#Elara u are so interesting

[aerticent]

it’s the way sm of my thoughts on Elara stems from this one interaction. It shows so well that what part of her anger stems from and its crazy to me how overlooked this moment is. She shouldn’t want Tibe to love Maven, part of why she was able to get away with the abuse is because Maven was so uncared for and yet SHE’S ENRAGED BY IT AAAAA

[lovelookspretty]

not so bad

college!rafe cameron x reader au

— in which rafe and y/n absolutely despise each other in public but crush in secret. rafe is failing his humanities class & is assigned y/n as his tutor . . . maybe all it took for this relationship to form was just a bit of forced proximity and some time.

warning(s): raging hardcore sex. jk guys ! sex yes. 18+ mdni ! dont read the end if u arent comfortable. also some assault ngl from creepy guy

authors note: erm i needed conflict but the whole light stalker situation feels kind of corny so pls do not pay attention to that. also yes lowkey i got uncreative with the dialogue when y/n was giving rafe head ( that yes i just took it out completely ) SUE ME IM TIRED 😭

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten

the days go by until you’ve reached saturday. you’ve been nothing but excited for what rafe has in store for the two of you. it’s been racking on your mind whether you and rafe are dating or not—is this saturday a friend date? or a date for . . . more?

you try to keep your composure when you’re around rafe or lorenzo. aria and elara are the only ones you’ve expressed your feelings to about the weekend. they both agree it’s a date date but suggest not to overthink it.

you know they’re right but for some reason, the thought of an official date feels so overwhelming.

in the library, you stand in an aisle of books while trying to find one in particular for one of your professors. it’s a recommendation, really, and he suggested yesterday that you bring him a copy from anywhere. you plan on giving it to him before you get ready for the date.

a pair of hands graze the side of your arms that send shivers. you don’t have to look at the person to know that it’s rafe. his scent is all you need.

“hey,” he whispers, appearing by your left side to take a look at the book in your hands. “reading something new?”

you chuckle but shake your head. “i wish. i’d give anything to read this for the first time,” you mutter under your breath as you stare down at the novel. when you look up at him, you add on, “just for my professor.”

you hand it to him because you can tell he wants a look closer. he takes it into his own hands, reading the title aloud, “the time traveler’s wife? what’s it about?”

you glance up at rafe, knowing he might not be up for a long explanation. with a small smile, you keep it brief, “it’s about this guy who time travels and his wife who has to deal with it. it’s really messy, but it’s just about love finding its way back, no matter what.” you shrug lightly, “kinda beautiful actually. one of my favorites.”

rafe raises his eyebrows as he hands the book back to you. “sounds interesting,” he comments. “aria’s still fine with me stealing you for a night right?”

you almost snort laughing. he and aria have this joke where rafe has to ask aria for permission to take you out, like you’re aria’s child. aria gives rafe things like pretend curfews, rules, etc.

“yeah she’s still fine with it,” you tell him. “i think she found her own date for tonight or tomorrow night. i forgot.”

rafe looks surprised. “aria? a date?”

“i know,” you say, and you walk him over to the stairs that leas down to the first floor of the library. “she’s mentioned him here and there for the past week—i don’t know much on the guy. just that he goes here and they met in english.”

rafe connects the dots that aria and the boy met in english, but that they also share an english class. it’s a little slow process but he gets it.

“wait, he’s in our english class?”

“yeah,” you confirm with a laugh. “which still, doesn’t give us much about who it is but he seems nice enough if aria’s going on a date with him.”

when you reach the bottom of the stairs, rafe turns to you, “well i’m gonna go pick enzo up from practice ‘cause he wants to go shopping real quick before he leaves for his lacrosse thing. you’ll be ready by six right?”

“obviously,” you mumble, and rafe chuckles softly, leaning in to press a kiss to your head. he ruffles your hair. “wait, why are you in the library then?”

he shrugs, beginning to walk away. “knew you’d be here.”

his words pierce through your mind. it makes you smile. you look down at your book with a hopeful glint in your eyes before heading to the front desk.

you really had no idea how to dress because rafe refused to tell you where you two were going on a date for days. fortunately before you got ready, you were complaining to rafe that you can’t dress for a place you don’t know about. you managed to get it out of him eventually.

‘ gee okay we’re going to a restaurant. it’s fancy but don’t be nervous. just be pretty ’

a fancy restaurant; so this really is a date date. this could go either really bad or really good depending on the food in there, but thankfully rafe also admitted what kind of restaurant it is.

you’re nervous no matter what rafe tells you to be, given your experience in this kind of environment. you’ve been to some around kildare, but each time just feels different. and this will be your first with rafe. you’re bound to feel tense.

he looks to you once you’re parked in front of the restaurant. “you ready to go?” he asks.

you nod, “ready to eat and drain your wallet.”

he shakes his head with a chuckle, and you’re glad he understands your humor. “you’re stupid,” he says as he gets out of the car, then jogs over to your side to open up your door. “don’t say a thing.”

“you’re such a gentleman,” you comment anyway, and you step out of the car while taking your hand into his. he helps you out before he shuts the door and locks the car, stuffing his keys in his pocket.

he keeps a tight grip on your hand but he squeezes it once. “c’mon,” he murmurs, leading you out of the parking lot.

he leads you into the restaurant where you wait for him to settle all the details about the reservation. you’re led to a table on the second floor. it’s right above the bar on the first floor but it’s right against the railing so you’re able to peek and see who comes in or out, and you especially note that you’re able to see when someone comes up or down the staircase.

you settle in your seats and are given water and their menu to start with, but you and rafe are ready to order your drinks at the very least.

“i’ll give you a few minutes to look over the menu. if you have any questions or need recommendations, feel free to ask,” the woman says with a kind smile before she leaves to come fetch your drinks.

it’s left to you and rafe at the table. you can tell that even he’s a little anxious but he’s putting it aside well.

“i haven’t been to a restaurant in so long,” you try to ease both of yourselves as you look around at all of the people who are just settling in, leaving, or staying for their next meal. “where did you find out about this one?”

“just around the corner from the new café, i’m surprised you didn’t notice,” he says, in which you scrunch your nose at. you honestly have no sense of surroundings that you didn’t catch it before.

“i’m glad you asked me to come,” you tell him after a few moments, and rafe widely grins at you as he nods.

“c’mere,” he whispers as he reaches his hand out on top of the table. you can’t help the smile on your face when you take your hand into his, though your gaze trails up briefly to who walked up the stairs and appeared behind rafe.

“—y/n?”

it takes you a moment but your eyes widen when you realize who’s standing there beside their own date—“aria?” you say back.

rafe furrows his eyebrows in confusion at you, turning around in his seat to see if aria really is there too. he’s dumbfounded to find that you aren’t kidding.

aria can read the expression on your face and her own falls, realizing the mistake she’s made. she’s interrupting you two.

aria is silent as she and her date get led to a table beside you, as per aria’s request so it’s easier to talk to you. when they’re seated, aria holds her purse in her lap and leans toward you.

“i didn’t know you were coming here for your date!” aria whispers, and you can tell she’s in a panic, “i’m so sorry!”

you look to rafe and stare at him with a look that can only tell him that you know this is a bad thing. really? there goes your alone time.

“we can make this a double-date!” her date suggests. aria looks to him, then at rafe with an unapologetic expression. “i’m reggie!”

“reggie—?” you question as you look to aria for help.

“you didn’t tell me your roommate was here, ari,” reggie says to her as he unfolds the napkin and places it on his lap happily.

aria is clearly bothered by the so that as she slowly unfolds her own napkin. “yeah ‘cause i didn’t know, if it wasn’t already obvious enough,” she grits through her teeth. she leans forward to speak to reggie directly, “maybe we go look for another restaurant?”

reggie shakes his head, “but we’ve already made our reservation here and we’re seated! what’s the harm?” he looks to you and rafe. “you guys wouldn’t mind a double, would you now?”

rafe’s gaze is already on you when you face him. you know that this reggie guy is off to a bad start so far, and sitting beside them of all people is going to be difficult. respectfully, you guys are supposed to be having this night together, not with them.

“guess not,” rafe says with a smile, though you can tell he’s upset. the server comes back with your drinks and you sit quietly while she places them in front of you both. “thank you.”

“thanks,” you mutter, then take the glass of water and begin downing it gulp by gulp. rafe eyes you carefully when he’s going for just a sip of his water. even aria, reggie, and the server are watching too.

you set your glass down and press a hand to your stomach, feeling off about this whole thing. you should’ve talked with aria earlier to discuss where each date is going to take place so stuff like this can be avoided.

regardless, you and rafe order and decide to converse with aria and reggie while you’re there anyway. it’s agreeable that it’s strange to be there at the same time on the same day at the same place, but there was a light joke thrown in that suggests they all become friends from then on.

“hey, you’re roommates with lorenzo agosta, right?” reggie asks rafe. the blond boy only gives a silent nod in response. “i’ve been to some of his games, he’s pretty good! his girlfriend is that little uh . . . elena?”

“elara,” rafe says as he looks over the railing to see if their waitress has come to bring their food to them yet. “they’re not really boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“oh,” reggie notes with a nod. “so that was some debate between you two.”

you feel exhausted just hearing him. he yaps so much—does he like the sound of his own voice this bad or something?

but you remember what he’s talking about. right; he’s in your class.

“yeah,” you reply dryly. “all in good fun.”

“never thought i’d see this pairing outside of that class after that,” he says, and he’s referring to you and rafe. “let alone on a date.”

aria gulps down her drink as she raises her hand, “check!”

reggie looks at her with his mouth gaped open, “already—?”

“—yep!”

you eat your food in silence as reggie goes on about school. you and rafe are sharing glances with each other constantly, seeming unable to find a moment together that it’s actually irritating.

aria seems tired of her date too. whether or not she’s into the fact that he’s . . . very social, she must think that the time to be social isn’t for a time like this. you can tell she’s embarrassed as she picks at her food.

at some point, aria actually stands up and clears her throat, announcing, “i need to go find a restroom, i’m not feeling too hot.”

she walks over to the hallway just a few tables down, and she disappears without a word.

rafe wipes his mouth with his napkin and stands up, alerting the two of you, “me too. i’m gonna get some air.”

“in a bathroom?” you ask him.

“in a bathroom,” he confirms, leaving his seat to use the men’s restroom. you watch the path he takes until you can’t see him anymore. guess they really can’t take it.

it’s silence amongst you and reggie when you look back at him. he’s seemed to quiet down, and his energy is depleted after watching them excuse themselves. even his own date.

you collect a piece of your food on your fork and slowly lean forward to bring it into your mouth, then chew, contemplating if going in the restroom next will be the best choice, even if it means hurting reggie.

suddenly he twitches, turning to you to reach over to your hand, which you feel like yanking away immediately, but you just stare at him in bewilderment.

“hey i’m sorry if i’ve been talking everyone’s ear off.” his tone is different, it’s serious, and his expression is too. “i didn’t realize how badly i could be bothering you and rafe since this is your date after all.”

you blink twice. acknowledgement? coming from him? this is the first. you try to continue staying unbothered as you reach for your drink.

“not the best at making friends,” he says with a slight chuckle. “and you just make me nervous i guess.”

you stop the flow of the drink as you stare forward. you gulp down what’s remaining in your mouth before setting the glass down, looking at him.

“nervous?” you ask him.

“you’re just pretty,” he says, and you slowly pull your hand away from him. “i’ve seen you in our english class.”

you feel off about this whole thing. “okay,” you mutter under your breath, but he grabs a handful of the table cloth.

you’re stunned at the aggression within him, and your hand instinctively reaches up to grab the table cloth to pull it down as much as you can so he doesn’t damage the restaurants property.

when he sees your hand within view again, he takes it instead, with force, “you can’t be sitting here with a guy like rafe cameron—i mean, what’s the appeal?” he snorts, “he doesn’t know how gifted you are. you’re at the top of all our classes.”

our classes?

“he can’t handle someone like you, he can’t satisfy you.”

you lean forward, staring at him directly. “get. the fuck. off of me,” you say through your teeth, but he keeps a firm grip.

“i’ve had my eye on you since the first day of school. he doesn’t know anything about you.”

“and you do?” you ask, and knowing that he said that must mean he knows a good deal about you, at least. it’s fucking creepy. who is this guy? “let go of me,” you tell him.

suddenly it’s so fast that you don’t see it coming.

rafe dashes across the floor and finds you, but rips reggie’s hand away from your wrist in one action. reggie seems to be raising his hands in surrender when he knows he’s caught, but rafe keeps two handfuls of reggie’s collar.

he’s heated, and you look to the side to find that aria is standing at the end of the hallway, devastated at the turnout of the two dates.

she realizes she should do something so she finds you quickly, and you get out of your chair to hold her hands. she checks your wrists for any marks.

“did he hurt you?” aria keeps asking in a panic, and you just watch as rafe handles reggie.

“i just held her wrist man, i just held her—” reggie is trying to say before rafe throws him to the ground.

he turns to you and aria, reaching his hand out.

you stare at his hand, then back at him, then take it. aria is connected with your other hand as rafe leads the two of you all the way down the stairs, then to the front of the restaurant.

“go outside, alright? i’m gonna pay the check,” rafe says in a hurry, and he reaches deep in his pockets for his keys, fumbling with them as he passes them to you. “go in the car already, okay? i’ll meet you there. aria, let reggie pay your check. just stay in the car.”

“okay,” you mumble as rafe leans in to press a kiss to your head before he leaves to call a server over, so you take aria’s hand and rush to where you remember rafe’s car is.

aria is in a fit, crying as you and her run across the seat, “i’m so sorry y/n! i didn’t think he was like that!”

“it’s fine aria, just c’mon,” you tell her as you open the door of the truck, scooting inside and urging her to come in with you in the backseat. “up, up, up.”

she has to hold onto the car door and the seat, lifting herself up and into the spot next to you. she shuts the door behind her.

you refrain from crying when aria begins to face her mistakes from that night. but you can’t blame her for choosing the wrong guy; it’s not like she knew before today that he is the way he is.

rafe soon joins you in the car and doesn’t question why you’re in the backseat with aria. he’s quick to start the car and go back home.

you stare at aria sound asleep in someone’s bed. it took a bit to get there, but all her crying stopped after the constant reassurance for half an hour. guess sleep got to her fast.

your arms are crossed but you rub the side of your arm as you look around the dorm.

“she’ll be safe,” a girl says from behind you. you turn around, finding one of aria’s friends there. you’re grateful to have already met aria’s other friends earlier in the year so you can have her fall asleep in her dorm room tonight. “i promise.”

“thanks for this, i really do appreciate it,” you tell her. “tell her to text me when she wakes up?”

“of course, goodnight,” she says, and you return it, slowly making your way out of the dorm so you can let her sleep too. you blow off some steam from this past night, and you begin walking to your dorm.

the memories replay in your head again and again. ‘ i’ve seen you in our english class . . . ’

where else have you seen me?

“hey,” a voice calls to you from across the hall. you’re startled by it ripping you away from your thoughts, but you look up to find rafe standing in his doorframe. you walk over to him immediately, clinging to him like a magnet once you’ve touched his skin.

you wrap your arms around his torso and press your ear to his chest, so he frowns, his arms coming around to embrace you.

“stay the night in my room,” rafe whispers, his hand coming up to rub his thumb against the top of your head. “enzo’s not in there tonight. he’s away for a tournament.”

you don’t even need to think about what’s best for you. you know what is.

“okay,” you say, because it’s him.

“do you wanna talk about it?” he asks you as he climbs onto his bed with you. you’re sitting up with your legs crossed, kind of just staring out.

“i don’t know,” you say, and he gets underneath the blanket. “no.”

he only sighs as he grabs an end of the blanket and pulls it over you at the very least. he lays his head down on his pillow and keeps his arm wrapped around your waist for comfort.

he closes his eyes. “do you want me to turn off the light?” he questions, referring to his lamp that he’s keeping on since you’re still awake. he can’t tell when you’ll lay down to fall asleep either.

“does it bother you if it’s on?”

he shrugs, “not if you want it on.”

you think about it for a moment, grateful that he’ll fall asleep with his light on if it helps you. “i can turn it off,” you volunteer, and he adjusts his head on his pillow as you reach over to his nightstand. “you have your nightlight anyway.”

you’re referring to the plug-in in the wall across the room. you don’t know whether it’s rafes or lorenzos, but it’s amusing to know that one of them need it to say the least.

“stop,” he whispers. “goodnight.”

it brings a smile on your face as you turn off the lamp and get under the sheets. you can’t see much, but you can make out some things with the nightlight on behind you.

you face rafe and lay your head on the pillow carefully, though you can’t sleep yet. you’re just watching him doze off on his own.

“goodnight,” you whisper back.

you close your eyes and try to keep tonight out of your thoughts—at least the positive bits. rafe surprising you at the library just because he knew you would be there, his constant load of messages of him expressing how excited he was for the date, the tugging at him so he’d admit where you two were going, even when rafe was handling reggie for you.

reggie. his name and face are burned in your mind.

you don’t feel yourself fall asleep until you’re mid-dream. the events of the night replay twice for you, but this time, rafe isn’t here to save you.

reggie’s reaching for your hand, gripping it, pulling it. you hear his laughter like an echo. he’s grinning at you, but there’s something uncanny about him this time. the way he’s looking at you.

you receive the stalker feeling from reggie, it is loud and clear. he’s been watching you since the first day of school and you didn’t even know it—what times has he been around to see you without you noticing?

your eyes snap open and you realize you’ve been crying as you sleep. you whine softly as you reach up to touch your cheek. your fingers get wet immediately, and you blink out the tears that have been building up most recently.

rafe feels your movement while he’s half-asleep, but he wakes himself up enough to open his eyes and breathe in a great deal of air as he checks up on you.

his hand on your arm becomes more focused, and you can tell he’s awake.

“are you okay?” he asks you, not thinking much of it until he reaches up to touch your face, and he instantly reacts to the tears streaming down your face. “y/n?” he reaches up and over you to turn his lamp on. when he looks down at you, he sees the state you’re in.

you don’t even mean to be crying but now that it’s here, it’s like you just can’t make it stop. you choke out a few sobs when there’s no point in hiding it anymore. “i had a nightmare,” you manage to get out in between.

rafe’s heart clenches at the sound of you, and he pulls you closer to him, wanting to offer whatever comfort he can. “c’mere,” he says quietly, “it’s okay, i’m here. and i’m not going anywhere. you’re safe with me.”

his words only make you cry harder, grateful that he’s willing to open his arms willingly for you. “it was reggie,” you tell him about your nightmare. “we were back the restaurant and he was trying to grab me again but it was so . . . aggressive and scary and . . .”

rafe listens to your words. he remembers the way reggie was with you tonight. rafe pulls you tighter against his chest, his hand rubbing soothing circles on your back. “hey, it’s okay.”

you want to just go to sleep peacefully, to forget about the guy, but your mind won’t allow it. you assume it’s because you didn’t properly process any of it before. you were so keen on making sure aria was okay that you set your own feelings aside.

“i just wanna sleep,” you mumble, wiping your eyes with your wrist.

he wants nothing more than to take away all your pain and worries. he looks at you, his eyes soft, and gently tilts your chin up to look at him. “you can sleep,” he says, “i’ll be here for you y/n. always.”

you look up at rafe and stare into his eyes, feeling his sense of care. all you want is him, to take your mind off of it. it’s a different method than usual to distract you, but it’s also used as a way to tell him thank you.

you lean in to press your lips against his.

rafe's heart flutters as he closes hie eyes, his hand reaching out to gently cup the side of your face. he deepens the kiss, running his tongue along your bottom lip before pulling back.

his breath is fanning over your lips as he looks down at you. he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers tracing the shape of your face. “you know, i’ve been thinking,” he begins, his voice barely above a whisper.

“maybe we should just . . . forget about everything else for tonight. just you and me, okay?” he says, his eyes searching yours for understanding and agreement.

at his words, you want nothing more than him right now. you lean in for another kiss but this time, it’s hungrier. there’s more desire.

he catches your lips on his and his hand coming up to cradle the back of your head as he rolls onto his back, pulling you on top of him.

you sit up briefly to pull your shirt over your head, then lean back down to connect your lips with his again, your legs tangled with his. he kisses you softly, sweetly, his hands roaming over your back and sides.

rafe pulls back slightly, his lips still brushing against yours as he whispers, “i want you so bad, but only if you’re sure. i don’t want to rush anything.”

“i’m sure,” you promise him. “i need to get my mind off of this.”

with a nod from you, rafe moves his hands to your hips, helping you move to straddle him as he shifts so that he’s leaning back against the headboard. he leans in to kiss you again, his hands moving to your breasts, his thumbs brushing over your nipples.

“fuck,” you hiss at the contact.

“god, you’re so beautiful,” rafe breathes, breaking the kiss to bury his face in your chest. he takes one of your nipples into his mouth, his hands squeezing and massaging the other breast. he sucks hard, his teeth grazing against the sensitive peak. you lean your head back on your shoulders.

rafe releases your nipple with a pop, his eyes locked on yours as he moves to the other breast, giving it the same treatment. he looks up at you, his face flushed, his lips swollen from kissing you. “tell me what you need,” he whispers, his breath hot against your skin.

your hands come up to cup his face, and your thumb traces his lips as you kiss him again, biting down on his lip softly, then pulling away. “i need you rafe,” you tell him.

“you have me,” he whispers.

you lift your hips up briefly so he’s able to pull his sweats and his boxers off together, and he kicks them off to the edge of the bed. you lower yourself down on his cock without putting it in yet, dragging your clothed cunt back and forth against him. all that’s separating you two is your underwear.

“fuck,” he groans, leaning back against the headboard again, his eyes fluttering shut at the feeling of your wetness through the thin fabric of your underwear. he can feel himself already dripping with pre-cum, and you haven’t even fully touched him yet.

“please,” you whisper against his lips like you’re begging for him to be inside of you already. you’re rocking your hips back and forth against the underside of his cock. you’re ready for him.

“you’re such a fucking tease,” rafe groans, reaching down to pull your panties to the side, “fuck, you’re wet too," he adds as he rubs the head of his cock against your entrance, teasing you back.

he finally relents, pushing inside of you slowly, watching as your eyes flutter shut and your mouth drops open in pleasure. “you feel so good,” he says.

"you’re so tight, mmhf, and wet—god, it’s like you were made for me,” he grunts, picking up a steady rhythm, sliding his cock in and out of your wet cunt while you moan.

he flips the two of you so you’re on your back with him hovering on top of you. he easily lifts your legs and lays them over his shoulders, making you gasp at the new sensation as he pushes inside of you deeper. “is this how you want it?”

you’re a moaning mess but you bite down on your lip to keep them all from coming out. “just like that rafe, please,” you whimper, savoring the feeling of his cock repeatedly pushing in and out of you at a steady pace.

“fuck, look at you,” he groans, his hands gripping your thighs tightly as he pounds into you, “so pretty and fucked out, just lying there and taking it.” he leans forward, burying his face in your neck as he fucks you harder.

you cry out at the new pace, and you wrap your arm around his neck to pull him closer.

his teeth sink into your neck as he fucks you even harder, the headboard slamming against the wall with each thrust. “you're mine, all mine, and i’m gonna fucking ruin you for anyone else.”

you feel yourself about to cum within the next minute, and you’re clinging to the feeling with everything you have. it feels too good to lose grip on.

rafe takes the opportunity to pull out before you do, and he lowers himself down to be eye-level with your pussy. he dives right in, his lips around your clit as his fingers toy at your entrance before slipping in. he wants you to cum from his mouth.

your mouth gapes open at the feeling of his long fingers being able to slide into your pussy with ease.

he smirks up at you, two fingers curled to hit that right spot inside of you as his tongue works your clit, determined to make you cum harder than ever before.

he sucks harder on your clit, his fingers thrusting into you even faster until you finally release.

he moans as he tastes you, fingers still pumping into you softly as you ride out the aftershocks, his tongue easing the intensity. “such a good girl for me,” he praises.

he keeps his fingers inside you, holding you through the aftershocks, his thumb pressing against your clit to keep the pleasure going as he looks up at you with a satisfied smile, “let’s get you cleaned up so you can go to sleep y/n.”

you realize he’s only made you cum, but not him. “wait, what? already? what about you?”

he shakes his head as he gets off of the bed. “it’s not about me angel,” he tells you. “plus, you look fucked out and satisfied. that sight is more than enough for me.”

before he goes to grab some tissues you assume, you reach for him and grab his wrist to stop him. he looks down at you, in which you tell him, “but i want to.”

he pauses and looks at you, a look of surprise flicking across his face as he looks down at you, probably not expecting you offering him a blowjob just to make him cum. then again, after the orgasm he just gave you, perhaps he shouldn't be so surprised.

“please.” you tug on his arm to get him to come back to bed with you. “lay down,” you murmur.

he smiles at you, a little bit amused before nodding and pulling his wrist out of your grip. he crawls back onto the bed, lying down so that his head is on the pillow while looking at you expectantly.

you watch him move, your heart racing in a mix of arousal and excitement. he can see the flush spreading on your cheeks as you inch closer to him. he could only smile at you, realizing that despite your bold act earlier, it’s still taking its toll on your nerves.

you take a look at his cock in front of you. it’s big, and it’s pulsating for you. you slowly move forward and press your lips to the tip first. he sucks in a breath. he could feel you moving forward slowly, taking him into your mouth inch by inch and it’s making his head spin.

you try not to gag at the feeling of him filling your mouth. you wrap your hand around his base and pump him as you suck. using your tongue, you swirl it around his tip.

after a bit, your mouth quickly leaves his cock and sucks at the tip of his ballsack instead. you suck on them one by one.

he moans at the sensation, his hand reaching down between his legs to tangle into your hair. he whispers his approval, letting you continue with what you’re doing. his brain overloaded with pleasure it’s hard to form any words or even sentences. he’s completely at your mercy.

you take that as approval to continue and spend a minute or two lavishing attention on his balls—licking, sucking, and worshipping them. then you go back to his cock, kissing your way back up before taking him back into your mouth, faster and deeper now.

he lets out a string of incoherent words and sounds as you do. his fingers tighten in your hair as he struggles to keep himself from thrusting forward and choking you. he’s so close already, and you’re not even halfway through your technique.

the vibrations from your humming send him over the edge. he starts thrusting forward, fucking your mouth with no regard for your comfort or safety. he’s too far gone, lost in the pleasure you’re providing him.

he starts to cum, his cock throbbing as he shoots load after load down your throat. he tightens his grip on your hair as he bucks his hips up against your mouth, keeping you there as he cums, groaning.

you swallow everything he gives you, never breaking eye contact with him until he’s spent and still. he collapses back onto the mattress, a heavy panting escaping his lips as he tries to recover from that orgasm. he’s never felt so spent right after sex before. he looks down at you, his body going weak again at the sight of you still there.

you smile, satisfied, content even, as you look up at him with half lidded eyes. “was that okay?” you ask softly.

“fuck, that was amazing,” he gasps out, trying to catch his breath. he watches as you go to his dresser to retrieve the box of tissues he keeps, and you make your way back to him.

you hand a tissue to him, but he just pulls you closer to press his lips against yours, needing to feel you again. there’s a slight blush on your cheeks as you pull away.

rafe is tired, but he’s staring at you like he’s in a daze, “you're going to be the death of me, i swear.”

sobbing omg that was all so fast paced

@sublimepenguinpeach-blog @lalalalala33 @darkcolorexpert @babyflockaaaa @lifeofleasaasa @ilyrafe @mkiverd @wxn-drlst @maybankslover @xxbirkindoll2 @chiliwhore @wearemadeofstardust0 @thepopcultureaddict @mounthings @ijustwanttoreadlols @karmasloverrr @lilithblackkk @drewsdirtyslut @rafesno1bae @mfdoomdickrider @pillowprincess4him @lanascokedeal3r @evilsturniolos

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's MCs: The Ultimate Crash Course Masterlist (NOTE: List is subject to frequent updates)

REPOSTING BECAUSE I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE OLD ONE WHEN I WAS MEANING TO EDIT IT!!!!

Inspired by the MC Masterlists made by @aria-ashryver and @rosesnink. This list will include a brief rundown of each of my MCs, listed in alphabetical order by book/series. A link to each MC's profile will be provided if said profile exists. Or, at the very least, a link to an image of the MC's sprite will be provided.

Notes:

Some books will have multiple MCs that I make for them. And some books won't have any MCs. And some MCs will be incomplete WIPs.

MCs deemed as more "complete" or "official" characters– meaning, I have a committed appearance and enough details for them– will have their titles in the "Quote" text font.

MCs where the link only shows a sprite image will be marked with 🖼️

MCs where the link is to a brief crash course profile will be marked with 📄

MCs where the link is to a very detailed and extensive profile will be maked with 📕

For a masterlist more focused on the specific couples I have, see here.

Anthology Profiles: AKA Singular Profile Braindump Posts for the Series that go through different MCs (eg. HSS, ILS, Untameable, RWB)

[WIP] High School Story Franchise, Series 1: Jordan Price (Prime), Evie Ayana (OG Trilogy), Cher Lee (Class Act)

[WIP] Hollywood U/Red Carpet Diaries

It Lives Anthology, Series 1: Jo Hunter (Woods), Harper Addison Vance-Fisher (Beneath), Cedric Zhao (Within)

Untameable/Unbridled Anthology

With Benefits Anthology

Across The Void: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the book twice, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Either Sol, Zekei, or Meridian

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Across The Void: Jax Elara

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the book twice, but not with this official MC

Birthday: August 27, whatever year this story takes place in.

Gender: Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Caucasian/White Cyber

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Kepler

Endgame LI Headcanon: Kepler

Additional Notes: [Pending]

All Of Us (His Story + Her Story)

Unfortunately a fair amount of the assets look AI generated, so I'm probably not going to play either versions of this. PB did these ones dirty.

Along Came Treble

I haven't played it yet, but it doesn't seem interesting enough for me to make a MC for. But hey, maybe that opinion will change.

Alpha: Charlie [Last Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Haven't played yet

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Caucasian/White

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Channing Lowe (Female, East Asian)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Channing, Lupe, and Kala

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Alpha: Tallulah [Last Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Haven't played yet

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Indian (Brown/Hispanic sprite)

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Channing Lowe (male, race pending)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Asher

Additional Notes: [Pending]

America's Most Eligible: Jamie MacLeod-Noor 🖼️

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the series once, but not with this official MC

Birthday: July 14, 1993 (approximately 24-25 by the start of the story

Gender: Genderqueer Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Indian-Scottish (Brown/Hispanic sprite)

Sexuality: Bi with a male preference

In-Game LI Pursued: Either Adam McIntyre/Handsome Stranger, Derek Taylor, or Jen Espinoza; possibly only to dump them at the wedding for Slater Dominguez

Endgame LI Headcanon: She actually ditches her fiancee at the altar to marry her true love Carson Stewart, while maybe also having a queerplatonic relationship with Jen Espinoza and Wrenn

Additional Notes: Takes on a "villain" persona in the game

America's Most Eligible: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the series once, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Man [he/him]

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Either MacKenzie Harris (race pending) or Jen Espinoza

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Takes on a "flirt" persona in the game

A Very Scandalous Proposal

This story was a mess and the book bored the shit out of me. Next.

Baby Bump: Jayden Cassidy 🖼️

Book Playthrough Status: I've completed a playthrough recently, but not using my official MC

Birthday: March 16, 1994 (approximately 26-27 in the story's timeline)

Gender: Genderfluid Bigender (she/her/he/him)

Ethnicity: [Pending] (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Bi

In-Game LI Pursued: Myra Dixon

Endgame LI Headcanon: Myra Dixon

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Bachelorette Party: [Name Still Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Completed

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: East Asian

Sexuality: Heteroflexible

In-Game LI Pursued: Reed Hanson, Ash Tanaka, and Aisha Bhatt

Endgame LI Headcanon: Mostly still pending, but she does start a queerplatonic relationship with Aisha

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Big Sky Country

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

The Billionaire's Baby: Alyssa Larson

Book Playthrough Status: Completed.

Birthday: Who the fuck cares

Gender: Cis woman (she/hers)

Ethnicity: IDFK White I guess

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Cole Stone (Native American version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Ignore what the canon says. She and Cole break up by the end of the book.

Additional Notes: This book is ranked in fourth place on my permanent choices shitlist. I've made this MC for the sole purpose of having a headcanon where the baby gets rescued from these awful people and then adopted by Evie and Aiden (baby's name is still pending). However, I do have some ideas for what could have been for this book, so I might end up making a MC for an AU based around those ideas. We'll see.

Bitten

AI generated cover. Pass.

Blades of Light and Shadow: Rosette

Book Playthrough Status: I've played Book 1 twice, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Human, intraspecies race pending

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Imtura, will maybe have some relationship with Valax too

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Blades of Light and Shadow: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played Book 1 twice, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (he/him)

Ethnicity: Blueish-Green Orc

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Either Mal or Tyril, most likely Mal. Maybe a little bit of relationship with Aerin too.

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Bloodbound: Jasmine Yin 🖼️

Book Playthrough Status: Just started a playthrough for this MC

Birthday: February 26, 1988 (approximately 30 in the story's timeline)

Gender: Trans Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Chinese American

Sexuality: This is Bloodbound. You already know the answer to that.

In-Game LI Pursued: Adrian Raines (white version), Jax Matsuo, Kamilah Sayeed, possibly Lily Spencer too.

Endgame LI Headcanon: All of them. Who I choose to have her be closest with in the game and in headcanons is still pending.

Additional Notes: Jax died in my playthrough, this may or may not change when I do an official Jasmine playthrough. I might also change it in my headcanons such that Adrian is the one who sacrifices himself for MC because why were only Jax and Lily eligible for that? Stupid.

Crimes of Passion: Rosalie Rose

Book Playthrough Status: I've played Book 1 once, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: [Pending]

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: Bi

In-Game LI Pursued: [Pending]

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Haha I chose a rose-based name as the first name to the MC with the default last name Rose. Eye think eye am funni

The Crown and The Flame

The MCs in this book are not customizable in any way.

A Courtesan of Rome

I liked this book, but I don't have a lot of ideas for a MC. Maybe that will change.

The Cursed Heart: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played Book 1 once, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: East Asian (East Asian sprite) (Specific ethnicity pending)

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Kieran (female version, race still pending)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Kieran

Additional Notes: [Pending]

The Deadliest Game

This books seems like such a breath of fresh air. But I'm also just hesitant to play the stories that have blatant use of AI generated content. Seriously, the cover is just grotesque.

Desire and Decorum

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Dirty Little Secrets: Dick Ryder 📄

Book Playthrough Status: Currently in progress

Birthday: June 9, 1993 (approximately 30 in the story's timeline)

Gender: Genderqueer Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Korean (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Peg King (Hispanic Charlotte King)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Marries Peg King and becomes the proud (step)-father to Yvette. Thereby making him a DILF.

Additional Notes: His former name is "Gabriel Cho". He's trained in acting and an aspiring pornstar. Once he did get a job at a porn studio, but it quickly went to shit. Let's just say, they didn't respect his sexual boundaries/preferences. After getting the fuck outta dodge, he took on the name "Dick Ryder" in order to own his sexuality. "Peg King" on the other hand is her original name tho (or is it...).

Distant Shores

I wanted to like this one. Maybe I'll like it more when I give it a replay.

The Duchess Affair

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book. It's definitely gonna be sapphic.

The Elementalists: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Haven't played it yet

Birthday: Born in the year 2000 (approximately 18 in the story's timeline)

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Either Griffin or Beckett

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Endless Summer: Emilia Harris

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the series once, but not quite with this official MC

Birthday: [pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: I might have her romance Jake McKenzie for a bit

Endgame LI Headcanon: I think she'd like Jake McKenzie, but not enough for a committed romance. Her true love is Raj Bhandarkar, who absolutely should be a LI. But it won't last because I'm probably gonna choose the Vaanu ending for her.

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Endless Summer: BJ Kingsley

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the series once, but not quite with this official MC

Birthday: [pending]

Gender: Cis Man (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Estela Montoya

Endgame LI Headcanon: He becomes handfasted with Estela, and they likely stay together because he chooses either the Endless or the Rourke ending.

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Filthy Rich

This book is clearly just Untameable: Billionaire Edition. And I'm sure I've already made it very clear how much I hate Untameable. Also it almost certainly has an AI-generated cover.

First Comes Love

This book is ranked in second place on my permanent choices shitlist. But I might also wanna make a MC for the sole purpose of making a headcanon where she and Blake break up MC is disowned by all her friends for being a FemCeL while Rebecca is welcomed into the friends group. We'll see.

Foreign Affairs

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

The Freshman Series: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Haven't played it yet

Birthday: Born in 1998 (approximately 18 at the start of the story)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: East Asian

Sexuality: Bi

In-Game LI Pursued: [Pending]

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Getaway Girls

I'm looking forward to playing this one and making the MC for it. But I don't have a lot of ideas. So I'm gonna play the book first and then come up with the MC as I go along.

The Ghost of Us

I wanna make an official MC of this book solely so I can make Ghost (1990) references. But I can't decide whether to base her off of Molly Jensen or Oda Mae Brown. I decided to mix up the names and consider "Molly Brown" and "Oda Mae Jensen" as my options, and the masses seem to favor the latter.

Guarded

This book looks like it's just Witness and RCD made a baby. I might play it, but I have zero interest in making a MC for it. Or maybe I'll make a male MC. We'll see.

Guinevere

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book. Probably gonna have male Arthur and female Lancelot tho.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played this about 4 times, but none of which have this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: Bi

In-Game LI Pursued: Eleanor Waverly (but I might have her flirt with Victor a bit too)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Eleanor Waverly

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Hearts on Fire

This book's actual premise was such a disappointment. Of fucking course we have to be a newbie firefighter and of fucking course the LI is our boss and of fucking course the LI saves the MC. I might still play a mlw route though. Then again, those bomber jackets might have been AI generated.

The Heist: Monaco: Otto

Book Playthrough Status: Currently in progress

Birthday: July 27, 1994 (approximately 25 during the story's timeline)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman

Ethnicity: Indian (Brown/Hispanic Sprite)

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Possibly Rye

Endgame LI Headcanon: She has very intense hate sex with Ansel Crane, but who she has as an actual official lover is still pending. It might be Rye.

Additional Notes: The name "Otto" is a cover name. She picked it because she loves the movie "A Fish Called Wanda" and Otto is her favorite character from that movie. Her real name is classified. Also she's Evie's estranged Aunt on her mom's side.

The Heist Monaco: Bill

Book Playthrough Status: Waiting for Otto's playthrough to be completed first

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Man

Ethnicity: East Asian-European

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Eris Huang

Endgame LI Headcanon: Eris Huang

Additional Notes: The name "Bill" is a cover name. His real name is classified.

Hero: [Official Name and Superhero Name Both Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the book once, but not with this MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/hers)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: She likes both Grayson Prescott and Kenji Katsaros, but will probably mainly pursue Grayson

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: She has a huge special interest in MHA, and will probably pick her superhero name based off of All Might.

High School Story Prime Mobile Game: Jordan Price

Game Playthrough Status: Currently in progress. I might restart with an APK modded version in order for a more complete and thorough playthrough (some quests got nerfed after the shutdown in August 2022 + the game would probably be much better to play with infinite rings mod). As of now I'm kinda just following the book club that the HSS Prime subreddit is doing and using the plot summaries and question prompts to build Jorda

Birthday: April 21, 1998 (approximately 14 at the start of the game)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman

Ethnicity: Black-Indian

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Has a relationship with a prep boy named Daniel

Endgame LI Headcanon: Her relationship with Daniel does not last, as he eventually moves away. She gets with Julian Castillo during the OG HSS Trilogy timeline.

Additional Notes: Part of the "Nerd" clique.

High School Story OG Trilogy: Evie Ayana 📕 (My main flagship MC! <3 )

Book Playthrough Status: Multiple playthroughs completed, with possibly more pending to help flesh out her character better.

Birthday: March 8, 2001 (approximately 16-17 during the OG HSS story and 17-18 during HSS:CA)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Indian with some European and possibly Turkish heritage (Brown/Hispanic sprite)

Sexuality: Bi with a male preference

In-Game LI Pursued: Aiden Zhou

Endgame LI Headcanon: Marries Aiden Zhou post series, they have an open marriage.

Additional Notes: Jock in all three books; Is fairly experienced at football, very experienced at basketball, and a newbie to baseball. She is also very experienced in running.

High School Story OG Trilogy: Alan Parke

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but at least one more playthrough is needed.

Birthday: May 20, 2001 (approximately 16-17 during the OG HSS story and 17-18 during HSS:CA)

Gender: GNC Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: East Asian-European (Caucasian sprite)

Sexuality: Heteroflexible Sexually + Heteroromantic

In-Game LI Pursued: Currently having him romance Emma Hawkins, but I also plan to do a Maria route for him at some point. I'll figure out who he has the most chemistry with.

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Cheerleader in all three books; has been doing cheer, dance, and gymnastics from a very young age.

High School Story OG Trilogy: Violet Jones

Book Playthrough Status: Waiting for current playthrough to finish

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Black/African-American

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Michael Harrison

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Jock in all three books, but she's very inexperienced with sports. I'm considering the idea of her being a guitarist but I'm not sure.

High School Story OG Trilogy: Samara Al Hakim

Book Playthrough Status: Currently in-progress.

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Lebanese (Caucasian sprite)

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Caleb Mitchell

Endgame LI Headcanon: I'll probably have her and Caleb get married

Additional Notes: Jock in all three books, but she's inexperienced in most of it. Her athletic talents lie primarily in wrestling. Also her romance with Caleb is a slow burn. `

High School Story: Class Act: Cher Lee

Book Playthrough Status: A playthrough has been done for her, but a more focused one is still pending.

Birthday: January 12, 2004

Gender: Gender-Creative Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: White European

Sexuality: Bi-curious wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Ajay Bhandari

Endgame LI Headcanon: She and Ajay Bhandari might break up at some point during her sophomore year, but then might also reunite years later older and wiser and get married.

Additional Notes: Her twin brother is named Bear Lee, and he is a trans man (he/him).

High School Story: Class Act: [Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Waiting until Cher's playthrough is completed.

Birthday: January 12, 2004

Gender: Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: I hope to try routes for both Rory Silva (female version, race still pending) and Skye Crandall.

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Twin sister's name is still pending.

Hollywood U Mobile Game: Bailey [Last Name Pending]

Game Playthrough Status: On indefinite hiatus, due to the game's shutdown in August 2022. At some point, I hope to try one of those APK modded versions.

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: [Pending]

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: [Pending]

In-Game LI Pursued: [Pending]

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Home for the Holidays

I liked this book, but I don't have a lot of ideas for my MC's character. I might return to this after a replay.

Hot Couture

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Hot Shot

100% sure that cover is AI generated. Also I have a feeling that the "I don't want to play books that use AI generated content" is gonna bite me in the ass one way or another.

Immortal Desires: Sam [Last Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the book once, but I have yet to do an official playthrough for it

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Male (he/him)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: This is a vampire story in Choices. What do you think his sexuality is?

In-Game LI Pursued: Gabriela Adalhard (Native American version) and Cassie Harlow (Black version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: He and Gabe and Cas have a three-way relationship with each other

Additional Notes: Naming the MC "Sam" in the book with "Desire" in the title is pure coincidence, I assure you. I just really like the name Sam.

It Lives in the Woods: Jo Hunter 📄

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, and a second playthrough is currently in progress.

Birthday: April 22, 1999 (18 during the ILITW timeline, approximately 21-22 during the ILB and ILW timelines)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/hers)

Ethnicity: Chinese (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Lucas Thomas, but I'm currently doing an Andy route. In both the Lucas and Andy routes, she does flirt with both of them and Connor Green as well.

Endgame LI Headcanon: Marries Lucas Thomas, but I might eventually change it into a three-way relationship that includes Andy Kang

Additional Notes: She and all of her friends survive Redfield/Jane's game. She chooses to let Noah become the monster.

It Lives Beneath: Harper Addison Vance-Fisher 📄

Book Playthrough Status: Completed

Birthday: July 12, 1998 (approximately 19 during the ILITW timeline, 21-22 during the ILB timeline, and 22 during the ILW timeline)

Gender: Genderfluid Demigirl (she/her/they/them, but is sometimes okay with he/him)

Ethnicity: Still pending (Brown/Hispanic sprite), though I headcanon she has some Jewish/Hebrew heritage and her step-dad is Jewish/Hebrew

Sexuality: Bi-curious wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Mainly Tom Sato, but they also feel attraction for Parker Shaw and Imogen Wescott

Endgame LI Headcanon: She and Tom Sato eventually move in together and become the proud parents of the giant teddy bear named Boo-Boo that she won for Tom

Additional Notes: She and all of her friends and her grandpa all survive by the end.

It Lives Within Fanproject: Cedric Zhao 📄*

*(Has a brief crash-course profile, but it's more of a placeholder that might need revising later)

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but a couple of other playthroughs are pending

Birthday: October 4 (unsure about the year and age, I'll have to review the ILW timeline later)

Gender: GNC Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Chinese (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Heteroflexible and Polyamorous

In-Game LI Pursued: Jocelyn Wu, but I plan to do a playthrough where he romances Amalia de Leon

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: He takes on a mostly genuine personality with a side of sarcasm. He mainly follows the Blood route, having some interest in learning the source of his power, but ultimately wanting to live his normal life. In my first playthrough, he got stabbed by Mattyass and died, but I hope to get a better outcome for him in a replay.

Kindred

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Kiss of Death

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Laws of Attraction: Anjali [Last Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: I've played the series once, but not with this official MC

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Indian (Brown/Hispanic sprite)

Sexuality: Bi with a male preference

In-Game LI Pursued: She likes both Gabe Ricci (East Asian version) and Aislinn Tanaka, and Joaquin Morales

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: [Pending]

LoveHacks

I liked this story, but I wasn't quite invested in it enough to make a MC for it. Maybe when I give it a replay, I'll make a MC for it.

Most Wanted

The MCs in this book are not customizable in any way.

Mother of the Year

I liked this story a lot, but I'm currently still way too indecisive about the names and appearance I want for the MC and her daughter.

Ms. Match

I did not care enough for this book to make an official MC for it. Though I will say, the highlight of this story was that I named my MC "Perfect Match" for the sole purpose of eventually hearing someone say the title of the movie in the movie. Sure enough, I got that wish fulfilled around Ch 11-12. If I really really feel like it, I'll make a profile for this MC for the sole purpose of having that moment be part of my personal canon.

Murder at Homecoming: Peggy Stone

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but needs a more focused replay

Birthday: September 14, 2005 (approximately 17 during the story's timeline)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Black/African-American

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Tyler Woods (white version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: She marries Tyler Woods years later

Additional Notes: I might change "Valentine" to a different name in my headcanons.

My Two First Loves

This book is... well, it's not quite on my Choices shitlist, but it still annoyed me enough that I do not want to make a MC for it. Even when replaying it with a book pass, it was just gruelling to get through. Or maybe I might make a MC, for the sole purpose of pairing her off with Ava, pretending Mason and Noah get together as endgame, and then Ava breaks up with her. We'll see.

The Nanny Affair: Eh IDC

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but it might be fun to do one more playthrough

Birthday: February 2, 1991 (approximately 29-30 during the story's timeline)

Gender: Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Still pending (but uses the brown/Hispanic sprite)

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Samuel Dalton (white version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: [Pending]

Additional Notes: Yeah this is a very unserious MC creation. TNA is more of a guilty pleasure "fun bad" kind of series for me. But it also has a weird special place in my heart because Book 1 is the second ever Choices book I started and the first ever Choices book I completed.

Nightbound

This book was alright, but I wasn't quite invested enough in it to make a MC for it. Maybe that will change if and when I replay it. We'll see.

Open Heart

Update 06/26/2024: I'm currently playing the series, having finished Book 1 recently (I have played the first book years back, but it's been a long time since). I indeed am having way too much fun naming my MC "Martha Jones" to make an actual MC. But I did like Book 1, so maybe after I finish my playthrough, I'll make an actual official MC for it. She'll be a Bryce and Raf romancer.

Passport to Romance

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Perfect Match

I like this series a lot, and I want to have one female MC and one male MC for it. However, I'm short on ideas. I'll flesh out their profiles more after I do their playthroughs.

The Phantom Agent: Jane Bond

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but needs a replay

Birthday: [Pending]

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: [Pending]

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Agent Callum "Booty Galore" Grey (Indian version), but she also likes Rowan Salazar (male version), and she really likes the hookup options Nurse Lou Bellrose and Alexis Reid (both male)

Endgame LI Headcanon: I want to say all four of the aforementioned LIs/hookups, but unfortunately, Rowan and Alexis die in the story. I might rewrite that.

Additional Notes: I have a moral obligation to make this MC as James Bond as possible, the story is literally a PB take on James Bond.

Platinum

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Plus One

AI generated assets. Pass.

The Princess Swap

I liked this book, but it doesn't really have much going for it for one to make their own MCs from. But I might decide otherwise after a replay.

Queen B

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Red Carpet Diaries

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Ride or Die: Adelaide "Addi" Zhou

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but I might do a replay or two

Birthday: Pending, but it's sometime in the year 2001, somewhere between March and May (she's 18 during the story's timeline)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman (she/her)

Ethnicity: Is at least half-Chinese (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Colt Kaneko

Endgame LI Headcanon: Her relationship with Colt is only a brief fling. What becomes of her love life after that is still pending.

Additional Notes: She became salutatorian in my playthrough. But I might try to see if I can get any different outcomes for her.

Rising Tides

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Roommates With Benefits: Atticus St. James

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but not with this specific MC

Birthday: October 28, 2003 (approximately 19-20 during the story's timeline)

Gender: Genderqueer Cis man (he/him)

Ethnicity: European (Caucasian/White sprite)

Sexuality: mlw

In-Game LI Pursued: Drew Young (White Female)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Drew Young

Additional Notes: Honestly I found this book rather mid. But I just couldn't resist the chance to un-genderlock it myself because this has no reason to be genderlocked.

Rivals With Benefits

I'm tempted to play this one and even make an official MC for it, if only for the purpose of hearing MC constantly refer to m!LI as "Omega". But male Riley's CG clearly uses AI. Where are his nipples??????

The Royal Masquerade

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

The Royal Romance: Lew [Last Name Pending]

Book Playthrough Status: Currently in progress and on indefinite hiatus

Birthday: February 2, 1991 (approximately 26 at the start of the story)

Gender: GNC Cis Woman

Ethnicity: Indian (South Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Liam Rys (Asian version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Liam Rys

Additional Notes: Her original last name was "Asshunter", just for funsies. But I plan to change it because unlike TNA, this is likely to be a series that I will genuinely care about (up until TRH anyways)

Rules of Engagement

I wasn't quite invested in this book enough to make my own MC for it.

Save the Date

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Ship of Dreams

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Shipwrecked: Aoto Aiuchi

Book Playthrough Status: Completed, but not quite with this specific MC

Birthday: January 15, 1996 (approximately 26 in the story's timeline)

Gender: Genderqueer Cis Man (he/him)

Ethnicity: Japanese (East Asian sprite)

Sexuality: Greysexual Straight

In-Game LI Pursued: Manu Nakeli (Female Pacific Islander version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: Manu Nakeli

Additional Notes: [Pending]

Slow Burn

This book was disappointing. But if I really feel like it, I might make a MC for it anyway.

Sunkissed

I have yet to play this. Not sure I'll make a MC for it, because last time I tried to play it, I got bored to death and quit after five chapters.

Surrender

This is the worst choices series ever. First place on my permanent choices shitlist. I might make a MC for it later though, if only to have her smash Reagan's face in with a lead strap-on chainsaw that ejaculates liquid radioactive waste.

Terror Fest

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book. I feel like I'll like it.

The Unexpected Heiress

I liked this one the first time I started playing it. I'm looking forward to starting this one again and making the MC for it. But I don't have a lot of ideas. So I'm gonna play the book first and then come up with the MC as I go along.

Untameable

This book is ranked in third place on my permanent choices shitlist. But I might also wanna make a MC for the sole purpose of bitchslapping Austin. Then again, that would be a lot more effort than this boring ass book deserves.

Unbridled

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Veil of Secrets

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

Wake the Dead

I had mixed feelings about this book. But I still want to make a MC for it. But I don't have a lot of ideas. I'll give the book a replay before I make a MC.

Wishful Thinking

I have yet to play this. I'll make a MC for it based on how much I like the book.

With Every Heartbeat: Sage Amin

Book Playthrough Status: Complete

Birthday: April 21, 2001 (approximately 18-19 throughout the story)

Gender: GNC? Cis Woman

Ethnicity: Black-Indian (Black/African-American sprite)

Sexuality: wlm

In-Game LI Pursued: Dakota Winchester (Male Asian version)

Endgame LI Headcanon: She and Dakota do not end up together for, uh, obvious reasons. Whether or not she will end up with a new partner is still pending.

Additional Notes: She goes to Grantmore University by the end of the story.

Witness: A Bodyguard Romance

Hahhahahhahhhahhahahhahahhahahahhaha what the fuck were the writers smoking when they wrote this book

Okay tbh I didn't mind this book too much the second time around, but it didn't invest me enough to want to make any MC for it. Maybe I'll make a male MC + female Cassian.

Wolf Bride

This book was too mid for me to make a MC for.

[lilyharvord]

The Chain (Part 11)

Hello Darlings, it’s been a long time coming, but here is the next part of The Chain. (: Please know that there is a little bit of forcing in this chapter to make things work, but its called a plot hole, not a plot no (((: Also, she is nice and long for you guys since it has been sometime since she got some TLC. 

I’ve got two words for you all: Time Travel.

Main concept: Two love struck idiots get sent back to a pretty UGH time period in their lives (that required me to reread all the books again) and have to hide the fact that they know everything. Stupidity ensues.

Enjoy

Find the rest of the fic here: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10

tag list:  @delilahlbard, @king-maven-calore, @thatoddgirl777, @elliekratzzz, @evangelineartemiasamos, @evangeline-of-montfort, @scxrletguardsdawn, @freaky-freiday, @petergrantkavinsky, @kuwei, @whatsup-gorls, @katiemoore,  @redqueenetwork, @tranquil-dusk (I’m trying to add you but for some reason it wont @... the same problem happens with @thatoddgirl777 and I have no idea how to fix it)

(/Mare/)

The barge glides through the murky water of the river and beyond the polished silver railing I rest my hand on, the shore of the Stilts rolls by like a faded oil painting. Ahead of me, hanging over the water, is an old tree Bree once dared me to crawl out on. The branches skim the water like skeletal fingers. I curl my own fingers around the railing in response to the memory of Bree’s laugh. I hope I get to hear it again, echoing in my parent’s town home. 

           The footsteps behind me are too light to be Cal. Even with all the work he has done to learn subterfuge, he is still a large human being. He’ll never be very good at sneaking up on anyone. I force an inhale when warm air washes over my side though. 

           Maven rests his forearms on the railing to watch the Stilts with me, his jaw tight and his eyes dark. I didn’t see him earlier today before we cast off, and I made sure he had no reason to speak with me now. I left nothing in those cells when I rescued Farley, not even a dusting of blood for Elara to use against me. Whatever he has come to discuss, it will define every point from now until the end.

           “Have you heard of the chess move known as the King’s Snare?” His voice is softer than I thought it would be, given how hard the planes of his face are.

           I glance at him warily, chewing on a response. I don’t want to talk to him about chess. I know he’s a master of it, that in all the years they played, Cal never beat him. Cal, the future general and war strategist who could throw together a plan in minutes with nothing but a handful of Reds, Ardents, and Silvers, never beat the boy before me. I don’t know why I think I have a hope of beat him or Elara.

           “No. I don’t play chess.” I murmur letting the wind shift the loose hairs hanging by my cheeks. It plays in his curls too, tussling them like a loving hand.

           The corner of his lips quirk up in a ghost of a smile before he turns to face me. He doesn’t flinch from my gaze, but that smile does fall. Pressing off the railing to stand at his full height, he tilts his head to the side as if in thought. “It’s a complex maneuver, and requires turns upon turns of preparation. It is the only strategy you can play once you initiate it. In each step, you make it appear as if you are losing. You let your opponent think they have won, and in the final step of preparation, you let your queen be taken and your king be cornered in a check mate.”

He shrugs before looking back onto the bank. His eyes sweep along the shacks on their tottering stilts. “Then, you take the opposing king with the only piece you have left. A pawn.”

           I raise a brow at it before saying, “sounds complicated. I don’t have the patience for playing the long game, and I especially don’t like playing with people’s lives like they are pieces in my game.”

           A fire lights in his eyes as he drags them over me, his expression hardening again. “I’m not so sure that’s the truth.”

           His words are a warning in and of themselves. Squaring my shoulders to him and stabbing my nails into my palms, I purse my lips in a line to swallow my retort. We stand in a stalemate for a moment before he reaches a finger out to let a strand of my hair curl around it. His expression crumbles for just a moment before that mask slides up and hides the wounded boy underneath.

           “Let’s not play this game Mare.” He bows his head and his lips almost ghost over my brow. I turn my head to the side to avoid the touch.

           “I just told you I’m not playing games.”

           His chuckle is humorless. With a quick step he closes the space between us completely and I have to crane my neck to meet his eye. 

           “You’re still useful to me and mother, but Cal has overstayed his welcome by a few years. His whole life actually, if I’m being perfectly honest.”

           No more dancing around it then, we are going full in with the truth. I twist my lips to the side, letting my sneer finally grace my features. “If you think for one second I’m going to let you two get away with what you did a second time, you’re wrong.”

           “Even if it means you lose everything you have coming?” He asks me that as if he actually cares. It makes me reel back while he smiles like a wolf. “We know Mare, and while it’s adorable watching you attempt to play against us, you played your final card last night.”

           My lightning dances on my fingertips. What I wouldn’t give for Tyton’s brain lightning, so that I could turn Maven’s insides into jelly and leave him on this deck before going after Elara. I should have ended all of this weeks ago. I could have, I know that for a fact. 

           “I haven’t played any of my cards yet.” I warm Maven with a raised chin. I let the mask of Mareena disappear and I let him see Mare Barrow, the girl who bested two kings, the woman who has seen more than enough front lines, and who was born in a storm on top of a mountain. She has been broken and put back together so many times that she knows every piece of herself better than she ever did before. She thrives in storms and turns them to her will like this boy turns words to his.

           “You haven’t seen anything Maven. Don’t for one second think you have cornered me.” My lips curl into a small smile as I look him over with a critical eye. “Besides, while you’re playing chess, I am playing another game entirely.”

           A muscle in his jaw flutters when I speak, and his eyes darken further.

           Pressing to my toes, I let my next words caress his lips like a kiss. “And if you two do know everything, I’m surprised you haven’t removed any and all letter openers from my reach while we’ve been together.”

           His face pales in a flush, and the air around us climbs in temperature so quickly beads of sweat begin to prickle on my brow. Ignoring the monster I’ve obviously poked awake, I set my hand on his chest right above his pounding heart and drop my eyes to his lips before looking back up to meet those icy blue eyes.

           “And as for your mother, I think I killed her too quickly the first time.”

           His tongue darts across his teeth for a second before disappearing as his lips pull back in a sneer. There is a flash of something akin to uncertainty in his eyes though. A thrill rushes through me. She didn’t tell him that part, and she might have even kept his own death from him. Interesting.

           Sliding back away from him and dropping my hand, I take in his flittering emotions he desperately tries to keep under control. I can’t image what is passing through his mind. If Elara didn’t tell him about their deaths, what else has she kept from him? It might be worth it to poke a little more and find out.

           Even as the thought of prying him open and exposing his hollow insides thrills me, I can’t help thinking of how he spent hours near my bedside after Samson had turned me inside out and left me a bleeding corpse. Nor can I ignore that once upon a time, a part of him had loved me.

           “Oh Maven,” I breathe, my chest aching once more as I look him over. “You could have been something wonderful if you had been anyone else’s.”

           His inhale is sharp, and the heat around us vanishes as he sucks it in to fuel the furnace of his emotions. The next words that leave me are as much a truth as they are a weapon that I use against him.

           “I might have loved you too, you know. I might have been happy with you.”

           His entire body goes taut like a rubber band pulled too tight. I can’t imagine what those words have done to him, I know what they do to me. They relive the ache and chase away the cold bite from the autumn breeze that cuts through my loose shirt. I have known for years that he would never truly leave me, that I will always love him in a strange way. But seeing all of this, and discovering that even when I might have had a chance to save him, there was no chance so long as Elara loved him too.

           “The game is beginning. Line up your pieces if you want to play chess.” I murmur to him before stepping around him and heading for the viewing deck. I pause long enough to glance at him over my shoulder though and say, “but just know, it’s hard to beat an opponent that knows every move you will make.”

(/Cal/)

           Mare finds me between meetings. Her dark hair is swept up in an elaborate hairstyle she picks at nervously, drawing strands out to frame her face. Glancing over my shoulder at the remainder of the council as they pass, I pause before her long enough to say colorlessly, “Is something wrong Lady Titanos?”

           The few sets of eyes that watch us look away with shrugs. Their ears are probably still tuned in, but as far as they are concerned, she is probably looking for Maven and happened to find me first.

           “Farley made contact. The Hexaprin Theater just like before.”

           She’s been gone most of the day with Maven, making appearances and smiling like the dutiful princess she is. I’m not sure how Farley could have possibly made contact with her during all of that, but it’s a relief she didn’t contact Maven first. Meanwhile, I’ve been locked up in Whitefire. My father has hardly let me out of his sight, which I suppose should be understandable. The attempt on my life shook him to his core. Even though I push back, insisting they wouldn’t try again, he refuses to let me leave the castle walls. I don’t know how I will get out to join Mare in this endeavor like she wants with the Sentinels that trail me almost everywhere I go. I guess it now truly understand how Mare felt during her time with us. I don’t blame her for constantly being irritable now. 

Still, my brow rises as the name of the theater. I know it well. When I was younger Julian used to take me to plays and tried to pique my interest in the art form. I had squirmed in my seat the whole time, eager to get out of the dark space and run outside. He gave up once I turned ten, realizing I didn’t have much love for the arts. I knew it saddened him, that he had hoped I shared the same soft spot for them that my mother did. 

My chest tightens at the thought of my uncle. I got him out of Archeon earlier than before, helping him and Sara smuggle away in the dead of night after he got Farley and Kilorn out of the cells. I sent him to Montfort with instructions to speak with Dane Davidson as soon as possible. To try and get him in contact with Guard. There’s no telling if they made it. I can only hope they managed to cross the border.

“It’ll be tough for me to get out.”

“This will only work if you come with me.” Mare insists, her eyes darting past my elbow to the doors of the council chamber. I know who she’s looking for, but she won’t find him.

“He’s seeing to something with his mother.” I instruct, even as I glance around just to be certain. Only a servant passes in a flutter of skirts. She curtsies to me and Mare before hurrying along, obviously loath to be around us any longer than necessary.

“The bloodbase.” Mare’s voice drops to a worried waver as she sets her hand on her pocket. I know she has the book hidden in the pocket of her jacket, the one Julian gifted her with the name of every Ardent he found within Norta’s borders. She sleeps with it under her pillow, her fingers curled around the faded cover as if Maven will creep into her room at night and steal it away.

Shaking my head, I grab her elbow and pull her into an alcove when I hear the sound of more steps approaching. I squeeze into the space between the pillars with her until our bodies almost have to become one to fit. Her hands rest on my chest as she evens out her breathing, recognizing a hiding place when she sees it.

A group of nobles pass us, Osanos and Iral judging by the colors of their clothes. I purse my lips and wait until they leave the hall to look back down at her and whisper. “I took care of it. I printed out all their names and wiped them from the database. They’re safe.”

“Unless Maven is already going after them.” Mare mutters bitterly.

“He hasn’t. I checked last known whereabouts too. Everyone is accounted for.”

“People lie on those stupid records Cal.”

“Not when you’re the first person in years to click on the page.” I let my lips curl into a knowing smile. She can think I’m stupid and hardheaded all she wants, but I do know my way around my own world. “There is a clicker at the bottom of each record to indicate the last time it was opened. I am the first one to look at them in years. You can’t lie to that program.”

           She expels a breath, before look up at me through her lashes. “You’re too stubborn for your own good. We’re meddling too much now.”

           “At this point, does it really matter?” I ask, repeating words I spoke to Julian in the dead of night when he questioned my decision to send him to Ascendent.

           Her lips draw into a tight line that pales her already painted lips. “No.” She agrees before sliding out of the alcove so I can follow her.

           When we step into the light, I watch the shifting sunbeams as they cut across her face. She crosses her arms before looking down the hallway and saying, “We need to get into the afternoon showing. Can you do that?”

           I grimace thinking about my father and the hawk like eyes he has kept on me recently. “It’ll be difficult, but nothing I can’t handle.”

           “Do you want to rehearse with me?” She teases, eyes lighting with laughter when she notices how I chew on my lower lip.

           “I think I’ll tell my father that I’ve decided Evangeline can take a long walk off a short pier and that I much prefer you and I plan to make heirs with you as soon as we enter than theater box.”

           Her eye widen and a blush paints her cheeks. It’s so ferocious the makeup almost can’t hide it. It makes me chuckle before reaching a hand out to cup her jaw and stroke a thumb along that warm puddle of red staining her skin. “Kidding love. Although I think that he’ll be so surprised and horrified that he lets me go just to see if I’m serious.”

           “Mess up my nice skirts Tiberias and I will take your hands for it.” She snorts before pulling away and throwing a smirk over her shoulder. “Get us tickets to the show and be there with me. Also, it might be a good idea to assign Walsh to a... different part of Whitefire.”

           I grimace, remembering the last time I saw her foaming at the mouth while I tried to close her throat to keep the poison from spreading. I sent her for Mare, trusted her with the secret that I met a Red girl in the Stilts and cared. Regardless of what Mare might have thought of me before when that moment passed, I did care. A part of me had been horrified to watch the light leave Walsh’s eyes.

           “I’ll make sure of it.” I whisper.

(/Mare/)

           The theater darkens, and I sink back into my chair, keeping an eye on the Sentinels standing in the doorway. They are here to protect Cal. Allowances had to be made so that he could leave Whitefire, but its an allowance that may cost us our meeting with Farley. There are more of them than before, but they’re simply a hinderance, one that will have to be dealt with at some point very soon.

           Honestly, Maven and Elara trying to kill him has simply become an annoyance now. If they hadn’t, it would be so much easier to sneak around with Cal.

           “They have to go.” I murmur, letting my eyes flint to them as I edge a little closer to the railing of the box and glance over it into the crowd below.

           With a quick nod, Cal leans back in his seat. Before Maven gave the secretary that came with us a mischievous smile and quick order to get rid of our tail. Cal can do no such thing without raising suspicion. It’s already gotten out that I am the one that shouted his name and stopped the bleeding during the Sun Shooting long enough for Sara Skonos to get to him and save him. But Cal spread a faster rumor behind it, his words burning like wildfire through the High Houses, erasing the rumor I know Elara started about us. My shout hadn’t been in fear according to his account, it had sounded like nerves. Maybe I’d lost Maven in the crowd and gotten overwhelmed by the proceedings, and when I had seen Cal I called to him for help. Because of that, I had been close enough to stop the bleeding when the gun went off.

           I had been shocked at the lie he told with an abandon to his father and the court, and how well he crafted it on a moment’s notice. Perhaps he needed to stop spending so much time around Dane. I had noticed that crafty man spending a suspicious amount of time trying to craft Cal into a better Statesman in the recent years.

           “Sentinel Osanos, if you could take the others into the antechamber.” He nods over his shoulder to the small sitting room attached to the box. “I doubt you and the others have any interest in this show and your presence is unfortunately ruining Lady Mareena’s first impressions of it too.”

           “I have my orders, sir.” The Sentinel warns, his eyes darting between the two of us.

           “I can handle anything that comes.” Cal lets his lips quirk into an arrogant smile. I haven’t seen it in a long time, but it’s one of the few soldiers masks in his arsenal. It still makes my stomach flutter. “Besides, Lady Mareena has proven herself quite capable of saving my life if need be.”

           Osanos debates it for a very long second as the murmurs below us quiet and the curtain rustles with the start of the performance. During that second, my heart pounds. I don’t dare look up at the grating above out heads where I know Will Whistle will appear.

           “Of course, Your Highness.” The Sentinel bows his head and then nods to bring the others with him into the room. The door clicks shut, and the lock engages. I grab Cal’s hand and squeeze it in silent praise, before glancing at him side on.

           “Impressive.”

           His smile falls as he looks away from the door and forward again. “We’ll have to be silent. We’re lucky my father didn’t send an Eagrie with us.”

           Unfolding from his position in the chair to relax further, he turns his hand over to lace his fingers with mine. The touch sends waves of reassurance through me. Now we just have to keep him hidden long enough that Will doesn’t recognize him and gets us to Farley. After that, I’m not quite sure what we will do.

           “Farley won’t let you on the Undertrain without a fight.” I murmur, glancing at our joined hands. He sweeps his thumb along my skin in a soothing motion even as his eyes stay forward on the stage as it comes to life.

Gentle touches in the dark, so very like how our relationship started. It almost makes me snicker. I suppose things never really did change between us.

He doesn’t reply to my comment, but I know he’s thinking about it all the same. His palm heats with his frustration, but he doesn’t show it on his face.

I let my eyes wander to the stage where I finally get a look at the play I never watched before. Brightly colored costumes dance across the stage and I tilt my head to look at them, trying to understand the story. “We never went to any of the plays in Ascendent.” I murmur to him.

There were plenty of playhouses, and I know for a fact Julian got us tickets to one he loved. We never got the chance to go, but now I wish we had.

“I’ve never been a fan of theater.” He chuckles and finally turns to look at me. He traded his finer regalia for a more toned down jacket and black shirt today. With the aid of the darkness, I can almost imagine we are in Ascendent, that it’s just another weekend and we decided to do something we’ve never done.

“Then when you annoy me, I am going to drag you to shows when we get back and tie you to a chair so you can’t leave.” I say with a smirk.

The ceiling panel above our heads slides away, and his eyes dart up at the same time as mine. We’re both accustomed to how the Guard functions. The sudden disappearance of the tile doesn’t surprise him like it did Maven.

“Show time.” I whisper to him before dropping his hand and stepping on the seat of my chair. Grasping the edge of the hole I haul myself up into the darkness. When I glance down to help him though, he is already half-way into the crawl space with me. The panel slides into place as soon as Cal vanishes in the shadows. I wait half a second for Will to sound an alarm to notice that I don’t have the right prince with me.

He does no such thing, simply speaks into the darkness the same words he did before. “Be quick and quiet. I’ll take you from here.”

I reach for Cal’s wrist in the dark and grip it tightly with a reassuring squeeze. Will turns and begins to climb through the space, not waiting for us to follow.

“Watch your head,” I instruct as I skirt the edge of the ceiling panel. “It gets low in a few places.”

Cal grunts in understanding but follows at a pace that surprises me. It was a tight squeeze for Maven, so I don’t really know how Cal manages but he does. I’m sure he has Farley’s work with him to thank for that. He crawled through enough sewer tunnels and drains with us while we were at the Notch after all. I’m sure while I was locked away with Maven he was doing the same thing too.

The sounds of the play overhead mask our movements as we drop down ladders and steps and through little trapdoors. Cal only smacks his head once, and I flip around to grab his head to check for blood when he curses soundly in the dark. I grimace when I feel the nasty knot already taking shape on his forehead near his hairline. That will have to be explained away when we get back, but we really truly don’t have time to assess it too much. Will sets grueling pace, and Cal practically shoves me forward when the Whistle almost disappears around a turn.  

It takes only minutes for us to drop into the access tunnels that connect to the Undertrain platform. The damp chill of the space presses through my thin jacket and pants, reminding me of the march we did into Archeon to save Cal and everyone from the Lakelander invasion. Cal drops lightly down behind me though, and instantly the space warms and the memory fades. It’s still too dark to see his features clearly which is only to our advantage. I can’t have Will trying to stop us now.

That cover does not last long though. The platform is haunted by a lone torch, and when Will turns around with a sharp smile, ready to bask in our surprise, his eyes widen as he takes in Cal behind me. I set my hand on Cal’s chest in response, trying to push him back into the shadows while I light my hand with lightning.

Will never gets a chance to act though, the furious screech of the Undertrain as it rushes into the station shakes the walls and announces Farley’s arrival. As it coasts to a stop in front of us, Will spins to the doors and waves his arms while trying to shout over the screeching of the brakes to give a signal to not stop. The train grinds to a halt though, and the doors still open to spill more light onto the platform.

Farley unfolds from the chair like a spring let loose. Her hand flies to the gun at her hip, and I spin to face her with my lightning at the same time. Even with my ears ringing from the sound of the brakes engaging, I can hear the click of her turning the safety off as she draws the gun.

“Farley—” I try to shout, but Cal beats me to speaking, his voice a dangerous warning echoing in the tunnel as he glares Farley down.

“Diana, stop.”

He would have gotten the same reaction if he burned her alive. Farley’s eyes widen at the usage of her birthname, and her fingers wavers on the trigger long enough for me to speak.

“He’s with us.” I urge as I drop my hand, but I don’t dismiss the lightning bouncing between my fingers like webbing. It’s my own warning to her. She knows what I can do, and like her, I don’t miss anymore.

Her laugh is unexpected, and I almost jump at the sharp bite of it. She keeps the gun raised, but her fingers slides from the trigger to rest alongside the barrel. It’s the only sign she is still listening to us. “The little prince was right. He’s whispered his way into your head.”

“The only ones whispering into anyone’s heads is Maven and Elara .” Cal speaks quietly, his eyes scanning the track and the platform for any more Scarlet Guard operatives. There are none to be seen though.

Farley tilts her head to the side, her eyes narrowing to diamond colored slits. Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t pull the trigger or even move her finger in the direction of it.

I expel a slow sigh of relief and take a step forward. I can feel the burn of electricity in the train, screaming like an upset toddler to be released. Gritting my teeth against the heachache forming because of it, I murmur, “you trusted me to get you out of that cell, trust me in this Farley. Hear us out.”

Her eyes moves past my shoulder to Cal who staggers his stance to move in either direction if he has to avoid her bullet. Her jaw ticks, and the electricity reaches an all time high pitch that stands my hairs on end. I haven’t felt anything like it weeks, not since the shield during Queenstrial exploded around me and tried to contain me.

“Make your decision, the Undertrain won’t wait.” I grimace as I reach up to press my fingers to my temple where the ache is strongest. If she notices my use of the train’s name, she doesn’t say anything.

Cal takes a step forward, stealing ground, only for Farley train that gun on him again and rest her finger on the trigger. 

“Not another step, Your Highness.” She squeezes gently, putting enough pressure on that trigger that even the slightest movment on her part will fire the gun. I side step to put myself in front of Cal should she overestimate her abilities, but Cal simply pushes me to the side again.

With quick movements he unclasps the bracelets around his wrists and holds them up to the light for Farley to see. “Incentive,” he murmurs before tossing them in her direction. She lowers the gun to catch them one handed, almost dropping them due to their weight. I inch forward, my hand extended for them in surprise. I trust Cal to make a tactical decision, but he just threw his own tactical advantage five feet away from him.

The metal bands glint dully in the odd florescent lights of the Undertrain, but Farley glances down at them, unimpressed. With a quirked brow she raises the gun again, although its much more hesitant this time.

“I’m nothing without them.” Cal instructs while he sweeps his arms out from his sides as if to accentuate his point. “Keep them until we finish talking if it pleases you. But we do have to talk.”

“I know.” Farley reasons, her eyes narrowing before darting between the two of us. Even if I didn’t know her as well as I do, I could see the distrust and unease in her eyes. I can’t imagine what Maven has told her, but I know that he hasn’t spoken to her since before the Sun Shooting. It is our only advantage right now, that and the fact that Julian and I were the ones to get her and Kilorn out of the cells below the palace. It doesn’t hurt either that by the time we got down to the cells, the king was more concerned with his son almost dying than the rebels trapped in the cell before him. There had been no time for the interrogation that I know almost cost Farley her arm. She got off easy, too easy, because of us.

Whatever battle she is fighting with herself ends, and she steps to the side to let us pass.

(////)

Narcery is more disheveled than I remember. Perhaps it’s because I’ve already seen most of it repaired and turned into a decent city again years from now. Or maybe it’s because I’ve truly forgotten how downtrodden the world was before we began to right it. Either way, it’s hard not to grimace as we slink through the streets toward the café Farley stomps toward.

The Reds in the doorwards gasp and whisper as Cal passes, and I reach down to grip his hand. None of them are New Blood that I know of, but if someone gets it in their head to finish was Farley started, they won’t make it more than two steps.

He gives me a reassuring squeeze as we pass through the crumbling doorway of the café and into the dimly lit space. In his little booth, Kilorn practically almost leaps to his feet, his eyes wide while his hand flies to the gun on his belt.

“Stand down.” Farley orders smoothly, earning a frown from my friend. He doesn’t immediately listen, but his fingers eventually relax and drop back to his side. I release the tension in my shoulders in response. The air in the room shifts with the change in heat and static that Cal and I bring, but the ice in Kilorn’s gaze might as well be tangible too.

“And why haven’t we shot him?” He asks Farley as she drops into the booth.

With a wave of her hand, she dismisses him and glares in our direction. Cal’s bracelets clink against the dusty table as she sets them out in the open. With a tilt of her head, her expression relaxes and the nasty scar cutting through her lip softens. It never ceases to amaze me how young she really was when this all started. We were all still just children, playing games we never should have.

“They want to speak,” she says, her eyes dropping to our entwined hands. “And I have to admit I am curious what excuse Mare will give to explain blowing our entire operation to pieces.”

“We hardly blew it to pieces, you were almost completely successful.” Cal huffs behind me, and I dig my elbow into his side in response. No use pissing off Farley, or enticing her to pull that gun out again. We both know she will too.

Glaring at Cal for his comment, I address the other two sitting in the booth. “Maven gave you Cal’s name, but he was not the original target.”

“No,” Farley agrees, “he wasn’t.”

“It was Ptolemus Samos.” I turn my eyes back to her, and am rewards with a quirked brow, the only sign she is surprised by my knowledge. Kilorn is not as good at hiding his emotions. His brows dart up towards his hair line as he shakes his head in disbelief.

“You missed that meeting, the one where he gave us the original names! He told us that he never told you them... you can’t possibly have known—”

“I know because I’ve already been through that shooting before. You don’t get Ptolemus that time either.” I step forward and leave Cal behind me, safely in the line of my body. If Farley wants to shoot him at any point in time, she’ll have to shoot me first. “The Sun Shooting was a disaster that time, and it was a disaster this time.”

Kilorn blinks at me, confusion sweeping over his face now. Farley is simply more skeptical, and rightfully so. I didn’t exactly explain anything, just created more questions and puzzling conclusions for her.

“What are you getting at Barrow?” She murmurs as her eyes dart to the broken window behind me. I don’t dare look at who might be there. If its Shade, I will never be able to leave these ruins.

“You have to promise to listen to us, to let us explain as quickly as possible.” Cal speaks for me and the heat that rolls off of him washes over me as he steps closer, soothing tense muscles I bunch in preparation to run. His hand presses into my lower back only a second later. “We don’t have much time.”

Farley’s eyes narrow even further as she takes in how we stand next to each other, and how we remain close enough to protect the other at all times. Even if Maven told her that I was slowly teetering toward Cal, our body language suggests a deeper relationship and understanding of each other than could ever be established in a few weeks. Not to mention Cal knew her name, her real name. There’s no way in hell he could have found that out on his own.

“Who are you?” She asks quietly after a moment, earning a worried glance from Kilorn.

My lips curl into a slow smile as I take in her uncertainty. I can’t remember the last time Farley was on the backfoot. She has always been so headstrong and driven, but she reels back now, like a horse seeing a snake under its hooves. “We’ve all met before, and known each other for years.”

“Bullshit.” She says, pushing to her feet and advancing on me. Cal’s fingers curl around my arm to pull me behind him. I stand my ground though and raise my chin as she stand over me.

“How’s your dad? The Colonel? Has that eye healed up yet?” I ask with a quirked brow. Her breathing fluctuates at the mention of him while she stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes dart to Cal as if to assess how much he reacts to my words. He does nothing but glance down at me and drop my arm, catching on to what I’m doing. Farley won’t be bought over with a cute story like what we told Julian and Sara. She will need cold hard evidence, painful evidence if need be.

“It’s kind of cute that you decided your code name would be lamb, since his is ram.” I tilt my head to the side, earning an strangled inhale as she backpaddles. “Even more so given how infuriating he can be for you.”

Her whole face goes red, and tips of her ears tinge pink immediately. Kilorn opens his mouth to say something, thinks better of it, and closes it again. I don’t blame him, the fury in Farley’s eyes is enough to burn me to the ground.

With her lips pressed into a firm line, she presses her shoulders back to stand to her full height. “Are you Command?” She asks stiffly, her eyes roaming over me and settling on Cal when he barks out a dry laugh.

I elbow him again and shoot a glare, but he laughs at my expression. Turning his amusement on Farley, he says, “no. I’m not even on the list of people they would open a position for.”

“We know those in Command though.” I shoot a single spark into Cal’s arm to shut him up, making him snap back and rub the spot.

“I don’t believe you. Its not possible.” Farley growls setting her hand on her gun.

“I would appreciate you not drawing that gun Diana.” Cal warns his amusement dying as fast as my comfort with the situation.

“Who told you my name.”

“I know it from previous experience.”

“Don’t see how that’s possible.” Kilorn grumbles before rising from the booth as well. His eyes dart between the two of us, and as he starts to form his own opinon the curiosity in his eyes bleeds away into brittle resentment.

“Like I said, we’ve known each other for years.” I push past my locked jaw. This is starting to look next to impossible but if we have any hope of saving ourselves from the disaster to come, then we have to get them to listen to us.

“To be more clear, we will know each other for years someday.” I correct my previous statement quietly, letting the words hang in the too heavy air for a few seconds. Farley quirks a brow, realization crossing her features as she starts to put things together. She’s always been quick as a whip, and that works to our advantage.

Right when I think she’s about to say something though, she laughs. Kilorn blinks at her, taking a hesitant step away. I doubt he’s ever heard the sound, but I know it well. It still cracks on the edges the same way it does in the future. Honestly, it always sounds like she never laughs, even though I know for a fact she does that more than anything someday.

“Barrow, I have seen what you can do. And while it turned everything I knew about the world upside down… you cannot expect me to also factor some form of time travel into this whole mess.” She shakes her head, and dismisses me with a wave. Still laughing to herself she sinks down into the booth, and takes to fiddling with Cal’s bracelets. There is a hint of uncertainty behind her eyes though, and I know exactly who and what she is thinking about.

“There are hundreds—thousands like me Farley. You haven’t met all of them yet, but there are abilities far stranger than mine. My brother’s for instance.”

Her expression pulls tight for a heartbeat before she smoothers the emotion. I pull on that line though, and step forward, pointedly ignoring Kilorn who is still gapping like a fish and trying to come to the same conclusion as Farley. “I know he’s alive, and that he’s here with you. He jumps, appearing in different places in seconds. I make lightning. There will be a New Town girl who becomes our friend that can kill you with a thought and silence Silvers in the same way. There are three other Reds just like me in Montfort. There is a girl who can bathe everyone in a bubble of silence so no one outside of it can hear you. Another woman can remember every single thing she reads or that is said to her. Another older woman can change her face to be whoever you need her to be.” My heart squeezes at the memory of all the Ardents I rescued and then sent to their deaths. I promised them safety, security, and then pulled all of that away from them. All because one man told me I had to do it. “Is it so hard to believe then that there is someone years from now who can send people back in time?”

Those diamond eyes snap to me and look me over before Farley’s lips twist into a half sneer. “Your brother is dead Barrow, he was executed for—”

“Farley, please.” I whisper, coming to stand over her. Even sitting she is almost as tall as me, but I channel every ounce of military prowess she tried to teach me as I glare down at her. “If I walk out of this room, I will find him in less than an hour, and you will feel incredibly stupid when I do.”

Her lips pale as she pushes them together, tighter than ever before. Her eyes dance to Cal beyond me again, who has thankfully kept his mouth shut this whole time and has decided to simply sit on the edge of a table to watch us.

“He came with me.” I soften my tone and slowly sink down into the seat opposite her. Her eyes follow me like a rabbit would a wolf. Her fingers are cold when I take them, even with how warm it is in the room. She doesn’t pull away though, and I wonder if somewhere, her future self recognizes my touch. “I need you to trust us. I know how hard that is with everything that has happened, but Farley you have to.”

“Do we win?” She asks the question so quietly, I almost miss it while I’m speaking. Every muscle in body tenses against the truth that wants to escape though. I glance at Cal, wondering if he heard the same thing as me. He simply looks down at his boots, unable to offer any aid.

Swallowing past the rock in my throat, I look down at the table top. It’s dusty and cracked in some places. But it has no answers either. We have already done so much to destroy the path we were supposed to be on, what was one more change? “Yes,” I whisper and her eyes flash bright and wide.

“But we pay may terrible prices for it.” The last part almost doesn’t make it out. Shade’s death tries to claw that statement to ribbons, Archeon burning, and all the people we lost in the Harbor Bay siege and the final Archeon siege weigh heavy against my chest. The silence stretches to the breaking point around us as those memories consume me. I wish I could take back those words, swallow them and refrain from admitting to what I’m sure she suspects. She must read the memories as they pass across my face because her expression softens a hint.

“Its war Barrow,” the Farley I know so well comes to the surface when she switches her grip to grab my hands instead. “I never expected to win for free.”

She narrows her eyes at Cal then, who simply gives her a tight nod she doesn’t return. “I still don’t like you.” She announces a second later. “And I hope I never do.”

“You give me a hard time for years, I promise you that much.” He teases, some of the light returning to his eyes. I crack a weak smile at their banter, even though I ache at the reminder of the future relationship they share. Farley never does let him off the hook, and every chance she has to remind him of his past, she does. I don’t blame her though, she never lets herself get too congenial with anyone.

“We trust him… just like that?” Kilorn tries to burn a hole between Cal’s eyes with his glare. He doesn’t succeed, especially when Cal smirks at him and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He’s the picture of ease, and I know that drives Kilorn insane.

“Relax Kilorn,” I tease, and then beckon Cal over to me. “He knows that if he steps out of line I won’t hesitate to put him back in his place.”

Farley glances between the two of us before saying, “So the second prince wasn’t lying. You two are…”

“In this together.” Cal finishes for her. His eyes narrow at what Maven might have inferred even as he looks down at me for confirmation.

“We don’t have time to get into details,” I add, making room for him in the booth as I lean forward to start drawing a map of Archeon in the dust on the table. “Maven and his mother know what we know. Which means they have been pulling the strings and trying to sabotage any advantage we have. They will not hesitate to wipe the Scarlet Guard off the map this time around.”

“I don’t understand.” Kilorn grumbles and crosses his arms tightly across his chest. “I thought we trusted that prince?”

“Maven is the one we have to worry about.” I finish drawing the bridge and narrow my eyes at the crude drawing. “He was always going to betray us.”

“How?” Farley sneers, obviously not happy with me inferring that she made a mistake in judgement. Maven was her recruit after all. “He’s given us names, information.”

“All fed to him by his mother, who is counting on us tomorrow night staging a coup and failing so that she can murder the king and remove you and any true Scarlet Guard opposition.” I murmur and watch as Farley’s fury melts into horrible understanding. My stomach drops but Cal speaks before I can.

“He’s already spoken with you and made the plan.” His voice is cold, even while the space around us starts to burn with the heat he releases. My own lightning wants to be unleashed as well. It takes more effort than I like to reign it in. I was wrong. He did speak with her, about more than just me and Cal. 

“He said Barrow would try to come to me and change my mind, that I had to know she was in collusion with you and planned to stand by your side when the time came. That she would ultimately betray me.” Farley breathes, her eyes widening. “He said that the coup was the only way we would win, remove you two in one swoop.”

“He and Elara were counting you believing him wholly and me not bringing Cal.” I growl, and swipe my hand through the map on the table to erase it. The plan is useless at this point. Maven already took it and molded it to his needs. I should have never spoken to him on the barge, maybe I should have just continued to pretend I was some stupid girl that didn’t know how to play the game. I may have destroyed any hope we had of beating him and Elara now.

“They also aren’t counting on us having any other plan. Or my support.” Cal murmurs before drawing his own map in the dirt. The angle is far different from what I drew. “They don’t know that I know the future or that I am with you all. They think Mare is the only one.” His finger moves through the dust and Kilorn finally edges closer to see what he draws.

“So we play into their hands.” He murmurs as he glances at me for my support.

“What?” I wheeze as I watch him draw the same offensive we instigated last time. “Cal, if we do that—”

“Then it all goes the way it did before, with the added benefit that when you get captured this time, we can stop Elara. We know what’s coming and we can plan for it.” Cal finishes drawing his map before drawing a second more detailed map of the Whitefire next to it. “This time, we won’t be alone in that room.”

I struggle to keep up with his thought process, trying to determine exactly how he plans to make this work. The only way Farley and the other Scarlet Guard members will make it into that room is in shackles like me. Elara will slaughter us all like pigs then. 

“The tunnels run under Whitefire right?” He asks Farley who hesitates for a second before nodding tersely. He etches a few makeshifts ones into the picture and then sits back to say, “when I take Mare captive for treason, you and a small unit will move through the tunnels and get to the throne room. From there, you wait for a signal Mare and I will give. When that happens, we take Elara and Maven.”

“Bold.” Farley murmurs as she glances over the plan. “And suicidal. We’ll never make it in.”

“You will if I don’t station anyone at a specific entrance. Name it, and I will keep the regiments away from it.” Cal waves his hand over the picture and glances forlornly in my direction. “If it fails, we still go to the Bowl of Bones, but this time we’ll know what to expect.”

My heart pounds in my chest as the memory of the too thin sand shifting beneath my feet almost overtakes me. Even though it is years behind me and days ahead of me, the heat of Cal’s fire trying to catch on the sand still burns my cheeks and my stomach twists at the echoing sound of the bar punching through Arven’s chest.

“In the meantime, you need to evacuate Tuck.” I whisper forcing the bile down as I look up at Farley. She blanches at the command, but I narrow my eyes to silence her. “Elara has seen in my mind. She knows about Tuck, she knows about a number of other Scarlet Guard strongholds like Narcery too. Did you not find it strange that Maven was not afraid to travel to a supposed heavily radiated place?”

She opens her mouth to argue with me, only to shut it like a trap and narrow her eyes. The thought never occurred to her, and I understand why. He probably got on the Undertrain and immediately started spilling honey and poison in her ear until she couldn’t even hear herself think. I can’t blame her for anything, he did the same to me, and I lapped at it like a starving child.

“Where will we go?” Kilorn whispers anxiously, his eyes darting to the street outside, as if a regiment might come marching down it right now. I don’t blame him. My friend is brave, always has been and always will be, but a Silver regiment is no laughing matter to him yet.

Cal stiffens next to me and says, “Irabella is the only safe haven. Mare was never there, but I was.”

“Why—”

“I doesn’t matter.” I interrupt Kilorn, and lean forward to speak again. “You just have to trust us. Tell the Colonel you have reason to believe Tuck and a number of other bases have been compromised. That an informate you have high up in the palace you trust explicitly told you that. The Notch is not safe either.”

Farley’s eyes widen, and it is then I realize that the mention of that safe haven is what finally secures her trust. The Notch was her hiding hole. Not one her father came up with. Command might not have even known about it. If what Cal and I said was true, and we were her allies in the future, she may have taken us there at some point. I wish I would have been smart enough to start with the mention of it. We could have saved time.

“And you need to start finding the others like me.” I whisper, as I pull the book out of my jacket pocket and set it on the table. The cover gleams against the dusty surface of the table, and I almost can’t pull my fingers off of it. The fates of so many reside inside of it. Cameron’s furious expression flashes through my mind as I ordered her taken onto the Blackrun. I will not force her into anything this time though. I only hope I don’t have to rescue her from a prison though.

I slide the book to Farley and trail my fingers off the cover as I whisper, “Maven and Elara might already be on the hunt for the Ardents in here, but I circled the names of the people that we rescued together. He will target them first if he is going after them, so you have to beat him to it.”

She picks up the book gingerly before looking between us and saying, “you mentioned the Bowl of Bones.”

Cal smiles wearily but leans back with the poise of a general to say, “we won’t have to worry about it. We’re going to avoid that point all together.”

Farley’s fears are not soothed by Cal’s confidence, and I can almost see the spikes she wants to drive through his eyes. At least she nods though, agreeing with him for the time being. I can’t even begin to express the relief that courses through me as she puts the book in her own pocket and nods once more.

“Then we will go with your signal.”

[elara-arche]

sideblogs n pronouns n shit

names: elara/taffy/patch/nuisance

art sideblog: @taffy-anon

memes sideblog: @markipliersfoot

pronouns: she/her pretty please!

ko-fi: elara.arche

tiktok: elara.arche

dni: terfs. radfem anything. trans people are absolutely correct and i trust absolutely everything any trans or genderless or questioning person says ever except @katsa-calming because they’re a manipulative bastard with no morals and i love them so fuckin much.

if u ship crankiplier/septiplier ANYTHING gtfo bc in this house we hate anything ending in -iplier. yeah that includes mark /j 

interests: STRANGER THINGS IM SORRY IM A TEENAGE FANGIRL, markiplier (same reason), bo burnham, stormlight archive, gideon the ninth, brennan lee mulligan (and dimension 20 by extension lmao), peaky blinders, doctor who, the Ghoul Boys, 8OOTCDC, taskmaster, anything with richard ayoade or noel fielding in it...

personal stuff tag: nuisance nonsense / Elara says E art tag: ahrt my art tag: my art asks tag: answered things that make me feel things tag: h dave torres tag: dave dave dave dave 

[a-master-procrastinator]

SWTOR player asks, all of them!

All of them?!? Crazy, crazy I say. But hell yeah, I’ll do it! Prepare yourselves, because that’s gonna be a long post.

1-6, 16 and 26 are already answered, so we go to the rest.

7. Which player voice actor is your favorite and your least favorite?

Why? I’m a sucker for voices in games, I can’t choose one. Female Inquisitor is great. Female smuggler is great. Female and male bounty hunter and sith warrior are great. Female agent is great. The rest are good, too. There is only one voice acting I don’t like that much - male consular. Idk, he doesn’t sound right to me.

8. Name your top favorite companions (feel free to include reasons why).

Have I said I can’t choose one alrea… wait, top? I’ll try.

1) all of BH crew (not u Skadge)

2) all of Smuggler crew

3) Kira

4) Scourge

5) Vector

6) Vette

7) Elara

8) Andronikos

9) Khem Val

10) M1-4X

9. How about your least favorite companions?

Skadge, lol (it’s even in my description). Also, Broonmark (I don’t find him interesting), Xalek and Tharan Cedrax (though they are better than the rest in this list).

10. Favorite love interest?

Apparently, someone who has so many toons haven’t gone through even the half of all romances in this game. Of all I’ve tried already, Lana, Theron, Torian and Vette are my faves. Arcann is sweet too, but we get, like, only two cutscenes, so I’m disappointed. DS!Jaesa doesn’t speak to me (it was.. something to explore, but it doesn’t hit my soul). Corso and Andronikos aren’t fully romanced yet, but so far so nice. Also I get the feeling that I’m gonna love Kira, Doc, Akaavi and Vector romances.

11. Which expansions did you like the most, and which ones did you dislike?

KotFE is definitely my favorite expansion. The way the cutscenes are made, great new (and not so new) characters, returning companions, confrontation with Valkorion in your mind, discussions about fate and the Force, family drama in space, chapter 14 (yes, the whole chapter is a separate reason), MUSIC (I’m a big fan of Star Wars music) - I love it! As for the expansion i dislike, I don’t think I have one. I may dislike the specific part of expansion (looking at you, 4 flashpoints that you need to complete to get to SoR (I know there is a way ti skip them, but I didn’t know this for a long time)), but not the whole expansion.

12. Do you have a preferred mount/speeder? Is there one you want, but don’t own yet?

I have only one speeder that is accessible for all my toons. Dunno, never felt a need for a special mount yet.

13. Which planet’s aesthetic/atmosphere do you enjoy the most?

Again, more than just one. Dromund Kaas, Alderaan, Voss, Corellia and Makeb are atmospheric as hell.

14. Favorite planet story arc?

Taris on Rep Side, Dromund Kaas, Balmorra, Belsavis on Imp side and Corellia on both.

15. Show us your main(s)!

Oh, but you already know them!

Jett (doesn’t have much of content yet, despite being my personal fave)

Airistan (DS!Jedi Knight)

Vintu (aka Pain in Barass)

So basically, my Outlanders are my mains.

17. If you participate in warzones, which is your favorite map?

Haven’t tried warzones and not sure if I will.

18. Which achievement(s) are you most proud of?

Finishing all class stories! I was so glad to finally get this one! (but honestly, I don’t remember most of achievements)

19. Where can other players most commonly find you in game?

Mostly I’m running story quests, heroics, sometimes hang out on the fleet (you got it right, in GTN sector), so this is where you could spot me.

20. What do you most often do while playing? (ex. PVP, FPs, quests, crafting, RP, etc.)

As I said, story quests and heroics. Sometimes I try something new, like flashpoints I never played before, maybe events.

21. Which player ship is your favorite?

The smuggler’s one. Maybe because it kinda reminds me of the Ebon Hawk.

22. Of all the in-game events (Relics of the Gree, Rakghoul, Life Day, so on) which do you like the most, and which do you dislike?

So far I did only Life Day, Bounty Contract Week, Rakghoul event on Alderaan, so can’t say for sure. For now it’s Life Day, coz hugging Wookiees? Gimme more!

23. Share some of your favorite quotes/dialogue with us!

I don’t want to take too much place in your dash, so here

And that’s only some of them.

(hope you’re glad. I’ve spent too much time scrolling through screenshots to find these)

24. Do you have a primary/preferred stronghold?

I have only three strongholds, and two of them are just for Legacy cargo hold for those characters who can’t yet travel to the fleet. The one I actually try to decorate is on Nar Shadaa, and it’s story wise: one of my characters eventually opens a cantina on Nar Shadaa, so I want to decorate this stronghold as cantina type, though I’m poor and can’t get enough required decorations.

25. Mind sharing some screenshots of your stronghold(s)?

I don’t! I said I wanted to make this stronghold as cantina type, but I didn’t say I had much of success there, so don’t expect anything extraordinary.

The entrance

The most “cantina type” places

Of course, I haven’t unlocked every room in the stronghold, but I’m working on it!

27. If you could make any current NPC a player companion, who would you pick?

Jonas Balkar. Tora. Watcher Two. Thana Vesh. Shae Vizla (oh wait, she is a companion, I just can’t have her. My mistake). Also it would be nice to make Holiday a companion on her own.

[princecardan]

,,,.thinking how tragic maven calore’s life is tbh

[thecapturedafrique]

I’m an Eos stan and I’m not ashamed to admit it. He’s a smug, cocksure, compassionate, flirty, overprotective, charming, self-sacrificing thot and if you can’t tell how all his posturing hides some hardcore insecurities/fears then @ me and I’ll def drop the character analysis I’ve been writing/planning practically since day one. It’s called character development people.

More ranting in the tags so you have been warned lol.

[fancyfade]

corelia plus screenshots

finishing up my screencaps. Corelia was really long, so this is only really the first part

[image: dialogue from General Garza reading “Remember: Senator Zian will do his best to paint you as a loose cannon. Don’t do anything to prove him right.” end image]

okay this is before the senate hearing on coruscant, but the important thing about this is tank loves puns

so what she would say is

“cannon eyyyyy” while repetitively touching her personal cannon.

much to the exasperation of garza, im sure

[image: dialogue from Saeyt Doraz (Tank) reading “I never thought I’d see you inside a cantina, General.” general garza says “very funny.” end image]

some more tank garza interactions, this 1 is one u can actually have in canon.

also canon/cannon doesn’t even sound like a real word anymore

[image: screencap showing general garza’s face, and a hologram dancer on a pole behind her. end image]

why doesn’t general garza just turn off the hologram dancers? this is stupid

[image: dialogue from general aves reading “If this is a trap, we’ll find out soon enough. Take the rocket tram to Labor Valley and find this Deena Behar. We need to stop those droids.” end image]

Something that’s kind of a necessity because of limited options, but odd nonetheless, is whenever you suspect something of being a trap, the only option is to still go there.

i know its because There Lies Plot, but still

it reads as

“if this is a trap, spring it with your body”

[image: Corellian rebellion databank showing lore. it reads “The resistance forces opposing the Imperial takeover of Corellia have been surprisingly successful, especially given their irregular and disorganized nature. Tehse mostly civillian guerilla fighters are composed of freighter crews, unemployed mercenaries, and patriotic citizens of al species who are willing to fight for Corellian freedom. CoreSec, the Corellian police force, has played a particularly vital role in coordinating and training the rebels.

during the invasion’s first days, Corellian rebels successfully assassinated over a dozen high-ranking imperial officers and bombed shipyards used as landing pads for teh Empire’s fleet. Leaders of the invasion force quickly learned to think twice before allowing “cooperative” Corellians access to imperial bases.” end image]

just found the lore interesting, so posting it for my own future reference

okay, party member reactions if you decide to let the guy who wants to rig the equipment to explode to do so. I never did this before, but this time Tank let it happen. My logic is she wants to minimize casualties as much as possible, and she figures you can fix factory equipment but you can’t undie. it still goes fine if you don’t bomb the equipment (thats what i did the first two times), but really she has no way of knowing it will so

[image: dialogue from Hendrick reading “Yeah, I’ve been thinking --- we could rig a lot of this equipment to blow. You know, really tear the Imps to shreds!” Elara Dorne says “Service Code 15-A, subsection two: Collateral property damage is acceptable under pressing circumstances, determined at the direction of the ranking officer present.” end image]

Elara tells you the rules, which makes sense

[image: Dialogue from Aric Jorgan reading “Looking, I’ve seen guys try to take the soft approach -- they all went home in boxes. Just rig the equipment.” end image]

Aric’s worried about casualties

[image: Dialogue from Tanno Vik reading “IF I were you, I’d worry more about getting shot in the next few minutes than I would about having a job down the line.” end iamge]

Vik’s advice

[image: dialogue from M1-4X reading “If the commander of Havoc Squad believes these actions are necessary, then they are necessary!” Oudon says ‘All right, all right! Take it easy! If you want to blow up our future, go for it.” end image]

got the reaction to Forex because it was one of the ones that was different. I think Forex creeps that guy out :p

also jeesus christ, Forex “if the commander of havoc squad believes these actions are necessary then they are” chill out will you

[image: dialogue from Yuun reading “one is wise to consider the future, but onl yafter considering the present.”  Oudon says “What? I’m sorry, I don’t speak your langauge.” end image]

hey, an acknowledgement of the language barrier. I normally forget about it because your character can inexplicably understand nearly every alien tongue, even alien languages that have been dead for thousands of years and you have no business understanding (like Eshka and Rakata)

[image: Dialogue from Danison Varik: Until you showed up, my droids were indestructible.” end image]

key word until :p

[image: dialogue from Locke reading ‘I thought you weren’t like her, Major. I thought you’d get it. Guess I was wrong. You seemed like a decent person. I’m just glad my part in all of this is over now.” end image]

never got this dialogue before, because earlier tank chose to spare the lucky lancer. in a similar logic to the factory thing, she decided she didn’t want to take the risk of the pilots dying while she was escorting them into the base (they don’t die, but she has no way of knowing that). and locke is really mad at you. so is phaeris (you get a letter from her later)

[image: dialogue from Commander Tainor reading “The Imperial Guard has no interest in Corellia or the Republic’s claim. Our men in the field were sent to challenge you. The Emperor is aware of your presence. Your interference can no longer be allowed.” end image]

if i squint really hard, maybe i can read the emperor being aware of tank (who winds up being my canon outlander) as foreshadowing to kotfe

i mean, probably not the intention in game, but i can try to work it that way :p

[image: dialogue between a Father, child, and republic Soldier. Father says “Everywhere i looked, there were beasts busting out of cages!” The child says “We got to pet the animals! Tell him, dad”. The republic soldier says “We’re in the middle of a war zone, sir.” The father says “The zoo’s supposed to be safe, officer. This was traumatizing!” The child says “It was great!” end image]

liked this random background dialogue

but OTOH i’m like “noooo dont pet wild animals you’re so lucky you didn’t get bitten”, because i have a reasonable amount of fear for wild animals

[image: dialogue from Cole Cantarus reading “First Class Bloodstripes, Corellia’s highest honor. Awarded to those who keep fighting despite the odds.” end image]

I should draw tank in her bloodstripes :P

only got the bastion left for screencaps on corelia, but im takinga break now, my hands are tired  form typing :P

[aerticent]

Vent ig

Fandoms will always be more willing to humanize and excuse the male antagonists but will take any chance to further demonize female antagonists (or just female characters in general lets be honest) and turn them into cartoonishly evil ppl.

I hate making everything about RQ but Elara is what sparked this from me, or at least something I remembered pushed me to want to vent about this. It kills me that ppl in this fandom will sit and make excuses day in and day out about how Maven actually isn't to blame for any of it and how it actually isn't that bad that Maven killed thousands of ppl and physically and mentally abused Mare and Iris (and hell maybe even Evangeline who knows at this point) but will then turn around and exaggerate what Elara did to the absolute extreme. I am NOT saying that Elara didn't do anything wrong or should be excused cause I don't think that! What I am saying is, I loathe when ppl will talk about her and erase parts of her character in order to turn her into a cartoonishly evil stepmother. You don't have to like her, you don't have to think she had anything but bad intent, but don't talk about her if ur just gonna ignore or change part of her character because for some reason u can't fathom her not being 100% rubbing her hands together maniacally laughing evil. (Especially considering Elara barely has any character so like how r u just missing shit that easily?) And it doesn't just stop with her. It happens with characters in every media! Alicent Hightower gets half her character IGNORED because god forbid she not be 100% evil and u feel anything but hatred for her! Sansa gets demonized for shit she did at like 11 like come on. I mean hell, even characters from children's media get demonized for existing (like I'll never forget hearing that ppl HATED Mable Pines for being what? an annoying 12 year old?)

Ppl also love to claim they stan or love female characters but in reality they only love that character in relation to their male love interest. If she ever goes against her male love interest then it turns into "she's such a bitch" or "she's so selfish" like I mean thats literally what happened to Mikasa the moment she "turned" on Eren.

Idk im so tired of ppl stanning and loving evil male characters and finding every which way to justify their actions but then going out of their way to make female characters WORSE than they actually are.

[farleydiana]

okay I’m just gna drop it here bc I need to get it out of my head.

So it’s a sort of modern crime au but not really crime but sort of like godfather-ish mafia-ish

It follows a sort of similar storyline to rq like “rags to riches but it really isn’t pretty”

It goes like this: cal is the heir to America’s largest weapons/arms empire. His father basically owns that business.

And he goes to this super cool private school called idk let’s make it Archeon high or something

Cal, other than running his father’s business, wants to be a politician. He wants to make things better for everyone. So you could say he’s politically Woke to a certain extent.

That’s why he likes going out to know... other realities.

In one of these outings he meets a particularly interesting thief, who was stealing money from him with the intentions of escaping the country with her sister and best friend. Why, he doesn’t know.

A few weeks later she comes to his home. He’s extremely confused. Elara, his stepmom, explains to him that she’s Mareena, the daughter of Ethan, who used to be a friend of his father’s

Mareena apparently had been found as a baby, orphaned, and taken under the wing of a family from the Bronx. But she recently had discovered the truth about her birth, and the Calores had decided to honor the memory of Mareena’s father by giving her the life that was taken away from her.

So she’s coming to live with the calores and is gonna go to their school and have that life, you know the drill.

But it’s all a lie, a cover to protect a conspiracy that could ruin the calore’s empire forever.

A conspiracy involving the illegal trafficking of arms, and money laundering. They are accusing Cal’s father of cocaine trafficking, and using the arms business as cover for that.

This conspiracy was apparently started by the cygnets, a big name in politics, with the goal of getting Calore completely out of the picture. But of course, Elara isn’t gonna let this happen.

The cygnets are our for blood, and if they are, then so are the calores.

And Mareena is the perfect cover for the calores to the press and the government.

Mareena is actually mare barrow, a seventeen year old born and raised in the Bronx, who by chance got herself involved in this huge conflict.

Chance being negotiating with a Bronx gang without knowing that they worked for the cygnets, well known drug dealers among the Bronx. By making a very wrong move during a negotiation, the cygnets were out for her blood and her information, which would most certainly cause the calore’s downfall. To avoid This, she was looking to outright flee the country, with her best friend kilorn and sister Gisa, who also got involved.

But, once the calore’s find out about her, they decide to use her to their advantage, use her as an excuse. And so, for the safety of her family and her gang, she decides to accept their offer... because she didn’t really have a choice. You don’t really fuck with arms businesspeople who also happen to own drug empires.

And that’s where it takes off. Cal finds out the reasons for mare being there, secrets about his own family, the alliances made and broken, and there’s a lot of fun and teen angst and just noir drama.

It’s more of a red queen reimagined as a noir than like and original idea but 🤘🏽

It’s very rough lmao u can tell the big important bits aren’t really there yet because I literally just came up with this while reading kc idk I just was feeling like modern auing and so here goes nothing lol idk if I’ll even write it but like,,, at least it exists as an idea.

omg I just had an Idea for a rq modern au

[ultragamerz]

AMD Going Into CES 2020: 2nd-gen Navi, 2020 Game Consoles, GDDR6/HBM2, Ray tracing, 4th Gen Ryzen APUs

New Post has been published on https://www.ultragamerz.com/amd-going-into-ces-2020-2nd-gen-navi-2020-game-consoles-gddr6-hbm2-ray-tracing-4th-gen-ryzen-apus/

AMD Going Into CES 2020: 2nd-gen Navi, 2020 Game Consoles, GDDR6/HBM2, Ray tracing, 4th Gen Ryzen APUs

AMD Going Into CES 2020: 2nd-gen Navi, 2020 Game Consoles, GDDR6/HBM2, Ray tracing, 4th Gen Ryzen APUs

CES has always been a computer-heavy show, and 2020 isn’t any different. We expect to see new components from some of the companies that power modern tech, such as Intel, AMD and Nvidia.

AMD is expected to unleash their second-gen Navi GPU at CES 2020 according to the latest reports. The new second-gen RDNA 2 architecture is expected to use an optimized 7nm+ process node, offer up enthusiast-grade graphics cards, hardware-level ray tracing support, both GDDR6 and HBM2 options, and even more power efficiency over the first-gen Navi products. The note about AMD using HBM2 is interesting, which could be useful for the enthusiast-grade RDNA 2 cards that would not just compete with NVIDIA’s current flagship GeForce RTX 2080 Ti but also whatever NVIDIA is cooking up for 2020 in their new Ampere-based GeForce RTX 3000 series cards that should see the RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and RTX 3080 Ti released at Computex/E3 2020.

Another jewel from Elara’s listing is that the Asus laptops are estimated to arrive on December 31, which lends certain credence to the speculation that AMD is readying a Renoir announcement for CES 2020. The latest rumor from China indicates that Ryzen 9 4900H and Ryzen 7 4800H sport up to eight cores and 16 threads, making them the first APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) to do so. After seeing hard evidence of the Ryzen 7 4700U, we believe AMD is capable of delighting us with eight-core, 16-thread APUs. The Chinese forum user claims that the source of the information is one of the world’s top laptop makers. There is no mention of clock speeds except that the Ryzen 9 4900H and Ryzen 7 4800H will give the Core i9-9880H a run for its money. It is also said that while the pair of Renoir chips consume less power, their operating temperatures aren’t lower, Tomshardware reports.

AMD CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, has confirmed that the red team’s next generation Ryzen 4000 Renoir APUs will be launching early next year. We expect that means January’s annual Vega techgasm, CES, will be featuring a whole load of AMD-based laptops to kick off the new year in style. The new Ryzen 4000 7nm mobile processors will be based on the current Zen 2 processor architecture, but it’s the choice of graphics component that we still don’t 100% know about within the new APUs.

AMD is powering both new 2020 living-room game consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, so there’s at least a chance that we’ll hear some interesting technical details about new game hardware at AMD’s annual press conference.

Categories: AMD, Gaming hardware, Gaming News, Technology

Tags: Amd, AMD Renoir, amd ryzen, AMD VEGA, amd zen 2, entertainment, Intc, intel, Intel Ice Lake-U, News, Next-Gen 10nm Intel CPU, Next-gen AMD APU, Next-Gen Intel iGPU, Pc Gaming, technology, video games

[survivorelara]

Joint Tribal Council #3: Auva & Zosma

Welcome Auva & Zosma to tribal council, where one of you will become the third person voted out of this game.

Let’s get to the questions.

Zosma, we will start with you.

Toby, How does overall players activity (or lack thereof) affect your decision on who to vote for tonight?

It possibly could, probably will, and certainly shouldn’t to the degree it likely will.

Louise, how do you try and convince someone from the other tribe to vote with you this round?

I don’t think you do tbh this will be a difficult vote for sure bc no one wants to budge

Ci'ere, with a twist like this coming so early in the game, any predictions on what’s coming next?

Ooh gurl, feel free to give us a swap, a double tribal, a legacy advantage & vote steals/cancels/reveals. Maybe even throw in a super idol while you’re at it. DO. YOUR. MF’ING. WORST. BINCHES. I’ll be waiting right here for ya, mamí~**

https://i.imgur.com/VleT4Gd.gif

Dani, how do you prove your value to your tribe going into a twist like this?

I think the only way to prove your value to your tribe is to stick with them till the very end!! Considering there has been no tribe swaps or anything it would be difficult to pull someone from the other tribe over, so I think the only thing we can do is just vote and hope for the best

Sam, another round into the game, and an even higher chance that a possible idol has been found! is it too early to think about idols coming into play?

It's never too early to think about idols, they're the reason i don't sleep at night

Auva, it’s your turn.

Drew H, have there been talks about idols yet? If so, how important do they factor into tribal with this twist? 

Not really? Idk who got our clue or if things have been found or whatever, I mostly just forget to search and move on with my life. If an idol is played this tribal then that could be huge but it's not because of the twist, it's just because idols can be a game changer.

Roxy, you guys have lost back to back challenges. Is this a trend we can expect to see continue for the remainder of the season?

I really hope not nnn I mean this challenge I really wanted us to win and I tried getting everything good so we can go with no problem but in the end.....I was the one who fucked up and i was so mad at myself. Last challenge everyone tried their best so it was just unfortunate stuff that caused our demise. Hopefully thatll end soon nn.

Drew T, what is your mindset going into a tribal council with a twist like this?

Whats going through my mind is... Is one of them gonna flip or is one of us gonna flip. Cause unless if we agree on someone now, expect rocks to be a thing.

Dylan, how does it feel to be in communication with another tribe this early in the game?

honestly it’s great that this is a thing but also can someone on the other tribe message me I feel lonely

Odd, coming into this tribal with a 5-5 split, what do you think needs to happen to make sure your tribe comes out on top?

I don’t know got to make first part bold, sorry. I am new. So we both vote the strongest players and then the rest draw rocks?

Flipping would be dumb cause you go back to that tribe outnumbered.

This is probably one of the only times you want votes. The tie will make you safe

Now, let’s get to the vote.

First vote:

hi idk u sorry 

Odd.

Second vote:

Lets see how this game of chicken ends

Dani.

Third vote:

I'm gonna rock you out, mama said rock you out

Odd.

Fourth vote:

forcing rocks ftw 

Dani.

Fifth vote:

Definitely someone I wanted to play with but when a plan falls in your lap, you take it

Toby.

Sixth vote:

Toby.

Seventh vote:

ROCKSROCKSROCKSROCKS

Odd.

Eighth vote:

Just like my parchment, this vote has been confusing since the first mention of a combined tribal. I apologize, but this is the only name that stuck for more than an 30 minutes

Toby.

Ninth vote:

Odd

Tenth vote, and the third person voted out of Celestial: Elara....

Odd.

Odd, that’s 5 votes and tonight that is enough. The tribe has spoken.

With a 5-3-2 vote it has been a very interesting turn of events at this joint tribal... how will this change the course of the game? Grab your stuff and head back to camp. Auva/Zosma you may NOT talk to each other anymore. 

[fancyfade]

RT final ship screenshots

I already posted Yuuns and dont feel like doing it again so here (link) it is if u want to fresh ur memory

Forex and Vik’s were kind of unremarkable, so i forgot to take screencaps. i guess if its relevant to ur interests, if u ask vik if he’s hitting on you he says something like “don’t be ridiculous, you aren’t nearly trashy enough for me”, and you can tell forex he’s the most remarkable combat droid you’ve ever had the privilege of serving w/ or knowing or something. thats all i can remember for them sorry :P

okay now for Elara. She assumes you want babies ever after because ? idk that seems to be how lots of the game assumes you’ll operate

[image: dialogue transcript from Elara Dorne. It reads “Tell me, Sir: do you think you’ll have children someday? I can only imagine the young soldiers and commanders you would raise. Future defenders of the Republic, one and all.” Tank says “The idea of kids hadn’t crossed my mind.”

Elara says “Really? I think you’d make a splendid mother. I could even tutor them for you: medicine, biology... Republic and military legal terminology. You’ve been a true friend to me. I’d be more than happy to return the favor in the future.” end image]

okay so this was a little more kid-basd than i would’ve liked their friendo dialogue to have bene, i wanted to get a little more of their regular interactions. maybe if you say “no” to kids instead of “Idk” it’s not quite so focused on that?

either way, tank is all <3 <3 <3 when Elara is like “you’ve been a true friend to me.” I think I mentioned in the yuun post that tank would totally want to hug yuun if yuun was down w/ it, and the same thing would happen w/ elara. wh owould escape getting free hug offers from the legacy conversations? (well maybe vik :P tank’s still mad at him for killing a room full of people for money)

and i was gonna be like “if elara wants to teach kids stuff so much why doesn’t she have her own kids”, but she probably wants to be like the Cool Aunt. I’ll do the fun stuff like teaching and you can do the rest

or the game just assumes heterosexual marriage and babies ever after

anyway, on to aric

[image: dialogue from Aric Jorgan reading “I’ve been thinking... I’d like to start a family someday. A family with you.” Tank says “Aric Jorgan, are you asking me to be your life mate?” Aric says “but yes -- life mate, wife, however you want to put it, the positions yours... if you want it.” end image]

missed 1 screencap here, which should be something like “blast it, woman, i had this whole thing planned out” or whatever. whops

anyway

this is the dialogue i normally pic, and the “canon” dialogue, but since i wanted to know what he planned out i ran thru it the other way too

[image: dialogue from Aric reading “Come on, you’re a smart woman, always thinking ten steps ahead of the enemy. You know where this is going. I love you. Never thought I’d be saying those words, but there it is. Also never thought I’d meet someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with, but ... well, you’re it. So?” end image]

This actually reinforces my Autism Feelings for Aric. I think I mentioned earlier that the reason I read aric as alexythymic (which is common in autistic people) is because he seems to have trouble articulating feelings, and never (if you pick my “canon” dialogue options) says “I love you” out loud. He says “I like you. a lot” during the feelings part of the romance, and he types out “i love you” in a letter, but not out loud. sometimes its too overwhelming for me (an autistic) to say my feelings out loud, so its easier to step around the exact words or type them down

and also he literally made a script to propose :P thats an easy way to deal w/ emotions and interactions. It does amuse me though, that the script he picks has him say “you should totally have figured out where i’m going with this”, but if you do figure out where he’s going with it in time to change the script he stops and gets really awkward :p but anyway. Sooooo clearly autistic

[fancyfade]

trooper screencap dump

more screencaps because i like posting screencaps from my playthrus

[image: dialogue from M1-4X reading “We will ride this durasteel eagle into the heart of the Empire and bring our fight for freedom to the door of the Emperor himself!” end image]

Wrong plotline, Forex

if you want to fight the Emperor himself u have to join up with jedi knight

[image: dialogue from Commander Tavus reading “You have caused me a great deal of difficulty, Lieutenant. Some have even called you my nemesis. Was that your goal?” end image]

actually, Tavus, Tank already has a nemesis (link).

[image: dialogue from Elara Dorne reading “I remember when I first enlisted and qualified for medical specialization. My brother Aleksei completed his technical specialization on the same day. We were both proud to finally serve in the Imperial military. My brother advanced quickly, but I became dissilusioned as time went on. I’d always been taught that the Jedi and the Republic were genocidal hypocrites. But the only brutalities I witnessed were committed by my own comrades. It’s strange to realize how long it’s been. The Republic truly feels like my home now.” end image]

I know for a fact ive posted this snippet of Elara’s dialogue before, but she’s great so there’s no harm on reposting it

also, if you ask “genocidal hypocrites?” (which I thought was asking for elaboration) you say “How could anyone believe such obvious lies?”

and get this in resonse

[image: Elara Dorne disapproves is the text at top. then there’s dialogue from Elara reading “Given the right point of view, anything can be rationalized. I’m just glad I could see things for how they really were.” end image]

which i actually found interesting to be acknowledged here. It’d be nice to see more of that wrt the Empire (like the entire view of the society is based on dehmanization essentially) and thats why things are bad rather than it seems like “oh well there are just some bad people and that’s why things are bad and if we got rid of just a couple people it would be good” like I sometimes see (IIRC in the game? but also w/ the fandom). like its a system thing, not just an individual flaw, and like nearly everyone there’s been brought up with the kind of view that tries to rationalize the flaws in it.

[image: Elara Dorne is standing next to Saeyt Doraz (Tank, a twliek trooper) in a sandy plaza on tattooine. Elara says “I can see to this man’s wounds. Sir? can you hear me? I need you to tell me your name, sir.” Benett (a wounded human guy with a mustache who is on the ground) says “Wh-what? I-I’m Benett. Are you a doctor?” Tank says “The sergeant will get your friend patched up.” and Elara kneels down next to Benett and says “I’ll have this man stabilized momentarily, but he will still require rapid evacuation to the nearest medical facility.” end image]

I just like it when Elara gets to use her medic skills, so I screencapped these.