#uhg I really gave up on guessing what is gonna happen next

[asillydreamer-on-a-crazyworld]

Good Morning, so how excited are you for the rest of the season? I am so looking forward to the next episode (some think, it’s (bedroom scene )goodbye, but I don’t think so) I think the title has more to do with them robbing the check Cash place, but you never know. I’m more interested in how Beth will be able to work around Deans nonsense and Rio’s reaction to the ultimatum. Like Beth said, it’s not easy to just walk away too much at stake. She knows way too much. This won’t sit well with Rio

hello, nonny *>* good afternoon !! in a scale from 1 to 10000000, I’m a 10000000 at how excited I am for the rest of the season and the season finale!! So many things happened that I had no idea it would happen or that I could even predict!!! This season has been such a wild ride *.* ! From seeing Beth and Rio getting closer, to know more about the girls and to see Boomer finally getting what he deserved, this season made feel so many feelings… I can’t even!!

About the next episode, I was sure about that kiss not being a goodbye kiss, but now I’m just 60% sure it won’t be, against 40% that it will. However, I really have no idea, it’s just a feeling. I mean, the way that the episode ended left Beth in a complicated situation. Her husband left the house taking her kids away and she must know that Dean reached his own breaking point ( hence his commentary about her running for her money rather than asking him if he was alright or helping him. AS IF ¬¬ You were the one who brought that to yourself, Dean¬¬).

Beth knows he took her kids bc of his jealousy and bruised male ego and I wonder if she knows he will make her choose ( I bet yes, she does).

If she does, it makes sense that she’ll wanna let go of any restrains she has on her feelings for Rio- whatever these feelings are- and just go for it, for one last chance to be with someone she is attracted to, to feel wanted and desired by a man who knows how to give her what she needs from him. Because Beth is a smart woman, and she knows that once she goes back to play housewife again, there is no way she can go back to see Rio and be the boss bitch again. 

She is choosing to be a mom for the rest of her life, but never Dean’s wife in every sense of the word. No more of that for her. I think that if the show ended up this season, Beth would keep playing the mom of the year until her kids were all grown up with their own lives to take care of, then she would get a divorce. Her duty as a mom would change, so no need to fake anything anymore for them.

However, we know that this won’t happen, not when we know that Beth will come back sooner or later, and it’s her association with Rio and the experiences she has in the crime world that will keep making her grown as a woman, give her the tools she needs to break free from all the manipulation and crap Dean has been feeding her , and that it will give her the strength she needs to break this circle and have enough courage to end things up for good between them.

I believe Beth will find a way to outsmart Dean and whatever plan he might come up with to make her bend to his will or try to destroy her later. A man with a big ego like Dean won’t tolerate being undermined by a woman, not even the one he is married with, and certainly not by a man younger than him and with such a background like Rio has. 

Now if this is not a goodbye kiss, I have no idea of what could lead to that kiss in the bedroom

Now the ultimatum. I’m not certain that Beth will tell Rio about it. We don’t even know if she rly told Rio about what Dean wanted those kids to do with him ( it’s not clear, not for me, that she told him about it at all). I know ppl wanna them to talk and Rio to know more about how things really are in Beth’ life but I believe Beth is a woman with ego and pride big enough to not let a man so successful as Rio to see her as weak or so helpless in her own marriage. We saw her telling Rio what happened in the house and with her money but we don’t see the details of it, what she really told him. they seem friendly and it was nice to see them having a normal conversation, but it’s one thing to tell your business partner and the man u had sex with once that your husband left u, took ur kids away and now is giving u an ultimatum to leave the crime world bc he is jealous of said partner and afraid that u’ll go to prison or whatever else.

She may lie to him about the real reason or just say a half-truth about why she really wanna leave their partnership. I don’t see Rio pushing her for more or trying to make her honor their “arrangement”. I imagine it’s gonna be a blow to his business and personally, it will affect him but I wouldn’t say he might be surprised by it. He knows her well enough to understand that even if Beth is good at this, her kids come first. I think this will affect him on a personal level, tho, but he will play it nice, even if he might get a bit frustrated deep inside that she is choosing to leave instead of trying to succeed, just as a teacher would be with a bright, skilled student who is dropping off college bc of “personal reasons”. Rio has a soft spot for her and I’d rather say really enjoy being in her company and he also likes her pretty much for all the reasons I already talked about here.

As u can see, it’s really hard to try and predict what might happen bc their relationship is complex and complicated and these two are still a mystery in so many ways…I really can’t try and predict what will make them kiss and how Rio is gonna react to her wanting to leave, but I know he’ll respect her wish. Beth might know too much, but I believe he trusts her enough to not betray him again bc this time she was just as involved in his business as he was in hers and she also knows Turner is trying to drag her ass into jail and he is way past giving her a deal at this point, so, talking to Turner is just sentencing her to jail time for God knows how long.

I’m sure that by the time she comes back to crime life, the one who will not respect her and try to do something more extreme is Dean, tho.

Not sure if in this season still or the next one.

[ask-jokeboi]

The Party

Hope everyone's having a great holiday season so far! This time of year isn't always easy but thankfully friends and a good distraction can make things easier. 

I drew these pic’s to pair with a moderately long fic I wrote to follow up the aforementioned party from earlier, it’s below the the cut! Read it if you want! Either way, Happy Holidays! 💜💚💛

Words: 4,142    Relationships: Harlivy /Harley & Joker friendship / Batjokes (mentioned)     Universe: Mine / Lego Batman

A/N: sorry for any typos or weird grammatical stuff, I'm good at art, not writing

Summary: Joker’s felt a little down since Batman’s been out of town, will his best friend Harley be able to cheer him up?

Warnings: Alcohol use, implied depression

_____________________

"C'mon Jay it'll be be fun!" Cheered Harley, mustering all the enthusiasm she could in an attempt to persuade Gotham's former clown prince of crime to pull himself together 

"I don't care!…. Go bother your girlfriend or something. Leave me alone…" He was currently piled under several layers of blankets, sunk deep into the ball pit he called a bed

"Nuh uh, I'm not haulin' my butt outta this room 'till you haul yours. You can stay in that pit and cry all ya like, but it won't fix nothin', you gott-"

"I don't GOTTA do anything!" Jay snapped. Throwing his blanket aside and revealing his less than kempt appearance, his face twisted into a frustrated glare

Harley, already familiar with Jay's usual harmless outbursts only sighed as she looked her long time friend up and down, taking in his surroundings with a curious eye

It'd been a month or two since Batman left the scene and his absence was definitely beginning to take a toll on the poor clown.

She could tell it'd been a while since he'd done anything to care for himself…. His hair, which was usually swept back into a flawless green pomp, lazily draped his face. The dull forest black of his roots beginning to seep back into the rest of it. Same could be said for the state his room which, due to his erratic nature, was always a bit untidy  but had recently fallen into a state of near disrepair. Bags of half eaten junk food and empty bottles of all sorts of things lay strewn across the floor, particularly around his half deflated bed.

Despite the mess, he still seemed a little...thin… more so than usual to be honest… his ribs visible beneath the loose shirt he wore, arms comparable to sticks despite the muscle.

most of all though, he just seemed... tired. Jay always looked tired out of makeup. It was one of the first things she'd managed to take note of when he'd first entered her office years ago…. But right now the purple rings beneath his eyes that never seemed to go away were deepened to a point that made it clear he wasn't getting much sleep or doing much for himself in general...

Seeing her best friend in a state like this was hard to witness… and although her partner, Ivy, didn't have much but mild disdain for Jay, Harley couldn't find it in herself to leave him like this… which is why she thought a party might lift his spirits a little 

"C'mooon! You love parties!! It'll just be a small one anyway!" It was actually much bigger than she was implying but Jay liked big and she didn't wanna scare him off too soon… 

"Yeah, like that'll make things any better… who did you even invite?? A good half of the rogues don't even like me…"

"Sure they do!"

Jay only looked at her, bereft and unimpressed. 

"I mean ok you and Riddler don't always get along and it took a lot a beggin' ta get ya un-banned from the iceberg lounge but still!!"

"Uhg whatever! It doesn't matter! I don't need those bozos seein' me like this anyway..."

"Like what?" 

"I don't know!  I'm just…... I'm not in the right… mood for something like that right now.... You know how this works… they'd see right through me. "

Back when Jay was still her patient they'd end up talking a lot about masks…Batman's would come up more often than not but every now and then he'd end up discussing his own…. Or more specifically, the metaphorical one he'd put on every time he picked up a brush and painted himself a new face…..

"Jay, sweetie…  you don't have to pretend to be okay… they won't think you're weak or nothin', you know that right?..."

Jay gave her an incredibly tired look before turning away.

"What happened to the Jay that wasn't afraid to let people know how he's feelin' huh? The one that turned every emotion into a show….?"

He kept his head down, shoulders stiff, before speaking...

"....Cause I'm not just sad this time…. " As he looked up slowly an emotion that was rarely seen on the mans face showed itself, flooding his eyes. 

"W- when I'd talked to Robin and Batgirl that last time and asked about Batman they gave each other this look and…. Something's wrong… he's in trouble or something I… I can feel it…..  W-what if he doesn't come back and he leaves me here all alone an-" 

Harley put a polished nail up to Jay's lips and smiled warmly.

"Shhhh…. You're worryin' too much puds… ur big dumb brain is just an overdramatic liar… don't listen to it okay?" 

Jay sniffled, giving her an understanding nod.

"You still got me an' your crew an' Bud and all the other little silly things that make ya days good doncha?"

He smiles halfheartedly. "Y-yeah…. But still… he was..."

"I know… he's special….but do you seriously think anything out there could actually kill Batman? THE Batman? C'mon now….  He's luckier than any bastard out there and you know it…"

"Yeah…. Yeah I guess ur right"

"Of COURSE I'm right!… now come on…" she offers her hand and helps her friend stand up. "Let's get that hair done and those nails shined up  so you're brain can take a break from making all those nasty thoughts" 

Jay smiled a little wider this time, forever grateful he had a friend as great as Harley around… he really didn't know what he'd do without her sometimes...

"Right…. Also… uh…. Harley?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for….uh…. Bein'... around… I guess…" Jay practically mumbled...

Harley smiled knowingly, amused with his poor attempt of gratitude

"No problem, Pud's….." she gave him a peck on the forehead leaving a black smudge behind 

"now enough mush...Let's clean this mess and get ya fabbed up"

________________

A few hours later, Jay stood outside the titular iceberg lounge in his best winter fit, a long boa around his shoulders and a pair of unnecessary sunglasses obscuring the mascara he'd only half ruined on the way there…. 

He truly, honestly, did not feel like socializing with anyone at the moment, but who was he to refuse a doctor's orders?....

Taking a deep breath of the cold winter air, Jay stiffened up, smoothed the wrinkles from his vintage memphis style sweater and entered the lounge, heels high and head high as he could manage 

____________

When the doors swung open with a swirl of winter snow, Jay was greeted by a surprisingly full and stunningly silent room. Christmas music cut through the tension like a knife as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Joker's fashionably late arrival.

He didn't know if it was because of his natural ability to demand attention or the fact that he hadn't been seen in nearly 3 weeks, but for some reason the room seemed slightly on edge. worried he'd come with another Joker brand surprise perhaps. Thankfully, Harley, who'd left his place a little earlier to get everything ready, noticed who'd finally arrived.

"JJ!! YOU MADE IT!!" she leaped off her stool and came running to grab him, The rest of the room taking it as a cue to un-tense and to go back to their festivities, the lounge lighting up  with warm greetings and laughter.

" Hey…" said Jay as Harley put an arm around his shoulder and escorted him to the booth she was sitting at….  

"So… is all of this for me or…?"

"No, did she tell you that?" Ivy who was sitting at the booth with his other less than fond acquaintance, Catwoman and someone else he didn't seem to recognize, gave a snide smile, Jay suddenly felt he should probably sit someplace else

"IVY!! SHHH" Harley shushed

"What? He was gonna find out out eventually…. It was supposed to be Penguin's annual winter ball" 

"Uh,It still is tho…?" said Kat, mouth full of shrimp 

"Well, yah…. Difference is we had to 'finesse' Penguin into letting HIM in" Ivy explained, disdain in her voice

"And you... helped with that?..." asked Jay, surprised. Ivy sighed

"for Harley's sake, yes. not yours" 

Jay smiled, amused. "well how charitable of you, here's to hoping you won't regret it"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "As if I don't already" she said, taking a short sip from her drink, Harley sitting down next to her give her thank u peck on the cheek.

"Hey, why'd you get banned from this dump anyway?" Asked Kat, eyes squinting curiously 

"I have no idea…." Jay shrugged 

"He put a coke and mento bomb in the fountain!" Harley interrupted 

"Oh yeah…." He'd totally forgot

"Ha! Awesome…" 

"Right uh, anyway, who the hell are you?" Jays attention suddenly turned to the woman sitting opposite of kat. She had light blue skin, bright white eyes and hair that made her look like a human lighting rod.

"Name's Livewire." She said, voice sharp as her appearance 

"She's from Metropolis" explained Ivy. Jay rose a brow.

"Metropolis huh?? How'dya like dealin' with boy scout full time over there?" He quizzed 

"Sweet!…" she exclaimed enthusiastically "Big blue aint got a thing on me! 'sides, dweeb's been outta town for months now! metropolis might as well be my personal playground"

The mentioning of Superman's absence made something in Jay's chest twist. He'd known their neighbor hero had been MIA for even longer than Batman, Supergirl taking over the workload just like Batgirl had in Gotham. but still… the reminder was enough to worry him. I mean… if superman was taking so much time up there, what chance did Batman have against whatever it was they were so busy with??

Trying his best to shake off the uneasiness building in his stomach Jay took a breath and snapped back to reality, offering Livewire his hand

"Well, uh... Livewire, i'm this city's head honcho while the bat's gone so welcome to Gotham and try not to wear it out" 

Harley and Ivy exchanged looks as Jay smiled slyly and took Livewires hand…

...Only for his usual gesture of hospitality to be met with an equally shocking grip that sent blue sparks flying in every direction.

"DAMN, what the- !! " Jay yanked his hand back and held it in pain, hot needles running up his arm.The new addition to Harley's crew laughed crudely and smiled

 "why do you think they call me 'LIVEWIRE' genius?" 

Jay stayed silent with defeat as the table went up in hysterics "Yeah fine, okay, I shoulda saw that one coming" he sighed and smoothed out his hair which had sprung up to stand on end, his face ever so slightly red "anyway, you ladies have a nice time… i'll set up shop somewhere else and let you guys… idk… flirt with each other or whatever..." without much fanfare he slunk off to sit someplace else.

After the table had settled down completely though, Harley noticed Jay making his way to the bar looking somewhat dejected.

"Aw Jay…." 

The rest curiously turned their attention to the direction of Harley's gaze.

"You're not going after him are you?" Asked Ivy after a beat.

"Well… yeah…?" Harley shrugged.

"Uhm, why?" Asked kat, dipping more shrimp into her cocktail "like if he's not in the mood for a joke that's kinda his problem…?"

"Yeah, but still…. I've never seen 'im like this for so long…. He's usually so funny and animated, it's like somethin' drained all the life out of 'im…." The concern on Harley's face was very apparent. Ivy brushed back a few strands of her hair and tried her best to reassure her.

"Look i'm sure he'll get his second wind when Batman comes back at some point… but ‘til then it's not your job to take care of him…" 

Harley sighed silently. "I know but… he's still my best friend… and if I hadn't met him, I wouldn'ta met you!" She squished close to her spouse with a smile, Ivy suddenly unable to hold back a small one herself.

"He helped me outta my slump all those years ago, least I can do is help 'im outta his..."

Ivy gave her a soft look before reluctantly caving "Kindness has always been your best and worst trait, silly bee…" she said with a smirk "fine, go ahead and do your thing, I've got plenty of company over here in the meantime…"

Harley smiled happily and gave her one last kiss before running off to join Jay at the bar.

____________

Jay sat alone at the bar in silence until he was suddenly startled by Harley's arrival.

 "What's shakin' grumpy gills?" She asked pulling up a stool.

Jay didn't answer as the bartender slid over a funfetti martini topped with the works, Jay lazily catching it and drinking deeply.

"Those guys didn't get ta ya did they? I know they seem mean bu- "

"Ah… I don't care about them…" said Jay dismissively  "we're all villains here right? I'm sure they got their reasons… sides, Livewire's pretty fun even if she did fry my Joy buzzer" He said regretfully…

"So what's up then…?" Asked Harley, head tilted 

Jay looked down at the table with a frown, fingers anxiously scraping the side of the glass in his hand….

"What she'd said about metropolis…. And… superman…."

"Oh…"  Harley nodded "well…. I'm sure they're together wherever they are…. Right? Him and Batman? And I mean, with Superman around, he's bound to be okay….." 

Jay had a hard time matching her enthusiasm but that logic did comfort him some. "Yeah… yeah I guess so"

"C'mon Jay, you gotta get that stuff off your mind for a minute! Go mingle! Go dance!… look at everyone who came this time! Turn-out's never been so big!"

As Jay's looked around the room, Harley did have a point, usually these get-togethers only managed to scrounge up about half the gang, but it looked like almost all the rogues in town had come this time. Even D-listers like Polkadot man, Killer Moth, Crazy Quilt ect. Had managed to show up, plus people he didn't seem to recognize…

For example at the bar sat Scarecrow and a… Oddly scruffy looking man he looked to be sharing a drink with. He'd heard from Riddler over the phone some time ago that crow had found himself a friend and that the two were "in cahoots".  whatever that was supposed to mean. He supposed that must've been the "friend" in question…

A few tables down sat another unfamiliar  in a polkadot shirt and a pair of cracked thick lensed glasses. He had a peculiar looking puppet sitting on his lap which made J raise a brow, but he didn't judge. Looking at his woefully nervous face he guessed it must it must've been a security thing anyway… 

Despite the big crowd though, Jay did notice one person missing of whom he hadn't seen in quite a while...

"Yeah I guess everyone is here...  except uh, Lex I guess…?" Jay considered himself friends with metropolises king of corruption, even if the feeling wasn't always mutual. Seeing so many crooks he knew in one place made him realize how rare it was to see the mal hearted mogul at these things.

Unfortunately, Harley could only shrug with defeat. "Ah I tried to get Lex but you know how he is… nobody's seen that shut in for ages".

Jay's eyes narrowed at that "How long is ages…. ?" He pressed

"I dunno… a few months guess???  Livewire said he's been quiet lately, probably off in one of his labs making some over convoluted instrument of destruction I guess"

The growing list of missing big shots was beginning to piece something together in Jay's head… what on earth was Lex up to? Where was superman?? Why did the league need Batman's help? How did it all connect?? After a moment Harley noticed Jay slipping into his thoughts again and shook his shoulder lightly to pull him out of it.

"Hey, don't worry about that egghead. he'd only kill the mood if he were here anyway" 

Jay couldn't disagree, the billionaire was kind of notorious for being a giant stick in the mud.

"If you're really worried about what's goin' on with those guys, you can come up with a plan Tomorrow…. right now we got a' open dance floor, unlimited drinks and a Karaoke competition that's about ta kick off in ten"

The word 'Karaoke' was enough to snap Jay back to reality. "Did you say Karaoke?" 

"Yes, I did."

"Do they hav-"

"Yes, they have Queen" 

Jay nearly looked as if someone had told him the best news of his life. "Oh thank god" maybe Harley was right. Worrying would have to wait. 

_____________

The rest of the night went on with few hang ups. Drinks poured, music played and poorly screeched lyrics kept the mood upbeat.

The Karaoke stage hosted performance after performance, some more enthusiastic than others. Some painful, others surprisingly pleasant. Jay's teetered off the edge of both categories, but when "somebody to love" burst through those speakers, he'd sung it with his whole chest. The best performance by a long shot though had to be Ivy's who's affinity for 50's ballads lent to her beautifully rich voice and her's was closely followed by the Dent's who'd decided to attempt a duet with no chorus which everyone found somewhat impressive.

Emotions did flare up once or twice though, as they tend to do when it comes to villain gatherings. Ed and Jay got into a fight about something stupid and unimportant, both obviously enjoying themselves, Bane and Croc engaged in an arm wrestle that woefully ended in a tie, and Jay inevitably got worked up about Batman again, this time with a crowd of eager listeners somewhat entertained by his rambling, giving questionable advice here and there.

At the get-together's height, the dance floor had filled to the point where Penguin was just about ready to call the whole event off until Riddler dragged him on to the floor himself.

After another hour or so the party wound down some more and the night devolved into quiet discussions between friends, everyone either ready to leave or half asleep. Eventually Jay and Two-face of all people were left alone. Once Ed, Crow, Hatter and the rest had gone home.

Jay always liked Harv, for someone known for his temper he seemed to have a lot of patience and Jay found both of his selves uniquely interesting in their own ways. Harvey the "handsome" one was always very nice, easily flustered, and had a sadness in his eyes that was hard to ignore. "Dent", the one famous for all those 2 themed crimes, was a bold individual and one of the most brutally honest people he knew. That night though, even he seemed a little sad. He admitted later that it was because it'd been a while since he'd gotten to talk to his old pal Bruce, someone Jay was mildly familiar with of course, and they spent the rest of the night discussing Batman and wayne and how they seemed so similar until it really was time to head home. 

 sometime after midnight, long after everyone had either left or found someplace to pass out, Harley broke up with her girl gang again to come get Jay who'd fallen asleep in an empty booth.

"Wake up clown" she said loudly, nudging him a bit. Jay giggled quietly in response, turning over after a moment and opening his eyes.

"Oohh what's up??"

"Time to go." 

"Aw…" Jay huffed disappointedly, then did his best to sit up straight, his head slowly spinning as he did so "ah jeeze…"

"Don't worry I called one of your guys, he's waiting outside." She explained "I dragged you here, might as well drag you home" 

"You did that for me?" Jay smiled "That's so nice…."

"Mhm" carefully, she took his hand got him to his feet, doing her best to keep him up straight. As they headed out they met up with Ivy at the door

"Taking pennywise home?" She asked 

"It'll only take a minute" Harley assured 

"Alright… don't take too long…" she turned to leave but before she could, Jay suddenly spoke up.

"H-hey, Wait!" 

Ivy turned around, brow raised "You have something to say to me?"

"Uh… yeah? I mean… sort of? I just, uh… wanted to say i'm sorry for…  messing up your garden all those times…." 

Ivy blinked "Why are you telling me this now?"

"I just thought you shud kno….  And that um…. Maybe you'd hate me…. A little less... if I said sorry for once..." the frown on Jays face was absolutely pitiful, Ivy could only roll her eyes.

"I don't hate you… Joker"

"Oh?"

"I just think you're annoying…."

"Oh…." Jay couldn't really tell if that was any better but at the moment he was too drunk to care. "Okay…"

With that ivy turned around to join Kat and Livewire

"Thanks for the apology though I suppose…Take care of yourself…. And, Harley don't take too long… it's only 1:00am we still have plans."

"Don't worry Ive's  i'll catch up." 

after one last look, Ivy went back on her way and Harley continued walking J to his car.

As they went Jay hummed to himself, swaying slightly, until a certain thought made him go quiet again.

"....Harley….?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah, J?"

"Am I a bad friend?" The question just as out of the blue as his apology to Ivy…. 

Harley looked at him, concerned "Why do ya ask?"

"I just…. Please?" He pleaded. Harley hesitated for a long moment but decided being honest was probably best.

" not exactly but… maybe sometimes"

"Hm…" Jay decided he'd have to work on that

"But I also know ya don't really wanna hurt anybody…. That you try your best everyday ta make people happy and that you've been through just as much any of us….  A few mean comments an' dumb pranks ain't gonna make anybody think you're the devil or somethin'….not me or any of the other guys... "

Jay had to smile at that, Harley always had something smart or nice to say no matter what. still, her answer only made him feel worse about how he'd been earlier when she was just trying to help… he really, honestly, didn't deserve her…. But the least he could do was let her know he was glad to have her...

"Harley…?"

"Yeah, J…"

"Thanks for being really, really great all the time… and… y'know… around… " Harley smiled as she secured his arm around her shoulders. 

"Thanks J..." 

"also sorry for sucking sometimes..."

She sighed. "It's fine Jay…."

carefully, she hauled his ragdolling body a few more feet and shoved him into the back seat of his car. J grunting as his head hit the leather seat.

"Now go home an' try not to get lost on your way to the door" She said sternly. Jay gave her a lazy wink and a pair of wobbly finger guns.

"Gotcha." 

with that,Harley slammed the door shut and the J-Mobile's engine roared to life. One his lackeys sitting in the driver's seat.

"Where to boss? HQ?"

"Yup… ah, sorry t' call ya out so late…"

"S'alright boss…. Don't worry about it"

As the car lurched forward, street lights shining in through the windows as snow fell ever so lightly over Gotham like a dusting of fresh powdered sugar, Jay did inevitably start thinking about Batman again, wondering when he'd come back, desperately wishing he knew anything about where he was right now….

The thoughts were hard to ignore and when he got home he knew he'd be surrounded by the same walls he'd spent the last month trapped with them in….  even so, the world felt a little less washed out than it had before he left, and it wasn't just because of the alcohol swirling in his blood. 

He may not have had Batman... But today reminded him he wasn't alone.

He had friends… real friends… In a way he'd always considered them such… but deep down there was always doubt. I mean sure he got along better with some than others, but after knowing people so long he shouldn't have been so dumb to think they hated him as much as he thought they did. 

When you're a villain in Gotham sometimes all you have are other weirdos in the same boat as you to help keep you and everyone else afloat. People need people in more ways than one…  and as Jay drifted off to sleep in the back of his gaudy getaway vehicle, laying in a position that was just barely comfortable, he pushed his worries aside and made sure that was something he'd never let himself forget.

~ End ~

[captain-azoren]

The Spirit Forged: The Swamp Witch - A Legend of Korra Fic

Series: The Legend of Korra/Avatar the Last Airbender

Summary: Raiga searches the Foggy Swamp for the mysterious Swamp Witch who can teach him how to connect his spirit to the great banyan grove tree. Instead, he runs into a certain Blind Bandit, who gives him more trouble than he bargained for.

What I have here you could call a pilot chapter; a little taste of what you can expect from my current Legend of Korra fanfic, The Spirit Forged. Here is the beginning of my fanfic on FFN and AO3.

I’m not posting this sample chapter on FF.Net or AO3 just yet, as this event doesn’t take place until the middle of the story, and I haven’t gotten there yet. This scene is just something I really wanted to write for a while, and I had a lot of fun doing it. 

Read it and let me know what you think of my OC Raiga (sidenote; Raiga is not a furry, he has a human shaped face. You can see some drawings I did of him if you look up the tags).

Raiga darted from one tree branch to another, making the leaves rustle with every leap. The swamp’s foliage was thick and damp, but it did little to deter him. Raiga was part human, part cat-spirit; he was made for the jungle. His goal; to find the swamp witch, who could help him make a spiritual connection to the great banyan grove tree at the center of the swamp.

There was one problem though; he had no idea where the witch was or what she even looked like. The waterbenders of the Foggy Swamp tribe had told him she had been living in the area for years, but that she was violent and aggressive. They learned to steer clear of the witch, but that did not help Raiga much. He probably should have stuck around to ask more questions. Luckily, he had a pretty good nose. All he had to do was keep moving until he picked up the right scent, and that was just what happened.

Raiga landed on the sturdy branch of a mango-peach tree and gave the air a good sniff. Amongst the fragrance of the fruit was the smell of cooked meat, along with some vegetables and roots that stood out from the rest of the other dank odors of the swamp. He followed the scent a while longer through the grove until he spotted a clearing in the forest. The ground looked a little damp, but mostly solid, and in the center was a campfire, with a pot of stew cooking over it. It smelled like possum-chicken, and it made Raiga’s mouth water.

The beast-man dropped from the tree and landed softly on the dirt. Raiga slowly made his way over to the boiling pot. The fire beneath it smoldered, and though it gave him some pause, he told himself it was only a little flame. It would not hurt him so long as he was careful.

Raiga reached out for the ladle hanging from the spit when he sensed something come at him from outside the tree line. The beast-man jumped back with a snarl, backflipping and twisting as a rock flew past where he had been standing.

“Hey! Hands off my lunch!” Came a scratchy old voice. Out from between the trees stepped a tiny old woman, with bare feet and a large white bun, wearing green and a grumpy frown. “Even I have better manners than that.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t leave your food out in the open! That’s just asking it to get stolen,” Raiga retorted. He squinted at the old woman and noticed her milky white eyes. She was blind. An old, blind earthbending lady with a bad attitude. “Wait a sec, aren’t you Toph Beifong?”

“Well duh,” Toph replied. She furrowed her brow as she examined Raiga. There was something very different about him. “Is that a… tail?” Toph asked incredulously. “Are you even human, kid?”

“Yeah, I’m human. Well, kind of,” Raiga answered. “I got possessed by a spirit or something, and now I’m like a crazy tiger-man.”

“Uhg, alright, I don’t need your life’s story, Cat-Boy,” Toph said as she approached the pot of stew. “And here I thought I’d seen everything.” She earthbent a clay bowl from the ground into her hand and ladled some stew into it before taking a sip. “What are you doing all the way out here? I doubt you were looking to steal an old lady’s home cooked meal.”

“I’m looking for the swamp witch,” Raiga answered earnestly. “The Foggy Swamp Tribe told me she could help me connect to the big tree. You notice her around here?”

“The Swamp Witch?” Toph whispered, pausing in deep thought. She turned away to look at the huge banyan grove tree in the distance. A wide grin spread across her wrinkly cheeks, unseen to Raiga. “Oh, I’ve met the Swamp Witch lots of times.”

“Great, just point me in the right direction!” Raiga said, but Toph wagged her finger at him.

“Nuh uh, I don’t give her hideout to just anyone,” Toph said and took another sip of stew. “First you’ve got to prove yourself, especially after trying to take my food.”

“Would you just let that go?” Raiga asked with a low growl, his tufted tail flicking impatiently. “Fine, what do I have to do?”

“Tag me.” Toph stated.

“Tag?” He asked with a quirked brow.

“Yeah, you know, like the kid’s game,” Toph went on to explain with a sly smirk. “If you can touch me, then I’ll tell you where the witch is. I’ll even let you have some of this stew.” She swirled her bowl around for emphasis. Raiga scratched the sideburns around his jaw.

“Hm, alright,” Raiga said with a confident grin. “If that’s all I got to do, then this won’t take long.” Raiga stretched his arms and popped his knuckles before crouching low, getting ready to pounce. “Here… we…- “

It was over in mere seconds. Raiga darted at Toph in a flash of tawny-gold fur, and just as quickly the old bender stomped her foot, popping up a pillar of hard, packed earth in front of her. Raiga collided with the dirt with a loud thud. He was stuck there a moment, then pushed himself off with a grumble of disgust as he wiped bits of mud from his face and his chest. Toph let out a hearty chuckle.

“That’s not gonna work, but I like your spirit.” The earthbender said. Raiga bared his fangs in frustration. He dashed to the side of the pillar to try and get around, but Toph raised her arms, palms turned up, taking her signature stance as she raised a wall of earth in front of him. Raiga moved around to the other side, but again he was blocked. Toph easily pivoted and followed him without even spilling her soup.

“That’s it!” Raiga snarled as he crouched down. He jumped at the wall and vaulted over it, sending himself into the air above Toph. For a moment, the old earthbender seemed concerned, until she heard the beast-man let out a roar. Toph pulled her arms in and bent the earth walls closer, surrounding her and her campfire tightly.

Just as Raiga came falling down, the walls bent inward until they formed a little dome with a hole in the top where the smoke from the fire could rise through. Raiga landed on the dome and frowned as he came towards the hole, squinting through the smoke.

“You can’t just hide in there forever.” Raiga said as he approached the hole in the roof. He was about to jump through it when stone bars formed within it, blocking his path.

“Oh yes I can.” Toph shot back from within and slurped her soup. She formed a stone stool beneath her and took a seat.

“Oh no you can’t!” Raiga shouted as he grabbed a hold of the stone bars. With a grunt, he ripped the bars away and tossed them aside. He was about to enter the dome again when suddenly the earth he stood on straightened up and flung him away. Raiga shouted with surprise as he flipped through the air, but he landed on his feet in a lunge. The beast-man huffed as he looked back up at Toph, sitting with her soup. She looked mildly amused, but also curious.

“Hmph, guess you won’t be as easy to beat as I thought,” Toph said as she rubbed her shoulder. “I’m still the greatest earthbender of all time though. You’re pretty fast and strong, but you’ll have to do a lot better than that.”

“You think that’s all I’ve got?” Raiga asked as he flexed his clawed fingers. “I haven’t even started!” He roared as he charged at Toph. All he had to do was tag her, but now his adrenaline was surging. Toph slid her foot over the ground and the earth beneath Raiga shifted. He stumbled for a moment, but his balance was impeccable and he righted himself and continued his advance.

Toph stamped her foot and another wall formed in front of Raiga, but his reflexes were quicker this time as he swerved around it and sprinted for the earthbender. Toph frowned as she raised her hand and bent a taller, wider wall of earth in Raiga’s path, one that he could not easily dodge around, but he did not bother. Raiga thrust his fist at the wall and burst right through it in a shower of dirt. He was almost on her now. Toph knew she needed to act fast.

Taking a page from her old friend Katara’s playbook, the earthbender decided to redirect the energy rather than try and use brute force to stop it. As Raiga closed in, Toph created an earth ramp underneath him, raising him up above her. He was running too fast to slow down, and found himself falling off the edge.

The next thing Raiga saw was a dirt pillar rise up from the ground and strike him in the stomach, sending him flying back into the jungle with a loud shout of pain and frustration. He hit a tree branch, then fell several feet before getting tangled up in a mess of vines, hanging upside down as mango-peaches fell around him.

Toph let out a sigh as she lowered her hands, leveling out the earth around her before sitting back down and stirring her pot of soup. “Well, you got closer than most,” She said with some disappointment. “But after so many years and so many challengers, no one’s landed a hand or even a hit on me. Guess no one’s ever gonna be stronger than me except the Avatar. How sad.”

Raiga fumed as he hung from the vines. He thrashed about, cutting the offending plants with his claws and freeing himself. The beast-man landed on his feet, making Toph’s head snap in his direction. “Like I’m just gonna give up after one scuffle,” He said as he wiped his chin with his arm. “I’ll tag you, and you won’t even see me coming!” With that said, Raiga leapt back into the foliage and out of sight. Toph just snorted.

“I’m blind, you idiot.”

“It’s a figure of speech!” Raiga shouted from the trees before darting off. He was a little bruised, but not too hurt. He could have gone on fighting for much longer, but it was obvious he was going about tagging Toph the wrong way. Raiga needed to go full predator for this task, but evading Toph’s detection would prove a challenge. He was adept at blending into the grass and leaves, but what good was camouflage against one who saw without eyes?

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

Raiga kept low to the ground, holding completely still as he peered through the thick brush at Toph. The blind earthbender was in a horse stance and waving her arms in circular motions. Around her, a stream of mud swirled in an intricate formation. She manipulated it like a waterbender, letting it flow seamlessly without interruption.

The beast-man had been watching Toph do this for several minutes now, inching closer and closer until he was right at the edge of the clearing, waiting for the right moment. Toph seemed to be completely engrossed in her form as she began to twist the mud into an elaborate dance. That was his chance.

“Gotcha!” Raiga yelled as he pounced at Toph. He was as fast as a bolt, but Toph had already reacted. The earthbender, without so much as a flinch, redirected the mud at her attacker, slamming it into him and redirecting all him momentum into the ground which shook the earth. Raiga lay splayed out, groaning and caked in warm mud.

“I knew you were there the whole time, you dummy.” Toph said as she continued her form.

“How?” Raiga said as he sat up and rubbed the back of his shaggy head. “Not even a rabaroo could have heard me.”

“It doesn’t matter how quiet you are or how well you’re hidden, Cat-Boy. As long as you’re touching earth, I’ll know you’re there,” Toph quirked an eyebrow. “And now that you’re all covered in it, I’ve got an even better look at you.” She smirked and gave a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Raiga asked as he stood up cautiously.

“Oh nothing, just admiring that nice, lean body of yours,” Toph cackled. “Hey, if you can tag me before the end of the week, I’ll throw in a kiss too, but if you give up you’ve got to kiss me.”

“Uhg, no thanks granny,” Raiga said with a grimace and a blush before he leapt back into the trees. “I’m not giving up yet!” He jumped through the canopy, looking for a stream he could wash himself in. Toph gave a sigh and went back to her form.

“Tch, boys these days have no taste. I had suitors by the dozen when I was his age…”

 --------------------------------

Raiga plucked a mango-peach from a tree branch by the stream and sat down on it, leaning against the trunk. He extended the claw on his right index finger and peeled the skin off before digging his teeth into the juicy fruit. The cat-boy furrowed his brow, contemplating how he was going to lay a hand on Toph.

“Her defense is too good, I can’t just charge in,” Raiga said as he chewed. “She can see me coming from anywhere… as long as I’m touching earth… hmmm…” He stopped a moment to look at the mango-peach in his hands, the pit in the center of the fruit’s flesh. Raiga then glanced at the tree he was sitting in. “But I’m not touching the earth now…”

Finally, an idea came to him. It was not much, but it was enough to go off on. Raiga gobbled up the rest of the mango-peach, pocketing the pit before leaping down to the stream bank. Searching through the sand, the cat-boy found a large pebble. It was time he stopped fighting like an animal and started thinking like a human.

 ------------------------------

Toph yawned as she stretched out on a stone bench she had formed and began picking the dirt from her toes. It had been a while since that pesky cat lad had bothered her. She wondered if he had given up already. If he had, it was a shame. She was having a ball messing with him, and he was in great shape to boot. Being a hermit could be quite boring.

Just as Toph was beginning to think the fun was over, she felt a vibration in the earth. The earthbender cocked her head to the side and concentrated on her hearing. There was a rustling in the tree branches. She sent out a subtle seismic wave, focusing in the direction of the sound. The wave made contact with the tree and its roots, its shape becoming clearer to her.

Up on the low hanging branch crouched Raiga, holding an object in each hand. One appeared flat and ovular. The other, however, lit up bright when she sensed it. It was a large pebble, smooth and rounded over time by flowing water. Just holding the stone made Raiga appear to her almost as clear as if he were on solid ground. Toph raised an eyebrow.

“I can still sense you,” Toph said as she stood up and crossed her arms. “You’re connected to the tree, and the tree is connected to the earth. Plus, I can see that rock you’re holding.”

“Oh yeah, can you see this?” Raiga asked before he pitched the stone at Toph. She raised her hand and caught it in her palm like it was nothing.

“Yeah, I can, frisky kitty,” Toph said as she crushed the stone into dust. “I can sense earth wherever it is.”

“Okay, how ‘bout this then?” Raiga tossed the other object, and it disappeared from Toph’s senses. She immediately bent a dirt wall in front of herself. Raiga was not aiming for her though. The mango-peach pit he had taken struck the ground just to the left of Toph, making a hole in the soft soil. Raiga watched as the earthbender flinched, just barely, but it was there.

“Pff, you missed.” Toph groused.

“That was on purpose!” Raiga retorted. “You couldn’t sense that, or else you wouldn’t have tried to shield yourself.”

“And so what?” Toph asked with a shrug. “I may not be able to sense what’s in the air, but I can still tell when you’re tossing it. Besides, you don’t get points for throwing little seeds at me. You only win if you actually touch me.”

“So, it means that even you’ve got your blind spots,” Raiga shot back with a grin. “And I bet there’s one more…” He jumped from the branch to the thick trunk of the tree, sinking his claws into the bark before climbing upwards.

Toph sensed him as he went higher and higher, swinging from one branch to the next. She frowned as the cat lad gradually faded from her seismic sense. The earthbender sent out a pulse with her chi towards the tree to get a better look.

Raiga was reaching the top of the canopy, but his figure was blurry. The vibrations he was making with every hop on each branch grew weaker the further they had to travel down the trunk and then through the earth. Not only that, but with all the different branches swaying at once, it became difficult to pinpoint where exactly he was.

Eventually, the vibrations stopped. Toph could not sense Raiga anywhere. With a mutter, she began to walk back over to her pot of stew for another helping. A light breeze began to blow over the jungle. She reached for the ladle when-

“SPLURSHT!”

“GAH!”

Out of nowhere something heavy hit the ground behind Toph, nearly giving the old master a heart attack. She caught her breath as her adrenaline spiked, and she took a moment to calm herself down. Upon closer inspection, Toph realized that the object was in fact an overripe mango-peach, now an orange stain on the ground. Toph growled and stomped her foot, shaking the forest around her as she tried to get a better look into the canopy.

“Alright, I’m getting tired of this cat-boy!” The earthbender yelled, her scratchy voice echoing through the trees, but there was no answer. The branches of the mango-trees were swaying in the light breeze, their leaves rustling, but Toph could not sense her adversary. There was a rustling in the canopy, but the trees were so tall that her seismic sense could not reach.

“SPLURSHT!” Another fruit splattered the ground a few feet from Toph. She took a horse stance and readied herself. “SPLURSHT!” Another one fell behind her. The fruit kept dropping around Toph. She could not tell from where, only that they came from above.

More than just fruit began to drop now. Old, dead branches shattered against the jungle floor. Vines fell into loose coils and swayed over the ground. Toph bent a flat plane of earth up and held it above herself. There were so many objects hitting the ground at once now, like rain, and it was beginning to overwhelm her.

Toph had to concentrate if she wanted to sense Raiga. She cleared her mind, tuning out all the random noise and confusion, focusing on the trees. A tree trunk shook as something heavy bounced off from it. It was Raiga, visible to Toph only for a split second. There he was again, on a different tree. Toph could sense him now.

Raiga was jumping back and forth across the perimeter of the clearing, shaking down the mango-peaches with each landing, cutting vines with his claws and tearing off branches to throw down from mid-air. He was trying to confuse Toph’s senses, overload them. A smart strategy, but Toph was too experienced to fall for that.

The earthbender waited and listened, looking for a pattern, and she found it. Toph slammed her fist into her dirt shield, shooting a stone out above her at where Raiga was jumping to. The beast-man growled as the shot whistled by him, just barely missing his head. He had to finish this before Toph could zone in on him, and he one last trick.

Raiga hit a thick tree trunk and latched on with his claws, letting Toph see him. She shot another stone in his direction, and he jumped away just before it struck the tree, wedging into the wood. Toph paid attention to the trajectory of his jump, a necessary skill she had developed. He was going to land on the tree to her right. She timed the speed, readied another stone, and launched it where Raiga would land…

It missed. The stone struck the tree, but Raiga was not there. For a brief moment, Toph was stunned. Raiga had disappeared once more from her senses, but she knew he had to be somewhere. She heard a rustling above, a whoosh of air. Toph steadied her defenses and listened, and then she sensed it.

A thick vine was dragging over the ground. It was hanging from a branch much higher up. Toph could not properly sense it, but she knew something was swinging from it. Her seismic sense did not allow her to tell what was attached. Vines made a poor medium for vibrations, especially loose ones. All she could see was the tail end of the vine, but she knew it had to be Raiga.

Indeed, the beast-man had grabbed a loose vine when he had leapt from the tree, and his momentum was carrying him far and fast. Raiga swung in on Toph at an angle, low enough that he could get under her defenses and reach her. Toph followed the trail of the vine as it whipped around her in a circle. If not for that, he would have been totally invisible, but this was his last shot and he had to take it.

Toph sensed the end of the vine. It was far from her, yet seemed to be picking up speed. She only had seconds to anticipate what was happening. The earthbender could not tell much of it, but she finally noticed the angle of vine’s swing, just before she heard another whoosh of air.

Raiga extended his claws to tag the huge bun atop of Toph’s head. This was it; the moment of truth. It was time for this crochety old hag to taste some humble pie. He was about to win, he was so close…

Until Raiga felt a solid chunk of dirt mash into his ribs. The cat-boy grunted as he was knocked into the air once more. He let go of the vine as he went tumbling over the ground, his momentum sending him skidding. Raiga finally stopped at the edge of the clearing as he rolled onto his back, covered in swamp-filth.

Toph let of a long whistle as she lowered her hand and flattened the ground around her. “You’re smarter than you look kid. You nearly had me, but I am the greatest earthbender there ever was or ever will be.”

“Then it’s a good thing… I’m not… an earthbender…” Raiga said between pants as he slowly raised his arm. Clasped in his claws, he held aloft a green crescent. Toph furrowed her brow as she took notice of it, then her milky white eyes went wide with shock. She touched the top of her head, and in that instant her white bun fell loose. Raiga had snatched her hairband right off her head.

“Wha?! You hairy rascal!” Toph shouted furiously. “Give that back!”

“Not until you tell me where the swamp witch is!” Raiga shouted back as he got to his feet. “I won, so cough it up!”

“That doesn’t count as tagging me!” Toph barked as she stomped her foot and bent a slab of earth at Raiga from below him. He backflipped out of the way, waving the hairband teasingly.

“It so totally does!” Raiga sneered with a toothy grin. “But if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just keep this as a trophy and find the swamp witch on my own. I’ll have proof that I beat the big bad Toph Beifong.”

Toph glared and glowered at the beast-man as he taunted her, but slowly her frown turned upward into a smile, and she burst out in laughter. Raiga was taken back as he watched the earthbender keel over, holding her stomach as she chortled and hooted.

“Ohoh, oh, ahah, sorry kid I just… HAH! I haven’t felt a rush like that in years!” The old woman exclaimed as she began to come down from her adrenaline high. “Finally, someone who uses their head. That vine trick would have impressed Sokka… Ahh, I feel sixty-years younger. Alright Cat-Boy, I’ll tell ya where to find the swamp witch, if only to pay you back for the fun.”

“You will?” Raiga’s ears perked and his tail swished as he dashed up to Toph eagerly. She nodded her head and tied her long hair back into a bun.

“Just gimme my headband back,” Toph asked, and Raiga obliged. She fastened it back on her head and cleared her throat. “Alright, the swamp witch lives… “

“Raiga, there you are!” Came a voice. Raiga looked over to see Korra emerging from the foliage, pushing the vines and leaves out of her face with her staff. Ginger was following behind, wearing the traditional garb of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, and behind her was Varrick recording everything with his mover camera. “You can’t just run off like that, you know how easy it is to get lost in here?”

“Right on time Twinkle-Toes.” Toph said with a smirk.

“Toph! It’s good to see you,” Korra said with a smile. “You’re just the person we were looking for.”

“Huh? I thought we were looking for the swamp witch?” Raiga said as he scratched his head. “Whatever, Toph says she can tell us where she is.”

Toph gave a snort as she tried to keep herself from laughing. Korra growled in frustration as a vein popped from her forehead.

“Raiga, Toph IS the swamp witch!” Korra shouted.

“Wait, she is!?” Raiga asked, bewildered. Toph let out another hearty laugh and wiped a tear from her eye. Raiga bared his fangs as he bristled in anger. “Why didn’t you just say so, you dirty old lady!?”

“And miss out on all that fun? No way,” The earthbender replied. “Why didn’t you just say you knew the Avatar? That would have saved you a lot of trouble.”

“Oh come on, like you would have believed that!” Raiga growled as he crossed his arms and twitched his ears.

“Yes! Yes, I would have!” Toph shouted with indignation. “I’m a truth seer! I know when people are lying!”

The two of them continued to yell and argue as Korra buried her face into her palm. It was going to be a long day.

@wingsfreedom

[dopewastelandbarbarian]

How to Survive Being Reborn Into an RPG, Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

How to Deal With a Blue Slime

                 In a spacious backyard, many children were playing; Most in groups, others alone. All were under the watchful and caring eyes of the Priestess who ran the orphanage. Near a large stump, in a corner hidden away from the others, a pair of children were conversing. From a distance, it may have looked like they were playing with dolls.

               "I... Don't really get what you're saying, Mayumi." Said the young, half-orc, boy. He scratched his head, bald save for a thick but short Mohawk of wavy black hair, in consternation. "That sounds like a really weird dream." He had a simple face, but it was open and honest. His skin was a light green complexion.

               The girl beside him sighed heavily. "Grom. Are you even paying attention to what I'm saying?" She asked, leveling a glare at him. Her red hair was bright in the midday sun, long and flowing like a gentle flame. Her green eyes held far less excitement and emotion, and far more wisdom and experience, than there should be in a child's eyes.

               "This wasn't a dream you dolt. I'm telling you this happened. Like, in reality."

               Grom scratched his chin. "Run it by me again?"

               Another heavy sigh from Mayumi. She picked up the makeshift doll made of straw and twine once more. "Fine. Like I said; this isn't my original body. Back in the other world-"

               "Like, across the sea?"

               "No! Uhg... It's a different reality. I guess... I think. Anyways, it definitely wasn't on the same planet as this world. Also, stop interrupting. So, back in the other world I was a boy. In fact, I was a 26 year old man."

               "But you're a girl. We bathe together so I know!"

               "Stop interrupting." Mayumi grabbed the doll and moved it around a little. "Back in the other world, I was a 26 year old man. There was technology, and computers, and all kinds of awesome stuff. Personally, I liked my life. I pretty much lived at home, by myself. I worked from home, and had everything delivered. I never even had to go outside. Haaa... it was great... Hey!" She snapped her fingers in front of Grom's face, who had clearly started to check out if the glazed look in his eyes was any indication. "Pay attention, damn it! Geeze, you're dense!"

               "Hahaha! Yeah, I am, aren't I?" He chuckled.

               Another glare. "I wasn't praising you, dummy... Anyways... Even though it was pretty awesome in it's own way, I was still kinda depressed, you know? I was lonely. I didn't have any friends to rely on."

               "You got me though! I'm your best friend, right Mayumi?"

               For the first time, she smiled. It was subtle and small, but it was genuine. "Yeah, dum dum, you are." She poked his forehead. "Stop. Interrupting." She picked up the doll again and made it walk. "So, one day, I decided to go for a walk for once; To clear my mind. While I wandered, I eventually found myself at the top of a really tall building." Here she put the doll atop the stump. "I guess they were doing construction or something because the guard rail that's normally around the edge of most buildings that tall wasn't all there. I went to the edge, mostly out of curiosity. I hadn't looked off the edge of a building or cliff since I was a kid." She moved the doll on top of the stump, near the edge. "Well... I guess I had been way more depressed than I realized... because while I was up there I kept thinking about how easy it would be to just... let go and jump."

               She looked up and saw Grom making a face at her. "Hey, hey, don't gimme that look... I'm not gonna do anything stupid like that, okay?"

               "...Promise?"

               Sigh. "Yes. I swear. And even then, when I was thinking those things, it just made me angry at myself. I swore that I was gonna start over and make a better life for myself." Mayumi puffed her chest out a bit, proudly. Then she looked sheepish. "But... I guess a really strong wind kicked up... It, ah... blew me right over the edge."

               "And then?"

               She made the doll fall slowly to the ground. "And then... I died, I guess... I remember falling, and the ground coming up at me really fast... and then... the next thing I knew, I was a baby in this world."

               There was a long silence as Grom took it all in. Then he looked up at her.

               "I, uh... still don't really understand it all though... I mean... Couldn't that all have been a dream or something?"

               Mayumi shrugged. "I guess it's possible... but I have such vivid memories, and... if it were a dream, how would I know all the things I know about this world? I mean... This reality is basically an Role Playing Game."

               "I don't... know what that is?

               "Yeah... I know... but... look!" She held her fist out in front of her, then spread out her fingers. Instantly, a flat, transparent window appeared in front of her. "This! This is a status window! How do you explain this?!"

               Grom looked at her like she was crazy. "Everyone can do that, though. It's just natural. Sister Lana says the gods gave us the ability to see within ourselves. It's called the 'Reflection'."

               "Yeah, I know what it's called, but seriously. It's JUST like a status window in an RPG. It shows you your health, stamina, magic reserves, equipment, items... Everything! Hell, in this world, people can literally gain experience points and increase their attributes and abilities! We can select items we're carrying or equipment we're wearing and equip or un-equip them instantly! How does that make sense to you?!"

               "I'm telling you, that's just normal!" Grom huffed.

               "And I'm telling you it's not!" Mayumi glared.

            The two friends sat there, glaring defiantly at each other for a moment. Mayumi narrowed her eyes and seemed about to say something when she noticed Grom's eyes widening and wandering to just over her shoulder. She started to turn to see what was behind her, but her friend tackled her to the ground just before a thin, gelatinous blue tendril shot past her face.

             The two children scrambled to their feet and backed away quickly from their surprise assailant, Grom dragging Mayumi to safety. When they moved away a good distance, Grom positioned himself between Mayumi and their attacker. From behind, she poked her head around for a better view.

             What greeted her was a blue, opalescent, translucent blob vaguely oval in shape. It was roughly half their size and, now that they had backed away, wasn't making any overt movements towards them.

"What's a Blue Slime doing this far past the Wall?"

Grom looked over his shoulder. "Mayu, get back! I'll protect you!"

            She gave him a flat look. "Look, I appreciate you getting me out of the way and all. Seriously, that was cool. But the Blue Slime is an ambush predator. Now that we're aware of it, it's not particularly dangerous." She stepped out from behind him and furrowed her brows as she scrutinized the slime.

            Grom grabbed her arm. "Then... we should go get Sister Lana, right? She can take care of it... Or she can get a guard from the Wall."

               She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the slime. "We're about as far away from the Wall as we can get. It would take forever. And Sister Lana's a Priestess; she uses healing magic, so she wouldn't have any affect on it."

               Grom snatched up a nearby rock with a grunt. "Then... I'll just smash the thing!"

               "Wait, Grom! Don't do tha-!"

               With a grunt, the boy hurled the rock at the slime. It hit it's mark dead on, and seemed to splatter the thing. "Ha! That wasn't so hard! I bet I could be a guard at the Wall!"

               His celebration was short lived, however, as the slime began to reform quickly. As soon as it did, it began moving towards him.

               "All slimes are basically immune to physical attacks, doofus! I tried to tell you that was gonna be useless..."

               "Bu... but why is it coming towards us now?" he stammered, backing up while still trying to keep Mayumi behind him.

               "Cause you're sweating."

               The comment made him take his eyes off the slime to give her an look of incredulousness. "Cause what?!"

               "Slimes all hunt using different methods. Blue Slimes hunt by sensing bodily fluids coming from their prey. That's how they hone in. Now... how do we take this thing down..."

               Grom looked back at the slime, and twisted up his face in thought. Then he smiled and started snorting like he was trying to clear something out of the back of his throat.

               "Ew. Grom. Cut that out, I'm trying to thin-"

               Suddenly Grom spat out a thick mouthful of mucus off to the side. He was quite proud of the distance.

               "Gross! What's with y-..."

               Mayumi grew silent as she watched the slime change directions towards where Grom's unhygienic projectile had landed.

               "Hey... that was really smart! It's attracted to your... well... yeah... Anyways! That gives me a great idea! Grom, keep it distracted, okay?"

               He nodded enthusiastically, happy to get praised by Mayumi, and began leading it around by spitting on the ground.

               Meanwhile, Mayumi opened her status window again. "Ever since I began learning how this world worked, I've been pouring every last experience point I could scrounge up into my Magic Stat..." She mumbled to herself. "Granted, it's barely been anything; being an orphan and a child doesn't really present a lot of opportunities for monster hunting. But even rats and spiders give XP. So! Let's see if I can pull this off!"

               Grom looked at her with concern. "Sister Lana said your not supposed to use that, Mayu! It's dangerous!"

               "Just keep spitting! I'll be careful!" She opened up her list of Spells. Of course, she only knew one at the moment, and it was barely a spell at all. More like a trick to light candles and fireplaces. "But... If I pour a whole bunch of Mana into it... I might be able to get a nice effect." She looked up to see Grom struggling to work up any spit. "Okay. Enough talking. Lets bag some XP!"

               She selected her "spell" and aimed it at the slime. "Gentle flame, guiding light. SPARK!"

               With just the tiniest amount of mana, Spark could light a candle or other such item. But Mayumi poured every last bit of her miniscule mana reserve into it, creating a much bigger flame that swept across the body of the slime. The slime burst again, but this time quickly dried up and withered into nothingness.

SLIME DEFEATED! GROM AND MAYUMI GAIN 10 EXPERIENCE POINTS!

               Both children saw the words pop up on their status windows and smiled.

MAYUMI HAS GAINED A LEVEL! LEVEL 2 APPRENTICE REACHED!

               "Hmm... So I guess it's true that a kid doesn't get to choose their class levels, huh?" Mayumi frowned. Then she suddenly slumped to the ground as a wave of exhaustion came over her. Grom ran to her and helped her up.

               "Are you okay...?"

               "Ah... yeah... I forgot about Mana Drain. But I had to use it all up or I couldn't be sure to take it out. I'll be fine after I rest. Thanks Grom."

               "Of course! I'll always be there to help you out!"

               This made her smile again as she put an arm around his shoulder to stabilize herself. "Apprentice... I've heard that when kids grow up, they can retrain weaker class levels into stronger ones. If that's the case, I'm already on my way to becoming a mage. Just like I wanted, heh."

               "Hey, Mayumi? How'd you know your Spark would kill it?"

               "Oh. Well Blue Slimes need a lot of moisture to survive. Fire dehydrates slimes like no one's business."

               "You sure know a lot about monsters, Mayu."

               "Well, I've been reading up on all kinds of creatures ever since we got those books donated to the orphanage. Plus, I do have all of my knowledge about games from my previous life. It helps."

               At about that time, the Priestess he children knew as Sister Lana came around the corner. "There you two are!" she exclaimed in a mildly reproaching tone. She daintily lifted her dress enough to walk quickly. "I've been looking all over for you two! Come inside, quickly. We just got word that a couple of small monsters may have slipped past the Wall and made their way into the village. It isn't safe for children right now." The kind young woman tilted her head. "Why on earth are you two grinning at each other like that? And Mayumi! You look exhausted! You've been playing around with your magic again, haven't you! Oh, you two are just..." She sighed the heavy sigh of one who deals with troublesome children on a daily basis.

               She bent down and lifted Mayumi into her arms. "We'll talk about that later. For now, come in. Grom, get in the bath with Mayumi and watch over her will you? That's a good boy. Mayumi, after you get clean you're to have supper and then it's straight to bed for you."

               "But I-!"

               "No buts! I recognize Mana Drain when I see it, missy! Bath, supper, bed." She said the last word in a tone that brooked no argument, while lovingly brushing a stray hair from the girl's face.

               Sister Lana carried the girl into the orphanage with Grom close on her heels. The two children looked at each other ruefully.

               'If I had to be reborn into a strange new world...' thought Mayumi, 'I could have done a lot worse.'