miss Merge

Merge Mansion

City Boom (scored the same as Merge Mansion but I preferred it less)

Merge Life (note: the linked review is outdated as the game has undergone a lot of updates since I wrote it, I will update it at some point but take the current version with a grain of salt)

Merge Matters

Merge Villa

Merge Adventure (scores the same as Merge Villa but I think I was a little harsh on Merge Villa to begin with, this game is much less playable)

Thank you so much for reading!!! I hope these reviews helped you if you enjoy merge games as much as I do! 💖 You can find more of my full game reviews here and follow me for more stuff about mobile games. Have a great day 🥳

[nattikay]

hey wanna hear something that SUCKS

So a while back I made some customs Sims4 poses for my Jlaire family, so they could have a cute lil family portrait y’know? Well, since then their family has grown a bit and some of the older kids aged up to teens so I decided, hey, let’s make a new one with the updated characters. So I set to work putting it all together in Blender.

After two days’ of work neatly posing all the characters, I started saving everything out to export into Sims4Studio. I had a bit of a scare when I accidentally saved over the wrong filename and had to restore a backup--but luckily that got sorted in the end.

Finally I had my pose pack, and I opened my game. but SURPRISE! MY SAVE FILE WAS CORRUPTED! Trying to play the Trollhunters household resulted in Utter Brokenness. I tried restoring older saves, but alas, even the oldest backup was broken in the same way. So I had to start do a lot of finagling to reset everything while loosing as little information as possible. In the end, I had to save the lot to the gallery, save the household to the gallery (after separating it into two cuz I’ve used mods to add twice as many Sims as are technically allowed), bulldoze the lot, re-place the lot from the gallery, re-place one of the household-halves from the gallery, re-place the other half in a different lot, take some from the main lot over to re-claim the other half into the family, and BOOM. Finally, the lot and all the characters are working! I lost my clubs and some relationship levels, but those are fixable enough I guess.

Finally time to test my new pose pack. But it’s raining outside...no worries, I’ll just take the pic inside. Except...wait a minute...ALL MY LIGHTS AND FIREPLACES HAVE DISAPPEARED!

Well, that’s annoying, but it’s probably just from all that finagling I had to do to get stuff working. I guess I can just replace the lights. So I go into Build Mode and...can’t place any lights. It says I’ve bought them, but they don’t actually show up. Phooey!

Time to consult Google. Apparently this a glitch that’s been happening to several people since a recent update, and to fix it you have to Repair Game in Origin. Guess I’m doing that now. Naturally, my internet connection pulls some shenanigans and this takes longer than it should have, as well as an Origin restart cuz it froze the first time. But finally it works and I can re-launch the game (twice cuz repairing disables mods so I had to turn them back on which requires a restart to take effect). 

Ok, my lights and fireplaces are still missing, but at least I can place new ones now, so I re-light my lot. Probably not as nicely as the original but hey, I can edit it later.

FINALLY, for real this time, I can try my pose pack!

I set up the teleporter, summoned all the characters, applied my poses....aaaaand...

it’s broken. Or, well, sort of.

This time it was my fault, unfortunately. See, I’d done a lot of scaling with the rigs to cheat heights/sizes so that everyone looked their proper relative age. I assumed this would work because I thought I’d seen downloadable pose packs where people had shrunk toddlers down to baby size, since you can’t really do anything with actual babies in S4.

Turns out, Sims4Studio does not actually import any scaling data from Blender, so while it might look nice in your editor, no scaling edits will actually show up in-game. The folks who made the poses with shrunk toddlers and the like apparently had to use special custom rigs, the making of which is far beyond my technical capabilities. So when the non-scaled versions were applied in game, everything got jumbled. Characters were too big or too small, or floating, or had their feet buried in the ground, or were awkwardly clipping through each other. And the only thing I can do to fix it would be to completely re-do all the poses with no scaling data--which could work for some, but definitely wouldn’t give as clean a result when it comes to cheating heights etc. and overall just would not be worth the hassle.

So I uh. just wasted several hours of my life, basically. Ain’t that fun. 🙃

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

Still a few weeks out from issue 4 of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and DC’s solicit schedule is exceedingly wonky so WHO KNOWS when those will drop...THUS. A tiny bit of art appreciation, to tide us (read: me) over. XD

Potentially (?) spoiler-y art tease below!

FIRST UP, issue 4 variant by Rose Besch! The September solicits had a bunch of variant covers listed without previews, so I think this only started showing up in the last few weeks? Regardless, check it ouuuuuttttt:

First of all: So sparkly. :D

Second, MMMMM, look at that CMY(sans K) color palette! I also think the artist’s style of coloring is just very neat--like, refracted light through a prism, if that makes sense? Very geometric. And of course, always dig a cool, shojo manga-esque look for Supergirl. I think, of the variants released thus far, this one and the Amy Reeder cover are my favorite. 

The other little bit of art comes courtesy of Evely, who is back to posting in-progress snippets. As always, I recommend following her and colorist Mat Lopes on their various social media sites because 1.) they are both INCREDIBLY TALENTED and post that Good Good art and 2.) you get to see stuff LIKE THIS:

HNNNNNNGGGGG.

I will go through my usual happy art shouting: HAIR! FACE! BODY LANGUAGE!!!!!!

This is the potentially spoiler-y bit, though without text/additional panels for context, there’s not much it’s actually spoiling? Still. Just want to be extra careful.

I continue to be so completely, utterly thrilled to have eight--EIGHT--issues of Evely’s Supergirl. I mean. Just look at that. Beautiful.

Can’t wait to see the whole page, and Lopes’ colors. Aaaah. S’gonna be GOOD.

Another quick social media account recommendation: Evely’s represented by Felix Comic Art. Even if you aren’t an original art collector, the site usually has decent scans of the original black and white pages. (Watermarked, natch.) But it’s so neat getting to see the original art vs. the colored pages.

And, okay, on that subject of inks vs. colors, I had not originally planned on including this but HERE WE GO, MORE ART, BECAUSE I CAN ALWAYS RAMBLE ABOUT ART.

This time, from Lopes’ twitter; he shared the colors for this page from issue 3, and then later posted Evely’s initial inks: 

It’s maybe a little hard to tell, scrolling, but when you check these out on Lopes’ twitter, and toggle back and forth, you can actually see that the colors ever so slightly soften Kara’s expression. 

Which I find FASCINATING, because it really illustrates the wild game of telephone that is comics creation.

You’ve got the writer and the editor, who work sort of in tandem to figure out how best to tell the story that the writer has in mind. That then goes to the penciller, who puts their own spin on the script, then it goes to the inker who has to interpret the penciller’s lines and choose what lines to keep and how best to highlight them (though, in this case, Evely is inking her own stuff so there’s less chance for any drastic changes between these phases) and then FINALLY (at least on the art side of things) it goes to the colorist who adds a whole NEW layer (literally and figuratively) to the art by selecting palettes and color holds and so on and so forth.

In fact, I was just reading the coda in the most recent Fire Power issue, (a comic by Robert Kirkman--of The Walking Dead fame--Chris Samnee, and Matt Wilson) and Samnee said he’d imagined a particular scene taking place at night, but got the colors back from Wilson, who had set the action early in the morning. Samnee drew the pages for a night palette, but Wilson totally made the morning lighting work, and Samnee felt the storytelling was better that way, as it made the time-skip more apparent. (The previous scene also took place at night, which would’ve been confusing for readers, had they both been set at night.)

ALL OF THIS TO SAY! You have multiple storytellers working on any given book, and here, specifically, I think it’s very cool that Lopes choices enhanced the acting that Evely already put on the page. 

(Though, disclaimer: it occurs to me that this is entirely subjective, and some folks might feel that there WASN’T any discernable change between inks and colors. *Shrug* ARRRTTT!!!!)

Caught a Felix Comic Art stream a few weeks back when he unboxed the art for these issues, and someone in the chat mentioned wanting an Artist Edition for Evely.

And may I just say: Yes.

Like. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I really wish this book would get the usual King trade treatment--a special edition hardcover with a bunch of backmatter, so that we can just DRINK IN THE ARTWORK.

(Would also love to see the script for any of the issues! They did that with Strange Adventures and much like seeing inks vs. colors, it’s always cool to see script to pencils.)

Actually, what I’d really love is an unlettered version of an issue, to highlight Lopes’ colors in particular. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think Clayton Cowles is doing a great job on letters, but this is a very wordy book! And sometimes you just wanna push those caption boxes and word balloons aside and see the entire panel, free of text. XD

Sadly, as I said, this probably won’t get too many bells and whistles in the trade release. Maybe a little bit of Evely’s design work? Hopefully?

She actually posted her initial sketches of Kara, a while back! I think they should be on her IG somewhere? 

Anyways. I would kill for a large format of ANYTHING by Evely. Seriously, just. Do it DC! Take my money! (Or, IDW? Who handles the oversized editions for DC? ...I think it’s IDW. Either way! Do it! Come on! XD)

(Again, someone in that same art unboxing chat mentioned they don’t really do large format editions for contemporary artists, BUT. They totally released a Samnee Daredevil book! That’s pretty contemporary! Or, it was. At the time of release.)

Okay, I will stop now. For real.  

That’s it, I think, in terms of art teases and updates! Until solicits and/or preview art, I guess!