Valentine: Since Ash can't come, there's really no point in us going to that horror movie, but we're all dressed up so we might as well go out somewhere. Where would you like to go?
Eric: Valentine, you know that going the place that would make you happiest is what makes me happiest.


Valentine: Right, but let's pretend for a minute that going to the place you're most interested in going would make me happiest, thus making you happiest. Where would you go?
Eric: Really?


Eric: You know, I've always wanted to go to a zoo. Animals are so interesting. I was watching a nature show on mongeese...


Eric:...they're so determined, going in and out, in and out, all night with these huge snakes...
Ravish: Hi Miss Valentine!


Ravish: I brought some chocolates on the chance Penny might be around but... um... who's that?


Valentine: Hi Chris! This is Eric. I thought you already knew him, he works with Ash.
Eric: Hi!


Ravish: No, I don't think we've met. You look... dressed up. Am I interrupting anything?


Valentine: No, we were just planning our afternoon.


Ravish:...


Ravish: ... I see. Well then, I guess I'll just be leaving...


Eric: Your friend left his chocolates.
Valentine: Did he seem a little odd to you?

 

Elsewhere:
Nightshade: Those damn terrorists get all the credit for the good stuff. Oh well, at least I got my giant diamond out of it. You can touch it if you want. When should I introduce you to the crew? You recruited all of them, after all.


Discord: I recruited them in your name. You should instil their loyalty to you first. If they start taking orders from me at the beginning, how will you ever create that bond?


Nightshade: Yeah, I know. But you got me the lab, the scientist, the mercenaries, and set us up with that awesome interior decorator, I feel like you should get some credit. Or at least a reward?


Discord: Working with the greatest criminal mind the world has ever seen is good enough reward for me.


Nightshade: Awww, you're making me blush.


Later:
Ravish: What am I going to do? Miss Valentine is going out with that guy...


Ravish: I need to let her know how I feel before it's too late. But Miss Penny! And Ms. Ash!


Ravish: I have to find some way of ending it with Miss Penny first! I have to find some way to make her dump me that will make her regain her self-confidence and not have it be my fault or I'll lose the money and Miss Valentine will probably hate me. But how?


Commentary:
Poor Ravish. I had a very hard time doing this pic, even though it's so simple. Ravish had to make his decision to find some way of ending it with Penny. Originally, I was going to have Ravish and Penny and Valentine and Eric go on a double date, but I couldn't see it having a natural ending. It would have been along the lines of Ravish trying to get Valentine to come with him on a date with Penny so Penny wouldn't try to seduce him again, and Valentine suggesting bringing Eric along to make it a double date. Valentine's considerate like that and spends quite a bit of time with Eric when he's not doing things for Ash or Nightshade. All platonic of course. The problem is, any amount of conversation would certainly make Penny bring up the cyborg love-doll thing as she's rather bitter about it still (naturally). So the idea for the date was good, but outside of the initial jealousy, little conversation could be had without Ravish finding out that a) Eric is a cyborg and not *really* competition, and b) Valentine isn't really interested in Eric. So I finally figured an improvise where Eric would walk in on Valentine and Eric planning a 'date' get a horribly wrong idea, and go off and panic.

The other part to this fic is to explain a little why Discord hasn't been introduced to the other minions yet, or at least give the reason Discord hasn't been introduced to the other minions that Nightshade believes.