#the horde trio deserved better

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i just hate that some writers seem to think that overfilling an antagonist with trauma is a substitution for a redemption arc. instead of writing a good arc where the character learns from their mistakes and works on becoming a better person, they simply put the character through the absolute wringer, so that the fans feel bad for them and forget about their actions.

i’ve mentioned this in a post before but i think this is most evident with catra, and marcy from amphibia.

as a "punishment" for everything that catra did, instead of facing actual consequences or not being forgiven by her victims, she just gets tortured by horde prime. she's chipped, her hair is chopped off without her permission and she almost dies.

and just like that, catra is worthy of forgiveness. she doesn't have to make up for her actions or earn forgiveness from the people she hurt, she just went through mindless, meaningless suffering so people have to forgive her.

similarly, while marcy definitely isn't as bad as catra, the writers also did a similar thing with her. instead of having her realize the consequences of her actions and organically earn sasha and anne's forgiveness, marcy gets stabbed, possessed by the core and also almost dies.

and just in case you're still not pitying her, the writers add in a flashback where anne and sasha were mean to her and ignored her. which makes no sense because while i can see sasha acting that way, anne being mean to marcy seriously came out of nowhere. she was very affectionate towards marcy so far in the series, so it's clear that the creators were trying to make you feel bad for marcy and so they don't have to write a good redemption arc for her. because meaningless filler shit was far more important than actual plot points, right?

(this also reminded me of the way spop victim blamed adora in the last minute to make it look like her conflict with catra was mutual and therefore, she deserved everything that happened to her. i've definitely seen amphibia fans argue that all three of the calamity trio were at fault and while anne is by no means my favorite character, the show was definitely victim blaming her by making her act like a jerk in that flashback.)

and then marcy gets saved, she apologizes and suddenly everything is okay.

sasha was hesitant to forgive marcy in a previous episode, though she was completely on board with staying in amphibia and ruling it alongside grime in the s2 finale. meanwhile, anne has already forgiven marcy because god forbid she has any character apart from being the goofy protagonist.

when are writers gonna learn that there's no alternate to a redemption arc? there's no shortcut, no writing hack that you can use to redeem a character. so either don't redeem the character or do it properly.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Enter the Dragon (Clouse, 1973)

This review contains mild spoilers.

I think with this rewatch, I'm finally warming up to John Saxon in this movie. Yes, there is probably too much John Saxon in this movie, which a result of Warner Brothers being apprehensive about the success of a movie with an Asian and lead therefore insisting on a multiracial trio to hedge their bets. (Bruce Lee apparently put in the introductory scene at the Shaolin temple to hedge against his screentime being cut down to a supporting role.) Yes, Jim Kelly probably should have gotten the screentime that Saxon did, given that Kelly, on top of being an extremely charismatic presence and having a more sympathetic backstory for his character (on the run after standing up to racist cops, as opposed to Saxon's gambling debts), is an actual martial artist. I've previous maintained that somebody like Chuck Norris might have worked better in the Saxon role, given Norris' martial arts prowess. But Saxon is a much better actor than Norris, and his interactions with Lee and especially Kelly have a nice sense of camaraderie and humour. And as for his martial arts abilities, well, he's really trying and deserves an A for effort, not to mention that the movie gets some mileage out of him being outmatched and underestimated.

I understand Lee had to tone down the fight scenes somewhat to appeal to the American market, which had seen some martial arts films become hits (the success of Five Fingers of Death convinced Warner Brothers to go ahead with this movie) but was still relatively inexperienced with the genre. (You'll notice that for most of these earlier scenes, only Saxon's fights seem to be cut all that quickly, likely to hide his relative lack of skill and athleticism.) This definitely shows in the earlier fight scenes, which are shot with clean setups with the camera pulled back and look almost like documentary footage of exhibition matches. This is trying to sell the concept of martial arts films on top of working as one, so you get the competition plot couched in spy thriller type elements and a travelogue feel, as if to dazzle audiences. There is some exoticism in the movie's depiction of Hong Kong, but also some compassion as we get a look at an impoverished part of the city. As Kelly's character sympathetically remarks, "Ghettos are the same all over the world. They stink."

If anything, for most of the movie Lee is being juggled alongside all the other elements, which the movie is delivering quite engagingly. But when we get to the third act, and Lee sets off an alarm as he's sneaking about the villain's lair, it's as if the movie is announcing that he's finally unleashed. As he takes out hordes of henchmen, it almost feels like he's bursting out of the screen and making a direction connection with the viewer. The movie catches up quickly, using slow motion to draw out every hit, every kiai squeal, every pained expression so they become larger than life, almost existing outside the previously conventional movie in which they're contained. The final confrontation with the villain is an all-time fight scene, Lee following him into a house of mirrors, cautiously and strategically trying to smoke him out in between surprise attacks, choreography, mise-en-scene and character all coalescing into one.

Additional notes (thar be spoilers):

It's interesting that the villain opts to kill Kelly but try to let Saxon in on his scheme, a move not unlike what Warner Brothers pulled on the cast (Saxon somehow getting paid more than Lee and getting more screentime than Kelly). Maybe it's the movie hinting to us the unfortunate behind-the-scenes reality.

Kelly's famous last words: "Man, you come right out of a comic book."

I always keep forgetting that Angelo Mao is in this, and actually does a decent amount of fighting, even if she only appears in a flashback.

Out of Bob Wall's three movies with Lee, his death scene here is the most dignified. Least dignified is in Way of the Dragon, where he gets hit in the balls so hard he dies.

I previously thought Hitler mustaches in Bruceploitation were an inexplicable touch, but I finally noticed the guy with the Hitler mustache taking bets during one of the fights.

The score fucking slaps.

[sometipsygnostalgic]

I have some updates for generation 9!!!!!

Light Hope - Sada and Turo's theme. (Gen 9) - A battle against a corrupted AI that, deep down, is a good person, but is being programmed by its long dead creators to destroy you. Tragic and intense. Well done Light Hope, you get the Toby Fox treatment.

Angella - Vs Pokemon Wielder Volo (Arceus: Legends) - I thought of Shadow Weaver or Prime having this theme that belongs to a great villain, but listening to the style of the music, it fits Angella much better than anyone else - Intimidating, and yet magical and free! Also it's a remix of Cynthia's theme. Angella deserves it.

Glimmer - Penny's theme (Gen 9). I'm not saying this fits Glimmer more than the other themes I gave her, but I think it fits Glimmer more than any other She-Ra character. Glamorous and intense!!! I love this theme!!!

The Horde Trio of Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio - Team Star Boss (Gen 9). The Horde Trio work for the bad guys, but they're not bad, they just don't have a place in the world. This song is for mooks, but for elite mooks!!! This theme is also possible for the Super Pal Trio, but only in their season 1 iteration when they are more friendly with each other. Generally a great theme for Catra's Horde squads in season 1.

She-Ra/Adora - Tera Raid Theme (gen 9). Entrapta is another contender for this theme, reason being - both characters would tie in well with Light Hope having the "evil" version of the theme. It's fun, energetic, and sparkly, and has a killer guitar! And it involves weird magical experiments!! First ones tech!!!!

Kyle - Arven's theme (gen 9). Both of them are That Guy and the saddest wettest meow meow and probably good at making sandwiches. I considered it for Bow but I think Bow would be better as....

Bow - Hop's Theme (Gen 8). Can't believe I missed out on this?? Especially when I had Glimmer as Marnie??? Bow and Hop both try their best, they are the underdogs in their own stories overshadowed by more powerful characters, but they're always trying to excel with their own style, and they are both scientists by the end!!! They're also just both normal boys lmao.

Mermista - Gym Leader Generation 8. It's a suitably cool theme for her, and there's a gen 8 water gym leader who is a model and a swimmer and generally reminds me of Mermista, though she is less funny. I think the sports generation is the most fitting for Mermista!!!

I listened to the rest of the music, but nothing else really felt strongly associated to me. Gen 9's elite 4 theme could fit the same characters as Gen 5's elite 4 theme, or any of the princesses. There is a Frosta-like character in this E4!

She-Ra characters as Pokemon Battle Themes

Because my brain is really scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something fun to do, so let’s scratch two hyperfixations at once  

Main characters: 

Adora - Trainer Red/Blue Battle Tree theme (Gen 7). If you know the context for this theme - the protagonist of the first game enjoying a hard-earned break as a young adult, next to his now-supportive rival and best friend/boyfriend - then  this song is PERFECT for Adora.  

She-Ra - Gen 7 Champion Theme. This is infamous for being the PLAYER’s champion theme, but Alola’s themes of drawing power from the land and protecting it from aliens fits She-Ra to a T. Magnificient theme! 

Catra - Gladion’s Theme for s1 and s5. Has those GUITARS, and CHILD ABUSE, man!  Guzma’s theme is a good S3 Catra alternative. She is very similar to both characters. Gen 1 trainer battle is a good third option, to match Blue, AND it has Guitars! You can suggest N’s theme… but in my opinion, ADORA is closer to N than Catra is!!!  So it’d only play if it was Adora vs. Catra! 

Glimmer - Diantha’s theme. It is glittery, it is a Champion Theme, what more do you want me to say??? Alternatively, Iris’s theme.  Or, if I want to play on her edgy side more… Marnie’s theme and Piers’ theme, as a pair!!!  I nearly suggested N’s theme but it just doesn’t fit her musically. 

Bow - B2W2 Gym Battle Theme. Or alternatively, Gen 7 Trainer Battle (original). Or Gen 5 rival like Scorpia.  Sorry Bow, but you’re too much of a goof to get a high level theme. He has both of Cheren’s themes instead!!! 

Scorpia -  Gen 5 Rival, because she’s as goofy, kind and loyal as Bianca….. but Gen 5 Elite 4 for her post-Garnet awakening because, holy shit, she was ferocious. It matches her Black Garnet theme.  

Entrapta - Platinum Frontier Brain theme. Nerdy, intense, and full of wonder. And one of the best themes. Colress theme is also a great fit since they’re the same character.  Or Barry’s Theme which is friendly but makes me feel like  I’m having a heart attack.

Hordak - Team Galactic Cyrus theme (the original - the USUM remix goes a bit TOO hard for him). Obvious space theme. Hordak is just a Cyrus kinnie anyway.  I don’t think any other song fits as well as this.  

Horde Prime - DENNIS.  Super terrifying USUM version.  Prime is literally Ghetsis so yeah.  Alternatively, Lusamine’s theme. Or her second theme for the final minutes of the show. 

Shadow Weaver - Gen 5 Elite 4. Strange choice for a Lusamine type, I know, but when I think of ghosts and dark types, I think of these guys. It’s dark and it fits Scorpia’s theme too with the Black Garnet. If you have suggestions for SW let me know because Lusamine’s themes are good for her too.  

Side characters below: 

Netossa - Cynthia’s theme. Yes, I’m giving Netossa the theme for the coolest character in Pokemon. Any problems? She deserves it! She is the She-Ra equivalent of Cool Aunt Cynthia. Also we ALMOST share a name. I deserve it too! 

Spinerella - Johto Gym leader/E4 theme (Gen 4). Spinerella doesn’t get much character, but she IS a powerhouse, AND a cool wife - she screams of Gym Leader/Elite 4. For Johto, both parties have the same theme, AND there is a giant beast that blows wind everywhere -  Lugia, one of my favourite legendaries. 

Mermista and Sea Hawk - Vs. Team Aqua/Magma Original Version.They deserve to be chaotic pirates!!  This is also one of the best villain themes, and the most charming oldschool villain team. The goofy trumpet version fits them more nicely than the hyper-intense gen6 version.  

Frosta - Gen 4 Elite 4. First of all, matches Scorpia’s gen 5 take. Secondly, if any Princess would be a Sinnoh Elite 4 member, it would be Frosta, Master of Ice. She’s serious enough a character that I think she could kill me. 

Perfuma - Zinnia Battle Theme. I have decided to be nice to Perfuma and give her this epic theme because she was okay in season 5. Its relaxed yet strong free flowing nature fits her vine powers, at least. 

Emily/Darla/the Beast Island bot - Nebby battle theme. Because these guys deserve their own theme, and what better fit than this incredible scifi tune for a Pokemon whose potential and humanity was brought out by a socially impossible young aristocrat with no friends? (Poggers to how good this theme was - I forgot until I listened to it for this post!)  

Micah - Kahuna theme (Gen 7). He’s a master of the previous generation, and very powerful, just like the Kahunas. The theme is scary and mystic but also fun and lighthearted, just like Micah. 

Angella - Black/White Gym Leader. I’m gonna be honest, the instruments don’t scream Angella, but her role… it is similar to the various Gym Leaders of gen 5 - an older, experienced guardian who wants to protect the young protagonists from danger, but isn’t able to do so. 

Light Hope - Aether Battle Theme. It’s not necessarily that I think swing fits Light Hope, but more that the Aether Foundation does. A dehumanizing Evil shrouding itself as good. Lusamine’s Theme is a good alt but personally I think the BACKGROUND theme fits her best. 

Mara - Champion Lance/Trainer Red Battle (Gen 4). All of She-Ra’s themes also apply to Mara, but if you were fighting Mara  in a Pokemon game? No theme would be more epic than this. Adora vs her Predecessor!!!!  

Double Trouble/Flutterina - Klara’s Theme (Gen 8 DLC). Another toxic little shit that you can’t help but love. I think Double Trouble and Klara would get along nicely… 

Madame Razz - Mustard’s Theme (Gen 8 DLC). These people are the same character, no? 

Wrong Hordak, Melog, and Swift Wind - Toby Fox’s Battle Tower. I think these background therapy pets friends deserve a theme. The Battle Tower is exactly the place you would encounter them! An alternative is the Hoenn Battle Frontier theme… I’ve got the gen 6 version here - it’s so good!  

Anyway that’s pretty much everyone worth casting! Let me know what you think. 

[soranis-sunshadow]

Entrapta deserved better

My posts are usually either detailed analysis or memes and shitposts.

I’ve re-watched the show and this will be an angry rant…  

With every viewing of the show, Entrapta’s arc makes me progressively angrier because I empathize with her so much.

She is introduced to the show as being a reclusive scientist, known throughout the Maker’s guild for her genius. Even her staff is weary of her. She spends all her time alone with her robot friends in her lab within her isolated castle.

The alliance interacts with her with the explicit purpose of recruiting her into their war effort. They want her for her ability to build weapons for them. That’s as deep as the relationship goes this far.

Entrapta has no stakes in the war, the Horde hadn’t attacked Dryl. She joins them because she wants to be their friend; she wants to help them in the only way she knows how, using her technological prowess to their benefit. Due to her isolation (and her being autistic), Entratpa struggles to understand interpersonal dynamics. Human interaction is a skill she has had little practical experience with. She understands the concepts, the rules of the game, so to speak, but she has seen it in play only as a third party rarely ever practicing it herself.

She’s invited to the Princess prom due to her princes status but she’s an outsider there too. No “friendly” princess seeks her out to hang out with her as a friend would. The only person who does so is Catra, and she does it for her own reasons…

With Glimmer abducted, the alliance mounts a half-baked rescue operation. Everything Entrapta did in this episode had a purpose, it looked like she kept getting distracted when in actuality, she was studying horde tech, rescuing Seahawk and furthering their mission and she had no time to explain herself (it also occurs to me that Entrapta might not explain herself because no one asked and no one ever understands her reasoning anyway) The princesses try to control her because she’s being “difficult”. They don’t care why she’s being difficult, they want her to conform.

Once they rescued Glimmer, they don’t even come back to check if Entrapta’s actually dead, or to get her remains and put them to rest respectfully. They allready have the princess they came for.  

Entrapta is all alone with her new robot friend Emily in the Frightzone vents, expecting that she’d get rescued because “no princess left behind” but rescue never actually comes.

Catra uses this new abandonment to convince her to switch sides. Entrapta didn’t jump ship because of her tech hyperfixation, she switched sides because Catra used her skill at pinpointing someone’s weak-spot and poking at it. 

Catra may not have been Shadow Weaver’s favorite ward (she was her scapegoat and punching bag, the poor girl) but she did learn from her and repeatedly put those skills to “good” use.

Once they find out she’s alive, the alliance wants to rescue her but she’s made new friends in the Horde and she think that they understand her fascination with science, friends that actually interact with her directly. She actually feels included here and as such, she’s not eager to return to the alliance’s side.

Entrapta befriends Catra and Scorpia but even in this trio, she is the third wheel. Catra is focused on herself, her ascension in The Horde and on her missing Adora. Scorpia is focused on Catra and on pinning for her.

Once Entrapta and Hordak start growing closer together, Catra stops talking to her. Perhaps she was hurt because Entrapta “broke her promise” to not go in Hordak’s sanctum, perhaps she was envious of her closeness to the Horde leader, or perhaps both, either way, the friendship is broken from Catra’s side. Entrapta still sees her as a friend and fights Hordak over the decision to send her to Beast Island. Despite his grouchiness, he considers her request and grants it.

As recompense for saving her life, Catra backstabs Entrapta when she tried to stop Catra from triggering a potentially world ending event and then sends her to the fate Entrapta saved her from: exile on Beast Island.

When faced with the choice between Catra and Entrapta, Scorpia choses Catra. Hordak is lied to so he doesn’t know to look for her, he believed she used him and is heartbroken about it.

You can actually pinpoint the moment his little heart breaks in this scene:

 Even so, he spends most of season 4 wanting to face her; he’d rather see her as an enemy than not see her at all.

After Catra proves herself a bad friend, (after months) Scorpia finally decides to rescue Entrapta and goes looking for help, deserting to the alliance. She has this little realization:

Adora is the only person that actually wants to go right away and rescue her. Bow wants to rescue her because they need her tech savvy and Glimmer says that they can rescue her after the war or something… (the Island she’s on is a death trap, she might not live that long for all they know)

she said this 

then this

She knows that this is a time sensitive issue but she wants to put it off  despite the urgency, if that doesn’t sound like friendship to you, then what does?  *sarcasm intensifies*

Contrast this with how the villain of the show reacted to the news of her being sent to Beast Island:

On Beast Island Bow gives her a longwinded speech about how she’s supposed to work harder at friendship. I know he’s projecting his own issues here but it still makes me so damn angry. Entrapta’s trying; she’s trying so hard, no one ever tries back! No one makes the effort to understand her (except that one clone but we’re not talking about him), she has to conform to their expectations, the reverse is never applicable.

Anyway, stuff happens and Glimmer is abducted again, by Horde Prime this time.

Then that whole “Lauch” episode happened. Entrapta is distrusted by the alliance more than Scorpia is. She is seen and cold and interested only in tech, she has to explain and redeem herself in their eyes after they treat her like rubbish. They don’t connect the fact that helping them with tech is how she shows her friendship. 

It’s the only thing she thinks she’s worth to them. She wants to be accepted by them so badly.

 Entrapta gets emotional over rescuing Glimmer! 

The person who when faced with the same prospect, said she’d do it later…

Even Catra’s apology to Entrapta for trying to kill her is a blank “I’m sorry”. Pls say what exactly you are sorry for Catra. Entrapta deserves that much. Bow received a better apology for far less of an offense.

All she ever does in the show is work towards furthering someone else’s goals, her own are always a second thought. As @cruelfeline​ pointed out, even a small scene with her discussing what happened with Hordak, her reaction to it and the gang focusing on Entrapta’s troubles for ONCE , even if it’s just offering her emotional support, would have meant so much.

Why is the show trying to tell me that Entrapta should work on being a better friend?

That's a terrible message!

She doesn't need to work harder on her friends, she NEEDS BETTER FRIENDS.

So many of us ND people end up being third wheels at best and we blame that on ourselves, we internalize the reasoning that our friendship fail because we’re weird and we’re not doing it right. That we’re the ones that have to try harder to be understood and that our concerns should come second.  That is a terrible thing to internalize, we are blaming ourselves constantly because we try to understand others and they never try to understand us back. 

With age, I’ve grown out of trying and being different so that other people would like me. They’d end up liking the mask I project, not me anyway. I’ve found people that understand me and that like me for who I am, but only after I’ve stopped trying to be “better” for others to accept me. With being honestly “weird” with those around me, I’ve been accepted far more than for trying to fit in. And I’ve realized that people that shun my otherness are not worth the effort to try and befriend in the first pace .

 That is what young autistics need to hear, not “git gud” at friendship.  You are not wrong, you are not defective or broken, you are you and you’re beautiful just the way you are. If other people don’t see that, then the failing is theirs. Don’t change, just look for people that see you. 

[crypticpatterns]

kyle 👀

Kyle!!!

First Impression

It's hard to remember exactly what my first impression of Kyle was. I believe that at first I found the "blame Kyle" joke both funny and...unsettling. I tried to just ignore the strange feeling I got because the joke seemed so hilarious to everyone else and I thought I was just being overly sensitive. Kyle isn't much of a character at first, so I didn't get much of an impression of him outside the "blame Kyle" joke for a while.

I think the first time I got a real feeling for the character himself was in the scene between Kyle and Bow in the Fright Zone.

This is where I really started to hate the "blame Kyle" joke. Bow totally dismisses him, while Kyle remains clueless and thinks someone actually cares, and as someone who's been in Kyle's position before it. hurt. And kind of pissed me off a little.

I don't hate Bow for this, to be clear. He had understandable reasons to be so distracted. My beef is with the writers for making Kyle's misunderstanding the butt of the joke.

Impression Now

I love Kyle. Honestly, he really deserves so much better than how the writers wrote his friends. I like the Horde Trio and the episode where they bond gives them some deeply needed development, and gives Kyle the recognition he deserves (and somewhat redeemed Lonnie and Rogelio for how they treated Kyle before then).

Favorite Moment

Kyle going out to save his team in the spore storm. That, and the ridiculous game he invents that he then proceeds to immediately lose. Baby.

Idea For A Story

I am in desperate need of a good adventure fic following the Horde Trio post-season 5 where Lonnie and Rogelio learn to appreciate Kyle and he learns to appreciate himself.

Unpopular Opinion

Probably already covered this, but the "blame Kyle" joke isn't very funny. It just rubs me the wrong way. He's a scapegoat, and it's never framed as wrong to blame him for things that aren't his fault. It's literally just like how Catra's treated by Shadow Weaver but the writers don't frame it that way. The spore storm episode retroactively fixes some of that but it feels like not enough considering the Horde Trio's plotline is completely dropped for season 5 (for understandable reasons, but it's still a flaw).

Favorite Relationship

Kyle, Rogelio, and Lonnie could be an AMAZING poly relationship with some character development and exploration.

Favorite Headcanon

Kyle is neurodivergent, either autistic or ADHD. Maybe both. Probably both.

[babyspacebatclone]

I still have not seem all of SPoP, and there are so many other things higher on the list now that I’m unlikely to anytime soon.

There’s likely the out of universe answer which, strangely, wraps into in-universe because of creator’s pet/self insert: you-know-who only cared about Adora and Catra’s relationship (in any form allowable on screen).

Early seasons, this makes Adora focus on, surprise surprise, her sister-figure/love interest (depending on which page of the series bible or you-know-who’s headcanon was being used that scene). From making promises on Catra’s behalf to only taking Catra out of the Fright Zone, Adora only has one interest in her “friend group.”

Part of this is, surprise surprise, Shadow Weaver’s deliberate abuse of the pair. SW makes Catra’s continued healthy status dependent on Adora’a good behavior, but not the Trio. The Trio is not dependent on Adora for their continued happiness (from Adora’s understanding), nor do their actions help Catra beyond the immediate group effort. This cycles around in Adora’s martyrdom complex: On one had, she needs to protect Catra, on the other hand Catra being safe/happy is reinforcing in a way that no one else’s feelings can ever be (even from only this deliberately-perverted sibling relationship imposed by SW).

Come Season 5, we also see that Catra has been explicitly demanding this very dynamic on Adora since they were children: Adora can only have “friends” if their importance never makes Catra feel threatened. This is likely partically Catra manifesting the SW manipulations from above, but also (deliberately intended) to be part of Catra’s “Me vs The World” mindset: Having other friends beyond always-accepting Adora means that Catra needs to acknowledge other people’s needs and feelings, which she cannot risk the energy/spoons to do (“I’ll never apologize,” because all her mental energy is already used up in survival and she can’t see how the short term expenditure will lead to longer-term benefit).

Which is kind of a weird cycle of retcon but also deliberately baked-in to the character development from conception, Adora fixating on Catra because that’s what the writer wants but also because that is how the writer has seen their relationship their entire lives.

I can’t also help but wonder if, by the end of Season 1, part of Adora’s issue with the Horde Trio is internalizing Bright Moon’s prejudices against the Horde: If you’ve stayed in the Horde, you obviously must condone the actions of the Horde, and therefore either need to free yourself or deserve your fate. Despite, you know, the Horde Trio (as explicitly shown in later seasons) still believing the same Horde propaganda that Adora had before meeting Glimmer and Bow. It’s - an unfortunate reality that Adora has been outside that propaganda for so long by the end of Season 1 that she can’t recognize the power it has over other people - yes, obviously, it lied to her, but it’s so obvious to her now that other people should see the lie, too. Because, unfortunately, that’s how people are limited to viewing the world…

And this being that strange bidirectional interaction of “writer’s perspective” directly becoming the “character’s belief system”…

Much like Entrapta and Hordak, I get the feeling that the Horde Trio mattered so little to significant parties beyond the tropes that the characters were easily enough adopted and handled by others on the team - people who could actually give them character, and fleshed them out. And when those crew members could get their perspective on screen, it created characters others could bond with and relate to, characters beyond “part of the main pair’s background.” But that’s not the drive of the show, and so less and less time was available for those crew members to keep them relevant as actual characters and not set pieces until, well….

I’m rewatching She-Ra and I’m on “No Princess Left Behind” and it really bugs me that Adora grew up with Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio, and Catra yet she doesn’t bother to try to get any of them but Catra to go with her. It doesn’t make sense to me. It seems like they were close growing up but they make it seem like she only cares about Catra.

Especially since Kyle seemed like he would’ve willingly joined them because he just wanted a friend… he gives Bow important information that helps them save Glimmer and then they just leave him behind..

It’s stupid but it makes me mad

[nyancatkuroo]

Smoke Sesh Blues Pt.1

Pt.1 Terushima/Kunimi/Kenma x Reader ll Weed 

Pt.2 Saeko x Reader ll Molly + Alcohol 

INTOXICATED a  Miki Mouse Whorehouse collab.    

A/N: Here is my second collab fic for the whorehouse and I couldn’t be more excited! This is a Dark Content fic, so 18+ please dot not interact or you will be blocked.  (This one doesn’t have any NSFW in it but it doesn’t mean I want a bunch of minors interacting with my content).

TW: mentions of alcohol, weed smoking, mentions of shrooms.

WC: 1.5k

Sitting across the room was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen, well, beautiful might not be the best word to describe her.  Ethereal, and transcendent might’ve been the words you’d use to describe a really, really attractive woman, but Tanaka Saeko was not just any attractive woman.  

Where beautiful meets savagely charismatic, ethereal simply wasn’t enough to describe the sheer magnetism that the young blond woman exuded, simply sitting there, grinning from ear to ear.  Her sharp, dark eyes and toothy grin hit you straight in the guts, and that’s when you fell, hard and fast, and painfully.  

Next to the blonde was a young woman equally as attractive as Saeko herself, and if Saeko wasn’t the definition of ethereal, the raven-haired girl sure was.  With a pale and delicate face that screamed of poise and grace, a criminally sexy mole on the left side of her chin, and blue eyes that made a chill of pleasure run down your spine, Shimizu Kiyoko was the epitome of everything you weren’t.  

Saeko had her right arm around the younger girl, hugging her close, as if afraid she’d run off.  “I’d take precautions too, if that was me,” you thought.  Kiyoko was one of the smartest and prettiest girls in campus after all, and despite not knowing her personally, having talked to her only once or twice because of mutual classes, it wasn’t hard to understand why she was one of the most sought after girls. 

Well, that and the very amusing reputation preceding her since she entered university two years ago.  The thing was, the dark-haired girl wasn’t Saeko’s girlfriend, but she was definitely intertwined with a Tanaka. Saeko’s younger brother to be exact, Tanaka Ryuunosuke.  

The two were rumored to have been going out since Kiyoko’s high school graduation.  Despite having let it be known pretty early on in her academic life that she had a boyfriend, with a younger partner still in high school, all the hungry frat boys up for a challenge and every business major in a radius mile who thought she “deserved better”, apparently made it their mission to woo her.  It made for pretty good entertaining drama to watch, but your heart went out for her. 

Based on what Saeko told you, keeping you updated on the family drama, the first year was really rough on the young couple.  With her younger brother finally on campus this year, though, overcoming all the annoying dudes was easier done a job at two.  Especially with a barking protective idiot and Kiyoko’s punching one-liners, which you wouldn’t expect coming from someone so calm and collected.  Perhaps it wasn’t that surprising, apparently, from what you’d heard from Saeko, Kiyoko’s comedic timing was unmatched.

And okay, you obviously knew Saeko, and if Kiyoko wasn’t her girlfriend, what was the big fuss all about?  Jealousy, simple as that. It was 10 pm on a Friday night, which meant parties around campus were raging from one hard to get in-club to home parties and make-shift park dancefloors. Fridays were made for debauchery and every single student who didn’t work a night shift was accounted for, every student except one, Ryu.  

Saeko’s younger brother, a baldy with a lively personality, was running late because of his group of friends.  Something about “Noya wrecking havoc once again” and “the trio trying to fix things, again”.  You didn’t know what the issue was but it was a problem for you because that meant that Saeko had to act as guard dog for the younger girl, which meant less time spent making you feel all sorts of sinful little pleasures.  

Saeko wasn’t your girlfriend either, which is why you didn’t have that close connection to Kiyoko.   You guys were simply friends with benefits, lots and lots of benefits that included midday brunches, and late-night movie and make-out seshs, but still, only friends with the hall pass.  

You were making eyes at the blond, desperately trying to make her notice you, amongst the hordes of horny 20-somethings year old guys trying to get at Kiyoko, but without luck. Tired of waiting and wanting to actually start enjoying yourself, you decided to go explore the rest of the house the party you currently were in was hosted. Leaving the living room, you ventured into a surprisingly big kitchen where you spotted Terushima Yuuji running his little side hustle. With a hum and an easy smile plastered on your face, you made your way towards the young man.  

You knew Terushima from years ago. When you and your friend Issei started venturing into the wondrous world of drugs and alcohol, he mentioned how he knew this guy from a rival volleyball team who was supposedly the best plug in the area, which Terushima was.  The shrooms you bought off of him never disappointed and the weed he provided really was that good fucking kush. Tonight though, you felt needy and wanted to let loose, so molly it was.  

You put your hand on Terushima’s shoulder, making him aware of your presence, and he turned around, a slight frown on his face before he recognized you and greeted you with the sickest bro shoulder-bump-hand combo. You loved this dude so damn much. 

“So, what’s it gonna be this time my little pogchamp?”

With a grimace you pushed the young man’s face with your hand and laughed.

“You’ve got to stop watching your Tiktoks on Instagram, you’re like two months late to that trend my guy.”

“Ain’t no problem, when a king does right by his subjects the peasants don’t have a choice but to laugh along”, he grinned.

At that, you bursted out laughing, holding your belly because of how ridiculously funny that statement was. “Out of pocket, Teru, out of fucking pocket.”

With a whatever, and a roll of his eyes, Terushima asked what you wanted and gave you a few little pills that fit just right inside your jean pocket.  

“You know you’re the best.” Sending finger guns his way, you were about to leave, on a quest to find another interesting adventure, when Terushima called your name.

“Hey if you wait a couple minutes until I’m done here we can go smoke a few. Kunimi just bought this new bong and it’s pretty fucking sick, you’ll love it.”

With nothing better to do, you agreed and after a while, Terushima was done and the both of you left the kitchen and made your way to the second-floor, towards Kunimi’s room. When you arrived, the door to the room was closed but you could see the smoke filtering out of the red lit room, the people around too busy in their own affairs, or simply not caring enough, to notice the very obvious hot-box going on behind the closed room.  

When you got in, Doja Cat’s Kiss Me More was playing on loop, and you unsurprisingly found Kunimi and Kenma sharing the bong. The pair could outsmoke you any day, but you genuinely enjoyed their company.  

There was no one better than those two to have a chill yet feel-good smoke sesh with, cuddles and an infinite supply of munchies present every time. You sat next to Kenma and he immefiatley started nuzzling you, passing you the bong.  On the back, you could hear Kunimi telling Terushima he was being too loud and that he’d kick him out if his voice reached higher levels than Toad’s. Terushima was right, paired with the right weed, this bong was way too powerful and it only took you a couple of hits to start feeling.  

You laid down, Kenma still close to you, and started singing along, while playing with Kenma’s hair.  Yeah, this was definitely your definition of a good time, but despite how good you were feeling, and how warm the little guy you were cuddling with felt, you thought something was missing.  The pills in your pocket started feeling heavier, unease growing  inside of you.  Lost in your worry, you apparently started petting Kenma too roughly, if the kick in the knee he gave you was anything to go by.

“Sorry”, you mumbled, only to receive a small groan for an answer.  

You don’t know how long you stayed like that, cozied up on the floor with your friends, listening to Doja’s newest collab, but the moment was disturbed when a foreign source of light appeared.  Someone had opened the door and when you saw who it was, your heart nearly skipped a beat.  Fucking feelings.

With a gentle smile on her face, Saeko was looking at you with what, for a split second, you thought was fondness, but a moment later her eyes went back to their usual playful glee, and her toothy grin returned.  

“Ryu got here like an hour ago, I’ve been looking for you, but I see you don’t really need me to have a good time, hm?”

By that point, you felt more sleepy than high, but seeing the woman occupying your every thoughts appear out of nowhere, with what looked like heavenly light all around her, which was just some crusty hallway lighting, woke you up faster than you cared to admit. You kissed Kenma on the cheek, patted Kunimi on the head, and slapped Terushima on the shoulder as a goodbye, and before they could complain about the disturbance, you were out of the door.

[johannas-motivational-insults]

Demons Plot Synopsis: Arc 1

Some chapters are more plot heavy and/or emotionally intricate than others and have much longer summaries, as I’ve tried to include the most relevant information to follow the plot and character/relationship growth.

Notable flashbacks are summarized in italics after the main chapter plot, including the character’s approximate age at the time. (The Horde doesn’t do birthdays, so they all change “age” at the same time regardless of actual birth date, but it’s not like Adora or Catra know their real birth dates anyway.)

Spoilers for Demons ahead!

Arc 1: chapters 1-6 (How Catra ends up locked up in Bright Moon)

Chapter 1: Unmasked (a.k.a. My mostly accurate prediction of Catra/SW’s season 2 dynamic)

Catra is woken by nightmares the morning after the Battle of Bright Moon and decides to visit their source: Shadow Weaver. She goes to the prison seeking validation and answers about why she was treated the way she was, but Shadow Weaver simply antagonizes her. She mocks Catra’s need for validation and her attachment to Adora, predicts she will fail quickly as second-in-command, and tells her she’s weak. Catra decides to show some strength by repaying some of her childhood abuse in the form of a beating.

Chapter 2: Shreds (a.k.a. Scorpia is best bug)

When the revenge beating fails to make Catra feel any better, she goes to the gym to release some energy and emotion. Scorpia finds Catra on the verge of a breakdown and suggests they move to the boxing ring, but unfortunately her attempts at camaraderie accidentally trigger some trauma responses. She tries to assure Catra that she would never hurt her like Adora did, but this only makes Catra feel worse as she realizes she’s using Scorpia and Entrapta and that she’s not the good person Adora thinks she is.

[6 y/o] Shadow Weaver draws out the prelude to a beating, blaming Catra for bringing this upon herself but assuring her too sweetly that it’s for her own good.

[4 y/o] A terrified Catra apologizes desperately to Shadow Weaver as she drags her to the prison by her ear, promising to be good. Shadow Weaver asks if she wants to be punished for lying as well, says there’s not a shred of goodness in her.

Chapter 3: (Not) My Fault (a.k.a. Adora, honey, please stop)

Meanwhile, Adora is in a great deal of pain after the scratches Catra gave her in the battle become badly infected. When Glimmer and Bow’s arguments that she needs to rest fail to convince her, Glimmer enlists the help of Queen Angella, who orders Adora back to her room. This causes a fight between Adora and Glimmer that turns nasty when Glimmer refers to Catra as an animal and Adora rebukes her language, which to Glimmer feels like Adora defending the person who attacked her home. Adora blames herself for the attack because Shadow Weaver always made her feel like Catra’s actions were her fault, and Glimmer and Bow try to convince her otherwise and urge her to prioritize herself for a change.

[15 y/o] Adora approaches Shadow Weaver about Catra’s strange, withdrawn behavior after she was sent away to train with senior cadets for several days and came back covered in bruises. Shadow Weaver says Catra deserves what she got and chides Adora for allowing Catra to become a distraction. Adora tries to get answers out of Catra, but Catra continues to hold her at a distance. Adora concludes that this is her fault because she kissed Catra in secret earlier that week and Catra must not be interested in her.

Chapter 4: Discipline (a.k.a. Ding dong, the witch is dead)

Back in the Fright Zone, Hordak attempts to bond with Catra and urges her to use her resentment to drive herself but to be disciplined in how she expresses it. Hordak sentences Shadow Weaver to death and sends Catra to the prison to collect her, prompting one final showdown between the two.

Shadow Weaver tells Catra this won’t make her feel any better and Catra assures her it isn’t about revenge, and if it was she’d be getting tortured. Shadow Weaver laughs at that assertion and tells Catra she only did what she needed to to teach her how to behave, and that Catra as second-in-command will soon have to do the same. Catra swears she will never be like her, but Shadow Weaver manages to make her snap and scratch her across the face. Catra storms out, faced with a new realization that Shadow Weaver manipulated her into pushing Adora away so Adora would believe Catra was disgusted by the kiss.

In the throne room, the Force Captains attend the execution and Hordak is disappointed by the fresh scratches on Shadow Weaver’s face. Catra is conflicted, torn between sympathy for Shadow Weaver and a thirst for revenge, but in the end Shadow Weaver’s death gives her no satisfaction, just as predicted.

[15 y/o] After finding out about the kiss, Shadow Weaver assaults Catra and threatens to send her away if she allows any more advances from Adora. It turns out Catra wasn’t training with senior cadets, as Adora was told, but locked up in the prison.

Chapter 5: Dislikeable (a.k.a. Superpal Trio fluff for the soul)

Days later, Catra continues to suffer from nightmares and seeks solace in the Superpal Trio. A careless remark by Scorpia and lack of tact from Entrapta cause her to lash out, but she apologizes to keep them on her side and appease her own guilt. They attempt to comfort Catra, which she pretends not to like, but end up overwhelming her with too much touch.

Scorpia interrogates Catra in private until she admits she’s restless because she knows now that there was a huge misunderstanding between her and Adora and thinks maybe if Adora had known how she’d felt she wouldn’t have left. Scorpia suggests Catra go to Bright Moon to tell Adora, clear the air and throw her off her game at the same time. Catra says that’s a dumb idea and teases Scorpia for her budding affections for Entrapta.

[9 y/o] Shadow Weaver grudgingly patches Catra up after a fight and berates her for causing trouble even though she didn’t start it. Shadow Weaver tells Catra she brings this upon herself by being so dislikeable and that even Adora doesn’t want to be friends with her, she just feels sorry for her.

Chapter 6: Vulnerability (a.k.a. Shit hits the fan)

Catra returns to Bright Moon the next night, a mere week after the battle. She attempts to sneak into the castle but is apprehended by Glimmer, who takes her to Adora because she thinks Adora needs closure. Adora convinces a reluctant Glimmer to leave her and Catra alone so they can talk. Catra reveals that Shadow Weaver is dead and Entrapta is alive, shocking Adora and sparking a fight about Adora’s betrayal in Thaymor and her failure to protect innocent people in the past, Catra in particular.

Catra is angered when Adora seems saddened by Shadow Weaver’s death, claiming Adora has no idea what Shadow Weaver did to her, and Adora agrees but says that’s Catra’s fault for never telling her. So Catra tells Adora what Shadow Weaver did to her after she kissed her and also admits she would have kissed Adora back if she could have. Adora is surprised Catra wanted her and Catra tells her what Shadow Weaver said before her death, that that was by design.

Adora tries to rightfully deflect blame for what happened to Catra back to Shadow Weaver, which pisses Catra off. She also reveals that she knew things were unfair but she felt powerless to stop it other than by overcompensating and sucking up to Shadow Weaver. Catra explains that that made her feel like Adora thought she deserved the abuse, which horrifies Adora. Catra accuses Adora of giving up on her after she defected and Adora realizes she might be right.

Catra realizes she’s reduced Adora to a puddle of guilt but doesn’t actually like it, so she attempts to comfort her. They share a mournful, desperate kiss that spirals out of control. They both lose their shirts, Catra quietly apologizing for the wounds on Adora’s back. To accommodate said wounds, Adora puts Catra on her back and starts lavishing her with kisses, but allowing such intimate touch from and ceding control to this person who hurt her sends Catra into a panic attack and she has to stop.

Glimmer teleports into the room just as they share another tender kiss, blinding them with a sparkle bomb so guards can rush in and arrest Catra. Glimmer defends her decision to Adora, saying she has to protect her kingdom. Adora tells Glimmer she’s selfish and a bad friend and threatens to never forgive her if any more harm comes to Catra. Glimmer says Catra probably deserved her past torture and Adora punches her in the face. Glimmer teleports away and Adora breaks down, realizing she’s hurt and alienated both her best friends.

[keeroo92]

A Father’s Presence

Hi guys! This was my contribution to the @dadgilzinedmc​, in which the Sparda boys take a trip to the amusement park. I hope you enjoy it!

-----

Vergil grimaced and did his best to block out the sound of howling children. Their laughter and screams of delight grated on his ears, and he found the encouraging shouts of their parents equally disturbing. Yet again, he questioned his sanity in being where he was.

An amusement park. How ludicrous.

Buttered popcorn and human sweat tainted the air, colorful banners and balloons in every direction. The whirring of machinery oscillated as nearby rides cycled through the crowds waiting their turn, grinning excitedly or grumbling about the wait. Starry-eyed teenagers barely outnumbered the swarms of unruly children. Case in point was a nearby family of four, the father hand-in-hand with a toddler, laughing proudly as the child devoured an ice cream and smeared more of the treat on its face than it managed to get in its mouth. The cheerful buffoon leaned down to wipe away the mess and pressed a kiss to the child���s forehead.

Disgusting. Was that what a father was meant to do? This may be more difficult than he thought. 

Yet he had only himself to blame for his current predicament. 

As the weeks had passed in the Underworld, he’d had plenty of time to ponder the existence of his son and all it implied. Duty, responsibility, strength. Fatherhood; a gift he never expected to receive. Having lost so much already, Vergil knew family was a precious gift (excluding Dante, of course). By the time he and his accursed twin returned, Vergil’s resolve to be in Nero’s life was unshakable.

But his desire to do so didn’t help him know how to be there properly.

His first few clumsy attempts had led to disaster, and Nero seemed reluctant to be in his company after he asked one too many awkward questions about Kyrie. In the end, his lackluster efforts left him no choice but to ask Dante for aid, and after weeks of enduring his brother’s teasing, here they were. Three grown men surrounded by children and young families at an amusement park. 

“Dude, we have to ride the Mega Coaster! It’s huge!” Nero cried, pointing at a snake-like metallic structure on the opposite end of the fair grounds. Even from such a distance, the screeches of the patrons aboard were faintly audible.

Dante tossed an arm around the youthful man’s shoulders and cackled. “For sure! But first —cotton candy!”

Vergil raised an eyebrow, stepping over a splash of fluid he didn’t dare to ponder further. The ease of his brother’s banter with his son summoned a strange longing in his heart, but he shoved it aside. Feelings were not to be trusted. “Cotton candy? That doesn’t sound edible.”

His two companions exchanged a grin Vergil didn’t like one bit. They were scheming something; this could only spell catastrophe. He glared at Dante but got only laughter in response. 

Within moments, the eldest Sparda held a stick with a blue cloud larger than his skull mounted on it. He eyed it suspiciously, curling his lip at the sugary scent. Why did people eat such things?

For that matter, how did people eat such things?

A glance at his brother and his mass of pink fluff showed one technique of tugging a chunk off with one’s teeth. Animalistic, but effective enough. Perhaps now was the time to emulate his twin; he had more experience with situations such as this. 

Vergil took a bite, allowing the fluffy sweetness to meet his taste buds. It vanished within seconds, melting away as if he’d merely dreamed it. Only a powerful aftertaste of sugar marked its passage. 

He didn’t despise it. 

“Good, huh?” Nero commented, his own helping already missing several mouthfuls. Vergil offered a non committal hum in response. Using words only got him in trouble before, maybe avoiding them would be more effective for now. He took another bite.

The trio soon rejoined the crowd, allowing the flow of humanity to pull them along towards the rides. According to Dante, the sooner they got in line the better, so they might as well finish their cotton candy on the way. For once his logic was sound and Vergil followed his lead into a snaking queue for The Zipper.

The pointless contraption was only the first of numerous conquests, each daring to seek an answer to the question of how many planes of rotation a human being could withstand before vomiting. Children and adults alike screamed and laughed as their bodies whirled and spun about, tinny music and the squeal of metal a soundtrack to their terrified joy. 

Hours passed in a blur of color and sound, motion and taste. At first Vergil tried to argue that he did not, in fact, need to experience every single ride, but Nero and Dante’s pestering only grew more tiresome as they dragged him along. The two seemed determined to force him to endure it all. With each absurd ride, they grew ever closer to the monstrous roller coaster overshadowing the park.

Yet despite his reservations, Vergil stifled chuckles as Nero settled a balloon animal hat on his closely cropped hair, and he outright smiled when Dante vomited after riding The Orbiter. His own stomach fared rather well, though it did change position whenever a ride featured a sudden drop. Apparently Yamato only trained him to resist rapid horizontal motion.

At last, he found himself seated beside Nero as the Mega Coaster creaked into motion. Behind them sat Dante, already whooping as the ride began. The lack of proper restraints barely registered in Vergil’s mind as they climbed a steep slope, the first of many dramatic steel hills their small cart would plummet down. He braced his feet on the floor and locked his eyes on the rails. 

“Here we goooo!” Nero hollered, grinning as the cart lurched over the peak. 

Vergil swallowed harshly as his belly shifted, the ground racing closer with each beat of his heart. Faces still waiting their turn in his seat blurred below, shouts echoing from the ride’s other passengers. Wind roared in his ears and through his hair, louder than the metallic hum of their cart in motion. He was tempted to close his eyes, but the view was impressive any time the cart slowed. 

The Mega Coaster proved it deserved its name, throwing his body to and fro as he hurtled through the track. Loops and twists, peaks and valleys too numerous to count, the ride in full control of those few minutes. His eyes watered in the intense wind, but Vergil refused to submit. No childish ride would best him, on this or any day. He crossed his arms and glared through the final turn, forcing his stomach to rethink its plans of revolt. 

As their ultimate conquest slowed to a halt before the platform, Vergil smirked at his victory over physics. His body was his to command, though it was admittedly thrilling to require his focus to do so. Perhaps roller coasters served a purpose after all? It merited further study. 

“Hey, check it out!”

He turned and followed Nero’s extended finger to a nearby display. Beside it sat kiosks showing photos of terrified faces plummeting down the steepest slope of the Mega Coaster, glee and fear alike sparkling in their eyes. 

The largest display screen showed an image from Vergil’s own escapade. Nero sat beside him in the front cart, hands braced on the metal and laughter clear in his youthful expression. His own face wore a stern frown, arms crossed and hair aflutter. Behind them both sat Dante, his hands raised and collar flapping in the wind as he whooped at top volume.

“Damn, Vergil looks like someone just pissed in his cheerios! I’m getting twenty copies,” Dante replied with a shit-eating grin, already striding to the kiosks.

“Foolishness,” Vergil commented. Undoubtedly, he’d never hear the end of it.

He followed Nero away from the kiosks and the horde of fair-goers demanding their own photographic evidence of their supposed courage. How pathetic to imagine riding a roller coaster was a feat of bravery. Vergil scowled —the masses truly had a simple existence. 

The setting sun painted the clouds with shades of pink as they walked, reminiscent of the cotton candy Dante ate earlier. Vergil licked his lips at the reminder, still unsure if he enjoyed his own sample of the sugary treat. It was both pleasant and revolting, following the theme of the day. At least the younger children were dissipating at this late hour, their high-pitched squeals of delight fading away as the park approached closure.

Indeed, the crickets were just beginning their song as he and Nero found a suitable place to wait for Dante’s return, leaning on a white fence overlooking an empty field. The tall grass swayed in a light breeze as if to beckon them closer, urging them to leave behind the distractions of the fairgrounds. 

Beside Vergil, Nero sighed, his short hair still mussed from their exploits with a certain roller coaster. A smirk curled the boy’s lips, amusement glinting in his eyes as he watched Dante wave in their direction before dashing towards the food stalls with far more enthusiasm than fair cuisine warranted, a massive stack of photos in hand. Childhood was short, but immaturity lasted forever.

“So, uh…” Nero said hesitantly. 

Vergil raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak, content to let the boy finish his thought before offering any comment. The way he shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his neck brought home just how young Nero was, his awkwardness an obvious sign of his inexperience.

As if I have room to judge, Vergil thought.

“It’s been a good day,” his son continued. “Dante mentioned it was your idea, so uh… Thanks.”

Vergil froze. The lingering echoes of laughter and mirth faded to a dull buzz. It all seemed distant and foreign, like a mirage. The only thing in the abhorrent display of normalcy that mattered to Vergil stood beside him, brow furrowed in a mirror image of his own stern face. How hadn’t he noticed the resemblance before? 

He cleared his throat, struggling to find an appropriate response. “You’ve enjoyed it?”

Nero leaned back, lifting his eyes to the sky with a hint of pink coloring his ears. Another trait they shared. Dante had always teased him about it when they were children.

“I mean, yeah. Never been to one of these before.”

A disorienting tightness bloomed in Vergil’s chest, different from the ache of separation he’d grown accustomed to. It hinted at joy, teased him with hope and danced with potential. Was this how having a family was meant to feel? He didn’t mind it. In fact, he wouldn’t complain if it became a regular occurrence. 

The two men stood in silence as the first stars twinkled to life above. Little sunlight remained, yet the world seemed a touch brighter. Wasn’t it strange, how different one’s perceptions could be when one wasn’t alone?

Nero eventually broke the reflective calm with a wry chuckle, running his palm through his hair and smirking at his father. “How much do you wanna bet Dante’s coming back with nothing but pizza?”

Vergil met his son’s gaze and matched his smirk, a dry huff of amusement slipping free. “That or strawberry sundaes. Perhaps both.”

Nero chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Warmth he hadn’t known in decades suffused Vergil’s chest. He’d made his son laugh. Perhaps there was hope for them yet? At the bare minimum, it seemed the young man didn’t hate him the way most sons despise their absentee fathers. The way he despised Sparda. Why the difference?

I came back. My father did not. 

Was it possible that his mere presence was enough to tip the scales? What a strange concept; he’d have to ponder it further. For the moment, he had other priorities.

“Perhaps we could do more things like this in the future,” Vergil said carefully. “If you’d like to, that is.”

Nero nodded, his eyes bright as he spotted his uncle on the way over. “Yeah, sounds good. But maybe next time we shouldn’t let Dante get the food?”

The legendary devil hunter held three pizza boxes, his stack of photos balanced precariously on the top. A grin stretched across his entire face. Vergil smirked and shared a knowing glance with Nero.

“Indeed; children do require supervision after all,” he quipped. 

Nero coughed to disguise his laughter as Dante joined them, sending another burst of warmth through Vergil’s heart. Yes, family was a blessing. He’d never take it for granted again.

[bidnezz]

Revenant [1/5]

Pairings: Magnus/Alec, background Clary/Izzy, mentions of past Magnus/Camille

Rating: Mature

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Blood and Violence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Clave Politics (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Downworlder Politics, Betrayal, Revenge, Background Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood, Angry Magnus Bane, Light Romance, Mystery, Prophecy, Minor Character Death, lots of death

Summary: 

Alec has heard the legends of Magnus Bane. He knows all the tales and he’s read all the records of his downfall. The High Warlock of Brooklyn who became so hungry for power that he began to mistreat the very warlocks who sought his help. It’s been a hundred years since then, and when a sudden rift opening between realms brings an onslaught of lesser demons, so too does it bring Magnus Bane, insatiable and vengeful for the power and people that locked him away in Edom. As newly appointed Head of the New York Institute, it’s Alec’s job to protect the residents of New York from one of the greatest Demons he’s ever faced. Only, he has no idea how, and maybe things aren't what they seem.

Art by the talented: @abby0007

Beta’d by the wonderful: @squiggly-lines-on-a-page

Read on ao3

Something to note: This fic is extremely AU. I've fitted a lot of events that we know to be canon (such as dates of events happening) to fit my story, and the past events happened around the early 1900's, until present canon time. There are also many mentions of blood and wounds and lots of death in the fic, so please be wary if that's a no for you!

Chapter One

Rushing residents and evening traffic fills the bustling streets of New York as the surrounding sky begins to darken with the dusk of the setting sun. Nightlife begins as shadows emerge from the alleyways, and doors that lead to no good open with the creak of bad decisions. The Downworld rises to the occasion, drinks in-hand and smiles plastered. So, too, do the Nephilim of the New York Institute who patrol the streets to keep tabs on those unknowing of the dangers that lurk in the dark.

Alexander Lightwood stands alone, weighted with shoulders heavy and nervous energy surrounding him in his new office. 

Head of the Institute.

The words roll around his tongue, foreign in his mouth but synonymous with him now. It feels… odd. But welcome.

A knock brings him back, a light rapping of knuckles on the thick wooden door, followed by ebony hair and dark red lips encasing a grin that could only belong to his sister. “Alec,” she calls, her grin turning wry. “Or should I say Head of the Institute?”

“I’ve seen the position lost to better people than I, let’s not jinx this.” 

“People? Yes. Leaders?” Isabelle pauses for effect as she strides towards Alec, a dramatic flair he knows to always expect. “I haven’t seen a leader yet, more deserving than you, dear brother. You can be happy for yourself, Alec. Smile, gloat, live a little. Even in the confines of this tiny room.”

Hard as he tries, Alec can’t reign in the small smile that curves his lips. He won’t gloat, he won’t yell and cheer and celebrate. That’s not him. But he will allow himself to feel pride and happiness in this small moment in time with his sister, and he’ll lock it away as a cherished memory to strengthen their bond. This is a turning point for him, a chance to uphold the Lightwood name and make his parents proud. Finally, a chance for them to see exactly the type of leader they raised, a chance to prove that it was all worth it - will be worth it. A chance for him to look upon his mother’s face and for once see something other than barely concealed disappointment and contempt.

“Hey buddy,” A low rasp calls from the opened door to the office. Jace rests against the curved door frame, arms crossed and wide smile dimpling his cheeks. “Oh,” he starts, adjusting his posture to stand perfectly upright as he offers a small salute to Alec. “I guess I should be more proper in front of our new leader, eh?”

The twinkle in his eyes and the way his smile devolves into a shit-eating grin only pulls a small chuckle from Alec, and he reaches his arm out to grip Jace’s as he’s pulled into a rough, brotherly hug. It’s warm, comforting, and when Isabelle joins in - complete.

Right here, right now… this is the turning point for Alec. No more failing, no more letting anyone down. This is where his new life as a leader begins, where everything he’s worked towards shifts into what it was always meant to be. This is what he was born for.

So then why does it feel so empty?

There's a gnawing inside of his chest, a cavern of muddled introspection and half understanding. The goal was always this, the finish line has been crossed and his direction never clearer. But under the anxiety of being freshly anointed, if Alec were to peel away the layers of doubt and worry until he’s viewing his own satisfied ego, what else would he see? Happiness, of course, to some extent. Nothing more, and nothing less. Unfulfilled pockets inside of him that yearn in wonder, and desire for something more.

A mother’s love, perhaps. To be accepted and finally seen as enough. 

Yes. An affirmation from Maryse Lightwood herself, and Alec’s sure he’ll feel that last puzzle piece locked into place. ‘But for now,’ Alec thinks to himself as he watches Isabelle and Jace enraptured in a hilarious conversation no doubt at his expense, ‘I’ve got all I need right in front of me.’

With his day just beginning in the blossoming night, Alec prepares himself for the duties and responsibilities that lie ahead of him. 

On the other side of New York as the darkness creeps heavier, something more sinister begins to tear at the fabric that separates their realm from the rest.

---

A chime echoes through the halls of the Institute odd hours later, only a precursor to the dull bang as the wooden doors slam open to reveal a crowd of people in disarray. Alec, bent over a table in the main hall with the city’s layout and a small group of Shadowhunters, turns at the commotion brow raised and senses on alert.

“There’s a demon!” someone in the jumbled mess of bodies hurtling towards Alec proclaims. 

“He’s strong - too strong,” another one says with a gasp.

Jace steps forward, hand on the hilt of his seraph blade, the other on his stele. Prepared for battle, ready for a fight. “Where?”

Three voices begin to clamor all at once in a disastrous explanation that prompts Alec to step forward and raise a calming hand in the air. The voices stop, and Jace turns to him with a question at the ready. “One at a time or we won’t get anywhere. You,” Alec points towards the least frantic Shadowhunter of the trio, “what happened?”

The man winces as he takes a step forward, favoring the right side of his body. Red stains his clothes; it paints his pale face and each of his limbs. It’s blood, Alec notes easily, dried and congealing in some spots no doubt from the cold autumn wind on the way back to the Institute, but some of the wounds still bleed fresh. His blond hair is matted to his face with sweat and ichor and his lips are caked with a mixture of all three, none of it enough to hide the burgeoning purple bruises that are blooming on his face. If the man’s body trembles, Alec says nothing of it. 

“We were patrolling near Williamsburg,” the man begins, a slow nervous lilt to his voice. “There was an unusual spike in demon activity at dusk. We overheard residents saying it was a minor earthquake, but we didn’t believe that. We suspected it was related to the demons. And it was,” he mutters under his breath, more to himself than to Alec and the room now filled with curious Shadowhunters. “There was a horde of them, Ravener demons. We thought it was just a basic attack, we didn’t know why they were there, but we prepared to get rid of them anyway. It was in the middle of our fight with the demons that someone else showed up-“

“Magnus Bane!” sputters the man in the middle, specks of red flying from his mouth and smattering the floor. “He’s back. He’s back and he’s here for revenge! That's what he told us!”

A gasp echoes in the silent halls of The Institute, followed by the low thrum of chatter as Shadowhunters begin to talk. To the side, Alec catches Isabelle’s gaze, stony and reserved in thought, but sparking with worry for the day’s sudden turn of events. 

“Let’s get you guys cleaned up and healed,” Alec steps forward, stele in hand and iratze on his tongue.

“I-It doesn’t work,” the blond man whispers, shaking his head and peering up at Alec with furrowed brows. “We hid in the alleyways and tried to heal. Perhaps it’s the poison from the ichor, but I suspect it’s tied to the magic that Magnus Bane hit us with that makes our healing runes null.”

More chatter from the crowd of people, louder this time, and Alec nods once before turning to the person on his left. “Clary, see to it that they’re taken care of and bandaged properly. Triple check healing runes and make sure we get a full analysis report on all your findings.” It’s an order given with a tone Alec hopes conveys exactly what he’s thinking. He needs to know what’s causing the iratze’s to not work, he needs to know if it’s just a reaction to the ichor or something altogether more threatening. More than that, however, he needs discretion. Kept under wraps, with only Alec and trusted company to know the answers. With the way Clary keeps his firm gaze and offers a single, silent nod, Alec’s sure she understands. 

“Everyone else,” Alec speaks, loud and commanding. “Back to your duties.”

The room pauses, wary and hesitant with the new information discovered and seeping into every conspiracy forming in the back of their minds. They want answers, they want clarity, they want knowledge that Alec doesn’t yet have. Resigned to knowing they won’t get any more than this, they file out slowly with soft whispers and bowed heads towards one another. 

It’s only several seconds later when he notices the hesitation spread across the injured Shadowhunter’s faces, a look shared between the three of them. They’re brimming with the words they want to speak, information they’ve withheld, just barely. Only, they’re scared and Alec’s not sure if it’s a result of the situation they’ve just encountered, or the consequences they think they’ll have to face. Quietly, Alec steps towards them and grants a reassuring nod.

“Sir, Magnus Bane-” the Shadowhunter’s words catch in his throat. Alec hasn’t heard this name in years, not since training, and it already feels exhausted. “He didn’t let us leave with our lives for nothing. He gave us a warning.” There’s another pause, ominous in nature and the patience Alec composes himself with is waning thinner and thinner by the second. 

“Go on,” Alec presses, voice carefully neutral.

“He wanted us to relay to you that this is a Downworlder affair, and for the Shadowhunters not to meddle unless they’re prepared to begin a war with Edom.”

The words come out in a single breath, rushed and trembling. He suspects it was infinitely more intimidating and terrifying than it sounds coming from three battered and bloodied Shadowhunters, but the message is clear: Don’t get involved.

“Thank you,” Alec finds himself saying, thoughts already trailing into a plan of action, mind already gearing for only two options. The first, to take an observer's role in this newfound issue of Downworld battles. The second, to raise alert to the Clave and begin to fortify the Institute for the foreseeable attack once involvement is inevitable. Or perhaps a third option is available, Alec speculates to himself. 

Diplomacy. 

There’s very little he knows of Magnus Bane, what scraps of information left of him are withheld in Clave documents. He’ll gather up what he can find, form a case to present to an angry, vengeful Greater Demon, and see if some sort of reasoning can be made.

With a sigh, Alec thumbs away the blooming headache from his temples and heads towards his office, doubt already sprouting up in the corners of his tenuous plans. Nothing is for certain, of course. Who’s to say Magnus Bane will be a reasonable man with the quivering display he left for Alec at the doors of the Institute. The only thing he knows for sure is that he’s going to get to the bottom of what’s going on and take care of it personally, Greater Demon or not, New York is Alec’s city now. 

---

Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn for decades until his banishment to Edom at the beginning of the 1900’s, was frequently described as a hedonist. Reports on him vary from year to year. Some decades he remained under the radar, shielded from the eyes of the Clave. Others, he became notorious for begetting impish troubles between the classes. The only consistency found in any and all reports of the former High Warlock is the tendency towards extravagance and self-indulgence, with a craving for social gatherings.

Leaning back in his seat, Alec traces a finger along the case of his device and focuses on two words. 

High Warlock. 

He was obviously well-liked at some point in time, formidable enough to be deemed a worthy leader, and charismatic enough to be seen as an ambassador for other Warlocks. There must have been great strength at his hands, and greater support backing him to attain the level of priority that he gained.

So… what happened?

Power, clearly, and too much of it. The same Warlocks who hoisted him up petitioned to get him banished, cried his name in the streets of Brooklyn and swore his downfall.

And they made it happen.

Warlocks from all parts of New York flocked and rallied towards Brooklyn in hopes of seeing the demise of one Magnus Bane. Clave reports account for groups gathering outside of his apartment, banding together to peel away any protection shields cast up in defense. Among them, a leader: Lorenzo Rey.

The Clave watched from the shadows, vowed to not get involved in affairs they deemed less than worthy, but insisted on documenting it all. And Downworlders are the definition of unworthy in the Clave’s eyes. 

There’s a nagging in the back of Alec’s mind, a wonder if anyone tried to help, tried to stop it. If there was another way. 

But no, Downworlder affairs need not be meddled in, especially when Shadowhunters were never involved in the first place.

With a sigh, he sets down the reports and rubs at the bridge of his nose. What makes this situation any different? Magnus Bane threatened for Shadowhunters not to get involved. He sent a message back in the form of barely living soldiers who were just doing their duty, a message sent loud, but not so clear.

“Are you going to report this to the Clave?” Isabelle’s voice pierces through his thoughts, and Alec prides himself on only showing a fraction of surprise when he turns to face her.  

“Of course I am, Izzy. It’s my duty.”

His sister peers down at him from her spot on the corner of his desk, eyes scrutinizing every emotion that flickers across his face. She doesn’t seem appeased with whatever she finds. “You can wait if you want, Alec. You can see what happens next. Try your plans first and go to the Clave later with your findings.”

Alec scoffs. “And have my position rescinded for failure to uphold the most basic understanding of status? The Clave will know everything I know, because that is what is right. They’ll know the best course of action, because they know Magnus Bane and what he’s capable of.”

Isabelle watches him for several long moments, trying to read for any hint of something to give away any of the thoughts running through Alec’s head. When she receives nothing, she nods and reaches for the handheld with the last report Alec was reading, and holds it in front of herself. She skims the words on the page, traces a slow finger from picture to picture, before settling on one that she sets down in front of Alec with a smile.

“You know, for a Greater Demon who’s here to enact his revenge on the Downworlders, he’s actually quite handsome.” Her lips pull into a smirk, and her eyes await a reaction, but Alec gives her none. He simply shrugs and locks the screen of the handheld. “He was, at least. Who knows what he looks like now after a hundred years in Edom.”

And honestly, the last thing Alec wants to focus on is the physical features of a Demon here to cause chaos. He doesn’t want to think about the picture of Magnus Bane in Clave documents, drink in hand and that perfectly tailored suit fitting his body, smiling at the photographer with his dark-rimmed eyes. It doesn’t matter what Magnus Bane looked like then, or even now. The only thing that matters now is the information he’s managed to scrounge up from every instance of this Demon’s name in Clave history, and how he can use that knowledge to his advantage. 

Magnus Bane was cunning, sneaky, and smart in the early 1900’s. He was dangerous then, and Alec’s not going to believe that Edom did anything but magnify that danger after a century of letting his anger fester.

---

Moonlight spills through the windows, casts soft light along the path Alex takes as he makes his way, resigned, towards the infirmary. 

The halls of the Institute are sparse with Shadowhunters now gathered in the training hall and library in hopes of strengthening themselves for whatever battle they foresee coming. It’s all for naught, Alec thinks to himself as he recounts the lackluster conversation that transpired between him and his parents just an hour ago, accompanied by Inquisitor Herondale. 

“You’re to remain on the outside and cease any and all involvement in these Downworlder... squabbles.” Herondale’s voice had cut sharp and left no room for questions. Squabbles. That’s the extent that the Clave had watered this threat down to. A Greater Demon, capable of stripping away their ability to heal without the use of mundane technology. A Downworld squabble. 

“Alec,” his mother’s stern voice had cut in, low and severe, “you need to make it absolutely clear to everyone that they are not to expose themselves to any fight that Magnus Bane chooses to partake in. Any patrolling Shadowhunters are there for one reason, and one reason only. To observe and record.”

Yes, to observe and record. To keep an account of what happened for Clave history. More ammunition for Shadowhunters to keep themselves separated from Downworlders, and information to add to the files of warlocks the Clave already suspects are dangerous. Fuel to the fire, all wrapped up in the innocent guise of history.

It doesn’t sit well with Alec, being a bystander to the havoc a furious Greater Demon might cause. The Clave won’t step in, they won’t be a helping hand in all of this, and Alec hates to sit on the sidelines of what could possibly be the worst decision in the history of the Accords. 

But the Clave has the final say on any Shadowhunter involvement in Downworld affairs. The Clave is every bit as responsible as Alec for whatever presides in Brooklyn in the coming days. The Clave doesn’t want to stop Magnus Bane, so why should Alec?

Alec’s fingers wrap around the cool metal of the door handle when he remembers his mother’s face, the expression she wore so unabashedly in front of him. Disappointment so thinly veiled underneath all of that carefully crafted apathy. Disappointment for the way Alec offered his solutions to Inquisitor Herondale? Disappointment in the way Alec questioned the motives of the Clave for hiding in the background when they could find an alternative to be part of the solution? Disappointment in Alec, for becoming Head of the Institute, clearly unprepared and unwelcome by even his own mother?

The smile that graced his mother’s features when he first saw her had been enough for the newly awakened pride inside of him, seeking the tiniest shred of affirmation from his harshest critic. How short-lived it was. How quickly had that pride deflated into embarrassment when he began to speak of the attack from Magnus Bane and his mother’s eye shrouded themselves in disapproval.

Perhaps he could have done something differently today. He could have proceeded with a different plan of action that would have appeased Herondale’s thirst for non-consequential knowledge, if he had only known. But now he does, and though redemption is not far off, it’s going to be an uphill battle. 

He’ll do better.

With a steadying breath, Alec pushes open the wooden doors to the infirmary and steps in.

There’s the distinct sterile scent of Iodine, and far more lines of IV that are hooked up than Alec is used to seeing. They’re a back up, mostly, for when an iratze isn’t enough, or the wounds are too infected with ichor to properly heal, but even then…

The click-clack of heels on tile brings his focus to the lithe redhead who steps towards him with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. 

“It’s not the ichor,” Clary begins, wasting no time. She’s worked with Alec long enough to know he doesn’t think highly of beating around the bush or dawdling. “I was able to analyze the blood samples enough that I could detect a magical signature on all of them. Bane, of course, but it seems that the magic is keeping the wounds from healing. They’re not re-opening, so to speak, but they aren’t clotting and the stitches I’ve made don’t seem to be helping the process either. They just,” Clary inhales a deep sigh, and expels a shaky breath. “They just bleed. Not enough to drain them completely, but enough to cause substantial blood loss. With how much they’ve already lost and how much more they’re going to lose, they’re going to need several transfusions just to stay alive.”

Alec turns to face one of the Shadowhunters laying on the cold, white bed. There are bandages around his arms, patches of gauze scattered across his body and face and butterfly bandages to keep small wounds closed. But for every bandage, for every strip of white, there’s red that blots it. Small beads of blood that pool at each line of cuts until they brim over and cascade in a slow and steady spill of red that stains the sheets beneath. 

Three Shadowhunters in critical care, while not a huge blow, only paves the way for bigger hits in the future if Alec chooses to stand in the way of Magnus Bane. It’s not a risk he’s willing to take, to bet it all on the unknown, to subject the very same people who put him in this position to the torturous death sentence of blood loss. 

“What are we going to do, Alec?”

Clary’s voice is soft when she speaks, uncertainty replacing the confidence and assertion he’s so used to hearing. Yes, three Shadowhunters isn’t a big loss, but it’s an omen chilling enough that he doesn’t want to cause panic and worry within the Institute.

“We stay quiet about this. If anyone asks, the ichor and magic is causing a unique reaction that you’re working on a remedy for. They’ll be fine.”

They’ll be fine.

Even to himself, Alec sounds scared.

“Maybe we need to find Magnus Bane, we could talk to him and ask - “

“Ask what?” Alec snaps his attention towards Clary, who frowns up at him.

With a calculated pause, she surveys the room’s occupants. “We can ask him what he’s here for, what he’s trying to gain from this.” 

“He wants whoever sealed him away in Edom to pay.”

Clary’s brows crinkle together, and her eyes focus as she undoubtedly tries to recollect any information on Magnus Bane she’s heard of over the years. There’s not much to remember, not much spoken through word of mouth besides cautionary tales and warnings on why Downworlders must always be watched. The real meat of the situation is hidden in the files of cases over the years. Cases that litter Alec’s desk, pages of text that have been ingrained into his mind.

“Maybe we could help him,” She offers, timidly.

“Help him?”

“I know it sounds crazy, us helping a Greater Demon,” Clary begins. “We work on keeping the Downworld in order so to speak, right? We make sure that danger doesn't seep through into mundane territory, and so far it is. We can seek out Magnus Bane, see why he’s after these people, who they are, and what he’s trying to achieve. Maybe… Maybe helping him will bring more peace than leaving him to his own devices.”

Clary’s not wrong, at least to Alec she isn’t. It’s the better option, to help Magnus Bane with whatever mission he’s steering towards so he can be done with it. Get him out of the way before it becomes a bigger issue with the Clave. 

But the Clave. 

“The Inquisitor doesn’t want that,” Alec explains tersely.

Clary rolls her eyes and wears a common expression of distaste so many around him always do when the Clave is involved. “They aren’t here, Alec. The Clave only cares about the Law, with no regard to how it actually applies to all of our lives in the Institute. You’re our leader now. I understand you report back to the Clave, but they don’t have to know. At least not yet.”

It’s a temptation Alec won’t entertain for longer than a brief second. Going against the Clave is not an option. They’ve been given orders, and he’ll make sure they follow them. 

“We will not go-“

Alec’s words are interrupted by the high-pitched ringing of his phone that he answers immediately.

“Isabelle?”

“Alec,” There’s a loud crash that crackles through the receiver of the phone that instantly sets him on high alert. “Alec, he’s here. Magnus Bane, he’s come to Hotel DuMort with an army of demons. You need to come!”

“Hotel DuMort? What are you even doing there, Isabelle? You were told to stay out of this, you shouldn’t be anywhere near other Downworlders with Magnus Bane around!”

“Jace and I came to -“

There’s silence as the phone loses connection, and Alec can’t help the involuntary reaction of slamming his empty fist into one of the unoccupied beds of the infirmary. “Fuck,” he spits out, before shoving the phone into his pocket and making his way towards the door.

“I’m coming with you,” Clary shouts as she rushes to his side.

“You will stay here and stick to the plan, Morgenstern,” Alec grits through his teeth. 

“There is no plan, Alec! I’m not going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs, giving people false hope when I can go with you and help.”

A moment of silence. A moment where Alec feels the heavy thud of his heartbeat in the palms of his hand where his fists are balled so tightly, before he exits the infirmary in quiet anger with Clary trailing behind him. 

---

There are screeches and screams that surround the Hotel DuMort as Alec and Clary gather closer. To mundanes, only quiet calm and the sounds of cars honking with idle engines fill the late night streets, but behind the screen of blissful oblivion lies something much darker, something far more inauspicious. 

Sparks of red shoot from one of the top floor windows, and Alec and Clary dodge the shards of glass that sprinkle down on them as they search for an entrance. Magic enchants the walls and tingles against Alec’s hand as he pushes through one of the side entrances not blocked off with deadbolts and hanging locks. It would be almost too easy for any mundane to just waltz in, and he’s sure under different circumstances this would be a red-flag for Hotel DuMort’s compliance with the Accords to be taken into question.

The room inside is dark and empty at first glance, but a gasp from Clary and the tip of his boots hitting something raised against the floor shows him that they’re not alone. 

A handful of lifeless bodies litter the floor in front of them, surrounded by darkness and sparks of electricity from the light sources that have been shot out and electrical wires exposed. Vampires. Demons. Nothing left alive.

It makes the fear of Jace and his sister being one of these figures all the more real, and he finds the weight of his feet carrying him faster towards the staircase door. Logically, he knows that’s not the case. He’d feel it through their bond if something happened to his parabatai, and he knows that Jace would throw himself into the line of fire first before he let anything happen to Isabelle. With Clary hot on his trail they race up the stairs, stamina and speed rune lighting up and fading quickly with the wave of their steles. It’s only a few quick minutes before they’re paused at the door to the 7th floor, only stopped by the body of a dead vampire blocking the entrance from the other side. With a grunt and a shove, Alec pushes the door open and they step through into a fight that’s already begun.

The sight of vampires greet them; teeth bared, claws sharp and blades in hand fighting off the demons that surround them, ash covering the floor they fight ont. Clary whispers his name, but he doesn’t turn to her, focused critically on the threats in front of them. Alec takes one step forward, close enough to the nearest vampire that he can almost get a word in, before he’s swiped at suddenly by a Ravener demon. 

He dodges the first attack with several hurried paces back and reaches for an arrow from his quiver, before the demon fizzles out before his eyes. The final blow in question is dealt by Clary, who heaves a breath and grins at Alec as she pulls her seraph blade back from the fading particles of the dying demon. It’s one miniscule victory short-lived, however, because in its place pour in three more from the broken windows that line the walls. Alec nocks an arrow into his bow quickly and chances a glance towards Clary out of the corner of his eye, who curls her lips back in a grimace and readies for a fight. 

Together, they take them out. One after another, an onslaught of demons rush and growl and shriek in attack. None of them get close enough to injure, though all of them try, and it’s not until the remaining few pull back and crawl through the windows that Alec realizes they’re not retreating for the sake of defeat.

“Upstairs,” Alec breathes, ragged. “Isabelle and Jace must be upstairs.”

“The demons are no-doubt being called back by Magnus Bane. We need to get up there.”

A hiss from the side catches their attention, a wounded vampire covered in blood and ichor. “Going up there is a death sentence. Your other Shadowhunters were already doomed before they’d even reach the top floor..”

There’s only a brief look of worry shared between them, before Clary and Alec are racing up the next staircase in search of Isabelle and Jace. Jace isn’t dead, he knows for a fact, but the possibility of Isabelle being injured fuels him up the next flights of stairs that tug at his parabatai bond. They’re close, he can feel Jace and the feelings being pushed through the bond right now. Confusion, anger, worry… Fear.

Fear of Magnus Bane?

They’re close, so close now, and Alec knows he’ll finally get answers to all of the questions and worries pouring through their minds as he and Clary push through that final door that leads them to the top floor of Hotel DuMort. 

Relief overcomes him, spreads warmth through his body as he sees the golden blond of Jace’s hair, and his sister right beside him across the room. But it’s replaced, almost immediately, when he spots the scene that surrounds them.

In the middle of the room are two figures, Camille Belcourt who Alec knows to be the leader of the Brooklyn Vampire Clan, and someone he can only presume to be Magnus Bane.The pair of them ensconced in a circle of high red flames that prevent anyone from leaving or entering. There’s a conversation happening inside of it, screaming and yelling from Camille that Alec can’t hear through the roar and heat of fire, and wild gestures from Magnus Bane, whose back is turned to he and Clary. 

Scattered around the room are clusters of vampires fighting off the unending horde of demons, unsuccessful in their endeavors. Jace and Isabelle are with them, the crack of his sister’s whip snapping louder than the crackling of fire that licks at Alec as he steps nearer. There’s no way around the fire, no way for them to get any closer even as he and Clary fight their way through the demons rushing towards them. 

So they fight, continuously with only precious seconds in between each attack for them to catch their breath and gather their strength, but Alec doesn’t tire as the ichor mingles with the sweat soaking his clothes and coating his skin. He won’t give up until he finds a way to Isabelle and Jace, and he’ll die trying if he has to.

Another demon jumps at him, and this one catches Alec at an angle that his arrow can’t quite reach in time. The knowledge of being cut hits first, followed shortly after by the pain in his shoulder. It stings and burns, not from the fire, but from the magic laced and infused deeply within the demons themselves. 

It’s a minor inconvenience, he tells himself as he reaches for the seraph blade holstered to his thigh and jabs it into the back of the demon as he dodges a second attack. It hurts, but it’s nothing he can’t stand, nothing an iratze won’t heal.

It’s a lie he knows to be true. He can feel the magic tingling against his skin where the blood begins to seep from the shallow wound. He’ll be fine for now, at least long enough to get them out of the building and back into the safety of the Institute. 

A grunt beside him brings him back into the fight and he turns to see Clary swing her weapon into the skull of the demon closest to her, while kicking another into the fire beside her that consumes the demon with a sizzling crack. It’s almost more effective to use the fire to their advantage, Alec realizes as he and Clary share a knowing look. They change tactics quickly, rushing towards the demons from the outskirts of the room, boots thudding heavily against the hardened exoskeleton of the demons as they rush towards them. The vampires nearby take note, exhausted and battered far more than the two of them, and begin to follow suit.

It’s not long before the flocks of demons that pour into the room fade into a more sparse area of coverage and everyone involved in the small battle can take longer than a moment's breath. 

Whispers and speculation fill the silence when only a few demons are left remaining, being fought off by courageous vampires with a sudden need to direct their adrenaline. In the middle of the room the fire howls fiercer, brighter and hotter as Camille and Magnus continue to occupy the center, closer than ever to each other. 

There’s discourse, still an argument being had if the curl of the Magnus’ fist and Camille’s bared teeth are anything to go off of. It’s still too loud to hear the topic at hand, something unsettling and stormy brewing between the two, but then suddenly something shifts in Camille’s incensed demeanor. 

It’s as if a switch has flipped, as if the anger has evaporated with the heat of the flames, and left in its place a barrage of tears that trickle down her face. She’s frustrated, Alec can see it in the square of her shoulders, but she’s given up the fight to Magnus. Part of him knows it’s not his place to care about the outcome of the events that are unfolding before them, that he has other more pressing matters at hand, such as getting to Jace and Isabelle. But the flames don’t give an inch of slack, and the path to them is blocked almost entirely by dead bodies and debris. 

A pale hand reaches up, contrasting shockingly to the deep tan of Magnus’ cheek where it rests, color that Alec can see isn’t just the result of the shadows from the fire. From Alec’s spot behind Magnus, he can’t see the expression he wears or the effect this gesture has on him. What he can see, though, is the tense of his back through the black blazer that fits his body, and the way he straightens out the length of himself when presented with the vulnerability of Camille. 

And Camille, for all her false innocence and shrewd manner over the years, seems genuine for once. 

With rapt attention, Alec watches every step closer she takes.He can feel rather than hear the staccato click of her heels along the marble floor for every inch of distance she closes. He should look away, he thinks in a moment of polite weakness. 

But, no.

This is a deliberate display, a show the two of them are putting on for any Downworlder, Shadowhunter, or Mundane who will watch. And so he does. 

He watches, enraptured, as Camille raises herself onto the balls of her feet, black stilettos lifting and pale arms encircling the strong shoulders of the Greater Demon before her. He watches still, as the bright red lipstick that stains her lips also colors Magnus’ cheek and smears against their skin when she ducks her head into the junction of his neck. It’s almost too intimate for him to continue watching, the moment surely too much for them to all be allowed to partake in. It feels sinful, in a way. Alec almost averts his eyes, guiltily casting his gaze downward, when he catches Magnus’ hand reflecting back to him the brightest flames through the rings that adorn the fingers curling into the dark long locks of Camille’s hair.

Most importantly, in his bashfully thorough scrutiny of the scene before him, he watches Magnus’ other hand, unnoticed and dim in the shadows of their two bodies. A hand that ignites a soft blue nearly unseen through the fire, magic that produces a wooden stake to spear straight into the unsuspecting heart laid out before him.

A gasp, a lungful of staggered breathing fills Camille as she cries out in the same silent shock Alec feels vibrating through him. Her body, lithe and slender and her deep burgundy dress darken with color as she twitches and fades before them into slow settling ash on the floor, graceful and beautiful in ways that only the leader of the New York vampire clan could manage. But Alec pays her no mind as her memory slips lower beneath the line of his vision, all the while his eyes remain steadfast on the Demon before him. On Magnus Bane.

The fire lets up minutes later, and the surviving vampires rush towards Camille with their inhuman speed, crying and bemoaning the loss of their leader with wails that echo in the silence now befalling the room. There’s a tug in the pit of his stomach, a pull that he recognizes clearly as his parabatai bond. He should follow it to Jace, to Isabelle and undoubtedly Clary who is likely already with them. He knows, logically, what he should do now. He knows what’s expected of him, and he knows what’s right. And yet… 

Now that he knows for certain his siblings are safe, there are more important matters at hand. Like the fact that Magnus Bane now stands in front of him, piercing Alec with golden eyes and the hardened exterior of a Greater Demon who shows no remorse for having just killed someone. 

Time seems to move slowly as Magnus lifts a hand and summons a portal, an endless swirl of darkness that will release him from the destruction he’s leaving behind, that will take him further from the answers Alec seeks. Magnus turns then, takes one step into the void and the flow of time accelerates so quickly that in that instant Alec doesn’t realize he’s stepping through the portal with him until the roar of magic deafens him to the sounds of his sister’s call.

[i-love-pandasxtomatoes]

Fluff fic!

A/N: Hi! This is my first fic! Pls, pardon my mistakes as this isn't beta read and I wrote this in the middle of the night. We had drunk Adora but I can't help but think of drunk Catra. I hope this story makes sense!

Italics are Adora's inner thoughts!

Summary: Someone "accidentally" fed Catra catnip. 

The Best friends Squad and Super Pal Trio compete for Catra's attention.

In which Catra is drunk on catnip.

And everyone else has an obsession with cats.

Fic is not Beta Read! Fic is crossposted on AO3!

It had been a long day of helping out in the Fright Zone.

After Horde Prime was defeated and magic was restored to Etheria, the Princesses had a meeting to discuss what was to be done. Buildings and villages destroyed during Horde Prime's time on Etheria had to be repaired and some structures need to be rebuilt. Among all the chaos, it had also been decided that the Fright Zone will be going through some reconstruction before Scorpia could rise to the throne that she deserves. Of course, everyone volunteered to help out.

Adora sighed as she walked through the campsite that the alliance had set up temporarily during their stay at Fright Zone while stretching her muscles. She had spent a long day as She-Ra, helping out with tearing down pieces of the old buildings and lifting the heavy materials required to rebuild the buildings along with the other princesses and she all she wanted now were cuddles with her soft girlfriend, Catra. Maybe Catra would allow Adora to rub her ears or even give her a chance to pat that fluffy tummy that she sported! Pushing back those thoughts, she took a look around, hoping to see a certain cat-like girl but all she saw were the princesses sitting around the campfire they've built, seemingly relaxing with small conversations going on within themselves while Catra herself, was nowhere to be seen.

Adora frowned, disappointed knowing that she wouldn't be able to get her well-deserved cuddles anytime soon. She recalls Catra leaving a few hours ago after she announcing that she was heading towards Entrapta's makeshift tent lab to pick up some parts needed for the reconstruction going around but Adora hasn't seen her anywhere after that. A closer look around made her realize that Scorpia and Entrapta weren't anywhere around either.

Maybe they were all in Entrapta's tent?

She decided to make her way down to Entrapta's lab to check if there was anything wrong and hopefully find her girlfriend there too

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What Adora found was ... not what she would've expected ... in a million years or so...

When she got to the tent, she had expected to be dragged in by Entrapta and forced to listen through one of the many theories the enthusiastic girl came out with. However, she was met with the turned backs of Entrapta and Scorpia as they huddled over something, unaware of her presence.

There they are!

Catra however, was still nowhere in sight.

"Hey, guys!" She called out. "Have you seen Catra anywhere?"

That seemed to get their attention.

"Oh hey, Adora! Didn't see you there haha" Scorpia turns around laughing awkwardly and looking sheepish.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed. It was then Adora realized that Scorpia was carrying a certain someone in her claws.

Someone that she spent the past hour looking for.

Her first reaction was relief. At least Catra wasn't hurt. However, that relief soon turned into concern when she realized Catra wasn't thrashing around like how she usually did when Scorpia hugged her or picked her up. She tried to get closer to Scorpia so she could take a closer look.

Well, she did try until she was blocked by Entrapta's hair? And Scorpia seems to have moved back a bit during the process?

Before Adora could try again or ask why did they do that, Catra let out a small contented purr from Scorpia's claws and opened her eyes.

"Catra! Are you alright?" She asked.

She expected a scoff or a casual remark but she got none. The girl wasn't protesting about being in Scorpia's claws either. Her eyes met Catra's mismatched ones trying to spot any signs of discomfort. There was none. However, the said girl had a glazed over look in her eyes? Before Adora could ask if she was okay again, Catra suddenly mewled out.

"Adowa?"

What the f-! What just happened? Adowa? That's me right? She's calling for me? I haven't heard that since we were 5 and that was back when Catra couldn't pronounce her words properly...

"Uh..." Adora started.

"I'msorryweaccidentallydruggedher" Scorpia blurted out.

"WHAT?"

"Uhm... I said we're sorry we accidentally drugged her..." Scorpia whispered out.

Adora stood there, processing the words.

Drugged her... drugged her... Catra's drugged... drugged... drugs... isn't that bad?

She opened her mouth but no words came out of it.

Entrapta seemed to have sensed her distress and spoke out, explaining the effects of the drugs. They sat down in a circle, with Catra still in Scorpia's claws. Adora felt mildly upset that she wasn't the one holding Catra but she quickly pushed down the thought.

Scorpia has the right to hold her. Shes Catra's friend too.

But that did not stop her from wishing it was her arms that Catra was snuggling in

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Apparently, it was a new type of plant Scorpia and Perfuma found growing near the outskirts of Fright Zone earlier in the day.

When Scorpia brought it into the tent for Entrapta to take a look at it, Catra who was there accidentally breathed it in and proceeded to bite into it. Which resulted in the current situation.

"We've decided to name the plant 'Catnip'" Entrapta started.

"It's named that way as I did my research and found that there's a chemical compound in the plant that attracts and affects specifically felines and as we all know Catra's basically a cat. When a cat smells catnip, it causes the cat to go crazy and when they consume it, it acts as a sedative. Oh! And they tend to react hyperactively although, after a certain amount of time, cats under the influence of catnip seem to calm down and get sluggish and sleepy. At least that was what I got from observing Catra!" She ended her rambles enthusiastically.

Adora's brain seemed to have shut down.

All she got from that speech was 'hyperactive' and 'sleepy'.

"Is it safe for her though?" she asked.

"Don't worry! Catnip is relatively harmless! It is not addictive and the active ingredient is nontoxic and therefore has no adverse effects on cats or Catra!" Entrapta beams.

"Oh, that's great then!" Adora breathed out.

"I'll bring her back to our tent and rest for the night." She made a move to pick Catra up from Scorpia's claws, noting the slight reluctance the other girl displayed as she lifted Catra into Adora's arms. Once she was in her arms, Catra started purring and snuggling into Adora.

"Adowaaaa" she mewls out. Proceeding to beam brightly at her before snuggling into her Adora's chest.

Adora swore she almost had a heart attack there in Entrapta's lab. She barely registers Entrapta scribbling out notes in the corner or Scorpia being flustered in the background. Blushing lightly, she clutches Catra close to her, making her way to the tent opening, smiling to herself. She was definitely gonna enjoy the night if Catra was going to be behaving this way.

However before she could step out of the door, a certain purple-haired tendril containing catnip shot out and waved under Catra's nose. Almost immediately, the catgirl shot out of Adora's arms in favor of the damned plant. Adora groaned and turned back only to see Entrapta trying her best to look innocent while Catra pawed at her hair.

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Adora sighed for the 66th time that night.

She was supposed to be back in bed and cuddling up with Catra and getting the rest she deserved after the long day.

But a certain someone just had to ruin it.

She let out a puff of annoyance from her position on the floor as she not so subtlely glared in Entrapta's direction. The purple-haired genius was entertaining Catra with a giant robot that had spinning mechanical birds which the catgirl was trying to bat at while Scorpia was... petting her?

"Catra? Do you wanna go back now?" Adora tried.

She didn't get a response.

"Cat-"

"I think it would only be wise to let Catra stay here for the night. Just so I can take notes about this situation" Entrapta cuts in.

Scorpia seems to light up too. "Oh! I'll stay and help!" she chirps.

"What?" Adora blurts out.

No! She's supposed to be in bed with me...

She glances at Catra, who was happily pawing at Entrapta's hair again and decided she had dealt with enough things today. Adora was going to get Catra back in bed with her tonight. One way or another. She stood up and begin to approach the trio.

"Sorry guys. I think it'll be better if she was with me for the night." She starts. Entrapta and Scorpia looked at each other for a moment and she took the chance to pluck Catra, who was currently tangled in Entrapta's hair out of the mess. However, she was met with resistance. Adora looked down to see a purple tendril wrapped around Catra's waist.

"Excuse me?" she half yelled. Annoyance showing on her face.

Entrapta and Scorpia refused to look at Adora.

Just then Bow and Glimmer peeked into the tent.

"Adora? Is everything ok? We heard yelling..." Bow asked.

"Yeah! Just help me get Catra out of here!"

"... ..."

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CRASH

A loud sound rang out from Entrapta's tent as Catra knocked over something in her quest to chase after a sparkly magic sphere Glimmer had produced as means to lure her over to Adora's side.

"Huh... That's kinda cute " Glimmer muttered as Catra bounded over to her, looking at her with dilated eyes. Glimmer stretched out her hand to rub the other girl's ears. Catra started purring and leaned into her touch, nuzzling her cheek into Glimmer's hand, her tail wagging lazily in the background. Glimmer's cheeks heated up and she started to furiously rub her hands against the other girl's cheeks while muttering something about horde scum and being unfair.

Meanwhile, in the background, Adora and Bow swore they saw steam coming out of Glimmer's ears.

"Do you think Catra will let me pet her too?" Bow squealed, his eyes sparkling brightly.

All Adora did was to pout slightly while she stared at the scene in front of her mutely.

That was supposed to be reserved for me...

Glimmer was actually having fun petting Catra. Catra was just so soft and warm she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Adora, who got to hold Catra every night in bed. Nights in Etheria could be cold at times while sometimes a queen just needs some fluff in her life. Grinning to herself, Glimmer decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted, making mental notes to get herself some of that catnip that Adora explained to her about while they were trying to get Catra's attention earlier on.

"Just in case." she thought.

Glimmer's happiness was short-lived as Catra leaped away from her, in favor of Scorpia when she walked past, holding a cardboard box that Catra jumped into after she set it down.

Adora and Bow barely registered Glimmer dragging her feet across the tent to join them. The Best Friend Squad stared in the direction of Scorpia and Catra.

Scorpia was gushing madly about how she always wanted to do this while sitting down next to the box and petting Catra who was purring loudly after settling herself comfortably into the box. Entrapta joined them and wrapped her hair tendrils around the purring cat, smiling when she saw her snuggle into it.

"I must say this does feel great." Entrapta lets out softly.

"It does right? We should do this more often! Super Pal Trio bonding time!" Scorpia said.

Wait... what?!

"Bow! Do something! We can't let them win Catra over!" Glimmer nudged Bow in the ribs repeatedly.

Adora seemed to be too lost in her thoughts to actually do anything so Glimmer thought she had to step up and take charge of this whole situation.

"Uhm. Let me see what I have!" Bow said as he fumbled through his pockets searching for anything he could use. His hands settled on a small metallic object which he pulled out of pockets.

"Is that a laser pointer?" Glimmer asked as she moved closer to take a look.

"Yeah! I found it on the floor earlier when we were still helping out and I brought it with me. I wanted to ask if it belongs to anyone but I guess I forgot. Do you think this will work?" He asked sheepishly.

"Well, only one way to find out."

Bow shrugged as he pointed the laser near Catra.

Everyone watched as Catra shot up and lunged at the red spot. Entrapta and Scorpia visibly looked disappointed. Adora was still staring blankly and Glimmer started laughing really badly when Catra chased the red spot around the tent. Bow was grinning as he waved the pointer around wildly, watching Catra trying her best to catch the moving red spot. A sudden thought struck him.

"Glimmer quick!" he exclaims. "Point it near me!" handing the queen the pointer.

Glimmer rolls her eyes and points it near Bow. Catra landed near him in one big leap.

"Omg! I can't believe I'm getting a chance to do this!" He squeals, putting a hand on Catra's head and softly petting her. She started purring, pleased at the feeling.

A few minutes later, Catra yawned and turned away from the touches.

"Oh! She must be getting sleepy again!" Entrapta explains.

They all watched as Catra padded over the tent, jumping onto one of Entrapta's many computer things. She stretched herself and promptly started drifting into sleep.

Everyone was surprised at how Entrapta didn't say anything or make a fuss when Catra spread herself all over Entrapta's precious tech. The purple-haired girl merely shrugged as she extended a purple hair tendril to gently rub it against Catra's head before turning around and aggressively scribbling down notes in the corner of her tent.

For a moment, everything was calm.

Until Glimmer noticed Scorpia trying to sneak over to where Catra was snoozing at. As much as everyone loves Scorpia, it is also a well-known fact that the girl was not able to be sneaky at all. Glimmer turned to Adora. Adora hasn't spoken a word or even moved a muscle and it was seriously beginning to creep Glimmer out.

"Adora! Snap out of it" Glimmer exclaims as she shakes her friend violently.

"Don't you want your cat back?" she harshly whispered.

That seemed to have snap Adora back from whatever was going on in her head.

"But how..." she trailed off.

"Well, I don't know? What does she like?" Glimmer asked.

"Doesn't she like She-Ra's muscles? I've caught her staring at it a few times..." bow noted.

Adora seemed to pipe up at this.

"I'll give it a shot." she grins. Adora stretched out her hand and imagined She-Ra. Feeling the power course through her. She opened her eyes, satisfied when the ground seemed further away. She started making her way towards Catra in long strides, reaching her before Scorpia could. The poor girl seemed to deflate at the sight of She-Ra and averted her eyes.

She-Ra stood in front of Catra, who was back facing her and curled up into a ball on the computer.

"Hey, kitty..." She let out softly. No one needed to hear the nickname she reserved for Catra when they were in private.

She watched as Catra's ears twitched slightly, her form uncurling when she sat up and blinked slowly at She-Ra. She-Ra smiled and opened her arms.

"Come here. Come back to me." She whispers.

That seemed to do the trick as Catra launched herself at She-Ra, throwing her limbs around the taller girl before nuzzling her face into She-Ra's neck and mewling softly. She-Ra grinned as she reverted to into her other form, holding Catra tightly against her.

"Well then guys, we will be taking our leave now," Adora said, leaving the tent with a smug look on her face.

I finally got what I wanted!

Meanwhile Glimmer facepalms herself and groans. Trust Adora to leave them there after getting what she wants. There was an awkward silence in the tent and it was a few minutes before Bow spoke out.

"Catra won't be remembering any of this right?"

"There are cameras everywhere in my tent" Entrapta chimes out.

Bow grinned

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Back in Catradora's tent

Adora swore she was on cloud nine. After stripping both of them down into their undergarments because that was what they usually slept in, she was lying on a thin mattress with Catra snuggling and nuzzling her. This did not happen often and she was definitely taking advantage of it.

Placing her hands on each side of Catra's face, she begins to rub the feline's ears.

Oh wow, this feels great... She's so soft I could do this my whole life and never get tired...

Catra starts purring as Adora continues her assault on Catra's ears.

Catra's enjoying this too...

Adora snickers and let her eyes wander down towards Catra's tummy.

I wonder how this feels like...

She decided to try something new and nuzzled Catra's fluffy tummy.

God. If this is a dream, I hope I never have to wake up from it. This feels like heaven.

After she decides she has had enough for the night, Adora wraps her arms around Catra, pulling the girl near her chest which Catra immediately snuggles into. She dips down and placed a small kiss on Catra's nose.

"I love you" Adora whispered to Catra.

"Mhmm... wuv you too Adowa"

Adora chuckles lightly before closing her eyes and letting sleep take over

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The next morning, Catra woke up feeling oddly refreshed.

She glanced around and found Adora getting dressed in the corner.

"Morninggg" Catra drawls out pulling her shirt and tights on.

She approaches Adora and they share a peck.

Catra noted that Adora seemed to be in a strangely good mood this morning.

"Did anything good happen yesterday? You seem to be in a great mood." She asks.

"Oh, it was great." Adora beams out as she took Catra's hands and led her out of the tent. Catra shrugs. If Adora was happy then all is well.

They walked through the strangely quiet campsite.

"Hey! Where did everyone go? Did we miss the morning meeting?"

Catra was about to tell her they were definitely earlier than the agreed timing and everyone was probably still sleeping until she heard giggles coming out of Entrapta's tent.

"Come on. I heard noises over there." she grabbed Adora's hand and they walked towards the tent.

She peeled the entrance to the tent open and stepped in. What she saw next made her freeze.

The Princesses, along with their partners were huddled together and watching a video together.

A video about Catra.

"Wait." She thought. Her face turning red. "When did this happen?"

She turned to look at Adora who was looking anywhere but at her.

Catra opened her mouth to speak but before she could get any words out, she was interrupted.

"AWWWWWW"

Catra turned back to the screen and to her horror, the scene playing out on the screen right now was about her.

HER.

CUDDLING.

SHE-RA.

AND PURRING.

SHE-RA.

And so Catra screamed at the one person she knew who had the tech to actually do this.

"ENTRAPTA!"

"Oops"

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Bonus:

Catra swears she doesn't remember those things happening. It must be a mistake! Either that or it's fake! That definitely did not happen.

"Yeah it must be a mistake" she muttered as she walked around Fright Zone alone, searching for things to do.

Meanwhile, she was unaware of the fact that after she ran out from the tent in embarrassment, Perfuma and Scorpia led everyone else to the place they found the catnip growing at.

Catra's peaceful days were about to end.

[spop-starsau]

Introduction to the Stars AU: A General Overview/FAQ Post

What is the Stars AU?

Basically, the Stars AU started out as a SPOP AU where Bow and Glimmer accidentally conceive a child shortly after the portal incident. A few months and countless conversations & roleplay sessions later, it’s become a full-fledged AU with separate timelines, a TON of OCs, and plans to write fanfic/commission fan art in the future.

Since we’ve come up with so much stuff for this AU, we decided to make a side blog for it!

@darkmasterofcupcakes and myself (@roses-renegade) are the AU’s co-creators.

Wait, this AU has separate timelines?

Yep! The original version of this AU had Glimmer and Bow conceiving their daughter Andromeda not too long after the portal incident. We have worked on this version of the AU for a while. Around the time that season 5 of SPOP came out, we made an alternate version of the Stars AU (or, an AU of the AU) that was more canon compliant- in this version, Andromeda is conceived shortly after the SPOP finale. We decided to keep both versions of the Stars AU (we usually refer to them as the “canon divergent” and “canon compliant” timelines). For the most part, both versions of the Stars AU have the same story/OCs, but the timelines are just a bit different (since we based the timing of a LOT of the events of the AU on how old Andromeda would be when they occurred).

To give you even MORE of a headache (haha), we also have come up with a “dark timeline” version of the Stars AU, BUT more on that later...

Okay, gotcha. What is the Stars AU about?

The most basic answer to this question is ���the events of Bow and Glimmer’s life after the portal incident.”

This AU tackles (among other things) Glimmer and Bow’s season 4 storylines, the development of their romantic relationship, their journey to parenthood, their lives (and, really, everyone else’s lives) after the war, and, eventually, the lives of their children.

Why is it called the Stars AU?

Back when we were first brainstorming names for Andromeda, we came up with this idea that Bow and Glimmer would give all of their kids star-related names. My (@roses-renegade) reasoning for this was that it was sort of a symbolic thing. Glimmer and Bow’s children are going to be growing up in this new era of peace on Etheria. I wanted their names to kind of “reflect” this new era, and one of the most noticeable physical aspects of post-war Etheria is that the stars have returned now that Etheria is out of Despondos and a part of the larger universe once again.

So, yeah. Glimmer and Bow’s kids will get to grow up in this new peaceful world under the stars. Hence, “the Stars AU.”

Okay, so... tell me more about Andromeda, since she basically got this whole AU started.

Princess Andromeda “Andi” of Bright Moon is the daughter of Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon and Bow, Master Archer of the Rebellion (and later the King of Bright Moon). After the portal incident and the “death” of Queen Angella of Bright Moon, Bow and Glimmer ended up getting closer and eventually confessed their feelings to each other. After exploring their feelings and relationship, they ended up having sex one night. They then decided to "take things slow” while dating. Not too long after her coronation, Glimmer found out from Shadow Weaver that she was pregnant. She and Bow decided to keep the baby. A lot of our initial work on this AU was about how Glimmer’s pregnancy affected her season 4 storyline and character arc, as well as her relationship with the other SPOP characters. Around the end of her second trimester/beginning of her third trimester, Glimmer activated the Heart of Etheria (something that both Bow and Adora were against). This caused a massive rift between Glimmer and Bow. However, Bow still tried (and failed) to save Glimmer from being abducted by Horde Prime. Glimmer became a prisoner on the Velvet Glove, and eventually gave birth prematurely on the ship (partially from the immense amount of stress she was under, and partially because the baby may have been affected by Glimmer’s activation of the Heart of Etheria). Catra, who Glimmer had formed an uneasy alliance with while on the ship, ended up helping her deliver the baby. Catra then helped Glimmer (and Andromeda) escape, and the mother-daughter pair were rescued from space by Bow and taken aboard Mara’s ship. Glimmer and Bow soon made up, and Andromeda was put in an incubator (created by Entrapta) on the ship. After that, the majority of what occurred in the canon version of season 5 happened- the gang had some space adventures, eventually got back to Etheria, and Horde Prime was defeated. After Adora and Catra saved Etheria, Glimmer and Bow shifted their focus to making sure that their new little family was okay. Glimmer spent a few days recovering in the infirmary at Castle Bright Moon with Bow by her side. Andromeda, on the other hand, spent a month or so in the infirmary before eventually being “cleared” to go (much to Glimmer and Bow’s immense relief).

Dang, that’s a lot. And that’s only the beginning?

Yep! After developing this “main storyline” of the AU, we shifted our focus to Glimmer and Bow’s life after the SPOP finale. In our AU, a lot happens after SPOP’s “happily ever after”...

What are some of the things that happen afterwards?

Oh, you know... rebuilding Etheria... the BFS going on their little “return magic to the universe” road trips... Glimmer and Bow navigating parenthood... Angella coming back from the dead...

Angella’s back?!

YEP. We thought she (and Micah) deserved better, so... yeah. We brought her back. No regrets. (Glimmer is still queen, though.)

What are the main SPOP ships involved in this AU?

Glimmer/Bow

Catra/Adora

Sea Hawk/Mermista

Scorpia/Perfuma/Entrapta (poly trio)

Micah/Angella

George/Lance

How many OCs does this AU have so far?

Okay, get ready... *deep breath*:

4 Glimbow children

1 Catradora child

3 Seamista children

8 Scorpia/Perfuma/Entrapta children

1 Micangella child

1 Castaliet child

... a few OCs for some of the “next gen kids” to fall in love with... 

Tell me more about these “next gen kids”... 

All in good time. (I’m planning to write some sort of “masterpost” for all of the OCs eventually.)

Okay then. Tell me about this “dark timeline” you mentioned earlier... because that sounded ominous and now I can’t stop thinking about it in the back of my head...

Basically, Glimmer’s final two children were twins, and in the “dark timeline” she dies shortly after childbirth, after a very difficult and stressful pregnancy. The “dark timeline” version of the Stars AU follows the impact of Glimmer’s death on everybody. You know, fun stuff.

Note: Glimmer only dies in the “dark timeline.” She stays alive in the main timeline/version of this AU, which is what we’ll be posting about here 99% of the time anyway.

Wow. You really like to make the characters suffer, huh?

I mean, sometimes, yeah... not always, though! We promise!

Is there fanfiction of this AU that I can read?

Not yet! We’re working on that though...

What kind of things will you be posting on this blog?

Basically anything and everything about the Stars AU... character designs, headcanons, random lore about the Stars AU, fanfic/fan art (eventually), etc. We wanted a place to put everything pertaining to this AU! 

Can I submit questions/prompts/whatever about this AU and its characters?

Yes, always!! We would love to provide you with lore. :)

If I ever feel inclined to draw one of the Stars AU OCs, can I?

Yeah sure! Just make sure you tag us. :)

What’s the tag you’ll be using for this AU?

We will be tagging our posts with #SPOP Stars AU if you want to follow that tag. :)

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Super Pal Trio post series

Was talking to Tippen about this in DMs and I thought I may as well express it here. 

So in season 5, we got the scenes where Catra and Entrapta reunited on the ship and sorted out their problems, they even grew a bit closer in Stevenson’s missing scene fic, and you can get a sense for what their dynamic is - they’re both trying to make up for their fuck-ups, and they face difficult integration into the Rebellion. In spite of everything, they build a good rapport,  and are pretty happy chilling in the background while the other characters do the hero planning. While their onscreen interactions are few, there is the foundation for what was once a messed-up dynamic to become an incredibly wholesome friendship. 

With Scorpia, it’s different. While she does get scenes with Entrapta, it’s kind of tense due to Entrapta’s friction with the other princesses, and then they don’t interact or mention each other for the rest of the season (even when Scorpia’s chipped which...yeah, they could’ve had ONE line on this... but okay). 

Then with Catra, obviously there’s everything that happened in season 4 and in this season they only get one hug as a reunion.  There is no big Super Pal Trio Reunion, sadly.  Just one on one meetups. 

The characters Scorpia has truly bonded with most in S5 are Emily (the robot) and Perfuma and Frosta. These are her main relationships in the season, in part because she was separated from the other two during the space mission and when she was chipped. These characters validate and support Scorpia in a way that the other two SPT members could not.   

The impression you get from this is kind of sad, in that, Scorpia wasn’t getting what she needed from the other two, and found it from somewhere else. That’s fucked up on accounts of, we had all the scenes in season 4 of Scorpia seeing Entrapta as her first friend, that SUPER WHOLESOME “Princess Scorpia” episode, but they don’t build on that in season 5, and even though Catra was Scorpia’s main relationship for the entire show, it’s not given any time here. A more pessimistic view is that Scorpia went for “better adjusted” friends, people who could reciprocate and communicate their love for her better.  So yeah, their friendships with Scorpia got screwed over by the timing and plot of s5.   

But, I was thinking - wouldn’t that make for an interesting story?  

Like, okay. Picture this scenario:  

Catra and Entrapta have been out in space for a long time. The war ends, everyone is friends again, but Scorpia is far closer to the other Princesses than she ever was with them, and they know it. They’ve grown apart over time and while Scorpia is very eager to be buddies, it’s clear that “Super Pal Trio” has some issues to work out if they want to be closer.  

Catra and Entrapta feel sad about this. They didn’t - couldn’t - give Scorpia what she needed, simply because of who they are. 

Catra was not able to be vulnerable in the Horde, but Scorpia kept trying to be there for her. Catra was never going to love Scorpia the way Scorpia loved her, not with the Adora brainrot and the way things were and everything Scorpia reminded her about, but she’s obviously been beating herself up for mistreating Scorpia the way she did, and perhaps Catra feels like Scorpia deserves better and she’s lost out on the chance to be close to her. 

And Entrapta, god, it’s not her fault that she’s weird and aloof and bad at explaining to people how much they mean to her, but that’s how it is. Part of her feared this was inevitable. Scorpia was her best friend too, but she didn’t tell her, and she couldn’t identify what Scorpia wanted out of their friendship. She barely knows what healthy friendship looks like either, and stands no chance compared to Perfuma in telling Scorpia what she needs to hear. 

So, they’re a bit heartbroken, they feel like they were not good enough for their friend. I think there’s a beautiful tragedy in this. Like, it’s messed up, but in a realistic way. In fact.... It’s the same energy as Glimmer not being good enough for Adora, not being able to make her feel as comfortable as Catra does. I feel like Glimmer would get the sads about that.     

ANYWAY, not all hope is lost - in typical Catrapta fashion, they decide they CAN’T give up, and scheme on how to show Scorpia they really care about her, developing a onesided rivalry with Perfuma and the Princesses. They enlist help from Best Friend Squad on what the best way to reach Scorpia is, and things get silly.  

That’s what I was thinking when I was making this comic... Considering how much Catra and Entrapta use gift-giving as a demonstration of their love language, birthday celebrations are going to be one hell of an event for Scorpia. 

I don’t know how easy it would be for the two to TALK to Scorpia about these feelings in this scenario, I feel like they’d have to get caught out first. Maybe after setting fire to the kitchen six times there’d be a “Sorry, we were trying to outdo your girlfriend and show you that we care and that we can be good friends too, but we messed it up.”   

And then Scorpia gets really emotional and pulls them into a hug and says she’s sorry she made them feel like they weren’t enough, and Entrapta pulls into the hug hard and gives a full hair wrap, and even Catra hugs her back this time and says “don’t apologise, dummy”, everyone is crying and---  yeah I basically just wrote a Steven Universe episode but damn I just want my Super Pal Trio feels. 

There is some irony in it going from Scorpia feeling insecure about whether she’s liked by Catra and Entrapta, and working hard for their affection, to it swapping to the other way around and everyone competing for Scorpia, misguided or otherwise. 

[catrasredemption-moved]

Okay, let’s do this. Hordak.

To start, I do not ship Entrapta/Hordak. I just don’t. Entrapta is aroace and her one true love is Science.

In the course of the current discussion I’ve inserted myself into because I have Opinions, Hordak came up. First up, I am amazed that Hordak is somehow more sympathetic to the fandom than Catra. He was literally the leader of the Horde, he supplied them weapons, he gave Shadow Weaver the Black Garnet, he was the one who built the original portal that Entrapta improved on, and years of abuse drove Catra to eventually pull the lever on.

“But he’s just a clone, he didn’t know any better.”

Horde Prime stranded him specifically because he was defective and developed his own free will. He made all these choices on his own. There’s a really good meta about how Hordak and Wrong Hordak are classic examples of nurture vs. nature - Hordak, alone without anyone to take care of him, followed what he thought was the right thing to do - find a way back to Horde Prime and prove he’s a good brother. Wrong Hordak, meanwhile, had the Best Friend Squad + Entrapta to help him learn that there’s more to the world than being a clone and following what he’s “supposed” to do. That doesn’t mean Hordak was doomed to follow Prime’s example, however. He made his own choices. He took the Fright Zone and created an entire army for his own means. 

“But he was tortured by Prime.”

So. Was. Catra????? Also the clones are built to withstand that kind of abuse -- I’m not saying that makes it right, but at least it was something he could handle. Catra, meanwhile, has a soft fleshy and furry body and was shoved into this pool of amniotic fluid that said body was definitely not compatible with, mindwiped, and had a chip stuck in the back of her neck. If Hordak was tortured, then what would you even call what he did to Catra?

“But Entrapta likes him.”

And Adora likes Catra! So if having a princess buddy can absolve Hordak, then having a princess soulmate definitely saves Catra.

So does Hordak deserve redemption? I don’t know. But putting him on the same level as Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta is a massive imbalance. At the end of the day they were all his puppets (Catra followed his lead for three seasons, Scorpia served under him without question, and Entrapta just wanted to do Science with him). Hordak is the lynch pin -- with no Hordak there’s no Horde, no one to give Shadow Weaver the Black Garnet, no one to enable the continued abuse of children over the years, no one to build the original portal, etc. Take out any of the Super Pal Trio, and the story can still survive. It would be drastically different, but Hordak creating the Horde and starting the war is the base of everything.

Post-canon I imagine he and Wrong Hordak just go back to Dryl with Entrapta and become her lab assistants. The staff is very confused but also... meh. But there’s definitely no relationship with anyone else (seriously, people want him to be a dad figure to Catra and Adora? I’m pretty sure Catra sees him and straight up asks, “Gonna try and kill me again?”)

[fingerglow]

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, so here we go! Here’s the reasoning for some of the main characters in my She-Ra AU Fic (not all of them), including some that haven’t been shown yet. If you want to read it, it’s on my pinned post.

S5 and OTK spoiler free!

Part 1/?

Agatha: Adora. Both were raised in an environment where they were expected to work and excel on the villainous side, only to end up having a destiny as one of the biggest forces of Good in their world. It took them a while to feel like they belonged on the Good side, and both have self-worth issues where they believe they need to risk themselves and their happiness for everyone else to succeed. While I know a lot of people would’ve preferred Tedros to be Adora due to the blond, dumb jock character type, I can’t see him in this position.

Hester: Catra. Admittedly this was mostly because I’m a sucker for Agaster, and because I fangirled over @tedros-is-helpless ‘s SGE redraw of the prom scene, but I can’t think of a single character who matches her personality better than Hester. She’s incredibly attached to her friends but is also short-tempered and finds the respect she craves through power. While doing so, she starts to view the people helping her as “henchmen” and doesn’t realise the hurt she causes them until it’s pointed out, and from that point on she starts to reform. I mean, Hester got the whole year to try and kill Sophie in the first book just to get in the highest position of power she could. Not to mention her general lack of respect towards everyone except the people she loves, and around them, she’s vulnerable and teasing. She’s just so perfect for the role.

Tedros: Glimmer. Both are rather stubborn, headstrong heirs to the throne that are not fully trusted by the people running their kingdoms. While perfectly capable of being good leaders, they’re both slightly immature and quick to judge by appearances, while also very quick to be fooled by the enemy. Desperate to prove themselves, but end up messing up by doing so. Also, mommy issues. And daddy issues as well, actually.

Sophie: Bow. While there are very tenuous links between these two characters, the main protagonist trio wouldn’t be complete without Sophie, would it? Asides from that, both Bow and Sophie are kind of the third-wheel friend of the group. While everyone is focused on the relationship between the two others, they both go rather unnoticed while still trying to maintain close friendship with the ones they love. They’re both incredibly smart and cunning (Bow contributes to the plans more than anyone else does) and don’t always find it easy to forgive others.

Anadil: Entrapta. Both came from royal/regal families and backgrounds but weren’t viewed the same as the other people of their status and so found their companions in non-humans. They’re both very analytical and not necessarily led by their emotions or what is seen as “morally correct”, and find their place among the villainous side due to their close friends there.

Dot: Scorpia. Does this really need explanation? Underrated friend in a group of close-knit villains who is perceived as loving them unconditionally despite the constant abuse towards her. They’re both heirs to a powerful position in a kingdom that ended up being inhabited by Nevers/Horde Soldiers. Only there because her older relative bribed Hordak, has immense power, and stands up for herself when she knows her friends have gone too far. Absolute cinnamon roll, deserves the world and is my girlfriend.

I’ve got a match for every character in the show I think, so I’ll probably post more, but in the meantime y’all should go read the first chapter! Please! I need validation!

[kathyprior4200]

Wanna make a Deal?

Inspired by MrMautz’s “Wanna make a deal” animation and “Alastor’s Game” by the Living Tombstone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1BFaW4h-l8

A silhouette of a tall man with furry deer ears and antlers hummed happily as he walked down the cobblestone path to the Hazbin Hotel. There was a sway in his steps, like he was walking and dancing at the same time. The entrance awning was covered with a tattered pink circus tent, decorated with yellow eyes along the border. The ground was solid dark gray asphalt and dead gnarled trees stretched up toward the crimson sky. The building was pink, gold and reddish in color. A Titanic looking ship and a carousel were attached to the structure. The sign on the roof changed from Happy Hotel to Hazbin Hotel.

 The stained glass windows in the double doors and off to the sides consisted of apples and circus tent designs. The doors burst open and the silhouette walked in from the burst of light. Large red eyes and a big yellow smile appeared on his face.

 It was Alastor, the Radio Demon.

 “I’ve got a game I want to show you.”

 He spoke the words in a radio sing song voice, wearing his tattered red dress coat with a big black bow tie, his hair red and black. His under shirt was light red with a black upside down cross on it. He wore wine colored pants and black tap dancing shoes with red deer tracks on the soles. A monocle was under his right eye. He walked over toward Charlie and Vaggie in the lobby. Gray-skinned Vaggie wore her usual gray tank top and stripped leggings, plus her pink bow tie in her hair white. Charlie had her fluffy blonde hair and a pale face with blushes on her cheeks. She had her salmon pink suit on with a bow tie, a white undershirt, dark pants and shoes. Angel Dust, the white spider, was sitting on the couch in his pink and white striped suit and high heeled pink boots.

 Charlie was disheartened. After having several new clients at the hotel including Angel Dust, Mimzy, Crymini, Baxter, Cherri Bomb, Arackniss, and Molly…Angel Dust was the first one to break his bad habits and almost achieve redemption. But the elite angels in Heaven weren’t accepting of sinners without them going through harsh punishment to prove themselves. Indeed, going to Heaven was near impossible.

 And with Vox, Valentino, Velvet and the other Overlords up to no good, things weren’t looking very bright.

 “If I give you advice, you’ll have to play, too.”

 Charlie nodded, eager for advice on how to continue with her project. Vaggie held her wrist and shook her head, warning her not to accept anything from the Overlord. But the desperate princess looked at Alastor, wanting answers.

 “I’ve been here for years bidding my time, waiting and primed, until I could find you.”

 His partially shadowed face briefly moved closer to theirs, causing the young women to flinch. He smiled and held up a scroll of paper that read “contact,” on it. A small red and black feather pen appeared next to it. With magic, the paper was pushed toward Charlie. At the bottom of the page were several lines for other people to sign.

 “Just sign on the line and we can be friends. I’ll be here for you until your world ends.”

 Suspicious as Charlie was, his words also tugged at her heartstrings. Alastor had done a lot to help promote the hotel in the past several weeks on his radio show. Plus he was quick to defend Charlie, her friends and the hotel, against outsider intruders like Sir Pentious, Seviathan, and the snobby Helsa.  

 Charlie saw a vision in front of her from Alastor’s hand, showing her and Alastor dancing while demons lined up to the hotel, each one developing better habits. Vaggie was staring at Charlie with pride in her eyes. Both her parents hugged her and apologized for not believing in her idea to redeem sinners. The vision faded away, Charlie wondering why it had gone. Taking a deep breath Charlie took the pen and signed the contract, Vaggie staring in disbelief. Charlie looked slightly downcast, believing it was the only other option.

 Alastor walked over to Angel Dust, the spider demon happy to see the attractive deer demon near him. From Alastor’s hand, light shone from it, creating another vision for Angel. In this one, Alastor was hugging Angel after the spider demon had been freed from Valentino’s clutches. Angel was now free to do what he wanted with Cherri Bomb and his friends. Angel even saw himself reuniting with his brother Arackniss, his sister Molly, his father Henroin and his mother Aranea. Alastor handed him a bag of money and wished him luck before blowing a kiss and giving him his number.

 Angel’s eyes dilated as he, too, scribbled his name on the contact. With a smug look on his face, Alastor walked over to Vaggie, holding the paper in front of her. Vaggie growled and shook her head. Alastor shrugged, almost looking like he was about to walk away. But then he presented a vision to her before she could close her visible eye: Vaggie and Charlie sitting together on the roof of the hotel, smiling under a starry sky. Alastor and Angel were nowhere to be seen. Best of all, her father Valentino was in prison where he belonged. No more catering to men and being a prostitute like she did in her human life. The message in Alastor’s eyes was clear: sign this and I’ll leave you be.

 With a reluctant sigh of defeat, Vaggie pressed the pen down and wrote her name. The contract vanished and Alastor stood in front of the girls with a look of triumph, the microphone staff in his right hand. He twirled it.

 “Enjoy all your toys I will supply. You only live once…or twice.”

 He then spoke in a low voice that no one else could hear: “And you’ll be mine.”

  Alastor grinned and clenched his fist, as astrological symbols appeared in the swirling fiery light.

 “The day you die, I’ll have my payment. Your eternal soul’s enslavement. Did you divine our dark arrangement?”

 The light vanished and he turned back to his friends. “You were lovely entertainment.”

  He pulled Charlie and Vaggie close to him, both of them with stunned looks on their faces.

 “The dark desires you’ve been serving.”

 He briefly hung upside down, pointing at them…

 “You can bet that you’re deserving.”

 He stood back up in front of them.

 “No regret for who you’re hurting. Why it’s almost like you’re flirting.”

 Alastor stood straight with a smirk on his face as he looked down at them. He was now wearing a matching red top hat. Everyone stared at him with suspicion and concern in their looks.

 “Sorry, I don’t mean to alarm you,” he said. “If you ask me to stay, I would be charmed to.”

 Charlie and Angel nodded their heads, while Vaggie crossed her arms. Charlie wanted him to stay at the hotel longer. She needed all the help she could get. She needed to convince her stern but protective father that her plan could still work. Lucifer had refused Charlie and her friends from going up to Heaven for good reason.

 Alastor picked up a picture and looked at it. It was an old one of Charlie and Vaggie in the 666 News Room studio. It was back when Charlie was about to make her speech about the Happy Hotel. Vaggie had told her not to sing, but she did anyway. Charlie playfully poked Vaggie’s nose in the picture, while an On Air sign was in the background.

 “You all have such cozy little lives. How do you survive like that?”

 Alastor, being a being of chaos and having experienced past trauma, was not one to know what a normal life was…especially in Hell.

 “I wish I knew,” Alastor said sarcastically as he tossed the picture behind him, hitting the moth demon in the head. Vaggie rubbed her head in frustration and pain. Charlie stared down at the lopsided picture, the cracked frame and the broken glass.

 Angel came over and stared down at the mess as well. Alastor turned around to the three of them. “But you got a lovely little secret. You’re tired of feeling awful small. So you…”

 Alastor roared, sending a scrambling Angel toward the couch. Angel sat on the couch where an old black rotary phone sat on a nearby table.

 “…gave Mister Alastor a call, to make a deal. Because you’re hungry, for all the sights. You want to see them.”

 The contract floated in front of Angel as a reminder. Alastor’s microphone staff glowed and an angry red eye appeared.

 Appearing from Alastor’s hat was a floating dollar sign and a heart. Angel stood up from the couch and stared at both.

 “Earthly delights, you feel you need them.”

 Alastor appeared in front of Charlie and Vaggie.

 “Your appetites, I’ll help you feed them.”

 A large bag of money appeared, Alastor laying down on a couch in front of it, cupping his face.

 “I’ll be your sweet Radio Demon.”

  For a brief second, Alastor’s eyes turned into red radio dials, the surrounding areas black. Sitting on top of the couch was a little Alastor plush doll, the eyes black with red circles, wearing the same outfit. Angel gleefully picked up a pile of dollar bills from the bag and stuffed it in his shirt. Vaggie narrowed her eyes. Hell used souls, not dollars.

 Charlie’s cheeks blushed at the sight of Alastor and the plushie. How cute would it be to have little Alastor in her arms. Charlie reached out for the figure, but Vaggie held her arm down with a glare.

 “And once your hunger has abated, don’t forget your friend who waited. Watched as you indulged your thirst and…”

 Alastor walked over in front of the trio. He then spoke in a bone-chilling whisper holding up a long finger, “Did I mention that you’re cursed?”

 Realization hit Charlie like a ton of bricks, just as a horde of shadow demons and tentacles burst into the room. The floorboards broke and collapsed as a hole formed in the middle of the lobby, tentacles bursting forth like upright serpents. Angel Dust took out his guns and fired several rounds, but they were immediately knocked away by the shrieking spirits. The money in Angel’s shirt and the bag disappeared, replaced by a large dark portal with long tendrils emerging from it.

 Charlie remembered how she had ordered Alastor to help her out with the hotel for as long as he desired. Alastor’s look told her he had done just that like he promised.

 But now, he didn’t have that desire anymore.

 Tears welled up in Charlie’s eyes at how foolish she had been. Fire raged in her eyes at his betrayal. A thick tentacle wrapped around her waist and started to pull her toward the portal. Charlie yelled out, her horns sprouting from the skin of her head. Angel latched onto the floorboards with all six arms, more tentacles gripping onto his many wrists and limbs. Angel strained as he tried to hold himself against the forceful tentacles. His mouth was full of sharp teeth, his arms trying to snatch at Alastor’s legs. The smiling Radio Demon merely shook his head and stepped out of his reach. Angel’s pink webs from his fingers flew against the wall as Alastor avoided them.

 Vaggie grew moth wings with many eyes and sprouted out several more limbs that held weapons. With a roaring screech and a flap of her wings, Vaggie threw a horde of daggers and spears at him. Alastor’s shadow quickly flew in front of Alastor, taking the blows and protecting his master. Alastor snapped his fingers and more shadow monsters came to his aid. Alastor grew in size, dark antlers branching out from his head, his eyes becoming red radio dials. A prominent red x was on his forehead. All the demons were now in their full forms. Charlie blasted away several shadows with her flames, but more kept coming.

 In one last effort, Vaggie aimed her spear at Alastor’s forehead, her wings briefly pushing back the shadow spirits. She used all her strength to move her arm among the tendrils, desperate to hit that mark. Angel also helped briefly held them back with more gunshots from summoned weapons. Alastor moved his microphone off to the side, but he wasn’t pointing it at Vaggie or Angel.

 Vaggie, spear in hand, glanced out of the corner of her eye…and saw an unnerving sight. Charlie’s eyes were red radio dials, her smile unnaturally wide. She had been staring right at the microphone and listening to the soft jazz music that played from the speaker. She stared up at Alastor with utmost adoration. Vaggie felt sick to her stomach, her heart and gut crushed with anger and hopelessness. Alastor winked at Charlie and kissed her on top of her head. Charlie let go of the floor, letting herself be dragged backwards. Her eyes and form soon returned to normal, however. Realizing what she had done, she screamed in fear as the tentacles carried the princess into the gaping hole.

 Vaggie screamed her girlfriend’s name as her spear was promptly knocked out of her hands by Alastor’s shadow. The microphone was then positioned in front of Vaggie and Angel. An ear-piercing shriek came from the staff, causing screams and convulsions from Vaggie and Angel. Vaggie squeezed her eyes shut and frantically covered her ears in desperation. Both Vaggie and Angel returned to their normal forms. The spirits and tentacles grabbed hold of Vaggie and Angel, pulling them helplessly toward the portal. The radio waves from the staff helped push them further back. Vaggie and Angel held hands for comfort and yelled out as they both fell through the dark hole, which soon closed.

 The three fell separately through the darkness. The world soon filled with fire, symbols and static. Hell was already burning and swarming with Alastor’s minions who looted stores and feasted on the carcasses of demons and deer. The world spun around before two swirling portals appeared, one red, one dark pink. Alastor towered over the trio in his demon form, his antlers almost touching their faces. More astrological and voodoo symbols floated and moved around Alastor. His eyes were pure black with small red irises, the monocle by his right eye. His microphone staff was in his left hand, the staff appearing taller and more dimensional.

 The world spun again. Charlie and Vaggie found themselves standing on the balcony of the hotel. Both of them trembled in fear. They glanced at the city below, getting a clear view of the cloudless blood red sky. Hovering in the sky was Hell’s moon, a dark sphere with a glowing red pentagram engraved on it.

 Just then, the pentagram on the moon’s surface moved away, and was replaced with Alastor’s eyes and wide yellow smile. His monocle was red. The moon appeared to be inching closer towards them.

 Charlie closed her eyes, calling upon four ancient beings to come forth. She opened her eyes, which briefly glowed in flames before returning to their normal yellow. The ground shook as footsteps approached. The stomping giant figures arrived from different directions, raising their claws in the air.

 They were the four demonic Horsemen, each of them having the heads of horses with fangs and tall humanoid bodies. War had a red coat and flaming hair. Conquest was strong and had white fur and hair. Famine had a black horse head and a mane of wild black hair. The final Horseman, Plague was skeletal in appearance. All four giant Horsemen wore leather jackets and ripped jeans, their eyes glowing red. All four of them held the moon in place with their claws, but it wasn’t going to last long.

 Charlie shot Vaggie a look, telling her to go and find a safe spot. But Vaggie stayed with her, refusing to leave her side. What Alastor said next after a few minutes paralyzed Charlie and Vaggie in fear.

 “I shall consume…consume everything…”

 More powerful radio waves spread through the air. They were so powerful that they knocked all four Horsemen backwards to the ground with violent crashes. The men vanished back to the ether before the shadows could finish them off.

 A long black limb extended from the Alastor moon, picking up Charlie and Vaggie. The two females were lifted from the balcony in his palm. The two of them were soon moved right in front of his mouth. Given his cannibalistic nature, he knew they were going to taste delicious.

 Alastor’s teeth chomped down hard into both of their heads and necks. All Charlie and Vaggie could feel was searing pain and an unpleasant crushing sensation. They let out sounds between screams and gags, the coughed up blood adding to the gushing red life force flowing from their craniums. Vaggie had gotten the brunt of the damage, her skin already pale and cold. More yellow teeth impaled her in the stomach, chest and upper thighs, whimpers and strained gasps of breath coming from her mouth. Her gray head severed from her neck and fell into the mouth opening, her body soon following. Charlie weakly tried to hold onto her friend’s hand, before she, too fell limp. Charlie weakly croaked out for her parents, her brain and thoughts going fuzzy. The last thing she saw before she was pushed in was Alastor’s dark maw and the outline of a long lavender tongue.

 Charlie woke a few hours later on the ground, her body intact the way it was before. Vaggie and Angel helped her up, both of them unscathed. The three of them watched as Alastor danced by a telephone booth, the background flames illuminating the outlines of dead trees. He held a telephone in one hand then reappeared higher in the sky. In his left hand was his microphone staff, a light shining from the single eye. From his right hand, green fire sparked to life along with a green pentagram. He threw cards into the air as outlined eyes and grins of Exterminators leered in every direction. No doubt he was broadcasting his carnage and showing off.

 Charlie almost wished that the Exterminators had invaded instead.

 Alastor effortlessly slid down a randomly appearing flight of stairs in the sky. After going down some more, Alastor jumped from the stairs and onto the pentagram moon. His body lowered and morphed into a black spring as he shoved the moon toward the ground…

 …Right where the trio were standing. In a panic, Vaggie pulled Charlie out of the way just as the moon crashed into the ground next to them.

 The Radio Demon was going to destroy all of Hell!

 Alastor’s body returned to normal and he glanced delightfully at the trio’s stunned frightened faces. Alastor laughed and held out one of his bloodstained business cards. It showed his smiling face in the lower right hand corner.

      It read:

 “Alastor, a.k.a. your sweet radio demon. :3

Wanna make a deal? Call me: 069 666 42.

After all the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment. So just sell your soul to me and I provide all you need to fulfill your desires. You wonder why I make you this special offer?

Why does anyone do anything?

Sheer absolute boredom!

(Eternal suffering and punishment in hell guaranteed!)”

  Alastor danced as giant cards appeared in the background, the flames adding to the chaotic dystopian Inferno. He snapped his fingers and the trio were transported into a neon colored bar.  “Alastor’s Game” was displayed in purple and light blue neon letters attached to a brick wall. Angel Dust, Vaggie, and Charlie sat at a wooden table, Alastor arriving at the head of the table to throw chips on the table to start. A gamble of life and death.

  After half an hour, the table was filled with piles of playing cards, chips with bold numbers on them and a stack of dollar bills toward the left. A few of the chips had the character’s icons on it. Off to the right were beer bottles.

 As they gambled, two other figures walked into the room. One of them was the gambling cat Husk and the other was a small cleaning cyclops demon named Niffty. Husk crossed his arms with a scowl, already mad that he wasn’t included in the game. Alastor suddenly grinned and held up four aces in his hand, no doubt he had cheated. Husk was furious but found himself unable to move and pounce at the man. Niffty just stood and watched eagerly on a step stool. Husk was able to grab a nearby bottle of booze and drink several gulps before putting it down. Husk and Niffty’s eyes turned into red radio dials, rooting them in place. They had already given their souls to Alastor.

 Husk stared at the winning deck in Alastor’s hand and suddenly shook with fear. He remembered Alastor saying to oblivious souls in the past, “You laid your chips on the table now. When you gamble souls, the house will always win. I’m double dealing in betrayal and I’m here to cash my payout.”

 Indeed, Alastor was saying the same thing now, lounging in a tall spinning chair shaped like a throne.

 Husk tried to yell in warning, but no sound came out. Images of the contracts that the trio had signed appeared in front of them. Charlie, Angel and Vaggie found themselves unable to move. Neon Exterminator grins hovered in the background. Charlie and Vaggie stood by the table on Alastor’s right side, Angel on the left side.

 Alastor raised his hands and two glowing pentagrams rotated behind him. He appeared to be chanting some ancient spell. Husk’s eyes grew wide as an instant feeling of dread shook him to his core. The cat demon saw flashes of metal flying from all directions in the dark. Alastor lowered his arms, his hands crossed over each other, his fingers pointing downwards. Husk was able to move and cry out just as he heard a series of sickening squelching thuds. More unsettling was the girlish giggles from Niffty beside him as the two of them witnessed the horrific result.

 Charlie, Vaggie and Angel Dust were slumped motionless onto the table, knives embedded in their backs and heads. Angel’s white furry head had been chopped clean off, the blank faced head now on the floor surrounded by blood. Several knives were lodged into Vaggie’s back, staining her clothes deep red. One knife had gotten Charlie in a fatal part of her head. Their glazed eyes and expressions were frozen in terror.

 “I hope it was worth the life of sin,” Alastor finished with a dark chuckle.

 Husk swore several times with audible gasps, holding in a gag reflex. Alastor moved his hands behind him and strolled along toward the exit, mentioning for Niffty and Husk to follow, no doubt going back in later to feast. Niffty eagerly scurried after him in love struck admiration for everything he did. As Husk passed by and examined the bloodstained knives, his heart stopped for a second time since he died as a human decades ago.

 The knives were fatal angelic blades.

  Alastor later posed and danced in front of a large wrought iron gate made of bones by the Goon Salon. He turned his head all the way around as he turned to face a crowd of terrified demons.

 “You’re in my world now. Take a look around. Inside your nightmare beyond the mortal veil.”

 Several horned shadow spirits with different colored triangular eyes peered at the demons before mercilessly attacking them. Alastor snapped his fingers and the “Welcome to Pentagram City” sign changed into one that read “Welcome to New Horror-leans!” Vox, Lucifer, Lilith and several Overlords were dragged into separate portals to be consumed by powerful spirits. Alastor made sure to smash and burn Vox’s TV head before sending him away. The Magne apple themed mansion quickly became a deer-themed headquarters for Alastor and those under his control.

 Alastor stood by a brick wall, flames harmlessly surrounding him. His shadow turned into its beast-like wendigo form, a monstrous skeletal deer of shadow. The shadow had gigantic antlers on its head and fiery colored eyes that matched Alastor’s. The wendigo shadow raced and rampaged through town after town. Shadows stalked and spied on hiding demons, crawling through small spaces to hunt them down. The choice was simple: surrender or die. It was easy for Alastor to play music from his microphone, possessing any denizen who stared and listened too intently. The ones who were killed and tortured immediately where the primarily powerful snotty males.

 No one was spared from the radio waves. Not even the imps and hellhounds could escape the Al-pocalypse.

 Alastor posed back and forth at a sign that read Heaven on one side and Hell on the other. Papa Legba’s veves were drawn nearby. “You made a wrong turn at the crossroads.”

 An old fashioned boxy TV showed Alastor’s neon face in orange, teal, white and black.

 “Now you’re at the final episode. Eternity with me in Hell!”

 Through a pentagram portal, humans from a city on Earth watched as a towering figure stomped through, carrying fire, demons and chaos with him. Alastor was in full demon form, with sharp teeth, claws, and a full head of branching antlers. He held his staff in his right hand. Voodoo imps and shadows rode on bony horses and creatures, one creature being a dragon. They carried skulls and heads on pikes. The red eyed denizen demons carried red and black banners with Alastor’s symbol: a microphone with a dialed eye in between clawed hands. Deer antlers branched out toward the bottom in an upward curve. Kalfu’s diamond-like symbols were in the design as well. The humans ran and screamed for their lives as the glowing white eyed demon roared, showing a mouth of sharp teeth. Buildings caught on fire and chaos spread everywhere.

 With enough human and demon souls on his side, Alastor could go for Heaven next.

  Later on, Alastor sat comfortably in a red velvet chair in a room of the Hazbin Hotel. The wallpaper was red and had the apple family crests on it. Alastor’s eyes were red radio dials. Alastor sipped coffee from an orange plaid tea cup and set it down on the table in front of him. Off to the side was a bookshelf lined with old leather bound books, vases, a white plate and a globe. On the small round table was a brown old fashioned radio, a white jug, a few white candles and a skull. A deer skull hung from the wall nearby. A picture on the wall showed a figure of Angel Dust in indigo, with the words “Addict VIP” on it. Another picture showed a furry female from Valentino’s group of clients. There was also a grandfather clock against the wall. To the right of the clock was a black grand piano.

 “Pleasure to play, how I enjoyed you. Suffice to say when I play I don’t lose.”

 Alastor appeared to be talking to someone nearby.

 “Collecting on the debts that you accrued. It was such a gas. I really am amused.”

 Just then, a black cat with large orange eyes jumped up on the table beside Alastor. Alastor leaned his face close to the feline familiar.

 “Have a dark thought, I’m right beside you. A casual whisper just to guide you.”

 The cat revealed a strange toothy grin. Alastor moved away. “Look over your shoulder and I gone.” The cat looked around then played with the empty tea cup, looking inside. Indeed, the animals in Hell had been spared, save for Fat Nuggets whom Alastor had for breakfast many days before.

 “Remember this song…”

 Alastor then stood up and waved goodbye to his audience he was talking to: floating heads in separate jars suspended in liquid on a large shelf.

 They were the heads of Charlie, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Katie Killjoy, Sir Pentious, Baxter and countless others.

 “And I bid you adieu!”