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The mission was successful...for the most part. And Override ended up finding himself returning to headquarters alone...Aeon wanted food...not like there wasn't a cafeteria here at G3, but he digressed. He decided to use the front door this time, to which he was met by the director, Bard and... He paused for a moment, seeing the third individual, not at first knowing who this was, but thankfully the facial recognition software he had that was connected to the employee database said it was: Chet, the paralegal. And surprisingly, he was okay with accepting the paperwork and sharing his senses with Legion...must have the workings of a Cape in him deep down. Nevertheless, he watched Chet go off, as now he remained with the director and Bard. ...and of course Aeon would leave me here with these two...I wouldn't be surprised if she did it just to keep from having to give a full debriefing. he thought, sighing slightly. “We’re going in too. Debriefing and all that. Caesar being snooty can’t be the only thing that happened to you. You’re going to tell me everything." "Understood sir." Override nodded, deciding to remain in his suit until he was for certain Legion's influence and powers were null and void. He preferred to keep his identity a secret from individuals like that if he could absolutely help it. "This was your first time meeting Scarlet City’s three gang leaders, right? What are your first impressions? Do you think a longer truce is feasible?” Override crossed his arms slightly. "It was my first time officially meeting them, yes. Hearing about them and the endeavors they've done is a different thing all together. At the same time, it helped me get a feel and a read on these leaders of theirs." he began. "That said, my first initial impressions are as follows: each one takes their roles a bit...literal...with the Fates being the biggest example. They truly go into the fullness of the mythos of them, with both feet, finishing each other's sentences and everything. Luckily, you get them alone, you can at least have them converse like a normal human being. Aside from that, the facade they have is a terrifying one...I understand now why you all put 'don't fuck with them' as a caution." He paused, going towards the idea of Zodiac and then the Gibbons. "Zodiac, they've done things differently and have always done things differently due to the ever changing factor of the Ophiuchus. From my viewpoint, while each one will adhere to the rules and regulations set in motion with the past leaders, each one tries to add to it...example being that they used to be about power and expansion but overtime, most likely due to the influence of the newer Ophiuchus, they've simply gone to maintain the status quo...and prefer to have knowledge above everything else. Myself and the current Ophiuchus actually are a lot alike in that regard." "As for the Gibbons...if I'm honest...at first glance, it seems that Caesar simply has a hard time focusing on everything..." he said, minding his tongue...after all...his senses were still being shared. "Almost too much on his metaphorical plate if I'm honest. But, aside from that, he's about what I expected. Though the mutilation of his own just to keep tabs on people is a shock." Once finished, Override pondered the director's last question. "If I may speak freely, director..." "Not like you aren't already, sir." "...thank you, P.I.X.E.L." he sighed. "In any case...if I'm honest, whether it's feasible or not, we have to attempt to make this work. After all, everyone is at risk here. If this was simply an issue where one party wasn't going to be screwed in the end, then this wouldn't be something that would need to be drawn attention to in order to have all hands on deck. Unfortunately, it's not the case...all hands have to be on deck for this...in order for us all to survive. They've agreed to play ball...so naturally, we have to believe them and put some level of trust in them, along with their terms."

"Is that plagiarism" Short answer: No Long answer: No I don't think so (though I don't know the specific work nor what would be specifically "copied")

It's been a very long time since I've come to NCM/YCM for advice, but I think this merits it. It's not so much about storytelling craft so much as an ethical concern of mine, and over the years I've come to trust you guys here from the old YCM guard (before the site split in two). SHORT VERSION: I'm wondering about inspiration and borrowing of specifics in structural material from other works - is that plagiarism, or otherwise unacceptably derivative for a genre work? LONG VERSION: I have a concept in my head of two factions in opposition, with a character or two each to represent, and two (or more?) characters outside those factions (the protagonist and a third "antagonist"/team; both come from afar.) I like the way the setup does not judge between, nor caricaturizes, the two 'factions' (a industrial settlement and the natural world around it) and the way it comments on some topics of importance to me (environmentalism, war and overcoming differences, etc.) One problem: these things have already been done by another work I admire, which is where I got the idea for the character dynamics. (This work is not written-word, mine is.) I intend to make use of a different kind of setting for my work, without much forestry: something that feels more 'otherworldly' but still recognizable/imaginable as a place on Earth. (What it will be, I'm not sure; I was considering Icelandic features, but I haven't decided yet.) I also intend to make the characters themselves different from their counterparts in the other work, but I have trouble seeing how the relations between them can be different without upsetting the balance. Consulting a loved one on the issue, they noted that while West Side Story borrowed from Romeo & Juliet character dynamics and some commentary throughlines, it also lifted plot too, and yet it's been accepted as a legitimate work. This does not put me at ease, especially since I'm in general having trouble bringing my own structure-level spin to the combination of this character/faction setup, the way that setup intertwines with commentary, and the commentary itself. (Also R&J has had many pastiches and revisits in other works that are accepted as legitimate: for my source text, I can't think of any other example of media that does what it does.)I do intend to make a plot that is not resembelant of the other work, just don't know what it is yet. Although I believe in what the original work had to say and I want to send that understanding further, I am worried about the ethics of my situation, which brings me to my question: Is this plagiarism, or copying in spirit, or otherwise an unacceptable level of derivative for genre(-esque) fiction? If so, what can I do to make it fresher, more of me and less of a correlation - or do I have to basically start over? If I'm 'in the clear' or in a 'grey area', how so?