#when a pacifist is pushed to his limits

[goodoldfashionedengineer]

What I love about Mob Psycho 100 is how we have a kind-hearted protagonist but he is still very human and flawed. And it is meant to scare you and throw you of guard but never is it framed as a moral failing.

He is crushed when he is confronted with betraying his moral by killing in order to save those he loves and listening to his master and running away.

And Mob did hurt people with his powers, intentionally, even when we already knew that he was taught NOT to do that and he is very adamant about not to use his powers in order to hurt people! But instead of being angry or reprimanding, Reigen is pissed at the Claw members who cornered him so much that he felt like he HAD to, that there was no other way.

There are a few times where Mob is on the very edge of 'Murderous Intent' and it is other people who pull him out of it.

And they do it because they know how much it would hurt Mob in the end. Because Mob is a good person! Even when he has these moments!

Mogami's trap did take affect on him, he was pushed beyond the limits and he wanted to cause pain because these people have done nothing but hurt him even though he didn't do anything. And he doesn't understand why people are so cruel without any reason.

Mob was not above Mogami, Mogami's plan had succeeded. And Dimple just takes it in as casual as possible. He quickly realises that this is not the real world, that he isn't alone. But it still allowed him to gain a new view on life.

Mob felt ecstatic and fueled by his powers, how strong they made him feel for a hot second during his fight with Toichiro. Until he sees how scared Ritsu is and he gets thrown back to That Day™

Mob is allowed to not be perfect, this icon of purity how you should always be kind AND pacifistic. Not that he doesn't believe that, but he isn't unwilling to bend if the situation really calls for it. It makes him human and all the more relatable in return

[howlsofbloodhounds]

killer meeting reapertale chara when he is abandoned by all people he knows?? good stuff, good angst. just the idea of killer missing his chance with color, being discarded by nightmare, by death's door only to call out for help one last time. and this time, someone actually comes to help him, and it's chara.

they've both been abandoned by the gods. and now in killer's darkest hours, reapertale chara holds out a hand to him.

i think it would be interesting if reapertale chara genuinely likes killer, but still mean to him. they like core frisk enough despite core frisk being a pacifist and a person who always helps people - the total opposite of reapertale chara. would be fun if chara tries to guide killer into being their acolyte, because it isn't different from what killer has been doing.

what would killer think about it though? having a support of a godlike being is advantageous to him, but will they abandon him like others before? there would be a period where killer would constantly mistake reapertale chara as his chara. i wonder if that would trigger him into stage 3 and 4 often. i think reapertale chara would appreciate those stages of him best, though they feel it might not be good to break a valuable tool so quickly.

~ crowshipping anon

I do think the Anaomly would be rather mean to Killer too, but probably moreso in the way high school bully, annoying sibling way with a dash of ‘deities not really relating much to mortals,’ although i think that part may be something Chara learns quick not only because they were once mortal before their Corruption, but because they genuinely like Killer and want him to work with them willingly. So theyll put in the effort from the start.

I can definitely see Chara playing up their favoritism with Killer just to upset Flowey for amusement though 💀. Probably also taking every opportunity to ditch him or leave him behind, even though Flowey always just keeps catching up again.

And given that their drawn to Killer due to their shared Anaomly status, Chara would probably be just as curious in Killer as he is in them, and would probably be very curious about his soul, and eventually, possibly even his codes. How they were changed, how that affects Killer, his Stages, if it can be fixed or altered further.

I do feel like Killer would probably attack them in Stage 3, as i feel he would’ve even been willing to do with Nightmare when in this Stage. But unlike Nightmare who’d probably restrain Stage 3 or use his tentacles to force Killer back into a more desirable Stage, Chara may find it both interesting and amusing.

Perhaps they’d redirect that frenzy on to others such as Flowey, as if both making a peace offering and using Killer’s state to both bully the flower and for some amusement. As well as a chance to study killer more, as they know he has also been doing to them.

I get the vibes that this Chara would utilize Killer as both a tool and an attack dog, when it benefits them, but they aren’t exactly doing it to be malicious nor are they cruel. They do their own fair share of work, and attends to killers mortals needs.

They may struggle to find or realize what killers limits are, simply because killers limits are often pushed by others and he’s figured out how to hide signs of “weakness” such as exhaustion and hunger and they themself aren’t exactly mortal, but i feel they’d only be looking for this information just so they know when to stop and not break him.

I feel like if killer starts worrying about being abandoned again he’d probably close off, detach himself from any emotions about this situation—probably start working on autopilot even and maintaining distance. Probably not even reaching out to touch for any type of reality testing/grounding. Not to mention if he’s still struggling to come to terms with whatever may have happened with Nightmare and Color.

Perhaps that’s how the Anomaly starts trying to get closer. Comforting him in Stage 1 after horrible nightmares or whenever he starts missing home and family and friends—consistently comforting him before ST1 can even think about just ending himself again.

I can see Chara making degrading comments about Nightmare and probably eventually Killer’s Chara the more they learn about the two, saying things like how they didn’t “know what they had” and how their treatment of Killer is simply unneeded and there are better ways to go about it, etc.

[carlyraejepsans]

Yknow, despite how it is impossible by all Ingame options, I wonder how a neutral route with *ONLY* Sans (and Asgore ig) killed would look? Would he count enough as a boss monster (NOT a Boss Monster) to push it from a Queen Toriel ending to an Empress Undyne ending? How would Alphys react (She lost one of her closest friends, but she still has MTT and Undyne around.)? How would Papyrus react (Would he go full angst mode and try close away his heart? Would he become even more of a people pleaser, trying to make sure he doesn't repeat whatever mistake he made with you again? Would he go into denial mode, trying to find Flowey to set things right with him either finding him or not based on what Frisk choses after the FloweyX fight? So many choises), especially with how he seems to Know Something he doesn't let on. I'd imagine that (provided it's a Queen Toriel Ending) Undyne wouldn't be thar affected, sad that Papyrus lost a brother rather than sad that Sans died (she never is close with Sans. She doesn't hate him, but she doesn't know him as more than "Papyrus weird brother" and "My sentry that works the ABSOLUTE bare minimum needed"). I don't think mettaton would appear or be affected, leaving the call pretty limited. So we have Papyrus and Maybe Undyne, with Papyrus probably being... kinda miffed that everything is going along the same, as if Everything hasn't changed. Bonus points if it's Post Dates, leaving a pretty aimless Undyne moving into Sans room, trying to fill a void that she never can. It isn't some threat she can suplex or teach to cook, it's the world being unfair.

(This also would give a pretty Unique Undyne state, being halfway between her "I don't like that you had to kill Asgore, but it's what you had to do" mindset and her more common "You betrayed me in such a soul crushing way it'll affect how I love forever" mindset in most Neutral Endings. I can imagine her actually trying to rationalise it, because the human only killed Asgore (sucks but she Gets It), and... Sans. The easiest enemy, one too weak to make it into the guard, and almost too weak to be a Sentry (Sans would have no reason to reveal Blasters, and his magic would barely scratch the TRUE HERO of the Underground when Karma is factored in. All she would see is surprisingly complex patterns that don't deal even a tenth of her hp). So surely, they had a reason, right? Why else would they do it?)

Forgive any bad writing it's literally 2 AM rn where I am

can't not confess I've thought about it too, but it IS really hard to extend as a concept because there's just... really no way for sans to die outside of the NM run. and I don't mean logistically, i mean character-wise he is so defined by his survival. by his Being There as everything falls apart. the final girl last man standing in the story. so the whole concept immediately falls apart.

undyne wouldn't personally grieve him, seeing as they didn't really know each other, but she WOULD still feel his death on her conscience as she does with every other monster killed in neutral runs. plus, there's her friendship with papyrus to emotionally aggravate things.

papyrus would definitely go into denial. he would be annoyed about him vanishing all of a sudden, then it'd turn to worry, then as his worries become more and more plausible, he'd shut out all rational thought about the subject and pretend everything is alright. i like the idea of him reaching out to flowey, but he'd try to explain his plan while also comtradicting himself all the time in order to never say outloud "sans is dead. we need to fix this"

betrayed undyne... yeah this is where it falls apart again, since you'd have to reason why sans would die (or even instigate a fight at all) in the final corridor during what has so far been a flawless pacifist run.

buuut pushing past the visceral resistance to the concept. i can easily see a scene where the betrayal pushes her to lose it and seek revenge like it does in normal neutral runs, and her looking to papyrus for training help/human destroying plans. and just... meeting a Wall of denial. that would be a harrowing talk. something people don't mention enough is that papyrus sees himself as sans' caretaker as much if not even more than sans does towards him. a world where sans is dead is a world where he failed his brother. it would devastate him. so he clings to anything not to think about it/delude himself. and here comes undyne ready to shatter that fragile hope. it would be a horrible moment between them

but yeah. everything aside, sans would straight up just not die lol.

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort

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Summary: In the aftermath of Detroit's android revolution, Nines grapples with the complexities of his newfound deviancy. As he seeks to establish his place in a newly transformed society, his resolve is put to the ultimate test when he is paired with Detective Gavin Reed—a notoriously volatile human with a well-established hatred for androids—to investigate a series of murders.

While initial impressions of his partner seem to suggest his reputation is well-deserved, the more time Nines spends with him, the more he is forced to challenge his judgments. As they form an unexpected bond, the RK900 is also pushed to examine truths about himself he would much rather seek to forget. (A Retelling of ‘More Than Our Parts’ from the POV of Nines.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 6.4K

Tag List: @sweeteatercat @wedonthaveawhile @ladyj-pl @tentoriumcerebelli @negative-citadel

♡If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know♡

The android's inaugural duty went far beyond his basic training. An HR400 had been discovered deactivated in their apartment at Hartwell Tower. Upon arrival of first responders, foul play was swiftly determined. The case had been delegated to the homicide department, with Nines tasked to assist. 

He understood he should approach the assignment with a degree of enthusiasm or, at the very least, a sense of drive, but he found himself unable to muster either sentiment. This was due to the unpleasant, unforeseen condition attached to it.

While a partnership was not something he took issue with, an objection arose from the identity of his appointed associate. 

Humans could make for contentious company at the best of times—a fact most androids seemed to agree with, albeit with varying degrees of openness. RK800 was a stringent advocate for diplomacy on the matter. That being said, there was one human that even he struggled not to antagonise. 

Detective Gavin Reed had a reputation—among both humans and androids—as being completely insufferable. From their admittedly limited interactions, Nines was inclined to agree. The man seemed to exist in a perpetual foul mood, gearing for a fight at the slightest provocation. All this superfluous aggression came with frequent vulgar quips, which he assumed were meant to be amusing. 

As he marched through the precinct towards Captain Fowler's Office, he wondered what he could have done to upset his superior that warranted such egregious punishment. RK800 trailed beside him, struggling to keep pace with his increasingly brisk stride as he offered words of assurance:

"He's not as bad as he used to be, much less hostile since the revolution—”

Approaching them was another pair of officers, sipping coffee and exchanging pleasantries as they headed for the exit. RK800 repositioned himself while Nines strode on, staunchly unfazed. The officers were forced to veer sharply to avoid a collision, liquid spilling from their cups and forming trails behind them.

“There is no sense in downplaying the issue,” Nines asserted, paying little heed to the women's bewildered stares. “I have seen into your mind, viewed your memories. I know precisely what he thinks of us." 

Despite the older android’s attempts to counter his growing pessimism, it was clear he was exhausting arguments that held any merit. His LED flickered yellow in deliberation, and he paused briefly before continuing. "...Maybe you can be a good influence on him? Help to smooth out his edges." 

For the esteemed 'negotiator' of the RK line, this proved an impressively weak attempt at persuasion. They both knew all too well that his limited social protocol made Nines an unlikely candidate for smoothing out anyone's edges, especially those of a man who seemed to despise him for simply existing. 

Even if he hadn't been provided insight into Reed's numerous acts of animosity towards his counterpart, Nines had already experienced such behaviour firsthand. It started with a tense encounter at the DPD Christmas party and escalated into frequent hostile glares whenever they happened to cross paths.

He was quick to remind RK800 of this, effectively ending the debate. "Given our shared physical attributes, I highly doubt my presence will have any positive impact. If anything, it'll likely encourage him to act with even greater antagonism.”

RK800’s smile had become tremendously strained, pulled taut across his face like a rubber band on the verge of snapping. 

"There’s always a chance he’ll change his mind…and even if he doesn't, just remember this is only temporary.” His typically assured tone wavered, betraying his lack of confidence. As though to compensate for this, he gripped Nines by the shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Also, that Gavin Reed’s opinion holds extremely little value.” 

Upon reaching the windowed cubicle of their superior’s office, Nines peered inside, discreetly observing the occupants. Though the soundproofed panes prevented him from hearing the conversation, he was still able to read their lips. The majority of the inane drivel being spewed from Reed's mouth consisted of tired anti-android rhetoric, with Fowler berating his subordinate for the antipathetic stance. 

"I think you should probably go in," RK800 advised, gesturing towards the door of the office. 

The younger android rejected the notion with a firm shake of his head. "I'll wait until they are finished so I may seek to speak with the captain privately.” 

> So I can more aptly explain why this case should be reassigned immediately. 

"No, I think you should go in now. The Captain is waving at you." 

Upon redirecting his focus, Nines confirmed this to be correct. Captain Fowler was staring at him, flexing his fingers in a beckoning gesture. The tight crease of his brow and pronounced scowl made it clear any insubordination would not be tolerated. 

The android's core body temperature surged, rising until it pooled in his cheeks. With a steady exhale, he released the surplus warmth, determined to uphold a degree of professionalism in the forthcoming exchange. Back straight and shoulders squared, he made his way into the office.

Reed's sour demeanour hardly improved upon his entrance. If anything, it worsened significantly. His indignant slouch grew so pronounced he was in danger of falling off his chair, arms pulled tight across his chest and chin tucked into the fold. 

"This is RK900—I'm sure you've already met.” Fowler regarded his subordinate with a pointed glare as he awaited his response. 

The detective made little effort to acknowledge the android aside from a contemptuous glower cast over his shoulder. His hair was unkempt, sticking up at odd angles, and he was wearing the same shirt as the day before. This was paired with a leather jacket, which Nines doubted had ever been washed, the front pocket containing a crumpled cigarette packet and a pair of sunglasses.

He zoned in on the unusual detail with greater scrutiny. The current temperature outside was 32°F, with persistent overcast and rain. The accessory served no apparent purpose, with the only reasonable assumption being it was present for aesthetic reasons. 

"Yeah, we've met." 

His words were spat with such animosity they seemed to imply their mere acquaintance served as an insult. The cutting syllables sliced through the air, mingled with traces of ethanol. As the component reached the RK900’s olfactory receptors, it triggered a physical assessment:

> SUBJECT — DETECTIVE GAVIN REED.

> 5”9 176 LBS

> PHYSICAL ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS…

> SWOLLEN BLOOD VESSELS IN SCLERA — INDICATIVE OF IRRITATION.

> WATER RETENTION IN FACIAL REGION.

> IMPAIRED CARDIAC AND DIGESTIVE FUNCTIONING.

> BAC CONCENTRATION  -  0.088%

> ANALYSIS COMPLETED.

Nines felt a scowl tug at his lips as he realized just how unequipped his new partner was to fulfil his current duties. 

"...The fuck are you looking at?" The man bared his nicotine-stained teeth in a venomous snarl, his lingering inebriation seeming to inspire additional hostility.

This created an even greater host of challenges than Nines previously anticipated. He responded to Reed with as much civility as he could reasonably muster. As it transpired, this wasn’t a lot. 

"Apologies, Detective. I was determining how you might have arrived at the precinct this afternoon. Your blood alcohol content is 1.1 times over the legal limit."

The underlying accusation had not gone unnoticed, as the detective offered up some weak parody of an excuse. Something about 'taking a cab', as well as allusions to him being a 'plastic asshole'. The RK900 wasn’t paying much attention, far more attuned to the shifting patterns present in his vital signs. 

As he spoke, his cortisol levels spiked, coupled with an elevation in respiratory and heart rate. His deceit proved painfully transparent, and Nines wasted no time in informing him of this. "My sensors indicate that you are lying. It is unsafe for you to operate a vehicle in your current condition. I am surprised you were not involved in an accident."

A ruddy tone tinged the man's sallow complexion as his heart rate continued to escalate. Then he stood from his chair and began to advance towards him. His hands were balled into fists, knuckles turning white. "If you don't shut your mouth, you're going to be the one in a fucking accident."

The man was not permitted to escalate matters beyond this initial threat, as their superior sternly intervened. " Enough , Reed."

This interruption proved extremely fortunate for the detective, whether or not he realised it. Nines had no issues defending himself physically, in spite of his inability to feel pain—unlike his predecessor, who would likely humour the efforts by permitting a blow or two. 

The contentious man emitted a short, strangled noise as if gearing to defend himself until he was cut off again:

"You've been assigned your case, and you have your address.” Fowler gathered the loose papers strewn across his desk, aligning them against the wood with a firm tap. “Now, get out of my office before I fire you both." 

The detective's bizarre utterances persisted, stuttered through the clumsy flaps of his slackened jaw. Then, as if a moment of clarity had broken through his frustration, his gaze shifted to the ground and he fell silent. 

The respite this granted proved disappointingly brief—as with a final, aggrieved grunt, the man angrily stormed away. Each of his steps echoed harshly against the polished floorboards until the door had been slammed firmly behind him.

In the aftermath, Nines found himself presented with an opportune moment to voice his concerns. He hadn't so much as parted his lips, however, before Fowler sternly dissuaded him. 

"I don't want to hear it." His fingers flitted towards the exit with a dismissive half-wave. "Reed is enough of a headache already. I'm trusting you to keep him in check." 

It was clear that cracks were beginning to show in the android's stoic veneer, as once the captain caught sight of his expression, his gruff demeanour softened—if only slightly. 

"...Consider it a chance to prove yourself.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling under his breath. “With any luck, you'll both learn something from this experience.”

Nines wasn't entirely sure what he had meant by this, but he knew there would be little point in protesting. Humans could prove frustratingly stubborn, even if their decisions defied any logic. With any luck, Reed would do his job for him in proving his unsuitability. Until then, he would be forced to endure the arrangement as best he could.

As he entered the entrance hall, a barrage of system errors assaulted him. Each step toward his partner seemed to compound the issue, prompting him to draw on a self-regulation tactic learned from RK800:

> CONSIDER THE POSITIVES.

While he struggled to discern any positives in his current situation, Nines conceded that perhaps the detective might exhibit a modicum of professionalism in fulfilling his official duties. Even if the change was minor, it would certainly prove welcome.

Despite the overwhelming temptation to maintain their current distance, the android quickened his pace, coming into step with his partner. "I suggest we take an automated dispatch vehicle, or you allow me to drive. I would prefer to make it to the crime scene in a single piece."

Reed's initial response seemed promising, employing only sparse vulgarity and lacking his usual combativeness. "Do whatever you want, like I give a shit—” 

Any hope the man may prove amenable persisted for the length of time it took him to pause for breath. The emergent optimism was shattered the moment he chose to reopen his mouth.

"—Just don't expect me to stroke your dick because Fowler wants me to play nice."

Nines could only assume this was hyperbole rather than a serious proposition, but it proved difficult to discern. He couldn't imagine the joke would be any funnier were he able to grasp it fully. "I had no expectation that your cooperation would involve sexual favours, Detective.”

Reed ground to an abrupt halt—as though welded to the floor. His mouth gaped open in disbelief, and his eyes bulged to unnatural proportions. “...It's a figure of speech, dipshit.”

A wave of relief crashed over the android. The man’s abrasive demeanour was irksome enough in a professional context; envisioning intimacy between them proved deeply unpleasant. "Regardless, it seems wildly inappropriate for a workplace environment. We have an investigation to attend to."

Despite the fact they were already late in attending to these duties, Reed had insisted on taking a 'smoke break' prior to their departure. This extended far beyond what could be considered reasonable, leading Nines to conclude he was doing it deliberately. He smoked the cigarette in long, exaggerated drags, emitting loud sighs of contentment with every puff. 

By the time they had finally entered the car, the RK900 was left profoundly frustrated, and a tense hush had settled between them. Most of the vehicle's processes were automated, meaning he had little distraction from the persistent annoyance in the passenger seat. 

The forced proximity did not help, as his sensory receptors were overwhelmed by a constant slew of information. This included the potent smell of tobacco clinging to the detective’s clothes and the restless tapping of his fingers against the console.

Accessing the dispatch report that had been left dormant in his cranial processor, he attempted to dismiss the superfluous data and redirect his attention to more pressing matters:

> ACCESSING FILE… DPD_internal_437689.txt

> FILE ACCESSED. 

According to the report, the victim had lived on the fourth floor of their building. While not impossible, it would have been difficult for an assailant to break in due to the height. Beyond the lobby of the building was a steel-inforced security gate with a fob-activated panel for residential access. With a lack of forced entry also cited in the initial statement, it seemed likely that the culprit was known to the victim—or, at the very least, had been permitted access willingly.

> CLOSING DOCUMENT…

As Nines' vision returned to him, he became aware of two factors. The first was that the vehicle had come to a stop, and the second was that his partner was no longer in it.

Following a cursory scan of his surroundings, he located his colleague standing along the perimeter of the Hartwell Building, leaning across a police barricade. In close proximity stood a well-dressed woman, whom his facial recognition software identified as Teagan Rodgers—a Field Reporter for Channel 16.

Honing in on the unfolding scene, he noted that Detective Reed appeared to be grappling with Miss Rodgers for possession of her microphone. In the midst of their altercation, the device recoiled, striking the centre of her chest with a sharp thud. 

Undoubtedly, this was precisely the type of incident Captain Fowler had been alluding to when he advised Nines to keep his partner ‘in check.’ He could only speculate on the irreparable damages Reed might inflict on the department's reputation were he allowed to continue. With begrudging acceptance of the prior instruction, he exited the vehicle. 

Nines approached the detective, who now stood with his back angled towards the car. The reporter noticed him first, rouged complexion turning pale as he entered her line of vision. She had frozen in place, lips clamped shut, as a manicured hand hovered inches from Reed's nose.

While he hadn't been able to see them previously, he noted two more figures present. One was a currently unidentified man in a DPD-issue uniform, while the other was a GB200 dressed in similarly formal attire to the reporter. As she locked sights with Nines, her body adopted a similar state of paralysis. Her LED shifted to red as her dark eyes widened in fearful acknowledgement.

It was an expression that felt all too familiar, one he had seen previously—

> WARNING.  

> MEMORY FILE CORRUPTED. 

> CRITICAL ERROR HAS OCCURRED  —  URGENT ACTION REQUIRED.

Nines struggled to retain stability in the wake of the cognitive glitch, stumbling back and clutching his head. By the time his optics had sharpened, both the human and android reporter had made a speedy retreat. The matching clicks of high-heeled shoes were just barely audible as Nines darted into a news van, disappearing from view.

Reed and the unknown officer watched on, staring at the doors of the van. It wasn't until the detective turned around that his confusion appeared to shift to envy. No doubt, he would have happily accompanied the woman in hiding from his partner had he been made aware of his presence sooner. 

"I suggest we make our way to the crime scene," Nines informed, glossing over the frosty reception. "We are wasting valuable time."

A squeaked yelp was uttered in response, which he was fairly confident had not originated from Detective Reed. Held in his grasp, gripped by the shoulder, was the other ‘officer’—who the android now recognised as a trembling juvenile dressed in an ill-fitting uniform. Evidently, a new recruit.

The young man was noticeably shorter than his partner, an impressive feat considering the former's less-than-imposing stature. This, coupled with the childlike softness of his features, did nothing to minimise the aura of helplessness he was exuding.

A quick scan confirmed his identity, as well as his current physical state—the outlook for which was less than promising. "Officer Lewis Andre, you appear to be unwell. Your complexion is sickly and pallid, and your heart rate is elevated."

The man flinched in response to the address, the passive jitters that racked his body worsening significantly. A fine sheen of perspiration had bloomed on his forehead, and he appeared to be struggling to hold himself upright. Nines soon began to suspect that Andre was suffering from a mental ailment rather than a physical one. 

"Your stress levels are indicative of emotional instability," he said plainly, monitoring the man's respiratory rate for signs of hyperventilation. "I suggest that you fulfil your duties in escorting us to the crime scene and then excuse yourself so you may consult a psychiatric professional."

"Right, uh, yes…of course, sir." The officer made a weak gesture toward the building’s entrance, avoiding eye contact. "The victim's apartment is on the second floor. He was an HR400, a former Traci, went by the name of Jason."

"We already know this.” 

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Andre and Reed regarded him with looks of mirrored confusion. It seemed he was speaking for himself on the matter, a testament to just how little his partner had invested in ensuring he was informed of the case details. 

The android resisted the exasperated sigh that threatened to pass from his lips before continuing his address to the younger officer. "Show us the crime scene.” 

As Andre led the way, Nines followed closely in the interest of catching him should he decide to faint. Reed showed none of the same motivation, lagging behind at a rate so sluggish he almost appeared stationary—and forcing his colleagues to wait in the lobby as he sought to catch up.

Both men were proving themselves to be inconvenient in furthering the RK900’s directive, albeit in their own uniquely frustrating capacities. 

Mercifully, the journey to their desired location was not subject to further delay. After a brief ascension in the elevator, the chrome-plated doors parted, revealing the fourth floor of the complex. Nines briskly exited, following a prominent stretch of caution tape along the landing until he had reached the victim's apartment, indicated by a partially opened doorway and weathered number plate.

He directed a curt dismissal to the fractious youth behind him, who was twiddling the hem of his jacket, wrinkling the already rumpled material:

“You may leave now, Officer Andre.” 

With another nervous yelp, Andre promptly scurried away, disappearing out of view. Reed glared at his partner relentlessly as they crossed the threshold into the crime scene; animosity exuded from his demeanour with even greater prominence. Nines was uncertain what had inspired this, although he bore it little consideration. 

Upon entering, one of the first things he noted was a series of faint scratch marks on the panelled floorboards. They formed a sprawled formation in five concurrent lines and followed an ongoing trajectory further into the home. With this path came traces of Thirium embedded into the grooves.

Then, the trail stopped, replaced by blunt scuffs which stretched the remaining length of the walkway. They concluded at the foot of a nearby door, at which several forensic photographers appeared to be taking records. 

"You know, humans generally don't like it when you treat them like shit."

A notification flagged on his HUD, disrupting his analysis in order to inform him that Reed wished to speak. Regrettably, he was already aware.

After a brief deliberation, he realized the man was likely referring to his interactions with Andre. He glanced up, refocusing his optical units, and offered a perfunctory response. 

"I believe I treated that officer fairly. If he cannot handle the pressures of high-stakes police work, he should reconsider his profession."

Reed reacted poorly to the suggestion, his already surly expression etched with disapproval. Given his inability to conduct himself outside of the duress of personal biases, it came as no surprise that the rationale eluded him.  

"I'm sorry that people don't pop out of the factory perfect and ready to go.” The words were spat aggressively, laced with palpable vitriol. "They need a chance to grow and improve. I wouldn't expect you to understand, but a little compassion wouldn't hurt."

Of all his lacklustre attempts at humour, it was at that moment—when the man had intended to be taken seriously—that Nines found him the most amusing. "That is an interesting assertion, detective. Especially coming from yourself.” 

"...What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I find it odd that you, of all people, would assert the need to show kindness to others. Given your history of aggressive and inflammatory behaviour."

A silence followed, and Nines took the opportunity to progress his suspended analysis. Through the critical scope of his optics, he noted the scattered array of magazines gathered at his feet. He determined the source to be a nearby table, which had been callously overturned.  

The victim had attempted to block their assailant, likely in hopes of escaping, but the efforts had proved unsuccessful. A blue splatter on the adjacent wall suggested the android had been struck before being dragged in a forceful manoeuvre back through the apartment. 

"I'm plenty nice, you prick. I just tell things like they are."

"Quiet, please." 

Electric pulses charged his mind as threads of cognition began to connect, forming a timeline. To resolve any potential errors in the developing chronology, the android lowered himself, scooping a sample into his mouth. 

"Oh, what the fuck—" 

In a shamelessly petulant display, the man began performing an exaggerated gagging gesture. Given the lack of significant change in his vital readings, Nines surmised the physical aversion was greatly exaggerated. "Why the hell did you do that?"

The subsequent readings supported his theories, and the reconstruction was finalised, ready for review. He stood from his knelt position, satisfied, as he smoothed out any creases in his clothes. "It is necessary for the investigation." 

"How is that necessary? We can see its blue blood; you don't have to put it in your mouth."

"The data from my internal analysis can provide valuable insight into the case, such as allowing me to scan for traces with the same forensic profile." 

He hoped the simplified explanation might succeed in penetrating the bounds of the detective’s weaponized incompetence. It did not, with Reed quick to dismiss him, raising his arms belligerently as he did so. "Well, best of luck with that. I can't see any more blue blood, can you ?"

"As it happens, I can. Thirium evaporates after a few hours of air exposure. However, it can still be detected with the correct equipment, such as myself."

"Wow, I'm so impressed.” The droning retort was punctuated by a childish eye roll, so profoundly exaggerated that he was in danger of severing his optic nerves.

Nines was uncertain why, but it was this particular presentation of the man's remarkably foul attitude that finally breached the walls of his tolerance. 

There was something deeply infuriating about witnessing a thirty-six-year-old man—and a police detective, no less—throwing what could only be defined as a temper tantrum in the middle of a crime scene. Were he seated in a stroller, Nines was confident there would be multiple toys littering the floor.

"Your sarcasm does not elude me, Detective,” he informed, exercising a tremendous deal of restraint as he spoke. “I am also displeased with our current partnership, but rather than waste our time with snide remarks, I suggest you listen to me so we may progress our investigation."

Despite his efforts, it was evident that some emotional weight had coloured his tone. Reed gawked back at him, brow raised in surprise. "The fuck did you just say to me?"

A cascade of blue enveloped the room, flickering walls of code drawing like curtains. They cleared his field of vision of any unnecessary obstructions, and the virtual stage was set. The simulated struggle between killer and victim began to play out as Nines attempted to direct the belligerent man's attention in line with their movements:

"There is a trail leading from the entranceway and extending towards the back end of the apartment. The rate of evaporation present in the corresponding Thirium traces suggests that the attack was finished here.” 

When the simulation ended, he looked to his partner to see if he had anything to contribute. Judging by his face, he had failed to ascertain any of the deductions that had been presented to him and was receiving this revelation with a potent air of resentment.  

He tucked his arms across his chest in a defensive gesture and grumbled under his breath. "Alright, smartass. So if the attack ended here, then where is the body?" 

> I can't imagine the perpetrator took it with him, detective.

>  I suspect you will find there is a correlation between the location of the victim and the congregation of forensic officials roughly 75 meters away from you.

Nines relented on this response, as per prior guidance he had received from RK800. When dealing with humans, a direct approach was not always the most productive, given their propensity to view such assertions as 'combative.' 

This made little sense to him, but he trusted his predecessor's judgment on the matter. Whilst his tempered reply diverged widely from what he had wished to say, the substance remained mostly unchanged:

"The oldest marks take the form of nail-like drags before adopting properties more consistent with the dragging of a heavy object. It would suggest that the android was moved after shutting down."

"Oh please, like anyone would be able to move one of those things. They weigh a ton—"

“Detective Reed, RK900." 

Their exchange was cut short by a rogue voice smoothly addressing them. Nines confirmed it as belonging to Colton Sanders, a Senior Forensics Investigator who had been assigned to oversee current operations. 

It was intriguing to witness just how dramatically Reed's demeanour shifted. His prominent scowl softened into a far more personable grin as he hurriedly shifted away from his partner, closing the gap between himself and the encroaching figure. 

"Sanders, how the hell are ya?" The greeting was punctuated by a clap on the shoulder, which the android presumed was a sign of affection. "Am I glad to see some good old-fashioned flesh and blood."

The tenuously concealed slight did not go amiss as the detective levelled a sharp glare from across his shoulder. Nines made a point of ignoring this, and a conversation commenced between the two men, to which he remained vaguely attuned. 

Truthfully, he was happy to have his partner's attention redirected, as it permitted him a welcome reprieve in the confines of his mind palace. Scanning through the magazines, his HUD filled with details of their contents. Whilst this did not prove especially relevant, what did strike as interesting was the object partially obscured beneath the blanket of glossy pages. 

"...what are we looking at here?”

Sifting through the pile, he retrieved the item as the light of a nearby camera flash caught against its polished surface. It was a tablet - display consisting of heavily splintered glass and a damaged LCD fitted beneath. As he glided a thumb testingly across the screen, it flickered to life, revealing several unopened notifications. The titles suggested the item had most likely been used as a personal organizer. 

He retracted the synthetic skin of his hand, preparing to examine the discovery further. This was an action he soon regretted, as once his exposed chassis had pressed to the breadth of the spidered glass, his mind was flooded with a slew of questionable material. 

Clearly, the tablet had been used for more than scheduling purposes, as the internal storage was filled with extensive audio-visual files. The majority of these depicted their victim engaged in explicit intimate encounters. 

Analytics were prompted autonomously, and he scowled grimly as the scan informed him that one of the numerous participants—a 35-year-old Fredrick Carlton—was most likely suffering a protein deficiency, given the composition of the genetic material he was expelling.

"... so many potential DNA profiles that it'll take a couple of days to cross-check."

"Why so many?"

He promptly deactivated his forensic functions, not wishing to be subjected to any more unsolicited analyses. To his relief, the gratuitous exposure to nudity hadn't been in vain, as he eventually found what he had been searching for. Something that might actually prove useful. 

"I believe this will answer your question." Standing from his crouched position, he gestured towards the tablet, prompting Sanders and Reed to join him. Upon bypassing password protection, the device unlocked, illuminating the men's faces in a soft glow and permitting them a visual of its less egregious contents. 

"The victim had recently viewed his electronic diary: It contains a list of names with corresponding dates and times. The document is titled 'Clients'.”

With the diary's purpose made apparent, Reed received his subsequent revelation with all the poise and eloquence Nines had come to expect. He laughed—if the noise produced could be defined as one. It was a harsh, grating sound which lingered in the air long after it concluded.

"The android retired from the Eden Club to pursue a career as an escort? Oh man, that's fucking priceless ."

Officer Sanders regarded the matter with a greater degree of respect, although he appeared somewhat uncomfortable, evident in the peculiar inflections in his reply. "Yeah, so with the volume of…‘clients’...we've got our hands pretty full."

"You and the blacklights."

Another cruel snicker followed, seemingly as a self-congratulatory gesture for the tasteless remark. Deciding he had endured enough of the irksome provocation, Nines adjusted the settings on his auditory processors. Reed's abrasive tones became increasingly muted until they were drowned by a steady hum of static.

> ACCESSING CASE OVERVIEW…

In light of all that had been established, it seemed the perpetrator had most likely posed as a prospective client in order to gain the victim’s trust. Scanning through the bookings, there was one in particular that seemed to align conspicuously well with the timeline. 

While the HR400 had not been given time to upload footage from his most recent encounter, the RK900 hoped that his cranial and optic processors had sustained minimal damage in order that they may be accessed. While shutdown had likely caused a degree of corruption, there was still a chance of recovering snippets that could prove valuable. 

A thorough examination of the body would tell for certain. 

> FILE UPDATED.

After reconfiguring his drivers, eliminating the audio feedback, he was able to pick up on the ongoing exchange between Reed and Sanders:

"The window in the bedroom was wide open. There's guttering on the side of the building that the perp could have used to shimmy down."

"Anything on the drainpipe?"

"Can't say, I'm afraid. It's been raining cats and dogs all day, so any DNA evidence that might have been there is long gone."

It became apparent the men's deductions were lagging rather significantly behind his own. Rather than wait for them to catch up, which he feared may be a lengthy process, Nines opted to interject. He’d long since exhausted his patience with the unnecessary delays the day had subjected him to, wishing to move on from his current location as quickly as possible. 

"It only started to rain heavily at 2:34 p.m. this afternoon,” he plainly informed. “With this in mind, as well as consideration for the evaporation rate of the Thirium, it would be safe to assume that the crime occurred approximately two hours ago."

Turning in the direction of the android, the more personable of the two men paused before offering a hum of acknowledgement. 

"That would line up with the witness reports,” he confirmed, rubbing his fingers along the length of his peppered beard. “A neighbour called the police around lunchtime, citing a domestic disturbance."

"With our current time frame in mind, our culprit is most likely a scheduled client by the name of 'THOD GRAWS.” Nines stored the HR400’s client records to his memory banks, preparing them for upload to the precinct database. Having exhausted the use of the victim's tablet, he removed his palm from its screen and set it down on the arm of a nearby couch.

Unsurprisingly, it was Detective Reed who sought to rebuke the validity of this assessment. "I doubt he was stupid enough to use his real name,” he droned, brow furrowed sceptically. 

"It is highly improbable, but it will be interesting to see if any of the DNA profiles collected match our criminal databases. There is a possibility that we may find someone known for using the same, or a similar, alias."

"Instead of dicking around with dead leads, how about we check out the body?" In another deliberate snub, Reed pivoted on his heel, turning his attention back to Sanders. "Mind showing us the way?"

"Sure thing,” the older man agreed, albeit his voice was tinged with a small hint of resignation. “Just warning you now, though, it isn't pretty…"

"The victim was an android. How bad can it be? No blood, no guts, no smell —come on, Colt, I'm a big boy. I can take it.”

As Sanders led them deeper into the home, his team cleared a path, permitting them access to the door that remained conspicuously shut. Several officers appeared uneasy as their superior reached for the handle, leading Nines to speculate on what could elicit such a response from individuals well acquainted with the darkest aspects of humanity.

He was not left to dwell on this long, however, as the passage was pulled open. Establishing a lead over his cohorts, he strode purposefully across the threshold, readying to commence inspection of the primary crime scene.

The first thing he noted was the crudely penned message scrawled across the adjacent wall. The lettering was harsh and jagged, which seemed fitting given the sinister content:

SUCKS COCK IN ANDROID HELL.

He recorded a handwriting sample before turning his attention to the remainder of the room. From here, the reason for the forensics team's aversion soon became apparent.

The HR400 had been displayed above his bed; limbs affixed to the curtain rail in a cruciform position. Across his abdomen was a large laceration, with his lower body having undergone severe mutilation—sexual components missing. Both ocular units had also been removed, leaving vacant cavities. 

Thirium fanned across the bed, which had been stripped of its linen, flowing in steady streams from the gaping hole in the victim's stomach. Surrounding the liquid in a circular pattern was what appeared to be a series of photographs. 

Nines moved forward, seeking greater vantage before gingerly pressing his hand to the side of the android's cranial chassis. A subsequent review of the neural processor confirmed the component to be heavily compromised, with any information stored garbled beyond the point of recovery. 

As he removed his hand from the mangled cranium, a terse scoff emanated from behind him, followed by a snarked quip:

"Charming." 

He assumed this to be in reference to the grotesque condition of the victim. This seemed profoundly disrespectful, even when considering the man's bigoted ideology. The RK900 shifted towards his partner, prepared to voice this before discovering he was still idling in the doorway. 

The man scratched the side of his jaw, leaning in closer to examine the clumsy inscription. "Looks like we've got a real wordsmith on our hands.”

“Detective,” he said sternly, dissuading the tedious commentary as he sought to redirect his focus.

Reed swivelled towards him, and Nines watched the smug sneer that had been prevailing on his face promptly fall, morphing into something far more subdued. Clearly, he had overestimated his mettle in confronting the scene, as the synthetic carnage proved more unsettling than anticipated.

"Jesus fucking Christ…" 

Sanders mumbled some form of jaded agreement before directing Reed towards the bed. "You might wanna take a look at those photos,” he suggested, sunken face marred by a deep-set grimace.

As his partner began to study the pictures, Nines proceeded to survey the wider area surrounding the body. Traces of biofluid stretched beyond the length of the mattress, filling a scope no longer visible outside of his chemical sequencing. 

"Any luck finding its eyes and...you know..."

"Looks like the guy must have taken 'em, like a sick prize or something.”

The RK900 was disappointed to discover there were no fingerprints, suggesting the culprit had been wearing gloves. As his focus reached the end of the trail, he felt his cognitive processes stall, giving way to something beyond his rationalised analysis. 

"...There is another message. Written in Thirium."

Reed appeared somewhat perturbed as he awaited elaboration, although an effort was made to conceal this. He jutted his chin upwards in a forged show of bravado.  "What does it say?”

Another rogue sentiment flagged in the RK900’s mind. Attempting to press to the front of his consciousness, exerting control over his functions. He fought to suppress it as he slowly began to read out the message:

"I KNOW YOU CAN READ THIS. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU FILTHY MACHINES IS RIPPED APART."

> NEW FILE GENERATED — HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE.

Nines considered the meticulousness with which the crime had been carried out. The degree of care exercised to avoid leaving evidence and the efficiency with which dismantlement had been performed. Any incidental injuries appeared purposeful, inflicted as knowing, malicious desecration.

"This is not the first time our culprit has acted in violence towards androids—and it certainly will not be the last.” He turned to address the men behind him, who were suspended in tense silence. “If we do not apprehend them soon, I anticipate there will be many more victims.”

[fursasaida]

[same article as this post, different excerpt]

Emma Saltzberg: When Israeli state actors were trying to influence the American Jewish conversation, what did that look like? What kind of activism were they targeting?

Geoffrey Levin: One of the main figures in the book is Don Peretz, a pacifist-leaning American Jew who volunteered to help displaced Palestinian Arabs in Israel in 1949, wrote the first dissertation on Palestinian refugees, and later became a major scholar on the subject. In 1956, the AJC hired Peretz to be their first Middle East consultant, and he wrote pamphlets for them about Arab refugees that did not rule out return as part of a possible solution. Later that year, Israeli diplomats pushed the AJC to fire him. The AJC compromised by allowing Peretz’s writings for them to be looked over—or censored—by the Israelis. Eventually, the AJC did push Peretz out. Israeli diplomats also successfully lobbied the London-based Jewish Chronicle, as well as several mainstream American Jewish publications, to disaffiliate with their longtime writer William Zukerman because he repeatedly wrote about the Palestinian refugee problem and was upset about refugees not being able to return.

A lot of these figures they went after, including Zukerman and Peretz, were not radical anti-Zionists. But Israeli diplomats were actually more concerned about these people who were operating within the American Jewish mainstream, because during its early years Israel relied heavily on American Jewish financial and political support. And they were afraid that the American government might pressure Israel to accept a limited refugee return, which they opposed because they wanted to maintain a larger Jewish demographic majority and to avoid having to return land to its previous Arab owners. So they didn’t want the American Jewish community wavering on its opposition to that. As far as Israel was concerned, it was best if American Jews just didn’t talk about Palestinian refugees at all—unless they were repeating Israeli talking points.

ES: What about the CIA and Arab state actors? How were they trying to influence American discourse on Israel/Palestine?

GL: Surprisingly, one of the main reasons American Jews were thinking about Palestinian refugees in the mid-1950s is because this CIA-funded anti-Zionist organization called the American Friends of the Middle East (AFME) was raising awareness about the Palestinian cause. This was part of the Eisenhower administration’s effort to create more political space to push Israel to make concessions to Egypt to help them court Arab nationalist Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser as an anti-Communist ally. In the US, AFME ran propaganda campaigns against Zionism. Many of its members were white American Protestants, though AFME also sponsored the creation of the Organization of Arab Students. So the first national American Arab student organization was funded with CIA money, though the students didn’t know that; they were just advocating for their cause.

There were also Arab state actors who were advocating for Palestinians in the US; I focus on the work of Fayez Sayegh, who was running the Arab League office in the US for a short period in the mid-1950s. At that moment, there was a hope amongst some in the American foreign policy establishment and some more conservative Arabs—often Christian like Sayegh—that America and the Arabs would align to counter Soviet influence in the Middle East. But by the ’60s, and especially by the ’70s, that dream was falling apart as Cold War alliances solidified. And so you had Arab states and the Palestinians moving in an anti-US direction, turning toward Third World alliances and alignment with global anti-colonial struggles. In fact, In the early ’70s, that Arab student group that was first funded by the CIA ended up being monitored by the FBI.

[phoenixyfriend]

AU ask: Satine Lives

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it

I think she deserves a cool facial scar. As a treat.

Running with the Rebellion. She's too powerful a symbol to be allowed to take her seat as Duchess back, especially if she decides to work with Bo-Katan; pacifism may be incredibly important to her, but there is a limit to how far you can push someone before they engage in self-defense, and even as ardent a pacifist as Satine will rally her people to survive the Empire. With her and Bo working together, they can do a lot... and that's why the Empire will absolutely not allow either of them to become leader of Mandalore again. (So it goes to Korkie, who the Empire believes is little more than a puppet. They think they know about his little violations of the law, and so they miss the big ones, like smuggling force-sensitive children and O66-survivors away from the Empire.)

She doesn't know Obi-Wan is alive, because Bail forgot to get permission to tell her, until 10 years post-RotS... when Bail invites her to greet "Ben" and Leia on their return to safety on Alderaan. She promises to visit him, if there's a chance.

(She doesn't. Instead, he visits her. Satine is far more likely to be tracked to Tatooine than he is, after all.)

She still doesn't pick up a blaster, though; canon gives us some pretty solid evidence for her PTSD preventing her from being any use at it. However, she's very convincing and is very good at getting on-the-fence politicians on the Rebellion's side... and donating credits, rations, and transports to the cause. (Some even donate weapons. She... tries to ignore that part. She lets it happen, but... it hurts.)

[raayllum]

Theory time: There's been a lot of mirroring between Viren and Callum. What if Viren's relationship with Harrow starts to mirror Callum and Ezran? Something happens, Ezran snaps at Callum in a similar way to what Harrow did with Viren. Ezran apologizes afterwards though and they make up, but it's still just another push towards Aaravos

I have a lot of thoughts about the generational parallels between Viren-Harrow and Callum-Ezran. If you want more thoughts on Ezran's side of things / where I think it may go in S6 check out this meta I wrote here <3 We also have confirmation after the fact in a recent interview with Aaron Ehasz that the brothers will indeed have conflict in future seasons:

Aaron: You know, we’re gonna see Ezran face some of the limits of his idealism, of his pacifist stance, and see what — where that takes him.  Interviewer: I’m actually really excited about that! My one like little wishlist thing is I kind of want, um, I’ve always wanted Ezran and Callum to have like a sincere argument about something, and for Ezran to pull rank on him, a little bit almost like a callback to his own father and Viren. Probably not to that extent, but in a way it’d be very similar, and there were a lot of callbacks I know in season five back to season two. Aaron: Right. Harrow says in I think the second episode, “a child is freer than a king,” so in some ways he [Ezran] has moved backwards, right? He’s taken on responsibility and constraints that have made his life harder. Yeah, to your point about conflict between Callum and Ezran, I think we actually talked about that briefly when in season five, when they’re deciding what to do next, and they end up voting — Rayla ends up voting, deciding kinda two versus one, what they’re going to do, so we didn’t have it be Ezran going “well I’m the king and I get to make—” but I will say that a version of what you’re wishing for and a one-on-one conflict between the two of them could happen, and how do they resolve it? They’re brothers, they’re equals, but also Ezran is the king, so what does that lead to?

The thing about Viren and Harrow is that at the same time, they both absolutely needed each other, and that simultaneously, there was no world where their choices around dark magic didn't ultimately rip both of them apart at the seams (which is arguably the main narrative purpose of dark magic, but anyway). Harrow is very principled and idealistic, and that's not a bad thing, but you have to also surround yourself with counterbalances; for him that was Viren and Sarai, allowing him to land somewhere the middle (willing to do the Magma Titan mission with ultimately very few moral reservations, but not willing to leave the wounded behind). And at the same time, Harrow's presence in Viren's life kept him tethered to something at both better ("I need to be the man he once believed I could be") and worse (an unrepentant dark mage) than what he became: a man who had forsworn both. There was no world, I think, in which Viren could've done dark magic and stayed at Harrow's side and been fine, mostly because of the growing resentment between them (Harrow towards Viren for living, in some ways, and Viren towards Harrow for not seeing/appreciating Viren's been slowly dying for him, over things neither ever actually asked or wanted the other person to ever do, lmao).

All of this to say that Callum and Ezran, likewise, do need each other. Callum is able to cut his losses (is the first to want to leave Rex's lair), make hard choices (smashing the primal stone), and see/understand angles no one else really does (various plans and scenes in particular). Callum's immense loyalty to Ezran means that he'll follow his brother's lead and be guided subsequently by Ezran's compassion/duty-bound attitude (following his lead in 1x03 over the egg in the first place). Without Ezran, Callum would've focused on a potential 'solution' (even when the wording of the poem can be read in a few different ways) gone chasing after the Nova Blade, which would've taken time and left the prison ultimately unguarded, leaving an ultimately violent end their only option. (Given enough time/reveal spells, Claudia likely would've been able to find said prison or just taken the pearl accidentally anyway, I think.)

The boys, likewise, don't have the same societal/economic baggage that Viren and Harrow do, either within their relationship ("You are a servant of Katolis") or within themselves ("I see you've overcome the limitations of your upbringing" / "What did I do except be born with everything?"). And in a lot of ways the personality clashes that tore Viren and Harrow apart are far more akin to the ones Callum and Rayla have had, respectively ("Ah, so that's what this is really about: pride" / "You're going to stay here and die out of pride?!").

However, the boys do have something that has both been something that helps resolves their conflicts and will likely exacerbate them: Rayla. The impending assassination is the first thing that splits the brothers apart, and Rayla keeps Callum more tempered in particular ("Callum, back off!") in a similar manner that Ezran helps keep him tempered, too ("If she'd been here the last two years" "Callum!"). Rayla also resolves their burgeoning conflict in 5x05 over whether to go get the Nova Blade by siding with Ezran.

However, with Rayla brings the coins, and Runaan. Callum has already personally dedicated himself to getting them out, not only in finding a possible solution for it (when even Rayla wanted to leave it for another day) but in freeing them by his own hand: "So to do it, I'll need these." And we know from Ezran's short story, "Deep Below," that he harbours strong resentment/anger towards the elf Callum has sworn himself to freeing. Which, if Ezran - who values his crown and place on the throne so much from a place of duty, and who has been growing continually more assertive - pulls rank, and Callum - who's always been very determined and can be obtuse in arguments - disregards it, it's a perfect storm of emotions.

I think the heart of the matter for me - and Idk how much the show will go with / develop this, particularly in the second notion I'm about to offer - but I think a lot about Callum having a Genuine form of Viren's claimed devotion of "I'll do anything to protect my family" (when he wouldn't reveal the egg in 1x03 and has been willing to sacrifice his children) towards Ezran and Ezran having a Genuine form of Viren's resentment toward Harrow ("I'm the one who has to make the hard choices you refuse / don't have to") because he's the one who's king, and Callum isn't. Of course, Viren took a lot on his own plate that Harrow absolutely did not ask him to, but Harrow also didn't stop him from doing it, and Callum would be there for Ezran in whatever ways Ezran would allow (and again, similarly even in ways Ezran wouldn't want him to).

I don't think Callum is capable of resenting his brother the way Viren was with Harrow (Callum has pride, sure, but that's not how it manifests, and he's interested in power as agency, not power as self importance); he'll also keep secrets to protect his brother, the same way Viren surely thought he was doing with Harrow. And Ezran definitely has shades of Harrow's anger, evidenced even in 2x08, in which Ezran is decidedly more verbally harsh with Rayla upon finding out the truth about their dad's death than Callum was in 2x03.

Given that every other sibling pair in the show (save for Sarai and Amaya, who we by far see the least of) has gone through a major upheaval and often ended up on opposite sides (Viren-Harrow, Karim-Janai, Claudia-Soren -- often with the more 'royal' aligned sibling being on the 'good' side, and the mage adjacent sibling being on the 'bad' side) I think it's clear that Callum and Ezran will have a conflict. I've actually been somewhat waiting for this since S3 and big time since S4, as seeing the boys overcome what broke Viren and Harrow apart is crucially important in 1) breaking the cycle by 2) proving that they aren't the same as their predecessors and won't fall prey to all the same mistakes. Just most of it, at first, it seems.

TLDR; basically, I've always wanted a major political/personal conflict between the brothers for both characterization and thematic reasons - and now it seems like we'll be getting an emotional at the very least. I always assumed it'd be a scene where Callum was more in the wrong (and perhaps somewhat infantilizing his brother) but am deeply intrigued/excited if it's a scene in which Ezran is (perhaps) more in the wrong. I think it will be ultimately nothing they can't find their way back from, but I will definitely be crying a lot over it anyway. Yipee

[starryoak]

Thoughts on Undertale Yellow

Just wanted to write some thoughts down on this amazing game! Spoilers below, obviously.

I’m going to split my thoughts into the positive and negative, because while it is an amazing game, there were a couple pretty significant flaws that IMO brought down the experience.

THE POSITIVES

This game positively oozes creativity and passion from every pore. The fact that I’m going to be complaining about some things shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is an amazing game that took 7 years to develop, and clearly shows in how polished as a product it is. The criticisms, when they come, should be taken as just a part of life; nothing can be perfect, and I don’t think that pretending that a game is flawless does it any favors. It’s certainly better than I can do, just for releasing a finished product, lmao.

This game is visually gorgeous. Obviously it’s still a pixel art game in the style of the original game, so it keeps itself simplistic, but there are so many little animations throughout that are so smooth and charming that I really was impressed. Genuinely just very pleasing to look at, from the animation to the character designs, which fit perfectly in to Undertale’s universe, which I found very impressive.

The game’s humor is very reminiscent of Undertale, and I was really surprised by how much the incidental dialogue and setpieces felt like they would fit right in with Undertale’s humor, while still being original and clever in its own right.

The game’s worldbuilding was really impressive to me, it felt like the Dunes fit perfectly into the Underground in such a natural way, the lore of the Wild East, I really loved the underlying story of how it used to be the Meadows before the Mines uncovered a massive swelterstone, a giant heat generating gemstone that slowly turned it into the desert it is in the present. It felt very true to the melancholy nature of the Underground and how the Monsters are running out of space, wishing on gemstones in the ceiling because they’ve never seen the stars, it just really clicked.

The story is just. So good. Well, up until a point. I’ll get to that in the negatives, but like. 80-90% of the story is just full of the same infectious fun that Undertale itself had, Starlo’s antics and getting accosted into being his deputy, the rest of his gang, the Wild East in general, game just really gets you to love these characters so much. And in the Neutral Route, killing Starlo and how it leaves his family worried about his sudden disappearance, how nobody really suspects you, it’s a very good gut punch! Starlo is definitely the highlight of the game, but he’s not the only one, just one that really was plain to see.

The ending and final boss of the Neutral Route is just. Very brilliant. Yes, technically a retread of Omega Flowey from canon, but it’s just so good at it that it can really get away with it, it takes it even a little further than canon in very fun ways. The art is just fucking gorgeous in every way, I’m so impressed by what they pulled off with that. Bravo, bravo.

In general, there are so many little details that really shine in the different playthroughs, like El Bailador’s fight in Merciless reverting to the traditional bullet box gameplay instead of the Guitar Hero style it normally takes, stuff like the long final chase in the Steamworks changing from Axis chasing you to you chasing Axis in Merciless, the music in battles being unique for each area and also if you’re in Pacifist/Neutral vs Merciless, it’s incredibly impressive and really helps set the mood.

Most of all, what I found the best part of the game, and really the most interesting and amazing, was the innovation in the battles! Undertale did a lot of fun things, but I felt like this game really pushed the limits of what I was expecting from the bullet box gameplay style. Stuff like aforementioned fight with El Bailador’s Guitar Hero gameplay and the way his fight changes in Genocide, Starlo’s lasso holding you in place and how you have to snap the rope, not just the unique bosses; even the regular enemies have incredibly clever attacks, like Goosic’s attacking in the same side of the bullet box as the music is coming out of your speakers/headphones, genuinely just very interesting and clever. They clearly thought a lot on how to innovate the gameplay of Undertale, and it really worked. Incredible, really, cannot praise the gameplay enough.

THE NEGATIVES

This is most likely going to be an unpopular opinion, but I did not like Martlet, and she’s such a major character that not liking her is a problem when we spend so much of the game with her. For one, the audio clip used for her dialogue was grating, but that’s really a minor quibble. The more important reason I disliked her is that it felt like the game was constantly yelling in my face “LOOK HOW FUN AND QUIRKY THIS CHARACTER IS (: DON’T YOU FIND HER CUTE AND/OR RELATABLE?”. There were times when she was enjoyable, but the overall experience felt like they were trying to recreate Papyrus without really succeeding at making her an interesting or unique character. The fact that she’s the final boss in the Merciless Route feels very… predictable. Like, there wasn’t really a possibility that she wouldn’t be, y’know? They couldn’t avoid it, what with the decision to parallel canon, they were going to have to have someone be Undyne the Undying/Sans. The thing is, the boss itself isn’t bad, because as mentioned above, the actual mechanics of this game are brilliant, but narratively it felt very expected. Plus, I don’t really remember if they ever adequately explain why she has the serum in the first place, it feels like it raises too many questions.

As I said, like 80/90% of the story is really good!… but the thing is that the entire last bit of the Pacifist ending just completely collapses in on itself, and it’s really such a shame, because the rest of the story is dragged down by it. What’s such a shame is how it felt like it was going somewhere, I was incredibly invested right up until the reveal of the tapes, and the somewhere it was going is just. So disappointing. In some ways it was inevitable, what with Clover’s canon fate being what it is, but it felt like, just like with Martlet, they really stumbled over themselves in their desire to parallel canon’s plot beats. It feels like they wanted to copy the original Pacifist ending, with the Amalgamates and all, and it just wasn’t a good fit for the story whatsoever. Part of it, admittedly, is just that I disagree with their take on Boss Monsters not being specifically Asgore and Toriel’s species, but the thing is, it’s not just that. Chujin in general just feels like a massive tumor on the plot once he stops being a robotics engineer and suddenly for some reason is a generic mad scientist who suddenly has the knowledge and ability to be experimenting on Not!Determination and suddenly is a Boss Monster and suddenly we’re supposed to care about him and it just all becomes a muddled mess, built around living up to twists that it can’t successfully emulate because they were a one time success.

Ceroba is just not compelling as a character! The thing is, actually, I’m lying, she’s compelling and fun and interesting as a character right up until they actually reveal what her deal is, and suddenly it’s just, like. Well, suddenly I don’t like her all that much. Her husband specifically asked her not to involve their daughter, and then her daughter asks nicely and she does? Her daughter is like six or something! Why on Earth did Ceroba listen to her? I saw people say that, well, lots of Undertale characters have done bad things, but the thing is that those bad things are either not taken very seriously by the narrative, like how everyone tries to kill Frisk before they make friends and are forgiven, or make logical sense for them to do, like Asgore’s whole deal. Ceroba and Kanako’s story is in a unique cross section of ‘taken seriously by the narrative’ and ‘makes no logical sense to do’, where it completely destroyed my investment in her as a character, where suddenly she’s a woman who killed her daughter through her own stupidity against her husband’s wishes, while claiming she’s fulfilling them. And in another world, that could be compelling, but the game doesn’t seem to recognize that’s what she did, so I’m just left feeling numb to her entire deal, and given she’s the final boss with multiple cutscenes where I’m supposed to be invested in her plight, that’s not a good thing!

This is just a completely unfair nitpick, but what’s up with Ceroba’s name? The rest of her family and her last name follow Japanese style, if not specifically real names, but her first name is just. Gibberish?

This one is more nitpicky, but it ties into the final problem of the game, where felt like the 5 previous children didn’t get mentioned enough for being the entire motivation Clover has for being here. They’re mentioned in passing several times, but it feels like they could have done more with it. This is mostly a minor problem, though, it felt much more like something that needed just a little tweaking, rather than a huge flaw or anything. But the problem is that at the end, it really doesn’t feel like Clover has a compelling reason to give up their SOUL, and I wish there was something more to justify it when they just spent a huge fight to not give up their SOUL to Ceroba, y’know? It just feels like the game falls apart at the end because they couldn’t figure out how to end it while keeping to canon.

The thing is, the complaints I have don’t detract from how fun the game was or how much I loved most of the story, but I just had to share them because they were weighing heavily on my mind. My complaints are so long because it’s easier to put into words what I disliked, when going into every little thing I liked would take much longer and feel more like a liveblog of the game itself.

[mythologyfolklore]

I altered my design for Golden Cicada a little bit. (I swear, drawing anthropomorphic insects is a nightmare, for what did I punish myself by designing them like this?!)

Okay, here some headcanons about GC. :)

They're an agender cicada spirit (they/them), who came to be sometime around 2400 BCE (about 400-300 years before the legendary Xia-dynasty) and cultivated under Yùdĭng Zhēnrén.

Soon after becoming a senior disciple, they encountered two small lost children and led them to Yùdĭng Zhēnrén, who took them in as disciples. Golden Cicada quickly took the children under their literal and metaphorical wings and struck a life-long friendship. These children later became Èrláng Shén and Sānshèng Mŭ.

More than a thousand years later, they were travelling the world and encountered the Buddha himself, which inspired them to convert to Buddhism and become his disciple.

Golden Cicada is mostly calm and kind-hearted, but sometimes a little manic. They'll yell "I'M A PACIFIST!", as they push someone down a flight of stairs for talking shit about their friends.

Golden Cicada has absolutely no self-control, when it comes to sweets. They often get scolded for eating sweets, that were meant for everyone (they don't mean to be selfish, they just can't help it). They also can't resist the occasional urge to sing at night.

Golden Cicada has the gift of precognition, but they share their knowledge so rarely, that it's unclear where the limitations of that gift lie.

Most of the time, Golden Cicada is as chill as Mt. Everest, but there are two things that can actually piss them off. One: you hurt their friends and/or talked shit about them. Two: their friends did something incredibly stupid and/or bad.

[fleetsonourgecentral]

Um. okay. Yeah, I could go on. Right back at ya, don’t apologize for your long answer either. It’s so nice when someone goes into detail with this kind of stuff.  Thanks for also sharing a few facts of the fleetway emeralds btw. Kinda what started this whole second train of thought.

Archie’s chaos energy isn’t screwed up like the Fleetway universe. True. But still very much insane in terms of power and ability. It’s given to the rise of entities like Perfect Chaos, fused Tikal + Chaos, Enerjak, Chaos Knuckles, and Turbo Tails. And ofc Super forms. Could grant wishes and immortality. Capability to warp time and space to the point of rewriting reality entirely. Which I assume the Super Genesis Wave never happens in your canon thank goodness otherwise RIP to everyone.

…And Scourge took power from the damn Master Emerald. 

So much possibilities for him based on the bonkers lore that is Archie and the potential was squandered. Understandable since he’s not a hero and HAS to lose. That being said, it can be argued in-universe reasons that Scourge is just very ignorant to what he can do. For all his power and speed, he’s simply not pushed to his limits the same way his Prime counterpart was. His skills are not honed as they should be. It’s canon that he doesn’t consider the capabilities/consequences of using power sources or what he ‘can do’ until Sonic spells these things out for him. Your Sonic had to come up with the idea of vibrating through handcuffs in which Scourge latched on the knowledge immediately from there.  Not always the critical thinker but fast learner indeed.

And ah yes, Scourge becoming good this way is terrifying. Characters that forcibly go under personality changes like this has been a long running concept in fictional media and it always hits hard on how horrible it is to have your mind manipulated to the point where you’re no longer you. I guess it’s a questionable last resort for the truly despicable, but for someone like Scourge..…why condemn him to such a fate ? 

Which leads me to another way on what a good Super Scourge would be like. 

As much Super Scourge is nice, starting off, he has a rather simplistic view on the concept of doing good. He’s no killer but lacks the understanding that people are pretty complicated. His first course of action would be to boot Sonic off the team. If Sonic is still stuck with his own Super form then he would forcefully separate Sonic’s Super form from him claiming he’s saving Sonic. Only to be surprised by Sonic still being an ass by default. 

He could be hostile to even pacifistic Super Sonic, simply because chaos energy conflict bullshit, attempt to absorb him.  Overall, it takes time to get a grasp on how not everything is painted black and white. With the added risk of being manipulated too, develop a more warped sense of good, the FF have to be really really vigilant with him on this.

Super Sonic gets more destructive the more chaos energy he absorbs. Super Scourge absorbing more energy, gives him the opportunity to do more good. Absolutely radiating. Then there’s the thought of going off to save other universes. He would leave the fleetway universe continuously absorbing the plentiful chaos energy the multiverse has to offer, not realizing his mission will be an endless one. Cue the bitter tears from Sonic, because that’s gonna be a long daaaayyyy to retrieve him. And probably Sonic spitting some vile words after, since he lacks the ability to cope with loss too well. He’s got the bloody receipts with Porker fully leaving the team & Johnny dying.

Scourge would be torn internally by this too because although it was through involuntary circumstances, he was gonna ‘leave for the greater good’ over Sonic in an eerily similar way his father had chose his peace making work over him.

Assuming the chaos energy works the same as it does to Sonic but with a collision of multi-universe chaos energy mix here, then an Evil Super Scourge wouldn’t be like Sonic’s. He would be truly unpredictable. The embodiment of doing whatever he wants when he wants it. A fickle little shit. Moods like a light switch. No one knows if he means what he says. The scariest thing when dealing with this Super Scourge is that he actually knows what kind of powers he has. Not a universe ender though, can’t ‘enjoy’ life and its chaos if you’re wiping everything off of existence.

Sharing Scourge’s arrogance to the extreme, Super doesn’t look for chaos energy to sustain himself because he always thinks he has enough, so he often burns himself out pretty fast. Other times transforming back would either out of sheer boredom, getting tricked, Scourge shakily taking back control, or seeing Sonic who makes him feel extremely miserable to where he just crumbles.

It could be he’s aware he comes from a Sonic. Triggering a sense of worthlessness for him. Or he has a soft spot for him. Idk. Unpack that suitcase of dynamics with him/FF and psychological issues when you can.

He could be envious of Super Sonic for at least he has consistent things to latch onto even if they’re simple and boring to him. (destroy everything/ live life at the Groovy Train). Because he’d partially share Scourge’s apathy towards things. Think of Anti Sonic when he got apathetic after overthrowing Anti King Max and got everything he wanted in the moment. That’s where I’m getting that aspect from.

As for his opinion on Scourge, bygones are always gonna be bygones since in the end, it was thanks to him he could exist to do what he wants. I also rather see your own interpretation on how he would treat Scourge. Geez imagine the new emotional issues and setbacks. If it’s by will? haha, yeah noo, let’s put a lid on this guy. almost forever. Fuck you Sonic why does your dimension have to be such a shitty plac—

If there’s no risk of transforming into either of these personas, then I like to think Scourge could maybe like re-stabilize the energy in Sonic’s universe one day. Bend the rules a bit with them. He’d be so ecstatic they both transform at will with no consequences (Screaming at the top of his lungs “TAKE THAT PRIME I JUST FIXED A UNIVERSE IN A WAY YOU NEVER COULD AND WE GOT COOL SUPER FORMS OUT OF IT”)  Or be very well be dragged in and consumed by it in a way no one is gonna expect.

sigh, I really wish we knew more about anarchy energy because Scourge is likely made of it originally, and it’s a miracle that the energy he absorbed wasn’t incompatible. The smallest way these energies probably did overlap canonically is through cosmetic change so far, if the whole green to purple invert palette is anything to take away from.

Basically the point is it’s like what Zonic says about Scourge,

“Besides, Scourge’s mutation has made him something of a wild card in the cosmic scheme of things.”

So I very much like that you aren’t planning to stick to one set of rules to how the super forms would work because you’re right. YOU’RE SO RIGHT. There’s no official answers on how all of this would even work! This is the sheer beauty of writing whatever the fuck you want. It’ll be thrilling to see what kind of stories you’d make up with that in mind.

Let Scourge be the cosmic wildcard.

Vibrating at the speed of light at all of this I love it all

I love the idea that Scourge doesn't actually know all the things he's capable of because he doesn't push himself the same way Sonic does, so you're right he very well could have abilities that even he doesn't know about. Would he discover them while in a super form? Or would his super form share his strategy of "brute force the way through everything" and continue to never discover any neat hidden powers? Who knows... good for Sonic if Scourge's super form is evil, though. Super Sonic is already a pain with everything he can do, so while a Super Scourge would also be a pain, it'd be easier if he was oblivious to some of the devastating things he can do

HELP FHJDSHJFDSA SCOURGE DECIDING TO FUCKING BOOT SONIC OFF THE TEAM IS SO FUCKING FUNNY..... SONIC WOULD BE PISSEDDDDD. And the idea of Scourge just fuckin. Sticking his hand in Sonic's chest and yeeting Super out is sending me. Afhdshjafd poor Super though.... already has Sonic questioning him, and now Scourge? He cannot catch a break

Oh my god Scourge flying off to "save the multiverse".... god Sonic would not take that well. You're right, he hates it when people leave him, even when they have good reason to (ie Porker) so for Scourge to leave him? He'd hate it. He has his own dimension to protect, he doesn't have time to care about what's going on in other universes, especially since those other dimensions presumably have their own Sonic to take care of things. I imagine he'd try to hide how hurtful he finds it, though... at least until they finally catch up to Scourge and Scourge puts up a fight and argues about how he doesn't want to go back. And the freedom fighters are desperately trying to tread carefully, because Scourge could bolt at any time and it's such a pain to pin him down, but Sonic would not be as tactful as the rest of their friends. You make a really interesting comparison between Scourge leaving "for the greater good" and the way his father chose peace over him, although I don't know if he'd be in a state to come to that conclusion himself in his super form. As his regular self, definitely, but idk about in a super form. I could absolutely see Sonic spitting that comparison at him, however; he's not above low blows, and Super Scourge isn't the Scourge he knows and loves, so if he's already lashing out, I could absolutely see him making some kind of vile comment about it. Something something "you're becoming just like your daddy, I see" or something along those lines

I love the idea of Super Scourge's arrogance meaning he burns out quickly, because I can absolutely see that happening. I think it would be difficult to trick him into powering down, because as you said, he's a fast learner, and Prime Sonic has already tricked him into powering down once, so he'd notice if the freedom fighters tried that, but I do think it would be possible. I think Sonic would struggle a little with tricking him, not because he's not smart or capable of tricking people, but because he's actually at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the freedom fighters. He's never had to calm someone down from a transformation, after all; the only times he has (to my memory) fought a super form was after he and Super were separated, where Super powering down wasn't an option. The solutions were to trick and trap him, or try and find some way to fight him, so Sonic's knee-jerk reaction is to fight. The rest of the freedom fighters, though? They have experience in this kind of stuff. They've had practice in bringing Sonic down from his super form; the time when Tails managed it by using Sonic's ego against him to trick him into solving the problem for them comes to mind. So they'd already have a few tricks up their sleeves - notably tricks Scourge probably hasn't seen, and thus he'd be more likely to fall for them. I also think his super form would have trouble thinking ahead, so while he'd recognise if someone tried an identical plan to Prime Sonic's, he'd most likely fall for other tricks that have a similar effect but are executed differently. So the freedom fighters would actually be pretty good at handling this situation

I think one of the hardest things for Sonic is that feelings don't translate when someone is under the influence of chaos energy. Like, Sonic loves his friends even if he's shit at showing it, but he was more than willing to kill them when he was super. So Scourge's feelings for him likely wouldn't be enough to make him change back, especially if he's evil and possibly even if he's good. I think it would frustrate him knowing he can't get through to Scourge by appealing to his feelings, because those feelings don't matter when he's in his super form

I think Sonic would think he can cope with it better than he can because his other knee-jerk reaction is to see Super Scourge as a completely separate person to Scourge, which is simultaneously easy for him and way more difficult than expected. Super Sonic is (now) a separate person, after all, so it stands to reason he'd see Super Scourge the same way. But I don't think he'd be prepared for how little that separation helps him. I think he almost definitely makes some kind of comment about how Super Scourge "isn't really Scourge" which will inevitably piss Scourge off. Having his identity as Scourge dismissed would hurt even in regular form, so in a super form, that would be multiplied. Especially since, well, Super Scourge is Scourge. Just not the one they all know and love. Super Sonic was still Sonic in the beginning, after all, and only really became his own person after the split. But Sonic has gotten comfortable with the idea of super forms being separate people entirely, so of course that's how he'll treat Super Scourge. Needless to say, I don't think that will go down well, no matter if Scourge is good or evil in his super form

I LOVE the idea of Scourge accidentally being the antidote who can stabilise chaos energy. Normally the chaos emeralds need specific conditions to be stabilised, but imagine if Scourge could act as a replacement for those conditions... I think Sonic would both be thrilled at having a super form he can actually control, and be wary about it. I think he knows he could do a lot of good if he could just control his super form, but I think even if he got a super form he could control, transforming or seeing his fur start to turn yellow would lowkey still make him panic and instinctively try to shut it down. I think it would take him a long time to get over that.

I had a vague thought about Sonic using a dark form like we see in Sonic X in order to get around this and take advantage of all the negative emotions he has around turning super, but that is like, ultimate self indulgent daydreaming lol so probably nothing I will ever elaborate further on

Also, even if Scourge could stabilise chaos energy, chances are Porker would want to run experiments on that, and I can't imagine Scourge would be too happy about playing guinea pig (this would not stop him from bragging to Prime about how he fixed an entire dimension's chaos energy)

I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT ZONIC CALLING SCOURGE A COSMIC WILD CARD honestly that makes this whole scenario even more interesting and demonstrates just how much he could shake up the rules just by going super. Like we really took someone who is already making even the zone cops go "yeah idfk what's going on with this one man" and dumped him in the universe with more volatile chaos energy than normal. What a combination fdhsafhjdsa. Also this makes me wonder how much of a headache poor Zonic would have if Scourge ever did go super with the fleetway emeralds. Especially if he was good and went zooming off trying to "save" the multiverse, because you can guarantee that behaviour would catch the attention of the zone cops. Creating yet another obstacle for Sonic and the rest of the freedom fighters. Honestly the more I talk about this the more I think about things that Sonic would add to his list of "reasons why Scourge should never go super" lmao

[eluminium]

more insane thoughts about life seires skizzleman coming up

okay so as I continue to sit in this basement and every wall is nothing but thumbtacks and red string, I am slowly losing even more of my marbles. As in, I have a lot of scattered thoughts about Limited Life and I'm about to share these slightly insane ideas with all of you. Please enjoy, as I'm starting to run out of red string and I might die if I do.

Skizz being The Dove/A manifestation of peace or something insane like that idk man I'm punching the wall:

Okay, hear me out on this. In my previous post about Limited Life (The Skizz and Number 3 one yes this is a link), I talked about how technically, Skizzleman could be considered a Dove. Y'know, a symbol of peace. The last warning before everything truly goes to shit. Skizz very much prefers negotiation and deals over violence and all that, man chooses to be kind. Not out of naivete, but out of a pure will and want. 

He has ONLY killed with justification he's never just...killed. And every time he's tried to kill without reason he has failed spectacularly and probably also died. Like, take Jimmy and Cleo from 3rd Life. Skizz killed Jimmy because he was an active threat to The Red Army and because the Red Desert had been antagonizing Dogwarts for a while. It wasn't something against Jimmy, it was more against the Red Desert itself. He later spares Scar by changing the bargain to "Give us the banner and we'll leave you alone" instead of just straight-up murder. Because he had already taught the Desert enough, there was no need to spill more blood. Cleo is even easier to understand. Cleo attacked Ren, Skizz's king and the guy Skizz was THE most loyal to during 3rd Life. Of course, Skizz acted in defense of his king and took Cleo out. And he also spared someone this time too. Bdubs. He let Bdubs take Cleo's stuff back. There wasn't a need to spill more blood. 

Then we have the latest of his kills, his Bdubs kill in Limited Life. An honor duel. Skizz had been wronged, knew that it was going to get in the way of future alliances, and was looking for revenge, but he still made sure it was going to be clean with no resentful feelings afterward. Then after killing Bdubs he made sure to make it up to the man with not only a very sweet compliment but a golden apple as well. By doing this, by cleanly ending his feud with Bdubs, TIES were able to complete a very promising-looking alliance between them and The Clockers. 

Skizz only sheds blood when he has no other option. When it's better.

And then there are the times he's tried to kill without reason but he's just, failed. Horribly. He died in 3rd Life by mindlessly charging into the Crastle, failing to kill anybody. He got no kills in Last Life because when he turned Red, he was just running around trying to kill people once again, mindlessly. Or in service to another, in one instance. And he died in Last Life almost the exact same way as in 3rd Life. Charging an enemy like a wild beast and being put down. Skizz just can't get a kill when it's out of pure bloodlust and a wish for revenge.

And that's what makes Skizz a Dove. He only kills in instances when it is needed. He's not a symbol of peace because he's a perfect little pacifist who never wants to hurt anyone, no. He's a symbol of peace because he unintentionally and intentionally acts as one of the biggest forces of it. Not only choosing mercy for enemies who pragmatically should have been taken out but also killing those that push for war and conflict whether intentionally or unintentionally. And when the Dove tries to strike like an eagle, the Dove dies. And with it, peace dies. After Skizz died in 3rd Life there were no other forces for even a negative peace between Dogwarts and the Desert Alliance. The rest of it was all just a bloody war. After Skizz died in Last Life, the Wither was summoned, forcing the remaining players into groups. Red names and Non-red names. They fought bloodily too until both groups rotted away slowly. 

And do you wanna know something even crazier? The ones who were present while the Dove was put down, would go on to be 2nd and 1st in survival rankings. Grian killed Skizz in 3rd Life while Scar was there for backup. Grian won and Scar was second. Ren killed Skizz in Last Life with Scott as a backup. Ren came second and Scott came first. And it makes sense, doesn't it? Of course, the two who witnessed the death of peace would, in the end, turn on each other. It makes sense. IT MAKES SENSE.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.

One comes first...the other comes second. Those are the only numbers above three. three. T H R E E. NO. NO THERE'S MORE BLOODY EVIDENCE FOR THE STUPID CONNECTION BETWEEN SKIZZ AND THE NUMBER 3. I. I WANT TO CRY. WHY. WHY AM I STUCK IN THIS DUMBASS BASEMENT JUST MAKING MORE AND MORE AND MORE CONNECTIONS FOREVER???

AND I'M NOT EVEN DONE.

Because if you buy into the "Skizz as a symbol of peace or whatever" concept...it makes Limited Life make even more sense. Y'know how some people have been saying "Oh Skizz is inheriting the Canary Curse from Jimmy!!!". While this is valid, I think my utter insanity has, at least in a little way, proven that Skizz himself is cursed in some way. Or blessed even, I don't know at this point. But instead of taking Jimmy's curse, it could be that his curse as a peace guy who's doomed to be the server's final warning is just showing up earlier. Because it could be that this time, peace dies quicker than the coalmine can kill the canary...because if you know you have limited time... what's the point in keeping the peace? Nothing is gonna matter anyways, your time is so obvious that it's unavoidable. That ticking in your brain isn't just a vague feeling you sometimes acknowledge. It's loud. It's unavoidable. You can't close your eyes, the digits are inscribed inside your eyelids. You can't cover your ears, the ticking keeps on like the beating of your heart. With such limited time, why waste it on trying to maintain order and peace? Why put so much energy into compromise when everyone is gonna die soon? In the other series, you don't know how much time you have, so you try your best to buy as much of it as possible by maintaining some semblance of peace. In Limited Life, what's the point? The consequences don't matter, because you KNOW your time is limited. It's all around you.

And so Skizz, the man possibly most aware of their limited time, the man who's trying to use that time to be nice, to not make enemies, to be as peaceful as a man in this series can be, is the one who's on track to die first. The Dove, the peace, the will and want to choose kindness and care when cruelty and selfishness are so much easier to justify, is up for slaughter.

Once again, Skizz is not a peace symbol because he's a perfect little guy. He's not a peace symbol because he's always nice, or innocent, or a pacifist. He's a peace symbol because he has only spilled blood when he had no other option and made as many amends as he could to minimize the pain afterward, he's a Dove that only pecks you if you burn the olive branch in its beak. He's a peace symbol because he actively chooses to push for it, to truly believe in the good of others even when that has gotten him killed or exploited many times, not because he's stupid or naive, but because that's what he does. He's a peace symbol because, without him, the series enters its final and most bloody crescendo. 

Y'know, I know Skizz started to be drawn as an angel because he's best friends with Impulse, and Demon/Angel best friends are a killer thing. But maybe we accidentally hit some pure gold there by mistake. It fits too well, doesn't it?

Or maybe I am just actually losing all my marbles and I'm never getting out of the red thread basement.

You be the judge and jury on that, dear reader.

[another-clive-blog]

Would be funny if Dimitri had your stereotypical sci-fi weapons. Yknow like freeze rays and stuff of that nature.

That’s what he uses if Clive ever gets too crazy (which is probably often)

Anon I love you to death for this occasion to talk about my favorite platonic pairing <3 <3 <3 Thank you so much, I had fun hehe

POST IN TWO PARTS !! Rambling starts here, drawings are under the cut !

Okay first some rambling/headcanons (where we'll pretend Dimitri had those) ! I believe Dimitri is a pacifist and almost never resorts to violence, he's more of an 'ignoring the obnoxious man-child' type of guy. However the rare occasions he DOES use these guns would be at the very beginning of the Dove-Allen partnership, when Clive would be openly taunting him and deliberately pushing him to his limits. (He hates scientists, he hates Dimitri). THEN, I can see Dimitri snapping and using these, but only if he knows they aren't going to kill Clive because Dimitri has strong morals (not a joke this man has all the morals of the duo). He would only do it once or twice tho, both because he hates violence/feels guilty about it and also because Clive is Clive (see below).

RAMBLING OVER ! Sorry for that I needed to get it out lol. Anyway drawings under the cut

So first of all your ask made me think of this picture and I just couldn't resist lol

Transcript : I don't have any defreezing option on this thing. He's probably alive anyway. I should time how long until he gets out. For science.

BUT THEN as I said, I think Dimitri could not use these more than two or three times on Clive 'Well the best way to deal with my grief is to build a mobile fortress filled with weapons' Dove. That man would absolutely go feral. Don't try him.

Yes he threw that flashbang to the ground. This event is known in Future London as the First Layton-Luke battle (no puzzles included)

[freyito]

I was wondering if you have any tips for writing romance? I'm aro so it's hard to write it without it basically just coming off as best friends but sometimes they kiss lmfao 😭

Hm, this is a very good question! First, I'll admit, I'm not fully aro, I am atleast on the aro spectrum though? I'm very very particular about romantic love, and I know everyone is, however it is something that I struggle with. I love a lot more deeply platonically than I love romantically. So before everything: it is absolutely okay to write characters as besties but like they kiss too.

Mostly, I really project, especially for certain characters. I simply imagine what I like and roll with it.

However, a good starting point is figuring out their Love Language. Do they express their love physically? Do they prefer to hold their partner rather than give gifts to express affection? Or would they much rather clean the dishes, change the sheets, run errands. Or maybe they just love showering their partner in compliments! Love languages are a great building block into writing romance. Characters can also have multiple. Do not limit them to one love language. Love Languages are more like a spectrum, really? And they apply different in romantic and platonic aspects.

As an example, Plantonically, I love physical touch above all, but gift giving is a very very close second, as well as words of affirmation. Quality time is something I fall short on, as well as acts of service. However, Romantically, I really only love words of affirmation. I do not like it when my partner smothers me, in fact I have a very big aversion to touch.

The second thought to consider is what kind of love they are. There are five kinds of love: Agape (Unconditional Love), Eros (Passionate Love), Philautia (Self Love), Storge (Affectionate Love, normally platonical or familial), and Pragma (Enduring Love). Does your character focus more on themselves (not in a self-centered way) in the relationship? Or are they much more forgiving and hold their partner above all? Or perhaps, they find that absence DOES make the heart grow fonder. Perhaps they love their partner through all they've been through, good, bad, everything.

For example, the main character in my book loves his partner, he loves him with his whole heart, despite the fact that his hands are covered in blood. And this main character changes, he is a pacifist by heart, and really wishes only to be a writer. His father wants him to continue their proud viking royalty lineage. His partner supports him through all of it, their love is more of Agape. Both have very dirty, unclean hands. Both have sinned in eachothers eyes. And they love eachother regardless.

The last point builds off of that, as well. What does their love do? Does their love protect? Last? Heal? Strength? Calm? It is almost thr same idea as the last point, however it is good to take this into consideration. Does your character love to protect their partner? Would they find saving their partner, any sort of way, more passionate? Or does your character love so deeply, that even if they were killed, time and time again, they would search for their partner, in each and every life?

Building off my last example, the Prince wants his partner to heal from the things he does not talk about. So he loves him with such conviction, he let's him know rhat he is here, always and forever. And that they will make it through this. The Merc wishes to protect his partner, even if he must die trying. That was his goal before he knew the prince was... a prince. And that was his goal, after.

One more thing to take into consideration is what trope you wish to write, too. Book-wise, Fic-wise, anything. The Prince and the Merc's romance is a slow burn. Which is pretty popular and too be honest, is super fun to write. With them, it was mainly little things the Merc found himself thinking about. And he pushes away those thoughts until he can only think of how the Prince's hair has an ever so slight blue glint under the sun, how he bites his tongue when he writes, and how, despite everything, the Prince keeps his hair messy.

Oooone more idea to help. Who falls first, who falls harder? In my book, the Prince falls first, the Merc falls harder. It does not have to be exactly like this, either. Someone can fall first and harder.

I hope all of this helped, anon! Despite this blog existing to focus on romance... I am absolutely horrible at it.

[batmancomicanalysis]

Did Batman kill The Joker in The Killing Joke?

Note: "Alan Moore said" is not a valid refutation and nor is "Brian Bolland said" a definitive confirmation. A great article on the concept of authorial intent with particular reference to TKJ:

Batman's shadow appears prominently five times in the first two pages, immediately alluding to Batman's repressed dark side and its potential to be unleashed and after The Joker's crimes against Barbara and Jim, Batman's up-close silhouette is almost entirely consumed by shadow

2. Batman’s early statement “I don’t want your murder on my hands” could foreshadow The Joker’s murder by Batman’s bare hands, à la TDKR. Ironically, Batman’s hands are literally stained (by white makeup) in this scene. Joker’s death may have been foreshadowed again when Batman crushed The Joker’s card in silent rage in response to hearing what he did (and may have did) to Barbara

3. Batman asks The Joker impersonator “Do you realize what you’ve set free?”, implying that Batman doesn’t regard The Joker as a mere human but an animal, a force of nature or a demonic entity; i.e., dehumanised, something one would have fewer reservations about destroying

4. In a conversation with Alfred (prior to The Joker’s brutal assault on Jim and Jim’s daughter Barbara), Batman admits that he hates The Joker: “How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?”

5. An already weary Batman fatalistically states that “in the end, one of us will kill the other” near the beginning in Arkham before The Joker has committed his most personal atrocities, which Barbara implies are his worst yet with the words "he's taking it to the limit this time" (with Batman and what appears to be The Joker, captioned as “two guys in a lunatic asylum…”; the start of The Joker’s eponymous joke, sitting opposite each other in The Joker’s cell with Jim on the outside looking in, which is mirrored with Jim in a cage when Batman confronts The Joker at the amusement park) and the “one of us will kill the other” monologue (the second time internal) appears again towards the end: Batman reluctantly accepts the necessity of killing The Joker (if The Joker doesn’t kill him first, which he fails to do when his gun doesn't fire). Having (seemingly strangely) refused to beat up The Joker for once, Batman’s “we’re both running out of alternatives”, “Maybe it all hinges on tonight” and “it doesn’t have to end like that” come just before The Joker apologises, rejects Batman’s “last chance” offer of rehabilitation (after “all these years” of conflict) and tells the eponymous "killing joke" (mocking Batman's dogmatic rehabilitationism with a comical metaphor). Batman was begging The Joker to give him a reason not to kill him; any glimmer of hope that the cycle could end without lethality but The Joker held firm to his principles in their game of chicken, making Batman's decision for him

6. Batman laughing maniacally with The Joker (who recently committed atrocities against partner Barbara and surrogate father Jim to boot, which could have been avoided if Batman had killed him previously; TKJ is essentially a hypothetical about what The Joker would have to do to push Batman to kill him, short of the most extreme scenarios of murdering the entire Bat-family or nuking Gotham) is extremely out of character (getting through to archnemesis Batman and breaking his stern exterior represents a major victory for the former failed comedian in itself; this is the perfect moment to kill The Joker), possibly suggesting that Batman’s snapped (mirroring The Joker's original psychotic break) having recognised the futility and ultimately destructive nature of their traditional cycle (proving The Joker at least partly right whatever way you look at it, whether one views an endlessly pacifistic Gordon or homicidal Batman as insane but TKJ is predominantly The Joker’s story) and is raising his arms to kill (in the last panel where we see Batman’s face, his facial expression can easily be interpreted as being sinister)

7. The way the perspective pans down after Batman places his hands on The Joker, first excluding their chests and above, then excluding all but parts of their feet, and finally omitting the two men entirely, suggests that something significant is happening just out of our view

8. The laughter (which represents The Joker symbolically) ceases abruptly (maybe of one first, then both) while the police siren (symbolising the law or justice) continues, implying The Joker's death

9. In the last panel the “light” (which has been “on” since the very first panel) has gone out, the “bridge” has disappeared and the two men are out of the picture, their visual opposition gone. Having finally understood the insane futility of trying to rehabilitate The Joker (who has escaped from Arkham to maim and murder time and time again), Batman may have ended their duality and conflict by killing him

10. The title being “The Killing Joke” may be a hint in this direction: the final joke doesn’t directly describe killing but perhaps that was its consequence, killing The Joker physically and Batman (at least the strict no-kill version) metaphorically

11. The flashbacks show what was potentially the “bad day” which sent (an already mentally unstable) pre-Joker over the edge, maybe TKJ is (an already mentally unstable) Batman’s second “bad day”, orchestrated by The Joker with fatal consequences

12. From The Joker’s perspective, Batman (a renowned costumed nightcrawling crime-obsessed, crime-defined outlaw and obsessive genius of questionable sanity and ambiguous sexuality, with a generally unknown identity, whose genesis was a response to tragedy) has much more in common with The Joker than he does with the politically correct and legalistic Jim; the former two are doppelgangers in the narrative. Hence Gordon's: “You know the laws regarding mistreatment of inmates as well as I do!”, “If you harm one hair on his head…” and unlike Batman and The Joker, Jim is seemingly unchanged by his “bad day”: “I want him brought in by the book!”, followed by Batman’s “I’ll do my best” (with Batman looking in the opposite direction to Jim), suggesting that he’s seriously considering murder (Gordon's liberal methods, encapsulated by the line "we have to show him that our way works!" have consistently failed catastrophically and Jim's way is ultimately not Batman's way, with Batman symbolically consumed by The Joker), especially if his last desperate attempts to rehabilitate The Joker are rebuffed (which they are). The early appearance of an imprisoned Two-Face in Arkham (simultaneously looking more like Bruce Wayne and The Joker than usual) is another nod toward their duality, as is the hall of mirrors (also present in The Dark Knight Returns and The Man With The Golden Gun; stories where the dualistic antagonist is killed by the protagonist). Furthermore, Batman was apparently present and instrumental in The Joker’s “birth”, there’s a perfect symmetry if The Joker was present and instrumental in their “deaths”

13. TKJ was an extremely brutal, politically incorrect, ��realist” graphic novel; a deconstruction of the traditional Batman narrative

14. It’s strongly implied that Batman killed The Joker in Miller’s TDKR, which was published two years before TKJ and influenced Moore

15. TKJ was written as a standalone story, perhaps as the final Batman-Joker conflict (similar to how Moore’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”, published 18 months prior, was written as the final tale of the Silver Age Superman)

Batman’s murder of The Joker can be interpreted as a mercy killing: The Joker’s laugh is a warped form of crying at the random injustice of human existence; he wants Batman (his sole equal and opposite) to put him out of his misery (“It’s all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for...”)

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort

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Summary: In the aftermath of Detroit's android revolution, Nines grapples with the complexities of his newfound deviancy. As he seeks to establish his place in a newly transformed society, his resolve is put to the ultimate test when he is paired with Detective Gavin Reed-a notoriously volatile human with a well-established hatred for androids-to investigate a series of murders.

While initial impressions of his partner seem to suggest his reputation is well-deserved, the more time Nines spends with him, the more he is forced to challenge his judgments. As they form an unexpected bond, the RK900 is also pushed to examine truths about himself he would much rather seek to forget. (A Retelling of 'More Than Our Parts' from the POV of Nines.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self, Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 5.2K

Tag List (I forgot - sorry!) : @sweeteatercat @wedonthaveawhile @ladyj-pl @tentoriumcerebelli @negative-citadel

♡If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know♡

Nines sat at his workstation, methodically sifting through the findings from yesterday's case. He scrutinised each gruesome detail, hoping to discern anything that might have been overlooked. Sander's Team would need time to analyse the forensic samples, but he doubted this would amount to anything significant. 

The attack had been frustratingly contained, with the culprit leaving little trace of themself—save a deliberately constructed path of carnage. To avoid wasting time, Nines decided to utilise what limited information they had available to craft a more detailed suspect profile: 

> ACCESSING FILE 'HARTWELL SUSPECT.'

> COMMENCING PROCESS — CRIMINOLOGICAL ANALYSIS…

> PATH ESTABLISHED. 

> ASSAILANT POSED AS CLIENT — SUSPICION OF VICTIM NOT IMMEDIATELY TRIGGERED. 

[ REFER TO INTERNAL FILE 'jason_Hr400_personalorganiser'] 

> ALIAS' THOD GRAWS' — SINGLE INDIVIDUAL STATED — SCENE EVIDENCE INCONSISTENT WITH ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLICES. 

> SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO LIFT AND MANEUVER MODEL HR400 ANDROID.

> ANTI-ANDROID RHETORIC EXPRESSED IN THE FORM OF VANDALISM — THIRIUM MESSAGE LEFT FOR DISCOVERY BY INVESTIGATIVE UNIT.

With consideration for all relevant details, an overview was starting to take shape—outlined in the expanding BIOS filling the scope of his optical field:

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE — UPDATE IN PROGRESS.

> ANALYTICAL HYPOTHESIS COMMENCED.

> GENERATING RESULTS…

> HUMAN MALE. 20 — 40 YRS.

[ MATCHES TYPICAL CLIENTELE PROFILE ]

> ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES — LARGE OR MUSCULAR BUILD. 

> PRE-ESTABLISHED KNOWLEDGE OF ROBOTICS / CYBERNETICS — INCLUDING MECHANICS OF CYBERLIFE ANDROIDS. 

> PREDICTING MOTIVATION… 

The RK900 felt his neural functions stall temporarily as he decided on the trajectory of his ongoing analysis. Of course, the primary motivation seemed obvious. There was little room for interpretation left in the culprit's messages. 

However, there seemed to be a little more at play. A deeper lining prejudice, far more implicit than might have been initially apparent. He considered the killer's choice of language, as well as the positioning used when presenting the body for discovery…

> BASED ON RHETORICAL EVIDENCE LEFT AT THE SCENE :

> SUSPECTS HOLD STRONG ANTI-ANDROID SENTIMENTS.

> STANCE MAY BE INFLUENCED BY ESTABLISHED RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR SIMILAR IDEOLOGIES.

> POSSIBLE DISILLUSIONMENT WITH CYBERLIFE AS A WIDER INSTITUTION? EVIDENCE INSUFFICIENT — TO BE DETERMINED. 

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE UPDATED.

Of course, the more detailed nuances of the killer's motivation were far from their primary concern right now. More pressing was the growing indication of prior offences—as if the same degree of care had been applied to their previous attacks, Nines could only wonder just how long they had been operating whilst evading detainment.

With the suspect profile at the forefront of his mind, Nines scanned his hand on the terminal and began cross-referencing the findings with recent DPD records of android-focused attacks. If any patterns could be established, which he suspected was likely, he at the very least hoped it would shed some light on their killer's operations, making catching up to them easier—

"—Shit!" 

Unsurprisingly, the urgency of this task appeared to have eluded his partner. 

With a survey of their shared workstation, he observed as the man fumbled callously with his third caffeinated beverage of the morning. A viscous glob of brown liquid dribbled down his chin as a reddened hand frantically swatted at his protruding tongue. It would appear the beverage had been hot, an observation only made after testing it with his mouth.

Even amidst the continuous bustle of the precinct, Reed's antics proved a prominent distraction. It might have been considered impressive, were it not so irritating.

"I sense that you are stressed, Detective," the android coolly remarked, averting his attention from the tragic display. "Perhaps a walk around the station may help to relieve some tension." 

In all honesty, concern for the man's well-being formed very little part of this suggestion. He simply hoped that the time it would take for him to walk around the building would prove sufficient for him to filter the pungent aromatic compounds jamming his olfactory processors. 

Regrettably, Reed proved less than receptive in granting him such relief. "Go fuck yourself."

Nines could only assume this rejection was made purely out of spite. The mantra he had been fighting to maintain up until this point, 'making the most' of his current situation, was becoming less of a persistent challenge and more of a statistical impossibility. 

His partner's presence grated on him like an unbearable itch, and it seemed to matter little if he chose to scratch or endure. Gavin Reed was an affliction that refused to be managed. 

Even after the coffee debacle, the android found his receptors barraged with multiple other nuisances. Constant physical and verbal tics—including the perpetual bounce of his leg, as well as frequent grumbled vulgarities. It inspired fantasies of reaching across the desk, robbing the man's ability to engage in such behaviours with targeted pressure to his neck. 

With considerable personal restraint, he managed to resist the urge. Unlike his partner, he wished to keep his records clear of extraneous assault charges. There was also no way of confirming what passive enjoyment Reed might garner from such a reaction—perhaps some twisted sense of pride or a masochistic thrill.

rA9 knew humans derived pleasure from the strangest of things. After all the material he had been unwittingly subjected to via the Hartwell victim's personal organiser, the android concluded he'd rather not delve into that particular aspect of his partner's psyche. 

After an extended period of scrolling on his phone, Reed's concentration moved reluctantly to his neglected terminal—albeit 'concentrating' could be considered a generous descriptor. Nothing about his actions demonstrated any degree of motivation beyond upholding a flimsy facade of appearing to be working. He lounged lazily in his chair, tapping his fingers in listless plods against his keyboard. 

With each monotonous clack, Nines could feel the weight of his complacency bearing heavily on his shoulders. Were he to delay the finalising of their reports any longer, the RK900 would simply be forced to—

"What is your name anyway?" Reed said suddenly. His eyes flitted towards the android, honed attentively whilst paradoxically devoid of any meaningful thought or engagement. "Don't think you ever bothered to tell me."

In contrast to the man's slackened jaw, Nines felt his own lock in exasperation. Rather than waste time on the question, he could have easily secured the desired information from the readily accessible staff records. Clearly, the process of opening a second tab on his computer proved far too mentally tasking. 

"My model number is sufficient," he responded, in a far greater show of agreeability than was deserved.

Despite this, the answer failed to satisfy his partner. He could not help but notice that Reed had proceeded to mimic his words, jutting his chin towards the ceiling as he flapped his lips in large, animated movements. It was a bizarre performance—for which Nines was uncertain who the intended audience had been. 

He prevented the pantomime from encroaching further into his optical field as he returned focus to the still-opened pathways pertaining to their case. The next logical step seemed to be comparing the Hartwell case to similar unsolved incidents. If any comparisons could be drawn, it may allow them to discern patterns in the killer's activities and determine an area of operation in which to focus their search.

With the criteria calibrated, the Hartwell documents were procedurally checked against the wider criminal database. A surreal kaleidoscope of shattered plastic, detached limbs and vibrant streaks of blue filled his vision—blinding him periodically. Their prevalence was alarming, as were the many parallels he was swiftly able to draw. 

It had become apparent that the killer hadn't just committed crimes against androids before, he was a seasoned professional. 

"When looking at the findings from the HR400 case, there are seven near-identical homicides that have occurred within a 10-mile radius." He directed his attention to Reed as the data faded from view, confining itself to his terminal monitor. "As well as fifteen further assault or harassment reports with notable similarities."

The man raised his brows at the revelation before his eyes rolled in a curt dismissal. "So what? Doesn't mean they're connected."

Nines felt his tested patience dwindle further as he was taken by an impulse to thump a head onto the table. Either his own or Reed's—he hadn't decided yet. Perhaps if he were to opt for the latter, it may inadvertently knock some sense into the thoroughly detestable man. 

"Our suspect works carefully not to incriminate themselves, leaving little to no DNA evidence." In hopes a visual may circumvent his partner's inability to employ basic reasoning, he turned his monitor in his direction. "They do, however, enjoy leaving calling cards for the police..." 

He descended through the contents of the page, watching as Reed's expression fell in line with the grotesque text and images. Reflections of synthetic gore shone ominously against his pupils, until they started to narrow, focusing on the images. No doubt some form of dormant reflex developed from his time of the force. An understanding that he ought to pay attention, even if he didn't want to. 

Hoping it might prove the catalyst for progress, Nines pressed a little further. "The handwriting is consistent across the crime scenes." He pointed his finger in line with a few of the killer's scrawlings, outlining the similarities in the gnarled letters.

"... That's all well and good, but the fuck are we supposed to do with a handwriting sample in 2039?" His tenuously held interest had already waned. Reed began picking at the corner of his mouse mat, rolling a ball of dislodged foam between his fingertips. "If that's all we have to work with, then we're royally screwed."

Nines slumped back in his seat, feeling entirely defeated. His grip tightened on the screen as he forcefully returned it to its original position. As his fingers burrowed into the flimsy chrome plating, it began to warp beneath his hold. By the time he realised what he had done, he was dismayed to discover that the action had left a series of prominent indents. 

"If you were to review the files yourself, perhaps you might find something of greater significance." 

There was a brief hush as Reed stilled completely. The ambient sounds of the precinct became the only noise shared between them—methodic typing and the mumbled chatter between co-workers. Then, a harsh demand cut through, like a final stone cast at the crumbling foundations of the android's composure.  

"Come again?"

If their short partnership had demonstrated anything, it was that Reed's contentious reputation was more than deserved. First impressions could be misleading, but in his partner's case, they had proved incredibly efficient in demonstrating the calibre of man he was.

Were Reed an android, he would have been deactivated long ago—the only consistency in his erraticism being his enduring cruelty and arrogance. No doubt this stemmed from some perceived dissatisfaction in his own personal or professional life, the fault for which was undoubtedly his.

"You have worked here for significantly longer than me, yet you seem to lack all the prerequisite skills to fulfil your duties." There was a stir of movement as the android detected a steady rise in the man's respiratory rate. "Perhaps this would explain why you are so consistently passed up for progression opportunities, not to mention promotion—"

There was a harsh strike against the desk, rattling its already unsteady foundations. Reed sat with his palms sprawled on the scuffed veneer surface, before he pushed against it, hauling himself to his feet. Leaving his chair, the man was practically foaming at the mouth with ill-concealed anger. His nostrils flared wide, and his head bucked forward, similar to an irate bull. 

"Where do you get off telling me how to do my job?"

Nines was more than happy to elaborate on the less-than-stellar overview he had constructed of Detective Reed. Perhaps it might provide the man with some valuable self insight, of which he clearly lacked any. 

"I am the most advanced model that CyberLife has ever created. I was programmed to assist in police investigations, with my performance continuously adjusted and monitored to uphold exceptionally high standards. I know incompetence when I see it."

Reed took immediate and hostile issue with the criticism. Even if Nines had not been able to detect the change in his vitals, the reflective tensing of his muscles—in particular the hostile curling of fingers against his palms—was more than telling of his intentions. 

"Is it in your damn programming to be such a prick all the time?"

"I am simply being honest."

The warning signs soon came to fruition, with almost comedic predictability. "They should have left you in the warehouse to rot, you fucking machine—"

As Reed's fist hurtled towards him, Nines intercepted it in a fluid motion. His hand closed around the man's wrist, applying pressure like the centralised force of a hydraulic press. He then pinned it firmly to the desk, preventing any further momentum. 

Clearly, the human had been spoiled by the restraint shown by his previous android targets. His rush of adrenaline seemed to taper instantly, as he took note of the wrenching hold riveting him in place. 

Nines observed with curiosity as signals of pain sent twitches through the human's muscles. His skin felt spongey and delicate, melding itself to his tightly wound fingers with remarkable ease. He could feel the beat of his pulse racing through the fleshy guard. A final, damning confirmation of just how fragile he truly was.  

"Let go of me, you piece of—!"

"You are fortunate that I am not willing to fight you," the android interrupted, his contemptuous tone laden with ice. "Had I been, your hand would be broken."

It was clear Reed had started to realise the gravity of his mistake as his scornful eyes widened in wake of the threat. The machine restraining him possessed more control over the situation than he could have ever comprehended. It could not be swayed by insults or threats, nor overpowered by any degree of force.

Despite his continued resistance, there was fear brimming in his gaze. It eclipsed all traces of zeal and bravado, as he realised just how easily Nines could have destroyed him in the pursuit of defending himself. 

"...Let go." 

To ensure the message was well received and that no further aggression was attempted, Nines leaned forward—positioning his mouth just above the shell of the man's ear. 

"Even if I were to let you hit me, is the fleeting satisfaction you would feel worth losing your career over? People are watching Detective Reed. I would consider your next move carefully."

His pride had been wounded, remnants leaking through the cracks of his narrowed eyes. He didn't want to stop fighting; that much was obvious, but even Reed—in all his irrationality—could recognise its futility. 

Once his body was completely still, and the beat of the pulse against his sensor pads had begun to slow, Nines decided to release him. The man yanked his arm back quickly as he pawed at the reddened imprints left on his wrist. 

Anger permeated his every syllable once he had regained the needed composure to speak. The words slicing the air like a guillotine, spurred by the cutting edge of his tongue. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I don't care what happens to me. I will fucking murder you."

It was clear how desperately the man wished for his threats to hold any weight. Nines, on the other hand, have never felt less intimidated in his life. He smoothly dismissed the notion, resisting the assured smirk threatening to curl his lips. "As we have just established, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried."

> INCOMING TRANSMISSION.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

I haven't heard from you in a while.

Is everything okay?

His encroaching smile vanished completely as a new irritation presented itself—formed in the sudden pop-up on his HUD. Naturally, RK800 would feel inclined to check in. He'd want to know how things were progressing with Nines and his new partner. 

As much as Nines appreciated the vigilance came from a place of concern, he couldn't help but find it a little intrusive. Like he was a small child, being kept under constant check by a protective older sibling. 

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

Everything is fine. 

I am currently discussing case findings with Detective Reed.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Are you sure about that? 

Seems like quite a violent discussion.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

I have no idea what you are talking about. 

The situation is under control. You've no cause for concern.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Nines, I am standing by your desk. 

"Detective Reed, RK900." 

RK800 then spoke aloud, allowing the human to be privy to their ongoing interactions. Nines wished he hadn't bothered. 

As if Reed wasn't already in a foul enough mood, the introduction of a second android seemed to tip him over the edge. He looked ready to lash out again or, at the very least, attempt to, with RK800 his new target of focus. "What the fuck do you want, dipshit?"

A small step was made away from Nines and towards his predecessor, to which the former was immediately on guard. It was clear the man had learnt nothing from their recent exchange, the exercise in synthetic superiority unable to pierce his long-standing fog of prejudice. 

That being said, should the man attempt to lay hands on RK800, Nines would resolve to make sure the lesson was learned—in spite of any concerns regarding his behavioural record.

RK800 glanced at the younger android before subtly shaking his head, an assurance he had things under control. He then focused his attention on Reed, tracking his movements with a cranial tilt as a polite smile spread on his lips.

"I understand that you've been assigned to investigate the murder of a former Traci. I was wondering what you'd learnt so far."

"What's it to ya?" the man spat back, his growing disdain more than apparent in the unsightly wrinkle of his nose. "Don't you and Anderson have your own cases you need to work on?"

"We do…but I will admit I have taken an interest in this particular crime." 

RK800 paused, his LED flickering yellow as he deliberated on his ongoing approach. Then his dark eyes began to soften, the product of a manipulation protocol Nines was certain had served him well in many previous interactions. 

"I understand that it shares similarities with other recent attacks?" His voice was smooth and honeyed as he continued to speak, tinged with an endearing curiosity. 

It seemed Reed was entirely immune to its appeal. He crossed his arms, as his lips pulled shut in a tightly pinched grimace. A firm indication that he would not be sharing any information with the android, regardless of how personable his approach may be.

Before RK800 had a chance to start batting his eyelashes, Nines spared them all the performance by firmly stepping forward, positioning himself between the detective and his predecessor.

"Several." He then retracted the skin of his palm, holding it upright as a silent indication of his intended exchange method. While RK800 eventually complied, he did so with an uncertain glance at the man beside them. 

Their palms met, and the precinct was gone—disappearing from sight

[wildegeist-old]

👊 Clara

🙈 Arctos

😨 Zigzag

🕷️ Teague

These are REALLY good ones for their respective characters...

👊 Are they quick to violence? [CLARA]

Clara is borderline pacifistic most of the time and actively avoids violence. She will fight back if she recognizes she has to (fun fact: the reason Orubrus has a scar on the right side of his mouth is because she broke a vase against his face when he first attacked her). However, she's highly unlikely to have any active desire to hurt most people, and she's really even tempered. She can be driven over the edge much like any person you push far enough, but she's really only likely to get angry enough to be violent under extremely special circumstances.

🙈 What's a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people? [ARCTOS]

His "weak" one- this means emotions, especially fear. He hates being afraid of things, and he hates it even more when said things know he's afraid of them. Even when scared, he'll make an effort to keep himself composed and feign calmness, and when he can't do that, he'll mask it with anger. He feels shame when he has to back down or run. He's extremely insecure at the idea of feeling fear, because he's a knight, and he feels like being brave is the only way to keep any dignity he has left.

He also gets embarrassed about crying in front of people

😨 When scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"? [ZIGZAG]

Zigzag's on the violent side and no stranger to fighting, being a space merc and all. But that's just if he's facing off against Some Guys, like usual. He'll punch if he's startled (do NOT jumpscare him as a prank), but if something or someone he's afraid of shows up, he'll go into flight mode. The man knows his limits. Well, sometimes, anyway.

🕷️ What is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears? [TEAGUE]

This is a FUN one for Teague. He's specifically known for his fearlessness, and being one of the few mercs that, in his own words, is willing to "take on threats that make most mercs wet themselves and cry for mommy". And it's true- he'll stare an eldritch horror in the face and tell it to go fuck itself with a smile. But there's two fears he does have. One is very silly and one is very personal.

The silly one is kittens. Earth kittens. He is terrified of kittens, because they remind him of one of the few cosmic terrors he's faced off against that genuinely made him fear for his life. And it was an amalgamation of kittens. Its name is also Kittens.

His more personal fear is being forgotten. He has an anomalous ailment known as "erasure"- something that detaches you from reality and causes the universe to attempt to erase you from existence, leaving nothing behind. He doesn't know how to cure it so he only treats it to delay it. He also only has one friend, his whole family's estranged, he's socially reclusive, and he's so rude most people don't like him. That means only one person's likely to remember him. That's how he sees it, anyway.