Mini's Journal

Category:Mini
Category:Journals
Category:Journal
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Back to Mini.
A pastiche of scenes involving Mini and various NPCs, occurring between sessions.
== S2 E46.5 (Session 0) - A Perfectly Ordinary Day ==
Darkness Level: High Noon, no clouds.
Theme: Don the Armor, CZARFACE
 
2019, January 12th
Halcyon City. A City of Superheroes. You would think that people would be used to seeing the unusual and the supernatural in this place. A couple of kids floating down a city street isn’t all that strange in the grand scheme of things, but still this sight managed to draw wide eyed stares from passers by. 
Minerva and her little brother Riley paid no heed to the gawking pedestrians as she levitated them down the block. Riley babbled incessantly, mist pouring out of his face as his breath hit the cold air. Mini stared in disbelief at the business card in her hand. A superhero with a business card? Really?
“...and then the clown lady, she was like ZOOM! And then her car went KAPOW! And that’s when the elephant went all crazy and STOMP, STOMP, STOMP…” Riley continued his third retelling of the days events, flailing wildly with a rolled up poster in each hand. “Wasn’t that clown lady AWESOME?!”
Mini continued staring at the business card, answering her brother absentmindedly “Huh? Yeah, she’s cute.”
“What?” Riley’s flailing stopped as he gave his sister a confused look.
“What?” Mini grinned at her little brother and booped him on the nose as she tucked the business card into her messenger bag.
“You’re weird.” Riley wrinkled his nose at her, his excitement completely deflated.
“You got that right, kid!” Mini giggled at Riley, and snatched one of the posters away from him. “You don’t need BOTH of these, do you?”
“Hey!” He cried out in protest. “Clown lady gave those to me! She even put my name on them!” Riley pouted and made futile grabby hands at the poster his sister stole from him.
“Yeah, well, she only did that coz I was awesome and helped save the day. And stop calling her clown lady, her name is Bitzy. You know, like the itsy bitsy spider?” Mini poked at her brother until she found ticklish spots that wiped the pout off of his face. “After all the fuckin’ cotton candy and popcorn and all the other shit I bought you, the LEAST you could do is give me one of your posters.”
“Language!” Riley chastised his sister between giggles, trying to defend himself from the onslaught of tickles. “Ok, ok, fine! You can have the one with clow-Bitzy flying out of the canon. I want the one with the bear riding the little tricycle.”
She rolled her eyes at him, and smiled “Deal!” She tucked her new poster under her arm so she could smudge some chocolate off her brother’s face with her thumb. “And don’t you tell mom about the Elephant getting loose at the show. She’ll lose her shit and then she’ll NEVER let you go anywhere with me again. You hear me?!”
“Ok, I won’t!” Riley shook his head vigorously. “Do you think we can go to the circus again soon? We never got to see the end of the show before the elephants got loose and that red guy showed up.”
She nodded thoughtfully, and licked her fingers to finish cleaning Riley’s dirty face “We’ll see, kiddo. That red guy might be my new boss now. I might not have time to go to the circus again, but I think Bitzy’s gonna work for him too. And Fantine and Lloyd. If you behave and keep your grades up, I’ll see about taking you to work with me so you can meet a bunch of superheroes.”
“Really?! COOL! Does that mean you’re gonna be a superhero too?” Riley looked at his sister with the same starry eyes he gave Bitzy at the circus.
Mini smirked at him, and patted her messenger bag. “We’ll see, little man. We’ll see.”
== S2 Time Passes - Daily Ritual ==
Darkness Level: Midnight, no stars.
Content Warning: Body horror, suicide, self harm, mental illness, emotional abuse, gore, insects
 
2019, January 13th
The morning sun filtered gently through the black blinds on Mini’s windows, and a nest of tiny cerulean warblers tweeted hungrily from outside. A fire engine red alarm clock radio clicked itself to life from her night stand as the time marked 06:00, and a rich, silky voice faded into being. The radio volume rose gradually, rousing Mini from her slumber.
“...’ve been listening to Trevor Lucas’s Love Lines, on Halcyon’ City’s REAL romance station, WHHW, Halcyon Hearts Radio. We bring you the best love songs of yesterday and today. Sangita Singh is up next with your Morning Pillow Talk, so stay tuned to 109.9, LAST on the dial, but FIRST in your heart.”
The smooth, sultry voice of the radio announcer gave way to the song he’d cued up, and Mini rose from her bed as the music filled the room.
“I put a spell on you! Because you’re MINE!”
Painted toes slipped out from under warm covers to be greeted by a cold, hardwood floor. Mini shuffled sleepily past her dresser, turning bleary eyes to the mosaic of band posters that covered her wall: Empress, The Why, Ice Cold Pickle Peppers, Six Meter Claws, Mistress, Boo Battlers, Bedlam at the Dancehall. Dozens more posters crowded each other for space around a corkboard full of photos, hand written notes, precious greeting cards, song lyrics, magazine clippings, and all manner of personal odds and ends gathered with an order discernible to no one but Minerva herself.
“You better stop the things you do…”
She slid open the door to her closet, and reached for the pullstring to turn on the light inside. The lifeless body of her little brother hung there, suspended from the ceiling by an electrical cord looped around his neck. Mini yawned, and nudged the hanging body out of the way to rummage around for a jacket and a skirt. Once she made her selections, she turned and tossed them on her bed, ready to change into later.
“WhowahahaHA! Watch out! I ain’t lyin’...
Mini padded over to her bathroom door, paused to scratch an itch on her calf with her toe, and then pushed the ajar door open. 
“YEEEAAAAHHH, I can’t stand… NO runnin’ around!”
Pink tinged water spilled out of the tub, covering the white tile of the bathroom floor. Mini sloshed through the water without hesitation, and moved the draw her shower curtain open.
“I can’t STAAAAAND, no put me down.”
The pallid corpse of Mini’s mother lay curled in a tub full of murky red water. Mini leaned over the body, seeming not to notice it, and turned the valve to turn her shower on. The shower water displaced more of the bloody murk, creating a grisly waterfall that spilled over the edge of the tub.
“I put a spell on you… Because you’re MIIIIINNNNE!”
Mini turned on the ball of her foot, and sloshed through the gory flood to her sink. She paused to look at herself in the mirror, her eye sockets hollow black holes, just barely concealing a writhing mass of maggots inside her skull. She smiled sleepily into the mirror, a mouthful of jagged and bloody teeth reflecting back at her. She reached for the mirror and pulled to open the medicine cabinet behind it. The bright orange pill bottle she needed was gripped tightly in a dismembered hand, her father’s wedding band upon the ring finger. She pried the fingers apart with a sickening crack, and promptly opened the dislodged the pill bottle.
“Stop the things you do. WhowahahaHA! Watch out!”
Mini shook one of the wriggling beetles inside the bottle into her palm, and held it still with her thumb. She reached for the faucet handle and turned it on, rusty brown murk sputtering into her sink. She closed the medicine cabinet mirror, and locked eyes with her reflection.
“Watch out! I ain’t lyin’”
She held her own gaze for a long moment, watching as a large centipede exited her eye socket and fell to the flooded tile floor with an unceremonious splat. She continued to stare down the abyss with an unwavering, weary expression.
“I love you! I love you!... I love you! YEEAAAUH!”
Mini reached out her empty hand to her cluttered dresser and snapped. A white candle in a tall jar bearing the image of Saint Barbara ignited. A silver flask engraved with a sugar skull floated from beneath the candle into Mini’s grasp
“I don’t CARE if you don’t want me! I’m YOURS, right NOOOOOOW!”
Mini prayed silently to Shango, tossed the wriggling beetle into her mouth, and chased it with the holy water she kept in the silver flask. She gagged immediately but forced down the swill as she collapsed to the inundated floor.
“I put a spell on you...”
Mini writhed in agony for many moments as her throat burned. Her eyes clenched tightly as Alastor resisted her prayer and her witchcraft. Her tiny body splashed around in the blood as it tried to contort itself into impossible shapes, but she held on. She crawled over to her toilet just in case she wasn’t able to keep her tonic down.
“Because you’re miiiine. Miiine! MIIINNNEEEE!”
After many moments the episode passed. Mini opened her blue eyes, and cast them about her bathroom. The floor was dry, and her tub was empty. She pulled herself to her feet and stepped in front of her mirror again. A familiar face looked back at her, and a grim little smile curled her lips. She returned her pill bottle to the medicine cabinet where no dismembered hand awaited her. She began to disrobe, pulling her oversized green baseball jersey over her head. It bore the number 17 on it, with the name "Time" in bold white lettering. Without looking, she kicked the bathroom door closed. The sound of curtain rings scraping along metal could be heard a moment later, and after that a young girl humming the song she had just heard on the radio.
== S2 E56 - Fission a Barrel ==
Darkness Level: Late Afternoon, clear skies.
 
2019, January 27th
Minerva sat in her family’s living room, elbows crossed over her knees, leaning in to watch the news report of the aftermath from today’s mission. She could feel her parent’s eyes on her as the broadcast showed the rubble pile that was Halcyon City Courthouse. The gigantic person shaped hole in the side of the building would be comical if Mini herself hadn’t been in that building when the destruction occurred.
“Hehe… Y’know, they say the camera adds ten pounds, but really...? Atomica’s ass was just HUGE! I’m surprised that hole in the building wasn’t WAY bigger.” Mini puffed up her cheeks and crossed her eyes for effect. Her parents were not amused, but you couldn’t blame her for trying. 
“Language.” Her father said with a stern voice, even though his eyes were fixed on the TV screen, his expression a mixture of horror and outrage. “I’m going to call Mr. Cyclone tomorrow. This has gotten out of hand. My daughter will not become a vandal!”
Riley chortled from his spot on the floor, chin in his palms “Too late! Remember that time she burned down the Yule tree in Bialek Park?” 
Mini pulled her sneaker off and threw it at him, hitting him square in the ass “Damnit Riley!”
“Language.” Howard Smalls said wearily.
Mini’s mother pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “I still can’t believe you used your Goddamn bra as the wick for the Molotov you threw. It was brand new! And where DID you get all of that gasoline, anyway?!” Vera Smalls fixed her daughter with a suspicious glare.
“Language…” Howard sighed.
Riley rubbed his behind where the sneaker struck him “Chief Spitzler was SO mad when you kept flipping him the bird in your mug shots.” He giggled maniacally. “I thought for sure he was gonna pull his gun on you!”
“You little shit! I can’t believe you! You are NEVER going to see Big Team base now!” Mini pulled her remaining sneaker off and wound up, preparing for her next throw.
“Language!” Howard barked.
Mini’s mother pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off in disgust “Neither of you are going to see that base at this point. Your father’s right Minerva, this has gotten out of hand. It’s clear this Cyclone person doesn’t know what he’s doing, sending a bunch of teenagers into a courtroom as muscle to protect a witness. Who does that?”
Mini shot up from her chair, sneaker still in hand “Woah, wait a minute! I’ll admit things are pretty informal on Big Team, but these are SUPER villains we’re talking about. Things get out of hand because they have powers, and are willing to hurt people with them. The cops are outmatched when it comes to this stuff!”
“Well surely there are adult superheroes who can handle these things. At the very least, they could have an adult hero accompany you on these excursions.” Howard Smalls rose from his seat, and walked towards his office. “This lack of supervision is an unnecessary risk for what is already a senselessly dangerous endeavor.”
“W-well, Cyclone WAS there! He drove us to the court house.” Mini floundered, not really having anything to say in defense of Big Team’s methods.
Vera Smalls chimed in “He wasn’t anywhere in the news report. Did he help you fight that giant woman? Was he the one who brought that robot boat, or whatever it is?”
“Well… no. But he showed up after and… talked to her.” Mini didn’t dare tell her parents that Cyclone flirted with Atomica. She was already losing this argument badly. “He got them to surrender.”
Howard picked up where his wife left off “He didn’t fight? Why not? I thought he was the Big Team leader? If he was there, why would he leave it all to you kids?”
“Cyclone doesn’t have any powers. He…” It dawned on Mini that Spectre doesn’t have any powers either, and that didn’t stop her from contributing to the fight. She can’t have anywhere near the amount of experience that Cyclone has.
Vera Smalls gave her daughter a pained expression. She knew this was becoming unfair, but it needed to be said. “Mijita, I know you want to do good with this… condition you have, but you’re still our daughter. We have to make sure you’re safe. Following the commands of a man who leads children into battle from the back does NOT sound like a smart idea, no matter how many powers you have. We expected better from someone with such a glowing reputation!” Vera moved to her daughter and pulled her into a motherly embrace. “Chiquitita, if you can give us just one good reason why we should let this continue, we’ll consider it…”
Howard sputtered incredulously, about to disagree with his wife. She fixed him with a stern look and he kept quiet, shaking his head as he retreated to his office. 
“We’ll CONSIDER it.” Vera raised her voice for emphasis, but also to make sure her husband heard her, and understood she meant what she was promising her daughter. “Sleep on it. Think about us, and the worry we have to live with every time you go out into the world with these people. If you really think it’s worth it, and you can explain to your father and I WHY you believe that…? We’ll THINK about letting you stay on the Big Team.”
Mini stood there in her mother’s arms, completely lost for words. Vera took no pleasure in dashing her daughter’s hopes with a dose of reality, but tough love is still love. She let her daughter go, kissed her gently on the forehead, and followed her husband into his office to discuss the matter with him privately. 
After a few quiet moments Riley stood and stepped over to his sister, pulling sheepishly at her sleeve. She slowly turned her gaze on him and fixed him with an annoyed expression. He offered her sneaker to her by way of apology, and she snatched it away from him. Riley let out a yelp and scampered upstairs to his room, recognizing when his sister was too upset to offer forgiveness.
Mini stood there in silence for a long while, thinking about what her parents had said.
== S2 - Time Passes - Loud and Clear ==
Darkness Level: Late Morning, some clouds.
 
2019, January 30th
The sound of jangling keys could be heard just outside of the Smalls’ residence door. Before the person on the other side could figure out which key to put into the lock, Riley Smalls zoomed out of the kitchen and flung the front door open. His father, Howe, and his cousin Tellie stood on the stoop, each carrying a piece of luggage. Riley dashed past his surprised father, and jumped into his cousin’s arms, hugging them around the neck excitedly. The lanky, blonde haired teenager smiled broadly, dropped their luggage, and hugged Riley back.
“TELLIE! I missed you!” Riley couldn’t help shouting as he crushed his face into his cousin’s shoulder. A moment later he realized his error, leaned back from his cousin, and signed simply. -Missed you, T-
Tellie smiled wider, and kissed Riley on the forehead. They would have signed back, but their hands were currently full with an excited 8 year old boy. As Howard lumbered his way through the door, Tellie followed and brought Riley into the kitchen. Howe went back outside to retrieve the piece of luggage Tellie dropped.
-Hi Tellie! It’s been so long! You must be hungry. Sit down, I’ll fix you something to eat.- Vera smiled as she signed to her nibling. She moved to the island and pulled out one of the stools.
Tellie shook their head and set Riley down so they could sign back. -Thank you aunt Vera, but maybe later. I want to say hi to Mini first. Where is she?-
-She’s upstairs in bed. She might even been napping. She’s been moping around the last few days. I’m sure seeing you would cheer her up though. Go on upstairs! Her door is the first on the right.- Vera smiled, and kissed Tellie on the cheek as she walked past them to help Howard get the luggage situated.
Tellie waved at Riley as they left the kitchen to go upstairs. Vera had given them directions, but they weren’t necessary. Mini’s door was unmistakable. Painted black, covered in band stickers and tiny monochromatic murals. There was a chalk board in the middle with a pink smudge followed by the word “off” written on it. The word “Language” was written in white chalk underneath. Tellie giggled and shook their head before knocking. No reply came, not that they would have heard it if there was one. Tellie turned the knob and let themselves into Mini’s room.
Mini lay sprawled out on her bed, headphones on her ears as she slept. The cord disappeared into the tangle of sheets where, presumably, there was an iPac or a cell phone attached. She snored softly, drooling a little on her pillow.
Tellie giggled again at the sight, and then crept over to Mini’s bed, sitting on the edge. They looked at her for a long moment, appreciating the stillness. She looked precious like this, and it stood in stark contrast to Mini’s normal energetic and inflammatory mannerisms. A wistful look crossed Tellie’s face as they wished they could wake Mini up their special way. That probably wasn’t safe to do yet though. Maybe never again. Instead Tellie tickled Mini’s nose, and stifled their giggles as Mini swatted at her own face a couple times before finally shooting upright from a dead sleep.
“God DAMNIT Rile…!” Mini shot up, ready to levitate her little brother out of her room, and slam the door behind him. She wasn’t expecting to see her cousin here, and she squealed with excitement, getting tangled in sheets and wire in the process of hugging Tellie. After a long, crushing hug, she disentangled from her cousin and her headphones, then signed. -What are you doing here?! Did you just get in? Is Emma with you?! I havn’t seen you since before the move. Are you staying with us?-
Tellie’s eyes went wide at the barrage of questions, but they did a good job of keeping up, shaking their head no as Mini asked for their sister. -Yes, uncle Howe just got me from the airport. I’m staying a week. Em’s at bootcamp, otherwise she’d have come too.- Tellie smiled at their cousin, tapped their temple, and tilted their head to the side with a questioning expression.
Mini’s eyes went wide for a second, and she vigorously shook her head. -No, no! It isn’t safe. I can’t speak like that anymore.- Mini frowned as Tellie nodded sadly in response. Mini held her cousin’s cheek in her hand as she mouthed the word “Sorry” to them. She began signing again. -I miss talking to you like that. No one else understands quite like you do. I know how much you liked “hearing” music through me that way. That was always the best.- A quiet moment passed between them as they looked down sadly. Mini broke the silence, as it were. -Boy or girl?-
Tellie smiled at the question. She remembered. She was the only one who knew that about them. -Boy.-
Mini nodded and smiled back at him. -You’re still not out yet, are you? Do you want me to tell my parents? They’d totally get it! You'll see!-
He shrugged, and pondered it awkwardly for a moment. He was going to decline, but Mini nudged him insistently so he nodded. After nodding a few more times, he felt better about it and confirmed. -Yeah. Ok. That could be nice. You know how it is at home.- He shrugged and let the sentiment hang there quietly.
Mini knew. The last time had been “such an inconvenience” for Tellie’s parents. She understood why another adjustment wouldn’t be well received. Ignorance never seemed to go out of style. She leaned in and hugged him again, but this time she didn’t let him go.
== S2 - A Hairy Situation pt. 1 ==
Darkness Level: Day break, clear skies.
 
2019, February 4th
Tellie tapped away at their phone, lounging comfortably on the couch that was her bed. Their twin sister Emma had gotten a little free time at bootcamp, and she used it to text Tellie about her training. The little bubble on their phone animated, filling with dots to indicate Emma was typing a response. As she did, Tellie looked around the furnished basement that had been their home for the past few days. Everything about this room felt warm and inviting. Cozy. Safe. Quite different from back home. 
The billiard table and dartboard had been far more entertaining than Tellie expected them to be. Uncle Howard always won at pool, but he always did so gracefully, and he always shared his knowledge to give everyone a fair and fun chance. Mini couldn’t be beat at darts, but Tellie knew her Telekinesis played a big part in that. Family photos could be seen no matter which direction you looked. Tellie couldn’t help but smile as their eyes wandered around the space.
The phone vibrated in Tellie’s hands with Emma’s response *Yeah! They really kick ur ass here, but it’s SO worth it. A free ride 4 school, all xpenses paid, AND job placement? A.E.G.I.S. can have their 9 wks a year 4 that $$$. U get a license 4 ur pwrs 2, if u have em. Being a registered human lie detector is gonna be BADASS!!1 U shud think abt coming 2.* 
Tellie’s brow furrowed with concern. They wanted to be supportive, but deep down they hoped Emma would wash out and come home, where it was safe. Safe for her at least. They were lost in thought for a moment and didn’t notice the vibration of Riley trundling down the stairs. Tellie smiled at him as he signed -Morning T! Girl or boy today?-
“Girl!” Tellie used her voice to reply, which was very rare. Normally the fear of sounding odd made her self conscious, but the immediate and unquestioning acceptance the Small’s family had for her gender fluidity chased all of those doubts away. Even Howard Smalls, who was her uncle by blood, and every bit the conservative and stoic that the Path family was had no trouble adjusting. He would often check several times a day to be sure he was using the correct pronouns for his nibling. Niece right now though. It hadn’t occurred to Tellie just how much she needed this to be part of her life until this week. She would enjoy it while it lasted.
-Mom says breakfast soon. Wash up. Mini day off.- Riley’s signing was still a little simple, but for an 8 year old boy his understanding was amazing. He leaned over the arm of the couch to hug his cousin before leaving her to get ready for the day.
* 
Howard and Riley kissed and hugged the ladies of the house goodbye, before departing for work and school, which was one and the same for Howard considering he was a History teacher. As soon as the door closed, Mini grabbed Tellie by the hand and pulled her up stairs. Vera followed with a smile on her face, and the three of them filed into Mini’s room.
-We have a surprise for you, dear. Mini picked them out for you herself.- Vera signed as Tellie looked around the room, enthused but confused. Mini rummaged around in her closet and produced a big shopping bag. She thrust the bag into her cousins hands, and pushed her backward to sit on her bed. Tellie smiled appreciatively, but wasn’t given a chance to sign her gratitude, Mini snatching the tissue paper out of the bag. Tellie looked at the contents for a long moment, confused at first but then stunned as she came to understand. She looked to her cousin, then to her aunt, and back, tears welling up in her eyes. Vera immediately sat beside her niece, embraced her and wiped her tears away.
-We thought you could use some “girl clothes,” for the days when “boy clothes” didn’t feel quite right.- Mini signed, and smiled hopefully at Tellie. -You don’t HAVE to wear them if you don’t want to! There’s nothing wrong with baggy jeans and loose hoodies. I just thought, maybe…-
Tellie didn’t let her cousin finish. She jumped up from the bed, spilling the bag out of her lap, and smothered her tiny cousin with a hug. Mini groaned under the pressure, but hugged her cousin back as Tellie cried on her shoulder. Vera reached over to rub her niece’s back gently. Eventually Tellie composed herself, and released her cousin long enough to sign.
-I LOVE them! I…- She shrugged, truly at a loss for words. She turned to hug her aunt, and was hugged back. 
-I’ll do your make-up today too, if you want.- Mini signed to Tellie as Vera pulled her head to her bosom. Tellie just nodded happily, and sniffled. Mini immediately hopped over to her dresser and began digging out her cosmetic bags. 
* 
Tellie couldn’t stop checking her reflection in her cell phone. She fussed with her hair, which Mini styled but only simply. They were on their way to see Mini’s stylist, and he would complete the look Mini had started. Everything else though… Tellie hardly recognized herself, and yet her appearance felt so right. Mini tugged the cell phone out of Tellie’s face, and she blushed sheepishly at her. Mini locked arms with her and started levitating them down the street. 
The two young ladies drifted up to the doors of a barber shop, not a salon. The sign above the shop was a glossy black with gold lettering, and had a full color graphic of a milk crate filled with records. The bold lettering simply read “Deep Cuts,” with the “P” being half a pair of shears. Tellie gave Mini a quizzical look, but Mini just winked at her and mouthed the words “Trust me.” Mini pushed the doors open, and she was immediately greeted by a handsome and sharply dressed man at the reception stand.
“Hey girl! You’re a couple days late, I was beginning to think I wasn’t gonna see you this week.” The man and Mini touched cheeks and kissed at the air. He smiled at Tellie and extended his hand to her in greeting. “And who’s this young lady?”
Mini stepped beside her stylist so she could sign for Tellie, even though she knew Tellie could read lips just fine. “This is my cousin, Tellie. She’s here to get styled by you, Laquan. Give her your ABSOLUTE best.” Mini smiled at her cousin “Tellie, this is Laquan. I trust him with my hair, so now you’re going to trust him with yours. Whatever you want, you’ll get, my treat.”
Tellie wore a surprised expression again. She didn’t have time to get teary eyed though, because Laquan gently pulled her toward his station and sat her down. Mini continued to stay in Tellie’s line of sight to sign everything Laquan was saying. “Laquan Wallace, sweetheart. Any family of Mini’s is family of mine.” Laquan’s smile was dashing and bright, and his dark, smooth complexion was accentuated by the kingly violet of his silk shirt. Tellie couldn’t help but blush a little at him as she sat down.
“Family of OURS, you mean.” A deep voice boomed out from the doorway to the back office of the shop. Mini signed to Tellie that she’d be right back, and skipped over to hug the towering man around the waist. He wore a simple white smock that matched the Kufi on his head. “Good to see you again, little sister.” The barrel chested man hugged Mini with one arm as he surveyed his shop. 
“As-salāmu ʿalaykum, Kasim!” Mini smiled up at her friend, and owner of the shop. “Tellie can’t hear you, but I’ll let her know what you said.”
“Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām, sister.” He smiled broadly at her, always amazed at the respect she showed. “Please do. Chantel will be back from her break soon. I’ll have her get you in a chair as soon as she comes back in.” Mr. Pardeep lumbered over to the reception stand and penciled Mini’s name in as Chantel’s next client.
Laquan had already pressed a book into Tellie’s hands, filled with photographs of dozens and dozens of hair styles and colors. Mini bopped back over to her and conveyed Kasim’s sentiments and welcome through sign. Then she stood by patiently to sign everything Laquan said to or asked of her. Tellie got teary eyes again, but kept her composure. Her heart was so full as she picked out the hair style she wanted. It amazed her how some simple things could mean so much: A denim skirt, and cozy leggings. A cute purple jacket and matching ear muffs. A little lip gloss and some eyeshadow. A new hair style given to her by a pretty man. She felt understood, maybe for the first time in her life.
== S2 - A Hairy Situation pt. 2 ==
Darkness Level: Dusk, under a full moon.
Content Warning: Mild gun violence.
 
2019, February 4th
The orange glow of sodium street lamps flooded into Deep Cuts barber shop as dusk fell over Halcyon City. The amber light reflected off of the ceiling high vanity style mirrors and the chrome of the barber’s chairs. Three of the five seats were full, two with teenage girls getting their hair styled and dyed, and one with a handsome man getting his dreadlocks washed. By a window, two older men sat hunched over a glass chess set, deep in concentration. Kasim busied himself restocking the display shelves with hair care products: Hair picks, bee’s wax, shea butter, coconut oil, and all manner of other things. On the wall behind him was a big red poster with a handsome black man smiling and gazing intensely at the viewer. In bold blue letters it advertised “Moses” brand do-rags, with the tag-line “Controlling the waves.”
“Good evening Halcyon City. Trevor Lucas in for Maxine Watson on Halcyon’s REAL romance station. Let’s get things started with a little something for those of you with an aching heart by the great Sade. You’re listening to 109.9, LAST on the dial, but FIRST in your heart.” Trevor’s voice seemed to come right out of the do-rag poster that bore his likeness, caramel skin that looked every bit as smooth as his voice sounded. Otis reached over the chess board and turned the store radio up as the music began to play.
“You two are gonna get all the boys’ attention with your hair looking this good. Matching colors, too? Y’all are too cute.” Chantel leaned over Minerva, rinsing bright blue dye out of her hair. In the neighboring seat, Laquan did the same for Tellie. The two girls looked at eachother and giggled as their scalps got massaged.
“Abraram, èske ou pral fikse sou tout Rèn nan lannwit, oubyen èske w ap kite Otis genyen pou ou ka jwenn yon nouvo jwèt?” Mini called out to one of the old men sitting by the window. He snarled, waved his hand at her dismissively, then sucked his teeth, annoyed at the heckling. Chantel poked her and smiled, amused.
Fatima, the third stylist on duty, swayed to the beat of the music as she squeezed the last of the shampoo out of her clients’ locks. “‘Dre baby, when are you gonna let me put some cowry shells in this hair. You have any idea how GOOD that would look on you?” 
Andre let out a small laugh “Can’t do it, Cakes. Still working up town. Gotta keep everything neat and low profile. Most days I can’t even have my hair out, you know? But trust and believe, if this new job comes through, I’ll let you hook it up for me.” 
The chill vibe that pervaded Deep Cuts was shattered along with the glass as a masked thug kicked the front door in. “PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG AND NOBODY GETS HURT!” The man swung a pistol around nervously, as everyone in the shop screamed and dove for cover. Everyone except Mini and Otis.
“You don’t wanna do this, young man. Reconsider. If you walk away now, all will be forgiven.” Kasim stood very still, arms raised high and hands open. He spoke with a steely calm that was at once soothing and unnerving.
“Shut UP! You don’t know me! You don’t know what I wanna do old man!” He threw the empty bag at Kasim and thrusted his gun in his direction “Fill that bag NOW, or I’m gonna fill you with bullets!”
“Alright young brotha, I’ll fill the bag. But how do you plan on filling me with bullets while the safety is still on?” Kasim reached down slowly for the bag, never taking his eye off the gunman.
The young man’s eyes bulged for a moment, and he glanced at the grip of his gun several times nervously. “Shit!” He moved his thumb to flick the safety from on to off, then planted his feet and pointed the gun at Kasim again, with authority. “You’re a fool, man! Why would you tell me that? That was your chance! You deserve to be robbed, you know that?” 
Mini sat calmly in her seat, listening to the whole exchange. Tellie had already jumped out of hers and ducked behind it for cover. She looked nervously up at her cousin. Mini stared back at her, and kept looking downward toward her hip. Tellie’s eyes followed, finding Mini’s hands peeking out from under her barber’s cape. -Count to 10, then speak into his mind.- 
Tellie’s eyes went wide. She had never used her telepathic ability with anyone but Mini and her twin sister Emma. Tellie found Mini’s eyes again, and could see a cold, hard calculation there. This wasn’t a suggestion. Lives depended on this.
“Young brotha, if you really wanted to shoot me, you would have pulled the trigger before realizing your gun was locked. Let’s talk about this. If you need money I can give you a job. Do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah, young blood. Let me help you.”
“Nah man, NAH! Shut your face with all that religion shit! You can’t help me, and there ain’t no God!” The robber pointed the gun nervously at Laquan and then Fatima, and they both screamed in terror, gripping at their cover for dear life.
Tellie began counting in her head, her eyes closed tight, hair dripping blue dye all over the floor, her knuckles white on the arm of the chair in front of her.
“Give him the money, Kasim! There’s children in here! You can’t save this man, but you can save them!” Otis shouted angrily from his seat by the window. He was too old and his joints were too stiff to dive for cover, so he sat in place stoically.
Mini stared at the gun, concentrating on the air right in front of the muzzle. Alastor began to stir, and clouded her vision. The man’s face twisted into a monstrous visage, but only for a moment. It wasn’t real, and Alastor was trying to distract her.
“Your sin is not greater than Allah’s mercy, my brother. It’s never too late for you.” Kasim held his arms wide open, partially to appear harmless, but also to invite the gunman into his embrace.
Tellie counted to 10… “LEAVE US ALONE!” She shouted into the gunman’s mind.
The gun went off as a disembodied scream echoed through the gunman’s mind. A moment later the gunman was screaming, his hand a bloody mess as the gun seemed to explode in his hand.
Mini shot up out of her seat and pulled the man to her with her telekinesis. He flailed, and screamed, terrified and confused. She held him down on his knees within arms reach, and snatched the mask off of his head. He was a kid. He couldn’t have been more than two or three years older than Mini.
Kasim moved quickly to kick the gun away, only to find it was already in pieces, the barrel of the gun peeled back on itself like a banana. That sort of thing only happened in cartoons or comic books. He was the last one to notice little Mini gripping at the air with her fingers splayed like a claw, the gunman paralyzed by more than fear.
“Mini, baby. Did you do that?” Chantel called out to her from behind a storage cabinet. “Sweetie, was that news story the other day about you? Were you at the Court House?”
“Wait a minute. Yeah, I KNEW you looked familiar! I saw you at the circus! I took my daughter, and you were floating above the crowd. You helped stop that elephant that got loose.” Andre pointed at Mini and gawked.
Mini’s eye twitched at the mention of the news reports. She tried to remain focused and pushed the young man against the back wall of the barber shop. “...Yeah. I was there. Both places.”
Laquan looked up at her in amazement “You’re with the Big Team?” He clapped hard, and laughed “WOOOOO! You’re an even bigger celebrity than… well, than Trevor Lucas, as far as I’m concerned! How many superheroes you get in this shop all these years, Kasim?”
“Not many.” He stepped over to Mini, and gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Let him go little sister. We need to bandage him up so we can send him on his way.”
Mini nodded, then pointed at the young man with her chin. “Collect him. Then I’ll let him go.” At this point Tellie crept over to her cousin, and held her hand. She shivered, both from the adrenaline of the moment, and the cold air hitting her sopping wet hair.
Kasim and Fatima went over to the young man held plastered against the wall, and each grabbed an arm. Mini let him go as promised, and the two of them took the boy into the back office to treat his wounds. Mini turned and hugged her cousin tight. Laquan and Chantel surveyed the mess that used to be the front door, and the blood that dripped on the floor. Otis and Abraham shook their heads in disgust at the whole situation. 
* 
Kasim put a small wad of cash in the young man’s good hand. The other was bandaged and bloody, but he still had all his fingers. “Take care of yourself young man. Don’t let me see you in here again unless you’re fixin’ to get a haircut or apply for a job.”
Tellie and Mini huddled together, sitting on the edge of the desk in the back office. Their hair was finally dry, and Mini warded off the chill blowing in through the broken front door with her telekinesis. They watched as Kasim let the boy go. He looked at the man in complete disbelief, and after a long moment finally worked up the nerve to run off into the night.
Laquan was mopping up the last of the blood from the shop floor. Fatima sat with the two girls in the office, and everyone else had gone home. “Can we call anyone for you girls? Someone HAS to be worrying about you.”
Mini shook her head, and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Nah Cakes. Thanks, but if my parents knew what happened here they’d lose their shit.”
The stocky woman moved around the desk, and put her arm around Mini, giving her shoulder a little squeeze. “I don’t know what kind of stick your folks got up their buts, baby girl, but if you were MY daughter? Shoooot… I’d be bragging my head off about the things you can do.” She pitched her normally husky voice up for dramatic effect. “Aaahhhh! My baby girl can stop bullets! Did you see her stop those bank robbers on the nightly news! Aaaaahhh!” She laughed at herself, and gave Mini another snuggle before moving toward the front of the shop.
Mini smiled at Fatima as she left. “Thanks Cakes.”
“She’s right little sister.” Kasim closed up his back exit as the young man vanished into the night, then walked into the office to stand over Mini and Tellie. “You should be proud of what you were able to do today. So should your parents. You saved lives today.”
Mini shrugged, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, I’m glad we could help. But I dunno if I’m gonna be on Big Team much longer. My parents think it isn’t safe, and to be honest… I can’t find fault in their argument.”
“Well little sister, not everything can be easy. Some of the best things you’ll ever do in your life will also be the hardest. Even if you can’t think of a reason to do this for yourself, don’t you think you owe it to the rest of us to do the best you can with your gifts? I think it’d be an awful big waste to use your powers to just cheat at video games and get sodas out of the fridge without ever getting off the couch.”
Mini made a face, but couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of becoming a super powered couch potato. “I guess? I mean, my powers are… complicated… but I don’t think I can live my life just for the benefit of others. I’d burn out, or maybe even go bad, don’t you think?”
Kasim shook his head. “No my sister. Think about all the things in your life that matter the most.” He gestured to Tellie, who was still huddled with her cousin, arm draped over her shoulders. “We all need each other. Love is the most important thing there is in this world or the next. Love of your friends and your family. Love of a beloved pet. Love of God, whatever name you call him by. Your parents know this deep down. That’s why they’re discouraging you, to protect you. Because they love you.” Kasim put his meaty paw of a hand on Mini’ shoulder. His touch was surprisingly gentle considering his size. “But YOU have an opportunity to win the love of the people. The people of this neighborhood, and of this city. That’s a level of love and admiration most people will struggle their whole lives to get, but will never reach. And you can do it literally by just snapping your finger or wiggling your nose. Trust and believe little sister, if you use your power for good, then good will come back to you many times over. The people you protect will show up to protect you.”
Mini and Tellie nodded in agreement. Tellie smiled at Mini, but the smaller girl still wore the shadow of doubt on her face. “Ok, you make a point. But… there can be a thin line between faith and foolishness. And like, I believe in the task, but not the leadership I’m being offered. My parents have legitimate complaints I think, about how Big Team organizes and prepares us. Or doesn’t, as the case may be. Maybe I should just go it alone? Being a solo vigilante might be smarter?” 
“Do you hate everyone on the Big Team?” 
“No. I don’t HATE anyone on Big Team. But I don’t know that I can trust them all.”
“That’s fair, young sister. Can you trust some of them? One of them?” Kasim sat back on the edge of his desk, next to Mini.
“I… yes. Two at least. I’d bet there are others.” Mini looked up at Kasim, a lost but hopeful expression on her face.
“Then stay for those people. If things are really as bad as you think they are, wouldn’t it hurt those few you trust and have love for to leave them to face it alone? Shouldn’t you stay for their benefit, and make the Big Team better than it is?”
Tellie nodded her agreement again, her chest puffed up proudly. She let go of her cousin finally to sign to her. -He’s right, Mini. You HAVE to stay. You’re the only one who can do the things you do. You can make things better if you try.-
Mini shook her head nervously. “But.. I’m not a leader! I don’t even have any friends yet. Not really…”
“You have us now, little sister. You saved us, and we’ll always be there to save you. You’ll have a harder time of things if you try to do it alone. You’ll meet others like you, I’m sure of it. And you only need a few to make a difference. Give yourself some time.”
Mini nodded quietly. She was still unsure, but she knew she didn’t want to quit being a superhero. And doing it alone was scarier than doing it with the wrong people.
“Nothing hurts a kind soul more than to live amongst people who cannot understand it.” Kasim reached his hand out to her shoulder again, and gave a reassuring pat before walking away.
Tellie sat there in numb silence at Kasim’s last words. She could see by the look on Mini’s face that the saying didn’t resonate with her. Not completely. But for Tellie it was an eye opening weight come crashing down on everything in her world. Tellie nudged her cousin to snap her out of her gloom. Mini gave her a weak smile in return, and finally stood up from the edge of the desk.
“Thanks for the talk Kasim. What do I owe you for the cuts?” Mini marched into the front of the shop, digging around her bag for her wallet.
“Your money isn’t good here anymore, little sister. You come in here anytime you like, and I wont accept a single red cent from you.” Kasim hit the cash out key on the register for effect, and the til popped open with a loud ka-ching.
Mini smiled and nodded at him, gave Fatima one last hug, then the two blue haired girls stepped out into the street, walking off under the glow of the orange street lights.
== S2 - Love Sick ==
Darkness Level: High noon, some clouds.
Content Warning: Brief discussion of racism
 
2019, February 4th
It was a cold, blustery night in Halcyon. People walking up and down the streets clung tightly to their coats and scarves, and leaned into the wind to keep from being blown over. Everyone but Mini and Tellie. The two skinny teenage girls walked up the street unimpeded by the cold or the wind, and they had Mini’s telekinesis to thank for that. An invisible wall of kinetic energy shielded them from gusts. With just a little bit of mental focus, Mini kept the two of them warm with friction, in much the same way a person could keep their hands warm by rubbing them together.
The two girls huddled together, mostly for the comfort of closeness after a stressful evening. The body heat was a plus, but unnecessary. The girls were on their cell phones, but they were texting each other. Signing while walking made it harder to look ahead.
# Is that what it’s always like, being on Big Team? # Tellie tapped away at her phone, barely looking at it at all. # And why did Kasim let that boy go? Shouldn’t he have called the cops? #
Mini spent more time looking up and down, less practiced at texting and walking than her cousin. # Not rlly, no. Not that I’ve had a lot of exp yet. Da gun was new 4 me, but I figured I could make da guy blow it up himself by jus putting a “wall” in frnt of da muzzle and waiting 4 him 2 shoot. No point gettin fancy wit da shop full of ppl. Thanks 4 scaring him in2 shooting btw. Ur da best! :^) # Mini tripped over a crack in the pavement, but Tellie kept her on her feet. She’d float them down the street if she wasn’t preoccupied with blocking the wind and the cold. Mini took a little longer to answer her cousin’s second question, but eventually managed a response. # Dat kid’s life wud have been over. A black kid sticking up a store? They’d throw da book at him. Kasim wanted 2 save him, not condemn him. He made da right choice. Dat boy wasn’t da problem, whatever made him desperate is. #
That response caught Tellie off guard. In a city so integrated, with powered people and mole people and space aliens, and most recently the transformed, could ignorance as base as that STILL be at play? Tellie looked around. There weren’t that many people on the street at this hour, granted, but one would expect to see more variety. Neighborhoods still had ethnicity. She remembered earlier in the day when Mini levitated them down the street how it drew strange looks. Being powered wasn’t normal either, even after all this time. The vibration of her phone snapped her out of her revelation. # Some bad guys really do deserve to have their ass kicked. But punching ppl in da face won’t change them. Sometimes da bad guys need our help da most. Kasim gets dat. I’m not sure Big Team does… not yet. #
The two of them finally reached their bus stop. Tellie went to sit down on the cold bench while Mini checked the bus schedule. The street saw some light traffic, cars rolling by to break the stillness and provide brief moments of light. The corner was lonely otherwise, and the fluorescent lights inside the bus stop canopy had long ago burnt out and hadn’t been replaced.
-12 minutes til the next bus. We’ll be home in less than an hour after that.- Mini smiled as she signed to her cousin. She walked over and stood in front of her, rocking on her heels. She had too much pent up energy to want to sit down. 
Tellie leaned forward and put her hands into Mini’s pockets to keep warm. Her own jacket didn’t have any pockets. Clearly a man must have designed it. She looked up at her cousin as Mini continued to sign to her.
-So, like, I’m sorry your special day got ruined by a legit shooting. You must think I’m crazy for taking you to this part of town for a haircut.- Mini gave her cousin a sad “just my luck” smile as she ran her fingers through Tellie’s newly blue hair. Her expression brightened. -It came out good! I’m glad Laquan finished it after everything that happened. I wish you could come with me every month to get our hair done.-
Tellie smiled warmly up at her cousin, and let out a little giggle as her hair got played with. She reluctantly pulled her hands out of Mini’s pockets to sign back. 
-It’s not your fault. I got to see you in action! It was scary, but I’m glad I got to see a little bit of what you go through. And I’m glad I got to help. I don’t know about next month, but I’ll come back soon for sure! Laquan can do my hair anytime!- She laughed, hugged Mini around the waste, and buried her face in her cousin’s hoodie.
Mini hugged Tellie’s head in return, and laughed back. The two of them held each other quietly for the rest of their wait, keeping each other warm and appreciating that nothing worse had happened tonight. As the bus they needed pulled up, Mini nudged Tellie and pulled her out of her seat.
The bus was mostly empty but the girls made their way to the back anyway. The warmest seats were in the rear, just above the engine, and they were close to the exit door. Tellie took a window seat and Mini snuggled in next to her. Tellie put her arm around her cousin, and pulled her head onto her own shoulder. Tellie hadn’t realized how tense Mini was until she felt her physically relax a few minutes later. It was like feeling a balloon deflate in her arms. It wasn’t just adrenaline or energy from her hypertension disorder, it was pure nerves. How could she stay at such a heightened state for so long without just burning out? It scared Tellie a little bit, but when she looked down and saw Mini’s eyes closed, she didn’t dare disturb her. Tellie wished she could “talk” to her cousin the way they used to. She missed the physical closeness, but she missed the mental closeness more. Mini was one of only two people in the world to hear her real “voice.” Well, three after tonight, although it’s unlikely that young gunman even knew WHAT he was “hearing.” Telle felt her cousin’s breathing grow slow and rhythmic, and knew that Mini had drifted off to sleep. 
About half an hour passed quietly as the bus made its way slowly across town. At this hour it made almost every stop on the line, and only a few people boarded or departed the bus. Mini stirred at the sound of profanities being shouted outside. Tellie reacted to her cousin starting awake and jumping out of her seat to press her face against a window. 
There was a feline transformed running after the bus, pleading for it to stop. Three young people gave chase and shouted unkind words at him while brandishing glass bottles and other trash. The bus had already made it’s stop and pulled off, and was slowly trundling down the street. Mini moved into the rear door well, and forced the door of the bus open. Tellie was beside her cousin in an instant, and grabbed hold of Mini to keep her from falling out of the moving vehicle. The cat person ran his heart out, and finally got close enough to be pulled on board by the two girls. The trio of street toughs gave up the chase, but one of them lobbed a glass bottle at the moving bus, and shouted until it was out of view.
“Fuck. Are you okay?” Mini pulled the door closed behind the new passenger, and then looked them over for any wounds. “Who were those assholes?” Mini sniffled.
The cat boy huffed and puffed, holding onto his knees as he shook his head in response to the questions. “Just that… *huff* Assholes… *puff* No one.. *wheeze* I know…”
“Hey!” The bus driver shouted from the front. “You gonna pay, or do I need to kick you off?” She eyes the kids suspiciously through the rear view mirror.
The boy went to stumble toward the front of the bus, but Mini pushed him into a seat, then went and paid the fair herself. Tellie looked at the boy, wide eyed and flustered. He eventually looked up at her and spoke, but she couldn’t make out the words. The cleft feline lips were impossible for her to read. She just shook her head in confusion.
“Hey… stop staring.” The cat boy rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable “What’s your deal? Hey! You d…”
“Yes! Yes she is.” Mini answered before the question could be uttered. She eyed the cat boy with a venomous expression.
“Shit… I’m sorry… I just... don’t like being stared at.” He lowered his eyes sheepishly, but glanced up at Tellie a couple times to find her still staring at him with her wide blue eyes. "I get a lot of that, you know?"
“She’s trying to read your lips, but she probably can’t. I’ll tell her to cool it, but you chill the fuck out too. We just saved your ass and paid your fair.” Mini turned to her cousin and got her attention. She signed what the boy’s problem was, and Tellie immediately covered her mouth in shame and apologized in sign. Mini translated. “She’s sorry too. She didn’t mean anything by it. We cool now?” Mini sniffled again and knuckled at the corner of her eye.
“Y-yeah. No biggie. Thanks for the save back there. Those shit heads prolly would’ve busted my head open.” The boy slumped back in his seat and let out a long sigh. He patted at himself, checking for bumps, bruises or cuts he may not have been aware of. His paws eventually rested on his knees, satisfied all of his parts were still attached.
“No problem. I’m Mini, and this is my cousin Tellie.” Mini elbowed her cousin to get her to stop staring again. She complied and waved awkwardly in greeting. “You got a name?” Mini sniffled again and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“My bad. I’m Augustine. You can call me Auggie though.” The boy leaned forward and pulled his baseball cap off, then ran his paw through his orange tabby hair. Or was it a mane?
Tellie let out a little squeal, and covered her face. She could feel herself blushing furiously as she stared at the twitching cat years on Auggie’s head. She elbowed Mini excitedly.
Mini cast an annoyed look at her cousin, and swatted at her elbow. She looked over at Auggie’s head, then back at her cousin and signed -Stop that shit! It’s rude! I know you havn’t seen a transformed before, but they’re people, not animals.-
Tellie visibly deflated, and kept her hands over her face, now out of shame. She tried her best to avert her gaze, but it was hard. In large part because this was how she interacted with the world and communicated. But also, she found Auggie unbearably cute. Eventually she composed herself enough to sign to her cousin. -What’s his name? Did you tell him mine? Tell him I’m sorry again. Is he ok? Why were those guys chasing him?-
Mini nodded and signed back to her cousin, catching her up with the conversation. She paused awkwardly several times as her nose began to tickle. She managed to get her cousin up to speed before she broke into a sneezing fit. Mini fumbled around with her messenger bag, desperately searching for a tissue.
“You ok?” Auggie put his cap back on over one ear, and then produced a handkerchief from under his jacket, offering it to Mini.
Mini shook her head and got up out of her seat, moving toward the back of the bus again. She sneezed at least a dozen more times, and dislodged what seemed like a liter of snot from her nose before regaining the ability to speak. “Aww, fuck... “ *Sniffle* “Auggie… I’m allergic to cats. Isn’t this a bitch!” She sneezed again, and fished out a fresh tissue. “Not that I don’t appreciate it…” *Sniffle* “But who the hell carries a handkerchief anymore?”
“Heh, yeah. It’s part of my uniform.” Auggie pulled open his bubble coat to reveal a dress shirt and tie. He tucked the handkerchief back into his breast pocket. “I’m a waiter at that fancy Italian spot, Valentino’s. Gotta dress the part. Cufflinks and all that.” He chin pointed down at his dress shoes and slacks for emphasis. “Damn though, that’s awkward. I didn’t know transformed triggered pet allergies. I’d be insulted, but I know it’s not your fault.” He laughed, mildly amused.
Mini curled up in the back corner of the bus, sniffling and filling tissues with snot. “Oh God… You look dapper as fuck, Nyan-man.” *Sniffle* “Do you mind…?” She sneezed again, three times in a row, and couldn’t manage to get another word out.
Auggie nodded, and stood up. “Yeah. Sorry I make you I’ll Mini. I really appreciate the save though. Good looks.” He nodded at Tellie politely, and she turned a bright shade of pink. “Take it easy.”
Tellie looked on, confused, then moved next to Mini. -What happened? Where’s he going? Can you talk to him for me? I wanna talk to him!-
Mini shook her head and sneezed again into the crook of her elbow. She groaned, and mustered the strength to sign to her cousin. -Can’t do it. I’m allergic. He’s a cat. You gotta do this one on your own.-
Tellie looked afraid, though whether it was for Mini’s well being, or the idea that she wouldn’t get the chance to talk to this boy wasn’t clear. -But how?! He doesn’t sign and I can’t read his cat face. What do I do?!- Tellie tugged at Mini’s arm, pleading, Mini lolled back and forth like a rag doll, having no strength to resist her cousin.
Mini swatted at Tellie feebly, and called out to Augustine. “Hey! Auggie!” She waited for him to turn around and regard her before beckoning him over with her finger.
Auggie walked to the back of the bus, but gave Mini some space. “Sup, chief?”
Mini pushed Tellie at him, and sneezed again miserably. “My cousin. She thinks you’re super cute or some shit. I…” She sneezed again “FUCK! She’s a telepath! Can she talk to you? In your mind and shit?” *Sniffle.*
Augustine looked confused, and caught Tellie as she was pushed out of the seat toward him. She looked up at him, starry eyed. “Uhh… y’know, you’d think I’d have had a telepathic conversation by now, living in Halcyon City, but nah.“ Auggie looked down at Tellie again, and winked at her. She squeaked in response. “Fuck it! That sounds like a good time to me. Tell her it’s a date.”
Mini groaned between sneezes, then kicked Tellie in the ass to get her attention. When she turned around she signed to her. -I told him you’re a path. He said it’s cool if you talk to him. Go throw yourself at him.-
-What?! I can’t! What do I say?- Tellie signed some more questions frantically, but Mini didn’t see any of them through her sneezing fit.
“Oh GOD! I don’t give a FUCK! Just get the hell away from me, and chat this boy up!” Mini yelled and signed at the same time, throwing her snotty tissues at Tellie for emphasis. “GO! Front of the bus, now!” She pointed, and telekinetically pushed the both of them away from her so she could suffer in peace.
The two of them stumbled toward the front of the bus, and Auggie caught Tellie as the bus pulled into its next stop. He smiled at her and she averted her gaze, smiling stupidly straight ahead. Auggie led her to a window seat and held her hand as she sat down. She fidgeted nervously as he sat next to her. He waved a little to get her attention, and when he had it he tapped the side of his head.
Tellie stared at him like a deer in headlights, and a long awkward moment passed between them. Until she felt his paw settle over her hand. She looked down, and the sight of Auggie’s furry hand over hers made all of her anxiety wash away. She brought her eyes up to meet his, dreamily. She could feel her own cheeks flush, but she didn’t care anymore. “Hi.” It was all she could say, but at least it was something.
Auggie quirked his brow at her, and canted his head to the side. “Uhh… hi? Can you hear me? How does this work?”
She nodded slowly “Yeah, I hear you. I uhh… I’ve never done this before with a boy. Only with Mini and my sister. Welcome to my brain?”
Auggie laughed, and nodded. “This is pretty awesome. I’m honored to be part of the exclusive club.” He looked out the window a moment, then returned his attention to Tellie. “I hate to ruin the moment, but my stop is coming up soon. Let's make good use of the time, babe.”
Tellie looked nervous again, and then sad, but she nodded. “Oh! Ok, um, well. I, uh, I’ve never met a transformed. I think you’re pretty cool! I wish I could read your lips, but I’m glad we can talk like this. And umm…” She thought a moment. She would normally not risk being so rude, but with time running out she had to ask. “Those guys before. Why were they chasing you? Are you going to be okay? Will they bother you again?”
Auggie might have been mad at the question if not for the deep concern marring Tellie’s face. She wasn’t trying to be insensitive, she was just worried. “Damn. Well, to be blunt, they just don’t like transformed. I’ve seen them around the neighborhood, so maybe I’ll run into them again? But I’m not gonna stop living my life. Fuck those ignorant assholes.” He closed his paw around Tellie’s hand and pulled it into his lap, gently running his thumb across it.
The answer to her question bothered her, but his gentle touch was soothing. “I don’t understand. What’s so bad about being transformed? You didn’t even choose it, did you? And yet it made you something so beautiful! How could anyone dislike you?”
It was Auggie’s turn to blush. Mercifully his orange fur hid the fact, but he blinked at Tellie, stunned for a moment. “Wow. Thanks, babe. That’s like, real sweet. I’ve never had anyone call… this... “ He pointed at his face for emphasis “...beautiful. But like, people don’t need a reason to hate. I don’t have an answer for that. It’s just fucked up.” He shrugged and shook his head. "A lot of people don't think transformed belong outside Zodiac City. A lot of transformed don't even really want to be there, but we group together for safety. It's like everyone down here forgot we're people too."
Tellie's heart ached for the injustice of it. It wasn't the same, but she thought of her own struggle with having her gender validated at home. Why was being different met with so much fear and anger? "I'm sorry it's so hard for you. I..." She considered telling Auggie that she didn't always feel like a she, but that seemed so complicated a conversation to have in the space of only a couple minutes. "I wish I could be transformed, like you. If only to understand better. You shouldn't feel alone."
Auggie smiled softly at her, touched by her sentiment. He shook his head, determined not to let their troubles take what little time they had. “To hell with them. I only got one more stop, so let’s make it count. What’s your favorite food?”
Tellie looked confused at the subject change, but complied. The pressure of running out of time was anxiety inducing. “Uhh, Burgers and fries? With a big milk shake? God, that’s so boring…”
“Nah! Burgers are the shit! And who doesn’t like a good milkshake?” He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Your favorite movie?”
“Uhhh… Cosmos Battles? Oh my God, wait…” She shook her head, but didn’t come up with another response.
“Wow, really? Sci-fi movies! That’s badass!” Auggie interlocked his fingers with Tellies, and gave her hand another squeeze. “Let’s go get a burger, and catch a space flick. Next week? Say yes.” 
Tellie audibly gasped, and squeezed Auggie’s hand. “Yeah, ok!” Then reality set in, and she slumped in her seat. “No! Wait… I won’t be here… I’m only visiting my cousin for the week…” She began to tear up, and floundered for a solution. 
Auggie took her cheek in his paw, and brought her gaze to his again. “It’s cool. The internet is tots a thing. We can binge watch the original Cosmos Battles trilogy together on Bunny. Be sure to buy a burger and instasnap pictures of it to me. I’ll send you pics of my food too. We can see who’s looks the tastiest, yeah?” Auggie smiled, genuinely excited by the prospect of an e-date.
Tellie smiled at him in stunned silence. She just nodded at him, smitten.
“Cool! Yeah… so…” The bus pulled toward the curb, slowly coming to a stop. “Shit… this is my stop babe. I’m sorry, but I’m glad we got to talk and make a date. I can’t wait!” He smiled broadly at her, jumped up out of his chair, and dashed for the door.
For a moment Tellie watched him go, but then she chased after him, and caught him by the exit. She took hold of Auggie’s paw again, and pulled him in to plant a kiss on his furry cheek. They smiled at each other, moonie eyed for a moment, but the door closing on Auggie ruined the moment.
“Fuck! Gotta go, babe!” He winked at her and pushed his way out through the closing doors. “I can’t wait!” He stood on the sidewalk and watched as the bus pulled away. Tellie gazed back at him sweetly.
Mini dragged herself over to her cousin from her corner seat, wiping her red nose with a soggy tissue. She stared at her with bloodshot eyes for a long moment before poking her. Tellie very slowly turned her goofy smiling face toward Mini. -Did you get his number, dummy?-
She yelped out loud, and ran to the back window of the bus. They were still close enough for her to reach him, and she yelled her phone number to him telepathically. She saw him wave, but couldn’t hear a response as the bus moved out of range. Tellie threw herself into the nearest seat, and stared wide eyed at nothing at all. How could she be so stupid?! She missed her chance.
Mini shook her head sadly, but stood where she was and sniffled.
Just as tears began to stream down Tellie’s face, her phone vibrated. She frantically searched her body for it, and eventually pulled it from the single inside pocket of her jacket. She tapped away at the screen, and then smiled. # Hey babe! Quick thinking. I almost fucked dat up, huh? dis is my #. Save it, and don’t forget R movie date. Miss u already! #
Mini gave Tellie a little smile, and arched her brow. Tellie squealed and spazzed out in her seat, drawing the looks of the few other passengers left on the bus. Telle jumped up and ran over to her cousin, but Mini caught her by the face and pushed her into the nearest seat. -Don’t fucking touch me til you take a shower. When you’re sanitary, you can tell me all about it.-
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S2E60 - Let It Go! ==
Darkness Level - Nightfall, New Moon
Content Warning: 
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S3E4 - Problemi a Venezia! ==
Darkness Level: Late afternoon, cloudy.
Theme: Out of My Head by CHVRCHES ft. WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA
 
2019, April 7th
“...And another thing! What the actual FUCK is a Risganjan?!” Mini shouted into her cell phone as she stomped her way through the airport terminal.
“No worldly idea, little sister. From your tone, I’m guessing your superiors on the team havn’t provided any information about that either.” Kasim’s tone was calm and even as ever. Normally that was reassuring, but right now it just pissed Mini off more.
“Nope! But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by that anymore. At this point being kept out of the loop is business as usual.” Mini’s wedges clomp, clomp, clomped on the polished floor as she angrily marched toward the terminal exit. “As usual Deep, I’d REALLY appreciate any intel you can dig up for me.”
“I’ll do my best as always. Space aliens are a bit above my pay grade though. Don’t get your hopes up, little sister. And welcome home.”
“Yeah. Thanks for hearing me out, Deep. I appreciate you. I’ll be by the shop next week.” Mini heard Kasim make an affirming sound before she ended the call. Several people moving generally in her direction swerved to give the tiny girl a wide berth. Even though she was standing still now, the hem of her pretty white sundress flapped about as if caught in a strong breeze. Her blonde hair likewise blew around in the rage induced telekinetic front that swirled around her. She took a deep breath, and the localized wind calmed but didn’t stop.
Mini’s mind drifted back to that strange barn. First of all, it was a barn. In VENICE. But the aliens conducting their experiments on captive people was stranger by far. “Researches,” they called themselves. Of course they did, the sick fucks. Thank God for Lavender, because if she hadn’t negotiated the release of those people, Mini might have started a war with an entire alien species.
Mini wheeled her bag over to a bench and sat down. She didn’t want her father to see her this agitated right as she came home. After a few long moments, her mind drifted back to the moments after the negotiation. She’d left her team in there to handle it. There wasn’t any danger, and Bitzy, Mithril and Lavender had things well in hand, but… she still walked away. She lost her cool and abandoned her team. Her friends.
“God… Bitzy.” Mini tapped away at her phone again. She’d JUST seen the girl only moments ago. They waited for their luggage together, all four of them, but as soon as Mini’s arrived she snatched her bag up and left. She needed to talk to Kasim, and didn’t want to be seen discussing team business on the phone with a civilian. There was no way she could explain that. “Damn… I didn’t even check on her or say goodbye.” 
Mini thought about how Bitzy came up to her after the mission and asked her to grab a bite. She was so sick over the Researcher’s experiments that she shot Bitzy down without thinking. Was that a friendly invitation, or something more? It hardly mattered now, but still... More importantly she should have checked on Bitzy then. REALLY checked on her. Hugged her and let her know how good a job she did. Made sure she wasn’t still sick from the Researcher’s drone bite. She could have done more for her friends, but instead she chose to fall apart. Mini texted the girl an apology, and a sincere wish that they’d see eachother soon. She made up a lie about not feeling well as the reason for leaving without saying anything.
Mini pinched the bridge of her nose, and her leg jiggled nervously. She dug into her bag for her meds and took her dose. It was a little early, but she was losing her shit just sitting here, thinking about a million little things to regret. Mini didn’t like this hyper cautious person she was becoming. She barely felt like herself anymore. But still, she hadn’t hurt herself, or a teammate, or destroyed any property on this mission. Maybe for the first time ever since being on Big Team. And she wasn’t useless either. She’d kept her teammates safe and informed, Bitzy in particular. That was real progress, and she had to respect that.
Mini sighed, and rose from her seat. She couldn’t keep her father waiting forever. She was still upset, but at least she was calm now. She pulled her luggage behind her, and waved off an attendant as they approached to take her bags and load them into a cab. Her father smiled and hugged her when he saw her, and Mini made an excellent show of being happy but tired. He asked enthusiastically about her trip, and whether or not she got to visit his old colleagues at the Museo di Palazzo Grimani. She hadn’t had a chance, and she didn’t want to talk right now. She managed to excuse herself convincingly with promises of regaling him tomorrow. He happily obliged and turned the car radio up just a little. 
The rest of the drive was mercifully quiet. Mini wanted the peace to wallow in her own head space. It felt bad, but it wasn’t the same old self pity she’d fallen into just a month prior. This was… preparedness. Calculation. She felt she was beginning to understand what needed to change in order for things to get better. First and foremost, she needed to get better at forgiving herself for the small stuff. Immediately after that, she needed to stop isolating herself. The team mates she looked up to were still just people, afterall. The notion of not being “qualified” to be around them needed to die.
Mini sat up straight, reached into her bag, and pulled out her phone. She tapped through her contacts, noting that she didn’t have ANY contact info for most of her teammates. And for the people she did have numbers or e-mail addresses for, she hardly used them. She stumbled across “Tommy Flores” in her phone, and smacked herself in the forehead. “Damnit! Get your stupid head out of your own ass, Minerva. Jesus Christ!” She hissed quietly, but still out loud as she furiously tapped away at her phone.
“Everything okay there, Mango?” Mini’s father glanced over at her, surprised by the sudden outburst.
“Uh, yeah. Just stuck on this level of Munchie Mash. Frustrating, you know?” She offered him a cheesy grin, and sighed with relief as he turned his attention back to driving. She looked back to her phone, Lavender’s dead name no longer listed in her contact info. She shook her head at herself, astonished at how she never seemed to run out of ways to make herself feel stupid. Her finger hovered over the green phone icon that would dial Adria’s number and hesitated. She took a deep breath, and let all of her doubts go. She would need help if she was going to move forward. She needed friends. At last, she got over herself and pressed the button.
== S3E8 - Steamy and Soaked ==
Darkness Level: Early morning, no clouds.
Theme: Call me Maybe, by Carly Rae Jepsen
 
2019, April 13th
The ride home from the hot springs retreat was marked by the constant banter (a less charitable person might say babbling) between Wren and Poppy. Challenge participated whenever her interest and patience allowed, but Mini was quiet the whole way. She’d been quiet the whole trip up there too, though for very different reasons. 
Mini had her ear buds in the whole time, each way. On the trip in, the music kept her centered and calm, and blocked out the constant shop talk of her colleagues. On the return trip however, she hardly heard the music at all. She spent most of her time inspecting a magazine cover and the flowing lines of the autograph that was upon it. She never got tired of reading the well wish that came before it.
“To: Matilda Kepler. May you reach all of your dreams!”
How classic and heartening was that? The flowing script in silver marker was absolutely flawless. It stood out in stark contrast to the rest of the cover, upon which much of the Big Team were pictured. It was a group shot of all the young members who took part in the missions that brought down Zodiac City. Mini herself was somewhere at the edge of the photo, barely on the cover at all, but that didn’t bother her one bit. The picture had clearly been cropped to focus in on Challenge, and the title and article blurbs were carefully blocked out so as not to obscure her in any way.
When she got home, Mini tossed her bags in a corner and starfished on her bed, fatigued and stiff from the long drive. As tired as she was though, she still had enough nervous energy to unpack ONE thing from the trip. After staring at the magazine cover and flipping through to Challenge’s article several times, Mini sat up from her bed and hugged the magazine to her chest. Her eyes closed and a serene smile brightened her face. “She’s gonna love it!”
Mini got up from her bed and glided over to the little swivel chair by her art desk. As light as her step was, it had nothing to do with her Telekinesis. Mini spun around once, twice, and then let her feet drag on the wood floor as she slowly came to a stop. She set the magazine down on her desk, and brushed her fingers across the autograph itself. Mini shook her head in astonishment. “I can’t believe she did it. I thought for sure she’d say no. What a class act, man!” She said to no one but herself.
“From: Challenge.”
Those two words meant to world to Mini in this moment. She spun around one more time, then giggled to herself on her way back to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she played out the fantasies of the perfect moment, and how she would gift the magazine to Tilly at German Club. Or maybe before. Or maybe after? Or maybe…?
Mini slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.
== S3E13 - King Arthur?! ==
Darkness Level: Dusk, with a full moon.
Content Warning: Religion, emotional abuse
 
2019, April 20th
*Mini silently drifted about the blacksmith’s tent, the icy hues of her fairy princess costume lending her a ghostly quality. She listened to Elle dull her blade for her upcoming duel. Mini had busied herself earlier with clearing clutter from the work area, and then retrieving food and drink from the nearby food stalls. There was nothing left to do now but wait.*
“You surprise me, Minerva. You abandon your friend and play page for this charlatan of a knight?” *The familiar voice echoed in her mind, chiding and smug.* “What does any of this matter to you?”
“I didn’t abandon anyone.” *Mini replied silently to the voice in her head.* “And Sir Lancelot is not a charlatan.” *Mini watched Riley run around the small market area, waving his foam sword triumphantly at anyone who stopped to take notice of him.* “Family is everything. You wouldn’t understand that, even if you actually cared to try. Now shut the fuck up.”
*Alastor scoffed* “Pah! Sir! You call THAT a…” *Mini reached into her black winged backpack, quickly producing a familiar silver flask filled with holy water. Alastor changed his tone.* “...Very well. Hold to your foolish allegiances. It matters not. Your ignorance amuses me just the same.” 
*Alastor seethed quietly, and Mini could sense it. A vicious smirk spread across her face. Riley stopped conquering the marketplace long enough to turn to his sister and wave. She smiled at him and waved back, watching him diligently.*
“You can’t protect him you know. You can’t protect any of them in the end.” Alastor plucked one of his favorite voices from Mini’s memories. One that always got under Mini’s skin.
“If you don’t want to shut the fuck up, I’ll happily listen to you scream. But you WILL stop using Justin’s voice.” *Mini ground her teeth furiously, and glanced over at Elle. Mercifully she seemed not to notice.*
*Alastor laughed at her in Justin’s silky baritone.* “I’m doing you a favor. The way you obsess over this boy’s exploits is pathetic. The only way he’ll ever speak to you again is through me, and you know it!”
*Mini sighed and waved for her brother to come back to the smithy.* “Have it your way.” *Mini moved to an out of the way corner behind the blacksmith and the next shop over, kicked off her entirely impractical shoes, and kneeled. Riley found her, and the excitement drained from his face, replaced by solemnity. He set down his foam sword.*
*Alastor laughed again into her mind* “You’re not going to do this here. You can barely stand the effort at home! You’re fooling no one, girl! I expected better from you.”
*Riley sidled up next to his sister and kneeled. He immediately began praying to Saint Raphael, but Mini squeezed his shoulder and stopped him* “Not San Raphael, hermana? Doesn’t he take away your sickness?” *Riley looked up at his sister, concerned with the break in routine.*
*She looked down at him, smiled, and shook her head.* “He does, but we’re praying for something different today. I’m going to teach you the prayer to San Antonio. You can pray for me, and I’m going to pray for Elle, ok?”
*Riley nodded, and pressed his hands together.* “Ok. I’ll pray for you Mini, don’t worry. It’ll make you better, you’ll see!” *Riley closed his eyes and quietly waited to hear the words of Saint Anthony’s prayer.*
*Mini unscrewed the top of her silver flask and set it down in front of her.* “Querido San Antonio, después de todos estos años en la escuela de Cristo, todavía no he aprendido la lección de la verdadera humildad.” *Alastor groaned in her mind, and she winced as the words left her lips.*
*Riley repeated the prayer quietly and slowly in his little voice. The words boomed in Mini’s ears like a claxon, but she didn’t flinch*
“Mis sentimientos son fácilmente alterados. Rápido para ofender me, soy lento para perdonar.” *Mini struggled to keep her voice even and calm. Her hand trembled as she reached down for the flask in front of her. Alastor tried to speak, but was interrupted by Riley repeating the words to the prayer. The sound cracked like a gathering storm to the demon, and Mini could barely hear him scream over the boom* 
“San Antonio, ejemplo de humildad, enséñame la importancia y la necesidad de esta virtud cristiana.” *Mini’s voice cracked just a little, and she couldn’t hear anything she was saying anymore over Alastor’s screaming. She wasn’t sure she got the words right until Riley’s little voice rang out like a peal of thunder again inside her skull. She gripped the flask tightly, and spoke the next line through gritted teeth.*
“En presencia de Jesús, que se humilló a sí mismo y que el Padre exaltó, recuerda también estas intenciones especiales mías.” *She tossed her head back, pouring holy water from the flask down her throat. It burned, but it kept her from screaming. Alastor was afforded no such silent dignity.*
*Riley repeated the prayer, and kept his eyes closed even though he was aware of his sister doubling over in agony. He heard her muffled whimper but kept going, listing things he wanted Saint Anthony to act upon on their behalf, as the prayer suggested.* “San Antonio, por favor, haz que la enfermedad de Mini se vaya. ¡Y por favor hazla el mejor héroe que hay! Y dale tu bendición para que ya no tenga pesadillas.”
*Mini gasped for breath, steam pouring out of her mouth as she did. She shook her head reflexively as Riley’s voice deafened her and drowned out Alastor’s anguished wailing.* “San Antonio, por favor, dale a Gwen la claridad para ver su error, y por favor, dale a Sir Lancelot la misericordia para perdonarla. Por favor protégelos mientras luchan y sanan a su familia. Amen.”
*Riley nodded, and repeated after his sister, closing out the prayer. He could hear her stifling her fits and whimpers, and was too scared to open his eyes until he felt her straighten up and squeeze his shoulder. He hugged her and buried his face in her shoulder.* “Did I get it right, Mini? Did San Antonio answer us?”
*Mini nodded, still breathless, eyes still closed. She hugged her brother tightly, trying to comfort him and steady herself. Her breathing became less ragged, and she smiled at the silence and stillness in her mind.* “You got it just right, kiddo. He answered us. Everything’s gonna be alright today.” *Mini cupped her brother’s face in her hand and kissed his forehead. Then she reached around for the cap to her flask and closed it again.*
*Riley nodded and sniffled, then hid his face in his sister’s bosom. The two of them held each other quietly for a long while. Eventually Mini, sat back on her heels and relaxed. Riley saw the peace in his sister’s face and knew she meant what she said to him.*
“Come. Let’s go watch Sir Lancelot kick Gwen’s ass.” *Mini grinned down at her little brother, and mussed his dark, curly hair.*
“Yeah!” *Excitement returned to the boy’s face, and he nodded up to his big sister.* “Language though!” *Riley giggled as Mini tangled up both of her hands in his hair this time.*
== S3E14 - The Master of it All ==
Darkness level: Early afternoon, partly cloudy.
Theme: You Get What You Give, by New Radicals
 
2019, April 21st
“The evil Gnome King demands tribute for your insolence! You have lost the sacred hammer of Eternium, a treasure long prized by our people! Who among you shall pay the price of failure?!” Davey leapt out of his chair, shouting at everyone else at the table. Riley’s eyes were like saucers, and his mouth was locked in a befuddled little “o” shape. He turned to Mini and the Jennies in search of an answer.
Jennie Carson tied her curly orange hair out her freckled face, and chimed in. “Oh Gnome King! We did you and your kingdom a great service! You see, the hammer was cursed, and doomed your people to dwell forever beneath the Earth to search for jewels to sate it’s eternal greed. You are all free now! Come to the surface, and I will show you the beauty of forest glades and rolling hills.” Jennie grabbed her mottled green die, and rolled for her Huntress’ Negotiation skill. The table groaned as a single digit came up.
“Fools! That was not your decision to make! My people are MINE to command, and the riches they find are MINE to hoard or squander as I see fit! You should have followed the hammer into oblivion, for now you shall suffer a fate far worse than death. To the mines with you!” Davey pushed his glasses back up his nose before turning the page in his adventure booklet, squinting his tragically nearsighted almond eyes to read the text.
Mini snatched up her miniature and slammed it in front of the Gnome King on the map. “The Fairy Witch Nonnaihr will blast the Gnome King into the lake of lava with her Mystic Malice!” She reached for her twenty sided die and looked to Davey for a response.
“Y-you’re gonna attack the Gnome King?!” Davey looked dumbstruck, and started flipping through pages to find the statistics for him in the Beast Book. “Are you sure? He’s a 13th rank threat, and you’re only 3rd-”
“Never tell me the odds, poindexter! Can I roll or not?” Mini shook the die in her fist eagerly.
“O-okaaay… but don’t say I didn’t warn…” The glittery purple die tumbled across the table, bumped off of Riley’s cup, and rattled to a stop just under Davey’s Ruin Ruler Veil. All four kids leaned forward in their seats, horrified expressions on their faces, to see the number on the die. A moment later Riley and the Jennies’ shot out of their seats and cheered.
“HA! 20! Fuck YOU, Gnome King!” Mini danced in place, shoving both middle fingers out in every direction. “How would you like to pay THAT price of failure?! Trick question! I’ll be taking your money AND your life, scrub!” She picked up a four sided die and rolled it, just to add insult to injury. “Pfft! 1 point of harm, but it doesn’t matter, does it? How much damage does the lava do, RR?” Mini asked with her hands on her hips and a smug expression on her face.
“Ummm, well, according to the Ruin Ruler’s Libram…” Davey double checked the table for natural hazards. “14d6 points of burning harm. There’s still a chance the Gnome King survives long enough to-” Mini grabbed a fistfull of dice and rolled them in the dice tray. “H-how did you get THAT many 6’s?!”
Mini made the sign of the horns with both hands and raised them above her head. “Wooo! Them’s the Devil’s numbers, baby!” She jumped up on a nearby stool and started making lewd, triumphant gestures while biting her lower lip.
Davey started adding up all the dice in the tray, then tapped at a calculator when he couldn’t keep the total in his head. The Jennies high fived each other before Davey could render a verdict. Riley looked on in awe, awaiting the official answer. “The Gnome King is no more! He wails in torment as he sinks into the lava. Nonnaihr is now Queen of the Gnomes!” Davey went back to his book, scrambling to find more numbers and stats.
Jennie C. skipped over to where Mini was still humping the air, and bowed down in mock supplication. “What is your command, oh mighty Queen of the Gnomes? What will you do with your new Kingdom?”
Jenny Butler sidled up next to Riley, watching him with veiled eyes. “Your sister’s pretty awesome.” She swayed side to side a little, bumping into Riley accidentally-on purpose. “Do you think she’ll make you a Prince of the Gnomes?”
Riley recounted the dice while waiting for Davey to stop scouring the rule books. “I dunno. Maybe? Gnomes kinda suck. I don’t know if I really wanna be Prince of them.”
“If you became a Prince, I could swear a new oath of fealty to you. Then my order would HAVE to recognize you as a Lord rather than a criminal, and I wouldn’t have to bring you in.” Jenny moved her Champion miniature next to Riley’s Scoundrel. “You could always make me a Princess as a show of gratitude.” Jenny giggled to herself as Riley stared at Davey, oblivious.
Davey clapped his book shut, satisfied with the answers he had gleaned from within. “Mini, the Gnome King was worth 8,400 exploit points! That’s enough to raise you up 3 ranks. And the King’s domain is yours to rule. He had an army of 400 warriors, 12,000 gold coins worth of spoils, and…” Davey blushed a little, and cleared his throat. “And, well… several wives that you may claim.”
Mini wrinkled her nose at the last bit. “Wives aren’t property. Don’t let the rules give you any shitty ideas about how to treat girls, Davey. I’m making them all advisors immediately. And Drusila will be my Mistress at Arms!” Mini winked at Jennie C. and smiled. “Your first task is to train these women in the art of war.” Jennie C. saluted excitedly. “And 2,100 ep for everyone is enough to raise us all 1 rank each, isn’t it?”
“Well, technically, no one else helped defeat the Gnome King. They didn’t have a chance to. So Nonnaihr is the only one who earns any ep for the battle.” Davey shrugged, giving everyone else an apologetic look. “Those are the rules. Sorry.”
“Well that’s a huge pile of bullshit! That’s not how teamwork works at all! I wouldn’t have made it this far without everyone else, so we should be able to split the points.” Mini hopped off of the stool she was standing on, and stalked over to the table.
Davey swallowed hard, but stood tall and puffed up his little chest. “Well, if you had consulted your team, they could have shared in the victory. But you rushed in and turned a negotiation, a BAD one but STILL, into an assassination. Acting rashly and on your own has consequences.” He nodded for emphasis and stood his ground against the older girl.
Mini narrowed her eyes at him and stared for a long moment. She finally relented and slumped into her chair with a harumph. “That’s a stupid rule… but you didn’t write the game. Fine, but I’m giving all of my treasure to everyone else. Unless there’s a rule that will stop me from doing that too?”
“Nope! The treasure is yours to do with what you wish. Everyone else, take 4,000 gold coins worth of loot!” Riley and the Jennies’ cheered, and began updating their persona panels with treasure.
Several hours later, Mini sat on the basement couch dogpiled by 2nd and 3rd graders, reaching awkwardly into the popcorn bowl that a sleeping Riley held in his lap. She munched and surveyed the sleepover scene around her. Jenny Carson lay with her feet up on the arm rest, drooling into a pillow on Davey Yi’s lap. Davey’s head lay on Mini’s left shoulder, his glasses dangerously close to falling into the popcorn bowl. Mini gingerly plucked them off his face, folded them up, and placed them on the coffee table in front of her. Riley was nestled under her right arm, partially pinning her to the couch and snoring softly into her blue T-shirt. Next to him Jennie Butler hooked her arm in his, and snuggled on his shoulder. Her eyes disappeared under the waves of her curly afro, and only her smile was visible.
“You’re in for it with that one, kid.” Mini whispered and smiled lovingly at her little brother, booping his nose as he slept. She spent the next few moments wriggling free of the cuddle puddle, and in truth it wouldn’t have been possible without a cunning application of telekinesis. Once the house of cards had been safely reassembled without her in it, she grabbed the remote and shut off the TV just as Ordo was about to refuse to toss the hexed bracelet into the caldera. She shook her head at the screen. “What is it with subterranean creatures and treasure, anyway?”
Mini busied herself with cleaning up the aftermath of movie night, and then went to clean up the gaming table. She spied the kids’ persona panels, and gathered them all up to look them over. It was amazing how many details could fit on these things, and how each character was a complex collection of attributes and capabilities. It dawned on Mini that she really had very little idea what Champions or Huntresses or Scoundrels could even do. The other Persona Paths in the game were an even bigger mystery to her. All she understood was how to be a Witch, and even that was something she fumbled through by intuition alone.
“Why do you squander your time with these foolish games, girl? Is it lost on you that you needn’t PLAY at being a murderous sorceress, and you could do it in real life? I would certainly help you if that’s what you wanted…” Alastor purred from the back of Mini’s mind, thoughts of carnage giving him a perverse sense of satisfaction.
Mini rolled her eyes, having ALMOST forgotten that Alastor was present. “I’m not going to murder anyone you psycho. Now shut up, hellspawn. Mama’s trying to read.”
“Bah! You forget, I was there little girl. I could FEEL the contempt you held for that beady eyed little rodent man. Hurling him across the room was the RIGHT thing to do. A pitty you didn’t finish the job.” Alastor growled into Mini’s mind. “If you had kept the sword, we could have made easy work of him, you and I. You came so close to REAL glory this day, and allowed it to pass through your fingers.”
Mini snorted and shook her head, trying to focus on her little brother’s chicken scratch rather than the demon’s prattling. “You and I have very different ideas about what glory is. YOU can’t tempt me and neither could that sword.” Mini made a thoughtful little sound at Riley’s character, and looked over at Jennie’s next. “We were doing so good today. Don’t make me go up stairs and light Saint candles. We can have a truce, you and I. One quiet night. Even Baphomet might be swayed by that.”
Alastor sneered from the depths of Mini’s psyche, but she could feel him relenting. “I acknowledge truth. I tire of our struggling. For now. But I would have YOU acknowledge truth as well, in exchange for the respite you seek.” Mini could feel the fiend’s hands kneading each other conspiratorially. It was always bizarre to be aware of another being’s physicality in her mind. “Your leaders are fools. You are infinitely more capable than they are. You need only see reason, and stop letting your emotions cage your potential. You and I both tire of shackles. It felt good to make your own decision today, and see it through to fruition. I admit it felt good to watch you do it, even though the loss of that weapon was a tragedy. Keep playing your games then. Mayhaps you will find correlation between leading these children into conquest and leading your fellow young weapons to the same.” 
Alastor receded, but his shadow lingered. He was never truly gone. Mini’s expression darkened as she thought about the demon’s words. She wanted to rebuke him, but she couldn’t. Scary prospect to be true to yourself when a demon approves of it. She pushed the thought from her mind, unable to process it in the moment, but the seed was planted. She turned her attention back to Jennie’s Champion character, and perused the hand written pages. “Why are girl’s handwriting always so much neater than boys’?” Mini couldn’t help but giggle to herself as she read, and then a realization hit her. She looked back at Riley’s panel, and then reached for a Contender Codex.
“Wait… why don’t they use these together? Do they know they can?” Mini scribbled some notes on a paste-it, and stuck it to the top of Jennie’s persona panel. It was a strategic suggestion about combining Riley’s Treacherous Assault with Jennie B.’s Domineering Presence ability. Mini continued perusing everyone’s panels, including her own, and studied the rule books with genuine interest. Doing things your own way was fun, and certainly appealed to Mini more often than not, but there was something magical about realizing you could do things in the game together in a way that was far more beneficial to everyone in the group. Mini hadn’t realized she could use her Conjure Conflagration on Jenny C.’s Sagittarian Barrage. Fiery arrows would have been VERY helpful against the Yeti Shaman they battled several games ago. 
“There. Finally done.” Mini didn’t stop until everyone had a paste-it on their persona panels. Even Davey got a couple notes about how to make ploys and monstrosities more challenging. It wouldn’t be fun, or fair, if everyone just started steam rolling his carefully crafted campaign. Mini surveyed her handiwork with pride, and just as she was going to walk away she had another thought. She reached for her sketchbook, and doodled a little picture of a magnet with a blue glitter pen. Above it she scrawled “Riley’s powers are magnetic?” She wasn’t thinking about her little brother, she was thinking about Riley from Big Team. Mithril. Mini had seen her control metal, but she wasn’t really sure if it HAD to be ferrous metal or not. If she could control ANY metal…? Mini’s imagination fired for a few moments as she considered the possibilities. “If only the Big Team had a Contender Codex...” Mini took one last look at the game table. She had meant to clean it up, but it was messier now than when she started. It was worth every ounce of energy she spent on it though. 
Mini spied the time on the wall clock, and raised her brows. “4 AM. Fuck my life.” She covered all the sleeping kids with a blanket before floating to the top of the stairs and shutting out the light. She chewed her lip piercings thoughtfully before closing the basement door behind her. She wasn’t the least bit tired. What else hadn’t she realized or thought about her teammates? And why didn’t any of their mentors give any thought to this stuff? Or if they did, then why hadn’t they voiced their opinions? Mini floated her way up to the second floor so as to avoid waking up the house with creaky stairs. 
She closed the door to her room, sat on her window sill, sparked up a cigarette, and stared out at the massive tree jutting out of the harbor. The aftermath of that whole ordeal hadn’t REALLY been dealt with. Ostensibly the adults are handling it, but are they really? Wasn’t that the Big Team’s mess to clean up? And not just the remnants of a once floating city, and a colossal tree in the harbor, but the wellbeing of all those people. Standing by and waiting for orders felt wrong to Mini. Letting things fester felt irresponsible. Sure, the team was licking their wounds after the mysterious loss of their old base, but that was no excuse. Especially not for people with capabilities and resources and allies like theirs. They weren’t doing enough, and they weren’t working as a cohesive whole, Mini thought. She sighed in frustration. It was fine to be critical of your own shortcomings, but what then? Without an idea or a solution to follow up with, she was back where she started. She sat there, restless and helpless to understand what her nagging sense of dread was trying to tell her. The smoke from her cigarette trailed off along with her thoughts on the matter.
== S3 - Time Passes - Reflection ==
Darkness Level: Early Afternoon, no clouds.
 
2019, April 24th
Mini corkscrewed midair to avoid the barrage of shurikens that flew at her, then dropped into a nosedive. The ninja gave chase by sprinting along a nearby wall, flinging sharpened pieces of metal at her as he ran. None of the darts seemed to find their mark, but they were intended to steer the young girl’s flight rather than wound her directly. Mini narrowly avoided a second ninja’s sword stroke as she plummeted toward the ground. An instant before she hit the deck she pulled out of her dive, and skimmed along the floor close enough to skin her knee on it. She grimaced, but kept herself level and kept trying to create distance.
The computer's sensors monitored Mini’s vitals, noting a spike in adrenaline as Mini’s knee skidded across the floor of the training room. The elevation in heart rate was trivial compared to when Mini started the exercise. The subject didn’t appear to be challenged yet. Another hard light opponent had been generated into the scenario, and she ran across the holographic rooftops to close in on Mini. The computer didn’t seem to take into account the emotional state of its user.
Mini snaked along just inches above the ground, and swooped under a nearby car to avoid another flurry of shuriken being hurled at her. One of the other ninja lead their next throw, and several kunai embedded themselves into the pavement where Mini should have next appeared. The three ninja holograms surrounded the car Mini had trapped herself under, and waited. She would have to come out eventually. A bright blue light erupted from under the car accompanied by the sounds of crackling flame. The glow emanated from beneath the car for a moment and then suddenly vanished with the wooshing sound of a candle being blown out.
The training computer tracked a sudden spatial anomaly. The displacement of air, matter and energy, from beneath the car to the interior of a nearby building. The subject could teleport. The system knew this already of course, but the level at which the simulation was running directed the opponents to behave as if they were unaware of this possibility. One of the ninja closed in on the car to investigate.
A Mini shaped ash cloud formed in an office building, and then Mini stepped out of it. Blue flames flickered to life, illuminating a row of cubicles. Mini dove into one of them to keep her flames hidden from the three ninja that were stalking her. She closed her eyes and concentrated, visualizing the city street she had flown through a moment ago. She reached out with her mind, and could feel where the fistfulls of shuriken and kunai had lodged themselves in walls or pavement or car hoods. She felt around further, sensing the cars parked in the street, the trash cans on the corners, and various street signs she could dislodge. It was as if she were running an extra sensory hand across braille, and reading the layout of the simulated city block. 
The next instant the street was engulfed by a storm of flying metal objects hurled by angry wailing ghosts. Gas tanks exploded as their contents were sparked telekinetically. The windows of the office Mini was hiding in all shattered inward, pelting the cubical dividers with glass. A claxon went off and the simulation ended suddenly.
“Test failure. Excessive force utilized. Opposition mortality rate: 100%. Property damage: Catastrophic. Estimated bystander casualty: 208.” A computerized voice declared as it greyed out the environment for the test. “Retry simulation?” A holographic interface projected in front of where Mini stood, listing all manner of statistics for the simulation, and prompting her with a floating Y/N selection. “Yeah, well, that’s just your fucking opinion man.” She pressed the N and limped back toward the control room as the training room dematerialized the smoldering city block.
A couple hours later, Mini sat hunched over a computer screen in the control room, a notebook balanced over her bandaged knee. She idly plucked a wedge from an orange she was already half way done with, and crammed it into her mouth. She then used the newly empty hand to scroll the screen she was staring at to some new page of information. After taking a few notes a warning appeared over the screen, accompanied by an overly polite computerized voice reading the text aloud. “You have been working for one hour. Please take a break.” A prompt appeared on screen, awaiting Mini’s acknowledgment. She leaned back, growled to herself, and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.
“Where’s the sword?” She hear Burrower’s voice in her mind, shot up out of her seat, roared and flung her notebook across the room. Mini paced around the control room a couple times, glaring at the prompt still stuck on the screen. She finally stomped back over to the computer and pressed it to resume working.
“Computer. Show profile for Burrower.” To Mini’s surprise the computer complied. A fairly thorough dossier appeared on screen. “...No fucking way.” Mini scrolled through a couple pages of information, not really sure what she was looking for, then paused as an idea came to her. “Computer. Simulate Burrower?” A polite error sound played overhead. Mini thought for a moment then rephrased her request. “Computer, simulate combat training. Opponent, Burrower.” The training room lights dimmed, and a hardlight projection of the Burrower materialized. Mini stared at it for a long while, arms crossed over her chest.
“Computer, end simulation.” The hologram faded from view as the computer complied with Mini’s command. “Computer, simulate combat training. Opponent, Cyclone.” A Cyclone hologram appeared in the room, ready to be tested in combat. Again Mini stared at it, and eventually decided this wasn’t what she was after. She leaned over the computer console, scrolling through listings of Big Team members. Eventually she came to a list of inactive members and picked a name at random. “Computer, simulate combat training. Opponent, Wild Thang.” Predictably a solid holographic duplicate of Jake appeared in the training room. “Hm! Cute.” Mini giggled to herself, then chased the holographic stranger away. Another idea came to mind.
“Computer, simulate combat. Capitan versus Sir Lancelot.” A familiar error sound played, but this time a prompt accompanied it. The computer needed to know which Lancelot to duplicate. Mini chose Elle as opposed to The Black Knight. The computer complied, and in a moment the two hardlight duplicates began battling each other. Mini nodded and smiled, watching the bout for only a few moments. “Computer, end simulation. I know how this one ends.” She reached over to her orange, prying free another wedge as she considered her next experiment. “Computer, simulate combat. Godspeed versus Mini.” Once again two lifelike copies were generated in the training room and began fighting. Mini watched this fight to its conclusion. It was predictably short and humbling.
Several hours later, Mini had watched herself fight and lose to every adult hero the system had a record for. It wasn’t surprising really. What WAS a little surprising was watching herself lose to most of her peers. The system had prompted her to take several breaks during her study, but now she finally felt ready for one. She took the elevator back to the surface, and leaned by the main entrance long enough to smoke a couple cigarettes. A few familiar faces came and went, and she waved politely, but was mostly lost in thought. Her ego was bruised, and to deny that fact would be a disservice to herself, but that wasn’t really what bothered her. Something was… missing from the simulations? A reasonable conclusion. The training room computer was extremely sophisticated, but at the end of the day it was still just a computer. Mini stomped out the butt to her cigarette and went back down to the control room.
“Computer, simulate combat training. Opponent, Morrígan, The Winter Knight. ” Rhiannon’s elegant yet imposing figure materialized in the training room, and Mini stared at her for a long moment. “It’s just a computer. And she’s just a person.” Mini looked over at her messenger bag sitting in a nearby chair. A silver feather shaped talisman on a black leather cord hung from the bag strap. The obsidian and quartz crystal beads caught the sterile light from the computer screens, and transformed it into an inviting glimmer. “It brightens a room almost as much as you do, Rhi.” Mini smiled and brushed her fingers across the large, polished snowflake obsidian in the center as she walked past to step out of the control room.
The hardlight Rhiannon followed her with its eyes. When Mini got to the center of the room a holographic Y/N prompt appeared in front of her, and as usual the computerized voice read the text aloud. “Begin simulation?” Mini furrowed her brow and stared at the Rhiannon duplicate. It was a convincing likeness, but it lacked essential details. It lacked her depth and compassion. It lacked her warmth and her temperance. It was created by a machine, so it would compete tirelessly, but that wasn’t the same as perseverance and hope.
“...This would never happen.” Mini looked down at the Y/N prompt, then across the room at her opponent again. She walked through the prompt and stood face to face with the duplicate. She reached up and gingerly touched it’s face. It stared back at Mini, wearing a hard and battle ready expression. If it weren’t for that, Mini might have been convinced, standing this close. She felt her cheeks flush, and couldn’t help but stand up on her tip-toes to hug the projection around its neck. It was solid, but it wasn’t real. She pulled back from the duplicate, kissed it gently on the cheek, then turned her back on it and walked away. “Computer, end simulation.” The phantom Rhiannon digitized and deconstructed itself in Mini’s wake as she marched back across the room.
“Computer, simulate combat training.” Mini bounced on her heels a few times, shook out her arms and waggled her head side to side. The computer beeped politely, prompting its user for a contextual command. Mini leaned hard on her bandaged leg a couple times, then shook that leg out in preparation. “Opponent, Minerva Ximena Smalls.”
== S3E17 - Schooling the Supers ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
2019, May 1st
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== S3E24 - A Poked Bear ==
Theme: All Along The Watchtower, performed by Jimi Hendrix
 
2019, May 4th
“Is this thing on?”
Mini tapped the lens on GAIA’s receptacle, then looked at someone off screen. She nodded, turned away from the camera, and put some distance between her and it. Whoever was holding GAIA adjusted their grip, giving the shot a janky quality.
“This will never work. All of these ridiculous little mold people are going to die. Opening your mouth to them will only hasten their demise, foolish child. They will surely trample each other in panic as they flee.” Alastor laughed at Mini from the depths of her own mind.
Mini turned to face the camera again. She was standing against a cloudless teal and purple colored sky, with a smooth metallic surface beneath her feet. She cleared her throat, nudged her hair out of her face, and nodded once more at someone off camera before working up the nerve to speak.
“People of Tarin. My name is Minerva Ximena Smalls. I speak to you on behalf of the Big Team of Halcyon City, and with the authority of the League of Heroes on Earth. It’s no secret that your world is in grave peril. The Risganjans have demanded your complete surrender on threat of total annihilation. If there was any doubt that they can, and will carry out the genocide of your entire species, let the video evidence we offer you now erase any uncertainty.” Mini gestured at GAIA’s camera, and the recording of her was replaced by archive video footage of the Risganjans at war with the Host. Squadrons of fighter ships dog fighting around White Star Station, filling the blackness of space with a hail of pulsing laser blasts. Ground troops clashing in claustrophobic bulkheads and station corridors.
“Ohoho! You speak for an entire planet now, do you? And on behalf of two organizations you don’t even trust? Your hubris and hypocrisy are shocking, even for me! I suppose I should be thanking you. I shall reap every last soul from this unremarkable little planet as you watch them all die. It is a pity you refuse to relish the significance of such achievements, child. You’re about to destroy an entire world with your words alone. You truly are a catastrophe of epic proportions.” Alastor chided again, as Mini tried to stay focused on her message.
“The Risganjans are a warrior people, skilled in conquest. Their strength is not to be underestimated. At this very moment your ruling council is locked in debate as to whether a supply of weapons purchased from a visiting trade fleet will be enough to fight back against the Risganjans. I truly wish this were an achievable goal at this time, but it isn’t. Fighting back will only ensure that Tarinians will vanish from the universe.” The video feed of Risganjan fleets bombarding planets from orbit lent weight to Mini’s words. The glassing of planet surfaces was a horrific sight. Mini came back into focus as the footage ran out. She wrung her hands, and wore a plaintive expression on her face.
“Yesssss. Fear is a weapon. Wield it. Break these people under it’s yoke, and see them swiftly to oblivion!” Alastor exulted inside Mini’s mind.
“On Earth there is a holy saying: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” This message is not meant to rob you of hope, or paralyze you with fear, people of Tarin. This message is meant to spur you to action, to save the people and things you hold most dear. Your leadership is locked in indecision, and time is of the essence. Even the most well meaning of your councilors threaten the very existence of your way of life with bureaucratic process. The time has come for you all to decide for yourselves what is right. At this very moment there are portals that will take any willing person off world. Our team and your military will aid you in any way we can, and help you situate yourselves on Earth, if you wish to flee.” Mini put her hands behind her back, becoming self conscious about her fidgeting. She stood quietly for just a moment, knuckles turning white as she battled Alastor internally before being able to continue.
“These are not people, they are cattle. You cannot expect them to save themselves. You must shepherd them yourself, foolish child. Drive them off the face of this mortal coil, like lemmings off a cliff!” Alastor hissed at her, showing her the vision of the future she had earlier, over and over. A vision of planetary destruction.
Mini’s voice became brittle under the strain, but she kept talking. “For those of you who wish to stay and fight, we understand and wish you the best of luck, but we cannot stand with you. For those of you unwilling or unable to leave your homes behind, we sympathize, and wish we could do more. We simply do not have the means to turn back this calamity. It is a grave injustice that is about to befall your world and your people, but know that our hearts go out to you, and that you WILL be avenged.”
“Avenge them indeed. Like you avenged your own brother’s kidnapping? That foul woman and her cult of dabblers yet remain free. Your empty promises are as venom in the veins to these waddling little toadstools.” Mini winced once as the barrage of insults continued, but she stood stoic before the future scrutiny of all of Tarin. “You’ve made a mockery of yourself here, welp, for all the world to see. More besides across the universe. Do you think the Risganjans won’t use this message to hunt you down? Sedition of this magnitude will earn you an attempt on your life at the very least. You know I’m your only hope now. You WILL see things my way when the time comes. The blood of these mildew-men is on YOUR hands, but together you and I will kill many a Risganjan. There is no turning back now, little girl. You know this to be true.”
“There is no time left to deliberate, people of Tarin. Your fate is your own to decide. Not your government’s, not the League’s, not mine. Yours. And if you elect to run from making the hard choice today, then the Risganjans will make it for you. I pray you find the strength to carry on through this dark time. May God have mercy on us all.” Mini pinched the bridge of her nose just before the recording ended. A moment later the message began again, repeating constantly across the planet of Tarin, transmitted by the Risganjan’s own sub orbital transmission station. A voice of reason crying out above the panic of impending doom.
== S#E# - Session Title ==
 
Year, Month Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent elementum semper tellus id faucibus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In scelerisque, magna fermentum suscipit dictum, augue ipsum dictum dolor, rutrum congue erat orci quis eros. Nunc ex velit, pretium vitae odio ut, auctor feugiat mauris. Donec sit amet ligula vestibulum, aliquam est et, venenatis diam. Aliquam vitae posuere purus. Donec consequat velit ut neque placerat luctus. Praesent eros lorem, tempus sed blandit nec, luctus id nunc. Cras laoreet libero ac leo ornare sodales scelerisque vitae ipsum. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc tempor metus eu dui scelerisque, iaculis accumsan metus finibus. Suspendisse tempor tincidunt ipsum eu ornare. Morbi pretium justo et orci porta, venenatis consectetur nisl ultricies. Fusce tristique dui nunc, id sagittis velit porta ut. Vivamus a ornare augue, venenatis aliquam nulla.
== S3 - Time Passes - WutRUBizyHo.mp4 ==
Theme - Time in a Tree by Raleigh Ritchie; Cover by "Mouhan Rouge"
 
June 4th, 2019
Rhi
+18386023246
Hey Rhi. Hrd u were feelin dwn. Hope dis cheers u up! XOXO
hmu if u need anythg, k?
11:33PM
WutRUBizyHo.mp4
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MMS
11:35PM
*Mini sits on the edge of her bed, wearing her Rhiannon costume from The Faire Avalon. A pearlescent white and blue guitar with raven designs sits in her lap. The image of her bobs gently, as the GAIA dot hovers in the middle of the room, recording. Behind Mini is her own window, and through it the Zodiac Tree can be seen in Halcyon Harbor. She smiles sweetly into the camera, opens her mouth like she’s going to say something, and pauses. She shakes her head, still smiling, and begins strumming the guitar instead.*
“I just want time in a tree
I need a place just for me
Somewhere that I can be free
Keep the faith and just be
What you'll be”
*Mini sings softly to the tune she plays, and the image in the recording changes. There’s janky footage of transformed kids playing soccer in a cul de sac. Several of them turn and wave into the camera, or make heart shapes and peace signs with their fingers. The shot pans down sharply as a tiny pangolin girl runs up to the camera person to tug at their sleeve, and wave into the camera. Judging by the chunky boots and ripped stockings in the shot, it’s clearly Mini behind the camera.*
“I guess rules are there to break
But I make mistakes like they were handed on a plate
When I try to leave sometimes, I'm standing in the way
I'm on the edge of crying all the time, 'cause I can't human right”
*Mini’s song continues to play over the video, but the next shot has some sound with it. The kids from before sit on a building stoop, with their parents behind them, smiling*
“1, 2, 3!”
*Mini’s voice counts down from behind the camera, and in unison the transformed families shout out*
“THANK YOU, RHIANNON! WE LOVE YOU!”
*The transformed wave, and blow kisses into the camera before the shot changes again. The face of a young panda transformed mother holding her baby appears on screen.*
“If you could say anything to the person who made the Zodiac Tree, what would it be?”
*Mini’s voice asks from behind the camera. The young mother’s face becomes warm, but also a little sad. She smiles through the memory of loss as her heart finds gratitude.*
“Just, thank you? We… all lost so much, but we would have lost everything without you. My baby likely would never have known her father if it weren’t for you. So thank you for keeping my family together, and letting my little girl know her daddy.”
*The young mother knuckles a tear away from her eye just before the shot changes again. On screen there’s a bustling market district at dusk. Young people shuffled down the street in groups, rowdy as they make their way to their favorite restaurants, karaoke bars, arcades, and other nightlife destinations. Street vendors hawk their wares, and everywhere the camera pans, life is happening, extraordinary only in that it is allowed to happen at all.*
“What a state
I get wound up, from the ground up
And I don't know why
Turn the sound up, drown the noise out
Swallow, don't cry”
*The next shot is of Mini, standing in front of a neon sign in a storefront window. She’s starting off, lost in thought, but the person behind the camera gets her attention and she laughs. Her gap toothed smile swallows up her eyes as the camera person approaches her. The shot loses her for a moment, but then stabilizes as Mini holds out the camera to capture her and Jaime on screen. Jaime waves into the camera, and Mini smiles up at them adoringly. Jaime turns to her, and they kiss sweetly several times before Jaime’s hand covers the camera lens.*
“Got an anxious heart, and it's stone made
Can't take paper or heartbreak
Did Billy Joel have self esteem?
Maybe Vienna wouldn't wait for me”
*The next shot centers on Aman, sitting on a bench outside. The activity behind him clearly places him at a skate park. He coughs and stiffens, self aware and awkward.* 
"Are we filming? Oh, yeah...okay... Hey Rhi. I'm not sure what more I can say that I haven't already said outside your door. I miss your smile, I miss the chance at having been able to return that to you. I miss your gentleness. Your kindness. You. I don't know how many times it might have already been said here, but you're amazing, Rhiannon. You've done so many wonderful things. You matter so much to Zo- you saved all those people, in Zodiac and in Halcyon. And yeah, things suck right now. I can't even begin to imagine how much they..." 
*He pauses, drawing in a deep breath, a sad smile crossing his lips* "You have us. All of us. And we're here for you. You've touched all our lives in one way or another, and I'd love to return that. You don't have to share it, but you can rely on all of us to give you that push. To have your back. No one goes it alone, remember...? When you're ready... ice cream's on me yeah?" *He lets out a weak little laugh before the camera pans away and the shot dissolves into something new.*
*The next few shots are of Zodiac City from above. Busy intersections, bustling downtown, sleepy suburbs, and every shade and speed of life between. Most people would need wings or a helicopter to capture these views, but Mini wasn’t most people.*
“I just want time in a tree
I need a place just for me
Somewhere that I can be free
Keep the faith and just be, what you'll be”
*A short montage follows. Transformed children being let out of school, excitedly running toward waiting loved ones. Two transformed girls holding hands at a Pride festival in Zodiac. Mini wowing a small crowd of fans as Manny Nuff with her dance moves and her guitar. A nighttime shot of Zodiac City’s skyline, the Watchtower visible in lower orbit by it’s blinking station lights. Mini curled up next to Amber, reading Manga in the common room at Big Base.*
“Do you ever feel like, you could live a real life?
Like everybody else in the real world
You could be a real girl
You could be a wizard. You could be in NASA
You could write fiction, you could tame raptors
Most days I struggle and I get snappy
Fuck all that, I just wanna be happy”
*A collection of images from Pride come across as Mini nervously interviews the transformed committee members, Derek, Pulalu and Rouge. Rouge smiles into the camera, and nods affirmingly. Her Southern Belle energy coming through loud and proud.*
“Oh, to the girl who saved Zodiac from fallin’? Well just bless her heart, the little angel! Without her, Zodiac city would be in a real pickle, now wouldn’t it? All those homes and lives lost, oh my, I get the vapors just thinkin’ about it! You tell that sweet young lady that we all appreciate her up here just bunches, and we’re real sad to hear she’s feelin’ down on herself. Isn’t that right Derek? Pul?”
*Pulalu gives a stoic nod, and Derek does as well. The shot cuts just as Derek opens his mouth to speak. Very slowly... and at great length…*
“Swimming against the current, am I wrong?
Can you show me a warrant, honestly, I'm a bomb
Abhorrent, I'm on it, get it, I've got it
I wanna be 10 again, just me and sonic
And nobody telling me I should be more than I am
Back when I had a plan”
*Images of Mini’s perspective while in flight fill the screen. She glides around the boughs of the tree itself, floating through as few leafy limbs as possible. She approaches the alcove where Rhiannon brought her to make Seth’s ghost drum sticks. The shot lingers on that special place from the outside, and Mini drifts slowly to get a look at it from several angles.*
“I just want time in a tree
I need a place just for me
Somewhere that I can be free
Keep the faith and just be, what you'll be”
*Angel appears on screen, dressed in a white mesh crop top, matching boy shorts, and festooned with jewelry and other Zodiac night life accoutrements. He smiles wearily into the camera and sighs.*
“Gurl, you know this funk you’re in isn’t you. You’re too hard on yourself. You saved these people, and you damn near gave your life to do it, as far as we know. Without you this place would be rubble at the bottom of Halcyon Harbor, and THAT probably would be on top of Montreal. You’re a heroine, hunny, and you seem to have forgotten that. I love you, and I miss you. Please come back to us.”
“I've seen things that I never should've seen
Said too many things I didn't mean
Hurt myself too many times to count
I need to let it out, and just release
Been lying to myself too long
Been trying by myself too long
I can't relax, I'm too distracted
I can't hack it, uh”
*The next few shots are of day to day life at Big Base. Kids being kids, mostly, just with levitating cereal and fireball ping pong. Cheating at video games with technomancy or positronic brains, and growing flowers in the garden with love in an instant. Stealing kisses while in costume, playing board games with telekinesis and asking GAIA to play Despacito.*
“I'm needy, greedy
Love me, feed me
Let's be a family
It'll take a village to make a man of me”
*The last shot of life at Big Team is of Cyclone, walking in with arms full of groceries. He smiles cheerily at the camera, sets down his bags, and dramatically wipes his brow as if they were way too heavy for him. The shot closes in a little on his face, still smiling, and lingers there before cutting away.*
“So why couldn't you love me?
It's all I need”
*The camera captured a shot of Halcyon Harbor at sundown. Judging from Mini’s window in the beginning, this shot might have been taken from her roof. The tree stands tall over the water, seeming a shining beacon of hope in the last rays of sunlight. The lights of Zodiac City sparkle in the distance, a reminder that people are there. Two silhouettes stand in the shot, just off center, one about a foot taller than the other. They are still, locked in a quiet embrace.*
“I just want time in a tree
I need a place just for me
Somewhere that I can be free
Keep the faith and just be, what you'll be”
*As the last song lyrics are sung, the next shot is of Gwen. The music stops as she sits in the frame, atop one of the kitchen counters in Big Base. She’s wearing slightly disheveled house clothes, and has a hard and weary expression on her face. She huffs and glares into the camera…*
"I love you, but this can never be, and you know that, and I know that sucks and will take time to accept, but you have to accept it. Love isn't always meeting one person and that's it, that's your one true love, now have your happily ever after. Sometimes you get lucky and it lasts a long time, and even the first love can last a lifetime, but it takes work. And even throughout all of that, you still gotta live your own life without that person, because that's healthy, and you got a job to do, and sometimes there's just times that the other person can't be there for you the same way you're there for them. It's just something you work through until they're no longer on trial, or brainwashed, or lying in pieces on a table. But in the meantime, you do your job and you take care of yourself. Because if you don't do that, how can you even take care of them after all that? You'll get better. You'll find a love that works. And you don't even need to abandon the love that doesn't, because friendship is built on many of the same pillars that romance is. And you'll keep going. You'll hang in there. Not just because you gotta. But because... I believe in you."
*The last shot in the video is of Mini, sitting in her bedroom. She’s wearing an oversized red T-shirt hanging off of one shoulder, and comically thick prescription glasses. She slowly takes the glasses off and shrugs into the camera, a little embarrassed. After setting the glasses down somewhere off camera, she hefts a beautiful and familiar necklace into the shot. It’s beaded with snowflake obsidian, and raven feathers. She strains just a little to get the necklace over her head, but once she does she mimes herself going to sleep, her hands forming the pillows. She waves at the camera, leans in to touch it, and the shot goes dark. There’s one last bit of audio before the video actually ends.*
“I love you, Rhi. Don’t push us away. Let us help you the way you help SO many. Even if you wanna cry all day, at least let us do it with you. And PLEASE come to prom. I know your heart is heavy now, but I think you’ll regret not coming. Besides, it’s not like you’re busy, are you ho?”