#this is cryptic information that the government is hiding from us

[tem-tem-timmy]

babe i need the psychonauts 2 wedding editables

[savage-rhi]

Duality

Chapter 9: The Reconcile

Summary: Sawyer Kiddo has walked a razor's edge as a hacktivist for several years, driven by the loss of her family in the Raccoon City incident. Haunted by past choices and fueled with desire for vigilante justice, Sawyer's work takes an unexpected turn when she ventures to Spain and crosses paths with Luis Serra—a man with blood on his hands long thought to be dead. Together they unravel a web of corruption and face an impending bioterror threat, fighting not only monsters but also the darker elements of their humanity. As they delve deeper into each other's pasts and the conspiracy at large, Sawyer begins to sense something unsettling about Luis—something that might be even more dangerous than their mutual enemies.

Read on AO3 Here

Sawyer’s fingers hovered over the laptop keyboard, her brow furrowed as she scrolled through the VITA network archives. The screen’s soft blue glow illuminated her face, casting shadows that deepened the lines beneath her eyes.

It had been hours since Luis left, and she’d spent every moment since scouring VITA’s hacked intel, digging through databases that reached into the darkest corners of governments, both familiar and obscure. She was even coming across data on countries whose names most civilians were never supposed to know.

Each time Sawyer had done a deep dive on a person or assignment, she’d always return to the surface with something tangible she could work with. She was used to this—this relentless pursuit of truth—but tonight, the truth seemed to be evading her, slipping through her fingers like a loose rope. 

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing on Luis Serra Navarro. 

All she had to show was a handful of data, a few scattered notes about his work with Umbrella on over-the-counter drugs, and one vague, cryptic mention in a classified US government file suggesting he might’ve died in some nameless Spanish village back in 2004, but nothing definitive.

There was no closure, just more uncertainty.

A deep frown marred her face as Sawyer scanned the information again, muscles tensing with each word that offered nothing. She leaned back in her chair, the screen reflecting her exhaustion. How could someone so pivotal, so tangled in her life now, be reduced to a few sparse lines of text? She knew there were people in the black market who were more than capable of eliminating someone’s data from the internet. Still, it wasn’t a foolproof process, especially with ex-Umbrella employees from her own experience. Even those among the crueler rings of that underworld always kept blackmail for insurance, so how did someone like Luis pull it off?

More questions, no answers…

Her jaw clenched while she resisted the urge to slam her laptop shut. It wouldn’t help things, but the thought was tempting nonetheless. 

With a resigned sigh, Sawyer opened a secure messaging app and began writing a quick status update to Maestro. She needed to get this done ASAP before sleep would consume her, not wanting yet another thing for the man to bitch her out on later. 

“Onyx at checkpoint 105. There have been casualties in Madrid, Spain. Soldado is dead; the reason is unknown—alleged victim of a shooting. Spector is dead; the reason is bio-organic weapon contamination, the method through an attack via a stinger,” Sawyer muttered to herself while she typed. The words felt cold and insufficient as if they were coming from someone else. She hesitated, her fingers trembling slightly.

“Rebus and Atom remain unaccounted for. I'm uncertain if they made it out alive. Soldado’s base of operations was destroyed; the method through bio-organic weapon contamination and a facility self-destruct sequence. No documentation was salvaged.”

The cursor blinked back at her rapidly as if demanding more, like it knew she had something to hide. 

Sawyer needed to mention Luis and knew it was logical—not to mention proper protocol, but something held her back—an apprehension, a whisper of doubt. If she told VITA’s higher-ups about him, they’d see Luis as a threat, a loose end needing to be tended to. Despite her contempt and the betrayal she felt after discovering his connection to Umbrella, the thought of putting Luis in Maestro's crosshairs made her stomach churn. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. 

She closed her eyes, pushing herself to take a deep breath—to think. Her mind raced, torn between duty and the confusing feelings Luis had stirred in her.

Luis was an enigma of the highest, a walking contradiction—a man who could be both ally and adversary. Dangerous, yes, but human too. And damn it, he was right about one thing during their little spat: he had nothing to lose with his survival on the line. If he hadn’t intervened, if he hadn’t helped her escape Soldado’s clutches, she wouldn’t be here. She’d be dead or, worse, would’ve suffered a similar fate as Samuel.

And someone truly evil wouldn’t have done what he did, would they...?

Her fingers froze over the keyboard, battling with deciding whether or not to seal his fate. 

“I’ll be returning to the States tomorrow. As soon as I reach LA, I will provide a follow-up, and I’ll check in for my probation,” she added, the words final and detached, like putting a period at the end of a chapter she wasn’t ready to close. 

Sawyer pressed Send before she could change her mind. The screen blinked, the message disappearing into the void of the VITA network. She stared at the empty inbox, her pulse a steady drum in the silence. Unsure if leaving Luis out of the report was a betrayal or an act of mercy.

Perhaps there were no correct answers.

The room felt too quiet now; the only sound was the faint hum of the computer and her tired breaths. Sawyer rubbed her face, her fatigue settling in. She turned her head, her gaze drifting to the window where raindrops traced paths down the glass, Madrid’s lights blurring in the humid night. She wondered if Luis was out there, somewhere in the rain, with just his t-shirt, sweats, and that old jacket against the chill.

Sawyer had yet to determine if he was going to return. Hell, she couldn’t find herself to blame him if he never did. Not after condemning him the moment she had the chance. Her hand still ached with the memory of gripping her gun, eager to pull the trigger against him.

Her thoughts once more drifted to the night Samuel bailed her out. The memory of that event crashed over her like the rain that pounded against her windshield as she drove, mad with grief and vengeance. She had almost thrown her life away in a moment of rage, only to stop at the last second because of one action—one hesitation.

“...You had it in you to stop yourself, to hold onto restraint.” 

The words made her grimace, shaking her head as if to dispel an apparition from her past. 

“I really screwed up this time, Sam.”

Her eyes landed on Luis’s lighter, sitting upright on the table beside the computer. She reached for it, her fingers tracing the engravings of the UE6 scientists’ names. The metal was cool against her skin, grounding her in the present as her thoughts raced between sleep and the VITA archives. There were still secrets to uncover, truths Luis had kept hidden from her, but Sawyer wondered if it would matter in the end. Would it change anything or deepen the pit she was already sinking into?

Samuel’s voice lingered, that comforting baritone that had always been there to guide her, even at her lowest.

“Sometimes—Kiddo, the hardest thing to do is nothing. But doing nothing isn’t the same as being passive. It’s a choice, and sometimes it’s the bravest choice you can make.”

Sawyer glanced up, looking at the spare beds in the room meant for Samuel, Mobley, and Kari. She closed her eyes, imagining Samuel sitting across from her on the bed to her right. His eyes were weary, but they held that familiar twinkle that always promised her that everything would be okay, even when it seemed impossible. 

“What would you do in this case?” she whispered into the empty room, hoping the answer would come somehow, even though she already knew the truth: sometimes, there were no easy answers.

-----------

Two Legs trudged through the rain, each step heavier than the last as the cold droplets bounced off his jacket and fell to the ground at his feet. The fight with Sawyer replayed in his mind, a relentless loop of bitter words and unresolved tension that clawed at him. He wasn’t sure what angered him more—her stubbornness or how she made him feel so conflicted.

So human...

Seeking refuge under the awning of a closed café, Two Legs stopped walking. The dull sign above cast a weak glow onto the wet pavement. The rain pattered on the roof above, the unsteady rhythm doing little to soothe his agitated thoughts. His right hand instinctively reached into his jacket pocket, searching for Luis’s lighter, only to come up empty-handed. A frown creased his brow. Realizing that he’d left it back at the hotel made him chuckle. 

With a sigh carrying the weight of worlds, Two Legs pulled out a bent cigarette, placing it between his lips. It was more than just the nicotine he craved; it was the ritual, the familiar act of leveling himself when everything else felt like it was tumbling away. While going through the motions, he pondered to himself. 

Smoking had never been the plaga’s habit. It was Luis’s—a vice that Two Legs had inherited along with everything else that came with this body. He chewed on the end of the cigarette, the bitter taste filling his mouth, and the peculiarity of it all wrested in his gut. He wondered why his conflict with Sawyer—his quarry, made him crave Luis’s old comforts. The answer eluded him, yet his thoughts couldn’t stray far from her. 

Sawyer's presence had a way of setting his heart racing, not out of only hunger but something far more confusing. A protective instinct that went beyond the primal need to claim or consume. It was maddening how her accusations about his host’s past life had sparked a rage in him that wasn’t entirely his own. Two Legs knew he had every right to be upset; any living creature with its life threatened would react accordingly, but the whole speech he went on about being dehumanized, and even his smart-alec remarks didn’t feel like himself. It felt too raw for his own good. 

For a moment, a thought crept in. One that the plaga had been avoiding for so long. Wondering if there was still a part of Luis lingering inside of him, fragments of the man’s essence influencing his actions, thoughts, and feelings. Two Legs had considered it before, especially during moments of existential doubt, but he had never dared to peel it back any further. He wasn’t ready to confront the idea that he might be sharing his body with a ghost—a passenger.

A parasite…

The irony wasn’t lost on him. He darkly chuckled, a hollow sound swallowed up by the rain.  Just as he was on the verge of an epiphany—a realization that maybe, just maybe , he wasn’t entirely in control—his senses caught something.

A faint, unmistakable scent carried on the wind like a fleeting whisper. It was earthy, tinged with the musty smell of rain-soaked soil, and something else—something pungent, almost rotting. It wasn’t unpleasant to Two Legs. In fact, it was nearly nostalgic, stirring memories of his time in the caves as a larvae. A pleased growl escaped his throat as the dots clicked. 

There was another of his kind nearby.

The world around him seemed to fade as his eyes scanned the street, narrowing in on a shadowy figure across the way. Even from this distance, he could feel their gaze, a predatory assertiveness that sent a shiver down his spine, yet he didn't sense hostile intention, at worst it was a curiosity—like a shark seeing an unidentified shape at the oceans surface, wondering if it was a meal or a potential threat. Without a second thought, Two Legs gave chase, his feet splashing through puddles as he darted across the street to confront them. The figure moved almost supernaturally, descending through the shadows like smoke.

“Hey!” Two Legs called out, his voice lost to the storm, but the entity was frighteningly fast. By the time he reached the spot where it had been, the street was empty; the only evidence of its presence was the lingering presence of dread and hope in his stomach.

Two Legs stood there, rain running down his face, mixing with the sweat of exertion and nervousness. Whoever —it was, it had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only questions. He wondered if it was a regular plaga, maybe a loose brethren from Valdelobos, or if it was something more—something like him, pretending to be human. The probability was low, but there was still a chance. 

The thought unsettled Two Legs, the idea that there could be another like him out there, wandering the world alone. The excitement of that prospect was quickly surpassed by the fear of what it might mean in the grand scheme of things. When he dwelled on it, Two Legs  wasn’t ready to face another anomaly like himself, not when he could barely hold onto his own identity. He shook his head with a sigh, trying to rid himself of the concern while he pondered his next steps.

Chasing the creature through the storm was a foolish endeavor, especially if it had any intention of harm. The plaga beat himself up for giving into impulse, and realized  he couldn’t afford to waste fuel on a mystery that might be better left unsolved, especially not after how much he expended during his time at Lab Unit D and facing down Samuel as a Tusk. His stomach growled, a reminder of more immediate needs.

He would have to let this go—at least for now.

Cautiously, Two Legs retraced his steps, his mind racing as he put more distance between himself and the foreboding presence he’d felt. The further away he got from his relative, the better—less temptation to follow, because perhaps that was what the blasted thing wanted all along. He learned his lessons back at the village to not fall for that sort of "play", at least he liked to hope. 

Eventually, as the night wore on, he stopped at a vending machine, its garish lights flickering in the rain like a lousy neon sign. An amused chuckle escaped him when he noticed one of the slots stocked with condoms and other adult content. For a moment, he was rather curious. The plaga tilted his head to the side as he skimmed at a packaging advertisement showing two people locking lips, both participants looking rather satisfied.

“Classy,” he muttered, a bitter snort accompanying the words. He paused for a moment, looking puzzled. The comment seemed odd, but he dismissed it with a shrug as if shaking off an old habit.

Two Legs fed a few coins into the machine, retrieving two chocolate bars and a bag of chips. The mundane action grounded him, pulling the plaga back from a million thoughts that wanted to take center stage. He tucked the extra bar and chips into the inner pocket of his jacket and unwrapped the spare chocolate bar. As he took a bite, the sweetness offered further respite, easing the tension that had knotted his shoulders from his encounter with the entity, but the pull to return to the hotel was persistent, a nagging thought that tempted him.

A part of him wanted to cut his losses and run, to put as much distance as possible between himself and his quarry after their fight. Yet another part— a part he was reluctant to acknowledge —yearned to see Sawyer again. They had unfinished business, after all. 

Sighing out a curse, Two Legs turned on his heel and jogged through the darkened streets, ensuring he wasn’t being followed as he ventured back to the hotel—finishing off the rest of the candy bar before he made it to the entrance an hour later. 

The door softly creaked open as Two Legs entered the dimly lit room using the spare keycard Sawyer had given him. Sober and unspoken, the remnants of their earlier argument clung to the atmosphere.  His eyes fell on Sawyer, lying on her bed with her back to him, her form taut even in the stillness. Two Legs would've assumed she was asleep, had he not seen her visibly flinch when he let out a breath. 

He could no longer smell the grime of the lab on her person or Samuel’s fluids. The faint scent of soap and shampoo lingered, telling Two Legs she finally sought comfort in a shower, perhaps trying to wash away the day—or maybe just trying to find a fleeting moment of peace after he left. Either way, he was grateful she decided not to lie in the filth, not wanting his predatory drive to be tempted further like it had been when he stitched her head. It was hard not to bite it off when she was at his mercy in that moment. 

Two Legs hesitated in the doorway, waiting for some unseen force to push him forward. The anger that had fueled him earlier had burned out, leaving behind a recessed pang that chewed at him. With a quiet sigh, he crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed, careful to keep his distance. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, a subtle acknowledgment of his presence. For a moment, neither of them spoke. He was still reeling from the earlier hurt.

“I’m...I’m sorry. Lo siento.” Two Legs finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t turn to face her, his gaze fixed on the wall across from him as if it could offer the answers he sought. “What I said about you making poor choices was uncalled for. I’m not going to apologize for protecting my identity, for lying about what I knew to keep myself safe, but I am sorry that I hurt you. And I’m sorry about what happened to Sam and your friends. It wasn’t your fault, y’know?”

His words dangled in the air, stiff and awkward, but it was all he could manage. 

Two Legs turned his head slightly, hoping for a response, but Sawyer remained silent. He swallowed hard, fighting the urge to get up and leave, to escape the vulnerability that crept up on him, but alas, he stayed. 

“As for the favor... ” he continued, his voice faltering momentarily. “I’m looking for someone...mi padre, father. I heard he might be in the States. I was hoping you could help me get there. Help me get out of the country.”

The lie sat heavy on his tongue, easier than admitting the truth. Easier than confessing he was searching for more of his kind—the very bugs that destroyed her friends and tore her life apart. 

“Anyway, ” Two Legs breathed, rubbing his head. “That’s all I have to say. ”

He fished into his pocket, pulling out the other chocolate treat he had picked up earlier—a small, simple indulgence that now felt like an afterthought. The crinkling of the wrapper seemed loud in the hush.  He had intended to eat it to alleviate himself further, but now…now it felt wrong.

His fingers hesitated shortly before Two Legs turned, stretching his arm out to place the chocolate bar beside Sawyer. The gesture was small, almost insignificant, but it was the closest thing to an olive branch he could offer. 

“You should eat something, ” Two Legs said softly, his voice vulnerable. It was as much a peace offering as it was a plea on her behalf. 

With a quiet sigh, Two Legs retreated to a spare bed, lying down and letting his eyes find Sawyer in the dark once he turned off the last remaining lights that were on. He watched her back from across the room, curiously awaiting her to speak up. The distance between them all the while felt like a chasm. 

Sawyer shifted on the bed, her movements slow as she processed his words. The silence had changed—it was no longer oppressive but still dense with unresolved hurt. After a long pause, she got the courage to speak, her voice quieter, stripped of its earlier sharpness she had shown him.

“There’s a passport and visa under the bed, ” she began, her tone almost hesitant. “It was meant for Samuel before... ”  

Her voice faltered. Two Legs blinked and remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

“It won’t get you to the States, ” Sawyer swallowed. “but it’ll get you to England. It’s fake, though. The cops we were working with in Madrid had connections—people at airport security who could look the other way for a short time. If you try to use it after the next twenty-four hours, the authorities will come for you.”

Two Legs mind considered the possibilities. The UK wasn’t where he wanted to go, but it was an escape—a start to his long-term goal of finding a hive he could settle into. He nodded, knowing she couldn’t see it in the darkness. 

“Thank you, ” Two Legs whispered, the words thick with emotion he couldn’t fully articulate. He wanted to say more, to convey the gratitude that welled up inside him, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he swallowed them down, replacing them with something practical.

“I can escort you to the airport in the morning, if you'd like? We can leave together. ” he offered. 

For a moment, he wasn’t sure if she would accept, but then she nodded. A subtle movement that he barely caught in the dark.

“Alright..."

“Está bien...”

With that, they settled into an uneasy truce. 

Sawyer shuddered, her breathing slow and stable as she stared at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. The chocolate bar lay untouched beside her for a while before she hesitantly reached for it, trying not to make a sound. Once in her grasp, she curled up further onto her side. Her mouth gently nibbling a corner edge as her eyes welled up, unsure if it was out of being grateful to eat something delicious like this again, or if it was from the trauma she endured. Whatever the case, she was thankful Luis had done this for her—despite not having the boldness to say it out loud. 

Two Legs watched her from his bed, his gaze softening as he heard the small munching noises she made. The plaga noted that something pleasant stirred whenever he looked at her and remembered what he was— or what he used to be. The latter thought made him swallow, growing distant while he closed his eyes and tried to quiet the noise in his head, hoping “the other place ” wouldn’t be on the other side to greet him tonight. 

They would go their separate ways tomorrow—she to the States, and he wasn’t sure where. But for now, they had their peace.

Somehow, it felt like enough for her but not for him.

[musubiki]

Hi, I'm lost, what's m34th?

ah its okay i dont think ive extensively talked about them(?) !! heres a lore post so i can refer back to it as well!! (lengthy bpp incoming) ->

general history:

the m34th was originally founded in the central kingdom as a group of witch hunters/killers as part of the general anti-magic mindset that was common in a lot of the regions following the fall of the witch king

after a while they figured out that killing a witch wasnt practical/efficient because 1) they were loosing a lot of people and 2) even if you kill a witch, it doesnt kill the magic, the familiar just goes and finds someone else to be the host and then you have to find that witch all over again

and they also realized that witches in general were not commonly evil or harming the public, but at the same time the kingdom still saw them as a threat and wanted to erase them from the public eye, so the m34th became a kind of regulating force

ie, they wont kill or harm a witch (unless as a last resort), but if a witch is being a bit too....public?? they will step in. (so this is the reason no one really knows about witches/excuses it as myth. also the reason why witches are forced to find backdoor ways to fulfill their oath of helping people instead of just coming out and curing cancer left and right--the m34th wont allow them to ever be public)

in very EXTREME stubborn situations, they will actually kill a witch if shes too much trouble and just hope the next [insert animal] witch is less of a pain in the ass

so not to say that witches fear them, but they do consider them enemies because 1) a witches life becomes much more restricted under the eyes of the m34th and 2) soilders of the m34th are ACTUALLY capable of killing a witch

general information:

the m34th is made entirely of black canvases (highest possible magic resistance), since the whole point of their existence is fighting witches and magic. (marshal is an exception--he is extremely talented and whatever he lacks like magic res he secretly makes up for in potions)

they also are meant to be magics bane in the sense that in tcwg theres a struggle between technology and magic--technology was created to fill the vacuum that magic left when witches became outcasts, and so its the idea that technology does what magic does (but often slower and less effectively, like healing)

the m34th though is like any government where they have ample funds and resources, and hide a lot of technology and secrets from the public. that being said, the kind of machines and tech the m34th uses is WAY beyond what the public sees/uses/comprehends.

(slaps on *ancient technology* meme because i cant explain it. think really cool technological shit. limes hovering comm device. they probably have frictionless hoverboard bullshit. set your phasers to stun. the kind of technology that could counter and stand up against magic)

they wear almost all white as representation of anti-magic (to contrast witches traditional black attire)

they are the third component to the main magical groups that are in constant conflict with each other: witches, m34th, coattails which represent magic/technology/dark magic respectively (dark magic is a wip but its the forbidden magic of tcwg) and they balance each other out like a healthy ecosystem

another way to think of the m34th is like the cryptic men in black. if you as a citizen see too much or know too much, expect a visit from these guys who are gonna flash the memory pen at you to keep you and everyone in the public ignorant

(for the final conflict against the first witch king the m34th and witches actually do join sides to fight so theyre best thought of as anti-hero types)

[world-cinema-research]

“The Conversation” by Francis Ford Coppola. (Week three, quotations.)

Nicole Daniels

  I chose the movie “The Conversation” by Francis Ford Coppola, it came out in 1974 and was praised as a psychological thriller involving a privacy bugger, similar to those used during the infamous Watergate scandal. The lead character, Harry Caul is played by actor Gene Hackman. The image below is of Harry Caul hiding in a bathroom stall gathering intel, it strikes me because it shows the lengths that privacy buggers will go to obtain information that they need, especially if they involve high levels, such as that of the U.S. government.

This article was written by famous quotes and sayings, (link shown above,) and it stuck out to me, it was said in the movie by the character Martin Stett, he says "I'm not following you, I'm looking for you, there is a big difference." I found this quote interesting and cryptic. It is as if he saying I don't need to follow you and your whereabouts, I am looking for what it is that you are hiding, or who it is that you actually are. it is a chilling quote.

The photo above is Gene Hackman/Harry Caul sitting in what looks like a half-demolished apartment or home. I have gathered so far that he loses his senses and becomes very paranoid so this photo peaks my interest as to what led to this scene. Did he rip his apartment apart? The fact that he is playing the saxophone shows the potential bit of comfort that he has left in this intense operation and job.

The image is derived from this article written by Taste of Cinema. In the article, there is another great quote from Brian De Palma in which he says “The Conversation is such a fantastic idea: being able to hear the same conversation six or seven times, and each time it takes on a slightly different meaning". I find this intriguing, there was the old childhood game of telephone, where you would pass on a secret in a circle and see how the sentence changed from the begging of the circle to the end. This reminded me of this game, as an intel operator I can imagine there would be many different interpretations or misinterpretations of what someone is saying and it may be difficult to peg someone on guilt based on certain verbiage.

[cayenne-twilight]

Professor Layton Iceberg Explanation

As I said in the tags of the original, the iceberg I made was a meme consisting of both real theories and satire/parodies/fandom memes. If anyone is interested, I can work on an unironic version that only has real theories.

Buckle in because this post is LONG and heavily saturated with lore and information.

Actual theories

Parallel universe 1960s where the world wars didn’t happen. There’s an unused file in Curious Village that shows the year as 1960 and the time machine from UF is set to 1973, ten years into the future. The series canonically takes place in an undefined time period (hence the technological inaccuracies and fantasy elements), but it’s based off the 60s. There’s more evidence but we don’t have time to go over every little thing. I linked my “no wars” theory below but TL;DR the outdated airplanes and underdeveloped medicine in the Layton series imply that the world wars may never have happened. https://cayenne-twilight.tumblr.com/post/632205992162099200/outofcontextdiscord-timegearremix-zonosils-war

The real meaning behind the statue in Future London. In UF, the purpose of the statue is to spark Layton and Luke’s conversation about their friendship. Luke is stressing out about moving overseas and sees himself and the professor in the story behind the statue, but in the bigger picture, Clive must have been the one to commission it. Some theorize that the little boy is Clive and the man is either his father or the professor. One idea I’ve seen is that Clive wishes he could be Luke for real, while another is that he wishes he died ten years ago, and another is that he’s literally terminally ill explaining why he doesn’t care about consequence. Personally, I think “the boy succumbed to his illness” refers to his mental illness seeing as he wanted the professor to save him from his madness as he saved him all those years ago.

True location of Monte D’Or. there are no deserts on the British isles to my knowledge, so it makes the most sense for Monte D’Or to be in Southwest USA where English is the default language, they have a desert, and there exists a city famous for flashy hotels, casinos, and entertainment. What makes it odd is that nobody ever mentions overseas travel, and all the major characters are from England.

Loosha’s origins are not explicitly explained if I remember correctly, but the implication was that her prehistoric (supposedly) species was sealed away along with the garden, allowing them to survive all the way to the time of LS until Loosha was the only one left. The garden provided a good habitat and protection from predators, and it’s logical that they’d slowly die out anyways, but there’s no explanation of any specific factors that led to Loosha being the last.

Beasley is not a bee I wrote a post about this one as well, but TL;DR Beasly lacks several defining bee traits whilst having several human ones. He is not human, yet, by definition, not a bee. It’s possible that he is the result of Dimitri’s testing, but whatever his untold story is, he remains an enigma of nature. https://cayenne-twilight.tumblr.com/post/632381715250282496/theory-beasly-isnt-a-bee

Subject 2’s identity is currently unknown. There is a subject one (parrot) and subject 3 (rabbit) so there has to be a second. For a long time, people suspected Beasly to be him seeing as he’s a bit of an amalgamation and definitely not a regular bee (see above). After the release of LMJ, though, people began to suspect Sherl, the intelligent hound who could speak to certain people but not others. That being said, it’s possible for one to be subject 4. Sherl’s memory of a bright flash matches up with subject 3’s memory of being electrocuted. They never explain why the animals were being experimented on, but it was probably Dimitri making sure the conditions of his machine were safe for humans before reliving the incident from ten years ago.

Lady Violet died from the plague from DB. There’s no evidence for this or anything, it’s just an idea. People say she died from the flu but I don’t remember them saying that in the game, at least the US version. Extending off my “no war” theory: it’s theorized that the Spanish Flu was spread by the travlelling soldiers, so if that’s true, it’s possible for the epidemic to have been averted for some decades. Maybe the Spanish Flu reached England later than in real life. The hole in this is that DB’s plague must’ve been close in time to 1918 while Violet’s death was much later, so it would’ve had to stick around.

Bill Hawks is working with Targent and Arthur Cantabella. There was a force in the shadows buying the time machine technology from Bill. Someone with a ton of money who helped him cover up a freak accident and get away with it completely, a feat that involved shady means like violence by hired thugs. Some theorize that it was Targent, seeking power over time in exchange for a little mafia magic. The Labarynthia project was sponsored by the UK government, so as the PM, Bill must’ve known about it. He probably supported dubiously ethical, high stakes (witch pun) psychological experiments like Cantabella’s and helped him stay in the shadows.

All the NPCs in St. Mystere and Folsense are dead. I make fun of this type of theory later, but they’re admittedly captivating. I’m pretty sure the canon in CV is that the villagers are Bruno and Augustus’s OCs that they made robots of and built a town around, but it’s more interesting to think that the village was there before, and the townspeople died of a plague and were replaced like Lady Violet. In Folsense, there really was a plague and they never explain the NPCs there. They’re either real people who appear way younger than they are due to hallucinations (even the ones who already look old ?), or they don’t exist at all, which is pretty spooky. This part of the story is a gaping plot hole. In a similar vein to CV, the edgy yet plausible theory is that they used to live in Folsense but died of the plague and now live on as hallucinations.

Hershel seeing everything as a puzzle is a coping mechanism for all his trauma. This was a joke but I thought about it for more than five seconds and it makes way too much sense.

Plot holes and unexplained questions that we like to overthink because it’s fun

The downfall of the Azran was vaguely explained in canon by people being so greedy that it lead to the civilization collapsing. It’s not a stretch to imagine that happening, but it would’ve been more interesting with a little more detail.

Layton and Luke are programmed to routinely forget how to walk. I didn’t know whether to list this in the joke section or not, but it’s odd that the characters actively participate in the walking tutorial (as opposed to showing a little memo to the player) as if they didn’t know how to before, especially when they go through this several times a year.

The truth behind Pavel. He’s simply a joke character who teleports, is a polyglot (sort of, at least he wants us to think he is) and is mega confused all the time. He’s a fun character to make crack theories about because of his cryptic nature that even he doesn’t seem to understand.

Miracle Mask deleted scenes. The first trailer for MM featured animations that were not in the final game. One was the Randall falling scene, except in a slightly different style than the one we know. Others were completely foreign, like Layton and Luke pacing across a theatre stage as if Layton’s about to expose someone with a dramatic point. Cut content and “could’ve beens” are always curious to think about.

Evan Barde: secret mastermind. Arianna and Tony’s dad is a mysterious character who died under mysterious circumstances. I think the canon is that his death was a genuine accident, but concept art of him making a creepy evil face suggests that maybe he originally had a larger role in the first drafts of LS than the finished game.

The secret to how Paul and Des pull off their disguises is unclear and will remain unclear. There is no plausible explanation for their shape shifting. Unless Paul is just a little dude wearing a human suit like that one Wizard of Oz species and Des is the best quick-changer ever and hides his naturally feminine legs under his cloak.

Alfendi’s mom. When LBMR came out people scrambled to piece together who Hershel had a kid with, but there’s no way alfendi is his biological son. This happened with Kat as well and her biological parents turned out to be brand new characters, so I’m sure Al will get an adoption backstory if his arc continues, be his parents old major characters or nameless, faceless NPCs.

Granny Riddleton and Stachenscarfen are omnipotent deities. Idk which section this fits best under, but these two characters have some serious power. At first introduction, they’re implied to be robots, but they appear everywhere in later games. They follow the Professor wherever he goes and assist him on his adventures, GR collecting puzzles and housing them by some odd magic, and Stachen teaches you how to walk. They both introduce and supervise the gameplay. By extension, I guess this idea could apply to Albus as well in the prequels. GR and Stachen even had the power to appear in LMJ, something no major character could do. I consider them akin to the velvet room attendants from the Persona games.

Clive’s kill count is a vague subject in the game for the sake of keeping it PG. I don’t know if anyone’s ever mathematically estimated the damage he caused, and I sure don’t want to try, but the game appears to push the idea that he didn’t kill anyone at all, saying they stopped him in the nick of time and things like that, even though we watch him raze the city. If they ever want to bring him back post-time skip, I can see them twisting it so that the mobile fortress cutscene wasn’t a linear sequence of events, but instead a compilation of scenes over the course of hours so that London neighborhoods around him could be evacuated and have it make sense. Knowing Level-5, it’s more likely that they wouldn’t think this deep and do something more lazy, though.

Memes and references

Post-time skip Flora is real references the famous L is real theory from Super Mario 64. Like Luigi in SM64, Flora was also a highly anticipated character who didn’t appear in a new game, in this case LMJ or LMDA. In the end, Luigi did become real in the DS port so hopefully Flora is real will be realized as well.

Hershel can’t read is a veteran fandom meme referring to how in the first few games, especially Curious Village, Layton asks Luke to read every document out loud for him. Perhaps this was an exercise to improve Luke’s reading skills and independent thinking, or perhaps he was just too lazy or preoccupied to do it himself, but this grew into the joke that our genius Professor was actually illiterate this whole time.

Layton’s smash invitation is hidden in PLvsAA. It’s no secret that the fandom would kill a man to get the Professor into the smash brothers franchise. In PLvsAA one of the puzzle artworks features a goat eating a familiar white envelope with a red stamp, sparking the joke that either Layton or Wright got the invitation their respective fans desired, but it got lost along the way.

The science board is the mysteriously vague organization Don Paolo got kicked out of for the crime of being evil. It’s the epitome of liberal arts majors and art school graduates trying to bs their way around not knowing any science and failing miserably. “He was very good at all the sciences, but then the CEO of science told him to stop because he was using the power of science for evil science”. They do this again when “Dr. Stahngun” describes his time machine what with the soolha coils and whatnot.

Hoogland is death cult initiation is a parody of “Mario 64 is Freemason initiation” which is ridiculous, just like the creepy human sacrifice subplot of AL.

You can see the reflection of someone watching you in Aurora’s eye references the famous, creepy Talking Angela theory. In retrospect it would’ve been funnier if I said Angela instead of Aurora.

Every copy of Professor Layton is personalized references the famous “every copy of Super Mario 64 is personalized”

Clive’s fat ass in HD is a meme that originated from the announcement of UFHD, saying that half of the excited fans wanted to cry again while the other half were simply attracted to Clive. If we want to enter real bottom-section-of-the-iceberg-chart territory then let’s say Clive’s character has some sort of psychological siren properties that draw people to him like a magnet and/or Harry Styles.

Things I pulled out of my ass for shits and giggles

Infinite hint coin hack: I’m sure a tech savvy cheater could hack the game for infinite hint coins, but there’s no easy or interesting way. I don’t know why someone would do that though, considering a lot of the hints suck and there are puzzle guides on the internet.

Cringy, unused Randall villain monologue. This joke is derived from the actual scrapped MM content as well as deleted content being a popular element of iceberg charts, but it’s sadly not real. Would’ve been hilarious, though.

Last Specter Puzzle 031: Light Height tracks and records children’s intelligence level. It doesn’t, but it’s always fun to make fun of arguably THE most ridiculously difficult puzzle in the franchise. (Seriously, do they expect 7+ year olds to know trigonometry???)

Hershel struggles with tea addiction. Hershel from the games drinks tea in moderation, but the manga begs to differ. He has a tea set in the Laytonmobile, and an attempt at teatime while driving causes him to crash.

Folsense is a metaphor for Alzheimer’s. This is inspired by those edgy kids’ show theories where everyone’s in hell or something, but nobody has ever said this.

London Life is reality and the plot of the games is all in Luke’s head. That’s one way to fill every plot hole. How funny would it be if Luke made up crazy characters and stories based off his fellow townspeople Sharkboy and Lavagirl style. “This dude who lives in a castle and asks people to give him all their money for nothing in return is a vampire from 50 years ago involved in a tragic love story”.

Secret ending encoded into Tago’s Head Gymnastics. It’d be crazy if there was, and Dimitri would hound Tago for the secret to time travel. If you didn’t know, the Layton games started as an adaption of Akira Tago’s puzzle series, except they decided to add a story to make it more interesting and marketable.

Daily puzzles datamine your DS. I’m bad with technology but is it even possible to datamine a DS??? Idk, but I think my DS lite from 2008 is safe.

[silhouetteofacedar]

Fox Mulder, Closet Romantic Ch. 4: Man Pouts on Couch

Previous Chapter - AO3 - MSR, rated E

Mulder is not feeling lucky.

In hindsight, he should have suspected something was off today; Scully kept looking at her watch.

It’s Friday, March 13th, and he thought it’d be cute to invite Scully out for a drink again, make a little joke about it becoming a Friday the 13th tradition. This could work, he thinks. His plan is simple; ask her out every once in a while, for some reason or another, with the intention of eventually coming clean and setting up a proper date.

At five o’clock he stands up and stretches with performative nonchalance. “Buy you a drink, Scully?” he asks, cocking his head towards the calendar pinned to the office wall, surrounded by newspaper clippings and grainy photos.

She pauses with her arm halfway into the sleeve of her coat. “I…” She falters and presses her lips together, looking suddenly guilty.

“What is it?” he asks quietly, a pit growing in his stomach.

“I’d love to, Mulder, but I actually have a date tonight.”

The earth stops spinning and Mulder is thrown off balance, hurtling through the atmosphere.

“Oh,” he says softly. “That doctor guy?”

Scully nods, not meeting his gaze. “His name is Mark,” she says. “We’re getting sushi.” She looks up at him then, big blue eyes soft. “A rain check?” she asks hopefully.

She owns him; one look like that and he’d sell his soul to buy her a cup of shitty coffee. “Sure. Another time, then,” Mulder says, gathering up every scrap of composure he has left, patching together a smile for her. “Have fun.”

He goes home and throws himself face down onto the couch.

She has a date. A real date, with a presumably mentally stable human man with a high-value job. And a daughter. A ready-made family, just add water and stir. This Mark guy probably calls her Dana, asks her how her mother’s doing, feeds her bits of sashimi with no threat of aliens or shadow governments in sight. Maybe he’ll kiss her at the end of the night, softly with closed lips like a gentleman.

What stings the most is the fact that this Doctor Mark had the balls to tell Scully outright that he’s interested in her romantically, something Mulder has yet to do.

Mulder knows he should eat, but his stomach is churning and the idea of food sickens him. He’s being dramatic and irrational; it’s just one date. But the implications are weighty, the potential enormous.

He feels bad for being upset. This is good for her; she needs to get out of the basement, connect with other rational people, find some normalcy and balance in her life.

You need those things too, he hears her say in his head.

He brushes it aside. It’s different for him; he created this life for himself. He’s a collapsed star, a black hole of conspiracy and paranoia that sucks in everything that gets too close. The last thing he wants is for her to get lost in his darkness, swallowed by the void like some interstellar debris.

She’d told him that night in Rock Creek Park that she does’t blame him for what’s happened to her, but that doesn’t assuage his guilt. He carries the weight of what she calls her choices, a load she has no intention of sharing with him, awaiting no acknowledgement or thanks.

He’s doing it to himself.

Mulder whiles away the hours on the couch, gazing up at the constellations of pencil marks on his ceiling, tossing his basketball above his head. He drops it on his face twice.

He knows it’s probably only going to make him feel worse, but he’s a glutton for punishment; so at eleven-thirty that night he picks up the phone and calls Scully.

He waits for her to answer, his heart sinking lower with each ring. She’s not picking up. Is she still out? he thinks anxiously. The guy has a kid, so it’s unlikely that they’d stay out too late unless he’s arranged it with his babysitter…

“Hello?” Scully’s slightly husky voice cuts through his thoughts.

“Scully,” he says, tentative relief creeping into his body.

“Mulder, what is it?” she asks. “It’s late. For normal people, anyway. Are you alright?”

“‘M’ fine,” he assures he. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

He hears her hum in understanding. Late night phone calls between them aren’t uncommon, after all. “Have you tried counting sheep?” she asks, not unkindly. “Or slowing your breathing down, focusing on the cadence of inhales and exhales like I showed you?”

He’s wide awake, sitting upright on his couch, still in the slacks and wrinkled button-down he wore to the office that day. “Yes,” he lies. “It’s not helping. There’s too much going on in my head right now.”

“You work too much,” she says gently. “And yet not enough, when deadlines are involved. We’ve got an impressive paperwork backlog-”

“Can we not talk about work right now?” He reaches down and unties his shoes. “Otherwise I’ll never get to sleep.”

“Right.” There’s rustling on her end. She’s in bed, he realizes.

“Did I wake you, Scully?” he asks, trying to hide his surprise.

“It’s fine, Mulder, I was only dozing,” she replies.

“Oh, how was the date?” he asks, as though it only just occurred to him, instead of being the only thing he’s thought about all night.

“It was nice,” she responds, and he drops his head onto the back of the couch in defeat. Shit. Shit shit shit shit-

“We talked about medicine, about cancer, loss. His daughter’s name is Amanda,” she continues. “Her mother - his wife - died when Mandy was only two, so he’s mostly raised her alone.”

“That’s rough,” Mulder says softly. Please don’t make me feel bad for this guy, Scully, I can’t bear it, he thinks.

“Mhm,” she agrees. “And his work at the hospital is pretty grueling, so his mother helps out a lot. I… I told him about Emily.”

“How’d that go?” Mulder asks, concerned. “It’s not the most… plausible-sounding story.”

“I was vague,” she replies. “All I really said was that I had recently reconnected with a child I’d been separated from, right before she died. He didn’t ask for details; he could probably tell it was a fresh wound.”

They’re silent for a moment.

“Do you think you’ll see him again?” Mulder asks quietly. Somehow he already knows what she’s going to say, and he braces himself for the sting of her words as they pierce his heart.

“I… I think I will,” Scully says, sounding distant. “I mean, it’s worth a shot, right?”

She deserves this. She deserves a chance at something ordinary, safe, comfortable.

“Maggie Scully didn’t raise a quitter,” he says with a watery smile she’ll never see.

She chuckles. “No, I suppose she didn’t,” Scully muses. He hears her yawn. “I’m tired out, Mulder. Think you can sleep now?”

“I’ll try,” he says. He’s surprised to feel his eyes beginning to burn with unshed tears. “Thanks for talking to me,” he adds.

“Anytime. Sleep well,” she says warmly, and the line goes dead.

He supposes he brought this on himself by keeping his feelings hidden. He waited too long, playing it safe. He wanted to gauge her feelings before he made any overt moves, and someone else beat him to it.

It’s just one date. But there’s going to be more. By the sound of it, she wants there to be more.

There’s no way he’s going to sleep well tonight.

He’s in a sour mood when he’s summoned to the Gunmen’s… den? lair? headquarters? the next afternoon, by way of one of their patented cryptic phone calls.

Byers unfastens the dozen locks on the door and lets him inside. “Mulder,” he says, ushering him in. “Good to see you.”

Mulder flops down in a rickety desk chair, exhaustion permeating his muscles. “I’m not up for being social today, boys,” he warns. “You said you had information for me?”

“We took the liberty of looking into Agent Scully’s new… uh, friend,” Byers says.

“For safety reason,” Langly adds, seeing Mulder’s lips purse.

“She’s precious cargo,” Frohike says, wiggling his eyebrows.

“How did you find him?” Mulder asks. “I didn’t even know his first name until yesterday.”

“Don’t insult us with your surprise,” Frohike mutters. “We’re experts.”

“We knew he’s a part of the parish Scully attends-“ Byers begins.

“And we knew he’s an ER doc, has a 6 year old daughter, and a dead wife,” Langly cuts in. “That’s plenty to go on.”

“I don’t need to know more than that,” Mulder says, suddenly feeling guilty. “It’s not my business.”

“Maybe not, but we have the info,” Frohike says. “Look, all you need to know is that he seems legit. Name’s Einolander, if you were curious.”

“I wasn’t,” Mulder lies, taking a sunflower seed out of his pocket and biting it pensively.

“Of course not,” Byers says, sounding completely unconvinced.

“You alright, Mulder?” Langly asks. “You look rough.”

“Of course he does,” Frohike hisses in the least subtle whisper of all time. “Scully’s dating someone that’s not him. Cut the guy some slack.”

“You guys don’t know shit,” Mulder grumbles, then backtracks, running his hands over his face. “I’m sorry. I, uh... didn’t sleep well.”

“It’s okay, man,” Langly says.

Frohike nods sagely. ”We know how you feel about her. This can’t be easy for you.”

Mulder wilts in his chair. “How did you know?” he asks pathetically, realizing the jig is up. Has he really been so obvious this whole time? Fucking hell.

“Look, knowing things is our business,” Byers explains. “And we know you. We’ve been around the block with you a few times, and nobody’s meant this much to you. Not even Diana.”

“Plus, Agent Scully is a smokeshow, and you have eyes,” Frohike adds. Byers gives him a jab with his elbow. “Hey, I stand by that,” he declares, rubbing his arm.

“Well thanks anyway, fellas,” Mulder says, standing. “I should get going. The walls in my apartment won’t stare at themselves.”

“Do you want the file we put together on the guy?” Byers asks. “We can make copies.”

Mulder shakes his head. “Keep it. Draw a mustache on his photo or something.” He picks up his coat and slings it over his shoulder. “You kids have fun.”

“If you need anything, just flag us down,” Frohike says, patting Mulder’s back before unlatching the door.

Mulder steps out the door, then turns back. “How old is this guy?”

“Forty-one,” Byers says, flipping through the file. “Five-foot-ten, dark blond hair, brown eyes. Blood type-”

Mulder holds up a hand. “I don’t want to know. Bye, guys.”

He gets a petty, juvenile satisfaction from the fact that he’s two inches taller and four years younger than Dr. Einolander. It’s short-lived, but at this point he’ll take what he can get.

Because he can’t get Scully.

[sasa-gay-yo]

Just Us (Chapter Nine: Intimate)

← Chapter Eight

“You’ve improved since I left. Who did you practice with?” He sat on the couch as I showed him the techniques he had taught me a few weeks ago. I wasn’t going to tell him that I wanted it to be perfect for him so I practiced it whenever I could, but I just wanted to be approved by Humanity’s Strongest. He wasn’t the type to baby me and tell me I was good when it wasn’t. On the first few days, he would push me on the couch easily, making sure to mind my ribs. 

“You just need to touch me with the knife. Is it that hard?” 

I probably gained more bruises from the couch than I did from my attackers. If it was anyone normal, I’d probably be able to fend them off, but I guess that wasn’t enough for Levi as he wanted to make sure I could hold my own against someone actually trained to fight. I’d tell him that it wasn’t fair. He had years of experience on any soldier, but he didn’t take my complaint at all. He’d just use that to play with me. I discovered that his version of my teasing was getting me riled up with his insults. 

“I just did it in my kitchen when I took breaks and came back from giving the refugee’s bread. Why? How good am I?” I smiled at him and he smirked, head in the resting on his knee. I knew an insult was going to come in a few seconds. 

“You could probably knock a few first year cadets on the ground. Mostly teenagers half your age.” I glared down at him and put the knife down on my coffee table. 

“Well, I don’t think anyone who’s attacking me in the streets of Trost is going to have the skills of a cadet.” He shrugged and sat back on the couch, his face contracting back to normal. He looked up at the wall and I stood there waiting for him to say something back. I knew there was something wrong when he didn’t give any form of witty reply. It had to be about the meetings in the capital. 

I sat down on my chair, taking the fresh cup of tea I had made. Another reason I knew something was up with Levi is because he hadn’t drank his tea yet. It had been an hour, too. He was even the one to bring back the tea from the capital and I assumed he was excited to drink it, but there sat the cup, untouched. I decided to slide into the topic lightly. 

“How was the capital?” He looked back down at me and switched the leg he had crossed. 

“Boring. We were stuck in long meetings where they didn’t even ask our opinions on the matter. However, that’s usually how it goes.” I nodded and almost frowned at the lack of information he had given me. I’d have to pry it out of him if that was even possible.

“Does Erwin not speak up? He seems to be the type to advocate.” Levi huffed once in laughter and I knew I was wrong. 

“It’s Erwin’s strategy to play diligently to the Royal Government. One day when he needs something, it will be easy to pry it out of their hands if they only have a light grip on him. People generally like him because he is so agreeable.” I set my tea down and lifted my legs to sit criss-crossed in my chair. 

“I’ve never met Erwin, but from what you say about him, I think I know his personality well.” He shook his head and looked back up at the ceiling. 

“You’ll never know Erwin. He’s one of the best strategists I’ve met, but you have no idea what he’s thinking until he says it. It doesn’t help he speaks so cryptically either… when he speaks up.” I rested my head in my hand and knew that this subtle look into Erwin’s personality was mostly from Levi’s frustration. Something happened in the capital that made Levi want to slightly criticize him. I decided I would stop beating around the bush because if I played this way, Levi could easily keep deflecting for hours. It was also no good to just have him sit here for hours and let his frustrations take root in his mind. 

“What happened in the capital?” His eyes snapped to me again, quick to deny anything.

“Nothing. Just meetings. I told you that.” He was lying and the shortness of his answers gave it away.

“I don’t believe that.” He let out a sigh and rested his head in both his hands.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he sighed in frustration. That was the true emotion he was hiding. We were finally getting somewhere.

“If you talk it out with a third party, you might feel better. I know nothing about how the military functions, but-” 

“I can’t tell you. It’s classified.” Oh. I never thought about that possibility until now. I might have made him more frustrated by trying to get him to talk about it when he strictly couldn’t. Levi wasn’t going to break the rules that easily.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said softly. He didn’t look up, just rolled his head a bit more in his hands, back and forth. It was swallowing him up inside and I just made it worse. Now, I felt awful for doubling the emotion he had to deal with. 

“It’s okay. You didn’t know, Eva.” No, it wasn’t okay. I was scrambling, trying to think of something to make him feel better. If tea wasn’t going to work, then what was? 

I shot up from my chair, looking down at him. His head was still in his hands like he was thinking over and over about the thing I made him think about. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking this hard about work when he was with me. 

When I sat down next to him, he just glanced over to me for a few seconds trying to guess what I was doing. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing or if it would work on him, but I knew what I liked when I got frustrated like this. It was a gamble, but he’d probably go along with it.

“You don’t have to talk about specifically what’s making you frustrated, but I think it’s good to let it out before it eats you up inside. It’ll make you sick if you keep thinking about it.” He didn’t move. 

“It’ll make me sick regardless of if I talk or not.” I decided to put my plan in action and I grabbed his wrists, pulling them towards his right where I sat. He let me move them, but his whole body stayed put. 

“W-what are you d-doing?” I didn’t let go of his wrists. 

“Something I like people to do when I’m frustrated. Will you let me?” He took a deep breath thinking it over, probably having no idea what I was going to do, and took one sharp nod. I smiled and pulled him softly so his head was on my lap and he was looking up at me on his back. He seemed confused. 

“I thought you only did this in your sleep?” 

“I do it whenever I want to. Especially when I’m anxious or frustrated. Have you done this with anyone before?” He didn’t answer, but he did close his eyes probably trying to get comfortable. I laid back against the couch cushion more and admired his face. It was still stiff with frustration, but it made me happy he stayed laying there. I was going to take another risk since this one paid off so well. 

When I put my hand in his hair, his eyes shot open. That was something someone had definitely not done before. I tried to softly massage his scalp with each pass of my hand, getting him to relax further. We stayed like that for a while, just looking at each other, my hand running through his hair nonchalantly. I think he was still trying to decide if he liked it or not. Sometimes I would twist his hair between my fingers, looking for a reaction, but there was none. He just stared at me with those ever intense eyes. 

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I’m just trying to comfort you and make you feel better.” He nodded and that might have been my indication that he was fine with what I was doing. He closed his eyes, letting his guard down, finally, and that’s when it was confirmed he was okay with this. My heart did a little flip and rejoiced in the fact that this mission was a success. He did, in fact, like other humans touch… maybe only mine, but I could easily deal with that. What could I do next? 

“Erwin accepted something that’s incredibly wrong. He stood there like the dutiful servant to the government he is and accepted something awful they pushed on the Scouts. I refused, but was overridden by him and the other sectors of the military. The fact that we’re going to do something like that and be held accountable… I hate it, but I can’t change it.” I couldn’t lie, I wanted to know what it was so I could give my opinion, and maybe make Levi feel better if someone agreed with him. However, I couldn’t be selfish like that in this situation.

“If you don’t do it, will the outcome be worse?” He shrugged.

“Can’t say. Probably. But, it’s not morally sound what we’re going to do.” I could tell he was holding back, probably wanting to lash out at his superiors. He had to hold it in this long, so what else was he holding inside that brain of his? 

“You know you can say what you want here. I’m not going to tell anyone and there’s no one else here. Just us.” I reached down and held his cheek in my hand. He kept his eyes closed, turning his head towards it, almost nuzzling into my touch. I was surprised at his reaction to my touch. 

“I don’t want to fucking do it, but I have to. I have to lead these people to their deaths.” The last sentence was quiet and he let out a long, painful breath after he ended. I wondered if they were going to make the Scouts take back Wall Maria. Whatever they were going to do, it was going to lay heavy on Levi’s conscious and add to the heavy load he was already carrying. 

He grabbed the hand that was on his cheek, just holding it there. He had opened his eyes too. 

“I can tell you what it is, but I don’t want you to be burdened with the truth. I can’t let you feel the way I feel right now. It’ll be too much for you to handle.” I just nodded in understanding and he turned his head back to look up at me. 

“I like this. Cuddling or whatever. It has it’s calming effects.” I beamed down at him, happy that my plan worked. I may not have actually helped him in the long run, but it made him feel better in the present. If only I could find out how to lighten the load more. 

“I’m glad you like it. There’s many more ways to do it if you’d like to try those.” He laughed a bit.

“I’m not that dumb. I know how to do it, I’m just not inclined to seek out human touch.” He sat up and stared at me for a second, “I want to do something though.” He sat there waiting for me to answer. 

“O-oh, uh, okay, yes. You can. You don’t always have to ask.” He lifted his arm closest to me, holding it there. It seemed to take him a few more moments to gather the confidence before grabbing my head and almost shoving it into his chest. His other arm went behind me to support the position. I was basically just leaning on his body sideways. I don’t know why I blushed so hard because of it. I’ve been in this position with Jonas and a lot of other people too. Maybe it was because Levi initiated it and I could hear his heart running a million meters a minute. He put his other hand on my hair, petting it. 

“I-Is this o-okay?” He was stuttering again, looking down at me. I knew he was blushing again too. It was funny. Two grown adults were getting heart attacks from holding each other. For Levi, it was excusable. This was his first time holding someone like this. This was probably his first time acting on his feelings for someone too. For me, I’ve had a relationship before and am a naturally touchy person. There was no reason to be this… giddy when Levi held me than it being Levi. That could be why. He was never like this with anyone but me. That makes it more special. 

“In a few minutes, it might not be, but I’m fine now.” He nodded and was just looking down at me. In this position, I couldn’t look anywhere by to my left outside the window. I felt his eyes on me still.

“It’s your turn to have your brain picked,” he stated and I noted how his chest vibrated with his deep voice. I pressed my ear in closer.

“About?” He took his hand off my head and lifted my hand up to his face. I had ran out of the lotion he had given me, but he made sure to buy two as he just returned from Mitras. This hiatus had made them dry again. 

“The Underground girl with burned hands and the old man that had faith in her.” I laughed once and he place my hand back on my lap. 

“How long have you been wanting to ask me about that?” 

“Since you said it, but I assumed it would be off limits. Now that you told me I could say anything, I’d extend the same to you.” I smiled. Such restraint he had. 

“Only if you promise to tell me about your life in the Underground soon.” He didn’t even take time to think before nodding. He really wanted to know about me… that was nice and different. Most people wanted me to hide the fact I was from the Underground. It makes sense that he would want to know. I wonder if he wanted to compare our experiences about the same world we grew up in.

“I was born in the Underground to some woman I don’t know. My father, I’ve only seen once, but he gave me up to my Aunt. I have no idea what he does or where he is now, and I don’t really care about it either. My Aunt didn’t really like me either, I was an inconvenience, so she sent me to an orphanage a few years after she got me. That’s the closest I had to a family in the Underground. You know no one adopts orphans there, so we all knew we’d be there for the long run, and formed a little pack.” He shifted so he could look me in the eyes as I told my story. 

“What orphanage?” I shrugged my shoulders. My time in the Underground was still filled with holes or trauma that my child brain couldn’t understand. Slowly, I would gain back my memory through dreams or sensations, but there were still a lot of pieces missing.

“It was attached to a church, but I couldn’t tell you the name. If we ever went back, I could point it out to you.” He nodded and looked up like he was thinking of the vague place I told him. We would never be going back.

“I got into a group with the older girls and we would sneak out at night. Little did I know they were in an actual street gang, but I guess most everyone there was. One night these girls didn’t come back. I was sick, so I was in the infirmary when they left, but when I went back to the normal room, they weren’t there anymore. I stayed up night after night, hoping they would sneak back in, but they never did. I was probably ten at this point and I snuck out to go find them since that was my family. I knew where the gang was located so I stupidly went to ask them. That’s the first time I was beaten up. They were probably fourteen or fifteen. After that, I felt lost I guess. No one guides you in the orphanage, the people who were like family to me disappeared, my real family was gone, and so I would just keep going out at night alone, just trying to find some sensation.” He shook his head. 

“You kept getting beaten up at night and you never thought to learn how to protect yourself?” It wasn’t like he was judging me, but it was more of a slight insult. He knew how it was in the Underground and he knew how stupid I was. He was also probably surprised at my decision to the problem everyone in the Underground faces: Eat or be eaten. I chose the latter.

“Maybe I wanted to get beat up for something to do. To feel something. You know how they talk about Underground teens. Once they get older, they start to realize the actual trauma that happened in their lives. I was definitely abused by my Aunt and her kids, but I was so young it took me too long to realize it to be able to process it correctly. Then, about that time you also try to go up to the surface for the first time and get beat up by the MPs guarding the openings. You think, well if no one in the Underground wants me because I’m an orphan, and no one wants to let me up above, then what am I even doing here in this world? Why did I get dropped in this shitty place? I wasn’t gang material either, as you can clearly tell, so I just wandered like the rest with no goal. I was even called the orphanage’s problem child. They’d kick me out once I got of age if I didn’t change, that was their warning to me sneaking out and coming back with cuts and bruises.” He snorted at that, probably finding it hilarious that that’s how I used to be. Compared to my attitude now, no one would have believed that I’d lost hope in life at such a young age.

 “One day, I wandered into the wrong place and some gangster thought it would be fun to dip my hands into an oil can fire. I probably laid in that alleyway for a good few days, just withering in pain and watching my skin fall off. With no sun or moon to indicate the time, the says just blurred together. I realized that this is probably what happened to the other girls at the orphanage and so I accepted that as my fate too. It’s not like I had anyone who would miss me. That’s when this old man came up to me and gave me some water. He wrapped my hands up in his jacket and without a word, he took me up to the surface. Of course I followed. He was the first person to show me any type of regard and he fed me and gave me a dress. I never had clothes of my own, just hand-me-downs. That person was Mr. Flynn and he seemed to have a reputation of saving kids from the Underground. I can’t tell you why he chose me or why he did what he did, but I never left his side after that. You find someone who finally cares about you and you want to stay next to them forever. You’re afraid of what will happen if they ever abandon you like the others did.” He nodded, probably knowing exactly what I was talking about. I wondered if he had any friends or people in the Underground he was attached to in that way.

“Where are the other children he saved?” I stood up and went over to the bookshelf where I kept all the portraits. I handed him the drawing of all five of us and pointed out the people while sitting back down. This was the last year-end we had together, and we knew that Mr. Flynn would soon pass away, so we decided to pay for a proper portrait for all of us to have. It was our gift to Mr. Flynn. 

“I was the last and the youngest. He was getting way too old to go up and down and take care of the café all at once. This is Mr. Flynn and I. This man here is the first person Mr. Flynn saved. It’s Jonas’s father, Benjamin. I never lived with him, but he’s the nicest and still treats me like his little sister. Jonas thinks it’s kind of weird,” I moved my finger over to the tall, blonde woman with thinner eyes, “This woman is Catrin and she left a year-and-a-half after I came. She was nice and the only other girl, so we bonded as much as we could. She lives in Stohess now with her husband. You can see, she’s pregnant in this picture. They have a daughter named Kati,” I pointed, lastly, to the person who was sitting next to me in the picture, “Next is Duran. He joined the MPs a while back, but I haven’t seen him since this picture. He’s only a year older than me, but the least liked by all of us. He’s kind of stuck up and was a tattletale… probably why he joined the MPs. He tried to follow me around and get me in trouble with Mr. Flynn.” Levi surveyed the drawing, laughing lightly, probably seeing if he recognized anyone in it. I’m sure he’d probably met Duran at least once in his time at the capital. If Levi went to cadet training, he would have been in the same class. 

“Did Mr. Flynn’s name start with an A?” I smiled and nodded. He was a nice old man, but a very, very plain one.

“He wasn’t a very creative man. When he gave us a new name, he’d only think about it for a few minutes. Catrin helped name me.” He quickly looked back up to me, a bit of mystery filling his eyes. 

“Then what’s your real name?” He smirked down at him in response. This could be a fun game to play.

“You’ll never know.” He let out a groan of protest. 

“You can’t just hid-” I cut him off as I sat back down and put my head back on his chest. I placed the picture in his lap as I was still talking about everyone.

“Anyways, this was the last time we ever got together as a big group. We use to do it for year end to exchange gifts, but after Mr. Flynn died, I said I’d take over the café and none of them came back. It wasn’t there favorite thing growing up, forced to work at the café, but I loved it. This was about three years ago now. I’ve visited Catrin twice to see my niece and I see Ben a lot. I don’t care for Duran, especially with that stick shoved up his ass. Sinc us two came from the roughest situations, we used to fight and get kicked out of the bakery for a day because Mr. Flynn couldn’t handle us and our pent up trauma.” He put the drawing down and leaned back on the couch again, giving me more room to lean against him. 

“You seem to be to carry on Mr. Flynn’s legacy. Taking in little kids with desperate or bad situations. Elias, June, whoever that refugee boy is...” 

“That’s nice of you to say. I was the one who was attached to Mr. Flynn the most, so it makes sense for me to want to do things like that. Take on the bakery, help the kids... He taught me how nice the world can be, too, not just cruel and lonely. I just want to show that to others I guess.” He put his arm around me again, this time without hesitation. We were back to our original position. 

“Did you ever learn why he saved all of you?” I shook my head and closed my eyes. This scene was practically the perfect domestic dream. Here I was on my couch, cuddling up to Captain Levi, talking of random things about my family. It was actually better than I dreamed it up to be. If only I had a drawing of this moment. 

“It probably had to do with his wife dying before they could have kids. He found Ben wandering the streets alone a few months after Mrs. Flynn died. I guess maybe he just made a habit of it. Catlin was found in a brothel and Duran on the streets in the Underground like I was. I was the only one permanently injured apparently.” He took my hand in his, flipping it over to look at the front and back. I never thought he could be so… intimate like this. 

“How did he die?” 

“Old age. It was his time to go when he did. He was almost ninety-five. I was a wreck when he died. I think I cried for three days straight and had to stay with Ben because he’s the most like Mr. Flynn. No one but Ben could calm me down. It was nice though, the weeks after random people would just come into the café and share stories about him. He was a troublemaker when he was young. Perhaps that’s what drew him to Duran and I.” He squeezed my hand when he saw my sad look at the frame. I guess he was a fast learner on comforting people.

“To think you were a troublemaker… I guess it fits your personality.” I turned to look at him. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You don’t think I heard the countless comments about my height you made to Jonas the first time I met you? That table isn’t far away from your counter. Insulting a military captain can get you in trouble.” I put a hand over my mouth and started to laugh. 

“Why didn’t you report me then? Too shocked someone would say things like that so close to you?”

“I guess I should’ve known then that you like to run your mouth. If you were one of my cadets, I’d have you running laps everyday for disrespecting your officers.” I pulled a disgusted face and shook my head. 

“Absolutely not. Even practicing this knife stuff has me winded. Don’t get me wrong, I’m kinda strong. I can lift those big bags of flour and…” I paused, thinking of what else I could do. 

“And?” He pressed. 

“There’s just too many things I can do. I can’t list all of them.” He rolled his eyes and shifted again, this time pulling my legs over his so our bodies were perpendicular. My back leaned on the arm of the couch, but his arm was also there to support me. 

“Starting tomorrow morning, I’m going to be gone for a while,” he looked down at me, suddenly more serious than before. I frowned, noting he had just gotten back from the capital this morning, but I knew I couldn’t be that selfish with our time. 

“How long?” He shrugged and lifted his hand to play with my hair just like I did to him. He was back to comfort mode once he had dropped this news to me.  

“I’m training the cadets for the maneuver we’re doing at the start of the year and there are more meetings here and in the capital. I also have some things I have to do for Erwin. It’s hard to say but three months minimum is my estimate.” My frown didn’t leave by face, but I sighed and nodded. No one had predicted that Wall Maria would fall, so there’s no way to control the volume of work the Scouts have. Especially Captain of the Scouts. 

“Can you at least wake me up when you leave tomorrow? I’ll say goodbye to you.” He nodded and I rested my head on his shoulder.  

“I’m sorry, I should have told you about it when I got here. Then I might have spared you the feelings you’re having right now.” My face went into a confused look and I didn’t look up at him. I was trying to think through what he meant by that. Was he referring to the sadness I was feeling about him being gone for so long? 

“Feeling what?”

“You know, whatever this is. Sitting here, holding each other; the feeling of being close. Now, you’ll have to wait months to feel it again because I’ll be gone.” I sensed that he was voicing his own feelings now, but I didn’t press him about it. 

“It’s called intimacy. The feeling of being close and wanting to be close to another person. And yes, I’ll miss it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t savor it now. It will make me want it more when you come back, too.” 

“I… I have that feeling as well.” I reached up and put a hand on his cheek, pulling him to look at me. 

“I’m glad you’re sharing your feelings with me now. I don’t have to guess anymore.” He glanced down at my lips once and on the inside I almost screamed. Was he going to do it? 

I had concluded that he had never been kissed in that manner before, if ever, and that’s why he was so confused and shocked the first time I did it. He didn’t know what to say or think and it short circuited his brain. Sleeping in the same bed together probably would end in the same result if I forced it on him. So, I silently vowed to myself that anything that intimate, I’d let him initiate it. That would let me know right away if he was comfortable or not, at least this early on. Once I knew what he was comfortable and uncomfortable with emotion and feeling wise, then it would be easier to read what he wants or needs in a situation. This cuddling was a huge gamble, but it seemed to pay off. 

He looked back up at me and closed his eyes. He didn’t move forward any and I just sat there in wait. 

“I want to do it, but I think if I did it now, it would be harder to leave. I can’t be thinking things like that when I’m training Scouts to fight titans.” Understandable, but, ugh, if I hadn’t taken that vow I would have leaned in by now. Longing for something you’ve already experienced is better than not having it at all. That was my conclusion. 

“I don’t agree, but I guess I understand you.” He pulled my head in and rested my chin on his shoulder. His arms slowly went around me and I realized he was hugging me, one arm on my waist, the other holding my head. I wrapped my hands around his torso a few seconds after, closing my eyes and taking in his scent so I wouldn’t forget it. 

“You should give me this shirt so I have something to remember you by. If you’re going to be gone for so long, I might just forget you.” He snorted and pulled me back so he could look at me in annoyance. 

“Why would I give you my shirt? I don’t have another one. And, you didn’t forget me the last three… where are you going?” I hopped up and went into my room, digging around the the only set of drawers I had. I recently washed it so it had to be folded in here somewhere.

“Ah, ha!” I yelled and walked out of my room with the shirt in my hands. I threw it at him and he caught it, unfolding it. His face looked even more annoyed once he realized what he was holding. 

“You can have that one back. Now give me,” I said holding out my hands to him. He sighed and stood up, turning his back to me, before unbuttoning and taking off his shirt. Well… he didn’t have to turn around. Annoying. 

“You can see that when I get back since you look so sad.” My eyes went wide and I didn’t know he was looking at me. Damnit, he got a blush point. When did he get so confident? I’d have to think of something to say back. I couldn’t let him win. Before I could, he tossed the button up over my head. I pulled it off, glaring at him playfully. 

“Hm, it’s not big enough to sleep in, so I guess I’ll just have to wear in to work. Hopefully, it doesn't get dirty.” He clenched his jaw. 

“Where’s my gift? I’ve been so generous with you, giving you the clothes off my back... That portrait,” he pointed to a portrait that Mr. Flynn had drawn of me by a street vendor, “I want it.” The drawing was me, at the age of twelve, fresh out of the Underground. I looked annoyed and my hair was a mess, and I remember it was around the time Mr. Flynn was trying to teach me to like being above ground. Obviously, by the annoyed look on my face, I wasn’t enjoying standing there waiting for someone to draw me. It was an ugly drawing and he had no business wanting it. 

“Absolutely not. Pick something else.”

“No, I want that. It’s not a big request. I want you with me.” I rolled my eyes at him and I knew the only reason he wanted it now was to annoy me. I couldn’t let it happen. 

“You said you couldn’t even carry money with you. How are you supposed to fold that up and take it with?” He shrugged and advanced towards it. I put myself in between him and the drawing. 

“I’ll manage. Maybe, I’ll put it on my desk so I can look at it every day.” I glared at him again and even he couldn’t hide that evil laugh of his. I had to think of some way to redirect him. I looked around and saw his cape hanging by the door. Perfect. 

“Well, if you want me to be with you all the time, then here,” I walked over and grabbed his cape, and now it was his turn to be cautious of what I was doing. 

“What are you doing with my cape?” I walked to the kitchen and pulled out the thread from the junk drawer, going to work. The thread was black, so it wouldn’t be very noticeable on the dark green of the cape. It was a quick four stitches before he could walk over and try to grab it from me. I tied off the knot and handed it back to him. 

“It’s what we used to do to our clothes to make sure no one stole them. We claimed them as ours.” He picked up the bottom edge of the cape and looked at the letter. 

“This isn’t your cape.” I leaned over the edge of the kitchen island and smirked up at him. 

“No, but you’re mine. So I’m just marking that.” He scoffed, but kept looking at the tiny letter. It wasn’t noticeable at all unless you knew what you were looking for it, “Now you can’t get rid of that cape. You have to keep it forever.”

“M?” My smirk got wider and I had just given him a tiny in on my biggest secret. 

“The first letter of my real name.” 

Chapter Ten →

Chapter Masterlist

xx Just a little fluff and plot devices

[tf2-hellhole]

TF2 Shattered AU

wow look another au nobody asked for

PREMISE —————

Reyes knew from the moment she started working for the Administrator that the woman was hiding a whole lot from her. The Administrator was incredibly secretive and defensive about anything Reyes asked her, and even her co-worker, Miss Pauling, seemed nervous when she asked about her role. She knew it was dangerous work. Illegal work. But for her friends’ and parents’ safety, she kept her mouth shut.

But one day, she was assigned to work with some files. Someway, somehow, Miss Pauling or one of the other assistants had misplaced a very, very important paper. It ended up in Reyes’ stack of work for the day.

When she found the paper, she was horrified by what was inside. The paper was was full of detailed information about the loved ones and families of every Mann Co. mercenary, as well as where they lived and how to capture them. Administrator was planning to take and use these people as bargaining chips against the mercenaries to make them do work that would endanger themselves and thousands of civilians.

The very first thing she did was bring the papers to the mercenaries and explain what it meant. Of course, everyone was horrified and knew they had to stop the Administrator. But in their horror and confusion, they forgot that the woman had eyes and ears everywhere.

A few days later, Scout frantically called everyone to the common room, saying that they were talking about them on TV. The reporter on the screen explained that the Mann Co. mercenaries had been proven to be responsible for a large string of brutal civilian murders and domestic terrorist attacks. So now, the American government had just began to track all of the mercenaries down.

For a moment, the room was only silent. Maybe the mercenaries had committed many crimes, but they had never done the horrible things the reporter described. And despite knowing that the team was made of the best of the best, they knew they were no match for the government. 

All of a sudden, a voice came over the intercom. The Administrator’s. She explained that she had discovered what the mercenaries were planning. So, to get rid of the threat the mercenaries posed against her, she framed them for many crimes she and her employees had committed. And now, with the American government on her side, she could have each of the mercenaries killed and out of her hair forever. She warned them so they could have the chance to run and get some amusement out of watching them try to escape from her. You could put it that she was playing with her food.

After hours of debate, the mercenaries decided that the best choice was to go their separate ways and try to get away. And so, that night, the team packed their things and said their goodbyes. There was little time for tears and hugs.

Reyes cried for hours and hours once the base emptied. What was she going to do? Where was she going to go? She couldn’t leave, her parents needed her because they couldn’t speak English. She didn’t know what to do.

Soon, Miss Pauling appeared at the door. Reyes got up and approached her, desperately asking for help. The other woman only sighed, apologized, and pulled a gun.

What followed was a short shootout between the two, as Reyes always kept a gun on her too. She was lucky enough to escape quickly, driving home as fast as she could. She called her parents, quickly saying goodbye to them and telling them to go back to Mexico if they can, gathered her things, and fled.

She was able to buy a ticket and get to Europe, where she’s been hiding out for the last decade from the Administrator, praying to God that her friends and family are alright.

If I were to write the story, it would follow parts of the team reuniting and killing the Administrator.

CHARACTER STATUSES —————

Scout: Alive; Gravely injured after a confrontation with police in Boston, but is rescued by Korri. Due to his injuries, his legs are paralyzed and he is stuck in a wheelchair. His mother and brothers mysteriously disappear soon after.

Soldier: Dead; attempted to confront the Administrator himself. He put up a good fight, but ultimately, he was no match for the people she’d employed to protect her.

Pyro: Alive; they luckily escaped and is running around the New Mexican badlands somewhere like some kind of cryptic.

Demo: Dead; poisoned by one of the Administrator’s goons in a bar in Scotland.

Heavy: Unknown; he and his family disappeared very quickly after the team separated. It’s unknown if they were caught, killed, returned to Russia, or something else. (He is actually dead.)

Engineer: Alive; the Administrator knew that if Doctor Dell Conagher, owner of Conagher Tech and one of the US’ leading military inventors, went missing while employed at Mann Co, the government would be on her in an instant. She made him swear not to speak about what happened by threatening to destroy his life’s work and kill his parents.

Medic: Alive; he was successfully captured, but when they attempted to kill him, he was kept alive by his deal with Satan to keep him alive for another fifty years. He was soon rescued by Spy, but not before the Administrator had his eyes removed so he could no longer be any threat to her if he did escape.

Sniper: Alive; ironically, he was shot by an amateur sniper while hiding out in the outback. He survived due to their poor aim, but gained amnesia. The Admin has him brought back to her, and he is tricked into believing the mercs are a threat and used against them.

Spy: Alive; he escaped easily, but he is not the same. His son is dead. His family is dead. His love is dead. He has nothing left. He has this dead, hopeless look in his eyes; they tell you that even though Spy still walks and talks, The Spy is truly dead after losing everything he loved.

Reyes: Alive; she is currently hiding in Europe, as I said. At some point in those ten years, she was attacked by an assassin and was left with significant scarring on her left ribs down to her thighs and has a small limp.

Korri (owned by @gurt-the-great  : Alive; is living in New York with her brother. She’s been mentally broken by losing her partner, her friends, and her arm (and therefore, her ability to draw).

The Ammos (owned by @sary-nator-art): All alive; captured by the Administrator because they knew too much about her and her work.

Scrap (owned by @analyticalinsomniac): Alive; she is now working as a assassin-for-hire. 

Heikama (owned by LeFuzzbol): Alive; flees to Japan or possibly Thaiwan, Admin can’t find him due to him getting help from a few organizations. He is trying to recover from the mental trauma of it, plotting revenge, and working alongside a Yakuza family for a job until then.

[vampylovesaliens]

Duality - p18

--regained trust

With the water lapping in his ears and his eyes closed, the lagoon’s steady pulsing with the waterfall and the pleasant bickering of the Youngblood trio nearby, Silas was suddenly brought out of his reverie by a claw tapping on his forehead. He opened his eyes again to see Dre’vik-kha leaning down, her head tilted as she peered down at him with her long tresses hanging around her face, the longest of them near enough to almost brush his face. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine.” He smiled, lifting a hand to gently bat the tip of one long tendril, making Dre’vik-kha click in mild amusement. “...How can something as big and fierce as you move so quietly? I didn’t even feel you approach.”

“We are good at what we do.” She stated plainly, straightening again and sidestepping, only to sit beside him in the shallows. Silas sat up, shaking the water from his hair and pushing it back from his face again. “Thanks for, uh...saving me, heh. I was pretty sure that I was gonna fall and break my head open.”

“It was foolish of you.” She clicked, giving him an almost scolding look--before reaching over and lightly prickling her claws across the top of his head in what he figured was a much gentler version of the tress-tousling she had given her Youngbloods. “But it was bold. I didn’t expect you to push yourself so far.” She leaned back again slightly, bracing on her elbows as she turned her gaze to the waterfall. On the rocks nearby, Rok’aan yelped as Epi’ta-kha pushed him unceremoniously off the perch they’d been sharing. Silas couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched the twins bicker, Kray-ekh’a laughing at their antics as well. “Species doesn’t matter when it comes to sibling antics, I guess.” Dre’vik-kha rumbled her agreement, her mandibles twitching. “I assume your sister was always the more aggressive between you?”

Silas sighed, plucking a pebble from the shallows beneath him and turning the smooth rock in his fingers before he tossed it, the little stone plinking lightly into the water again. “I guess. I mean, I had my rebellious phase, but she’s always been....I guess militant, even before we joined the Corps. But she’s the eldest, and we had a tough time as kids, so I guess she didn’t have much choice.” He shrugged.

Dre’vik-kha tilted her head, and he realized she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to say more. He fidgeted briefly--he hadn’t really planned to tell her his life story, or at least he hadn’t expected she would actually care to hear it. “Er...our dad took off when we were little. I don’t even remember him. And he never called or tried to visit us, so...he just stopped existing. Our mom tried to keep things together, but then she got together with a new guy who was...not great.” He frowned as he recalled, lowering his gaze to the water and dipping his finger in, lifting it out and watching the droplets gather at his fingertip. “Maeve and I were left on our own a lot. Mom was either working or out doing who-knows-what with her new boyfriend, and then she lost her job and we finally lost our house. So we moved back with him all the way across the Atlantic into a shitty little apartment--” He paused, glancing back to the Yautja to make sure she was still listening and not visibly irritated, “--and that’s when everything really got bad.”

“Was he cruel?” Dre’vik-kha clicked curiously, her mandibles flexing. Silas let out a slightly bitter laugh, absentmindedly rubbing at his jaw where an old scar now lay hidden beneath his closely-trimmed beard. “Yeah, you could say that. He didn’t like us at all. I was just a kid--I think I was only four when they got married so she could stay in the States.” He doubted the names of places made much difference to Dre’vik-kha, but he realized that aside from Rodrigo, he had never really had the chance to tell anyone about his life before the Corps. “He thought I was a whiny little brat--maybe I was, but I was so little, you know? Maeve had to take a lot of shit trying to defend me.”

Dre’vik-kha narrowed her eyes briefly, tilting her head. “Your mother allowed it?”

Silas shrugged, shifting awkwardly. “I don’t think she liked it, or anything, but...well, she didn’t try to stop it much, either. He’d be nasty to her too, if she ever argued.” He glanced back to the towering alien, eyeing her quizzically for a moment. “...I don’t suppose the Yautja have issues like that. I can’t really picture anyone bullying you, heh.”

She growled her approval at the statement, her mandibles flaring. “Any male who tried would quickly regret it. There are many of us across many worlds, though; I can only hope it’s as frowned upon everywhere as it is on Prime.” Silas perked at that, his curiosity latching onto the cryptic name. “Prime? Is that your homeworld? What’s it like?”

Dre’vik-kha chuffed humoredly. “Yautja Prime, yes. It is...difficult to describe. It is where the Yautja began, and where our Primarchs rule over all Yautja space.” She shifted slightly, perhaps weighing the pros and cons of sharing this rather more personal information. “...It’s harsher than this world, by far. But more developed, naturally. One of the only places we have built true cities, rather than just making our settlements to suit wherever we live. I don’t think your kind would survive the climate.” She eyed him skeptically, and he chuckled a bit at that. “So..the Primarchs are like your government, then? Do you...keep contact with them often? I haven’t seen much of your tech beyond some of your gear, and your medical facilities.” He grimaced awkwardly, hoping the question wouldn’t overstep too much.

She gave him another searching look before rumbling quietly, nodding. “They check in periodically with clans across the stars. They do not interfere, though, unless there is major concern.” There was a certain weight to her words that unsettled him, and he couldn’t help but think about the compound in the midst of a razed chunk of jungle land, and the Pilgrim station that orbited overhead. “...Have you talked to them about, uh...us being here?”

Dre’vik-kha picked up some pebbles from the shallows, letting them fall through her claws to plink back into the water. “Yes.” She stated plainly. “They are. Don’t fret, they’re not going to have your ships torn from the sky. Not yet at least.” She gave him a look that was difficult to read; he wasn’t sure if it was meant to gauge his response or if it was meant to convey a joking tone--or maybe it was a threat? Just when Silas felt he was starting to understand the nuances of Yautja expression he found himself fumbling again. “Ah.” He finally stated with a brief nod. “...Good to know, I guess. What have they said about us, though?”

“That is not something I feel I can share.” She grunted, pushing herself up and getting to her feet again, shaking herself briefly. Silas balked a bit, his brow furrowing as he craned his head to follow her as she towered over his still-seated position. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” “It isn’t your fault.” She extended a hand in an offer to help him up, which after a moments’ hesitation he reached up to take, letting her powerful grip nearly haul him up without any effort on his part. “I believe you when you present yourself as trustworthy, Silas. But I do not trust your kin, and I would not want to see you harmed at their hands in their pursuit of information about us.”

Before Silas could comment on that she’d released him again, clattering at her Youngbloods to signal them to get up and retrieve their gear after her. Part of him wanted to dismiss the notion outright--he had nothing to fear from his people. Maeve did not agree with him, but she would never cause harm over their disagreement. As much as he distrusted Lao, he didn’t think there was malice behind his odd behavior. A small, defensive corner of his brain wanted to turn his skepticism onto Dre’vik-kha now; was she just trying to stir discord in him, to derail any investigation that could bridge the gap between their peoples? No, that didn’t sit right. She wasn’t conniving like that. He shook his head, sighing flatly as he got up and followed the Yautja back to where he’d left his clothes. His legs shook slightly beneath him--the strain of the climb wouldn’t be quickly recovered from. But he didn’t dare complain as he shook out the water and grabbed his things, falling into step behind the Yautja as they headed back up from their little lagoon hideaway. As they returned to the forest he cast his gaze up through the treetops overhead. They did not have aerial patrols yet, but it was only a matter of time before they had operational shuttles for more than just supply and personnel runs. And then the lack of scanning clarity wouldn’t matter; the humans would find the pyramid easily, and the village around it. But he knew pushing the matter too much would only derail his efforts to build trust now; Dre’vik-kha was intelligent enough to know what was on the line anyway. Surely she knew that day was coming, when there wouldn’t be any more use in hiding or laying low. He took a deep breath, silencing the impatient thoughts that nagged at him. He was too exhausted to dwell on it now anyway; a good nights’ sleep would be enough to refuel him for the subject tomorrow.

By the time they had returned to the village the daylight was fading, the jungle full of noise from nocturnal creatures that made Silas anxious, dragging his leaden legs in his determination to keep up with the Yautja. Dre’vik-kha retreated to her bed with only a brief dismissal, doubtlessly tired and consumed with her own thoughts, and as much as Silas wished they could’ve spoken more he didn’t want to wear out his welcome. Rok’aan tousled his hair as he dragged himself to the pile of bedding waiting for him, a friendly gesture--and one that he felt indicated he had earned respect from the young warrior. And while perhaps the Youngbloods were not as discerning as their Matriarch, it still stirred a flutter of excitement in his belly to think that perhaps he was worthy of their approval. For perhaps it meant that at least someday he would be worthy of hers, as well.

[theciaisdumbbutdangerous]

Why I think the CIA is behind cow mutilations

Okay. So.

Hear me the fuck out here. 

So Quinton Reviews did a video a few years back about how the US government falsified documents and information to trick UFO conspiracy theorists into spreading misinformation on government programs to hide the actual shit they were doing. 

Basically, this dude who lived near an army base started seeing lights in the sky and started receiving weird cryptic messages on his radio and so he started taking photos and recording the radio broadcasts and then he took them to some military fuckers and they were shocked because the stuff the dude recorded was like secret military shit like planes that flew higher than radar could detect and shit and they were scared because that’s top secret shit but then the dude said “Hey, these are fucking aliens” and then the military bastards were like “Yep”. So they got this one neck-bearded sci-fi writer dude who worked for the Air Force to start creating false documents to give to the UFO conspiracy theorist fucker so he can write a book about it and it’ll be easier for the government to do shit because it’ll be blamed on aliens. 

Basically, they gaslit a dude to hide secret weaponry and air craft testing. 

ANYWAYS

So that story got me thinking about things that are blamed on aliens that could be chalked up to the US government doing military shit because the US is a fucking dystopian nightmare. 

And then a video by EXPLORE WITH US popped up in my subscription feed about some recent cow mutilations in Oregon. 

And so my fucking brain juices went a squirting and something like clicked in me. 

What if, and hear me the fuck out, the cattle mutilations that have been taking place for the past few decades are the result of the CIA testing out ways and means of creating artificial famines or economic disparities on countries that heavily rely on livestock through either farming or consumption. 

A prime example is a country like Cuba (who have been historically terrorized by the US). They rely heavily on livestock in both farming (since they don’t have much oil to power tractors, they use cows and horses to pull plows) and they eat and drink A LOT of dairy products. 

The top three countries with the most livestock in the world are India, Brazil and China. All three are definitely being closely monitored by the US government (well so are all countries but you catch my drift) so it wouldn’t be surprising that the US are using their almost one trillion dollar military budget to do decades long experiments into proper ways to cripple other country’s food resources and economies secretly. 

But there’s one more thing.

THE CIA HAS OPENLY ADMITTED TO DOING SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR BEFORE.

During the Cold War in the Phillipines when Communist rebels started gaining more traction, the CIA FAKED A VAMPIRE ATTACK by killing a Hukbalahap rebel, DRAINED HIS BLOOD and threw his body onto a pathway near a rebel base to basically scare away other rebels from that base. 

So if they’re willing to, ya know, drain the blood from human beings it isn’t too much of a stretch that they’d try the same things on innocent animals. 

I’m not the first person to throw this idea out there but like. It’s so fucking obvious it’s insane. 

[the-river-person]

Okay, now my interest is piqued. What does the emperor do in his daily lives and how is he perceived by those around him? (Both in his close inner circle and the general populace)

Well let's see. In the original game, Grillby is quiet and stoic. He rarely speaks and the character "Red Bird" generally translates for them, though it's revealed at the end of the Pacifist route that they're making up what Grillby actually says. And we learn that Grillby can actually talk, he just doesn't want to. I suspect that while Red Bird does make some of it up, they're probably fairly on the mark or not saying anything that Grillby himself wouldn't be fine with people thinking he said. Because he is literally standing right there and doesn't seem at all inclined to tell Red Bird to stop. But as Emperor? I suspect the Burning Emperor (as I'm now calling him) doesn't do public appearances much at all. He's revered by most people as a Hero from a war that not even their grandparent's grandparents were old enough to remember. A silent powerful protective figure who guards the Claustra Alliance. He's probably depicted in his full imperial armor for all official portraits. And whenever its necessary to address the public with an official imperial decree or announcement, he has a Master of Ceremonies or some other public officials to do it. I don't think he'd address the public for anything less than a full emergency. Though I'm willing to bet he does make various public appearances, just without speaking. He could show up at the theater or opera type thing. Maybe for grand openings of particularly important events or buildings. But lets his officials talk for him. (I sort of imagined a Mettaton who is just as energetic and in the spotlight as the original, but much more formal and regal, as the Imperial Master of Ceremonies.) Funnily enough, that would make a lot of general ire from the public about problems in their society that stem from or were supposed to be dealt with by the government, all fall on to the officials who speak for the emperor, rather than being directly on Grillby himself. Its really hard to hate someone you hardly know anything about, who only is ever mentioned as the wise and protective emperor, a hero, a savior. Functionally they know that imperial decrees come from him, but just because people know information, doesn't mean they've really spent time considering it or realized its implications. A lot of government would be left to the Ministers of the Cities. People like Minister Sans who oversees finances and trade for his city. But he's still a tyrant, even if he's quiet. You've got to watch the ones who seem nice, who seem reasonable, who seem like they've got your best interests at heart. They can be dangerous because they're not loud and making an obvious show of being terrible. Despite leaving the day to day running of things to Ministers, the empire would have a tight grip on the Cities, using the threat of the "Corruption" to not only keep its people inside the cities, but also to impose ever more strictures under the guise of safety measures. The Empire can impose taxes and tariffs on all kinds of things, quietly adding them on one at a time over a long period of time until one day people wake up and wonder why they're slowly being driven into poverty while the rich don't seem affected at all. I suspect the Imperial Court, wherever its located, has somewhat of a different view of him. Of course they don't all know everything he has planned or is doing. But they'll have seen what happens to anyone who crosses him or dares to oppose him. Nobles relegated to outposts or lavish mansions far from the center of imperial power in the worst areas. Made to oversee dead end projects, or set to finish impossible tasks and then punished for not achieving those. And if you go too far, you can be executed for treason. The Emperor wouldn't even have to say a word, just a gesture would do. So the court both adores and worships him as the Hero just like everyone else, but they also fear him because they live with the reality of the power an emperor can hold. His direct cabinet of officials will probably know him better. Be in on his plans, or perhaps have come up with many of those plans

themselves.

Well what I had in mind was either that the Corruption was created intentionally. Perhaps Grillby was one of the people involved in its creation. Or maybe he didn't find out about it until long after he took power. But my thoughts were that the Corruption was originally made to stop the war, to frighten humanity so much that they'd rather side with Monsters to survive rather than imprison them and then perish from this terrible thing. And then later it could possibly be used for a means of control, or to retain power. It could be an actually sickness that spreads and was created in a test tube, or it could be the result of a kind of weapon that must be continually used on the land when nobody is around to see the cause. Then official pictures are shown of the areas overtaken by the Corruption, blackened plants and greying soil. So the corruption is real, but what exactly it is and how it works is a lot harder to figure out. Certainly it doesn't spread the way the imperial government claims it does, since the Warrens don't have any of the stifling strictures that the Cities do and they're not overrun. Also scavengers clearly wander the wastes and badlands looking for stuff they can repair and sell, like old technology. I suspect that the device Frisk accidentally stole from Aaron is some kind of severely outdated communication device. I was thinking a Portable Ham Radio, or a NOAA Emergency Radio. Something that hasn't been used in centuries. By Frisk's description of the screen and the buttons, I'm going to guess that this type of technology isn't available to the general public. As to who or why people are disappearing, I'm not certain. It could be the fault of the Imperial Government or someone in it. Or it could be an entirely different group that's doing it, taking advantage of a bad situation to hide their activities and plans. Whatever it is... its not good. And finally, yes. Mistral is being purposefully cryptic. I mean, Sans is already that way to start off. But the first person Mistral met out in the Multiverse was Ink, who probably impressed on him and Majiscule the need to not interfere with the course of events in each Universe, to not mess with their Order. He can interact a little, but he's trying very hard to let Frisk and Azzy figure things out themselves based on information they already had and just hadn't put together. As far as this world is concerned, he doesn't exist.

[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 101 - A Will of Her Own

The alarm sounded off throughout the vast fortress.

While the blinking red lights continued to flash ominously in the chaos filled halls.

Just as two gloved hands pushed open a pair of doors that slid open with a metallic groan.

And then Naoki stepped foot into the chamber with her machinelike brown eyes now gazing back at the far side of the hall.

Only for her lips to pull into an even larger smirk over what she saw.

Standing on the other side of the chamber was none other than Reynolds.

The large man stared back with utterly ruthless blue eyes while the young supersoldier just smirked goadingly back at him.

The two stared at one another for a passing moment while the crimson light flickered above them.

Their faces were accentuated with a red hue that only served to amplify the look of uncontrolled rage on the colonel's face.

The man clenched his jaw while the prodigy released an entertained laugh before he roared at the top of his vocal cords.

And then the fearsome commander opened fire on the smiling supersoldier while his yells echoed throughout the nearby halls.

Mai and Ty Lee sat in the chamber as they reeled for air with their eyes still wide in uncharacteristic fright.

They had held their breath for as long as they could while toxic gas began to blow into the room from the overhead vents.

In reality it had only been about a minute.

But it had felt like an eternity.

And they had been certain that they were going to die.

Only to find themselves gazing up in bewilderment when the gas abruptly shut off.

And the vents immediately began to cleanse the air of the poisonous gas.

"We're…we're alive." Ty Lee stated in a rasping voice with her brown-gray eyes almost tearing up in relief while Mai panted across from her.

"Someone…stopped the execution." Mai coughed in a relieved voice while she gazed around with still startled tawny eyes.

Not even a minute after the woman had stepped away from Azula's cell door.

The princess's golden eyes spun towards the door when she heard the door being unlocked from the other side.

And then Azula's lips curled into a gratified smirk when she found herself gazing back at the woman from before.

While she watched the aide wordlessly stride across the distance of her cell to release her from her bonds with a small briefcase in hand.

"As I said…" Azula trailed off in a smooth voice while her merciless golden eyes tried to hide any indication that she had any doubt that the woman would return.

"Don't get too overconfident. I have yet to set you free." Cynthia stated flatly as she approached the princess while the woman glared at her through the corner of her eye.

She couldn't deny that the woman had an imposing presence.

Even when she was bound in chains and unable to move the strange princess possessed an ominous aura of intimidation.

"What of my subordinates?" The princess questioned in a callous voice as she took pleasure in how her frigid gaze made the woman sweat.

"They are alive. I shut off the lethal gas before I came to speak with you." The aide assured in a hurried voice while the princess's eyes stare lessened in harshness marginally.

And for the briefest of moments there was a flash of something akin to relief in the conqueror's ruthless eyes.

"It takes about fifteen minutes to render fatality. And I would say that your friends were likely only exposed for around a minute and a half. So, they will probably be fine…probably." Cynthia commented in a less than convincing voice while Azula's cold eyes glared at her once more as she fumbled to unlock the face cage.

"I should hope so. Anything that happens to them. I will repay to you and your people tenfold." Azula announced in an unfathomably ruthless voice with her steely golden eyes now gazing right back into the aide's fearfully nodding face.

Just as the sound of a distinct click penetrated her ears as the cage was unlocked.

And then she stared on with a more pleased look in her cold golden gaze while she watched in satisfaction when the woman pulled the structure free from her head.

Only for the sound of a sudden shout resonating into the air to cause the aide to freeze up and the princess to snap her eyes in the direction of the door.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Ethan demanded with his pistol pointing in the direction of the now paling Cynthia while Azula seethed in her restraints.

"I'm making a calculated call." The aide answered in a guarded voice as she knelt with her back turned to the soldier while he kept his gun trained on the back of her head.

While the princess scrutinized the two with her cold golden eyes sweeping back and forth between the crouched woman and the approaching soldier.

carefully with her cold golden eyes sweeping back and forth between the crouched woman and the approaching soldier.

"A calculated call? You know how crucial these experiments are! Our entire country, maybe even the entire planet depends upon it! Not to mention the importance of the resources that this new land has to offer us!" The soldier shouted with desperation lacing his voice while he held the barrel of his gun against the woman's head.

While Azula furrowed her elegant brows as she listened intently as she recalled the cryptic words that Elle had told her on their ride to the fortress.

 Nothing was ever the same again after that. We ruined much of the world beyond repair.

'What hasn't Elle told me?' The princess thought with her callous golden eyes flickering with a desire to learn more about her handmaid's world.

It hadn't escaped her notice that the girl had a tendency to give explanations to her questions that only left her with more questions than answers.

There was clearly more to it than what the girl was telling her.

"Yes, I know. That is what they tell us." Cynthia responded in a doubtful voice only to find herself crying out in pain when she was kicked to the floor of the cell.

And then the aide hit the floor while the princess sat in her bonds with her eyes coldly regarding the furious soldier.

While she began to take careful intakes of air into her lungs with her crimson lips pursed into a merciless scowl.

"Then you know that humanity can be as it once was! And if that means killing a few freaks along the way to get there…then so be it!" Ethan bellowed as he now pointed his gun in Azula's emotionless face while the bound woman took in a great inhale of air.

Before her cheeks discreetly puffed up with all the fire that she could muster.

And then before the man could react.

She spat a mouthful of orange flames right in the soldier's unsuspecting face.

And not a moment later Azula watched with vengeful delight in her cruel golden eyes when the man recoiled screaming onto the floor.

All the while her cruel lips curved into a pleased smile.

While it wasn't her usual flawless blue flame. It was a flame all the same.

'As I suspected. Their method of chi blocking isn't full proof. Given enough time…a bender can regain control of their chi. And for a prodigy such as myself…that is all too easy.' Azula thought with her ruthless eyes gazing down in satisfaction at the writhing man as he frantically tried to put out the fire on his face.

Just as the gun clattered to the floor while she watched through the corner of her eye as Cynthia dove to retrieve it.

"Y-you bitch! You blinded me!" The soldier screamed with his burned eyes squeezed shut while he rolled across the floor.

While the princess smirked down at him with a noticeably sadistic gleam in her gaze.

Before the sound of a single smoking gunshot erupted thunderously into the air of the cell.

And then just like that Ethan slumped over against the wall with a bleeding hole in his temple while Cynthia now stood panting for air above him.

All the while as Azula's golden eyes were once again agape in fascination over the power of the nonbending weapon.

It was like she saw in her handmaid's recollection of memories.

All one had to do was point and their target was dead.

It was nothing short of astonishing!

'I have to acquire this technology!' The princess thought with her golden eyes still staring down at the man in amazement.

Before she turned her cold eyes to the yet to be named woman as she rushed back over to her side.

"We…we have to hurry! I have to give you the reverse serum before anyone comes to investigate or we're both dead." The aide stated in a hurried voice while the princess stared back at her with curious yet pleased golden eyes.

"Reverse serum?" Azula asked in a dignified voice while her cold golden eyes watched the woman quickly open her case.

While she quirked her brows once more when she found herself staring down at a collection of syringes injections that were prefilled with a mysterious substance.

"I can see that you are already slowly regaining use of your…abilities. But as it stands now. It will still be around an hour before you fully regain the ability to move." Cynthia informed in a casual voice while Azula golden eyes now boiled over in murderous fury.

"An hour!" The princess hissed with her teeth bared like a wrathful dragon while she stared intimidatingly down at the sweating woman.

"T-that is if I don't give you the antidote. It was developed specifically for power users working for the government. It will restore your mobility and your ability to use your powers. But you will still be sluggish for some time." The aide explained in a helpful voice while the princess listened with her icy eyes still gleaming in displeasure over her words

"And how do I know that it isn't poison?" Azula inquired with an unmistakable violent edge to her voice while the woman prepared to inject her arm.

"You don't. You just have to trust me. Just like I have to trust you." Cynthia remarked as she gazed back into Azula's glaring golden eyes while the imposing woman still scowled down at the syringe.

Before she leaned forward to roll up the princess's robed sleeve while the woman still eyed her coldly.

And then she injected the syringe into the royal woman's skin while the monarch still glowered in silence.

'Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way.' The princess thought with her calculating golden eyes watching as the fluid was injected into her arm.

All the while as her lips still remained pursed into a moody scowl.

And yet right now…she knew that she had no other choice.

And then not even thirty seconds later.

The sound of the restraints being unlocked resounded into the air of the cell.

Before the bonds were discarded to the floor below as they clanged loudly upon the metal flooring.

While the statuesque princess now stood up on her unstable feet as she clenched her fists at her hips.

The serum had truly restored her ability to move!

And while it displeased her that her movements were somewhat impaired.

It was much more preferable to being immobile.

Before she turned her cold eyes to gaze down at the aide standing up before her while the woman momentarily regarded her in uncertainty.

Before Cynthia finally broke the silence.

"If you're actually expecting me to bow. I hate to disappoint but the people in my culture haven't had a monarch in centuries. And we don't bow." The aide commented in a professional voice as she gazed back into the taller woman's icy eyes while the princess still eyed her coldly.

And yet there was a spark of grudging curiosity in Azula's eyes to learn that the woman's country hasn't had a monarch in centuries.

Just as her golden eyes glanced down when she saw the unnamed woman hold out her hand.

"So, you'll have to settle for a dignitary handshake." Cynthia stated with her hand held out before Azula while the princess stared down at her hand.

Only to find herself gazing on with no surprise in her blue eyes when the imposing woman let out an arrogant scoff.

"Whatever. Let's just go free my subordinates." Azula spoke in a glacial voice as she stomped past the woman while Cynthia nodded her head.

While her golden eyes shimmered with still present anger when she found herself almost losing her balance.

Only to quickly catch herself before she fell with her lips still smashed into a seething scowl.

Before she carefully made her way out while she tried her hardest to avoid showing any signs of weakness.

"Oh, and If you make any sudden moves…. I will immolate you." The princess called out in a terrifying voice with her cold eyes glaring over her shoulder at the aide's frightfully nodding face.

Just before the two exited her cell while she sternly watched the woman quickly lead the way.

One minute later.

Zoe stared down at the floor in surprise as her bonds fell to the ground with a clang.

While she stood up on wobbly legs with her fist grasping at the wall as she stared back at her princess's stony face.

Before she turned her bewildered eyes to the woman standing beside her while the aide silently met her gaze.

"I would ask how you managed to set us free. But at the moment all I care about is paying these bastards back in kind." The captain stated in a stoic voice with her hazel eyes hardening into a focused stare while her princess's golden eyes seethed in agreement.

"Come on. We have no time to waste." The aide remarked as she rushed out with the base in hand while the two firebenders exchanged a look with one another.

"I take it that she is an ally then?" Zoe questioned as she gazed back at her ruler's cold face while Azula let out a snide snort.

"Nothing more than a momentary pawn." Azula replied in a callous voice while her warrior nodded in understanding.

And then the two firebenders quickly followed after the other woman.

All the while as they found themselves struggling to maintain their balance on their encumbered legs.

Ty Lee and Mai glanced up with still present panic in their eyes when the chamber door was opened up at long last.

Only to find that they were gazing back at Azula's cold as ever face.

And the acrobat found herself unable to fight the tears in her eyes while she smiled in relief back at her friend's scowling face.

And the markswoman breathed a huge sigh of relief while she still sat trying to regain her air flow.

In all of her life she can't think of a time when she was more relieved to see Azula's face of all people.

And behind the princess stood her loyal captain while the noblewomen gazed back at them with slightly more concern in her eyes than usual.

And to their confusion.

A woman in what seemed to be professional attire stood behind their two companions.

"A-Azula! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" The acrobat cried out while the princess allowed her cold stare to thaw ever so slightly.

"It is good to see you too Ty Lee." The princess spoke in a regal voice as she swiftly strode forward with her golden eyes never leaving the aide as she moved past her.

"Yeah. Dying in the gas chamber is not the way I want to go." The markswoman breathed in an exhausted voice while she watched the unfamiliar woman approach them.

"Kind of like being thrown in a mine pit. It's not very fun is it?" The captain quipped in a taunting voice while her fellow noblewoman visibly flinched over the reminder.

"Ugh! Do not start that right now!" Azula snapped with aggravation in her golden eyes while the two fell silent under her disciplinary stare.

Before the four Fire Nation women turned their gazes to Cynthia now dropping down before Mai and Ty Lee.

While the two restrained noblewomen shared a brief uncertain look that soon faded when the woman hurriedly released the acrobat from her bonds.

And soon after the puzzled markswoman.

And then the two women stared on in bewilderment when the woman opened a case full of injections of an unknown medicine.

"Stay still. This injection will reverse the paralyzing effects that your bodies are under." Cynthia announced as she held up the needle before Ty Lee while the noblewoman shakily nodded her head.

While Mai observed from beside her with guarded tawny eyes.

All the while as Azula and Zoe stood by the door with their wary eyes keeping a close watch out for any enemy soldiers that might come to investigate.

And then a moment later the two noblewomen were soon uneasily pulling themselves to their feet.

While they gazed around in surprise to find that the injection had indeed somewhat restored their ability to move.

Just before the five females heard the sound of a large gun being fired off in the distance while they gazed around in alarm.

"That girl is keeping them distracted. But it won't keep them away forever." The aide muttered as she strode out into the hall while Team Azula closely followed after her.

And then the four highborn women rushed with great urgency to retrieve their young friend.

And not too long after that…

Elle stirred with her amber eyes now opening up before the memories of what had just happened came back to her.

And then she sprung up with her hair sticking to her face while her mouth was agape in a panic.

"Ty Lee! Mai!" The handmaid cried out in a distraught voice only to find herself being gently shaken by the shoulders.

Before she was abruptly snapped out of her panic-stricken reverie to find herself shocked to be gazing back into the acrobat's warm brown-gray eyes.

"We're right here Elle." Ty Lee spoke in a tender voice while she offered the fretful girl a reassuring smile.

And then Elle glanced over the noblewoman's shoulder to find Mai standing over them while the markswoman cracked a small smile down at her.

Before her eyes swept about to find her princess standing at the back alongside the stoic captain.

And most puzzling was a woman that she did not recognize standing at the back of the group.

"O-oneesans. You're…you're alive." Elle stammered in a voice of overpowering sentiment before she flew into the acrobat's arms.

And then she passionately embraced the noblewoman around the neck while Ty Lee gently patted her back.

While Azula's golden eyes glared on in jealously at the scene.

"We're alive shorty. Don't worry about us." Mai stated with a momentary break from her monotone voice while she smiled back at the teenager.

While Elle emotionally nodded her head.

Only for all but Azula to gaze on comically when Ty Lee smashed the younger girl's face into her breasts.

"Mai is right little sister. We're all going to be fine. We're getting our of here and we're going back home." The acrobat remarked in a loving voice as she cradled the back of her adopted sister's head while the smaller girl clutched onto her neckline.

"I…I am so happy that everyone is okay." The handmaid gushed in a cheerful voice once more while she smiled with her face pushed into the acrobat's soft chest.

"Ty Lee." The princess snapped in a tyrannical voice while her possessive eyes stared daggers back at the smiling acrobat.

"So am I little sister. So, am I." Ty Lee answered in a soft voice as she helped pull Elle to her feet while the petite girl smiled up at her.

"The time for hugs is over. Now is the time for war." Azula spoke in a tone frigid voice devoid of mercy while her comrade's expressions grew colder as they firmly nodded their heads.

"My thoughts exactly." Zoe agreed with her fist clenched before her face while she still stood on her unusually shaky booted feet.

"You'll want to be careful. Your reflexes will be dulled for a while longer now. And that is all it takes to get a bullet in the head." Cynthia advised as she strode forward with her pistol in hand while the Fire Nation women scowled but listened all the same.

"Did…. did you set my friends free?" Elle asked in a gentle voice from where she stood beside the acrobat while the woman nodded slightly.

"I did." The aide replied while she gazed back into the girl's emotional amber eyes.

"Arigatou gozaimasu…for helping us." The handmaid stated in a grateful voice while the aide numbly nodded once more.

"Yes, thank you." The acrobat spoke in an appreciative voice while the princess rolled her eyes behind her.

"Please. It's not as if she did it out of the goodness of her heart. The only reason she let us out is because she wants to save her own skin." The princess declared in cold voice while her companions gazed at the woman in understanding.

"You aren't wrong. And I am not going to lie and tell you otherwise." The aide admitted as she gazed back at the group while the highborn women eyed her closely.

"It doesn't really matter." The markswoman said in a deadpan voice as she gazed back at the other woman's clearly worried face.

"Well, whatever your reasons. It's all the same in the end. Now let's go get our weapons back." The captain announced in a ruthless voice with her hazel eyes glaring at the doors while her comrades clenched their fists in concurrence.

"Indeed. I couldn't think of a better place to start. I just have one question for you before we begin." Azula remarked in a sophisticated voice with her imposing eyes staring back at Cynthia's weary face.

"And that would be?" Cynthia answered in as calm a tone as she could muster while Azula stare grew monstrous.

Before she gazed on in confusion when the princess pointed her flawlessly manicured fingertip back at Elle's innocent face.

"This one here. Did you have any part in conspiring to render her an experiment?" The princess questioned in a violent voice with her predatory eyes never leaving the woman's fearful face.

While Elle bit her lip as she stood in silent between her highborn friends.

All the while as all four of the older girls now directed warning stares back at the other woman's nervous face.

The implication from the stares of the Fire Nation women was quite clear.

And that was that the woman wouldn't be leaving the fortress alive if she indeed had any part in the teenager's torments.

"Formerly I worked as an aide for a high-level politician…it wasn't until a few months ago that I received a promotion. And that I learned of this place. Did I know about it these last few months? Yes. Did I have any decision-making power? No." The aide responded in a factual voice while the princess's eyes expertly studied her face.

While the four highborn women shared a look with each other.

"Do you know who runs this organization?" The princess asked in a smooth voice while her strict eyes remained on the other woman's face.

"No. I do not. The chain is long. And the names of those on the top are unknown to those at the bottom. The highest ranked individuals that I know of are Colonel Reynolds and Senator Greely." Cynthia explained in a serious voice while she reloaded her gun.

All the while as the team took careful note of the senator's name.

"Where is this Senator Greely?" Azula pressed in a searching voice while her eyes watched the woman intently.

"Well then, this…Senator Greely. Would he happen to be the one that I heard Reynolds state that he had just arrived?" Azula pressed in a searching voice while her eyes watched the woman intently.

While the three noblewomen now recalled what they had heard the commander say earlier.

"That would be him. When I last left him, he was in the control room." The aide stated without delay while the team gazed on in surprise.

"Really? Is he now? How convenient." The princess purred with a cold smile forming upon her crimson lips while her subordinates stared on in agreement.

"If you want, I can point you along the way." Cynthia offered in a helpful fashion while a malicious smirk came upon the princess's lips.

"That sounds wonderful." Azula spoke in an authoritative voice as she stepped forward with her fists on her hips.

"Naoki said that Katsu was captured by the government…do you know where she is? Is she here too?" Elle pondered in a soft-spoken voice as she chewed on her lip while her friends turned to gaze curiously back at her.

"You'll have to be more descriptive than that. The government doesn't list any names in their archive. Only numbers." The aide responded in a grave voice while the teenager's amber eyes flashed with renewed sorrow.

And the acrobat and the markswoman found themselves unable to resist gazing on in disgust.

Although once more, given the gravity of the actions of their own nation they knew that they had little right to judge.

While the princess and the captain gazed on with more reserved looks in their eyes.

"She's the one who creates explosions with green light. Naoki says that she is the second strongest…after her of course." The handmaid informed in a concerned voice while the highborn women listened with great interest in their eyes.

While Cynthia's blue eyes now flickered with undeniable recognition.

And if Team Azula didn't know any better, there was also a look of fear that came over the woman's eyes.

"You mean the explosions maniac. No, to my knowledge she isn't being held here. And I can't really tell you where they might be holding her." Cynthia answered in a detached voice while Elle's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

While the four Fire Nation women gazed on in bewilderment over the girl being referred to as an 'explosions maniac'.

"O-oh…okay." Elle mumbled in a bothered voice as she hung her head.

While Azula let out an aggravated groan when she already sensed Ty Lee's eyes on the back of her head.

"It's okay Elle. I am sure that Azula would be more than willing to help you find Katsu." Ty Lee remarked as she patted the smaller girl's shoulder while Azula now glared at her through the corner of her callous eye.

"In any case. It is best if you focus on getting yourself out alive before you worry about anyone else. That is what I will be doing. And if you want to go home with your friends you will too." The aide advised in a truthful voice as she turned away from the group while she began to make her way out the doors that they came in.

"I-I'll try to do that." The handmaid muttered in an unconvincing voice while her princess sighed over her.

"Just stick close to me Elle. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt. We don't need your weakness dragging us down." The princess sighed in a seemingly cruel voice as she swept a fingernail through her dark hair while her possessive eyes lingered on her timidly nodding pet.

All the while as the three noblewomen were unconvinced by their leader's most recent lie.

"Yes princess." Elle replied in an unquestionably faithful voice with a smile returning to her bashful lips while Azula gazed down at her in approval.

And with that the team began to stride out the doors while they headed after their mysterious benefactor.

"Azula. How did you manage to convince that woman to set us free?" Mai questioned with slight curiosity lining her voice while the others gazed at the princess with inquisitive expressions in their eyes.

While a conceited look overcame Azula's golden eyes as she gazed after Cynthia's hurriedly striding back.

"The same thing I always do Mai. I conquered." Azula boasted in a smug voice with a proud smirking forming upon her lips while her childhood friends slowly nodded in understanding.

And a small smile of admiration had come over the captain's lips.

While she took great delight in the look of innocent worship that had come over her young girlfriend's pretty face.

All while as she strode with returning confidence in her slowed steps as she savored the way her serving girl now gazed up at her with such adorably lovesick amber eyes.

"O-oh my queen is so authoritative." The handmaid gushed with a dainty hand on her cheek while the tall princess swelled in pride over her.

While the noblewomen just shook their heads fondly as they followed after the two.

Only for the group to be quickly torn from their thoughts not a moment later when they heard another round of rapid gunfire in the far distance of the vast fortress.

While the Fire Nation women gazed ahead with alert looks in their eyes as they hurried out through another set of doors after their new ally.

The sound of roaring machine gun fire split into the air while a storm of bullets sprayed the walls of the fortress.

While Reynolds’s obsessed blue eyes glared through the now bullet riddled double doors in search of his agile target.

Only for the veins in his forehead to bulge out in his fury when the redhead's amused laughter flowed into his ears once more.

"You'll have to do better than that Reynolds." Naoki taunted with a smirk on her lips while she listened to the colonel howl in fury at the top of his lungs in response.

Before she nimbly leaped out of the way when a grenade was hurled through the jammed doors.

Just as it rolled along the floor for a few brief seconds while its detonation consumed the air while a flurry of shrapnel exploded into the red lit hallway.

While the large man furiously stormed into the corridor with his machine gun fire now penetrating through the dense cloud of smoke.

All the while as many lights shattered overhead with broken glass raining down from above.

Only for Reynolds to find himself spinning around with his eyes widening in indescribable rage when he heard the girl laugh all around him.

"Do you really think that you can hit me with that bulky machine?" The assassin questioned in a sanguine voice from where she stood in the smoke while the colonel gritted his teeth in outrage.

And then with expert quickness the commander slung the machine gun back over his shoulder while he withdrew his military rifle.

"Shut your mouth! You are nothing more than an experiment!" The colonel roared as advanced into the smoke while he futile fired in the direction of the supersoldier.

And then before he could even react a scarlet blur kicked the rifle out of his hands while he recoiled several steps back in disbelief.

While the sound of the rifle clanging upon the steel floor resonated into the tense air.

All the while as he could only stand there in impotence when he heard light footsteps touch the ground behind him.

"You have it backwards Reynolds. I am the one who is superior to you." Naoki stated with an ever-present smile on her lips while Reynolds reeled around to lunge at her through the smoke.

"I'll kill you brat!" Reynolds bellowed as he slammed the girl into the wall while Naoki hung from his grip.

Just as his eyes grew wider when he gazed back into the girl's emotionless eyes while she laughed eerily once more.

"I…am Naoki. That's who I am." The assassin announced with her bangs hanging over her face while the man's furious gloved fist swung at her face.

Only for the frustrated commander's fist to plunge straight through a pipe in the wall instead of connecting with his target.

Just as hot steam from the broken pipe exploded into his face while his screams soon resounded into the air.

And just like that.

Reynolds was finally coming to realize his own powerlessness.

For all of his powerful physique, grueling training and ruthlessness.

He didn't stand a chance against this girl!

'This can't be! I can't lose to her!' The colonel thought with his skin burning from the steam as he took his pistol out of his holster.

While he squinted his eyes as he desperately tried to locate his opponent in the overflowing white mist.

Before he began to madly fire several shots into the mist while his roars echoed bounded off the metal walls.

While a red blur sprinted at him with speed that his blinded eyes were unable to follow.

And the next thing Reynolds knew a searing pain consumed his entire being.

And then he fell down to his knees with his left hand frantically clutching at the bloody stump on his right arm.

While he stared down in horror to find himself gazing right back at his now severed hand.

All the while as Naoki stood above him with a chilling smile adorning her lips.

Before she turned around to walk away with her back turned to the helpless man while his shouts of impotence served as music to her ears.

Elsewhere in the fortress.

The Fire Nation women watched in interest as Cynthia smashed an overhead camera to pieces.

"T-that's surveillance technology. She's breaking them so they can't remotely see where we are." Elle remarked in a timid voice while the older girls listened with fascinated looks in their eyes.

And once more they saw the stark difference between their two worlds.

One a world of bending and the supernatural while such technology had yet to be invented.

And the other, a world of cold hard science that was only just discovering the power of bending.

"Surveillance technology…I bet you would love to get your hands on that wouldn't you princess." Zoe commented in an impressed voice while Azula glared a hole through her forehead.

"Shut up Zoe." Azula snorted in a pompous voice with her cold eyes staring at the broken pieces of the camera as it fell to the floor.

Only for her merciless eyes to narrow with a desire for vengeance when she heard approaching voices in the distance.

While the group rushed forward with their young friend hurrying alongside them as they took cover behind a wall.

"It looks like David and the others found out about your escape." The aide muttered as she hid with her back against the wall.

While the eyes of all but Elle burned with a deep yearning to repay the man for how he treated them.

"Good. Let him." Mai snarled under her breath with her dark hair in her angry tawny eyes while she crouched at the end of a corridor.

Soldiers poured down the halls with David running at the front while he cursed in frustration.

"The prisoners! They got out!" A soldier called out while the lieutenant glared down the hall in his anger.

'How the fuck did they get out? There's no way that they got out on their own!' The lieutenant thought as he clutched a rifle to his chest while he stared out from underneath his helmet.

"I can't reach the commander and the others! I think they've been overwhelmed by Number Three!" Another soldier exclaimed with a panicked look in his eyes while David digested the news with a look of rage in his eyes.

'Just what I needed! Now I have to clean up this mess!' David thought with his eyes narrowing in fury while he sprinted down the hall.

Before he quickly waved several of his soldiers forward while they rushed ahead of him down the long length of the hall.

All the while as Team Azula and Cynthia watched from over the edge of the corner as the soldiers began to advance on them.

While the two firebenders seethed with their eyes narrowing into slits as they spied on the approaching soldiers.

"Watch it. They have machine guns. One wrong move…and you'll have dozens of holes in your body." Cynthia whispered with the back of her head touching the wall while Elle's fearful face peered up at her taken aback highborn friends.

Mai and Ty Lee shared a weary look as they knelt low with their backs upon the wall.

Just as they heard the sound of the footsteps growing closer and closer.

And then just before the three men rounded the corner.

Just before the princess and the captain skillfully released their pent-up energy that they had been gathering in their fists.

And explosion of orange fire detonated in their unsuspecting faces.

The soldiers screamed out in pain as they tried to back away as fast as they could muster with flames now burning from their armored clothing.

"They have their energy back-" A male soldier yelled at the top of his lungs only to find his facial armor exploding under the force of another blast of fire.

And then three soldiers' screams resounded into the hallway as they were consumed in the explosion of flames.

While Ty Lee protectively held her hand over Elle's face as the small girl quivered under her arm beside her.

All the while as Azula watched the soldiers burn alive with her tyrannical eyes forming an utterly malicious stare.

Before she threw another fire ball down the hallway while the other soldiers shouted in distress as they quickly ran for cover.

Just before the team fell back against the wall when gunfire erupted down the now blazing hall.

"Kill them goddammit!" The lieutenant shouted as he fired through the scope of his rifle while his soldiers followed his lead.

Just as the faint image of a brown head came up through his cross hairs while he readied his finger on the trigger.

Only for the acrobat to soon find herself stumbling back in surprise when a bullet nearly pierced her skull.

While Elle rolled to the floor with a cry alongside her.

While she gazed up with astonished brown-gray eyes to find that the still unnamed woman had pulled her back by the neck of her shirt.

All the while as Azula's eyes burned with even greater fury as she generated another fireball in her fist.

And Mai's cold tawny gaze grew cold after witnessing the soldiers nearly kill her friend.

"You…you saved me. Thank you." Ty Lee breathed in a still shaken voice as she sat up on her backside while Cynthia curtly nodded her head.

While bullets continued to spray the hall as Elle shook in fright with a renewed expression of trauma in her eyes.

All the while as she let out yelps of fright while bullet after bullet nearly made it around the corner.

Only to find herself gazing up in astonishment when she felt a strong arm pull her in.

While she now stared up with endless adoration in her widened amber eyes while her princess's larger frame now crouched down above her.

All the while as the gunfire continued to explode in the distance as she sought haven in her girlfriend's armored side.

"A-Azula-sama." The handmaid stammered in a sweet voice while the princess crushed her under her powerful arm with her lips pursed in a mighty snarl.

And then the monarch threw her gathered ball of flames down the hallway above the soldiers panicked heads.

Before another explosion of orange fire peppered the walls of the fortress while the shouts of one soldier after another rang out into the air.

Just as Zoe took hold of the discarded rifle of a dead man while she surveyed it with fascinated hazel eyes.

While Mai did the same as she reached out seize a pistol.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking House Lin?" The captain inquired in a devious voice as a smirk came onto her lips while her fellow noblewoman almost smirked in response.

"As a matter of fact, I am." The markswoman stated in a monotone voice as she carefully studied the weapon while they took positions against the wall.

And then the two noblewomen opened fire while the princess threw yet another fireball over the screaming soldiers heads.

While David and his men desperately ducked their heads as yet another round of intensely hot flames exploded in their armored faces.

All the while as the deafening siren served as an ever increasingly eerie ambience as it continued to blare in their panicked ears.

"The whole base is falling apart!" A soldier yelled out in a hopeless voice while the lieutenant stared on with sweat soaked eyes through his helmet.

While hot flames continued to stain the hallways as thick smoke blew into the air.

And the lights began to shatter as the fires that Azula and Zoe started began to spread.

"I can't see shit!" Another man hollered as he strained his eyes to see through the smoky hallway while the inferno began to rise to the ceiling.

Only to find himself slumping down onto his knees as his visor shattered when the captain managed to fire a bullet in his forehead.

"Let's go! Now is our chance to advance!" Zoe called out in a battle-hardened voice as she made her way through the smoke while the rest of the team followed suit.

All the while as the two firebenders skillfully bent the flames to allow safe passage through the inferno.

While Azula sprinted down the hall on her still numbed boots with her wrist tightly gripping Elle's hand as she pulled the smaller girl behind her.

Only for the teenager to cry out in alarm when an armored body came barreling into them from the smoke.

And then she fell to the ground with a shout.

While the princess stumbled backwards on her still unstable feet as she rushed to get back to her girlfriend's side.

And then in that very moment a figure came emerging from the smoke.

It was none other than David himself.

And then her callous golden eyes widened in uncharacteristic worry when she saw that the man was pointing his rifle in the young girl's terrified face.

And once more.

Somewhere deep down inside of her cruel heart she felt a jolt of fear.

And that was when she sprang forward like a rampaging dragon.

Azula rammed her shoulder plate into the man before he could fire while she grappled for control of the rifle.

All the while as their shouts split into the air.

"Close your eyes Elle!" The princess ordered in a vicious voice while put all of her weight into the grapple.

And the still traumatized teenager squeezed her eyes shut as she shook upon the floor.

"This base might be collapsing but I swear I'll fucking kill you if it's the last thing I do!" David yelled in a furious voice as their bodies slammed into the wall.

All the while as the two fought for control of the gun.

Only for a plume of orange fire laced with sparks of blue to explode in his eyes.

And then the barrel of the gun was shifted so that it was staring him directly in his now paling face.

Before the sound of a single gunshot thundered into the air while the soldier fell to the ground lifeless with a bullet in his skull.

While the princess stood panting with her hair clinging to her heated skin with her shaken girlfriend trembling on the floor behind her.

"I told you that I would kill you." Azula snarled as she held onto the rifle in her right hand while she heard her companions rush through the smoke.

All the while as several more gunshots rang out into the hall with explosions of firebending serving to further terrorize the now overwhelmed soldiers.

While the enraged captain plunged through the smoke as she slammed a man into the wall.

All while the markswoman followed suit as she ambushed another soldier.

"Azula! Are you and Elle okay?" The acrobat blurted out in a worried voice as she shakily balanced herself on her uneasy feet.

"We're fine Ty Lee." The princess stated coldly as she pulled the younger girl up with her other hand while the teenager gazed throughout the flames beside her.

Numerous soldiers lay dead in the heated hallway with what few that remained alive shamelessly retreating down the halls.

"Will…. will we ever achieve peace?" Elle murmured as she held a hand over her chest while Azula let out a heavy sigh over her.

"I'm sorry that you had to see this Elle. But they didn't give us any choice. It was us or them." The captain spoke in a softened voice as she wiped the sweat from her brow while she held her rifle in hand.

"I…know Zoe. I just wish…that it didn't always have to come to this." The handmaid lamented in a depressed voice while her princess still stood over her.

"Maybe someday it won't Elle." Ty Lee offered weakly in an uncertain voice while Azula scowled as she glared through the flame filled hall.

"Let's…just get out of here." Mai muttered in a quiet voice while she gazed at her little sister's face in concern.

"Don't waste your compassion on these fools Elle." Azula remarked in an unsympathetic voice while she stood with her palm on her girlfriend's petite shoulder.

"I'll…try not to Azula-sama." Elle responded in a numb voice while she leaned in under the older female's arm.

And then soon enough they began to make their way through the flames while her princess's muscular arm held her exhausted body up.

Just before she shyly wrapped her arm around the woman's armored belly.

And soon enough the couple was soon walking with their arms wrapped around one another.

All the while as their comrades watched in amazement over the touching display of the princess's newfound protective instincts.

And then the team began to make their way through the smoke only to find their new ally standing at the end of the burning hall.

"This was bound to happen sooner or later. You cannot keep people in chains forever. Such a system cannot exist indefinitely. Sooner or later it is inevitable that it will collapse." The aide spoke with her hair in her eyes while the group listened in astonishment behind her.

While Elle gazed on with an emotional look in her amber eyes unaware of the looks of guilt in her friend's eyes.

And Mai and Ty Lee could only gazed down at the floor with remorseful expressions in their eyes.

All the while as Azula's golden eyes flashed with a hint of an unseen emotion.

While Zoe stood reflective at the back of the group with her hazel eyes gazing through the smoke.

"That is the fate of every empire. No matter how powerful, no matter how great. History has shown time and time again that they all fall in time." Cynthia commented in a contemplative voice before she resumed her walk forward while the Fire Nation women gazed on in a thoughtful silence.

And the princess glared on with her lips pursed into a regal scowl.

She wanted to tell the foolish woman that she was wrong.

And yet deep down inside there was a small part of her that wasn't certain.

Before she derisively scoffed under her breath.

'Just look at me…I have barely spent forty days with this peasant and her weakness is already starting to get to me.' Azula thought as she shook her head with her toned arm coiled around her handmaiden's small neck.

Only to sigh as she made her way down the hall with her young love under her arm.

And yet strangely enough she couldn't help but feel an intense wave of relief.

Not just over the fact that her childhood friends were alive and relatively unharmed.

But over how she had prevented those soldiers from taking her loyal servant away from her.

The girl was still by her side.

And somehow…in this very moment. That was all that mattered.

And with that the team rushed through another set of doors while they made their way to collect their weapons.

And to the exits to make their way home.

Back in the control room.

"This is Senator Greely! I repeat this is an urgent message from the Porta Base! Does anyone copy!" The senator shouted into the speakers while his fist shook over the controls.

Only for his brown eyes to grow wide in terror when he heard the doors open with a click behind him.

And then he turned to gaze over his shoulder.

Only for his entire face to turn pale when he saw who was standing directly behind him.

"There you are senator. I have been looking all over for you." Naoki spoke in a frighteningly at ease voice as she made her way into the control room.

While her machinelike brown eyes stared back at the politician's cowering face as he collapsed against the controls.

"Y-you don't want to kill me! We can talk about this!" Greely yelled out as he watched the girl approach with widened eyes while she smiled back at him.

Only for the redhead to say nothing as she sauntered even closer while his hands trembled at his hips.

"L-look I'm just a senator that was assigned to clean up someone else's mess! I didn't even know about your existence until I arrived!" The senator blurted out in a frantic voice while the redhead's emotionless eyes stared right through him.

"Liar." The assassin countered in an astute voice with her cold eyes staring back at the man's terrified face.

Before her tabi booted feet pressed down into the floor.

And then there was a swish of air.

And before the politician could reach the girl was standing right beside him with her hand swatting his own off the radio controls.

And then she hit a switch on the system controls before she raised the handheld speaker to her lips.

All the while as she never took her unfeeling eyes over the senator's fretting visage.

"People of society…to those of you that can hear me. I have an announcement to make." Naoki announced in a strikingly calm voice with her voice carrying through the speakers.

And into the ears of a great many officials that were picking up the military radio signal.

And throughout the halls of the fortress as well.

The Fire Nation women glanced up with their eyes once more expressing their fascination over the technology of this new world.

While Elle stared up at the ceiling with innocent amber eyes that were agape with emotion.

All the while as Cynthia listened with her weary eyes gazing up at the speakers.

"I…was raised as a government experiment…the government intended to use me for all intents and purposes as a slave." The assassin remarked with fist gripping the speaker while the senator shook in terror.

If the girl gets word of her existence out…

Even if by some miracle he manages to escape with his life he will be killed by the higher ups for sure!

"I was stripped of my name…and rendered a number by people that had the gall to tell me that my will didn't matter." Naoki stated in an unsettling voice that swept throughout the radio network.

While the group listened with their eyes glued up at the speakers.

"Naoki…" The handmaid trailed off with her lip shaking while her princess stood unmoving over her.

"I was broken down until there was nothing left. I lost my identity. I lost…everything that I had ever been." The assassin commented in a chilling voice with her words carrying out into the signal while her bangs hung over her eyes.

All the while as the team still listened in a bizarre spellbound intrigue.

"Well, now who I am. I am Naoki." Naoki spoke in a captivating voice with a look of unmistakable identity coming over her brown eyes.

While Elle trembled with her amber eyes wide in growing apprehension.

"I have a will of my own now. And it is a will for destruction. And my appetite…is vast." The assassin declared in a voice that sounded more machine than human while she turned her back to the terrified senator.

There was a moment of brief silence while Team Azula still motionless in the now barren halls.

"What happens…when you push someone until they have nothing left to give?" Naoki questioned in a frozen voice with her cold gaze staring back at the bewildered politician while sweat dripped down his face.

And then there was another unsettling pause while Elle quivered in trepidation of what was to come.

"Well, Senator Greely?" The assassin pondered in an almost relaxed voice while she smiled back at the wide-eyed senator.

It was then that Team Azula understood that they had no need to hunt the senator down.

While the princess's lips pulled into a coldly amused smile as she listened to the man swallow in terror over the speakers.

"I…don't know." The senator admitted in a barely perceivable voice with his hands shaking at his hips as he stood a shaky step backwards.

All the while as Naoki's brown eyes now drilled into his skull with even greater frigidity than before.

"I'll show you what happens…I'll show all of you what happens." Naoki stated as her feet began to slide back along the floor while her brown eyes grew even larger.

And then Greely out into a terrified run with his coat flailing in the air behind him.

Just as a scarlet blur leaped into the air above him while the handheld speaker dropped to the ground with a resounding rattle.

And then a moment later an ear-piercing scream split throughout every speaker in the fortress.

And into the ears of all that were listening into the radio signal.

While Greely now fell forward with his mouth fixed in an expression of shock.

And Naoki's knife was now penetrating straight through his chest.

And then the senator hit the floor with final labored breaths flowing into the air like a fading breeze.

All the while as the supersoldier now stood above him with her brown eyes gazing down at his dying face.

"That is what you get." The assassin concluded before she slid her feet back upon the floor with her machinelike brown eyes staring ahead.

And then her chi erupted from her body.

Just before the control room explosion carried out throughout the halls of the fortress.

And then the radio signal finally went quiet with an everlasting static.

Elsewhere.

Rieko turned the radio off with a gloved finger.

While she leaned back in her seat with her lips curving into an entertained smirk.

"Naoki…you truly have come a long way from the little girl that I met so long ago." The emperor spoke in an excited voice with her blue eyes taking on an eager gleam.

All the while as her ship soared across the horizon towards its destination.

And back in the fortress…

Several guards now lay dead on the floor by a pair of discarded restraints while the siren continued to blare ominously overhead.

While Felix stepped over their corpses with his glasses shaking over the rim of his nose.

All the while as he rubbed at his reddened wrists with a devious smile growing upon his lips.

"Now then Elle…where were we? Oh, that's right. We were in the middle of a reunion." Felix remarked to himself in a delighted voice with a maddened grin adorning his lips.

While the sounds of his psychotic laughter soon resonated all throughout the halls of the chaotic fortress.

Yes, indeed.

He was truly looking forward to playing with his sister and her new friends.

Especially, that wild firecracker!

[writings-from-the-hart]

Writebr Intro

Writeblr Intro Time!

Hiya! This is so overdue and I apologize for that lol. I’ve been meaning to write this but school seems to always be getting in the way of just that. Writing. But here I am finally writing this! And yes my username is a pun of my own last name but I just couldn’t resist.

So basically, I really want to surround myself with other writers and have stumbled across tons of writeblr’s (I think that’s what they’re called lol). Instantly I was in love and wanted more of what the community had to offer. I’ve been a self-proclaimed “author” or writer since my early years of grade school. I was that child in the back of the class with ADHD that couldn’t sit still (the cliche bouncing leg and always chewed down nails) and had what my mother called an “overactive imagination”. My notebooks in high school were often filled with wild stories about “galaxies far far away” or dystopias with cruel governments ruled by dictators. Now I’m in my second year of college swamped with classes about the Psychology of criminals (or I like to call the science of murder), and trying to find time to write a novel. So the struggle is real my dudes.

A little about Me:

Hana

20

She/Her

Pisces

Asexual

Forensic Psychology Major and English with a concentration in Writing Minor

Book hoarder

Dog Mom

Vintage AF

Low Key Emo Punk because I’m no average white girl!

History nerd (Love learning about the old wars and cultures)

Movie nerd (There’s an endless stack of DVDs in my house)

Fandoms:

The Mandolorian (or the ManDADolorian)

Star Trek

Star Wars

Hannibal

X-Files

King Falls Am

Welcome to Nightvale

Transformers (Obviously not the bad movies lol. Bumblebee is baby and must be protected always.)

Good Omens

Sherlock

Lord of the Rings

Marvel (There are so many shows and movies in this category we would be here all day if I tried to list them.)

Timeless (Not sure if the fandom is still alive after what the writers did to one of our ships lol)

DC (I’m a huge Batman geek and adore Wonderwoman, but I take the good with the bad when it comes to this fandom. Especially movie-wise anymore.)

And there’s probably more but my memory isn’t working currently.

Goals?. . . maybe:

Get my novel finished (This has literally been on my To-Do List for who knows how long.)

Meet more writers/new writers.

Improve my poetry (I suck at poetry so I bad I never let it see the light of day, so I need to work on it.)

Start my bullet journal.

Wips:

Okay by now you all know I have at least 1 Wip because I mentioned getting a freaking novel done, but just as a precaution as to what I mean by Wip or Wips. I get distracted quite easily, for some odd reason my brain absolutely loves to jump from one idea to another for no absolute reason. Like WTF dude we already have an idea we’re working on why do you keep bringing all these new ones to me like stray dogs. And like any good dog Mom or distracted writer, I want to keep all the ideas/stray dogs. So, when I say Wip I mean “Look at this cool idea I came up with” and I’ll make sure to specify which one is hogging most of my time.

Renegade: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

This is my baby. Most of my free time is dedicated to adjusting plotlines, character arc’s, fixing freaking plot holes, and other important stuff other than just plain writing. I’m hoping to finish this also monster of a story by 2020 and get it published. So big stuff!  

“So tell me little wolf do you want to punish those who have wronged you?” An assassin known as the Crimson Ghost makes their way through the corrupt city-state of Ashton completing a job given to them by the Black Rose. What is a seemingly normal job though turns into something far more complicated when they stumble upon the fractions of an abandoned notebook from the past. A past the Republic is trying to desperately hide and bury no matter what. On the other side of the world in the Republic’s capital Eshar, plainly referred to as “The Prodigy” or “machine” by his superiors,  Eric Coalwood has built a life upon the ashes of his family, striving to meet the high expectations set before him by his mentor General Wolfheart. However, his life falls out of its normal day to day routine when the unexpected is asked of him. Command a task force made up of the Republic’s most wanted or his life is over. Eric doesn’t need reasons for why he must do what he has to, all he needs are orders and the Republic is more than happy to give them. Either way the clock is ticking for both the Crimson Ghost and the Republic’s prodigy and with time running out they both have two options. Either get over their different beliefs concerning the Republic or allow the world to once again succumb to war but this time nobody is going to survive it. “Legends are slippery things. For the glory that coats them hides the pain, suffering and death that created them.”

The Trouville Files: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

Not my biggest priority but definitely one of them considering the plot of this story. I mainly use this wip as a reference for Renegade because it’s actually the prequel to it. Also, it’s great to use as writing practice when I’m plagued with writer’s block for Renegade or frustrated with a plot hole. So this is my double-edged sword that does a lot of good.

“Death in these black days is neither kind nor quick.” The year is 2153, the world we know is nothing more than a wasteland strewn with the dead and a sky being choked by their ashes, not glorious and thriving but desolate and starving. The Red Death, a pandemic with a steady progression and a gruesome countdown to the demise of those infected. No one outruns it or survives it. “United we stand, divided we fall.” The Allied Nations, a totalitarian superpower, promised a united people but all they gave this world was more death and destruction. The Red Death isn’t the only thing slowly killing humanity anymore, we are in the form of the War of Broken Pacts. The spark of revolution is lit, but if it will remain so is a question asked by everyone. Does it stand a chance against the iron-fisted government holding the people in shackles? “Rebel with a cause.” Genius Medical Officer for The People’s Republic, Cyprus Ramiro works day and night in search of a cure for the Red Death exterminating hundreds, at least before this war kills him first. But he is also a man on the run and the rebellion can only shelter him for so long. “Duty over pain.” Cunning Spy and Soldier, Orion Ultor is ordered by the Allied Nations to infiltrate and gather information on the ever-growing People’s Republic. In bold letters is Search and Destroy; make a ruin of the rebellion and ensure the Allied Nations remains as it should -- unquestionably in power. No matter the cost unless he wants to suffer the consequences again. “If we fall we shall rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” They should have never met, battlefields don't make good friends. It wasn't fate, it wasn't destiny, only war throwing people together.  The Allied Nations is trying to stamp out something they fear, but can they before the Red Plague? Or will humanity find itself extinct.

Beyond his point is where I house my stray dogs/ideas

Hiraeth: Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, and Thriller.

Scooby-doo who?

Hiraeth means a homesickness for a home which you cannot return. That is how Arcane feels like she’ll never be home no matter how hard she tries to connect with her family. The closest she feels to being home is with her friends and in the worn leather seats of the van they all pitched in to buy. It all started out as a way to pass time and for all of them to escape their families because to be honest parents never understand, but it all turned sideways when a simple “ghost hunting trip” stirred something that was meant to remain buried. The truth never remains buried though, not really, somehow it will always creep back in ugly and twisted. Arcane has never felt “at home” but she’ll do whatever it takes to keep what she considers her family safe.

Sweet Dreams: Historical Fiction, Thriller, and Romance.

A literal dream turned into story plot and no I’m not kidding.

The Red String of Fate, The Lovers, and War. These are the three elements intertwined within the plot of Sweet Dreams but before anyone makes any assumptions this isn’t some chummy rom-com. There will be tears and heart strings may get yanked clean out because the angst is real. War and love never mix well, it leaves a sour taste in ones mouth and makes the mind question things it shouldn’t. Like is the woman in his dreams the same woman he sees in all his dreams? Constantly he somehow ends up spotting that same ruby red lipstick, honey golden eyes, and brunette hair laying in perfect curls. She’s everywhere except in his actual life. They say you and your soulmate share dreams, living proof of how intertwined souls are. She doesn’t believe in love or the idea of souls, not with the monsters roaming around the countryside and battlefield carrying assault rifles. Society tells her where her place is, but she disagrees and rather create her own destiny.

The Prophet: Paranormal, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.  

A short story I can’t seem to let go or it doesn’t want to let me go, but either way, this story has the makings for something great. It also at times seems strikingly similar to Good Omens, so don’t be surprised.

There’s no anti-christ in this story, he already has a book about himself so let’s not make another one besides there are other stories that need to be told. Such as, have you ever heard of modern day prophets and I’m not talking about those people with cardboard signs saying “the end is near!” or giant churches with people preaching about the end times. No, I’m talking about a kid with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes because sleep is no longer a choice due to migraines that plague them every night. Migraines that bring weird cryptic messages that make one question their own sanity. And what happens when strange people start asking about said migraines and messages?

Virago: Fantasy, Thriller, Historical Fiction, and Romance.

I’m not a huge fantasy reader, for some reason I can’t stay invested in them, but here I am with a fantasy story in my wips. It has mages, knights, assasination plots, and one super badass general who takes zero shit from her king. That’s right women empowerment, my dudes! I don’t really have much of a synopsis inline or a plot because this is only of those wips I let rattle around in my brain from time to time. But I will say it does give me that LOTR vibe but also Game of Thrones.  

Don’t be surprised if you see my stray doggos from time to time because I will admit I love to play around with storyboards. Even if I don’t have a fully planned out plot put together for it.

And that concludes this what was supposed to be short Writeblr Intro. I hope I have peaked some of your guys’ interests because the community definitely got a hold of minee. Feel free to send me a message about anything I mentioned (even if it’s just fandom shit I don’t care) and don���t be shy. I’m a huge introvert but somehow love talking, so don’t worry it won’t be awkward and odds are I’m equally nervous about conversation lol. Also, feel free to add me to any taglist and reblog/like if you’re active and would like more Writeblr mutuals!

Happy Writing,

Writings-from-the-Hart

[eldritchrisingarchive]

ON THIS EPISODE OF THINGS NO ONE ASKED FOR : A CATEGORICAL SORTING OF ALLOF MY MUSES INTO THEIR POTENTIAL ROLES IN A GENERALIZED RPG SETTING PART ONE. aka what role would they play in a video game setting.

#1- 5  lex foster, col. amanda schaffer, charlotte mitchell, claudia york, deb murphy

no one asked for this but this but here we are. will i make this into a hatchetfield rpg type thing ? only time will tell. probably at least a timeline

storylines :  tgwdlm  *  post  canon  dlc  /  black  friday player type :  tank  /  dps  /  healer grey touched :  yes  /  no

ALEXANDRA  ‘ LEX ’  FOSTER

class :  shaman locations :  lakeside mall, lakeview trailer park, hatchetfield high first  encounter  (  black  friday  ) : an employee at toy zone, lex can be found lingering outside of toy zone prior to her shift. she cannot be recruited during the first encounter. she has a job to do. when the riots begin, lex can be saved from wiggly’s devotees and becomes a companion if the player agrees to search for hannah and ethan. if the player refuses after saving her, they will cross paths with her at later points in the game in which she is pursuing her own storyline where she is the protagonist, searching both for her sister and ethan, and a way to stop wiggly and his followers. the first of these remains her top priority. roles :  potential protagonist, companion  ( dps ) brief  description :  lex foster is primarily driven during the game by her drive to find her sister, she is a crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to surviving the game, and if not recruited, the game becomes significantly harder but not impossible to win. as dps goes, she is not the most effective in the game, but is often one of the most perceptive members of the party, and upon accessing her connection to the black and white, becomes invaluable as a guiding force for the party. strengths : strong sense of survival instinct and loyalty, hand to hand combat experience, aware of a number of routes unknown to the player if she isn’t in the party. weaknesses :  driven almost entirely by her pursuit of finding hannah and ethan, is not an experienced killer and is at times hesitant to make the final blow, in the event of ethan’s death if the player chooses to tell her she will be temporarily incapacitated by the news. interesting  facts : if lex is rescued during the beginning of the riots, she retains the box cutter, meaning linda does not have it later on. this does not save frank’s life, but it does result in linda using different threats if hannah is eventually caught by wiggly’s followers. if ethan dies and the protagonist keeps this information from her and she finds out lex will immediately leave the party and will be openly antagonistic to the player, to the point of impeding their progress whenever it does not impede her own.

COL. AMANDA SCHAFFER

class : paladin (  oath of the watchers ) location :  downtown first  encounter  (  tgwdlm dlc  ) : amanda is the woman in charge of the clivesdale civilian base, and has been immunized to the apotheosis by the government. she is not available as a constant companion, only for specific side missions. she takes her position quite seriously and is the deciding factor on whether someone is admitted into the civilian base, requiring at least three clean blood tests during a 48 hour isolation period. first  encounter  (  black  friday  ) :  amanda is boots on the ground reinforcements against wiggly’s followers during the hatchetfield riots. rather than being in the mall, she is roaming the downtown district, destroying dolls whenever possible and taking down violent rioters with lethal force as necessary, and restraining those able to be restrained. the current makeshift prison is the local animal shelter. they have been disarmed and are incapacitated. amanda can be found in near the animal shelter or hardware store if not recruited as a companion. roles :  npc or companion (  primary dps / secondary tank  ) brief  description :  amanda is loyal first and foremost to peip and the well being of the united states of america, receiving her orders directly from general john mcnamara and acting under his authority as he pursues a separate but equally important task regarding the leader of the free world. she can be recruited by the player if amanda truly believes the player capable of helping to defeat wiggly at the source. proving this requires the collection of five destroyed wiggly dolls to show devotion to the cause. strengths :  impervious to wiggly  (  peip training ), dislikes musicals, extensive military training, emergency medical training, immunized to the apotheosis weaknesses :   prioritization of her assigned task over the player, can be demanding, will not stray from her training, used to being in charge interesting  facts :   amanda’s radio is one of the most useful tools for retaining up to date information in both tgwdlm and black friday’s storylines, following the death of general john mcnamara late in the black friday storyline amanda is forcibly removed from the party as she is the de facto leader of peip and must return to headquarters but will authorize the player to use her firearm the most powerful gun in the game.

CHARLOTTE MITCHELL

class :  feral druid location :  ccrp technical, lakeside mall, willow park apartments first  encounter  (  tgwdlm  ) :  charlotte can be found hiding not far from the ccrp technical building, having lost the group she was with, and speaking with her triggers an escort mission automatically. she knows where the other survivors were heading and will take the most direct path to get there, and while this escort mission leads to a safehouse with a number of supplies, it is a notoriously difficult mission as it runs directly through downtown. first  encounter  (  black friday  ) :  charlotte is one of the first wiggly followers to be encountered, but is not the most devout. her minor fight is able to be averted with the pre-fight conversation. if averted, charlotte will flee the mall and may be found by the entrance of the willow park apartments. if not averted, when defeated, all potential benefits of her escort missions and fetch quests are lost. role :  npc with escort missions and fetch quests, potential minor antagonist. brief  description : strengths :  provides solid bonuses upon completion of quests, can turn into a large feral cat during escort missions to assist in fighting. weaknesses :  not the most intelligent, will run headfirst into danger, easily distracted by cats and love interesting  facts : items can be found in charlotte and sam’s apartment during her tgwdlm fetch quests that can be beneficial in interactions with sam and ted later in the game. they are not necessary to complete the game. if you agree to collect charlotte’s cats but instead choose to let them loose, you will later have to face charlotte in her druid form. it’s not an exceptionally difficult boss fight but can be annoying as it tends to occur at inconvenient times.

CLAUDIA YORK

class : seer location :  varies first  encounter :  claudia is only found by those who read the graffiti and notes scattered through the game. interactions can be unlocked approximately one-third of the way into the game in both storylines. roles : npc with lore heavy quest line brief  description : claudia can be a significant wealth of cryptic information on events both past and present, and if approached at different points throughout the game will provide answers and clues as to the strengths and weaknesses of enemies as well as clues of where to go next to continue the story. strengths :  visionary abilities, directly in tune with the black and white weaknesses :  incredibly cryptic, susceptible to sneak attacks interesting  facts :  if amanda has been recruited in the black friday storyline and is in the player’s party when speaking with claudia she can be gifted a radio that allows for communication with the player until amanda’s departure from the party, similarly an escort mission opens in tgwdlm dlc in which if you speak to amanda at the civilian base she will offer to join your party to escort claudia to the civilian base. if this mission is completed then claudia will supply messages to the party over schaffer’s radio from the base.

DEBORAH  ‘ DEB ’  MURPHY

class : monk ( way of mercy ) location : hatchetfield high, lakeside mall, downtown, the bus station first  encounter  (  tgwdlm ) :  deb can be found on their way to the bus station, checking their phone regularly for texts from their girlfriend. they cannot be recruited as a companion until meeting them for the second time, but they can give interesting first-hand information about the destruction of the starlight theatre the night before. first  encounter  (  black friday ) :  deb is in the downtown area, attempting to help those injured in the riots. they’ve managed to stockpile a small amount of medical supplies, and can be recruited through a fetch quest for supplies to help someone with more extensive wounds. roles :  npc, potential minor antagonist, potential companion  ( healer  ) brief  description : an artist and passionate person, deb is a somewhat unlikely survivor of both wiggly and the apotheosis, but there is hope for them yet if they are restrained rather than executed following the infected!alice boss fight. an option that is always presented to the player, but at times has dire consequences. if restrained, and not executed by peip, deb will revert to her human self within 36 hours provided that infected!alice was also restrained and not killed. strengths :  skilled healer, creative thinking, first-hand knowledge of the apotheosis from the night before. witness to early infections. weaknesses :  susceptible to the apotheosis, wants to help as many as they can even when it’s impractical, sometimes a bit too creative with their solutions interesting  facts :  if recruited before infected, deb can be a useful ally in the fight against infected!alice, when paired with bill despite their bickering they can help the real alice break through the infection proving for the first time in the game that someone can survive infection, when paired with elaine further backstory about both deb and elaine can be discovered but productivity decreases immensely as they distract each other and others with their constant bickering.

[dregstrash]

gilded crowns (pt. 6)

A/N: Me? Updating my fics? Unbelievable. But here’s part 6! Thanks for reading as always! 

Part 1  ||  Part 2  ||  Part 3  ||  Part 4  ||  Part 5

Description: Prince Kaz of Ketterdam has been subject of much mystery and speculation, but that doesn’t stop his brother, King Jordie, to arrange a marriage to Princess Inej of Suli. Neither party are happy with the arrangement. Kaz has other ideas and if he can drive Inej away, he can get back to the plans that’ll silence the demons that plague his dreams. Of course, what happens when she proves to be as stubborn as he is?

Tagging: @birdskullsandboats @lavehl @hysteriaas @definitely-not-procrastianting @fromferfer @lupine-teddy @ifangirlninja @spell-cleaver @s-artsnstuff @locksandbobbypins @friendo-nintendo @thatonefangirl-mrc @readmeaway @looking-for-wisdom @terrywho-cartoons @mykitchenisonfire151 @ysitsohardtofindaname @timeinhereyes @stormwitch-zoya @spvcexpeachvs 

- 

“Do my eyes deceive me or is this a wedding invitation?” Jesper’s brassy voice trampled any thoughts that Kaz was mulling over, and he didn’t hesitate to shoot his friend a glare. Jesper wore his grin much like his clothes, haphazardly and entirely too open. He held out a cream colored piece of parchment that had been sent out a week ago. 

The Zemeni didn’t have a monarchy, but they still had a council and was governed by the general public. Both Jordie and Kaz had to learn about the different types of governance throughout the world, and had to know the corresponding terms that belonged to each. So while the Zemeni didn’t have a king, they did have chancellors, and Jesper happened to be the son of the High Chancellor herself. 

The first time Kaz had seen the lanky boy, he had been twelve and Jesper’s mother had just been elected. Her and her husband had decided to take a tour around the neighboring kingdoms to assure no changes would be done with their treaties. At first, Kaz had been unsure about the boy who seemed to smile and talk far too much. He was a system of movements that seemed independent of one another, and while it was intriguing. Kaz also found it incredibly annoying. It wasn’t until he, Jordie, and Jesper took a trip to the armory that Kaz had decided to befriend the Zemeni boy. He did beat Jordie in a shooting contest, and any chance to knock his brother’s ego off its high horse was a good starting point to any friendship.

“You’re early.” Kaz stated as he watched his friend make himself at home in his study by pouring himself a drink and flopping down on his couch.

“Mother has some other business to discuss with your brother.” Jesper shrugged and taking a long drink, “And Da decided that he finally had time to examine the farming techniques of the Kerch or whatever.”

“Your mother still lets your dad run Jurda farms? Isn’t that slumming a little?”

“It’s not so much as letting him, as giving him a break from council meetings. He’s always hated the attention.”

“A trait that you don’t share, apparently.��� 

Jesper threw Kaz a wink, “Would be a shame to put these good looks to waste, don’t you think?”

“Why don’t you save it for someone who actually cares.” Kaz shot back. 

Jesper just chuckled, and Kaz logged the reaction as a confirmation to Jesper’s changing feelings. He’s always known that Jesper had harbored some feelings towards him, but Kaz had never done anything about it. Besides the fact that he had always seen Jesper as a brother, Kaz wasn’t built for the kind of relationship that his friend was craving. The night he broke his leg was plenty of proof of that. Kaz had always thanked whatever saints were present that someone else had shown up at the right time to divert the affection. 

“Speaking of someone who actually cares.” Jesper drawled while also getting up from his horizontal position to sit. He threw his legs out and tapped his glass with nervous fingers. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen a shy, anxious, chemist running around, would you?”

Kaz rolled his eyes, “I’m not Wylan’s keeper. And you know better to ask me that.”

“Yeah, well, I figured I could hit two birds with one stone, I get to know about Wylan and also transition to the real reason I’m here.”

Kaz had a clue as to what Jesper wanted, but he still said, “Spit it out.”

“The Princess of Suli.” Jesper said his smirk reaching his eyes, “Do tell me all those sordid details.”

“It’s an arranged marriage, Jesper. How sordid can it be?”

“You forget I know the princess, dear Kazzie,” Jesper intentionally said the nickname that should have ended with Jordie, “And she’s not just beautiful, but accomplished, smart, determined, kind--”

“I know.” Kaz didn’t need the rundown. He notices Inej too much as it is, he didn’t need the comprehensive list. “But this is all just a means to an end.”

“I’m glad that all these years haven’t taken the cryptic out of you. Any chance you’re going to elaborate?”

Kaz hesitated as he weighed the cost of telling Jesper his plans. Nikolai had sent him a missive two days ago saying that they were close to uncovering the Dime Lions. Thus far, they’ve only given him the name of the gang leader: Pekka Rollins. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

It was enough for Kaz to find out that he used to be a stonemason on the small nation of the Wandering Isle. He had moved to Kerch almost twelve years ago. He ran gambling halls and whorehouses and leased his thugs out to powerful men. This could include the person who had ordered the assassination of his parents. 

He’d need more information though. It wasn’t enough to rely on a king who sometimes moonlights as a privateer. He needed an ear on the ground, and as Kaz looked at Jesper, an idea came to him. 

“You still play the tables, don’t you?” Kaz said casually. 

Jesper scratched a spot behind his ear, suddenly sheepish, “Um...sometimes.” 

“By sometimes you mean you try not to get caught?” 

“My parents have made it clear that if they catch even one card in my hand, I’d be shipped to the Shu for university, so no I don’t get caught.” Jesper said his glass was empty but he rolled it in between his palms.

“How about a job then?” Kaz said slowly. 

“A job?”

“Yes. One where you get some credit every night, and you get to play in some of the best gambling halls Ketterdam has to offer?” 

Jesper’s eyebrows raised in shock. And he couldn’t blame his reaction. He knew that his friend had gotten into his fair share of trouble over nights of endless “just one more hand”s, but he couldn’t think about that now. Jesper wasn’t going to change unless he wanted to, so it seemed like a wasted opportunity to not use that to his advantage. 

“Let me get this straight,” Jesper got up from the couch and started to pace, “You’re offering to give me money so I can play cards up and down the gambling district?”

“I’m offering to give you money, so you can play and listen to conversations and tell me what you hear.”

If he had looked shocked before, it didn’t hold a candle to the expression he had on now.

Kaz got up from behind his desk and moved to the drink cart, “I’m getting close, Jes. I’m getting close to figuring out who had ordered my parents’ death. And I need someone to get me information. I can’t trust anyone at the Crow Club and I don’t trust any of the guards to not tell my brother about this. Jordie can’t know. Will you do it?”

He turned around to face Jesper, and he saw him sift through the risks. It wasn’t just the playing in less-than-reputable gambling houses, Jesper would also be risking his parents finding out or that someone might recognize him, or losing to the wrong people. But then again, Jesper always had a taste of the wild and dangerous, it had benefitted Kaz on more than one occasion. And he felt Jesper’s agreement even when he said, “What do I get out of it, Prince Kazzie?”

“Besides my silence regarding the trouble you got into the last time you were in the Crow Club? I’ll tell you where Wylan is.” 

Mischief danced in his gray eyes, “I can always trust you to deliver the vinegar before the honey, can’t I? Okay, fine. I’ll do it.”

Kaz nodded once, “Start tonight. I need anything you can find out about the Dime Lions and Pekka Rollins, but don’t be stupid about it.”

“When have I ever?” 

“I’m serious, Jes.”

“Don’t tell me you’re actually worried about me?” There was that smirk again.

“I’m worried about the excuses I’d have to make to your parents and my brother if you’re taken hostage or dead in a ditch. So be careful, Jesper. I’ll have Anika and Pim escort you. Meet them at the Crow Club.” 

“Nothing says safe better than bouncers.” Jesper rolled his eyes and began making his way to the door, but Kaz noted the tension in his shoulders, the danger of this assignment settling into his spine.

Kaz went back to his desk, his drink in hand, while Jesper raised an eyebrow at him.

Kaz sighed, “Wylan’s hiding out in the music hall. I suggest you hurry. His father thinks he’s at university right now.”

-

As soon as Jesper eagerly left his study to go bother someone else, Kaz waited a few more minutes before saying, “I can feel your questions burning a hole through that wall, Princess. Speak your mind.”

He sat back in his chair as he heard the secret door open off to his left and Inej materialized in front of him with a stony expression on her face.

“How did you know I was there?”

Kaz shrugged. Call it a sixth sense or intuition, but Kaz had always been finely attuned to the feeling of being watched, and since Inej walked through this world like a spirit, he had to more or less rely on that. 

“You sent Jesper out to a gambling hall.” Inej stated, her eyes as sharp as the dagger sheathed at her waist. She was dressed in dark trousers and a tunic today. An attire made for battle than a palace. 

“I sent him out to several.” 

“And you know about the scandal he had caused because of his taste for cards?” 

Kaz did know about that. He was the one who had bailed him out. With the added benefit of Jesper owing him a favor. 

“Is there a point to his inquiry?” Kaz said instead.

“You sent him out to find information for you even at the risk of ruining his reputation and the reputation of his country?”

“Jesper doesn’t need my help in ruining his reputation. He does it fine by himself.”

Inej studied Kaz for a long while. Her rich brown eyes, analyzing his face as if there was some secret there that she longed to pull out. He stayed perfectly still under her scrutiny. He wouldn’t be intimidated by her. He wouldn’t let her infuriating righteousness distract him from his goal. 

“How long have you been looking for your parents’ muderer?”

There it is. He knew that the question had to come eventually, especially since she seemed to have heard his entire conversation with Jesper. 

“Since the day I had found my parents dead.” Kaz said simply. The rest of the story was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back. Those memories had already plagued his nights, he didn’t need that darkness to seep into his days either. 

“Why don’t you want your brother to know you’re still looking for them?” 

“Because he’d tell me to give it up. Jordie has always been the better man, so he was able to let it go. To move on. I won’t. I can’t.”

Inej was silent again, but he noticed a shift in her eyes. They went from scrutinizing to sympathetic and he hated the comfort he found there.

“Revenge is a dagger that you hold over your own heart, prince.” Inej said.

“I have no interest to hear your Suli proverbs, princess.” Kaz snapped. “If you have nothing else to berate me for, or if you insist on lecturing me on a pain you don’t understand than I invite you to leave.”

Inej’s jaw ticked, and the sympathy in her eyes disappeared. She stalked closer to his desk, and Kaz felt his own anger spark with hers. 

“You will never know anything about my pain, prince. I had to suffer a kidnapping, two years in hiding with a circus, and no way to contact my parents. You have no right to say anything about my pain.”

Kaz knew the story. The princess of Suli had been taken, but no ransomed place. They said that slavers were responsible for it. His brother had tightened their security when the news had reached them. And the rumors were rampant about the fate of the princess. Some had said that she had died. Or that she was sold to a pleasure house on the shores of Shu. Or that she still lived. It had come to a great relief when she had turned up back to her home, dirtied, half-starved, but alive. 

His parents had been dead for two years, and he had been floating on his own delusions to really have time to put out his own conjectures. While Inej studied him, Kaz took his time reading the emotions behind her eyes. There was annoyance, disdain, and more importantly anger. Anger was understandable. Anger was easy. Anger still meant that she cared. And that was worth everything.

“Tell me, princess, given the chance, if you could look at those slavers in the eye as you drive that knife into their hearts. Would you do it?” 

Her hesitation was all the answer he needed. 

“Revenge may be my undoing, but not before I take down the demon that created me.” Inej didn’t say anything, and Kaz felt something else move between them. Something other than contempt and disdain. It came close to understanding, maybe that’s why he offered something to her. “You have certain skills I can use, Princess. Skills that’ll bring our engagement and my goals closer to the end. If you help me, I can help you.” 

They hung suspended in silence. Caught in a battle of wills that neither was used to losing. 

Eventually, Inej took a step back. Her face suddenly unreadable.

“Can you guarantee that you can find them? The slavers that took me?”

“No.” Kaz said bluntly. “I can’t guarantee them, but you seem the type to still have hope in the impossible. Now, what do you say, dear fiancee? Help me, help you?”

[penpenhooray]

Re-watching Person of Interest again, and suddenly had the urge to see it with a Good Omens spin

I mean, it had just enough parallels to get my brain going:

Finch loves his libraries, Aziraphale loves his bookstore

Reese was a highly trained operative who nearly got his ass toasted for asking too many questions, Crowley (at least under the Raphael!Crowley headcanon) was a high ranking angel who got his wings toasted for asking too many questions

Reese is a silver fox who looks great in a suit; Crowley is not silver, but still looks great in a suit

Finch is a sweet and lovable nerd; Aziraphale is a sweet and lovable nerd dork

Reese and Finch try very hard to remain dead in the eyes of the government (because their actions are high key illegal); Aziraphale and Crowley have to avoid attention from their ‘government’ (because their actions are high key against the ‘ineffable’ plan

So, hear me out:

Crowley used to be among Hell’s most innovative and effective demons, and he used to take a great deal of pride in that. But, as was wont to happen, he found himself liking the humans. He started regretting damning them. Needless to say, that was a big ‘nono’ in Hell. So obviously, he was eliminated.

At least, that’s what Crowley prefers Hell think. In the meantime, Crowley wanders Earth in his best attempt as passing as human, unsure what exactly he should be doing.

Enter the flustered looking bookstore owner who decides to sit across from Crowley one day at brunch.

“I know you used to go by Crawly, but you prefer Crowley. I know your organization thinks your dead, and you prefer to keep it that way. And I know that, against your better judgement, you are fond of humanity, and would prefer the end of days would not come for as long as possible.”

Before Crowley knows it, he finds himself in an old abandoned bookshelf, with an enigma. Apparently, angels can hide from Heaven too. And this angel needs his help.

“The end of days could be here a lot sooner than either you or I would like. Both sides are trying to accelerate the Apocalypse with random boughts of angelic and demonic activity.” 

“And how do you know this?”

It isn’t until much later that Crowley discovers that his angel friend, Aziraphale, gets his information from a book of cryptic prophecies.

“You stole the ineffable plan?”

“Borrowed!”

So the two form an alliance: protect humanity from the otherworldly influences, while keeping their own otherworldly-ness a secret. Which becomes even more difficult when they draw the intuitive attention of one Detective Inspector Anathema Device (who may or may not be able to attribute her intuition to her family history of witchcraft), and her not-so-intuitive but loveably plucky partner Newton Pulsifer.

“Are you trying to tell me that each and every member of this demonic cult was taken out by one redhead in a suit and a snake tattoo?”

“I know, weird, right?”

“...Weird would not be the word I would use for it.”