Fanfic: Imposter [Part 41]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: Tao gets a little bored. Notes:  Among Us AU! :D Rating: PG Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 1,579 Total word count: 38,787 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part Tao's door trap was done, he'd finished poking at the trackers, everyone was working away at their tasks and... He was bored.

He sighed, stretching and pulling his arm back so he could tap the back of the chair over his shoulder. Bored bored bored. Nothing was happening now, which was good! No death and no looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't alone with someone - that was a way better environment to be in. It was just. It meant Tao had nothing to do. He sighed again, slouching low in his chair, watching everyone on the screens. No blood, still alive. "Uuurgh," Tao said as he slid out of his chair, "there has to be somethin' I can do around here." He just had to go and find it. * It was a good test for his pad and its connection with Security. It still meant he was staring at the same number of views, but at least he was walking around! And he got to see himself on them more too. So what could he do now? Most of the stuff left on the task list were specialities he didn't know, and sure, he could help out but he'd rather know what he was doing. Which left... Yeah, all right. Time to scope out the dropship again. * Tao didn't pass anyone on the way to the dropship and it opened up fine for him. He heard someone moving about as soon as he entered and smiled a little bit, recognising Em's grumble. "Yooo, how's it goin'?" he called out, so not to startle him. "Fucking wires," was the reply and Tao snickered, walking up. Em was kneeling in the corridor in front of an open panel, wires in one hand and a soldering iron in the other. "It's just an extension of the base, huh." It seemed like a familiar sight. Or at least, from what Tao remembered of being on Skeld. Em's way of treating the wires seemed a more permanent way of dealing with the problem than waiting for them to drop loose again. "Fucking falling apart just like it," Em said, scowling as he attached the wires back together. Tao hummed, watching him for a second. "Hey, do you wanna listen to music now?" He didn't have to check the security room straight away, and he could see how easily he could access everything here with his pad first. Em paused, squinting at him. "I asked you about it before, remember?" Tao didn't listen to music while he was working because he needed to make sure he was paying attention to everything, but here he could be a little more lax. He wasn't alone and didn't have to worry about someone sneaking up on him. "Sooo?" Em didn't say anything for a few seconds, his lips pursed. "Fine." Tao beamed, bringing up the relevant folders with a few practiced clicks. This was going to be fun to see what Em would lean towards. *   Tao snickered at Em's grimace. "Take it that's a definite 'no'." The grimaced deepened as the song went on. "Why does it sound like something's about to explode?" "Someone liked the fast tempo, I guess," Tao said, changing tracks. "Or else it wouldn't have been recorded." "Urgh." Tao adjusted his list, removing all of the songs under the same genre. Em seemed to lean towards the classical slow songs, without lyrics. It might have been because those were what Tao had played first to ease him into it but who cared? They were working out Em's preferences. The next song started and Tao hid his smile, seeing Em already nodding to the beat. Another winner. * "Hey, Frankenstein." "Mm?" Frankenstein continued writing their note as they looked up. It was Em, but there was something...different. He wasn't hurt, nor angry or anxious. Hm. He had brought his pad, which wasn't too unusual. "Do you like music?" Frankenstein raised their eyebrows. That was an unexpected question. "I never paid too much mind to it," they admitted. Some scientists liked listening to it in the lab - it could be a nice silence filler so long as it wasn't too loud or grating. Em perked up, a triumphant expression on his face. Was that a good thing? "What do you think of this?" Em said as he walked over, tapping on his pad. Oh? Em wanted them to listen to music? Well, their samples were still being processed and it would be a while yet until they got the results for them, so they would give this their full attention. * O2 was awash in an soft orange glow when Tao entered, and huh. "This looks different from my old ship." O2 on Skeld was a boxy, metallic room that Tao could cross in about three steps, with only one main plant to the side. O2 here was bigger with more plants overflowing into different sections, stacked over each other on shelves. "Yeah," Kentas said, clapping his hands on his thighs, dirt flying off them, "I've been trying to grow some more since most of the plants had died since they'd arrived." "So how much water do they need?" Tao asked, peering at the soil. Plants had to be given a precise amount, since too much or too little of anything could kill them, and when they supplied the ships and bases of veg and oxygen, that balance had to be maintained carefully. "I give them enough until it looks right." Tao whirled on him, gaping. "What?" He just-? "How do you know when it's right?" Kentas just looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It looks right." Where were the numbers? The measurements? The balance calculations of the acidity of the soil? How could Kentas do all this on instinct alone? It didn't compute at all with Tao. Except, that was exactly what Kentas had already been doing with the base's oxygen for all these months, and they hadn't died of suffocation yet. So. He would just have to trust Kentas' judgement like he'd already been doing. And not try to think too hard about it. * Tao poked his head into the lower engine room and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't a melting temperature. "Gettin' your bearings?" Muzaka said, grinning at him as he fixed something on the engine with a wrench. "Haha, yeah. Not too hard, but it's good to know where everything is." Definitely smaller than the base and everything was placed differently than on Skeld. "The good news is the security system needs less updating than the base's." Which wasn't that hard a comparison all things considered, but it was nice having less hair-pulling frustration while he worked with it. And now all he had to do was figure out the best places to put his cameras. Tao stepped in, looking around at everything. While the engine was about four times larger than the boiler room (and there were two of them), it was much more well lit and again, everything wasn't sweating from the heat. Then again, they weren't in use right now, were they? "How do you survive in the boiler room?" At that, Muzaka laughed. "You're not the only one ta ask. You get used to it, and I take a lot of breaks." Yeah, he'd seen Muzaka dip into O2 a few times over the course of the day. "Do you need a break now? It's nearing lunch." Which Tao's stomach was very kindly reminding him, for once. Probably because he wasn't so engrossed in trying to make the security system useable. "That time already?" Muzaka nodded, grabbing his helmet as he walked towards the exit. "I'll go grab Frankenstein and I'll see ya at the cafeteria." Heh, so Muzaka checked on Frankenstein as often as Takeo checked on him. Speaking of which, he should go see Takeo too, and make sure he was eating. * "Takeooo," Tao called out as he poked his head into Weapons. Takeo smiled at him from his desk. "Lunch time?" "Yep!" Tao didn't wait for him to get up, ducking into the room. Once he was sure the door was closed, he said, "What do you think of the ship?" Takeo made a small noise as he stood up. "It's similar to Skeld's navigational system - I can use it." Tao grinned. "Great!" Once they figured out the fuel problem, they'd be good to go. * Takeo smiled to himself as the asteroid disintegrated into smaller pieces. There. He wasn't sure if the asteroids were drawn to their own gravitation field but... He frowned, focusing on the screen again. Normally all that showed up were asteroids. Because they came close enough that their radar could pick them up. If they were close enough the base's sensors picked them up, then... They were close enough to shoot, but if it just showed up, then they were still a reasonable distance away. Not enough to be seen by the naked eye if they looked up in the sky. The shape looming into view wasn't the same irregular asteroid shape, and it wasn't sweeping across Takeo's view. This one was aiming straight for them. Sharp angles and straight lines that were unnatural. Constructed. It gleamed, reflecting the starlight. A ship. What was a ship doing approaching the base? ___ I've got chapter 42 done, buuut I want to make sure the rest of the ending meshes up with it before I post, so there might be a bit of a delay while I work on finishing this. :)

Hi, I’m Val

✨ Basics 25+, USA, she/her, INTP, Leo, Slytherin...

✨ Husbands Kuroo Tetsurō, Kita Shinsuke, Suna Rintarō, Iwaizumi Hajime // Akashi Seijūrō, Kasamatsu Yukio // Takami Keigo, Bakugō Katsuki, Amajiki Tamaki // Mycroft Holmes, Sebastian Moran // Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Obito, Gaara, Yamato, Sasori, Hoshigaki Kisame, Senju Tobirama, Momochi Zabuza, Shiranui Genma // Gojō Satoru // Sanada Shunpei, Yūki Tetsuya, Hongō Masamune // Urahara Kisuke, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Ulquiora Cifer, Hisagi Shūhei, Kira Izuru, Hitsugaya Tōshirō // Aza Chōbei // Kunigami Rensuke, Michael Kaiser, Nagi Seishirō, Itoshi Sae // Sampo Koski, Jin Yuan, Gepard Landau // Zora Ideale, Sukehiro Yami, Zenon Zogratis, Mars // Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Fyodor Dostoyevsky // Kirishima Natsuya // Wriothesley, Dainsleif, Thoma, Kaveh, Xiao, Tartaglia, Al-Haitham, Zhongli // L Lawliet // Ban, Hendrickson // Alistair Theirin, Fenris, Cullen Rutherford // Bickslow, Erik, Mest, Dreyar Laxus // Kaiba Seto, Bakura, Yami Bakura, Bandit King Bakura // Tsunashi Ryunosuke, Yaotome Gaku…

✨ Thots when will Kita lemme smash…

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✨ Fav. Tropes best friends to lovers, allies to lovers, mutual pinning, roommates, neighbors, soulmates, childhood friends…

✨ Fav. Anime Haikyū!!, Kuroko’s Basketball, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, Black Clover, Moriarty the Patriot, Rising of the Shield Hero, Ace of Diamond, Fairy Tail, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Yu-Gi-Oh! (og series), Bungou Stray Dogs, Free!, Death Note, Dragon Ball Z, Yona of the Dawn, Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, 7 Deadly Sins, Ouran High School Host Club, Avatar the Last Airbender, Legend of Kora, Noblesse, In/Spectre, Akame ga Kill!, My Next Life as a Villainess, Love Live!, The Ancient Magus Bride, Sword Art Online, The Misfit of Demon King Academy, Fruits Basket, Kakuriyo Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, Record of Grancrest War, Hellsing, Sengoku Night Blood, Hell’s Paradise, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Digimon (og series), Demon Slayer, Kenka Bancho Otome, Ao Ashi, Kamisama Hajimemashita, IDOLiSH7, The Black Summoner, Blue Lock, Bleach, The Apothecary Diaries, A Returner’s Magic should be Special, The Faraway Paladin, The Great Cleric, Horimiya, Why Raeliana ended up at the Duke’s Mansion, Tomo-chan is a girl!, Classroom of the Elite, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, How a Realist Hero rebuilt a Kingdom, Psychic Princess…

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Genshin Impact [NA] 654887160

Honkai: Star Rail [NA] 600544385

Friday 8 November 1839

7 ¾

1

fine sunny morning – Mr. de Richter at 9 25/.. to 10 ¾ - chiefly conversation – he mentioned a drawing master – to bring him with him tomorrow morning – count Goudovich meréschal de la noblesse here – il est élu (elected) to this post which makes him rank high – next I should suppose to the governor – property here divided equally among all the sons, the widow taking 1/7 and this seventh suffices also for the widow and for the daughter if she has one – if more daughters is this seventh still all that the law accords? – one can have a good house here for 3,000/. per annum – Prince Serge Galitzin very rich – the richest noble here? no? that must be Scheremetieff [Cheremetieff]? merchants here (who were their beards) who have des millions – millions of roubles per annum – 30,000/. a good income - +5,000/. given by the emperor = governors’ salary + palace of a house and probably varies other allowances – breakfast at 10 ¾ to 11 40/.. and wrote the above of today till now 11 55/.. – then had count Panin – and Mr. A. Marc and count Goudovich and talking to A- till now 3 ¾ - at the boulevard at 2 55/.. A- took 3 turns in 55 minutes and I 4 in 1 10/.. (she sat in the carriage waiting for me) and came in at 5 10/.. R -9 ½° = about F10° ten degrees of F and F (on my table) 62 ½° or R about +14° or not quite so much – very fine day – I felt braced and all the better for my walk – on

SH:7/ML/E/23/0122

on telling she how well she had borne a cold of F10° = 22° F below the freezing point she merely observed that she did not say much but did not like it – Eh bien! – however much it may sometimes seem that she would like the Siberian journey,  it is out of the question – Réfléchissez bien – we met count Goudovich in our first turn who looked good humoured and asked how we bore the cold – mais fort bien said I – alas! the answer was for myself alone? but I have seen A- bear the cold worse at home and I think she would suffer more from it in Paris – ‘tis now 5 35/.. – dressed – dinner at 6 ¼ in about ¾ hour – walked about a little with A- looked into Russian grammar – slumbered – Princess R- sent up to say tea was ready at a little after 8 – went down to her – her father and the old English lady there – soon afterwards came the old princess – and by and and by count and countess Kůtaisoff – she had sent the turkey feather knitted boa this morning price 85/. while Mr. Marc was here – to pay tomorrow and go there to tea at 7 ½, and all to meet afterwards chez la princesse R- after going to see the cosmetic shop – Gross came for us as usual in about (near) an hour – but princess R- would have us stay, and we all got very good friends – staid supper – nice little supper – a mayonnaise of poulet, a gateau (rather baba-like) de riz and then crème au chocolat – all – the 2 (did not taste the gateau) excellent – all came away at 10 35/.. – they all think we pay very dear for an apartment and living – there ought to be a couple of lamps in the salle à manger – spoke a moment to princess R- about herself – she will go to London next year to consult the faculty there – I offered to write to ask the opinion of a physician in the country I myself could trust – we are to talk it over – looked into Russian grammar – had Grotza till after 12 – F62 ½° now at 12 ¼ on my table and R -13 ½° = F1° i.e. 31° below the freezing point – very fine day

Summary: Robin Hood AU. (Sort of.) After her father is arrested for harboring and aiding the wanted criminal Chat Noir, Marinette must seek him out or lose her father to a crime he did not commit.

Noblesse Oblige

by iOc

Chapitre quatre

Going Back To Sleep Would Be Better

The first thing that registered in her mind when she woke up was how warm she was and how soft the bed was. Her bed was never this warm or this soft. The second was that it was raining. She could hear the insistent pitter patter of the rain on the windowsill.

Cracking her eyes open, she saw tan rocks rising up all around her. Oh. She was inside the prison itself.

She immediately sat straight up and looked at the door. It was open enough for someone a little bigger than her to easily slip in and out, however the iron had long since rusted in place. She could leave if she wanted – though her body protested at too much movement. And it was cold.

She pulled the blankets – wool and animal hide, soft and durable – closer to her small frame, and she looked about.

The walls were intricately carved with strange figures. She could easily place the crucifix among the pictures, and she was sure many of them were people. Were they Biblical stories? She wasn't sure. Most of the readings on the Sabbath were in Latin, and she never understood any of it.

She settled back down on the bed and studied the ones that decorated the ceiling – really, they had carved images into the ceiling! Unlike the ones on the walls, the pictures on the ceiling looked newer. There was a woman – she thought it was a woman – and a man with a bow. And… were those maps of stars? Yes, they looked like it. It was rather beautiful.

“Oh, good, you're awake.”

Marinette wasn't sure who she thought would greet her when they realized she was no longer asleep, but she never once thought it would be Alya. She friend stood there, smiling, a tray balanced in her hands.

Alya slipped through the door and over to the bedside. Marinette sat up, watching as her friend sat down next to her as she settled the tray on her lap.

“Before you say anything,” Alya said, “I was told that I’d be the one checking in on you and making sure that you were okay before receiving any other guests.”

“Guests?” Marinette said, confused. “Alya –”

“And before you ask: Yes, I know where Chat Noir’s camp is. I've known for quite a while now. I didn't think you would be stupid enough to go out without me to go look for it. We could have avoided the whole injured damsel thing you've got going on.”

“I'm not a damsel.”

Alya snorted.

“Wait, you've known where Chat Noir’s camp is? Why didn't you just take me here in the first place?”

“Your mom is really worried about you, you know. You didn’t come home at all yesterday after the market closed. Nathaniel, Max, and I had to make up some lame excuse to even come out this way. Marinette, you really are stupid.”

“You've known he was here the whole time? Why tease me? Is this a joke? Are you trying to get my dad killed?”

“Are you?” Marinette snapped her mouth shut at that. Alya glared at her. “The whole town is in an uproar over you. The Sheriff believes that you're conspiring with Chat Noir behind his back. Marinette, your father has already been arrested for apparently aiding him. I don't think he'd want you in there as well. Think next time before you act, please.”

“I'm sorry,” she said. “But… I had to find him. He might help my dad.”

“If you just asked like we'd been trying to get you to –”

“Who?”

“Nathaniel, Max, and me. We've been trying to get you to ask one of us to help you find this place. We set up a bunch of hints.”

“No, you didn't.”

“Marinette, we did. We can't be blamed if you didn't see them.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” a voice from the doorway said, “but I wanted to check up on our lovely guest.”

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Enigmatic character

Prints series of graphic artworks, relating to sometimes lugubrious sometimes magical characters. Atropa Parcae store for you get the collections of printed illustrations.

Vlad Tepes, Dracula - Vampire

There is darkness in life and there is light, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights. ~ BRAM STOKER, Dracula, a legend. But long before the legend was Prince Vlad Dracul. Dracula marks the beginning of Gothic literature. The vampire myth, immortal, drinking the blood of its victims and turning them into vampires, appears in different forms in the popular imagination. Certainly, the most famous vampire remains Count Dracula, originally from Romania, central character of the novel written by Bram Stoker in 1897. Many talk about it, but few know the legend born from the true story of Prince Vlad Tepes (The Impaler ) reigning over Wallachia in the mid-15th century. The bloody legend of Count Dracula is strongly linked to the reign of Vlad Tepes and his mysterious region of southern Romania), the province that was the last bastion of Christianity against the Ottoman invasion. This prince, born in Transylvania in 1431 and crowned prince of Wallachia in 1436, moved to the palace of Targoviste. He would have impaled thousands of thousands of men: German traders from Transylvania, members of the nobility, Ottoman prisoners. In addition, he became known by the "Forest of Pals", place where the body of Turkish officers were erected on stakes, which were around his castle. However, this technique of massacre was very popular at the time among European princes. Historians qualify him as a very important prince in the fight against the Ottoman Empire, his father being part of the Order of the Dragon, an order of chivalry created in 1408 by Sigismund of Luxembourg, king of Hungary, to prevent the Ottoman expansion in Europe. In his wish to do justice, this bloody prince nicknamed after his death Dracula, that is to say the devil in the Wallachian language, shocks his contemporaries by his methods of sadistic torture.

- Oh! The terrible struggle I have had with sleep so often lately; the pain of insomnia, or the pain of fear of sleep, and with such unknown horror it has for me! As some people are blessed, whose life is neither afraid nor afraid; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes at night and brings only sweet dreams. ~ BRAM STOKER, Dracula ~

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Personnage énigmatique

Série d'impressions d'oeuvres graphiques se rapportant aux personnages parfois lugubres parfois féérique.

Vlad Tepes, Dracula

Il y a des ténèbres dans la vie et il y a des lumières, et vous êtes l'une des lumières, la lumière de toutes les lumières. ~ BRAM STOKER, Dracula, une légende. Mais bien avant la légende, était le prince Vlad Dracul. Dracula marque le début de la littérature gothique. Le mythe vampire, immortel, buvant le sang de ses victimes et les transformant en vampires, apparaît sous différentes formes dans l'imaginaire populaire.  Certes, le vampire le plus célèbre reste le comte Dracula, originaire de Roumanie, personnage central du roman écrit par Bram Stoker en 1897. Beaucoup en parlent, mais peu connaissent la légende née de l'histoire vraie du prince Vlad Tepes (L'Empaleur ) régnant sur la Valachie au milieu du XVe siècle. La légende sanglante du comte Dracula est fortement liée au règne de Vlad Tepes et sa région mystérieuse du sud de la Roumanie), la province qui fut le dernier bastion du christianisme contre l'invasion ottomane. Ce prince, né en Transylvanie en 1431 et couronné prince de Valachie en 1436, s'installe au palais de Targoviste. Il aurait empalé des milliers de milliers d'hommes: commerçants allemands de Transylvanie, membres de la noblesse, prisonniers ottomans. De plus, il s'est fait connaître par la "Forêt des Pals", lieu où étaient érigés les corps des officiers turcs sur des pieux, qui étaient autour de son château. Pourtant, cette technique de massacre était très populaire à l'époque parmi les princes européens.

Les historiens le qualifient comme un prince très important dans la lutte contre l'Empire ottoman, son père faisant partie de l'Ordre du Dragon, ordre de chevalerie créé en 1408 par Sigismond de Luxembourg, roi de Hongrie, pour empêcher l'expansion ottomane en Europe. Dans son souhait de rendre justice, ce prince sanglant surnommé après sa mort Dracula, c'est-à-dire le diable en langue valaque, choque ses contemporains par ses méthodes de torture sadique.

- Oh! La terrible lutte que j'ai eue contre le sommeil si souvent ces derniers temps; la douleur de l'insomnie, ou la douleur de la peur du sommeil, et avec une telle horreur inconnue qu'elle a pour moi! Comme certaines personnes sont bénies, dont la vie n'a ni peur, ni peur; à qui le sommeil est une bénédiction qui vient la nuit et n'apporte que de beaux rêves. ~ BRAM STOKER, Dracula ~

Impression de l'oeuvre originale sur papier cartonné 110 lb. Possède une surface lisse pour des imprimés de haute qualité.

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YourIchiRuki (Neapolitan Ice Cream): The BattleTech AU

SUMMARY

A very slow burn (500,000+ words just for setup) of Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Rukia trying to figure out how to deal with feelings and making a relationship work in a universe beset by war and political intrigue, as complicated by the fact that they are A. mercenaries, B. members of the nobility, and C. more than a little incredulous as to how they wound up in this mess in the first place, as set within a Bleach-y adaption of the BattleTech setting.

SETTING OVERVIEW

It is the year 3016. The Inner Sphere, a region approximately 1,000 light-years in diameter encompassing some 2 million stars and 2,000 inhabited planets, is split among five Successor States of the defunct Star League, each ruled by a Great House:

The Lyran Commonwealth, ruled by House Kuchiki

The Draconis Combine, ruled by House Shihōin

The Federated Suns, ruled by House Shiba

The Capellan Confederation, ruled by House Fujita

The Free Worlds League, ruled by House Hasegawa

The Periphery and Deep Periphery beyond their reach remain comparatively disorganized. Earth and the Sol System are ruled by ComStar, currently headed by Primus Sōsuke Aizen.

The Third Succession War, one in a series of conflicts waged nominally to restore the Star League, rages onward and is entering its 150th year. It is fought through all available means of combined arms warfare, but the premiere platform of the conflict is the BattleMech, an armored walking war machine piloted by a MechWarrior.

The young Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, Byakuya Kuchiki (26) has come to learn of the acquisition by the Federated Suns of the so-called Halstead Collection, a trove of Star League-era documents recovered during a military strike against a Draconis Combine staging area that was under construction. Realizing that House Shiba is nearing completion of their New Avalon Institute of Science to study the collection, he devises a plot to infiltrate the institution and gain access whatever secrets might have been found.

The linchpin of his plot is the world of Edo[1], a massively developed commercial and industrial hub. The cosmopolitan nature of Edo provides an easy means of inserting an agent into the society of the Federated Suns who can assume the identity of a native and then work their way onto the staff of the NAIS without raising suspicions. To this end, Byakuya dispatches his "adopted" younger sister, Baroness[2] Rukia Kuchiki (22), on an infiltration and reconnaissance mission, in order that she might prove herself. She is afforded a BattleMech[3] painted in Draconis Combine livery for the sake of additional deception and self-defense should anything go wrong (the Draconis Combine long having had designs on Edo).

After analyzing available data, Rukia decides that the best method of completing her mission and winning his approval is to infiltrate through what she reasons to be the soft underbelly of Edo: its countryside (or what passes for one). She selects the relatively sleepy city of Karakura, on the continent of New Tama, as her entry point.

Unbeknownst to either of the Kuchiki siblings, or indeed anyone in the Federated Suns, this is exactly where a former Duke of the Federated Suns, Isshin Shiba (from a branch of the main Shiba line, and now going under the adopted surname of Kurosaki) chose to flee from his responsibilities and raise a family. Although his wife died tragically some years prior, his son Ichigo Kurosaki (21) is in college, while his daughters (and fraternal twins) Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki (16) are in high school.

Likewise an unknown factor is that Kisuke Urahara (29) and his mercenary company (the Urahara Wild Cards) are in the same place. They have been reduced to the sorry state of having only two pilots, his chief officer (and former Coordinator of the Draconis Combine!) Yoruichi Shihōin (28) and Tessai Tsukabishi (34), as a result of most of the others having decided to go their own way (to form a company of their own called Visored). His company is actively recruiting.

The stage is set for a most curious complex of circumstances to unfold...

INITIAL PLOT SUMMARY

The idea behind this is that, although the setting features mecha, war, and political shenanigans (especially what with at least three people from the Great Houses about), I really wanted to use that as a framework for developing interpersonal relations. So, the general gist of the timeline would be that it starts off sort of like Bleach. 

Rukia shows up in Karakura and starts conducting her mission, but things quickly get out of hand. The canonical Federated Suns present themselves as being as honorable and democratic (or, at least as much so as an aristocratic system could be) but there are still vast wealth inequalities and social stratification in their lands, so my feeling is Rukia sees something or other which flips her chivalric and noblesse oblige switches, and she gets involved (eventually using her 'Mech), which draws the attention of the local military forces.

This results in a Fishbone D-style fight, which Ichigo and his family get dragged into. (Perhaps Rukia's 'Mech winds up being pushed into a residential area as she tries to retreat?) Rukia takes a hit to the cockpit while trying to shield Ichigo, getting injured by some shrapnel, mostly in her right arm. (Whoever she's fighting gets knocked down by her counterattack at the same time.) Ichigo clambers up into the cockpit (probably one side of it being torn open) to try and get to her, and finding her injured, decides he's got to fight in her place after getting her out of the ‘Mech[4].

Since he's the child of a Shiba, Isshin has probably subtly been training him to do something like pilot a 'Mech over time somehow, even if it wasn't obvious that's what it was training for. So, Ichigo is fairly naturally able to work with the 'Mech despite no prior official experience, and manages to take out the opposition without destroying the entire neighborhood in the process. He then passes out from heat exhaustion because Rukia's 'Mech is overheating and he doesn't have any kind of cooling gear on.

This is when Kisuke shows up (as in Bleach), having observed this battle from a distance and sensing an opportunity. He and his team scoop up Rukia and recover both her 'Mech and the Federated Suns one that continued pursuit, basically scouring the place for obvious evidence. Things go from there.

Ichigo wakes up the next morning in bed. Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin are fine (maybe they were knocked out through concussion or falling debris or being thrown against walls or something, but are alright; this is a bit handwavy but whatever, no one really cares that much) and seem to think it was a gas main explosion or something. The authorities are basically covering it up as exactly that. Ichigo remembers, but dismisses it as some kind of nightmare.

Until he meets Rukia on his college campus.

She's been patched up enough to be ambulatory but her arm needs time to recover and she can't pilot properly, and so she enlists Ichigo to help her with her infiltration mission by helping her with school and generally blending in and pretending to be a Federated Suns citizen. He refuses at first, but as she saved his life (and he is rather politically disaffected) and he finds there to be a charm in her notions of what honor and chivalry mean, he eventually comes around and grudgingly assists her. (It later turns out her 'Mech is in the care and repair of Kisuke, who is essentially billing her for the services and making her trade on token favors in the meantime.)

A month passes, much as in Bleach, with Rukia living out of Ichigo's room. During this time they converse quite a lot and grow close (as in Bleach and more especially its live action movie). Rukia comes to appreciate the comparative freedom of life in the Federated Suns (even compared to being a noble in the Lyran Commonwealth) and starts to genuinely doubt her mission and cause, finding them to be incompatible with how she interprets chivalry. During this time, she assists Ichigo in getting revenge on a criminal who was responsible for the death of his mother years prior (Grand Fisher equivalent, probably personal combat rather than a 'Mech fight). This is the final straw in her deciding to desert her mission and go native. She stops sending reports back to the Lyran Commonwealth.

Although Kisuke technically owns the Urahara Wild Cards, the reality of the situation is more complicated. He and Tessai were formerly retainers and subordinates of Yoruichi’s from her time as the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine; when she deserted her post to save them from certain execution (due to a convoluted conspiracy), they all wound up as dishonored ronin. Still, he shows her all due deference (if sometimes playfully) from their former lives. He prefers to take an administrative and executive role, leaving day-to-day operations to her, and logistical matters to Tessai.

It is around this time that Yoruichi returns from elsewhere on the planet, her own independent recruiting efforts in more populated areas not having yielded any results. Finding out what's been going on in her absence (with Kisuke having determined Isshin's real identity in the meantime), she's pretty stunned. (As the former leader of the Draconis Combine, finding out that both the sister of the Lyran Commonwealth's Archon and a plausible claimant to First Prince of the Federated Suns are present on such a world is pretty wild.) She joins Kisuke in taking an immediate interest in this situation, but takes care not to make her presence known around Ichigo or Rukia, reasoning at least the latter might be able to deduce who she is (or rather, used to be).

There is growing involvement from Ichigo's college friends and acquaintances (i.e., Chad, Uryuu, Orihime, Tatsuki) who get drawn into matters for personal reasons. (I'm leaning toward including them for contrast, use as sounding boards and interaction for the mains, additional pilots, and for side stories and subplots.) Of these, Uryuu might have his own (Light) 'Mech[5] already, with the Quincy perhaps being some sort of independence movement or armed militia group. (I find it debatable whether Keigo and Mizuiro should be included, but for once they rather plausibly could be.)

Another month passes, and Rukia decides it's time to leave, having come to reason that her mere presence puts Ichigo and everyone else in direct danger. Unfortunately for her, she is too late: shockingly, Byakuya himself arrives on Edo, along with a rising LCAF military commander, Renji Abarai, in order to retrieve her (again with Draconis Combine-styled 'Mechs). Byakuya has come to view her "failure" as a matter of personal honor.

This is where things start to diverge much more heavily from Bleach. Although Uryuu and Ichigo intervene, their ‘Mechs are no match for Renji's 'Mech[6], let alone Byakuya's[7]. All hope seems lost until Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Tessai deploy into battle in heavy and assault 'Mechs[8]. Suddenly outnumbered 2:5, Byakuya and Renji are forced to withdraw and retreat. However, this skirmish draws the attention of the local military much more heavily than even Rukia's initial actions.

The Urahara Wild Cards immediately make ready to leave the planet, and extend an offer to Ichigo, Rukia, and company to join them. Faced with little choice given the attention about to be brought to bear, Ichigo and Rukia choose to leave, prompting the others to join them too. (Rukia having already been prepared to leave, and Ichigo really not wanting to be apart from her but openly reasoning he was planning to leave home anyway after college. The others perhaps view it as more exciting and amenable than staying behind)

They all depart the planet and, after returning to Kisuke's orbiting DropShip (the Geta-Boshi[9], which is too large to make planetfall) soon also leave the system behind. Although Rukia initially finds the idea of becoming a mercenary distasteful for cultural reasons, a speech by Yoruichi[10], who chooses this moment to properly "introduce" herself, results in the six (or eight) deciding they might as well apply their skills as mercenaries under Kisuke's employ, bringing Urahara Wild Cards up to (at least) two full Lances worth of pilots.

The next several months are spent training and taking odd jobs. The young adults from Edo (Ichigo, Tatsuki, Chad, Orihime, and Uryuu [and maybe Keigo and Mizuiro]) come under the supervision of Yoruichi and Tessai for proper basic 'Mech training. Rukia, having received LCAF training, also gets roped into this as a co-instructor. Ichigo winds up being the star pupil of this program by virtue of his history, although Uryuu is not at all far behind.

They settle on a force structure that roughly balances out relative skill while still affording a strong main team and a good reserve team, yielding Alpha Lance (Yoruichi, Rukia, Ichigo, Chad) and Bravo Lance (Tessai, Uryuu, Tatsuki, Orihime). (If Keigo and Mizuiro are there, they're basically backbenchers until the Urahara Wild Cards get at least two more pilots[11] to form a third Lance, Charlie Lance, which would bring them up to Company strength.)

Rukia and Ichigo continue on much as they had before, on Edo. Although they both, along with everyone else, are issued fairly comfortable and private quarters (owing to the size and nature of the construction of the Geta-Boshi), more often than not Rukia chooses to spend her time in Ichigo's quarters, often falling asleep there. It relatively quickly becomes common for them to share a bed, although their relationship remains nebulous and unofficial; almost everyone else treats them as though they are a couple, but they remain very emotionally and personally intertwined rather than lovers.

The Ichigo-Yoruichi and Rukia-Yoruichi reactions are from the outset established on the basis of mutual respect, but as time goes on admiration, care, concern, and physical attraction start to creep into them. Ichigo winds up often getting additional training and instruction from both Yoruichi and Rukia, though more often from the former. He winds up becoming good friends with Yoruichi off-duty as much as on. They have sort of similar interests and approaches to things, and often wind up talking shop about hobbies or knowledge. Yoruichi and Rukia become fast friends due to a mutual background and lifestyle focus; although the Kuchiki and Shihōin are nominally bitter enemies, it turns out they have a lot more in common than it might first seem. They swap more advanced piloting techniques and train together frequently to keep each other sharp. They also spend time together when off-duty, and in the process also become closer with Tatsuki and Orihime, as there are relatively fewer women aboard the Geta-Boshi and the MechWarriors tend to stand apart from the ship's crew and the engineering staff.

A bunch of little incidents also take place that heighten their growing closeness. Two examples: 1. Ichigo winds up walking into Yoruichi's quarters to ask her a question and accidentally catches her in a state of undress; he retreats in (appreciative) embarrassment, but Yoruichi also realizes she doesn't mind that he saw anything. 2. Yoruichi, deducing during an R&R stop on a planet that Rukia is more than a little repressed, and inexperienced to the point of not even knowing how to please herself, offers to show her how as a fellow woman, then reveals she didn't know what she was doing either the first few times she tried.

If the initial time in Karakura were to take roughly 75 chapters (at about 4,000 words each), then this all would probably take at least another 75 chapters, and probably more.

Eventually, one evening Ichigo winds up joining Yoruichi at the only bar on the Geta-Boshi and they trade stories and talk about themselves and each other (although only he drinks). Yoruichi gradually realizes over the course of the evening that she enjoys the sense of connection they share, and that she genuinely finds him attractive, and has the sense that he feels the same about her. Although she's (very) well aware of Ichigo and Rukia's "not-a-relationship," she's also discerned they're not actually lovers, and although that leaves her a bit conflicted, she still chooses to act on her impulses, reasoning she's not doing anything wrong by pursuing him.

After they leave together, she gets him alone (in his 'Mech rather than in either of their quarters, not wanting to make it about power) and reveals her attraction toward him. Her understanding of her feelings is often physical, and she comes onto him, even though she knows that what she’s feeling isn’t purely lust; it’s something more emotionally meaningful and leaves her vulnerable, and the way she takes control of it is by being a bit forward. Ichigo has a kind of similar attraction and doesn’t fight her, having a sense of her perspective and emotions. They have sex, both wanting and needing it, but it’s not just that, and it’s great. Feeling awkward about just doing it and then going their separate ways, Ichigo goes back to her quarters with her, where (despite some innuendo) they probably just shower and fall asleep together (with maybe more in the early morning). This has been prototyped out as about two chapters.

Although Yoruichi initially only considered the idea of it as being a one-time thing, despite her feelings, it keeps occasionally happening over the next few weeks (maybe about every 3-5 days or so) as both of them enjoy the physical comfort of their connection, and the pillow talk afterward.

Meanwhile, Ichigo often spends his other nights finding Rukia asleep beside him, and starts to think about how deep his emotional connection to her is, and how comforting that is too. It leaves him more than a little conflicted and he starts to focus that feeling in on himself as he tries to figure out what to do.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION

This is where my sense of the plot becomes a bit less certain, and where I felt that input could be particularly insightful.

My sense is that Rukia, smart cookie that she is, would figure out what is going on very quickly. (Probably having a sense of it almost immediately, and piecing it together within a week.) Considering the undefined nature of her relationship with Ichigo, I don't think she'd be mad at him or upset with him. I do think it would also make her reflect on her feelings toward him, and together with her own growing recognition of her sexuality, would lead her to be curious and to want to try and have a physical connection with Ichigo too.

So, I think that she would prepare herself mentally and wait until a night when he was in his quarters, and make the first move. And Ichigo would not resist and quickly start to cooperate, wanting to make Rukia feel good. It'd be different between her and him than with him and Yoruichi, but just as intoxicating.

Probably the next morning, Rukia would slip out early and go to see Yoruichi to try and discuss things, having some sense of Ichigo's emotional turmoil and not wanting it to go on further.

I think they'd talk in Yoruichi’s quarters (as I don’t think Rukia would be intimidated by talking there), but they might also go somewhere private on the ship, maybe a kind of industrial or disused area as neutral ground.

Rukia would begin with just a frank admission of, "I've slept with Ichigo," not wanting to make the talk confrontational or anything.

Yoruichi would say something like, "Good. It's about time."

"That's all you have to say?" Rukia would be surprised more than anything.

Yoruichi might maneuver closer and get in her personal space, assessing her carefully and critically. Rukia might tense up a little but would hold her ground, not afraid.

Eventually Yoruichi gets closer still and leans in to just softly kiss her.

Rukia's stunned, then like, "What are you doing?!"

Yoruichi would pull back and consider her, then cross her arms over her chest as she looked away. She'd say something like, "I know you will, but make sure you take care of him," making it clear she approved.

Rukia would be stunned for a moment, giving Yoruichi the opportunity to begin to gently quiz her on the experience. Did she like it? Did Ichigo? Was it good? Where do they want to go with their relationship?

I think Rukia would see through it, and although she would answer, she would press Yoruichi on her own feelings. It would turn into a kind of Self-Sacrifice Olympics because Yoruichi would be willing to step aside, and Rukia feels bad about that because she can tell that it wasn't purely physical on Yoruichi's part, and back and forth.

They would talk through things for longer than they might have thought they would, with Rukia discerning Yoruichi's care for Ichigo and Yoruichi truly grasping how considerate Rukia is.

I think Rukia would be moved, personally, and she'd eventually return Yoruichi's initial smooch but for a different reason, to make it clear how heartfelt her respect was.

Now, of course, the goal here was to set this up together gradually, so I think that given their shared history to that point, Yoruichi would return it and it would turn into something more, more mutual and a bit handsy.

By the time they pulled apart and looked at one another, they'd both have expressions like, 'Well. What do we do now?'

I think it'd be Rukia who said, "We'll have to see what he says... together."

I don't think they would immediately become a trio from there, it'd be a lot rockier than that, with each having their doubts about the matter before them. 

Ichigo would be worried that they were just doing this for his benefit and that he didn't deserve either of them. Rukia would be less confident in her newfound sexuality and lack of experience and might have a bi crisis (or recurrent bouts of it). Yoruichi would be secure in her sexuality but be worried about hurting them and how that could affect them all professionally (to the extent of even getting them all killed).

I also think it'd take them a fair amount of time to try anything all together, even just cuddling. So it'd be a drawn out process of discovery rather than them all just jumping into it. Movie nights, hanging out, going on dates in pairs and as a trio, and splitting off to take turns as duos (Rukia and Yoruichi at first having an understanding, and eventually taking the step of trying being with each other). It would probably take almost as much time to process through as it did to set up before they finally fully settled in together. 

Meanwhile, the surrounding situation would also obviously be growing more complicated...

In addition to mercenary adventures and dealing with the continuing wrath of Byakuya and the Lyran Commonwealth, there is an even larger picture owing to the Third Succession War.

While, obviously, this does not slavishly follow BattleTech's history as it is, nor will it going forward, taking elements and using them seems prudent. In BattleTech canon, the Third Succession War ends in 3025 with the Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns signing a defensive pact (in 3022) which is ultimately designed to unify them (into the "Federated Commonwealth"). The Free World League, Draconis Combine, and Capellan Confederation then ink their own agreement to counterbalance the threat of this.

My feeling is that the FedCom pact could have an interesting basis in Ichigo and Rukia coming together (and, because I'm a basic and predictable bitch, Byakuya and Kuukaku getting involved), although Yoruichi's presence would make things more interesting and complicated. Regardless, I think that with three Great Houses being represented (by Yoruichi, Rukia, and Ichigo) the crew would wind up playing some sort of role in the Third Succession War's resolution.

Other characters can be integrated variously throughout in different ways as well.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Likely standing in for Robinson in the actual BattleTech setting. [2] Rukia's official title of nobility is quite low considering her relation at this time. [3] Rukia, operating on behalf of her brother, has a rare customized 'Mech: an FS9-H Firestarter with 3/4 of the Flamers replaced by Medium Lasers, changing its BV (2.0) from 694 to 883. The rear-facing Flamer is the one retained. This would give it decent staying combat power for something so light. Looks something like this. [4] In BattleTech, the Successor States lost the knowledge of many Star League-era technologies ("lostech"). One of them was cooling suits for MechWarriors; "typical" garb is instead a cooling jacket and as little clothing as possible, usually a sleeveless leotard. So this could be a kind of funny scene if that's kept. (How hard is it to turn a vest into a suit though...) This would make Yoruichi's preferred taste in attire in Bleach fairly normative, though. Alternatively, the standard could be more like what was envisioned in one of the latest video game adaptations. [5] Probably a bog-standard LCT-1V Locust, the most common sort around. Looks something like this. [6] Perhaps an HBK-4G Hunchback. Looks something like this. Renji can have an ugly 'Mech to start with. [7] I'm thinking of a stock VTR-9B Victor. Looks something like this. [8] I think Yoruichi might have a TDR-5SE Thunderbolt (looks), Kisuke might have a MAD-3R Marauder (looks), and Tessai might have a BLR-1G BattleMaster (looks). [9] Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Tessai have somehow found (and renamed) the Argo. [10] It's notable that the Draconis Combine hates mercenaries, so that Yoruichi is here (with Kisuke and Tessai) doing mercenary work also Says Something. [11] As I am constantly saying Fullbring should’ve been introduced early in Bleach, maybe they meet (and beat) rival mercenary group Xcution and take on the remnants (probably Jackie, Yukio, and Riruka) as pilots?

Noblesse Pokemon AU Snippet: The Delinquent Vigilante

Here’s a younger Shinwoo. Enjoy

Previous Snippet | Next...Snippet?

“Yes Professor Lee, he’s in the precinct right now.” Commissioner Woo informed the man over the phone. “If you want to come in to speak with him, now’d be the time. Huh? No, no need to rush. He’ll be detained overnight this time. I’ve let him off with too many warnings as it is....Even so? Okay. See you soon.”

After he’d hung up, he went to the first interrogation cell, to the kid handcuffed for questioning in the chair. “Okay, Shinwoo. Looks like you’re getting a visitor. Professor Lee’ll be here in a bit.”

“Heh, another principal gonna attempt to recruit me for their school? No thanks.” He’d had enough of adults coming up to him. Telling him they knew what was best for him. He got enough of that from his own parents, and they didn’t even live at home. Like they even knew him.

The commissioner sighed, already a little annoyed. “Look, you little brat. I’ve let you off far more than I should already. I know you’re friends with my nephew, and I appreciate that, but you’re starting to become a bad influence. If you can’t listen to what the man has to say, at least keep yourself from dragging Ik-han down with you.” This was the seventh time in as many weeks the boy’d ended up in his precinct. Each and every time for fighting. Sure, those most of those boys had had priors, but this was getting ridiculous. And it wasn’t like they could just call his parents in on his behavior, they weren’t even in the same country for fuck’s sake. So he’d taken drastic measures. Professor Lee wasn’t just the leading Pokemon expert in Korea, he was an absolute genius when it came to child development, proven by his position as Chairman of the Ye-Ran high school. The sheer quality of the school’s alumni had made it into the top magnet school of the country. If anyone could set this boy straight, it was him.

Several minutes passed until Professor Lee arrived at the station, two paper cups of coffee in hand. Commissioner Woo let him into the interrogation room, directing him to the seat across from Shinwoo. “I’ll be in my office, since you requested a private conversation. Just grab me or one of the officers if he causes any trouble.”

Lee thanked him, then waited for him to leave before turning his attention to the child in front of him. A couple of bruises marred his face, but from the reports, he’d been the winner of each altercation. The latest of which had even landed his opponent in the hospital, hence the intervention. The boy needed to learn restraint. He slid one of the coffees over to him, then took a sip of his own. “Here. I wasn’t sure of what kind you’d like, so I grabbed a mocha. It’s pretty popular with a lot of people.”

Shinwoo politely sipped at the drink, studying the man in front of him. Bribery was common among those trying to get in to his good graces. “I’m not interested in going to your school. You’re wasting your time here.”

The man looked surprised. “I’m not here to ask you to attend my school.” Then what was he here for? It wasn’t like he couldn’t overhear Ik-han’s uncle, he’d barely taken three steps away from the room when he made his call. It wasn’t the first time a school had tried to recruit him from a holding cell. It was like his fights had just convinced people of his athletic skill.

“Shinwoo, I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation you’re in.” The blond took off his spectacles, cleaning them on his suit jacket as he continued. “Someone is in the hospital right now because of your actions. If you keep getting into trouble like this, forget going to high school, you’re going to end up in a detention facility.” The only reason he wasn’t going to one now were some witness accounts of the other party having been assaulting some other kids before Shinwoo got involved.

This was news to him. He’d only knocked the boy unconscious, as far as he knew. He hadn’t meant to actually injure him, even if people like him deserve it. Even so, “You say that like I was looking for a fight. All I did was ask him to stop what he was doing. He started it.”

“You do go looking for fights. Maybe not this time. But the wandering around, late at night, in the more dangerous parts of town? You’ve been looking for trouble, Shinwoo. And it’s gonna lead you to the kind you won’t like.”

Shinwoo scoffed. Another adult, pretending that they cared. “So, why should you care? I like going on walks. It gets boring, siting at home. There’s nothing for me there.” His tone conveyed nonchalance. His body language conveyed a different story.

So the kid was acting out because he was lonely, and lacked guidance. Lee could work with this. “I don’t, not particularly. I just dislike wasted potential.” Shinwoo flinched. Good, the barbs had landed. Lee considered the redhead for a moment. “You know, I quite enjoy late night walks too.”

...Okay? Where was he going with this?

Lee leaned forward on the table. “I have an offer for you, Shinwoo.”

“I don’t want to join your school.”

Lee snorted, waving off the suggestion, “No. Not that. Though you’re welcome to do so once you graduate junior high.” Lee’s eyes sparkled like an aquamarine. “No. I want you to become a trainer. I even brought a Pokemon here. One I’m willing to let you take home with you now, if you take a liking to each other.” He pulled a pokeball from his pocket, and released the Pokemon from it.

A small, blue, bipedal dog appeared from the red light of the pokeball. He’d read about this one before, somewhere. The baby form of Lucario. A...Riolu, was it? The puppy stretched, yawning. Cute. And it looked pretty tough too.

“Truth be told, he’s not really suitable as a starter. When I hatched him, he had moves no newbie trainer should be using. So I was going to keep him as a guardian, but he’s got this attitude problem.”

Attitude problem? He was adorable. What possible problem could the little dog have?

“So, Pokemon don’t always get along with each other, and fights break out. Riolu doesn’t like seeing fights like that, so he ends up trying to break them up. Which is all well and good, but he uses his strongest moves. On fellow baby Pokemon, which is unacceptable. I could teach him not to do that, but I don’t have enough free time.” Was the Riolu pouting? He was! His cheeks were inflated and he was resolutely not looking at Professor Lee, who sighed in response. “See? Attitude problem. So would you be willing to take him off my hands?”

Shinwoo swallowed. “Yeah, okay.”

Lee smiled. “Thank you. He really needs some one-on-one time. I do have a caveat for you taking him though.”

“You do? What is it.”

“You’re a new trainer, and I have no idea how much you know on the subject. I want you to come to Ye-Ran as often as possible after school, to learn how to take care of him.”

That was...acceptable. Shinwoo agreed, “Sounds reasonable. I’ll do it.”

“Thanks for your time, Mr. Han. Enjoy your new partner. Please stop by Ye-Ran tomorrow, we’ll begin your first lesson and I’ll give you some food for him.”

When Shinwoo nodded in response, Lee left to the commissioner’s office.

“Professor, done with your chat?” Woo greeted the man. “How’d it go?”

“Quite well. I don’t expect quite as much trouble out of him, though it’ll take time for him to settle down.” If he did at all. He remembered being Shinwoo’s age, angry at all the injustice in the world. He still hated it, but at least now he was in a position to help correct it, if only a little. But he’d made a situation where he could keep guiding him, and if he became comfortable enough with Ye-Ran to choose it as his high school as a result, well, that was all to the better. “From now on, I’ll be taking responsibility for him, so if he gets in trouble, make sure you call me, commissioner.”

Le retour de l’orge

English text below

Par Isabelle Huot, Dre en nutrition

 À l’instar du blé, l’orge fait partie de la famille des graminées. Elle fut l’une des premières céréales à être cultivée au Québec. Fort populaire pour les soupes et au sein de l’industrie brassicole, l’orge a vu sa popularité baisser au profit du riz. Dommage, car sa valeur nutritive est supérieure. 

Récemment, l’orge retrouve ses lettres de noblesse et les chefs ont du plaisir à la cuisiner. Risotto d’orge, minestrone à l’orge, pilaf d’orge, salade d’orge, canneberges et noix, les recettes sont nombreuses et mettent en vedette un grain qui mérite qu’on le redécouvre. 

On retrouve l’orge sous sa forme entière : l’orge mondé qui contient les trois parties du grain (son, germe et endosperme) et sous sa forme raffinée, l’orge perlé. Son contenu en fibres solubles lui vaut une place de choix au palmarès des céréales nutritives. Comme l’avoine, l’orge apporte du bêta-glucane, un type de fibre soluble qui a la propriété d’abaisser le cholestérol-T ainsi que le cholestérol-LDL (mauvais cholestérol). Une consommation quotidienne d’au moins 3 grammes de bêta-glucane est favorable à la réduction de la cholestérolémie. De plus, les fibres solubles se dissolvent dans l’eau et forment un gel qui ralentit le passage des aliments de l’estomac à l’intestin. La formation du gel retarde l’absorption du glucose améliorant la glycémie. 

L’orge est très attrayante pour les personnes diabétiques, mais nous avons tous intérêt à l’introduire dans nos menus plus souvent. Toujours à l’affût des tendances, la Boulangerie St-Méthode innove avec un pain à l’orge qui plaira à toute la famille. Riche en protéines (10 g)* et bonne source de fibres (4 g dont 2 g de fibres solubles)*, ce pain au bon goût d’autrefois marie saveurs et valeurs nutritives.

En résumé

· L’orge voit sa popularité renaître au plus grand plaisir des experts en nutrition

· L’orge est une céréale nutritive qui se distingue notamment par sa teneur en fibres solubles

· Son contenu en bêta-glucane, contribue à réduire le cholestérol sanguin.

· Les possibilités en cuisine pour apprécier l’orge sont nombreuses.

*Par portion de deux tranches

***

 The comeback of barley

By Isabelle Huot, PhD

Like wheat, barley is a member of the grass family. It was one of the first grains to be grown in Quebec. Popular for soups and within the brewing industry, barley’s popularity dropped as rice became more widely used. This is unfortunate because barley actually has a more nutritional value than rice. 

 Recently, however, barley is making a resurgence and chefs are using that ingredient in their cooking more and more often. Barley risotto, barley minestrone, barley pilaf, barley salad, cranberries and walnuts - there are so many recipes where barley can and deserves to be used. 

 Barley can be found in its whole form - hulled barley, which contains the three parts of the grain (bran, germ and endosperm) - and in its refined form, pearl barley. Its soluble fibre content has made it a favourite among nutritious cereals. Like oats, barley provides beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that lowers T-cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Daily consumption of at least 3 grams of beta-glucan is helpful in reducing these cholesterol levels. In addition, soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel that slows the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine. The formation of the gel delays the absorption of glucose thus improving blood glucose levels. 

 We can all introduce barley into our menus more often, but it is a very attractive grain for those with diabetes as it helps maintain blood sugar levels. That being said, Boulangerie St-Méthode is always on the lookout for trends and innovates with a barley bread that is sure to please the whole family. Rich in protein (10 g)* and a good source of fibre (4 g including 2 g of soluble fibre)*, this bread, with the added taste of yesteryear, is a perfect combination of flavour and nutritional value.

 To sum up:

  Barley's popularity is seeing a     resurgence, much to the delight of nutrition experts.

  It is a grain with a high     nutritional value and stands out due to its soluble fibre content.

  Its beta-glucan content helps     to reduce blood cholesterol.

  It can be used and enjoyed in     so many ways in your recipes and cuisine.

*per 2-slices serving

On the nature of MadNes

I realized that I always scream about Madnes without ever explaining the deeper underlying mechanisms and feelings/thoughts that sit at the heart of this dynamic so here. Have unnecessarily detailed explanations on their messy relationship. I put it under a read more because I accidentally wrote an essay smh.

There is layer one, prestige. Ignes is... moderately attractive. Not the hottest noble he ever met, but good enough. More importantly, having her is a big  "Fuck you" @ everyone. Roctis, who had the largest faction in the union .Yeah look I got your precious daughter now. The best Union scientist they had left (or at least so he thinks). And well. a noble clan leader. essentially, she is moderately prestigious enough. Not a "first choice" like Lunark, but she is a passable second choice. Layer two. part one :  Maduke projects onto her. She kills without mercy, she even enjoys it. The strong rule, even if it means they take the lives of the weak. This is a belief they share. Also, the parallel, of him not becoming Faelan's successor instead of Muzaka and her not inheriting the clan weapon for such a long time. He tries to draw parallels. He wants to see himself in her, and he wants it to be loveable. Well. Loveable. He wants someone who understands him. Someone who can see his true face and acknowledge it. Unlike Lunark, he does not need to hide his true self, because his true self and her self are alike. A monster does not fear another monster. Which leads to layer two part two: part two: he has power over her. Unlike Lunark, Ignes is an outsider wherever she goes. The Union is turning so human-centric, they will not make her an elder anyway. she has no power. the nobles are her enemies. The werewolves see her as an intruder. Essentially, Ignes maneuvered herself into a corner in which she depends on his goodwill. Unless madam wishes to live as a hermit somewhere in the himalaya. or something. he enjoys this power. Lunark was well respected in the Union and even more respected among the werewolves (before the whole modification story...). which means she was out of his reach. her word had weight. His power over his subjects is not absolute. he cannot just go and do whatever he wants with key members of the pack without upsetting others too much. Ignes? like who cares what happens to her. Ignes' word and opinion on him mean nothing to anyone. 

Ignes is just this extremely alluring combination of powerful fighter, competent scientist, sadistic monster and .... a child. As Lunark would call her, she is a child in the body of a woman. Ignes is immature, she depends a lot on others, she is aimless, she is scared, she is emotional, she is easy to control. He does not want a partner who is his equal. he wants someone he can control, someone he can mold the way he wants,  or at least that's his idea of her. Someone he can use easily. Her immature personality and her absolute lack of social and political influence paired with superficial assets like knowledge and physical power make her just right. She clearly has no idea what she's doing and that's just right.  As adressed before, Ignes lacks influence. Her opinion has no consequences. And.. she is supposed to be  like  him. which means... as innocent as this sounds, he can be himself with her. Something all living beings strive forward of course, his true self is sadistic, narcissistic, abusive and the whole jazz, but like, girl will just have to live with that. This, a dynamic similar to neskreia, is liberating. He does not have to act around her. or at the very least, he eventually stops doing so. This, of course, unlocks a whole load of other issues because... this man is lonely. he starts thawing. Even though he is a fucking monster, he is also just a man. A lonely man with an ugly personality who knows no one will ever love him for who he really is. But like... once you start opening up to someone, how do you stop?He cannot dehumanize her like he did with Garda. She is not a prisoner who is not meant to ever see the light of day again. And neither is she Mirai(or urne, who is dead. rip).  ... like... if he wants it superficial and meaningless, that's what he has them for.  Essentially, yeah, that bitch absolutely only got himself to blame. get cozy and intimate with someone you cannot treat like some sort of object or animal and you risk catching feels.

And at some point he realizes... shit. He likes her. Like, of course, he hates her, but damn he likes her. he fucking hates her because wow shit he got emotionally attached? how  dare  she make him feel emotions he had no intentions of ever feeling at any point in time. Look at what love brought to others. His Uncle (who was murdered by his brother.) Muzaka. Roctis. And probably many more. LOVE  NEVER DID ANY GOOD FOR ANYONE IN THE HISTORY OF EVER And just... he hates her for that. She is a liability. Even if she has no power over him, she is a liability and... he wants to kill her. He wants to see her dead, best at his own hands, while he still can. But he... cannot. And this makes him hate her even more. The more he loves her, the more he hates her.He hates her, because he is a weak bitch, essentially. He knows that he should get rid of her while he still can, and with her, get rid of the last part of his heart that is capable of something that is not hate, disgust, contempt, malicious joy, greed, pride -  Now that he got a taste ,though... of affection... of holding someone and calling them  yours ...  he cannot stop. he cannot deprive himself of that. And so instead, she must be broken. She cannot be trusted, this wild thing, but then again, no one can be trusted. This is kind of at the heart of what really drives him into his incredibly toxic, abusive behaviour towards her: for one, he is a fucking sadist who enjoys inflicting pain, and two, he is just... well. He has seen that not even Ignes can love him,. (uhm... she is a lesbian... and... she has more of a bad bitch persona than actual nature...) so... she must break. Melt her like a candle and mold the wax into something nice. because this is the only way he will ever, truly have someone: in shards he can cradle in his arms  Ignes is supposed to essentially satisfy all of his emotional needs, while he simultaneously hates her for satisfying his emotional needs because he wants more and more and yeah he hates himself and that's why he hates herit's all Ignes' fault, obviously.Not his own awful character. never. ever. as if. The witch bitch is to blame. 

And some more additional thoughts regarding Ignes’ perspective on all this. 

I would like to start this off with the fact that coming to Maduke was not her first choice. In my HCs, she spent the many chapters between roctis' death and her reappearing on WW island looking for Lagus in places she knew he used to have laboratories and, at her wits' end, she turns to maduke. She learns of Lagus' death from Maduke too, btw. She comes to him in a very difficult time of her life. She is just now realizing that she is alone. That's adulting for you. She longs for purpose, for protecting, for guidance, and initially she meant to go and look for it from Lagus. And so she stays with Maduke instead, who is the only one with enough power to protect her from the wrath of the Noblesse and the nobles in generla. the union is a sinking ship, no point in bothering with them.

Anyway. Obviously, she uses Maduke for his power and ressources. She knows he is a monster - but that's her main mistake when interacting with him: she assumes he is a reasonable man who will act in a consistent manner. We have several examples of her completely being way off the mark in her predictions about his behaviour in MoLM (both positive, when he apologized to her, as well as negative, when she was mistaken about Gaura). She hopes to be able to harness him. He needs  her expertise. she has a know how the werewolf scientists did not have until now. And... she thinks she is safe because of that. that's also why she kept him at bay. sex is meaningless. it's just two bodies mashing together. That's nothing special. But she did not want to fire all her bullets prematurely. She did not expect this to backfire but... yeah. The main reason she rejected him was because she did not want to give him everything he wants too easily. She needs to keep some cards up her sleeve for when he got his superwerewolf army.

( I can write a whole essay on what about  MoLM's chapter "Love" really hit, it was not the physical aspect, but... yeah. i will stay kids friendly and skip over that) in this AU she is mostly just "oh shit... " because she missed her opportunity to slip away. The original plan to just leave during the whole chaos kinda got broken by the fact that she simply does not get another opportunity to easily get away. And.. more importantly... she knows Maduke is too proud to just let her _ go _ . Which means, she is not safe as long as he lives, not safe as long the nobles have a major fucking grudge against her, but that is a whole other can of worms

I genuinely think.. this could have been a real ship. I mean, still a dysfunctional one with no attraction or anything from her, but... it's not to be loved. When the whole world hates you, isn't it nice when there is at least one person who doesn't?

What follows is a lot of stockholm and trauma that does not reflect her personality or anything so this is where i quit thank you for coming to my ted talk

Fanfic: Imposter [Part 47]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: The rescue. Contains: Dead bodies. Notes:  Among Us AU! :D Rating: G Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 2,014 Total word count: 53,465 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part Kentas tried to steady his breathing, tried to keep himself loose for when he needed to bolt again as he approached the medbay doors. He should be fine. There were still two sets of doors between him and the imposter and the doors wouldn't open at the same time. He got to the door, but he paused, glancing back. He should have heard the door close already...

Em was still at the doors, making sure they wouldn't close. [What're you looking at me for?] Em grumbled. [Open the door already.] Kentas couldn't stop his soft smile as he turned back to the door. Unlocking the door was done in a matter of seconds, and Kentas dashed away, both him and Em entering the lab at the same time. They raced towards the specimen room doors, and Kentas felt every second tick by as they waited inside decontamination. Em had his hand pressed to where the doors would open, while Kentas kept his eye on the lab doors, in case the imposter decided to go straight through them than wait. [Aaand they're in!] Tao said. [Lock 'em up, Em.] Em's hands were already moving across his pad as the decontamination doors opened in front of them. Kentas heard Em's exhale when the light by the door flashed red. [All right, yep, looks good. Imposter's just starin' at the door. Head on back to the dropship now.] Nodding, Kentas and Em started running again. * Muzaka slowed to regain his breath as he approached the Union ship. He'd been here before, but he hadn't gone inside. [There's still a couple agents wandering inside,] Tao told him. [They're mostly keepin' to their rooms, so you can go in. I've tweaked their cameras to loop, so anyone peekin' in Security won't see ya.] Muzaka nodded. [How long do I have left?] Tao didn't answer straight away. [Em and Kentas aren't here yet, an' Takeo's still doin' the checks, so you've got time.] Muzaka could still feel the deadline looming. He didn't have a weapon, or a plan - he just knew he had to get Frankenstein out. [What way do I have to go?] [He's in their Medbay, by the looks of it,] Tao said. [It's...pretty much one of the furthest away areas from the exit.] He exhaled. Of course it was. [They probably didn't want people having a short route to escape,] he heard Tao mutter under his breath. That sounded about right. And he was wasting time right now. Time neither of them had. Muzaka strode forward, the doors opening before he reached them. Must have been Tao. [Head right.] Muzaka did as Tao directed, keeping an eye out on anything he could use as a weapon. The ship was newer than the base or their dropship, that much was clear even at a glance. The walls and floor were so much shinier, with less rust and grime sticking to them. Muzaka didn't see open panels, where the panels had broken from too much opening and closing to fix their innards either. It also meant less clutter he could use as a weapon. Would he need to risk going into one of the rooms to find one? If he needed one. He might not, if things went well. There was still a chance of that. [Just keep followin' the corridor until - damn, one just went out. Duck into the room on your left.] The room looked like it was Storage, and while Muzaka waited for Tao's signal, he rummaged around the boxes, looking for something to use. Even if the ship was newer, they still needed the same tools to maintain her, and Muzaka picked up a wrench. That should do it. [You're clear now,] Tao said. [Head left and keep going.] [All right.] Muzaka kept the wrench in his hand, but out of obvious view as he left Storage. Now he just had to get to Frankenstein. * Frankenstein drifted in and out of consciousness. They were too tired to move, too tired to even focus their eyes sometimes, so there were points where all they could see were fuzzy lights, nothing more. But they couldn't fall asleep. Not now. They had to know if the others had made it off the planet. Though how would they manage to know that... Only if the agents told them, and Frankenstein doubted anyone at the Union would offer up any information to them. Especially now. After what they'd done. Or not done, in the Union's eyes. But...they didn't regret it. They wouldn't have gotten so close to Em, to Muzaka, to the others if they'd continued to follow their orders to kill as many crewmates as possible. They'd wanted to stop killing, and it looked like it would happen one way or another now. It would have been nice to experience what it was like being on a ship without a constant reminder of who they were working for but... They sighed. What was done was done. They couldn't escape now. They saw the door open from the corner of their eyes, but didn't turn to look. They didn't have the energ- A familiar white 'suit filled their vision. [Frankenstein?] It felt like a hand was on their shoulder, but that wouldn't make any sense. Why would Muzaka be here? [Frankenstein, c'mon, talk to me.] [Muzaka...?] A soft exhale. [Good, yer still - anyway. Let's get outta here.] Frankenstein's mind was still trying to understand what was going on, processing things annoyingly slow. [Why...are you here...?] They heard the screech of metal being twisted, Muzaka grunting with exertion. [You thought I'd just leave ya behind? Seriously?] One by one, the weights on Frankenstein's limbs disappeared. Well. Now that they were trying to consider how the others would have reacted... They wheezed a chuckle. [I was...unable to think straight at the time.] They'd only considered what was best for the others, not if the others would agree to that decision. They could see from the way Muzaka's helmet tilted that they were looking them over. [You can't walk, can ya?] [Unfortunately, no.] Gravity was enough to hold them down right now, and they were lucky to even still be conscious after what their body had gone through. [Then I'll carry ya.] Frankenstein had just enough time to understand what Muzaka had said before they found themself in Muzaka's arms, their head resting on his shoulder. This...was a much more preferable carry than their previous one. But they'd spent what little reserves they had left, and they couldn't keep their eyes open any more... * Muzaka frowned. [Frankenstein?] he said, tightening his grip when Frankenstein went limp. No response. Just... He'd fallen asleep, right? He couldn't be... Muzaka span on his heel and ran out of the room, making a beeline for the exit. [You're doing fine - no other agents are moving in your direction.] That was all Muzaka needed to hear and he dove forward, not caring how much noise he made. [We've got the fuel,] he found himself saying as they exited the ship, most of the snowfall gone now. He followed his own tracks back to the base, the shadows in the distance feeling far too far, no matter how fast he ran. [Em and Kentas are still alive too - they're makin' their way to the dropship now.] Nothing. That was...fine. Frankenstein was just resting after what had happened. [You can relax,] Tao said in Muzaka's ear. [I can see Boss' vitals - he's still alive.] Muzaka briefly closed his eyes, hands tightening on Frankenstein. [Thanks. I mean it.] Hopefully Frankenstein would be fine until they make it back to the dropship. * "We good?" Tao said, keeping his eye on the others, as he drummed his finger against his pad, bouncing his leg as well. Black was still locked in the labs, staring at the door, and good. They weren't going to cause any trouble. "Engines are ready." So now they just had to wait for the others to arrive. Muzaka was going through the western building while Em and Kentas were charging up the central area. They would end up meeting right before- Tao sucked in a breath. Blind spot, blind spot yet again. He'd been so focused on the others that he hadn't checked if the dropship itself was clear. There was still an agent hovering near the entrance. It must have detected an energy signal, or maybe noticed some vibrations or something. Didn't matter. What mattered was that the others were heading straight for them. What could they do? Muzaka's arms were busy holding Frankenstein, the agent was equipped to handle Em, which left Kentas? The agent still had a gun that could pierce through 'suits. And Takeo had to pilot the ship. He couldn't leave the cockpit now - he had to launch the ship as soon as everyone arrived. Think. Thinkthink, was there anything he could do? Tao didn't have much time, the others drawing closer with every passing second. He couldn't tell them to stop, because this was their only chance - and if the agent came onto the ship to investigate... Now. It had to be now. What could he use as a distraction? The agent was probably an android, but Tao didn't know how to interface with them - it would take too long, and the androids would have more safeguards against hacking than the security systems. Pass. Nothing on the cameras he could us... He saw Aris' body in Electrical. That was something he could use. He just had to hope the androids were still human enough to have a flinch instinct. "Gonna report a body," Tao told the others. "Keep going past the agent." Gave them a heads up, so now he had to time this perfectly. Too early, and the agent would have enough time to recover; too late, and the agent could have already shot at them. Just enough for the agent to see them, but not enough to aim properly. He'd done this before. He could do it again. Tao saw the agent turn away from the dropship doors. Too early. Look between Muzaka and Em. Still too early. Reach for their gun. At the speed the others were moving, Kentas would meet the agent first, Em slowing down enough to fall behind him. The agent aimed. Towards Kentas. Now! Tao glanced at Aris' body, still limp against the Electrical wall and parts of her suit obviously charred, seeing the report icon fill in in the corner of his pad. He pressed it, bracing himself for the alert. * Muzaka gritted his teeth as the alert blazed across his visor, the warning klaxon slamming into his eardrums, trying not to flinch out of instinct. He saw the agent twitch their gun to Muzaka's right, aiming for the flashing red light. Distracted. Kentas pulled ahead, since he wasn't carrying anyone, grabbed the agent's gun and shoved the agent to the ground. Kentas tossed the gun in the other direction, and Muzaka might have seen it fall over the edge of the cliff. He wasn't sure. He didn't pay it much attention, just trying to get to the doors as fast as possible. The doors opened, the four of them tumbling in. Muzaka saw the doors close with the agent still trying to reach them. As soon as the doors closed, the room rumbled around them. They were in the air. His back knocked into the wall as everything shifted, as the ship tilted upwards and he slid down to sit, pulling Frankenstein's helmet off and his own. Frankenstein's eyes were closed, his face pale, but when Muzaka put his ear closer to him, he could hear his breathing. It was laboured, but he was breathing. He knew Tao had told him, but he needed to see and hear it for himself. Muzaka let out a shuddering breath. He felt the ship continue its ascent as he hugged Frankenstein close, making sure he continued to hear Frankenstein breathe. __ M-21 was going to kill the final agent as they ran past, but it didn't quite fit his character at the moment, so Kentas' bulk to the rescue, aha. Just the epilogue left. :)

Fanfic: Imposter [Part 46]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: The capture. Contains: Dead bodies. Notes:  Among Us AU! :D Rating: PG-13 Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 2,002 Total word count: 51,451 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part Kentas and Muzaka jogged back to the base, Kentas' breathing loud to his ears. They'd heard nothing since Tao's last message, and Kentas wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It would be nice if they had clarification the others were all right. He kept an eye out as they went through the base, but even if the snow was easing, it was still enough to block most of his - he squinted to their right as they passed the office.

There was an red light there that he was sure hadn't been there before. It was too big for a start. Almost like - The snow thinned just enough to see the vague outline of a silver 'suit with his back pressed against the wall. Kentas sucked in a breath, and shoved the water barrel into Muzaka's arms. [You take it to the ship!] he said as he dashed towards the light. Muzaka was the one who knew where the fuel would go. Kentas wasn't needed for that. The lights -wings? feathers?- flared out and Kentas gritted his teeth, putting in as much speed as he could. He wasn't as fast as Muzaka or Takeo, but he was still made them work for their lead. He slammed his shoulder into the imposter's back, the wings flickering like a dying light and they stumbled. It was enough. No weapons on hand and he had no idea how to deal with imposters, if there was anything different he needed to do, so he grabbed Em's arm, dodging the feathers by their feet, and ran. * Tao was leaning more on Takeo than the wall as he checked on his pad. Not damaged after all that. Good. The alert flashing in his visor finally stopped, which meant the other crewmates had finished fixing the stabilisers. Which meant more people would be milling around. That would make it a little harder to hide but so long as... Movement caught Tao's eye, and he frowned. Kentas was with Em. Why wasn't he with - Tao sucked in a breath, seeing Black following the pair, their transformation looking like blood red wings at their back. Shit. Em and Kentas were heading north, but a clump of crewmates made them detour back into the eastern building. It would look weird if it was obvious they hadn't come to help with the stabilisers, and where was Muzaka anyway? Muzaka was carrying the water barrel as he headed north, parallel to Em and Kentas. ...Dammit, right. Em and Kentas couldn't go straight to the dropship, or else they'd bring the imposter to them while Muzaka and Takeo were still setting up. That was three people accounted for. Which just left - Tao sucked in a breath, finding Boss' purple 'suit on his screen by the other western building entrance. * Frankenstein panted, wavering a little as the agent collapsed, dark blood pooling out from the agent's injuries. Had it truly been that long since they'd transformed? Yes, it had. The last time had been when they had killed Yuri, and before then... They closed their eyes, trying to catch their breath. Was the weakness worse than before, or were they just no longer used to fee- [Boss!] Tao yelled in their ear, making them jolt. [Move!] Where? Didn't matter. Anywhere that wasn't where they were standing right now. They lunged to the left, seeing something small zip past them. Not a bullet. It wasn't something Frankenstein had seen before and they span around, trying to- Something thudded into their chest. They had enough time to see it was the same small thing that had missed them earlier, and that it was connected by two thin wires to the agent they hadn't seen before it lit up. They stumbled back a step, hearing a high pitched shriek as their transformation flared out of their control. W-what? Why were they-? Frankenstein tried to stop the transformation, but their body wouldn't listen, Frankenstein feeling the tendrils lift out of their body, clawing at the inside of their suit. Like. Like it was trying to get away from the sound. They wavered, the sound not stopping and they sucked in a breath as they collapsed to their knees, toppling over. They were already drained from using their transformation to kill, but if they hadn't... The machine would make sure they had no energy to run. Em had said the agents would have items made specifically to disable imposters. Of course. There was nothing Frankenstein could do as the agent approached them, and slung them over a shoulder. [Boss? Boss!] Oh, the sound must have stopped, a faint ringing in Frankenstein's ears replacing it instead. [Did...Muzaka...get the fuel...?] Even words were hard to form around their tongue that felt too large for their mouth now. [Yeah, Boss. He's headin' to the ship right now.] [And...everyone else?] [All good.] Frankenstein closed their eyes, exhaling. [Then go.] There was no way they could make it back, not like this. They could barely gather up the energy to say the words, let alone fight themselves free and run to the dropship. It was better the rest of them escaped than wait for them. * Tao stared as Boss was carried off, the agent dragging the other agent behind them as well, leaving a trail of dark liquid that the snow slowly hid. That...made the most sense. They couldn't wait for Boss, not if it meant Em would be grabbed too, and who knew what the agents' orders were once they'd secured the base's imposters. [Hey,] Tao heard as he and Takeo exited the western building and he winced, recognising Muzaka's voice. Muzaka wasn't going to like hearing the news and it wasn't as if they could hide it from him. [Hey, Muzaka...] Tao said. [What's wrong?] Muzaka jogged past, keeping within comm range. Tao took a breath, and exhaled, bracing himself for Muzaka's reaction as they followed him to the dropship. [It's Boss - he's been captured.] Tao saw the exact second Muzaka heard him, Muzaka's steps faltering. [Wh-] [And-] Tao continued before Muzaka did, [he said to go on without him.] [No.] Tao had a feeling Muzaka would say that. [We don't have time-] [We do. How long does it take to prepare the dropship?] To prep-? Tao glanced at Takeo. [From a dead start,] Takeo said, [on a first run where I have to make all the checks... Fifteen minutes.] Muzaka nodded. [Right,] he said. [An' where're Em and Kentas?] Tao glanced at his pad. [Still in Medbay.] [They still need to make their way here, or are we gonna leave them behind too?] [We're not-!] Okay, okay, their plan had fallen apart right from the very start, but snapping wasn't going to help. [Fifteen minutes. Maybe longer-] Probably a lot longer, with how Black was aiming for the eastern building's entrance. Em and Kentas would have to go around the long way. [-so bring him back in time.] [I will.] Their original plan had fallen apart, but they had a new plan now, and the best Tao could do was look out for Muzaka, Em and Kentas. * [Why are you here?] M-21 hissed at Kentas, as stayed near the medbay doors. [Huh?] [I thought you were with Muzaka!] Had they failed? Had they lost the fuel? [I was. Then I saw you were in trouble.] [And you just put a target on your back by helping me!] M-21 had already seen enough of his comrades die at the hands of scientists! He didn't want to see another die because Kentas had decided to help him! Kentas shrugged. [I wasn't going to leave you to die.] [Ghhh!] Everyone in their group was so fucking weird. But. M-21 leaned back against the wall. He had to admit he was glad for the company. That he wasn't alone. Even if Kentas wouldn't be able to follow him through a vent when they needed to run. M-21 eyed the door before pulling out his pad. [What are you doing?] [Locking the door.] With Tao no longer in his ear, he needed to do something to give him more time - he hadn't done it before in case he fucked himself over, but now he needed to make as many advantages as he could. * Tao couldn't help but groan as he finally removed his helmet. It was nice they made sure he didn't die outside, but he didn't like hearing his own breathing all the time. And feeling it bounce back at him if he was breathing too hard. "How's it lookin'?" he asked as he settled down in a corner of the cockpit. No point going to Security if he was still using the base's cameras, and it would be faster talking to Takeo than over comms. "The ship's accepting the fuel." "Good." Good good. They needed all the good news they could get. Muzaka was going to take a while to get to the Union ship, even if he was almost as fast as Takeo, so Tao could focus on Em and Kentas until then. The pair were right to not head straight for the dropship, since Black was at the medbay entrance, their wings gone. Tao frowned. Black had been there a while, staring at it. Was something wrong? He flipped his helmet's speakers on. "Did you two sabotage the medbay doors?" He couldn't see a blockade or anything blocking the doors, but that had to be the reason. [Yeah,] Em said. [The imposter's there?] "Yeah, but..." Tao squinted. Black still wasn't moving, just staring at the door. "I don't think they know how to get past it." It was something they could use. An imposter so specialised in killing, they didn't know how to operate or fix any problems on the base, huh. Or maybe they couldn't see the light flashing at the side of the door. And there were benefits to Boss hogging half a building to himself too - no-one else really passed through, so wouldn't be around to fix the door for Black either. "If you let them in-" [What?] Em interrupted. [Why?] "-then you can lock them in Medbay or the lab, and then go around the long way." It would take more time that way, but it would give Muzaka more minutes to get back, and would mean less surprises if Black was stuck in the eastern building. [Oh. Okay.] A pause. [I can't unlock the door from here though.] Tao huffed, chewing on a nail. Another difference between Skeld and the base - on Skeld, they would just have to wait for the door to unlock. But they couldn't just- [I'll do it.] Tao saw Em's head snap to Kentas. [Will you stop being a fucking idiot?] [The imposter is after you, right? You shouldn't go, in case they try to kill you through the door or something.] Kentas shrugged. [So I'm the one who should open the door.] [And you just attacked them!] Em retorted. [They might start attacking you now!] "But Kentas is right," Tao mused. "It's not like there's windows on the doors, so until the doors open, they won't know Kentas is on the other side, unlike if you went." And Kentas was fast enough to get out of range before that happened. It would depend on how fast Black reacted and what their transformation did, but it would still be a decent head start. Em didn't have anything to say to that. [All right, I'll get going,] Kentas said as he started moving towards the medbay doors. [Where we do lock them in?] "The lab or specimen room," Tao said, glancing at the map. That way there would be more doors for Black to go through. "Go for the lab." If Black got past the doors and tried to follow them, they'd get stuck in decontamination anyway, and the earlier they dealt with Black, the quicker they could concentrate on just running back. [Got it.] [You're still a dumbass,] Em grumbled, heading through to the lab.

IMPOSTER

IS

FINISHHHHEDDDDDD!!!

Well, not completely. I’ve got one scene left to fill out though my brain died for the night, BUT! I have finished the ending and epilogue!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! \\\\\\\\\o/

And the final chapter is going to be over 4k by the time I fill in this last scene so, that’s been split up into two, ahaha.

Brain is also eyeing other plotbunnies already, so I guess only working on one fic is the break from writing, pfffft

Imposter [Part 30]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: Yuri wants to finish the job. Notes:  Among Us AU! :D Rating: PG Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 1,032 Total word count: 24,518 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part

Yuri narrowed his eyes at the dark bloodstain on the ground. It was clear Tao had been found, and from the discarded water barrel, it was Em who had found him. Hmm. He must have been slightly too late to 'just happen upon' Em killing Tao and reporting it. But if there was no body... Either Em had disposed of it, or had brought Tao to the medbay. Yuri sighed, heading out. Em really was a failure. That was exactly why he'd set this up so Em would get spaced - there was no room in the Union for imposters who didn't do their mission. * * * There was no-one in the medbay when Yuri entered, and hmm. But... There was one bed that had its curtain closed. That must be it. Really, how annoying. Tao had been a thorn in Yuri's side from the start, from constantly pushing at the rules that were placed upon them, to claiming the security room as his. It had made Yuri's work far more difficult than it should have been. And then once they were here, Tao had jumped at the chance to bend the rules with the others, making Yuri reveal his name to placate the base group. Disgusting. The Union wouldn't want any of them working under them. He would deal with Tao and Takeo first, and then start pruning off the useless crewmates in peace. Really. Yuri sighed. Tao couldn't even die like he was supposed to. He picked up a scalpel as he passed and flung open the curtain, scalpel at the ready. Empty. Even more annoying. Was Tao going to force him to waste time look- "My, my, what's all this racket about?" Yuri slipped the scalpel away from Frankenstein's view. "I was merely checking if your patient needed anything while you were away," Yuri said, smiling. "Ah, I see." Frankenstein peered at the empty bed for a second, before sliding his gaze back to Yuri. "And I suppose you would very graciously give them some extra breathing holes, with that scalpel you've just apprehended?" Damn, Frankenstein had seen him? Had he been too focused on trying to find Tao to see Frankenstein? "Of course not," Yuri said, exuding being harmless as much as possible. "But you can never be too careful with imposters around, of course." Frankenstein raised his eyebrows. "You suspect Tao is an imposter?" That hadn't been what he'd meant, but he could work with this. If Tao didn't die from his injuries, then he could convince Frankenstein to space him. "He is alone much of the time," Yuri said. "There is no-one else who can corroborate where he is, and if he murdered other crewmembers, then he would merely have to pretend he saw the others on camera, rather than he saw them in person." "Interesting," Frankenstein said, "but then, why wouldn't he kill me while I was treating him?" Yuri stilled. Tao had been conscious? Had he told Frankenstein anything? No. If he had, Frankenstein wouldn't be acting like this. "Imposters base instinct is to hide," Yuri said. "Tao must have been too weak from his injuries that he was worried he might not be able to take you down." Stroking another's ego also helped bring them to your side. "I suppose," Frankenstein said. Hmm, not convincing enough. "Though, tell me," Frankenstein said, tilting his head. He studied Yuri as he stepped closer. "How did you know Tao had been injured in the first place?" Wh-? "You were the one who mentioned Tao was the one who was injured?" There were only a few steps from where Yuri was to the wall behind him, and the only way out would be through Frankenstein. He tightened his hold on the scalpel as Frankenstein continued advancing on him. "I may have mentioned Tao by name, yes, but according to you, you were acting the way you were because you knew Tao had been brought here." Ah. Dammit. "I saw the bloodstain near Security," Yuri said, his mind working furiously, "and no body, so I guessed that someone must have been brought here." "And who would be able to injure an imposter so much?" Frankenstein said, his voice going softer. "I would think an imposter would have an easier time getting away from the injuries that had been inflicted on Tao but-" He exhaled. "-I suppose being drugged would help with the process, hm?" The blood drained from Yuri's face, leaving him cold. Frankenstein knew, and he was trapped here with him. "You wouldn't happen to know how that happened, would you, Yuri?" He wasn't sure if Frankenstein was blinking anymore, his gaze fixed on Yuri. "You, ah, leave the lab and medbay unattended for hours at a time so I'm sure-" "Someone would know exactly where I stored my medication, what was in each of my vials, and what they do?" Too close. Frankenstein was too close. Yuri had backed up a few steps, but when he sidestepped, Frankenstein moved to block him, not circle him. Frankenstein held nothing in his hands though. If he killed Frankenstein, he could pin that on Tao t- "I must say," Frankenstein said, glancing at the scalpel with disdain, "your attempt to make it look like an imposter hurt Tao was miserable." "Imposters-" "Don't use drugs or leave someone to bleed out afterwards," Frankenstein interrupted, his lips a thin line. Of course, he would have seen what imposters had done to the others. If Tao had died when he was meant to, then Yuri was sure Frankenstein wouldn't have realised he had been drugged. "Really now," Frankenstein said with a sigh, "we don't draw out pain in those we kill." Yuri sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. 'We'? Was Frankenstein-? "Though for you-" A purple transformation spread out over Frankenstein's skin, his mouth splitting open to reveal a sea of needle-sharp teeth. Was his hair moving? Sharpening? Yuri's vision wavered, trying to understand what he was seeing. Frankenstein wasn't a solid purple, the colour constantly shifting to an almost black and back again like water. "-I might make an exception." Frankenstein descended on him.

Fanfic: Imposter [Part 43]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: It starts. Contains: Minor character death...ish? Notes:  Among Us AU! :D Big thanks to madameaZure for all her help with plotting out this ending. ;w; Rating: PG-13 Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 2,146 Total word count: 44,756 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part Frankenstein's heart wouldn't settle. Of course the Union would have a way to root out hidden imposters, especially ones that didn't want to be found.

They let out a weak chuckle. "Well, I'm either going to be a really good distraction, or I'm going to be found rather quickly." And Em as well, damn. He would need to told. Though he would be able to sense them as well - it was hard to miss. The new imposter's presence did solidify something, in the very least. "Then you'll be safe?" Tao's focus slid to him, and then back at the monitors. "...Yeah, noblesse-series are focused on only other imposters. They'll probably just ignore the rest of us. The others though..." Yes, it wasn't just doctor Aris and the imposter coming into the base. They shook their head, trying to clear it. "I can only sense the imposter - I can't sense where they are, like the ones before." It was as if the imposter was everywhere in the base, even though Frankenstein could see them on the monitor. And they should get moving now. "I guess it's confuse the imposters they're, uh, tracking," Tao said. Right. Of course. They tried to take steady breaths. "I'll let the others know," Tao said, focusing on the monitors again, "so you just focus on running." Frankenstein nodded. "Thank you," they said as they left. * M-21 ran. It wasn't enough. Wherever he went, he could sense the other imposter, and that meant they could sense him. Fuck. He was fucked. What could he do now? He couldn't hide from another fucking imposter! [Yer doin' okay, Em,] Tao's voice came through the comms, his voice calm and measured. [No, I'm not!] M-21 snapped as he entered the medbay. How the fuck was any of this okay? [They're comin' from the south, so you're as far as you can be from them right now, without bein' in the dropship.] [I wasn't going to fucking trap myself in there!] M-21 hissed. He would either be trapped with the imposter, or as soon as he stepped outside again, he would be surrounded by the agents and killed. [And that's good! If you hang out near the vent, you've got multiple escape routes.] M-21 eyed the vent he was just passing, and then nodded, crouching near it. [See? Told ya teachin' me about the vents could come in useful.] M-21 snorted at that, but... It was good having Tao in his ear, watching out for him. * [Em's in the medbay.] Frankenstein nodded at the news. Not too surprising, since they could feel him in front of them. [That only leaves staying in Storage, or heading towards them.] Neither option Frankenstein was too fond of. [But I suppose that has to happen.] They heard Tao hum. [Dunno about that, Boss. You can hang around the dropship for now.] They frowned. [Isn't the point of me being bait that I keep them away from it?] [Later on, yeah. But if you aggro them too early, there won't be as many chances to take them out, you know? And can you keep running for hours at a time?] [...No,] they admitted. Granted, they hadn't tried, but the fact that they'd never been tested on their endurance should say exactly how well they would do. [Very well, I'll stay near the dropship.] [Keep ya updated, Boss.] * Takeo looked over at the sound of his door opening, smiling at the unfamiliar 'suits. "Can I help you?" Damn. He wouldn't be able to do anything with multiple people. The Union agents peered into his small room, and then left. He exhaled. [I spy with my little eye...] Tao said. Takeo smiled as he put on his helmet. [They had guns.] It was something he would be able to use if he could get his hands on one. * Boss and Em were safe, the new imposter wasn't hurrying towards them, and the rest of the guards weren't trigger-happy. Good good good. Tao used the quiet period to start hacking into the ship's system. Even at a glance, it was more upgraded than anything on the base. That only meant it would take him a bit longer than he expected to. While he got to work, he kept an eye on the monitors. There was something weird about how the agents were moving that Tao couldn't quite place. It wasn't the same way as how Em moved, like a predator stalking their prey at the edge of their prey's awareness, but it was just...off, a little bit. [Heads up, Muzaka, they're heading for you.] Tao frowned, staring at the boiler room. Hopefully Muzaka had heard him, since he didn't have his helmet on... * Muzaka heard the boiler room door open after Tao's warning. "Hey," he said, watching the 'suit enter. He hid his frown as they continued on, with no hesitation. That was strange... No-one did that. Everyone balked at the heat when they first entered. The door closed behind them, and good. They were alone. "Are you wantin' a tour?" Muzaka said, walking over, spinning the wrench in his hand, trying to keep his hold on it loose. No response. Muzaka trailed after the agent. "So this is the boiler room - this is where most of the heat for the rest of the base is generated, as well as the energy as well." Nothing. Step by step, Muzaka followed them deeper into the boiler room, until they weren't in view of the door anymore. "And this is where there's the trickiest part of managing the boiler room is," Muzaka said, watching the agent. Ignored completely. Well then. If the agents weren't paying any sort of attention to him... Muzaka tightened his hold on his wrench, stepping up behind the agent, and swung. * One good thing about Muzaka keeping his 'suit around his waist was that any blood splatter... Tao stared at the screen. There was meant to be blood splatter, and what liquids Tao could see were darker than the usual red blood that humans had inside them. Tao saw Muzaka stuff the agent into the corner where Em liked to sleep before heading for his helmet. [They're not fully human,] Muzaka said. ['Cause they have less blood?] [Because they have wires inside them.] Androids? Yeah, that would explain the weird way they were moving. [Are you sure it's dead?] They could be more resistant to damage than humans were. [They stopped moving,] Muzaka said, shrugging. Tao tracked the other agent heading for O2 and spotted the familiar blue 'suit entering the west building. [All right. Grab the gun and toss it to Takeo - he'll be coming past your door in a couple minutes.] [Got it.] That done, Tao switched his attention to where he'd last seen the other imposter, Black. Which was a bit of affront for him, because what if someone mistook him for the imposter? No-one was gonna look for the little insignia first! Frankenstein and Em shouldn't mistake him, but what if they were standing outside, side by side? Tao's gaze slid to the set of cat ears he kept next to the monitors. That could help. Anyway. Thoughts for later. He was safe in here for now. He had to concentrate on other things. Like how Black was moving up the main central area. That meant they could either go for Em or Boss, and with how imposters sensed each other... Tao wasn't surprised when Black aimed for the eastern building, rather than the dropship. [Imposter on yer tail,] Tao said, watching Black wait in depressurisation. [Head south through the building.] It would be better than having both Frankenstein and Em in the central area. [I don't have a tail,] Em grumbled, moving. It looked like it to Tao, but maybe he'd been wrong. He hadn't meant it like that anyway. Tao saw Black track Em's movement and hmmm. Still. They were stuck in depressurisation for now. [You're safe at the moment, Boss,] he said, switching comms. [I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing...] Tao grinned. [You're safe, the imposter is distracted, and we're workin' on the agents - it's a good thing!] Movement caught his eye, and that was right outside  his door, whoops. [Gotta go!] Anything weird in sight? Please say no, please say no. Tao scanned through the views as he heard the door open behind him. No blood on his screens, and no limp limbs either. Good. "Heeey!" Tao chirped, grinning at doctor Aris. He'd been a little too focused on watching what everyone else was doing to keep track of her, or his own door. Another blind spot, but he should be fine after he squeaked past the inspection. "Hello there!" doctor Aris said. Her helmet was off and she smiled at him, before she glanced at the small machine in her hand. It wasn't a gun at least, but what scientist would carry one? "You must be Tao, right?" she asked, as she glanced at the small machine again. Tao's stomach sank as he fixed the grin on his face. "Yep, that's me!" Why...did she want to know? "Goodie!" she said, putting the machine away. "Just the person I wanted to talk to." Tao pointed to himself. "Me?" Not good. Getting a scientist's attention was never good, especially when he hadn't been anywhere near her before. That meant he'd done something to get her attention. "Yep! Now you can tell me why your tracker sent us an alert that it was deliberately being hacked into." Her smile turned sharp. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Ah, shit. Was it because of him she was here? No, he couldn't be the only reason, or else Black wouldn't be here as well. "I'm sure the others will love to pick your brain how you were able to do that," she purred. Either way, he'd fucked up. And he was trapped here, with only one way out: through her. Buuut... Tao slowly stood up, pressing himself back against the desk. "I mean, you can ask and I can tell ya where yer security weaknesses are." Sliding his fingers underneath. "Oh, but we wouldn't be absolutely sure you were telling the truth if we just asked." Her smile didn't move. "And we'd need to make sure this little mishap never happened again,  don't we?" He was so screwed. Tao pressed the button under his desk, activating the door trap. Doctor Aris screamed, electricity dancing over her as the lights flickered. Was she dead? Didn't matter. Couldn't check. Not now. Tao whirled around, snatching up a screwdriver and yanked open the security tower. He grabbed a hold of the innards and pulled, the wires tearing easily, the monitors turning black a second later. Wouldn't be enough. Tao gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and drove the screwdriver through the hardware. If anyone else tried to use the security room, they couldn't see where everyone was. Were the agents on the lookout for him, or Boss and Em? Had to be Boss and Em, or else they would have headed straight here. Or was it both? He grabbed his pad, and jammed his helmet on, snatching up his cat ears as well. Okay. She was there. Slumped against the wall by the door. Everything else had been cleared, and if he'd killed her, then that was one less threat arou- Tao yelped, ducking as Aris lunged at him with a roar. Something screeched behind him, and it was the distinctive sound of metal twisting and tearing. Nope. Nopenope, he was not dealing with that. He dashed out of Security before she could pull herself free and maybe throw something at him. Or punched through him. [Good news, Boss!] Tao said as he ran along the corridors. [Yes?] [You're not the one Aris is after!] [Then who - are you running?] Not like Tao could have hid his heaving breaths. [More good news! We've got a third bait running around, haha...] Maybe his trap had fried Aris' tracker scanner. Hopefully. Kinda doubtful though. [Why?] [Turns out I wasn't as sneaky with the track-] A roar echoed behind Tao, making him put on an extra burst of speed, to try and put as much space between him and Aris. [Anyway, your way is clear so head south!] Tao said as quickly as he could. "I am going to find you, Tao-" Aris' snarled from behind him, "and I am going to break your legs to make sure you can't run away again!" Mmmnope, did not like the sound of that! Yeah, Tao had really not missed being around Union scientists.

I keep having to tap Tao’s head with a newspaper to stop him from jumping right to the answer. Yes, you’re definitely very smart, but let me just keep you anxious enough that you’re doubting yourself because I’m trying to draw this out.

Fanfic: Imposter [Part 42]

Fandom: Noblesse Summary: They prepare. Notes:  Among Us AU! :D So many people in a scene. x-x I considered cutting this in half since it's such a huge chapter, but there wasn't a good pausing point in the big scene, so enjoy a longer chapter. :) And you'll probably see why I was having such a difficult time with the ending, aha. I'll be aiming for one chapter a week. I've got three weeks buffer so I should be able to finish this in time for when the chapters are needed. Rating: PG-13 Genre: Sci-fi Word count: 3,823 Total word count: 42,610 Status: Work in progress First part | Previous part | Next part "It's a Union ship," Takeo said, leaning back against the wall in the meeting room, his arms crossed. "Are you sure?" Frankenstein said, frowning. Was it that obvious?

Takeo nodded. "Union ships are bulkier than other organisation ships are." To show off their power, Frankenstein supposed. "And we're too hidden," Tao added. "The only reason they'd be comin' straight for us is if they know we're here. They mighta gotten our coordinates from hacking into the Union, but I don't see that happening." There was no reason for their base to be targeted. They weren't working on the more precious experiments or research here - Frankenstein and Em were end products, true, but they were essentially untested. That was the entire point of the base and what they were doing here. Murmurs thrummed through the meeting room like a wave. Confusion and hope mingling with each other. "Why are they here?" "To pick us up!" "We must have finished the test." "Finally." No, that didn't sound right. The Union didn't usually deviate from protocol. The second round had been a surprise, yes, but it was still a continuation of the test. An undeclared visit... Frankenstein didn't like it. It could mean a multitude of things, the most pressing ones- The projector switched on with a hum, someone's face displayed on the wall. It wasn't the same woman as before. She had long, wavy red hair that went past her shoulders, gold eyes, and she smiled cheerfully at them. Behind her, panel lights flashed slowly. Frankenstein frowned. There was something about her... "Hello there!" she chirped and Frankenstein froze, their breath catching in their throat, their stomach twisting. They knew that voice. They had only heard it a few times, but that was enough to bury deep into their mind, never to forget. Why was doctor Aris talking with them? She was involved with imposter creations, but Frankenstein didn't know if she had anything to do with the tests. "Oh, my, are you in a meeting right now?" she said, peering at everyone in the room. "Don't mind us - we'll be arriving shortly for a routine checkup so just carry on with your tasks and we'll be gone before you know it!" She was gone with a smile and a wave before anyone could respond. A flurry of excited murmurings burst out around the room. "We are leaving soon!" "They're going to pick us up after seeing how well we've done!" "We won!" Frankenstein ducked out of the meeting room amidst all the noise, their mind a flurry. * Frankenstein spent a bit of time in the medbay, tidying things away, trying to tidy up their own thoughts. It didn't work. How long would it take for the ship to arrive? What did doctor Aris want? What were they going to do? They sighed, leaning their hands on the counter. They weren't going to find anything out by pacing around the room. With a shake of the head, they left the medbay. The others would probably still be in their usual spots but... Their eyes drifted to the direction they could feel Em was in. Yes, they wouldn't be the only person worried about this. * Em was outside to the south, overlooking the plain Frankenstein had grown used to collecting samples from. He was sitting back against the wall, arms curled around his knees. [They're going to kill us,] Em said as they approached. [We don't know that,] Frankenstein said, sitting down next to him. It was likely, but not a certainty. Em growled, his helmet turning towards them and Frankenstein didn't need to see his eyes to know he was glaring at them. [Why the fuck else would they be here! They don't do random checks unless they're already testing something!] [That, I can certainly agree with,] Frankenstein said with a sigh. Random tests were too wasteful, even in HQ. To travel here for a random test? No. That was far too costly for something that could potentially give them nothing. [We're failures,] Em said, his grip on his knees tightening. [By their definition,] Frankenstein corrected. They weren't. They weren't failures. Em snarled. [Whose other definition matters! No-one's! We didn't do our mission, so we're failures! And failures are fucking killed.] Frankenstein exhaled, trying to master their own worry. [That's true,] they admitted. [But then...we do our best to kill them first.] Em laughed at that, shriller than the one Frankenstein had heard before. [They know how to deal with us - it's not that easy.] [Then you propose to let them kill you?] Frankenstein asked, keeping their voice soft, trying to sound more in control than they felt. Em didn't instantly snap back at that, and that was good. He was thinking. [Our choices are to let them kill us, or we fight back, and we know this area far better than they do. We have the advantage here.] It was a small one, but it was better than none at all. Em wasn't shouting or trying to run away still. It was something. [But we'll need a plan,] Frankenstein admitted, [and to talk with the others. They may have a better idea about what we can do in preparation.] [How can they know how to deal with people meant to kill us?] Em said, indignant. [That may be the exact outside perspective we need,] Frankenstein said. [They'll see things differently from us. Are you willing to at least join us?] Em didn't say anything for a few seconds, and hopefully that meant he was considering it. [They won't know anything,] Em mumbled. It wasn't a flat no. [We don't know that,] Frankenstein said. [Our other option will be to wait for the ship's arrival and let them come do what they intend to.] Em hissed. [...Fine, I'll come.] Frankenstein smiled, exhaling in relief. Good. * Frankenstein heard Takeo's sigh when the other answered their call as they and Em headed for the specimen room. [No, the ship isn't moving any faster than when I first saw it.] They raised their eyebrows in surprise. Takeo sounded more strained than usual. [That's good to know, but not what I was intending to talk to you about.] [Franken-?] Another sigh. [Sorry. I've had a lot of visitors and calls since the meeting already.] [I can only imagine.] Everyone would be very interested in the ship's arrival. Frankenstein hadn't spent that long in the medbay, so for Takeo to already be this tired of questions meant there must have been a lot of traffic. [I'll keep this brief then: we're meeting in the specimen room right now - do you think you'll be able to make it?] A pause. [No, I don't think I can. With how many-] A hiss, and Takeo cut off for a second. [With how many visitors I'm getting, it'll be noticeable if I'm not here.] Damn. [I'll be able to listen in,] Takeo said, [and if I miss anything, Tao can fill me in.] Frankenstein nodded, even though Takeo couldn't see it. [That should work.] The others had been informed, so it shouldn't be too long to wait for them to arrive. Frankenstein had chosen to meet in the specimen room, since they would be able to hear if anyone else was arriving and they could leave through the other exit. And that was if Tao didn't spot them first. Frankenstein checked a few samples while they waited, while Em paced back and forth next to a wall. He was staying though; it said a lot. Muzaka arrived with Kentas through the western entrance. As soon as Muzaka saw Frankenstein, he headed straight for them, hugging him tight. Frankenstein exhaled, hugging him back. Yes, they needed this. They smiled a little, hearing Em's grumble to the side. "You okay?" Muzaka asked, peering at them. They exhaled. "Things could be better." It would have been nice to have more time to prepare. The dropship was almost finished - it was just the fuel that they needed, and they wouldn't be able to... Hm. "Heh, yeah..." They looked over at the northern entrance open, Tao dashing in. He grinned at Frankenstein, waving. "Yo, Boss!" Frankenstein blinked. "Boss?" "Yeah, Boss," Tao repeated, nodding. "Who's the one who called this meetin'?" ...Yes, they had, that was true. "An' no matter what happens, we're outta the Union, aren't we?" Tao said, as he fiddled with his pad, keeping an eye on the cameras. "It's possible you may still be safe," Frankenstein said as they made a loose circle to talk. "Why?" Kentas asked. "The person who talked to us on the projector," Frankenstein said, "that is doctor Aris." Em's attention snapped to them, his mouth agape. "What?" Ah, so Em didn't know what she looked like. He'd never met her before? "Someone important?" Kentas asked. "She's one of the lead scientists behind imposters, after her work on weaponising 'suits wasn't as well received," Frankenstein said. "So you think she's comin' for you two?" Muzaka said, looking between Frankenstein and Em, frowning. "It would appear that way. I see no other reason why she would be involved with a 'routine check-up'," Frankenstein said. "Now then, what can we do?" "Not much we can do," Em muttered under his breath. He growled low in his throat when Muzaka reached over and ruffled his hair. "With them arriving, that means we'll have two ships available, right?" Muzaka said. "But only one has enough fuel to break atmosphere," Tao pointed out. "An' that one'll have more people in it protecting it," Muzaka countered. "We get enough fuel from theirs, and they won't be able to follow us. We know our dropship and where everything is." So that meant... "You're proposing to steal how much fuel and carry it to the dropship?" Frankenstein knew leaving a planet was where most fuel was used, but not the volume needed for it. "Depends on what fuel they're usin'," Muzaka said, scratching the back of his head. "The newer ships have a more efficient, lighter kind." "Aaand if this is a head honcho, this'll be the best, right?" Tao said, a grin widening across his face. Muzaka grinned back at him. "Right." "And we can just...walk in and take it like that?" Frankenstein said, frowning. It would still be difficult if there were crew walking around inside. Muzaka shook his head. "Nah, the fuel ducts can be accessed from the outside - it'd be a pain to go through the entire ship to refuel when you have easier access outside." "I'm surprised it's that easy," Frankenstein said. "I suppose the Union's reputation means people are less willing to even attempt to steal their fuel," they mused. Still. Desperate people who wanted to leave a planet would be willing to try anything, surely. "That's 'cause the fuel ducts are..." Muzaka trailed off, grimacing. [Usually on top of the ship,] Takeo continued from Tao's helmet. And a ship that size would be difficult to climb. "I can help with that," Kentas said. Frankenstein raised an eyebrow. "I've no doubt you two would be able to do it - but I also don't doubt that it'll be rather easy to spot two people climbing up the side of the ship." "If their internal system's anythin' like their dropship, I'll be able to knock out their external cameras," Tao said, raising a hand. "That won't stop people's eyes from seeing them if they're outside," Frankenstein pointed out. Muzaka's white 'suit might blend in with the metal, but Kentas' brown 'suit wouldn't. "So we'll need a distraction," Tao said, nodding. "A big one." A distraction? What could they possibly do that would draw the attention of everyone, but wasn't so big that everyone in their group would also be called? Calling a meeting was an option, but those didn't last too long, and their absence would be noted. Then something else that could... That was an option. They glanced at Em, who caught his look and instantly looked elsewhere. Yes, Em wasn't going to volunteer that information by himself. "Em?" Frankenstein said, seeing Em stiffen. "Do you think you can do it? You won't have to be near the ship or anyone else." It would be one of the safest jobs to do by the looks of it. Em didn't say anything for a few seconds, crossing his arms and still not looking at them. "Will it do anything though?" "It?" Tao repeated, looking between Frankenstein and Em. Frankenstein nodded, turning their attention back to Tao. "Em knows how to remotely disrupt the seismic stabilisers, which should help to keep people busy for a while." Em squirmed when the others' attention went to him. "Yeah, will it be enough?" Kentas said. "What do you mean?" Kentas furrowed his brow. "We were told to keep to our tasks, and they won't know how to deal with that." "And they might not want to," Tao added, "since they're focused on finding you and Em." Hmm. Yes, that was true. It would keep the crewmates busy for a while, but not the newcomers. Well then. Frankenstein exhaled, their heartbeat picking up as they made their decision. "All right, I'll do it," they said, nodding. "Do what?" Frankenstein squared their shoulders. "They're looking for imposters, yes? Then I'll make sure to try and keep them away from the ships." They would just need to figure out how to draw enough attention without a meeting being called... Transform in front of the newcomers, while making sure none of the base's crewmates were in sight? "You can't-" Em spluttered. "You don't know what they can do!" Frankenstein smiled. "I'm a fast learner. And-" They exhaled, their heart refusing to settle. "Yes. If I'm your leader, that means I'm supposed to look out for you, am I not?" "Dunno about that, Boss," Tao said. "The Union leaders usually direct from the back." "And that's exactly what we're trying to get away from," Frankenstein pointed out. "You're not doing it alone," Muzaka said, frowning. Frankenstein shook their head. "They're not looking for you. And it would be rather pointless if you're making a distraction from the job you're meant to be doing."   Muzaka opened his mouth, but no words came out. "I'll be fine." Maybe. Hopefully. They would have to see. Tao hummed, tapping his pad as he looked down at it. "If you're bait, that means we can have a better idea where the people chasin' ya will be if you give us a heads up." "Yes...?" Wasn't that the point of being bait? "We can take 'em out for you," Tao said, making Frankenstein blink in surprise. "They'll be focused on you, and if we hide the bodies, no meetin'll be called." Frankenstein couldn't help the soft laugh that slipped out. "You don't think we can?" Tao said. "You think you can kill the people that are meant to kill us?" M-21 said, scowling. "Exactly!" Tao said, not looking at all put out by their reactions. "They're specialised and know how to deal with you, not crewmates." Tao did have a point. Frankenstein shook their head. "Ah, that wasn't what I was laughing at. I just realised that it seems our...roles have reversed: imposters on the run, while crewmates kill from the shadows." Tao grinned. "So you agree then." "It's worth a shot," Frankenstein said, nodding. It was better than nothing. "Though, would that mean it's just you and Takeo?" If Kentas and Muzaka were busy. "Heh, if they've got guns, and Takeo can borrow one, that'll already be a couple down. Takeo isn't good at just shooting asteroids. "We can try to take as many as we can out before Kentas and Muzaka get started," Tao continued, "so we'll have a better idea about their numbers, and it'll mean less people who need distracted and you know, tryna kill you." "Yes, I would rather prefer that," Frankenstein said dryly. "So that's it?" they said, looking around. "Em and I are bait to draw attention, while Kentas and Muzaka steal the fuel..." "I'll keep an eye on everyone and keep ya all updated," Tao said, "and Takeo can keep the engine warm for us." [It will need to be once Kentas and Muzaka have the fuel,] Takeo said. [It'll be obvious what our plan is once I start her up.] "We're gonna need a name for her..." Tao said, rubbing his chin. "We can do that once we're out of here," Frankenstein said. They needed to make sure they were as safe as they could be first. "So that's it?" "Yep." Tao nodded. "Keep the plan simple, and we'll adjust for any surprises." "Hopefully there won't be any," Frankenstein muttered. They'd had too many already. "Right," Muzaka said. "In the meantime, we'll move the rest of what we need into the dropship." They others dispersed after that, leaving through different entrances. Em's lips were pursed the last time Frankenstein saw him, but it seemed he was willing to try. "You sure about this?" Muzaka asked as he pulled Frankenstein into a hug. They breathed a soft laugh, sliding their arms around Muzaka's waist. "Not really, no. But it's the best plan we can make in short notice, and we're as best suited to our roles as we can be. Since we hopefully won't be needing my medical expertise, that means we'll just have to make use of me being a rather exceptional target."   "Hey," Muzaka said, tightening his hug as he kissed Frankenstein. "Be safe, all right?" Frankenstein nodded, just filling their senses with Muzaka, just in case... No. They wouldn't think like that. If they did, then they had already lost. "I'll try my best. You stay safe as well." "I'll do my best." * Frankenstein looked around the specimen room, and then sighed, heading back to the medbay. They had already packed away the medications they thought they would most need but samples, as much time as they'd spent with them over the last couple months, were not important. It could be useful to keep their mind occupied during quiet periods, but Frankenstein had a feeling that if they succeeded, they would all be kept busy while they kept the dropship running anyway. They wouldn't know though until they were free. And if boredom was what they were worried about, they could talk to the others. Speaking of... They had finished packing everything away into the dropship, seeing other crewmates rushing around the base as they tried to collect whatever last minute things they needed. Frankenstein needed to do something to stop the possibilities running through their mind, so they headed to Security. It didn't take too long, and Tao greeted them as they entered. "Hey, Boss, how you doing?" Tao asked, waving a hand, still focused on the monitors. The title still sounded strange to their ears, but hopefully in time they could get used to it. If they survived this. "Nervous," Frankenstein admitted, scanning through the security feeds. None of them were pointed at the sky - they did see Em to the south plain again. He was sitting, which was good, so he wasn't wasting any energy beforehand. Kentas and Muzaka were in O2 building what seemed to be climbing gear. There were a number of other crewmates loitering outside, and Frankenstein assumed they were watching for the ship. "Heh, I'd be weirded out if you weren't." It was normal to be nervous in the face of uncertainty and potential death; it still wasn't a nice feeling. They exhaled, digging into a pocket. "If something does happen to me, all of your data is saved here." They held out the small memory stick. In the best case scenario, it wouldn't be needed; in the worst, well... Tao was the person most likely to be able to understand and use their notes. Tao took it from them, nodding as he slid it into a pocket. "You wanna stay here and watch the landing? Takeo's gonna be slammed by everyone else, and it'll be way easier to discuss any changes here than over comms." Frankenstein nodded. "And it'll also help to distract us in the mean time." Tao laughed. "That too." * Frankenstein's nerves were already stretched thin as they watched the ship's shadow grow larger on the screen. The ship was landing to the south, which had a larger flat area than anywhere else - Em had already disappeared before the ship's shadow first appeared. The ship was large - Frankenstein could feel it coming. It had to be from the power of its engines weighing down on the base. "Boss?" Tao said, looking at them. "Yes?" "You got a headache or something? You've been rubbing at your neck for a while now." Frankenstein stared at him, realising they were in fact  rubbing the base of their head. Right where they sensed imposters. No... "Boss?" The ship landed, the bay doors opening as soon it stopped moving. There was already a group walking out. "Don't think I've seen a 'suit that bright a pink before, huh," Tao muttered. That had to be the lighter suit at the front. There were a couple more people in the initial group, and Frankenstein scanned through them, even though they knew they wouldn't be able to pick anyone out. That was the point. "They brought an imposter with them...?" Frankenstein murmured. Why? Imposters were made to infiltrate opposing ships, not stay on Union ones. Especially not ones that were checking on imposters. "You can sense-?" Tao sucked in a breath. "Ooooh." That sounded like Tao knew what was going on. "What is it?" Tao zoomed in on the 'suits, flicking from one to another before settling on the dark 'suit next to the pink 'suit. There was a small insignia on the chest - it looked a little small to be a personally chosen customisation, and it looked like it was stitched into the suit. A circle bisected by a cross that was at an angle. "Ooooh no," Tao said, his voice hushed. "Tao?" What were they missing? Tao gaped at him. "You don't know?" "Apparently not. What's so important about that?" Frankenstein asked as the group headed out of the ship. "Okay, so," Tao said, zooming out so the whole group was in view again, "you're the mimic-series of imposters, right? Modified and socialised to appear as human as possible; slip in through people's defences and talk your way into their trust before killing them?" The words tumbled out fast, and before Frankenstein could process them, Tao continued on. "Em, on the other hand, is the ambush-series, modified to sneak around and kill as covertly as possible." "How...do you know this?" Frankenstein said faintly. They had never heard their particular designation before. "The Union's easy to hack once you know how, especially when you're already connected inside, heh," Tao said. "Anyway, that's the two main groups. But there's a third." Tao nodded towards the screen. "The noblesse-series, modified specifically to hunt down the imposters who aren't acting imposter enough for the Union's liking." Frankenstein stared at the screen, swallowing. Of course. The area at the back of their neck throbbed. It would take an imposter to hunt down an imposter.