#ally's status updates

[allylikethecat]

I just posted the final update of All the King's Horses and I full on cried while doing so. I can't believe it's done! Thank you so much to everyone who has been so kind and supportive of this fic!

ALSO PSA I have a bunch of asks in my inbox that you lovely people have sent me and I'm so sorry for being so slow to answer them - I'm going to try and answer all of them this evening 🩵

[musings-ofthe-unamused]

Rotting Sunflowers (Genshin Impact)

Pairing: Capitano x F!Reader

Wordcount: 2.1k

Warnings: Angst, mentions of rotting, suggestive

A/N: He's here!! This is the SFW version <3 If you'd like the NSFW one (f!reader, m!reader, and nb!reader versions available), head on over to my AO3

Request Status: Open

Capitano had been by your side since you became emperor. He was a gift from your parents' for your coronation before they retired to the countryside manor. One of the strongest knights in the nation, he used to be stationed up north before moving to the capital. He was now the Head Knight and your personal bodyguard.

You didn't know what you would do without him. He was strong, resilient, kind, and a welcome ally amongst traitors that had weaseled their way into your court. There wasn't a day that went by where you didn't seek out his wisdom. He had become your rock. But as a rock, he never cracked around you. He never showed his face and never talked about his past. He was focused solely on the present and the future.

"Master, you have been lounging an awful lot these days." Capitano said, leaning over you. "Are you alright?"

You hummed and opened your eyes. "Am I not allowed to rest?"

"I suppose not. But you must not neglect your duties, Master." 

"Do I have to go to the meeting?"

"You skipped the last three."

You were currently laying down on the couch in the reading room. You had been spending time here often, wanting to get away from the sudden onslaught of meetings and revisions of petty laws. Capitano was at your side, like usual. He peered down at you. You couldn't see through his dark mask, making you frown.

"Capitano…"

"Yes?"

"I want to see your face."

He let out a sigh. "My Empress, I cannot. I told you, it is not suitable for royalty to see."

You pouted and crossed your arms. "You follow every command except that one… Typical."

"Please, just accept my reasoning."

"Fine."

You huffed and sat up. You had been dallying for too long. You knew that you needed to get up and actually do some work. The council said there would be a ball tomorrow. They had been working on it for over three months. You had decided to take a step back. You were never one for balls and all the socializing that came with it. Everyone was always trying to get in your good graces to stab your back later. You would never allow that to happen.

Capitano stayed close to your side. He was tall, intimidating, and was one of the reasons people rarely tried anything physical against you. You wanted nothing more than to reach out and take his hand. He may have been your knight, but you yearned for more. Not only would he make an amazing emperor, but a great husband as well. You wanted him and only him.

"The Empress has arrived." Capitano announced as he opened the door to the meeting room.

You walked in with your head held high. "Good afternoon, everyone."

Less than enthusiastic greetings graced your ears as you sat at the head of the table. You sat down and leaned back in your seat. Your eyes scanned over each member of your court. It wasn't really your court. Your parents may have crowned you as the ruler of this country, but they still pulled the strings through the court. It wasn't ideal, but there wasn't much you could do about it either. It would take ages to replace all of them.

"Good afternoon, your majesty." The man to your left, Ivan, cleared his throat. "We have updates to give you."

"Good." You hummed. Capitano stood closely behind you. You sighed softly at his comforting presence. "Update me on the working trade agreements first."

Ivan shuffled the papers in his hands. "Most of the regions have agreed to the new terms."

"Most?" You reached your hand out for the papers. 

He handed them to you. You started to shuffle through. The worst thing about being the new ruler of this nation is that no one expected you to rule. Despite all the classes, the training, studying anything and everything you could, no one believed in you. The first thing you did after your coronation was go over every single policy and agreement with other regions. You never thought your parents fully took advantage of the region's resources. And you wanted to fix that.

You raised an eyebrow as you saw which region hadn't agreed yet. "Natlan? I thought we had good rapport with them."

"We do." Ivan said. His tone was almost… nervous. "They will agree after tomorrow."

You looked over at him. "Do they want to talk about the agreement at the ball?"

He didn't answer. You frowned. Something was wrong. You looked over to the rest of the court. They were all avoiding eye contact. Capitano must have sensed something as well. He moved from behind your chair to next to you. You crossed your arms.

"What are you hiding?"

"Tomorrow isn't a ball. It's a wedding."

"What?"

"Your wedding."

Your eyes widened in surprise. Your wedding? You had absolutely no interest in getting married unless it was to one person and one person only. Your heart thudded in your chest. No one else spoke up. This ball they were planning for three months was actually a wedding. You tensed up and slammed the papers down on the table. Everyone flinched.

"You planned my wedding behind my back?!"

Ivan quickly raised his hands in a placating manner. "We had to, Empress! You would have never agreed otherwise!"

"Of course I wouldn't have!" You hissed. "Who even is it?!"

"Prince Ororon of Natlan. He won't ascend the throne, so we thought it best if he married you."

You could feel your face turn red in anger. "You thought best and didn't even ask me!?"

Another court member spoke up. "Your majesty, it's stated within the laws that the ruler of our great nation must be wed. It's been two years since your coronation. We cannot wait any longer."

You silently cursed to yourself. That damned law was one of the many traditions you couldn't change. You thought you could distract them, but your time had run out. If you were to deny this, you'd either be cast out or beheaded. Neither of which seemed like a good alternative.

You felt Capitano's hand on your shoulder. That just made everything even worse. How could you marry someone when the man you loved was right there? You gritted your teeth and squeezed your fists together. You wanted nothing more than to tell everyone to shove this marriage up their asses.

"Your Majesty…" Ivan cleared his throat. "You must marry."

A glare appeared on your face. "I know I must! It doesn't mean I'll be happy with it."

"Please stay calm." Capitano murmured softly. 

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. "Someone just tell me the details of tomorrow."

The rest of the afternoon was spent going over wedding details. You felt like your head would explode. And yet, through it all, Capitano stayed by your side. You couldn't help but feel a sense of pure heartbreak. You wanted to run away with him. But you couldn't abandon your people. Not after all the hard work you had done. 

You paced in your room anxiously. Capitano watched you as he stood by the wall. The wedding was planned down to the very minute detail. You wouldn't even meet Prince Ororon until you were walking down the aisle. A frustrated groan left your lips as you continued pacing.

"Master, please do not be angry."

You shot a glare at Capitano. "I have every right to be."

"You cannot let them do this to you. You are not being married off. Someone is marrying you. You will still have just as much power."

"That power means nothing if I am forced to marry someone I do not love."

Capitano shook his head softly. "We must all do things we do not want to do."

You rolled your eyes and stopped in front of him. "Not helping."

"I will still be here, Master."

That's right. Capitano has to watch you marry a complete stranger when he was the one you should be marrying. You realized all your time had run out. You turned to him fully and walked up to him. He straightened his broad shoulders. He gazed down at you through his mask. That stupid mask…

"Take it off." You said. Your voice was soft yet firm.

"I told you, Master. You do not want to see my face."

“Please…” You murmured, you reached out and placed your hand on his chest. “I want to do this. Before it’s too late.”

Capitano sighed but it broke him down. How could he not when you were to be wed tomorrow? You were already devastated by the marriage. This would change nothing. So he leaned back against the wall and slowly took off his helmet. His face was scarred with what looked a black rot. Blue lightning shaped streaks shot diagonally down his face. 

You reached out and gently cupped his cheek. “So handsome.”

“Master, you flatter me. But I know how I truly look.”

“Handsome.” You repeated sternly. 

"This is a face marred by a curse that I must bear."

"What happened?"

His eyebrows furrowed as if painful memories flooded his mind. "There was a war. Long… long ago. I live with the consequences of that war. And now I'm the decayed and disfigured man you see before me. I am but a husk of who I was before."

Your heart broke at his words. You couldn't accept that he thought of himself like that. You didn't say anything and only gazed up at him. He shook his head and raised his hand to cover yours. You couldn’t help yourself. You have waited long enough. You didn’t want to stop at seeing his face, no matter what he said. With a soft sigh of longing, you leaned in and pressed your lips against his.

Capitano didn’t know what to do. He lifted his hands up and away from your body. You kept kissing him, savoring the feel of his lips. His hands were frozen in midair as if he didn’t want to touch you. After a long moment, you pulled back and stared into his deep blue eyes. He stared back. 

“I love you, Capitano.”

His eyes widened. “You can’t say that, Master!”

"I can." You whispered. You leaned in and kissed his scarred neck. "I need to. Please… Please say it back."

Capitano didn't answer for a moment. A wave of anxiety washed over you. What if he didn't feel the same? What if this whole time you pined over him, he never developed feelings for you? Just the thought of that squeezed at your heart. But it didn't last long. Capitano cupped the back of your head and pulled you closer. He leaned down and kissed you passionately.

Nothing else mattered at that moment. You pushed the wedding out of your mind. You focused only on Capitano. Your head tilted to the side as you deepened this kiss. His lips were rough yet loving at the same time. Your arms wrapped around him as he pushed back against you. Heat slowly filled your body. You wanted him. You need him.

Capitano pulled back, making you whine at the sensation. He stared down at you. "I love you."

Those were the only words you ever needed to hear. Your eyes welled with tears as you pulled him down again. Tonight, you would only focus on him. He would take over your world. You would live out your dreams of being his and only his. Just one more moment of happiness before your life was ripped away from you.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

You looked at yourself in the mirror. The white dress sparkled in the morning light. It fit like a glove. It was absolutely perfect. And yet, you couldn't bring yourself to smile. Your hand shakily smoothed out the fabric of your dress. Memories of last night wouldn't leave your mind. It was all you could think of.

"Master. It's time."

You turned around. Capitano was in his ceremonial wear. His face was once again hidden by his mask. And yet, you could still see his face. You nodded slowly. You wanted to pretend that you were marrying him. Not a stranger. But real life wasn't as kind. Your shoulder straightened and you walked to the double doors. Behind those doors was the start of the rest of your life.

"Are you ready?" Capitano asked softly.

"I have to be."

"Master…"

You couldn't bear hearing anything else from him. "Please, open the doors."

He hesitated but did as you said. The doors opened, revealing the decorated room filled with people to witness a new age. Your eyes focused down the aisle. There stood Prince Ororon. He was tall, pale, with dark blue hair. His eyes met yours. You steeled yourself. This was it. With one final breath, you walked away from Capitano and towards your new husband.

[redo-rewind-if]

You're dead. Or, at least, you should be. You remember what it felt when the bullet pierced your chest, the blood rushing out too fast, too much to stop. The man in red smirking above you. And yet, here you are. Alive. Safe in bed. One week before the day of your death.

Redo; Rewind is a story about time. Of an ordinary person working an ordinary office job. Sure, you might work for an info broker and, sure, you sometimes (often) commit acts of corporate espionage for said job, but that's just business.

This is something far beyond that ordinary life.

Time travel. It seems you of all people are capable of it. To manipulate time and bend it to your will. It may not be something you asked for, but you need it now more than ever.

Someone wants you dead. And they've already succeeded once. You can't allow it to happen again.

(Please note that Redo; Rewind is currently rated 18+ for depictions of violence/death, references to drug and alcohol use, explicit language, and heavy themes.)

Play as a customizable MC! Choose your MC’s appearance, gender, skills, and more!

Romance, befriend, or antagonize any of the 3 romance options.

Learn how to master your time control ability and use it to your advantage.

Avoid past mistakes and inadvertently come up with new, much worse ones!

Try not to die. Again. And again. And again...

Victor/Victoria Zhang [M/F] - Your boss and owner of VZSystems, the front for their true work as an info broker. Clever, professional, and cold—a classic business major. That's how they appear, anyway. Having worked for them for sometime now, you know that, despite their intimidating appearance, they hide a much softer side underneath. Will you maintain the status quo as employer and employee, or will you cross the boundary set by your positions?

August Astaire [M] - Hitman, assassin, whatever you want to call him, the man's a killer. That much is clear after he put a bullet through your chest. But is that all there is to him? As arrogant and cruel as he seems, you can't help but wonder if there isn't more to him than meets the eye. Maybe if you play your cards right you could even turn an enemy into an ally. But, even if he plays for your team, how much can you really trust him?

Amara Ingram [F] - Your coworker of about two months now. You don't know her well yet, but she seems genuinely kind, with a good sense of humor and a sharp mind. Since being hired, she's quickly earned her place, proving to be an invaluable asset with her skill in engineering and programing. Undoubtedly, someone you're glad is on your side, but could your feelings for her extend beyond the professional?

[Demo] - Available Here! (Last update: September 15th 2024)

[ROs] - Additional Details Here!

[kradogsrats]

Timeline Revisions, Archdragons, and the Cosmic Order

This was supposed to be a post about Shiruakh and Laurelion, but I got derailed momentarily by discovering that there's actually no evidence that Sol Regem was the first Dragon King, meaning the Dragon Monarchy did not start only 1200 years ago, which is something I based like 80% of my history speculation and analysis on. As stupid as I feel about this and as interesting as it was in terms of elf/dragon/human political climate... well, it has made less and less sense as we learn about the other Great Ones and the Cosmic Order. So probably for the best.

Revised/Updated Timeline

Let's do a reset on what we actually know:

Pictured: The official timeline slide as presented at SDCC 2019.

5,000 years ago: Primal elves emerged, elves and dragons were not allied (i.e. presumably the dragon monarchy did not yet exist), and it sucked to be human.

3,000 years ago: the archdragon Shiruakh and the Startouch elf Laurelion battle to the death.

2,000 years ago: Humans acquire (primal) magic, and Elarion is founded. Humanity ascends toward a golden age.

1,200 years ago: The Dragon Prince Anak Araw ascends to the dragon monarchy throne as Dragon King Sol Regem.

1,000 years ago: Sol Regem confronts Ziard, the first dark mage, and threatens Elarion before being blinded with corruption. Luna Tenebris ascends the dragon monarchy throne and expels humanity from the eastern half of Xadia. The archdragons form the Border to keep the two halves of the continent separate.

300 years ago: Luna Tenebris dies without a suitable heir. The Sunfire elf Queen Aditi vanishes before she can resolve the ensuing succession crisis. Aaravos, the "Fallen Star," is defeated and imprisoned by the Archdragons and the Orphan Queen. Avizandum ascends to the dragon monarchy throne.

2 years ago: Avizandum is killed by the human King Harrow. His mate Zubeia ascends the dragon monarchy throne, with their son Azymondias as Dragon Prince.

"Now": Aaravos escapes captivity, but is returned to his heavenly form until his stars realign in 7 years. The archdragons Zubeia, Rex Igneous, and Domina Profundus perish in the battle. Azymondias is the last known living archdragon, and the status of the dragon monarchy is unknown.

and here's things we know happened, but not exactly when:

Between 5,000 and 2,000 years ago: the Startouch elf child Leola teaches humans the secrets of primal magic. Her violation of the Cosmic Order is reported by Dragon Prince Anak Araw, and she is executed for it. Her death forms the Sea of the Castout in Eastern Xadia.

Between 3,000 years ago and 300 years ago: the fang of Shiruakh is forged by humans into the Novablade. At some point, it winds up in the hands of the Celestial elves at the Starscraper.

Between 1,000 years ago and Now: the city of Elarion is either destroyed or naturally falls into ruin. (Anyone who can actually cite a reliable source for Elarion being destroyed is more than welcome to do so, otherwise I will die on the "we have no evidence that Elarion was ever destroyed, actually" hill.)

Sometime before 300 years ago, and probably before 1,000 years ago: the (arch?)dragon Aithne Solaire, mate of Anak Araw/Sol Regem, is killed, by him unwittingly burying her alive in an episode of rage. (I say "probably before 1,000 years ago" because she presumably would have succeeded him as Dragon Queen, if she was alive.)

Between 1,000 years ago and 300 years ago: the modern human kingdoms are founded. The mage wars end as the western half of Xadia is depleted of magical resources. (Unclear whether those two events are directly related.)

Some Speculation: The Archdragons, the Cosmic Order, and Shiruakh/Laurelion

This was originally supposed to be a post about Shiruakh and Laurelion, but let's rewind a bit. We know the Great Ones (a.k.a. the "First Elves") built or instituted something to either create an ideal Cosmic Order or preserve one they had foreseen, because that's what Aaravos wants to destroy as his revenge.

This Cosmic Order seems to be tied to an idealized state of stability—humans acquiring magic is known to be the first step in a descent to "chaos"—but also hierarchy. Archdragons are at the top. Elves venerate them. Humans are lesser beings than both. I think there's a very strong chance that the dragon monarchy was instituted either by the Great Ones, or by some agreement between them and the archdragons. The dragon monarchy oversees and preserves the Cosmic Order while the Great Ones... do whatever it is they do, because they don't actually seem very interested.

Destroying the archdragons (instead of just Sol Regem in particular) could be on Aaravos's agenda simply because they betrayed him 300 years ago, but I suspect they are considered a foundational pillar of the Cosmic Order in some way, and taking out three of the last remaining four was a pretty big win for him. We don't know where archdragons come from—like if a primal has no archdragon, whether one will just... coalesce. If that's the case, it clearly either takes more than 300 years or there's some kind of problem with Luna Tenebris's death and the Moon primal (possible).

Now, as for Shiruakh and Laurelion:

I'm assuming we'll get a translation for Shiruakh's name at some point, the best I could get was Hebrew shir ("song") and ruach/ruakh ("spirit", "breath"). Personally, given Shiruakh's coloration and the fact that her scale empowers Claudia with fire, I would lay money on her being an archdragon of the Sun. Since sometime after her death, Anak Araw is Dragon Prince, a Sun archdragon dynasty on the throne also makes sense. I would also have zero surprise if she was Anak Araw's mother, the mate of the at-the-time Dragon King, just because that would set off some animosity, there. Especially if she was hunted down because of some Cosmic Order bullshit, which would also be delicious—him and Aaravos angry for the same reason.

So why did she and Laurelion fight? Well, we just don't know.

Hmmmm. But no, we don't know.

Now, I would bet that either the Death of the Immortal poem was written long after the actual events, or else large chunks of it are missing, since Kazi skimming over "Laurelion fought an archdragon and its bite killed him" and/or "and then he exploded" would be... kind of weird. The archdragons seem to be aware of what will happen when Aaravos's mortal form dies, so presumably they wouldn't be too keen on delivering a suicidal bite if there are other options available... but the other option is the Novablade, which has the same problem. The Orphan Queen, having the same problem as the main cast, may have "spared" Aaravos less out of some mysterious compassion and more out of also sparing herself and everything in what looks like probably a multi-kilometer radius.

I (and I think a lot of others) had just kind of assumed that Laurelion was targeted for death because of some transgression, but now it seems at least equally likely that he was enforcing the Cosmic Order against Shiruakh going rogue. Given the close relationship that's implied between the archdragons and the Great Ones, with no clear point for it to have soured (except with Aaravos, specifically), it seems unlikely that the archdragons or the elves would feel the need for such a weapon. Which is consistent with the fact that, as we now see in the illustration of Aaravos's tale, the Novablade was actually forged by humans.

Given the trajectory of human civilization over the timeline, I wouldn't expect them to have the technology or knowledge to work draconic ivory that way a thousand years before they acquire primal magic. On the other hand, if Shiruakh's tooth was kicked around for a couple thousand years, why did they suddenly feel the need for a Startouch elf-killing weapon? Is this just a case of dick-swinging, like driving a car that can do 250 MPH when you're never going to go above maybe 90, and that's if you're a huge asshole (which you probably are)? "My sword is made from an archdragon's tooth and can kill a god"?

Was Aaravos behind this, somehow? I would not be at all surprised if Aaravos was behind this, somehow. It's unclear whether one Great One could kill another in single combat, or otherwise force them back to the heavenly plane—if not, the advantages of such a weapon might outweigh the risks for the person with the most motivation to dispatch other Startouch elves. A contingency.

(But I personally also think that Aaravos's manipulation was behind things like... the formation of the Border, so.)

Anyway, since either arc 3 or the leadup to it will presumably involve a lot of frantic researching, maybe we'll finally get some of the Orphan Queen story and learn some of what she figured out.

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 33 (2024)

By Aj, Dion, Briar, Jen and Peter

Now Available!

Itch.io - Keep Reading below

If you read the zine, consider liking the post: it helps us see how many people see it! And sharing is caring! <3

~ EDITORIAL ~

The new year is upon us!

To give us more free time during the holidays, the Team decided to merge last and this week’s Issues together.

The same will be done with the next Issue, which will come out on January 4th! This makes this Issue the last Issue of the year.

More feedback?

As the year comes to an end we in the WNIIF team are once again looking for feedback! The goal of this form is to find out our readers' preferences and wishes, so we can make the 2025 edition even better!

Please spare a few minutes to fill it out. None of the questions are required, so you can answer only what you want!

Small Talk with Harris Powell-Smith! @hpowellsmith

Our Interviewers are currently working on a Interview with the awesome Harris Powell-Smith, an award-winning narrative designer and writer of the Crème de la Crème series and Blood Money!

Do you have something you always wanted to ask them? Now is your chance! Send us a message on one of our socials or send us an e-mail. We’ll ask them for you!

We hope you enjoy this new issue!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

~ BE A PART OF THE ZINE ~

THIS ZINE ONLY HAPPENS WITH YOU!

Want to write 1-2 pages about a neat topic, or deep-dive into a game and review it in details? Share personal experiences or get all academic?

WRITE FOR THE COLUMN!

Prefer to be more low-key but still have something to share? Send us a Zine Letter or share a game title for Highlight on…!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Came across something interesting? Know a release or an update announced? Saw an event happening? Whether it's a game, an article, a podcast… Add any IF-related content to our mini-database!

EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Contact us through Tumblr asks, Forum DMs, or even by email! And thank you for your help!!

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : Velox Turbo 2 ~

December 13th to 17th 2024

Velox Turbo is a challenge edition of Velox Fabula (or "Quick Story"), which is a ranked jam about making a complete visual novel based on a community-determined theme, hosted by robobarbie and Allie Vera. The Velox Turbo edition gives creators 4 days (instead of the usual 10) to complete their project, encouraging speed, accurate scope setting, and creativity.

The Velox jam series is heavily inspired by Ludum Dare, a global game jam about making a game from scratch based on a certain theme in a short amount of time.

This Jam's theme: The Eye of the Beholder, was revealed at the start of the jam. Voting was held across several rounds in the week leading up to the jam starting.

Other themes in the Velox jam series were:

Unreliable Narrator

Morally Ambiguous Promise

Enemies with Benefits

Flower Symbolism

Doomed by the Narrative

Trapped with Someone

Forbidden Romance

You Shouldn't Be Here

Participants can now vote for their favourites until December 31st. There are six categories: Overall, Theme Incorporation, Narrative, Visuals and Sound. Even tho you can't vote unless you submitted your own work, definitely check out at least one of the 15 entries!

~ ENDED ~

The voting for A Very Hallmark Game Jam is over. Check out the results!

This year’s Yuri Game Jam is in over. There’s an unbelievable number of 109 entries to check out!

Another bitsy jam has ended. You can now check out 8 entries with the theme "better late than never".

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

Media depicting healthy examples of polyamory isn’t that common. The PolyJamorous 2024 is trying to break the status-quo!

The Queer Winter Game Jam is in full swing. Those interested can submit their work until January 16th 2025.

ShuffleComp is a musical interactive fiction competition where you make games based on songs, which are submitted by other entrants. Creators have until January 20th 2025 to upload their works.

Once upon a time, a game jam was held to create stories around the theme of fairy tales… and that game jam is the Once Upon A Time VN Jam. It’s running from October 1st to January 31st.

Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone 2025 is for all French-speaking enthusiasts. Submissions are accepted March 3rd 2025.

Are you perhaps a fan of more somber, melancholic themes? Then check out the Dying Year - Visual Novel Jam! You have until the end of the year to participate.

The Black Visual Novel Jam is all about working with creative professional developers who work in visual novels to bring more Black stories to life. The goal is to create a space where Black creators can show their unique storytelling through visual novels.

IF Short Games Showcase 2024 is a great way to shine some new light on your projects made in the past year (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024), regardless of whether or not they are previously released! You have until January 15th 2025 to join.

Winter Visual Novel Jam 2024 is here! You have until January 1st 2025 to submit your projects.

Are you familiar with Decker? Then why not take a part in the Deck-Month 2?

SeedComp! is a 2-round interactive fiction game jam, focusing on creativity and the growth of ideas and the Sprouting Round has just started! Check out the Planting round for inspiration.

~ NEW RELEASE ~

Gentleman, Adventurer, Crocodile (Forked) is a twenty-second romp around the Victorian world in the company of an adventurous crocodile. It is a story filled with wondrous lands, strange people, wealth, power, friendship, betrayal, shipwreck and delicious pastry.

Murder Gods Play Pachinko (Super Videotome Engine) - A group of friends gathers in a remote house for the first time in two years. This is the place where Kaya took his life. Tensions are high, to say the least. The snowstorm isn't letting up. It appears they're trapped. The only company they have is each other. Little do they know -- time isn't on their side. He's on his way.

A new era begins in Maroland… The Ancient Talking Dragons have nearly all been annihilated… The Elves hide in their ancient mansions. The future belongs to humans… However, naive human wizards long for immortality. It’s only a matter of time before one of them finds something they can’t control. The Elves of Maroland is now available for free downloading in English language.

You are a prisoner of the jaguar empire, being forcibly marched by your captor to the blood pits at the heart of the empire. In your condition, your choices are limited -- but you refuse to let them have you. Escape your captor, explore the continent, and struggle for survival in this unique text-based roguelike, Wild Continent (Unity).

Echoes in the Deep (Twine) is an atmospheric, choice-driven narrative game set in a failing underwater research station. As Dr. Evelyn Moore, you must uncover the station's secrets, restore failing systems, and escape before time runs out. Will you survive the depths, or will its mysteries drag you under?

Calmaria is the newest companion app developed by the Design School in partnership with the Informatics College, the Student Engagement Office, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office of the University of ≭∘⊊⊚. Please enjoy Calmaria.

Dive even deeper into the world of A Date with Death with an all-new route. Starting with a fresh Day 6 and unfolding all the way through Day 10, this DLC brings you new conversations, stunning art, four new endings, and of course, the same beloved Grim Reaper. - A Date with Death - Beyond the Bet (Ren’Py). @twoandahalfstudios

As always, don't forget to check out the submitted entries to the events mentioned in the previous pages. They deserve some love too!

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

Everyone knows vampires: bloodthirsty, unholy creatures, some barely any better than animals. You never thought you'd become one yourself. You're a believer in the new gods - but here you are, trying not to feel that they've abandoned you. Feed, fight, and flee from the sun, all while looking for a cure to turn your life, or lack of it, right again in Glass Fangs (Twine). @glassfangsif

You are the heir to the Dracian kingdom, born of dragon blood and royal lineage—but you know nothing of this truth. To protect you from the tyrannical king of Dracia—your own grandfather—your parents sacrificed their lives. They hid you away, ensuring the prophecy that foretells his downfall would survive, even if they could not. - Rise of the Forsaken (CScript).

Dazzling phantom thief heists, romantic meetings in the dead of night, and making a name for yourself; The Mysterious Thief, Forget Me Not (Ren’Py) is a mostly linear girl's love visual novel that features multiple POVs throughout. The story is set in the fictional city of Twinbells, England, and shows how the lives of our four main characters are changed forever when a ballet company — and its treasured jewel — visits the phantom thief-loving city. @solsketchbook

Rigor Mortis (Ren’Py) is a visual novel for goths of all stripes who are surviving under late-stage capitalism. Discover the adventures of Lunis Culpeper, 12-year-old newlydead, as she learns about (un)life in the (under)world the hard way.

Your life as an alchemist has been safe and comfortable so far... but when your sister makes you one last wish before passing away, you'll embark on a dangerous journey that might change your life—and the lives of your two companions—forever. Hopefully, you'll also learn to see the world in a new light after this Trek to Dead Water (Ren’Py).

Take centre stage as a former-rockstar turned actor navigating your new career and the chilling grip of fan-obsession in Scapegoated (CScript). Your once-famous band may be nothing short of a ghost of the past to you, but the rest of the world cannot seem to let go. The split in 1968 was scandalous, abrupt and mysterious. And although you’ve thrown yourself into acting and secured your first major role with a big time Hollywood director, whispers of blame have been on your tail ever since.

You are the illegitimate child of King Aldric the ruler of one of the seven kingdoms Ceryndor, marked by your half elven heritage and shunned by society. Born under a cloud of prejudice and tragedy, you are feared as the “Black Wolf” – an omen of misfortune and a harbinger of chaos. When the son of a wealthy trader is found dead, the fragile peace in your land begins to crumble. The investigation leads you to uncover secrets that could shake the foundations of the seven kingdoms. Will you embrace the tyranny they accuse you of, or will you rise above the scars of your past and forge your own path in War of Crowns (CScript)?

A Life in a Year (Unity) is a narrative-driven adventure game that explores the emotional challenges of studying abroad. You play as Laura, a 16-year-old exchange student in a Nordic country. The game navigates themes like language barriers, cultural differences, friendship, family, and more.

Your trade as a Keeper is suffering under the rule of the current Emperor, but you've just gotten lucky – the Summit Library, the largest and most important Library in the Eawin Empire, has requested your services. But when you arrive you suddenly find yourself in a dangerous magical mystery: something's wrong with the books, and the Library is falling apart at the seams. Also, there might be a war? But The Summit Library is situated on neutral territory, so that doesn't affect you... Right?

~ UPDATES ~

A Sun Asunder: Post Apocalypse (CScript) updated their demo. @asapostapocalypseif

Meteoric (CSscript) added new content to their demo.

REMEMBER, YOU WILL DIE (CSscript) released Chapter 5. @vapolis

The Ultimate Magic Student (CScript) updated their demo.

Thicker Than (CScript) released their monthly update on Ko-Fi. @barbwritesstuff

Virtue’s End (CScript) updated their Patreon demo. @virtues-end

A Warmth in the Cold (CScript) added new content to the demo.

Spire, Surge and Sea (CScript) updated a new second Chapter.

The Adventures of Alaric Blackmoon (ADRIFT) released Episode 10.

Sentience (Twine) released Chapter 5. @sentience-if

Adrift With You (CScript) released Chapter 2. @kathrinesadventures

A Shriek of Ash and Fire (CScript) released Update 6. @krogpile

Drink Your Villain Juice (CScript) updated their demo. @drinkyourvillainjuice

Oh Mother, Where Are Thou? (CScript) updated their demo.

Dragon Kin (CScript) added new content to their demo.

Soulmates Inc (CScript) is back with a new update. @soulmatesinc-if

Voiceless: A Siren’s Song (CScript) released a re-written Chapter 1.

War of the Divines (CScript) updated their demo.

Hunter’s Requiem (CScript) added new content to their demo. @huntersrequiem-if

~ OTHER ~

Crown of Exile (Twine) offers a limited Access up to Chapter Ten for all their readers. Check it out before it’s too late! @ramonag-if

The Rosebush released an Interview with Chandler Groover, an interactive fiction author known for his influential games such as Eat Me, Toby’s Nose and Midnight. Swordfight., as well as his contribution in Fallen London’s storylines. @the-rosebush-mag

Devil On Your Shoulder is looking for beta testers.

~

As always, we apologize in advance for missing any update or release from the past week. We are only volunteers using their limited free time to find as much as we can - but sometimes things pass through the cracks.

If you think something should have been included in this week's zine but did not appear, please shoot us a message! We'll do our best to add it next week! And if you know oncoming news, add it here!

~ MAYBE YOU NEXT? ~

We did not get a submission this week. But if you have an idea for a short essay, or would like a special space to share your thoughts about IF and the community...

Shoot us an email!

~ HIGHLIGHT ON ~

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

I.A.G Alpha by techniX (INSTEAD)

The interactivity turns the idea of an IF piece on its head!

//submitted by Max//

The Master of the Land by Pseudavid (Twine)

A night of celebration with many storylines to explore. Replay again and again to understand, not to win.

//submitted by Sera//

Wonderland Noir: Behind the Looking Glass by Slim Pickens (Ink)

Delves into heavy topics, reminds me of Disco Elysium. Incredibly evocative writing, almost no attention given.

//submitted by Mouthofdirt//

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserves some highlighting?

An old or recent game that wowed you so much you spam it to everyone?

Tell us about it! And it might appear here!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, OR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...

Have something to say? Send us a message titled: Zine Letter!

As we end this issue, we would like to thank:

Max, Sera and Mouthofdirt

For sending us a Highlight!!

And as always, huge thanks to all you readers who liked, shared, and commented on last week's issue!

What might be tiny actions are huge support and motivators to us!

Thank you for cheering us on this journey!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We all wish you a great start to next year!

We will see you in January with a 2025 edition of What’s New in IF!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 33

[icingred]

Now my question for your Reverse Au: what is the status of the Beast Cookies?

The Beasts

I cannot say much about them because this AU is really dependant on the canon story (which.. isn't out for the most part 💀)... Not to mention this might even change, based on the future updates about them.

And pls note that this is a CrK AU only so I'm not mixing any WC, OB, etc. Lore into this.

Originally baked as Beasts by the evil Witches, they have roamed around Earthbread creating chaos. In an attempt to save their creations, the other, friendlier Witches have dedicated their time to redeem this batch of cookies, to which they successfully did.

But soon enough, they lost direct contact with their cookies, and the good Witches were no longer caught up with them.

Despite that, the heroes continued to bring enlightenment and prosperity to Earthbread, to prove their redemption. They helped many Cookies for years and soon gained their trust.

Elder Faerie Cookie, their old friend who remained unhappy with the change, has sealed the new Heroes up in the Silver Tree with a little help from the evil witches and their new allies, the Wizards.

In their last attempt to protect Earthbread, the Heroes gave away their Soul Jam, so that such powers wouldn't end up in Elder Faerie's hands like he intended to.

Many years later, they remained there, lost and forgotten, until a cookie made of white flowers came by…

[darkfictionjude]

They say that small towns hide the darkest secrets. At least that’s what your mother always said about this one. You thought she meant how Father Simmons has a well-known drinking problem, how Mrs. Gladstone’s son looks more like his uncle than his father or that the mayor has been in power for 15 years because of voting fraud. Things everyone knows. Human Things.

But now as partially eaten bodies have been left in alarmingly rates all over this small town the world has no record of, you now know she meant something else.

Play as peculiar and disturbed individual surnamed Crown after the very town your ancestor founded, returning after a traumatic event two years prior that landed you in a psychiatric hospital. As your comeback coincides with a rapid increase of disappearances you find yourself embroiled in a town conspiracy, a past that’s more alive than ever and the ever shifting self interested motives of those who claim to be your allies.

Who can you trust? What’s the truth behind your family? What are things that you see in the dark?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what shapes monsters come in.

Customize your MC from looks to gender

Reveal your sister’s disappearance

Rely on a group of complimentary polar opposites to find out the mystery and save your life

Befriend or romance a choice of three from enemies to lovers, childhood friends or an eternal admirer

Rating: 18+

Crown - Playlist

You. A person with some personal issues, some family issues and some murder issues.

Imre Duran - Playlist

Quintessential good-boy-next-door. The most most-liked teenager in town. As son of the mayor and pageant queen, Imre has an image cultivated by him and maintained through his status which is why his back door activities are his cherished secrets. He is rather eager to help you… isn’t he?

Nia Mir - Playlist

In the very real and present high school hierarchy Nia would be one of the nobles. As a wannabe doctor with a loathed father and an absent mother her dream is to leave behind this backwater town and all it’s weird phenomena that she doesn’t care to know more of. She liked you, once.

Lorcan Stark - Playlist

Every town needs its bad boy and so Lorcan has aimed to be as every bit worthy of that title. The shunned son of a murderer and his victim, he is not really thought of as having a future beyond prison and petty crime especially in a town like this. You don’t remember a time when he didn’t hate you.

Salvatore Crown

Your brother. The heir to whatever fortune your family has left and the only one of the family who seems to like you.

Orla Crown - Playlist

Your sister. No one ever knew what she thinking, a closed box full of unknowns. You knew she kept things, especially from you.

Mayor Duran

Seems like every other politician. Oddly enough no one ever really sees him, an entity watching over the town.

Mother

She never acted like one to any of her children. She’s never sober anymore.

Mrs. Mir

Disappeared years ago without a trance. No one remembers her first name. Was thought to have been clinically insane.

Demo (updated 12/01) | Spotify | Patreon

6 of 13 episodes released

[pro-mammonologist]

Lucifer is the type to want to have sex a lot but have different priorities so he can’t so every time he gets a break and still has energy he wants it really damn bad and will pester you about it. Will send text updates of horny status and times he’ll be available.

Firm believer that mammons like the kind of person to be horny all the damn time and to constantly feel it but not always wanting to fuck cuz the adhd energy runs out but he ally least needs a solid 3 times a week.

Levi is actually the one that could fuck every day and be able to keep up. He’s secretly a huge fucking horndog with boundless sexual stamina.

Satan is up for sex any time mc wants it but he doesn’t always think about it but when he’s really horny he will make it very known to mc. Especially when he’s feeling more adventurous .

Ofc Asmo is always down for sex but I think he really just wants romance a lot of the time too. With mc, sex is a lot more passionate and and romantic. But he will do anything anytime so.

Beel gets super horny after working out and he works out very regularly so it’s safe to say that he’s horny pretty often. He doesn’t want to pester mc with his libido but if he really needs it he’s very very firm.

Belphie is a combo of satan and mammon. Horny a lot, but usually doesn’t have the energy, but when he does, he really really really really gets into it. Big on after sex naps. And post nap sex. Loves mcs sleepy voice when they’re fucking.

[astrobei]

hi i love your fics and I was wondering if you had any byler fic recs

thanks

hello there! in all honesty, i have not had the time to read a lot of byler fic as of late, but it’s been a while since i posted some recs so i’ll drop a few that i’ve enjoyed recently! as always, i do endorse every fic in my bookmarks to the highest possible degree, so always feel free to look through those for new reading as well <3

say it with your hands by pseudologia (@hellfiremike) — will is a new employee at the movie theater mike works at, and mike starts thirsting over will’s hands to a degree that’s downright detrimental to his employment status

GOD. this fic. i gushed in their dms immediately after finishing it because this might be my favorite modern will characterization of all time, and this is coming from someone who has a million and one takes on modern era will byers. this fic just checked all of my boxes — from the summertime romance to mike’s painfully in-character teenage angsting to will being a frequenter of star wars reddit threads and an enjoyer of sufjan stevens. and the TENSION. oh god the tension. i’ve read all their fics probably three times over each, and i also highly recommend like i am home again, a college au set during a halloween party which made me stare at my phone refreshing ao3 hourly until it updated, and can this be a real thing (can it?) wherein mike and will reunite in a gay bar. enough said

landslide by chamb3rs — the party’s senior year of high school

i don’t often reach for chaptered fics since i usually have such limited reading time, but i’m sooo so so happy i stumbled across this one. there have just been very few fics that have touched me like this one did. i blew through this in one sitting a few weekends ago and subsequently experienced the full range of human emotions (and then some) all in the span of a few hours. everything about this was perfect — the will pov, the weird liminality of transitional periods, the party and byhop family dynamics, down to my favorite portrayal of theeeee jennifer hayes in any fic ever. on top of all of that, this fic perfectly captures the heartbreaking euphoria of being in love with your best friend, and all the ups and downs that come with it. i crawled out of the ao3 tab covered in blood and my chest was hurting and i was shaking and i had damn near chewed my own arm off — and then i sent the link to my friend 10 minutes later and watched her experience the same exact thing like a train wreck in slow-mo HAHAHA

what a time to be alive by passerine_in_jade (@newlesbianprideflag) — will disappears and haunts mike from the upside down

i’m forever a total sucker for a good haunting metaphor, so it’s absolutely not a surprise that this fic is appearing on this list. the premise for this was so so so cool and interesting, and it’s another chaptered fic i’m glad i had a little extra time to read. the way the author had me rooting for mike and will the whole time even though half of the pairing was offscreen for a large majority of the fic is a highly commendable feat. mike’s unyielding loyalty to will and will’s constant faith in him felt so true to their canon selves, and there were so many moments that were so quiet and intimate and tender that i really felt like i was intruding on something. good good stuff

that’s what you get for falling in love by harriet_vane — will gets his first boyfriend in college, and mike, ever the ally, has very normal feelings about it

i want to preface this by saying that this fic is rated m, mostly just for mentions/allusions to sex, and one largely non-explicit portion of a scene in the last chapter. if that’s not your cup of tea, it’s easy to tell when it’s coming up and to skip past it without detracting from the plot, but i think it would be a greater detriment to not rec this fic at all, because it has quickly made the list of my favorite byler fics of all time. something about this take on jealous mike especially resonated with me — his inner monologue is simultaneously hilarious and depressing, and his obliviousness regarding his feelings for will feels so true to life without being overdone or cartoonish. you can tell just how much they really care for each other, and the conflict in this actually made me start crying because it felt so visceral and so fundamentally them. you can tell this author really understands their characters, and the love put into this fic is soooo palpable. it’s the kind of fic where you want to bonk their heads together to knock some sense into them, but you are helpless to do anything but hold on as you’re swung along for the ride.

finally, i try not to just rec fics written by my friends, but my recent reading list would be incomplete without these two wonderful additions:

the way you love me by strangeswift (@strangeswift) — byler exes (absolutely heartwrenching edition)

i’ve been hearing abby talk about her ideas for this fic for the better part of a year as she worked on it, and she actually edited and posted the first two chapters while i was visiting her! and by god is this world a better place with her byler exes concept in it, because if you want angst, you’ll never have to look further than her ao3 page. something about the way she writes will in this fic just makes my heart shrivel up and die in my chest — his quiet resignation, the bitterness (always love a good bitter will byers moment) and the Longing that never quite went away. mike’s characterization is also top notch, and you can really feel the chemistry between them during every interaction. at the time of me posting this list, chapter 4 is not yet up, but trust me when i tell you guys it’s going to soooooo be worth it. :-)

the end is here by bookinit (@bookinit02) — a speculative byler-centric season 5

if you’ve been following my blog for any amount of time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that haven’s canon rewrite series is hands-down my favorite series across any pairing and fandom. her creativity with her season 5 concepts never fails to astound me — from the scripts she’s been working on as an alternative to the episodes she rewrote for s1-4, to her ideas for possible plot lines, and just incredible writing all around. i’ve had the privilege of reading through her scripts before she posts them to her blog (definitely go check them out) but special privilege bias aside, it takes soooo much skill to create such a visually powerful story in a medium that allows for such little narration, and the corresponding chapters just totally pushes it over the edge. pre-s5 required reading for every byler, and 100000% my new canon if the show doesn’t pan out

this definitely is not an exhaustive list because i have a million and one fics on my to-read, and one day i will get around to reading them all, but i hope there is something on this list that strikes your fancy!!

[hugmekenobi]

S3: The Bad Batch (14)

Chapter Fourteen: Flash Strike

Gif by @chaioticcoffee

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: The Batch try to get behind enemy lines as they arrive on Tantiss. Echo makes an unexpected ally and Omega has a plan of her own.

Masterlist for S1 and S2

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Limited (Y/N), canon-typical violence, injury descriptions (blood cuts, blacking out and bruising), needles and injections, Hemlock, torture references, angst

Word Count: 5.1K

Author's notes: Not even a lovely bout of food poisoning swiftly followed by my period immediately after was going to stop me getting this out on a Wednesday lol so here it is! Can't believe the next on is the finale!

“We’ll be exiting hyperspace soon.” Hunter informed the group as he came down from the cockpit.

“The base’s scanners will detect us once we’re on approach.” Rampart fretted.

“Then we’ll detach from the science vessel’s hull before then and infiltrate on foot.”

“The jungle is deadly.” Crosshair said in warning.

“Yes, exactly. At least listen to him.” Rampart begged.

“Well, how is Echo gonna get off that ship?” Wrecker reminded his two brothers, not liking the idea of leaving Echo unaided in this mission.

Hunter couldn’t afford to let his mind worry about that too much. Echo was highly capable, and Hunter knew he could handle this. “He’ll find a way.” The alarm beeped to signal the impending hyperspace exit. “Get into position.”

The three of them donned their helmets again and readied themselves for what was to come.

--

Echo hid the trooper’s body in a supply closet and plugged into the ship’s system. He couldn’t look for long however due to the sound of droid footsteps approaching and so he had to go hide in the closet.

--

Hemlock walked into the control room. “What’s the status of the science vessel?” He asked Scorch.

“En route, but we have a potential security breach. Clone Force 99 infiltrated the orbital station with former Vice Admiral Rampart.”

“Where are they now?”

“They fled aboard a stolen shuttle when the science vessel departed. They could be tracking it.”

Hemlock debated the courses of action in his head before deciding, “Dispatch fighters to monitor airspace. I’ll consult with our… guest for any further information he can give on the strategies they may implement.”

--

As the vessel entered the atmosphere, Hunter got ready to act. “Disengaging.”

As soon as the shuttle released from the science vessel, they were immediately bombarded with a squadron of Imperial fighters. Reacting too quickly and too organised for it to be a coincidence- no, they were expecting them.

Hunter sped up the ship and carried out evasive manoeuvres.

--

Hemlock returned from the cells to get a status update. Unfortunately, the prisoner had been rather uncooperative this time around, but it was no matter, he understood clones and how they acted- especially this squad. He could handle this himself. And he was due a visit with you anyway so perhaps you could shed light on what they may do.

“Our fighters have engaged a rogue shuttle.” A technician informed Dr. Hemlock.

“Lock down the base. Neutralize the threat, Commander.” He ordered Scorch.

“Activate laser cannons.” Scorch directed.

--

Between the fire from the base laser cannons and the fighters, standard manoeuvrers weren’t cutting it. Hunter had to get a little bit creative with the flying now and he started with a divebomb towards the ground.

--

Omega and the kids sat bored around one of the tables as they played with the puzzles, but a deep rumbling echoed around the vault.

“What is that?” Eva asked nervously.

Omega rested her hand on the table as she listened and analysed the sounds. “Laser cannons.”

--

“Doctors, there is a base-wide security alert.”

Emerie and Dr. Scalder turned to the science tech who told them that news.

“Follow lockdown protocols. I’ll secure the lab. Monitor the children in my absence.” She said to Dr. Scalder.

Dr. Scalder sneered slightly at the request, “Your concern for the specimens is unwarranted.” But she did as she was told as Emerie walked away.

--

Omega took in the scene through the windows above her with deep intrigue.

“What’s going on?” Sammi whispered.

“They found us.” Omega breathed.

“Who?” Jax asked.

“My brothers.”

--

The ship took another concerning sounding hit.

“Deflector shields are failing.” Crosshair said hurriedly to Hunter from the co-pilots chair situated just behind him.

Hunter dived again, only this time he turned the ship around, so the ship’s weapons were facing the enemy fighters. He fired on them and managed to take out a couple before he slowed and pulled back on the engines and allowed the remaining ships to fly past him.

That moved allowed him to lose them for a second and fly the ship closer to the jungle terrain, but it wasn’t long before the fighters had regrouped and were right back on top of them. “There’s no time to land.” Hunter said. He engaged his comm, “Wrecker, prep the rappel cables.”

“On it.” Wrecker confirmed as he removed himself from the seat he was in.

“On it? On what?” Rampart asked anxiously.

Wrecker only chuckled as he undid Rampart’s over-the-shoulder restraint. “You don’t wanna know.”

“Autopilot engaged.” Hunter confirmed as he and Crosshair went down to join Wrecker.

--

Hunter readied the hatch and all four of them attached to a cable.

“What do you expect me to do?” Rampart questioned in disbelief as he worked on mentally preparing for whatever the clone had planned.

“Try not to hit anything on the way down.” Hunter advised unhelpfully as the floor opened up.

“Whoa! You’ve got to be kidding!” Rampart screeched as he worked out the intentions of this ill-conceived and hellish idea. This entire affair was getting worse by the minute. Suddenly, Erebus didn’t seem so bad.

“Lines ready.” Wrecker said before he and Crosshair made the first jump down and detached once they were in a clear enough space.

Seeing that they’d made it, Hunter gave the order for him and Rampart, “Now!” He yanked Rampart down before the Imperial had the chance to second-guess.

Hunter’s cable descended fine, but Rampart got stuck before he’d barely started to drop.

“Wait! The cable is jammed!” He shouted down to Hunter.

Hunter really didn’t have time to think of a delicate solution, nor did he care about finding one. He drew his blaster and destroyed the hoist that Rampart’s cable ran through. He caught the panicked and screeching Imperial by the forearm as he fell past him, and the shuttle being destroyed by the fighters took care of the rest of their descent into the jungle.

--

“Confirmed hit.” The technician stated. “The shuttle was shot down and crashed in the jungle.”

“Have patrols search the crash site.” Hemlock instructed.

“Sir, our science vessel is on final approach.” Scorch informed him.

“Have the entire ship searched and the crew scanned. No one leaves that hangar without authorisation.” Hemlock made his final order before he left the room.

--

Echo mused over ideas in his head. He knew he couldn’t stay hidden in here forever, but he didn’t exactly blend in. even if he got off the ship, sneaking around Tantiss would be no easy feat, especially with no cover to rely on.

He paced up and down the small closet space and he titled his head as he stared down at the trooper and a new idea began to take shape.

--

Donned in new stormtrooper armour, Echo exited the closet and scomped into the system again.

He’d managed to get more of a look this time before he heard the droid footsteps. He unplugged and casually walked away, acting as if he was patrolling the area but the droid’s voice stopped him.

“Wait. You are not authorised to be here. This area is under my jurisdiction.”

“Ah, well, I was, uh, checking the manifest.” But even to a droid he knew he didn’t sound convincing.

“What is going on here?”

Echo didn’t let the droid get any closer to him. He blasted it straight in the chest and as he looked between the droid and his scomp, he saw another opportunity to complete his new identity.

“Thanks for the hand.” He quipped as he exited the shuttle the same way he’d gotten in.

He joined on to a squad of troopers leaving the hangar.

Now, his infiltration could begin.

--

 Crosshair and Wrecker were making their way through the thick jungle terrain.

“I don’t see ‘em.” Wrecker groaned. “Should we break comm silence?”

“No. we continue toward the base. Hunter will head that way too.” Crosshair said as he took the lead.

“A-Are you sure we’re headed in the right direction?”

“I’ve been here before. It’s not a place you forget.” He shook his hand out as he felt the tremors return.

“You broke out of here once. At least this time you’re breaking in.” Wrecker said, doing his best to provide some comfort.

“I’d rather not do either. But Omega didn’t leave me behind when she could have. I owe her. And (Y/N), she’s one of us too. I have to do this.”

“Plus, we’d never hear the end of it from Hunter if we didn’t.” Wrecker said with levity.

Crosshair managed a short chuckle, “Hmm, that too.”

The rustling of leaves and sounds of footsteps approaching caused them both the sharpen up again as they readied their blasters but the person that emerged was their brother so they could relax.

“See? He found us.” Crosshair stated smugly.

“Did, uh, Rampart make it?” Wrecker asked.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Hunter replied dryly.

“I heard that.” Rampart came panting into view. “You three truly are defective clones.” He grumbled. “If you had any common sense, you wouldn’t have come here. You won’t get out of this alive.”

Hunter squared up to Rampart. “We’ll take our chances.” He glanced up. “Incoming.”

The four of them took cover by a rock as a scout shuttle flew overhead. Only when is passed by, did they start walking again.

--

“Why haven’t our vitals been taken today and where did everyone go?” Eva asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she clutched the straw doll tightly.

“I don’t know. This is weird.” Jax stated quietly.

Omega matched their volume so as not to arouse suspicion. “I need to scout out what’s going on and see if I can find my friend.”

“Your friend?” Eva asked.

“You didn’t arrive alone?” Sammi inquired.

Omega shook her head, but she didn’t know how much to let them in on, especially if they weren’t aware of the potential they had. “Hemlock wanted her too; I think for the similar purposes you were all taken or possibly something else, but I don’t know what. And this is my best chance to find out and to find her, before the others come back. If something happens, and I’m not back in time, cover me.”

“Cover you?” Eva repeated in confusion.

“What does that mean?” Jax sought out clarification on the order.

Omega forgot that most kids didn’t actually grow up with a military family. “Keep watch. If the droid’s come snooping, stall them.” Omega instructed.

“How?” Sammi asked.

“You’ll think of something.” Omega said with sincere belief in them. She stole a glance up at Dr. Scalder who was engaged in talking to a droid and she saw her opportunity. “I’m counting on you.” With that, she left the table and set off to her room where she could access her new means of travel inside the walls of Tantiss.

--

The Batch and Rampart continued to make their way through the terrain, ensuring they were avoiding the many scouting parties that had been sent out.

Crosshair noticed Rampart’s drop in pace and jutted him hard in the back with his rifle. “You fall behind, you get left behind.” He said in response to Rampart’s pained grunt and backwards glare.

“You used to believe good soldiers followed orders.” Rampart commented as he picked up his speed a tad.

“Depends on who’s giving them. The Empire betrayed us both.”

“And you think you can fight them? That’s not you. You’re like me. Loyal to no one but yourself.” Rampart came to a halt.

“I’ve changed.” Crosshair said as he passed him. He wasn’t about to let Rampart of all people get in his head about this. He knew he was different now and that’s what mattered here.

“Sure you have.” Rampart muttered doubtfully as he watched the clone join the other two ahead before he went to catch up.

--

Blending in with the other Imperial troopers had been easy enough, even if the mechanical hand felt a bit unnatural but so far things were going smoothly but slowly. He needed a plan that involved knowing where it was that he needed to go.

Echo broke away from the back of the squad he was trailing as he passed a terminal. Making sure that the cost was clear, he took off the fake hand and plugged into the system to get a layout of this place and it was then that he saw the map of how to get to the lab that he figured had been the place where most of the testing that Omega had talked about occurred.

--

Hunter indicated for the group to stop and hide behind the treeline as a squad of troopers were in the area a few metres away from them. He knew going straight and behind them wasn’t a safe option so he led the way to the right that would see them hopefully work around them.

However, the path led them to a steep rockface.

“So, do we, uh, go around?” Wrecker suggested.

“No. It’ll take too long.” Crosshair said. “Especially with dead weight slowing us down.” He referred to Rampart as he heard the deep and unfit sighs leaving the Imperial as he lagged behind them.

“By all means, take your time.” Rampart groused to himself as he went to sit on a rock away from them all. “It’s not like we’re being hunted down.” He closed his eyes and leaned back against a surprisingly comfortable part of the cliff.

“Ground troopers are already scouring the area. Climbing is our best option.” Hunter theorised.

Wrecker groaned. “I knew you were gonna say that.”

Any further debate was cut short as a deep growling got all of their attention and they saw the creature rousing from sleep behind a terrified Rampart.

Hunter kept his voice low, and calm reached his hand out to Rampart to encourage him to do the same. “Slowly step away.”

Rampart darted back behind them all, but his panic was all he could focus on as he stared as the huge bear-like creature.

Wrecker anticipated Rampart’s petrified scream and covered his mouth with his palm as he dragged Rampart away.

Rampart gathered himself enough to weasel out of Wrecker’s grasp, “Shoot it. Now!”

They’d come too far and were too close for it all to come crashing down now. He couldn’t let that happen. “No. Blaster fire will give away our position.” Hunter objected as he and Crosshair also kept backing away.

“Our position won’t matter if that eats us.” Rampart hissed fearfully and he wasn’t about to wait around for that to happen- let the clones die, it wasn’t his problem anymore. He set off at a run.

The others only watched him go. Their focus had to stay on the animal which let out a guttural growl and charged at them.

They ran and split off in an attempt to surround it.

Hunter managed a few swipes of his vibroblade and Crosshair succeeded in hitting it’s face with the end of his rifle but where things started to go wrong was when Wrecker decided to jump on its back. He was tossed off with ease and that meant the animal was focused entirely on him.

“Wrecker, look out!” Hunter shouted as loudly as he could without giving them away, but it wasn’t enough.

The two of them watched in as the creature savagely swiped at Wrecker’s chest and through hm across the jungle into the trunk of a tree. They dashed over to him and saw the nasty gash that had breached his chest plate and cut through to his chest.

“Come on.” Crosshair encouraged roughly as he and Hunter pulled Wrecker to his feet, and both took an arm around him to support their brother as they retreated further into the jungle.

Fortunately, the gaps between the trees were too small for the creature to follow them but that relief was short lived.

Despite their best efforts, Rampart’s careless fumbling had alerted the Imperial’s to their location and a blaster fight ensued- a less-than-ideal situation for them, especially with Wrecker seriously hurt- but the added chaos had brought the animal back around to take care of the soldiers for them, allowing them to hide once more.

However, Wrecker was still badly wounded.

And Rampart was now nowhere to be found.

And they could count of the fact that the troopers would find him.

And Hemlock definitely knew they were alive and here.

--

The tight spaces and avoiding the sensors within the walls had made the sneaking around rather slow and tiring but it had been worth it.

Discovering that the Zillo Beast was here and being contained not too far from the vault had sparked an idea for the development of her escape plan and now she hoped her instincts were right in terms of the path they were taking her on to find where you were.

She felt along the walls, seeking out any discrepancies to mark changes in location and when she found such a change, she took the gamble and used her tool to scrape away at the new set of panels and began to push her way through.

--

As Omega came out the other side and entered what appeared to be a prison cell, she was pleased to see that it paid off but when she came to actually crouch in front of you, her breath hitched in distress as she saw you. She gently shook your shoulder and called your name.

Your internal body clock was going off, so you roused under the assumption that the calling of your name came from your usual visitors so when you saw her face, it shocked you. “Omega?” You whispered.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Omega replied quietly.

Judging from the deep furrow in her brow and the concern behind her eyes, you looked as bad as you felt. You offered what you hoped was a reassuring smile as you asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you. I think the others are here. We can leave this place soon!” But the news didn’t get the reaction from you she’d hoped. You were looking at her with profound disbelief. “Couldn’t you hear the cannons?”

You’d thought you’d heard a faint booming, but you couldn’t be sure that you hadn’t hallucinated it or been told to believe it. After all, this had been a scenario Hemlock had tried before. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” You admitted with a heavy, weary sigh. At least you could believe her though, this wasn’t a figment of your imagination.

Omega had never seen you look so defeated before and it disturbed her a great deal. She needed to free you. “What does he want with you?”

You adjusted yourself slightly with a wince. “He wants me to join his operatives. He’s- he’s pretty insistent about it.”

“You can’t!”

“Yeah, I worked that one out for myself.” You attempted to kid, but it fell flat. “What about you? Did he tell you what he wanted?”

“My blood can be used to help replicate an individual’s M-count. But don’t worry, I’m working out a plan for me and the other kids to escape and find Hunter and the others.” Omega informed you.

“There are more children?” You repeated in dismay.

“There are three more of us and a baby. I still don’t fully know why they’re here. My guess is they’re like you.”

“A baby?” You didn’t think Hemlock could repulse you more yet somehow, he’d managed it. And if these kids were like you, they were in all kinds of danger.

“I’m helping them, but I can get you out of here first.” Omega insisted as she started to pull out her implement to work on your cuffs.

“No, you need to leave.”

Omega paused, “What?”

“You can’t help me. You can’t stay here any longer.” Your internal alarm clock had gone off for a reason and the fact that Hemlock was running late solidified the fact that they were here, but it also meant he could arrive any minute. In fact, you could hear distant footsteps.

“But why?”

“Omega, please. Go.” You insisted through a pained whisper as the noise of footsteps grew nearer.

“I can’t leave you like this.” Omega objected.

“You have to.”

“But-”

“Those kids need you. It’s not fair that you have to look do this by yourself, but you need to get out. You can’t worry about me right now; escaping is your objective. You know that it is.”

Omega felt like she was being pulled in two different directions. “I don’t want him to hurt you anymore.” She said tearfully.

“As long as I know you’re okay, he can’t hurt me. Go.” You begged.

“I-”

“Omega…” You implored, your throat choking up as you saw the conflict written across her face and you wished you didn’t have to send her away. “Please.” You couldn’t stand the thought of her getting caught or witnessing what Hemlock had planned for you, it was already bad enough that she’d seen you like this.

Omega still felt torn about it but deep down, she knew you were right and, even though part of her was yelling at her to help you, she forced herself to do as you said. She brushed your cheek before she stepped back into the gap in the wall, righting the panels as she did so.

--

As the door started to slide open, you also made a strong mental note with yourself to not give away what Omega had figured out.

--

Omega had barely made it behind the wall before the door opened fully and she hardly dared to breath as she stayed still behind the walls and heard the faint echo of footsteps and murmur of your voice.

--

“Ah, Dr. Hemlock. You’re late today.” You took in his entourage which consisted of a scientist you did not recognise and another trooper. “And no Emerie? Couldn’t have anything to do with what’s going on outside, could it?” You acted like her absence was of no bother to you when in actuality the absence of someone who seemed to be the only one to hold some sense over what amount torture was reasonable for a person to endure was most disconcerting.

Hemlock took a deep breath to calm himself. Your persistent deflections and smart-mouth remarks despite the fatigue and pain written across your battered face and body was maddening. He had yet to find the secret to breaking you, he had come close a few times, but it hadn’t quite been enough, and that was proving to weigh on his mind, especially with the appearance of Clone Force 99. “How do you know of their arrival?”

“Well, one, you just told me.” You quipped with a lethargic but still smug smirk.

Hemlock nodded to the trooper who slapped you across your cheek.

Recovering from the blow, you spoke again, “Plus, you gave it away as you walked in here. You’re nervous.” You stated simply. “And why else would you be if there wasn’t a threat to your base? And with the only new additions here being Omega and myself, it makes sense that it’s them. You took us away from a rather loyal and protective family who won’t stop until we’re back. And from the activation of the laser cannons, it sounded like they’ve found us.” You deduced, acting like it was the most obvious thing out there. “The very fact that they have reached this place makes you nervous.” You repeated with a stiff shrug of your shoulders as the chain rattled behind you.

“Please, the activities of your squad offer warrant no true concern. They are a mild irritant, nothing more.”

Your shattered and pained state made it hard to get the tone right, but you hoped the low chuckle you emitted gave the impression of the mocking pity you felt at his attempt to hide it from you. “I may not be able to use the Force to choke you to death in the way I’d like to but don’t think it can’t help me in other ways.”

“Clone Force 99 are as predictable as any other clone group. They pose no threat to me or my ambitions.”

“Then why bother coming here? I’d have loved some time off.” You griped tiredly.

Hemlock took a knee in front of you and took a harsh grip of your chin. “Tech was more resistant to my methods this time. It would appear news of his squad gave him more resolve than I anticipated this time around. He failed to divulge what strategies they may utilise. I am here to see what you can offer.”

Omega had to bite back her shocked gasp. Tech? Alive? Surely that wasn’t possible.

You ignored the comment, he had worked this angle before too. You only hoped Omega was back on her way now, it wouldn’t do her any good to hear something like that. “You think now all of a sudden I’ve changed my mind about joining you?”

Hemlock got to his feet, but he now found himself particularly pleased by your predictable resistance. What he was about to inflict on you would be most satisfying. “Ready the droid.” He ordered the assistant scientist next to him.

You shook your head as the droid approached you. “You know, for a scientist, you sure don’t seem to learn.” Those were the last words you said before the needle pierced your skin.

Omega knew she couldn’t linger any longer, so she started her journey back to the vault.

--

Omega was making her way back from your cell, when she came to a sudden halt as she heard distant but still disturbingly recognisable raw screams of pain- they were your screams of pain.

She stopped to let one of the sensors past and released a shaky breath before she reminded herself that she needed to get back quickly or this all would be for nothing.

--

Echo had managed to sneak into the lab and had plugged into the system to analyse the records. He was appalled by the sheer number of clones that had undergone testing here, but he paused as he reached Omega’s record. However, before he could take more of it in, the door opened. He quickly removed his scomp and reattached his mechanical hand.

Emerie observed the trooper carefully. “Troopers are not allowed in here.”

“It’s, uh, a special security patrol. Uh, i- it’s all clear.” Echo stuttered awkwardly to the female scientist. Not wanting to hang about, he started to walk away.

Emerie ran it through in her head. No trooper had ever come in here before, and no trooper had a scomp attached underneath a makeshift prosthetic hand. And no trooper had ever shown an interest in or had the means of accessing secure lab files. But there was one soldier she knew of that matched that description. “Echo.”

Echo stopped short.

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” Emerie asked, a tad nervously. “Omega talked about you all.”

Echo turned to face the woman.

“I’m Emerie.”

Her name was familiar to him too, but it didn’t bring with it any comfort. Echo sighed, “Omega told us about you too.”

“She said her squad would eventually come for her.”

“Not just her.” Echo marched towards Emerie. “We’re here for all the prisoners you’ve been experimenting on, including (Y/N).”

“I- I was doing my job.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Echo said unsympathetically. He took of his helmet and spoke to her with equal parts anger and disappointment. “You’re a clone. How can you be part of this? Omega saw something in you. I want to believe that she was right. Tell me where they are.”

The words from the clone were what she’d been trying to deny to herself for a while now, but she couldn’t do it anymore. She didn’t want to do it anymore. “Omega’s in the vault but (Y/N) is being held in another prison cell. You won’t get anywhere near them without my assistance. If we’re gonna free them and those children, you’re going to have to trust me.”

Echo furrowed his brow slightly. That was new information. “Wait, w-what children?”

“Omega is not the only child confined inside this base.”

--

Omega made it back to her room just before Dr. Scalder came into her room with the droid for the vitals check and her resolve for escape was stronger than ever.

She and the kids reconvened back at the tables was Dr. Scalder left the vault.

“What took so long?” Eva asked.

As much as it pained her, Omega pushed you to the back of her mind. You were right, getting these kids to safety was the priority and once she did that and found the rest of the squad, they could help you. “I found something big. I have a plan, and I’m gonna need your help.”

--

More screams from Hunter, begging and pleading for your help.

More hurt and agony coursing through your body.

More longing to just give in.

To do anything to make it stop.

But that's what got you to wake up, you couldn’t do that. However, as you opened your eyes, you were face to face with the monster of your nightmares- Hemlock. His grin as sadistic and as twisted as ever, something you'd imagine he'd wear once he made some kind of monumental breakthrough in his research.

It took you a moment to get your bearings once more; the familiar bite of the binds and intense ache throughout your body told you that you had been subjected to another torment. Had things really gotten that bad that you're blacking out and forgetting periods of time? The last thing you clearly remembered was the droid injecting the serum, so you fought to remember what had happened before that needle went into your neck. Omega, the other children, Hunter and the others…. they were here and you weren’t going to jeopardise them.

Thankfully, despite the grin on his face, you knew you hadn’t given anything away. There was a deep frustration behind his eyes that he couldn’t hide. The grin was merely because he relished the pain you were in. “Man, you’re having a rough day, huh?” You rasped.

The comment resulted in a punch to your mouth from the trooper, your lip splitting open once more, but the way Hemlock’s shoulders heaved in irritation made it somewhat worth it.

Hemlock got ready to put you through another round when the sound of a comm beeping stopped him.

“Sir, they need you back in the control room.” The trooper interrupted.

Hemlock tightened his jaw but headed for the door.

You somehow managed to get yourself into a more vertical position as you called behind him, “They’re coming for you. You’re not leaving this place alive.”

Hemlock clenched his hands into fists before he walked out.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @dominoeffectsworld, @andreaaxy, @notgonnaedit, @allthingsimagines , @nightmonkeysstuff , @jellybeanstacey0519 , @callsign-denmark , @superbookishhufflepuff @qvnthesia , @justsomerandompersonintheworld

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Considering how the dreams seem to make it as if what triggered a terrible event never happened (like Rook's having Vil and Neige in RSA and allied so that the former wouldn't try killing the latter, or Kalim's having him and Jamil being friends and none in NRC because that way Jamil wouldn't betray him to take his position otherwise), how do you think the Strawberry Tart Incident that occurred during Riddle's and Trey's childhood will be addressed? Will it be like Trey and Che'nya never snuck Riddle out, or like Riddle was never caught? (Or any other option)

[Referencing the book 7 part 9 update!]

The way I see it, Riddle wouldn't exactly be happier had he never interacted with Trey and Che'nya. He is, at the core of his being, a boy that yearns for companionship and autonomy, which are things that befriending other boys his age allows him. Rather than saying Riddle never snuck out with them, I think maybe what we'll see instead is an altered retelling of the events. Maybe Riddle's mom doesn't get mad at him for playing instead of studying and for eating what she considers "poison". (Maybe his mom is more mellowed out and reasonable!) Maybe Riddle is never late to return for his study sessions, so he can keep his sneaking out a secret from his mom. And given the shallow nature of the dream worlds, who's to say that Riddle can't have it all??? Perhaps his dream will give him both a happy home life, an active social life in his community, and that status as a successful student that makes his parents proud. There's many possible interpretations that would still let Riddle maintain his friendship with Trey and Che'nya; I really feel like Riddle's dream would keep that a convenient constant seeing as how his backstory stresses that he believes following the rules will make him happy and earn him the approval of others.

[allylikethecat]

Hiiii thank you so much to everyone who has been so kind and lovely to me on this website and supportive of my fic. I just wanted to let people know (idk if anyone cares but I feel like i'm supposed to let people know) I'm going to be traveling again the next few weeks which means there won't be any fic updates the next two weeks and I will also probably be even less on the internet than I have been. Please don't forget about me while I'm gone!! I hope you like the OAF chapter today though!!

[rottweiler1]

❝𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧' 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.❞

pairing: 141 x male!reader and maybe some los vaqueros + others

summary: the 141 needed a helping hand to protect the world, only 4 wasn't enough. they decided for a interesting 5th member. and seemingly, the 141's other allies were also intrigued.

word count: 962 (i told u so!!)

cw: violence, normal cod gore, angst, poorly translated scottish from google,

update: enemy dynamics (ghost and dino), some flustered soap + gaz + ghost

A/N: more information is that i might just pose 1 time a day or 2 times a day or none at all, really. i have a lot of drafts saved for this series but its only up to part 1 part 2 and part 3, enjoy though! -rottweiler

2/?

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

The boys stared up at the man with adornment, amazement, and.. annoyed. Simon was the one annoyed at this point, who was this man taking away his title of the Cold, Dark stoned man who could crack your skull in a bliss? Well a man who encountered Dino before and beated him in almost a bunch of combat when still in selection with Dino. Gaz and soap looked at each other and ran to the tall man, shouting out questions and.. some curious touching. 2 men were childish enough to do this.  Price stared and sighed heavily, watching them do so.

"HOW THA' FUCK YOU GETTING THEM SO VEINY, BONNIE? Please tell me your protein shake recipe." Soap said as he was touching your arms, you were veiny and bulky.. it only made him more motivated but who knows he's gonna slouch down on the couch later on eating the cafeteria sandwich. Gaz then stared over at your dinosaur spikes from behind, admiringly touching them. "How'd you get the higher ups customize sharp looking spikes, Dino?"

The spikes were a pretty yellow, it shined down from the light. Dino stood there like some kinda statue, some kinda toy for 2 men to play with. He'd glanced over at Simon, feeling cold ice eyes staring at him. LT. Simon 'ghost' Riley. The man he fought before in selection. Price then yelled. "STOP TOUCHIN' HIM LIKE THAT SOAP." Soap then rolled his eyes at price. Soap then took out his hand for dino to shake before spatting out: "Let's fight off them fucke's ye Dino?" Soap said with a grin. Dino looks down at the Scott, shaking his hand with his big veiny hands.

Gaz then stared before saying. "Gaz, pleasure to meet you Dino." Gaz reached out his hand as well. Dino pulled away from Soap and into the palm of Kyle. Dino then spat out in a voice they never thought he had. (If you don't have one, ignore.) He had an accent and his gruff voice, it was deep.. just like Simons. Dino then spat out. "You too, new teammates." Soap and Gaz were jaw dropped.

Gaz and Soap got a bit flustered.. I mean the tone of the voice was hella attractive, no? Ghost stared deeply at Dino. If not, under his balaclava, slight tone of his cheeks were rosy pink. Price then stepped up before saying. "Alright everyone, sit your asses down on the chair." Ghost grunted when he sat down, Soap was a bit energetic when sitting down. Gaz just sat down normally. But for Dino..

The chair came on to a big creak heard in the room. The noise came from Dinos chair with some slight scratching due to his spikes on the back, scratching the wood of the back chair. Price then cleared his throat loudly.. He can admit, Dino must be pretty heavy. "As you all know we go' those terrorists on our asses. Now we failed to capture and turn in Tha' fucker." Price said, holding a map before spreading it out on the table. Glaring up at his teammates.

"Laswell found some Intel that they moved up to Toronto America." He said before pinning down a knife on the map on the table. "And this is the warehouse where they stash their guns, and maybe planning to shoot up america if they want to." Price said gruffily, staring at his teammates before Ghost spoke up. "So what do you think they're planning." Soap then said. "Probably wanting to snap off our necks after we turned off Tha' time bomb." Gaz spoke up. "I got some phone that was ringing over one of the soldiers they were talking about wanting to set chemicals into the sea and maybe shot up Toronto after one of Saudi arabia's city was raided."

All of them looked at each other then glanced at Dino. Ghost frowned, he was probably thinking that dino would say some wolfhunt (that one term for dogpiss) idea. Dino then said. "Your all fucking missing the key." Dino took out the knife that was stabbed through the map and wood. Stabbing towards Mexico. "Laswell gave me information on the mission through the phone the key is to get towards Mexico first. If America was wanting them in, they would get suspicious. Big crates and crates unknown to the USA would get them ratted out when investigated."

Price, Gaz and Soap were amazed at Dinos explanation, Ghost grunted and crossed his arms. Sending daggers towards Dino. He didn't trust dino, and dino thought it was funny for The Simon Riley to get jealous over him. Dino smirked at Ghost underneath his sharp teeth designed mask. "It would make sense to get to Mexico first before going over to the US. As far as we know USA has extra security over the docks."

"Meaning they are slowly filling out the stash in America without anyone knowing. Possibly underground, no signal since the police can track internet." Dino briefly said. "What? It's a fucking guess." Dino grinned at Ghost.. better then fuckin' Everything. Gaz and Soap showered him with compliments, Ghost himself growled.. fucking asshole. Enemies from first glance, already enemies through selection.

Price stood their with a smile, patting on Dinos shoulder. "you are great, soldier." Dino glanced towards John with a slight nod, side eyeing Simon. Simon kept glaring like it meant he was intimidating but You just shrugged with daggers back at Simon underneath the eyes of yours. Soap whispered to price. "Cap', you see that? Seems like Ghost and Dino go' a bit of riva'ry." Gaz then crossed his arms.. wondering if Dino was paying attention. Gaz looked to where Dino was staring.. and boy was he surprised. A rivalry through first meet, they thought.

Price nodded with Soap, agreeing. But they need Simon to cooperate if he wanted to save the world. Simon then spoke out. "Very Einstein, aren't you." He spoke with a growl. Dino then shrugged again, turning around to leave with a grin underneath the mask, he himself had sharp teeth. Born with it. Simon looked away with annoyance.

Soap and Price were talking down the hall, Gaz was instructed to show Dino his room and Ghost was busy eating lunch, swinging by the cafeteria. At least he got some tea when swinging by. Gaz spoke. "Here's your room, it isn't much but it is a room. You could decorate in here."

Dino dropped his bags like a piece of paper, it was heavy as fuck but lightweight towards the large man. Dino then nodded. "Thank you, Gaz." Dino glanced at Gaz before pulling down his mask, grinning at Gaz with sharp teeth. Gaz felt knocked out.. your teeth were sharp.. and even so clean? Gaz awkwardly smiled back and leaving, he couldn't help but get flustered by the man's charm.

Dino was enthralled with this show, stealing the 141s attention from Simon like taking candy from a baby. Dino does not like his enemies. When they roar at him, he roars back but this is the teasing type of roar towards Simon. Enemies.. could turn into more, who knows?

Dino hung up some posters on his wall, only like.. 2. Dino then took his towel and walked down the hall to get over to the shower room. By the time he got there the 141 was showering. It was normal anyways. Dino then slowly took off his shirt. Soap peeked a glance at Dino and holy fuck was he in heaven. The man had a slutty waist like Simons, and abs that were worked out and trained through with scars. Battle scars.

Simon gave a side eye towards Dino before glancing at his body, peeking through since he didn't have a balaclava. Soap and Simon went back to washing to respect each others privacy, but fully well enough of how sharp eyed the Dinosaur is, He knew they peeked at him. Dino got into the shower cubicle, showering himself before Price then said in his usual gruff tone.

"Right, stand by for deployment. We're gonna meet some old pals of ours by Mexico in Las Almas, Dino." Soap then perked up before grinning.. Gaz then smiled as he brushed back his hair to continue showering, Ghost had a balaclava on and a towel around his waist, knowing full well who those old pals were. Dino glanced at price with a eyebrow raise.. Who was the cap talking about?

Dino was going to meet the Los Vaqueros.

[numptypylon]

“Rayla is… not my lovebug.”

“Oh ho, now?" Nyx leaned obnoxiously close, her eyebrows raising. "Have you told her that?”

“She told me," Callum said, angry all over again suddenly that... she actually hadn't told him that and yet they weren't- "So I’m tentatively assuming that she knows.”

“Oh ho? So she broke up with you and yet you’re still adventuring together, risking your lives for each other, making love eyes at each other at every opportunity… ah, to be young and in love and a garbage fire of collective awkwardness of such radiance as to light up the heavens-”

“Yeah!” Ezran agreed, walking up to them. Oh no. Hopefully Nyx would tone down the… everything… around an 11-year-old, but… considering he had been 14 himself when he’d first encountered Nyx, he didn’t have high hopes. “It’s gross and they’re so dumb, and here I am, a doomed onlooker!"

“You got the family braincell, I see,” Nyx said, winking at Ezran.

Ezran nodded sagely. “My blessing and my curse, ‘tis true.”

Really?! Did Ez really have to form an alliance with every new person they met to tag-team roast him?!

Nyx turned away from Ezran, her unwanted attention firmly back on him now. “I still need the full status update on my favorite dysfunctional lovebugs!” Nyx would keep prodding, and Callum didn’t want her to prod Rayla- “You know there’s another ex-lovebug who could tell me-“ Did he just curse that idea into Nyx’s head?! “But you’re currently the less puke-smelling option, so…"

Nyx really didn't subscribe to the idea of sensitive subjects you should keep your trap shut about.

“We… broke up. Like you said.” One way to say it. But he wasn’t giving Nyx any ammunition to use against Rayla. “Then made up. Kind of. We’re friends, just not… lovebugs.”

“Friends with benefits?”

“What friends do you have?” Ezran asked, all wide-eyed, vicious innocence. “Do you not consider friendship a benefit?”

“Hey!” Nyx looked insulted. “I thought we were allies against yon magus of maladroit you tragically must call brother?”

“My allegiances are many and inscrutable!” Ez stuck his tongue out at Nyx.

“’Allegiances’? ’Inscrutable’? Sheesh, kid, how old are you? And what awful, terrible company do you keep?!”

“11. And… politicians.”

“Oh no, you’re serious?! Oh kid, the depths of my condolences is one of them yawning chasms of endless screaming-“

“Oi?!” Villads yelled. “Matey? Riggin’ snagged!”

“I don’t hold court with betrayers, anyway,” Nyx said, incredibly hypocritically for someone who’d stranded them in a desert, and she pushed off the deck and was airborne, heading off towards the center mast.

“What is the benefit of being ‘friends with benefits’?” Ezran asked, looking around to Callum and then Soren, who had just arrived with Hat perched on his head. “The friendship is pretty obviously a benefit of being friends without having to say it, so I know it isn’t that, I just said that because Nyx was being mean.”

“Oh, I know!” Soren said, eagerly. “It’s s-“

“Sandwiches!” Callum cut him off. “Sandwiches, Soren! Remember?”

“Riiiiight!” Soren winked, exaggeratedly. “Sandwiches. Got it. Corvus makes the best bread sandwich, extra mayonnaise-“

“Please, Soren,” Callum choked. “Please, let’s… talk about something else. Anything else. Please.”

———

Excerpt from an upcoming chapter of my S4-6 between-canon-episodes fic, Downtime’s Up (successor to my S1-3 between-canon-scenes fics Downtime in Wartime and Upside Downtime)

It’s wednesday and I have many wips I want to work on and no time, but I DO also have a lot of stuff written and not posted, so… hope you enjoyed some overgrown pigeon time and depraved sandwich innuendos. Once I get past the next 4 chapters of Downtime’s Up, I have most of the rest of the story written, just… it’s been rough going to write anything lately

[allister-the-procrastigator]

Heyaa mod Duck here again 😼

This blog is almost COMPLETELY based on headcanons besides the info given on the official character card ☝️so please respect that I cannot be canon adjacent

Allister is liiike.. 15-16 I would say ☝️

Allister Gator is the slacker of the Nightmare Critters. He possesses a laid-back attitude and is often coerced by his friends to participate in activities, but he lacks drive and ambition. If given the chance, he would happily loaf off in a body of water and do nothing productive for a full 24 hours. He is a firm and devout believer of the philosophy: "Good things come to those who wait". The only time Allister puts effort into something is if his friends actively force him to.

WARNINGS:

This blog may contain cursing and heavy topics such as Violence, sensitive topics, and stuff simular to that. Mod is a Minor, so sexual topics will be kept to a minimum 🫵

Role-playing and symbols:

"This is Allister. Hi."

[This is actions and/or thoughts!]

and this is how I'll speak through text! though I mostly speak in the tags

other SC blogs:

@the-cool-chicken

@the-crafty-unicorn

@bubba-bubbaphant

@picky-piggy

@hoppyhopscotch1

@acat-foryournap

@bobbybearhugs-blog

@dogday-shines-bright

@bearhugs-from-bobby

@the-cat-that-naps

@bubbabubbaphant-blog

@baba-chops-emo-sheep

@simon-the-dragon

@rabie-baby-bat

@poe-the-crow

@chocosharksnack

GO FOLLOW THEM!!

Plus my other blog: @that-sunny-pup

ART:

current status: whoop I forgot to update this I'm not answering rn

headcanons under the cut:

The other critters sometimes call him Alli as a nickname

His favorite cartoon show is the wildkratts,, he would 100% just float on his back in the water with an IPad and just binge all of it

I cannot imagine him with a girl so. gay🫵 Allister Gator? more like Allister Gaytor

very protective of his fellow nightmare critters. The smiling critters on the other hand, he couldn't give less a shit about.

Nature enjoyer

ADHD

Actually just a chill guy but he can be an asshole when he wants to be

He hoards random junk and throws it into his pond for enrichment

he can and WILL beat your ass at ANY videogame

quite naturally strong (as a Gator character probably would be) he just doesn't show it off

He is narcoleptic, meaning he is constantly very tired throughout the day no matter how much rest he's gotten

The scent of sandalwood is used traditionally to relieve stress and anxiety, so I like to think the other nightmare critters like to hang out with him when they're stressed

[list will be updated as I come up with more]

[sky--phantom]

Status update with Lucanis!

Contract Killer ---> Allied Assassin ---> Flirting with Danger ---> Personal demon! 💜