GwenSynth

"Plant life...that tracks." Belladonna turned her attention to Override. "Read your file from the G3 Database, they were talking about the way you specialize in that style of powers. Unfortunately, nature and technology seem to be at odds with one another...so that does put this group at a slight disadvantage. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there..." Belladonna shook her head. "How our powers work together is limited only to your imagination. And if we're going to be working together, I'd like to see that big brain of yours create something spectacular that we can use to bring down Caesar. I'll be counting on you." As Minos described her abilities, Belladonna became excited. “Uh, I manipulate the earth. Best way I can describe it is I can pull walls up. I guess I could show you but I can’t do that here, obviously," Minos explained. Sasha smiled at the opportunity. "Your powers are... beautiful," she said with a tinge of lust in her voice. "I believe you and I will make quite a powerhouse. Your ability to move the earth will allow me to use my dear plants in so many new and different ways," she said with a grin. "I also have a really good sense of direction, but Cassie says that’s not a power that’s just proper awareness of my surroundings. Cassie never gets lost either. Have you met her? Cassiopeia?” Minos asked. Sasha's grin remained. "I haven't had the pleasure, no. Though I believe Cassiopeia and I have very different ways of looking at the world. Perhaps if things align differently in the near future, and the Fates will it, Cassiopeia and I can have a cup of tea together." She turned her attention to A.V.D. then and extended the question she asked Minos to him. "And what of you, mister acronym name?" “Mine’s kind of a showy one too, but, uh, I do illusions. You know, pantomime sort of stuff. I guess I can-” Sasha watched with shock and excitement as A.V.D. formed an orange from nothing. It had the appearance and weight of a real orange, but as explained, was an illusion. Sasha watched as the orange was peeled skillfully. She almost wanted to applaud, but kept her composure. "That was beautiful," she said with a squeal of excitement. "The possibilities!" she exclaimed. “I’m not- Other people see it. They tell me I’m good at it. I can’t actually see the stuff I make, so I guess I just have to believe them. I don’t know. I just felt I had to do something, you know?” A.V.D. summarized. "Interesting. I wonder then, what the practical implications of your ability could be. Can you only create illusions of things you understand? Or can you create an illusion of something you've seen before? Perhaps one of my plants?" she thought aloud. "We'll find out soon, won't we?" A.V.D. pointed out the bunker in Overrides' schematics. Minos created a direct line to their objective through the casino, giving them a guide to follow. It seems Minos did have quite a sense of direction. Belladonna also quietly wondered if there were any rooms that Override couldn't display because they were hidden. A person like Caesar was sure to have many secrets in his position. If he was as intelligent as was believed, those secrets wouldn't be shared even with his most trusted henchmen. Her thoughts were shaken up as Director Sekelsky approached. “Unlike the other group, it’s a bit of a hike to Hell’s Inferno, so I’ve arranged a transport. It’s an Edison Mark Three, something you --” Sekelsky and Belladona's gazes met and she exchanged firm looks with him. Was he the one who had her arrested? She felt something bubbling at the back of her throat but she swallowed it as Sekelsky's eyes shifted. Unfounded outrage wasn't something she had time to focus on. Not now at least. Once the world was saved, maybe she could learn more about him. “-- should be intimately familiar with, so whenever you’re ready. " Belladonna nodded. "Then we shouldn't delay. The longer we wait, the more time Caesar has to prepare." “Honestly, I’m pretty flexible. Tell me where I need to stand for you to do your best and I can do it," Minos said. “I’ll do my best,” A.V.D. added. “But it sounds like we should go.” "Then let's get on with it. We have an emperor to dethrone," Belladonna said with malice tainting her tongue.

Belladonna was puzzled by the decision to pair her with someone like Override. Their powers weren't exactly compatible, she believed. Plants and technology weren't mutually exclusive, mind you. What Sasha didn't understand was how they were meant to work in tandem. She was also quite unfamiliar with Minos and A.V.D. Perhaps they saw something she didn't. It shouldn't matter much so long as the job gets done. “Let us know your decision as soon as you can,” Stanley told them. “And please, leave your egos here.” She wasn't used to taking orders from anyone except the Sisters. That was different today and she had to accept it quickly. Belladonna stood from her seat, ready to go. "Shall we?" she gestured as she rose. "No time to dawdle." “Oh, I’m sure we’ll get along great,” Minos said. Belladonna grinned. She knew if they couldn't cooperate, the mission would fail. That was almost guaranteed. “I’ve already met some of you, the rest can’t be all bad. Hi! My name’s Minos! My favorite food is scrambled eggs and--" "Sorry to cut you off Minos-- it's a pleasure by the way. What's your skillset and how can I work around or with you? We should strategize before we go barging in," Belladonna expressed. "I like to know and understand who I'm working with. You can all answer that as you please. It's best we get introductions out now before we're under fire. I specialize in plant life and use my powers as a means of control. I hope I can be of use to you all."

Sasha listened closely and made a decision she thought would best fit her abilities. She wasn't going to be picky about who she worked with, but a closed, controlled environment would allow her to capitalize on her plant based powers. "Do people have a preference for one stage or the other? Or are there any other objections?” Stanley asked. "I'll be taking part in the raid," Belladonna announced. "Tightly nit quarters means I'll be able to more easily subdue our targets. The less room they have to run, the more effective I can be in capturing or killing them." The thought of seeing Caesar's body displayed beautifully across thorned roots made Belladonna happy. His crimson red blood would surely contrast with the earthy colors of her powers. This made her excited to move forward. Perhaps she could string up his corpse in roses and thistles, high above so the rest of the city could witness it. A crucifixion fit for a threat of this magnitude. Her knees went weak for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and wiped the smirk from her face. Excited as she was, Belladonna didn't have a lot of information about Caesar. He was quite strategic, but that was the sum of her knowledge in regards to Caesar. What he was truly capable of, Belladonna had not yet witnessed. This raid would require a lot of tact and preparation. There was no real way of telling what she was walking into.

"Hm, utmost is a lot you know. I wonder if you can manage that much....but, well I look forward to seeing what work ya put into it." Sasha couldn't help but feel flattered as Thessa gave her a thumb's up. It was quite a confidence boost. Shaking herself out of her daydream, Sasha followed not long behind her allies to attend a critical meeting. This one was all about dealing with notorious Caesar. Sasha positioned herself beside her comrades before tuning in to the discussion. While the many minds gathered around this illuminated table collectively brainstormed a plan to neutralize Caesar, Sasha elected to piggyback her idea off of another. "If Caesar doesn't have any manpower he's not gonna do much. So just take them all out and bring them in, simple as that." Thessa was right. Without manpower, Caesar as a whole was much less of a threat. What's more, being able to identify his gang individually meant that each of Caesars' crews' weaknesses was now its own advantage for those who opposed him. "And if we split them up with a pincer and get Caesar alone, taking him down will prove that much easier," Belladonna added. "We capitalize on what we know about Caesar's crew, set a trap, and split them up. Then, we turn Caesar into mince meat." Caesar was an ugly person. The way he operated left blemishes and blights around Scarlett City that made Sasha cringe and recoil. She was not at all opposed to using Caesar's corpse to fertilize and beautify the city again. At least then Caesar would actively provide benefit to the people around him. He would have proven more effective as mulch, as far as Sasha was concerned. The power vacuum left behind his death would surely sweep up some of the best villains in Scarlett City, but that was to be expected. Gang politics and territory were as unavoidable as the first morning breath. It was going to happen. But that wouldn't persuade Sasha from her feelings regarding Caesar.

The crowd of reporters was a bit smaller than Sasha expected. She was partially grateful for this because of the power reporters wielded. She didn't want to caught off guard and risk having her beautiful image ruined. Speaking of beautiful, Clotho was at the front gate, toying with a yo-yo. If you didn't know who Clotho was, it was almost an innocent and beautiful moment. Nevertheless, Sasha was happy to see a familiar face. “Hey! Glad you could make it! You’re looking good,” Clotho said as Sasha approached. "Good to see you, and thanks for waiting for me," Sasha said with a short sigh. “Don’t worry, you’re not late or anything. You’re actually early for what we wanted you here for since apparently, The Peacekeepers operate on the ‘hurry up and wait’ model. I guess I don’t mind. Means we have more time for our own activities,” Clotho replied. "Of course. What did you have in mind?" Sasha asked eagerly. "We do need to go in in a sec. I heard Minos and I are going to disassemble some tinker tech, but hey, before that, let’s get you talking with some more people. There are a whole lot of other Moray Clan people here and you’ll have to know all of them eventually,” Clotho said before beckoning Sasha forward. As Sasha dutily followed Clotho, she felt almost like she was experiencing a broken signal throughout her body and mind from the moment they crossed over into Goodale Park. It was so strange to be disconnected from the earth this way. She almost felt lost without that feeling, but she pushed it to the back of her mind quickly when Clotho approached one of the capes. This wasn't just any cape, however. This was one of great renown. This cape had a legacy that was truly beautiful. “Oh! You’ve heard of Aeon, right? Immortal girl? She’s a cop right now which sucks but she’s pretty cool besides that. Hey! Thessa!” Clotho said excitedly. "I'm very familiar with the story of Aeon," Sasha said with a grin. In truth, she was a bit envious of Aeon. Immortal beauty. Well, unless the world ended, right? “Hey, I know we keep just introducing you to people but this one’s pretty cool. Remember that prison break we did a little bit back? Belladonna here is the result of that. Was a pretty rad story tee bee aitch, but she’ll have to tell you about that." Clotho's introduction of Belladonna made her smile. To Sasha, it would seem Aeon and Clotho were very familiar. "Oh yeah, think that rings a bell. Might be mixing some of em up but I gotchu." Aeon sounded relaxed and at ease, to Sasha anyway. "No worries, I've met a lotta people already and its always good to meet more. Even if some of them kinda suck." Sasha couldn't help but be astonished to meet Aeon up close. It was like having a celebrity wave at you in public. An excited, almost giddy feeling. Aeon had seen the world for a long time, in all its beauty. Sasha would have loved to pick her brain some time. "You don't suck, right?" Aeon asked bluntly. Sasha chuckled. "I certainly hope not. I don't think the Sisters would have freed me if that were true," she joked. "I'm Belladonna. Or Sasha. Whichever comes more naturally to you." "Guess if you're with those girls you probably have some potential huh?" Perhaps Aeon was curious about Sasha's strength. Sasha's face said it all. She wasn't a braggart, but she knew what she was capable of. "Hopefully, you'll come to see what I can do with your own eyes. I'll let you be the judge." "They seem to be good at getting more fun people together then the others at least." That reminded Sasha that she still had to get with the other members of her crew. She could plan it out later. "Anyway like she said my name is Thessa. I was just thinking about moving on but guess I can stick around a bit. Don't wanna be rude to a new face ya know? So, Belladonna, what do you think about the city?" "Hmm," Sasha said with a pause. "I think there's lots of work that needs to be done. I love Scarlett City with all my heart, and I want to see it be beautiful again. So, we'd better do our utmost to save it. Right?" The looming six month timer in the back of Sasha's head reminded her that the long goal was to save their world as they knew it. Six months may have seemed like a long time, but it would come and go quickly if action wasn't taken quickly. Sasha kept her composure, but there was no doubt everyone was thinking about it all the time; the end of the world.

Instead of waking up in a beautiful bed of roses, beside a beautiful young man or woman, on a beautiful morning, Sasha was completely beside herself. More specifically, she was beside her bed, beside herself. She'd been home when the news broke. The supposed, 'end of the world'. It was such an ugly thing to hear. It must've tasted awful leaving Cassandra's lips. Or perhaps it was a bittersweet taste? Sasha sighed heavily as the daylight broke through the shimmer at last, standing slowly and letting her nightgown fall where it may. She approached her balcony overlooking the streets of Scarlett City, only three floors above her favorite pizza parlor. Her thoughts were racing and she couldn't seem to quiet them down. Right about now, a slice of greasy pizza to sop up her stirring emotions sounded nice. Instead, she found herself lost in social media and news, turning back to her bedroom. She flicked on her television and picked up her tablet. Even as a villain, she was still a regular consumer. It was plastered across every screen, article, and tabloid. What few churches Scarlett City had were likely clamoring to keep their faithful together. Gangs would surely use this as an opportunity to seize territory, so Sasha snatched her phone from her bedside table and took it with her to the kitchen. She knew she should expect a call or message from the Fates soon. In the meantime, she couldn't let this ugly news keep her from a beautiful breakfast. Eggs, over medium. Toast, slightly burnt for a taste from prison. Bacon, because she loved salty foods. Tomato, because she knew better. Afterward, Sasha glanced at the clock. It had been over an hour and she hadn't heard her phone buzz or ring at all. Then, a look of horror ran across Sasha's face as she snatched up her phone once more. Tapping the screen, she became mortified. It was dead. She'd forgotten to charge it last night amidst all the ruckus! She darted across her apartment, threw her phone on the charger, and practically destroyed her power button trying to get the device to power up. After a few seconds, her screen glowed to life and her phone loaded. No missed calls, surprisingly, but a few messages. Sasha winced, wondering if the Fates were pissed. She understood her place on the food chain. Being an entirely new player, things are expected of you. She opened the messages to find that two of them were spam, one was from a past fling, another was from her mother, and there was only one from the Fates. It was a summons to a meeting in Goodale Park. Her presence was required. This could only mean two things: The Fates were making a move, and so was G3. Sasha got dressed quickly, slipped into her usual garb, and darted out of her door. Surprisingly, Scarlett City hadn't been torched to the ground. That was a beautiful thing to see. Situating the lens on her face, she made her way to Goodale Park.

I don't remember if it was 2021 or 2022, but I loved Way of the House Husband!

Project, "Unbreakable" Project, "Restoration"

I had some delicious kombucha from a neighborhood restaurant that I frequent. It's delicious.

Oh, I had no intentions of hosting it myself. I don't have that level of confidence yet. But I am flattered! If I wanted to only pitch ideas, and perhaps assist with a project, how should I go about doing that? Thank you for your help!