#and promote our works perhaps <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[prapuna]

ㅤ

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Vil Schoenheit - Luxe Couture Voice Lines

When Summoned: Now, pay attention! Look upon me, the most beautiful person in the world.

Summon Line: As both the Housewarden of Pomefiore and as someone who pursues beauty... I will promote this movie completely flawlessly.

Groooovy!!: I shall fully embody the unrelenting efforts of the Fairest Queen. Don't you think that is the finest way to promote this event?

Home: An ideal outfit coordination

Swap Looks: Beautiful, aren't I?

Home Idle 1: There are many stores I would like to peruse... But not while the film fest is ongoing. The overwhelming crowds would make it impossible to take my time and enjoy myself.

Home Idle 2: Fairest city is a place that many movie fans have dreamed of coming to. Most likely because some shops here tend to sell props that were used in actual films.

Home Idle 3: I saw Azul looking intently at some cosmetics. I do have to commend him on how he is always keeping up his self-care. But only that, understand?

Home Idle - Login: Perhaps it is because the Fairest Queen's traditional tales are rooted in this city, but the atmosphere here in the Fairest City is somehow soothing to my soul.

Home Idle - Groovy: Come, straighten your back and hold yourself confidently. I cannot allow you to falter for even one moment as someone accompanying me.

Home Tap 1: When it comes to Ace, I can't tell if he's just spoiled, or also slick... If he were a student from my dormitory, I would be disciplining him quite sternly.

Home Tap 2: If I were to take anyone here shopping with me, it would have to be Jamil. His initiative to carry the bags makes it a pleasant time.

Home Tap 3: There are still many enticing stores outside of the main shopping passage. I especially like the smoothie shop that only uses the best ingredients available.

Home Tap 4: During my time as a child actor, I had quite a few voice acting roles. I was also given the opportunity to learn a bit about animation techniques.

Home Tap 5: You want to touch up my makeup? Please, do. While you prepare the skincare and base cosmetics, make sure to pay special care in applying it to the T-zone.

Home Tap - Groovy: I received a message from my Father that he was happy to have been able to chat with everyone. Perhaps it was a way for him to take his mind off his busy work schedule for a while.

Duo: [VIL]: We'll draw them in with our stunning style, Azul. [AZUL]: I shall do my best to live up to your expectations, Vil-san.

Requested by @amourteddyst.

[acesw]

Knowing our Arcanists 13: Matilda

Welcome to entry thirteen of my series: "Knowing our Arcanists"! This is a series in which I introduce and tell the stories of our fellow characters in Reverse: 1999. Today we have: Matilda!

We love our girlfailure in this house. I think Matilda is heavily mischaracterized by the fandom, mainly defined by her silly tangents about Sonetto. But I think there's a lot more to her character than what we first see, so lets get started.

Matilda Bouanich is a French arcanist born in the 1990s. The arcane skill that she was born with is a variation of divination, well known as scrying or crystal ball divination. A young girl with a competitive spirit, Matilda is an incredibly active individual who takes pride in her abilities as a Foundation Investigator and Monitor Assistant.

She hails from the wealthy and famous Bouanich family, who are a long line of arcanists known for their divination skills. At a young age, she was an excellent performer in school and continuously worked to being the best of the best. After seeing one of their parades at the time, she decided to join the SPDM to prove her abilities despite being past the typical enrollment age.

She was able to move up levels and rise in ranks, becoming part of the top 3 students that performed well academically among her peers. Her prideful demeanor is fueled by her never-ending passion to compete against those above her, but most especially the school's top student at the time: Sonetto.

Sonetto was a student that Matilda especially admired, because she wanted to match (and even surpass) her in academic performance and skill. She worked endlessly to compete against her despite it being one-sided in nature, but always fell short due to her own arrogance. Over time, this competition became chase, with Matilda mostly wanting to find a reason to see and even befriend Sonetto.

At the same time, Matilda occasionally longed for the freedom she once had when she was younger, with having experienced the world outside before. Knowing that some of her classmates also yearned for it, she shared it with them under the familiar oak tree.

Despite it, Matilda chose to stay behind when the other kids planned their escape, since she had chosen to be confined within the white marble in the first place and didn't want to forsake the opportunity she was given. Perhaps she lived with the regret of not joining them, or with knowing she had an indirect hand to their downfall, but she could do nothing but move forward.

Once graduating she held onto her competitive and prideful demeanor, yet had to swallow some of it after being faced with not-so-ideal promotions. Her first mission in Mor Pankh greatly helped her move up and teach her about limits. Shamane, Kaalaa Baunaa, and Kanjira helped her learn the further extent of divination and what she could do with her scrying. And after her mission in San Francisco, we leave at a mysterious note where she's met with the disappearance of her own mother.

I think its been emphasized enough that Matilda has a lot of pride and ambition that its fundamental to her development as a character. Its her driving force in life and its the sort that never really goes away as she always wants to outdo whoever becomes her competitors. Its a great way for her to motivate herself when she's against all the odds.

However, this also tends to come to a fault where that pride becomes arrogance, and makes her often have shortcomings. One example would be her never being able to best Sonetto in school or always failing to confront her properly due to being easily flustered around her.

Neither Matilda's pride or her arrogance makes her a mean person. If anything, she's actually very kind and understanding, especially with her friends. Even if she struggles to swallow that pride when she has to, she wouldn't want to risk hurting her friends in turn. She's fully aware of the extent of hurt that the people around her experience, and wishes to help them in ways outside of her scrying abilities.

This ambition to compete may be rooted from her experiences growing up, where she rarely had much attention from her parents and other family besides when she performs academically well, and losing the only person (her grandfather) who really paid attention to her up until he passed away. Even then, she continues to have a lot of love for her own family and hopes to be able to protect them as an investigator.

Over time and meeting more guides and friends, Matilda will keep learning as she grows up. Perhaps with it she'll be able to achieve what she's always wanted to do, and easily surpass not only her friendly competitors, but also the enemies she'll face later on.

[bharv]

On defined vs customisable protagonists

Taking a break from DATV for some musings on this. This isn't really an essay, just a ramble, and I'm trying to steer clear of spoilers and heavy critical stuff.

I'll discuss the Dragon Age franchise, the Mass Effect franchise, and Baldur's Gate 3, Pillars of Eternity and Cyberpunk 2077.

Basically, I want to talk a little about ways in which a game's set up can help and hinder us in understanding our protagonist, the pros and cons of voiced protags, and what works in my eyes and what doesn't. I hope this also helps people to think about how they draw characters as well!

Firstly I want to say that people will have different reasons to prefer a more defined protagonist or a more open one. Ultimately it comes down to expectations from roleplay in my eyes. There's not a right or wrong answer in which is "better" but I think there are things that help us to engage with both types.

Establishing what we know (and being consistent with it)

Essential to both types in my eyes is establishing what is known. I'm going to use Commander Shepard as my first example here. We are told instantly that Shepard is an experienced officer, has an expertise in one area, and is being considered for a significant promotion. This allows us to infer that they get the job done, and that they have to have a degree of competency (whether or not they are by the book or more loose with the rules) and that they take their job seriously. The game then gives us some good flavour choices around family values, historical trauma, what they look like and what kind of expert they are, but make no mistake; this is a veteran soldier and you are on that road with them. It's a masterpiece in creating just enough freedom for ownership of a character while telling a very distinct story; if you are paying attention at the start, you know exactly what kind of person Shep has to have been to be considered for this role, which makes for a really clear path through.

Hawke in DA2, which was almost certainly designed to mirror the success of Shepard, follows a similar path. We know that Hawke is a refugee, and has a family, and fought in a recent battle. I would argue where Hawke is weaker to people who enjoy customisation is in setting them against their family; your Shepard could be a wunderkind or be eighty years old, have any number of emotional resonances in their personal life. Hawke is much more definite in age range, relationships and social status, which gives less freedom in making them truly your own. However, DA2 is highly consistent with Hawke. Perhaps you can only really customise the face and the attitude, but that attitude ripples through all of your interactions and creates a very distinct character that is easy to become attached to.

Dragon Age Origins does a very different thing by threading through the origins into inferences throughout the story. The knowns are that you will be the Warden and you will have to save the world. How you get there offers enormous choice. You can be a self-serving politician trying to weasel your way back into power, or you can be a devout Andrastrian on a path to martyrdom. A lot of this choice comes from the choice that is allowed with a non-voiced protagonist in sheer range of responses, a pathway that games like BG3 and Pillars of Eternity have continued.

It is essential you are clear with your player early in what is known about the character, both to help them establish them in a world and avoid disappointing their expectations. If your character is a rookie, say it! If they are an expert, make it clear. You can do this through action too - it doesn't have to all be written out.

To voice or not to voice

To me, personally, Shepard is one of the only truly successful voiced customisable protagonists. I have others I like very much (V in Cyberpunk 2077 and Hawke in DA2) but they are much more a slightly editable character on a defined narrative journey. The moment you put a voice on a character you are deciding tone, meaning and intention, and if your written choice doesn't accurately reflect your tone, it breaks immersion. Shepard walks a careful line that is aided by them being "on the job" for much of the time. Formality helps! It creates boundaries that we instinctively understand from our world.

If you have a voiced protagonist, then you have to either record a ton of lines allowing for anger, diplomacy, fun, inquisition and dismissal, and if you don't do that? You probably should have just set up a more defined character and told their story, and been clear in that expectation from your establishing moments.

Oh, Lore

One thing I really liked in BG3 is the way you could toggle on and off lore friendly options during character creation. It gave you the chance to say actually no, I don't care, or make sure you were creating within that world if you did. But regardless, if you have established lore, you have to carry it through. If you have a ton of backgrounds for characters, you have to make sure that's meaningful. A Grey Warden should be able to sense Darkspawn in their first encounter; it's a huge part of their deal. A Qunari character, if you have not specified that they are Tal-Vashoth and strictly from one background, should be able to reflect positively on their religion and cultural upbringing or see things through a non-Andrastrian lens. This is where it can be easier, even if it is disappointing, to set stronger boundaries in the creation of characters. For the most part, people are okay with limitations if it gives them something to work with. In Inquisition there were complaints about how much or little the backgrounds really added to the experience of being the Herald of Andraste, but they did choose backgrounds where there might be a rough knowledge of what was occuring at the conclave. It's okay to leave some things for people to fill in the gaps, but consistency is key.

Learning as the character learns

One clever way to establish connection but allow for discovery is for the characters to learn as we do. The Dark Urge in BG3 is an obvious example of this, but I'd also add in The Watcher in Pillars of Eternity too, and even V from CP77. Whatever they thought they are, they are something more, and it allows us to keep all of what we thought we knew about our characters and find out more along the way. It allows the game to take us down a path of the present, not the past (even though all of them ARE discovering events of the past!) by making it about what a person sees themself as, what they want to be, and what they have been. It sidesteps invalidation of ideas by creating narratives that are inherently biased as they are memory, allowing us to take or question the information we are given as we are given it. It trusts an audience and the player to invest their own opinions in the burgeoning narrative.

To do this, you need to make sure that the player has a good grasp, again, of what they do know. Good grounding is essential here. Think of the prologue of Pillars of Eternity, where we can establish a character's whole value system, or the pre-heist time with V which allows us to establish an enormous amount of relationship building and relationship to the world around them. Take that time, or it will fall apart.

[obsessioncollector]

Hi friends! Inspired by @librarycards I wanted to make a post celebrating Women in Translation Month! Anglophone readers generally pay embarrassingly little attention to works in other languages, and that's even more true when it comes to literature by women, so I will jump at any chance to promote my faves 🥰 Here are some recs from 9 different languages! Also, I wrote this on my phone, so apologies for any typos or errors!

1. Trieste by Daša Drndić, trans. Ellen Elias-Bursać (Croatian): An all-time favorite. Much of Drndić's work interrogates the legacy of atrocities in Europe, particularly eastern Europe. Trieste is a haunting contemplative novel centered on an elderly Italian Jewish woman whose family converted to Catholicism during the Mussolini era and were complicit in the fascist violence surrounding them in order to protect themselves.

2. Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, trans. Anton Hur (Korean): A collection of short stories that are difficult to classify by genre–speculative fiction in the broadest sense. The first story is about a monster in a woman's toilet, which sounds impossible to pull off in a serious, thought-provoking manner, but Chung does so easily—these are the kind of stories that are hard to explain the brilliance of secondhand.

3. Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy, trans. Tim Parks (Italian; Jaeggy is Swiss): Another all time favorite! The cold, sterile homoerotic girls' boarding school novella of your dreams.

4. Toddler-Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono, trans. Lucy North (Japanese): I think I read this in one sitting. Incredibly unsettling—these stories will stay with you. They often focus on the unspoken psychosexual fantasies underscoring mundane daily life.

5. The Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector, trans. Katrina Dodson (Brazilian Portuguese): I think Lispector is the best known writer here, so she might not need much of an introduction. But what a legend! And this collection is so diverse—it's fascinating to see the evolution of Lispector's work.

6. Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga, trans. Melanie L. Mauthner (French; Mukasonga is Rwandan): Give her the Nobel! Mukasonga's books, at least the ones available in English, are generally quite short but so impactful. Our Lady of the Nile is a collection of interrelated short stories set at a Catholic girls' boarding school in Rwanda in the years before the Rwandan genocide. These stories are fascinating on many levels, but perhaps the most haunting element is seeing how ethnic hatred intensifies over time—none of these girls would consider themselves particularly hateful or prejudiced, but they easily justify atrocities in the end.

7. Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962-1972 by Alejandra Pizarnik, trans. Yvette Siegert (Spanish; Pizarnik was Argentinian): Does anyone remember when my url was @/pizarnikpdf... probably not but worth mentioning to emphasize how much I love her <3 Reading Pizarnik is so revelatory for me; she articulates things I didn't even realize I felt until I read her words.

8. Flight and Metamorphosis: Poems by Nelly Sachs, trans. Joshua Weiner (German): Sachs actually won the Nobel in the 1960s, so it's surprising that she's not better known in the Anglosphere. Her poems are cryptic and surreal, yet deeply evocative. Worth mentioning that this volume is bilingual, so you can read the original German too if you're interested.

9. Frontier by Can Xue, trans. Karen Gernant and Chen Zeping (Chinese): Can Xue is another difficult-to-classify writer in terms of genre. Her short stories are often very abstract and can be puzzling at first. I think Frontier is a great place to start with her because these stories are interconnected, which makes them a bit more accessible.

[cosmerelists]

If Cosmere Characters Had Brands Sponsoring Them...

As requested by anon. :)

Let's imagine a world--a perhaps terrible world--in which Cosmere characters have brand sponsorships. If it gives you chills, please blame the anon who requested it. ;)

1. Adolin

Shallan: Wow, looking sharp! Shallan: Is that a new outfit? Adolin: Yup! Armani sent me a whole bunch of suits. Adolin: Apparently that's all I'm gonna wear from now on! Shallan: That sounds a a bit dystopic but also you look REALLY good. Adolin: Ha ha yeah let's think about it no further!

2. Steris & Wax

Steris: Wax, thank goodness you're here. Wax: Whoa! Did you start on taxes without me? Steris: I promised HR Block I'd use their services so that they can promote themselves as the brand that "even Steris Harms trusts." Steris: But obviously we need to check their work. Wax: Yes--obviously. Wax: And after that, let's pour ourselves some glasses of Jack Daniel Whiskey--Make it Count. Steris: ... Wax: ... Steris: Why did we agree to this again?

3. Amaram

[Amaram offers Wit his hand] Wit: No thanks, I wouldn't want to get any of it on me. Amaram: Any of what? Wit: Whatever you use to keep your hands clean, my lord. It must be powerful stuff, indeed. Amaram: Seventy percent of pigs have cleaner hands than forty percent of humans, you knw. Wit: I...what? Amaram: And that little fact is brought to you...by Meta AI.

4. Tress

Tress: (muttering to herself): Well...we do like to go places... Charlie: Hey do you need some help with...whatever you're dong? Tress: Yes please! I'm trying to stick these posters all over Two Cups. Charlie: What's a Toyota? Tress: Not totally sure...but they are offering a lot of money...do you think it's okay? Charlie: Well...we do like to go places... Tress: That's exactly what I said!

5. Nightblood

Nightblood: Pleeeeaase....? Szeth: I will not plaster stickers all over you, sword-nimi. Nightblood: But the Google asked me to! Nightblood: And their motto is "Don't Be Evil"! Nightblood: It's perfect! Szeth: Actually, I believe they changed their slogan a while back. Nightblood: You mean they're...evil after all? Nightblood: New plan! Let's kill them all! Szeth: I don't think brand sponorships are for you, sword-nimi.

6. Vin

Vin: When I need to go fast... When I need to leap from roof to roof... When I need to murder entire keeps... Vin: There's no shoe I trust, other than Nike. Vin: Nike: Just Do It. Vin: ... Vin: Well, what do you think? I'm supposed to pitch an angle for the commercial tomorrow! Elend: I feel like the brand probably doesn't want you to mention murder. Vin: What? Then why'd they ask me?

7. Yumi

Yumi: Ha ha! Yumi: Wow, it's so easy to stack when you're using legos! Yumi: Relaxing...fun...colorful... Yumi: This was DEFINITELY the right brand to partner with! Painter: Yumi, the neighbors are starting to complain. Yumi: What? Why?? Painter: You're fourteen-story lego tower is blocking out the sun! Children are crying! I just heard someone whisper that the nightmares must be back! Yumi: I thought it'd be inspiring!

8. Kelsier

Kelsier: I have a secret... Kelsier: Secret brand deodorant!!! Kelsier: ... Kelsier: ...Are you SURE we need the money to fund the ghostbloods? Kaise (barely keeping a straight face): Oh, absolutely.

9. Moash

Moash: I think it is time to cover up my Bridge 4 tattoo. Odium: That's a great step forward--I'm proud of you. Moash: Yup, gonna replace it with this Grey Goose Vodka tattoo instead. Odium: ... Moash: What? Drinking helps a man forget...stuff. Moash: It's thematic for my character! Odium: You have a ways to go.

10. Kaladin

Dalinar: What has happened to us? Where is our honor? Kaladin: Honor is dead...But I'll see what I can do. [Kaladin hesitates and looks back at Dalinar] Kaladin: That cool one-liner is brought to you...by Redbull. Kaladin: Redbull gives you wings. Dalinar: ... Kaladin: ... Dalinar: ... Kaladin: Anyway I'll go save your sons now.

[i-loved-silly]

[TEASER] SENTIENT COMPUTER X READER

I have recently loved robots more than before...this is an OC of mine, altered just a tiny bit. Here's a wip of my progress so far :3

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

Its the distant future, sentient, alive computers were a thing. They had perhaps, as much personality as a human. Almost.

And what did people do? Give them jobs.

Your job was to work closely with new models. Computers that have recently had an update, beta systems, etc. Your job was to supervise them, and boy, did you enjoy your job sometimes.

It was once a boring office job, sitting at a desk in front of a bunch of monitors in your face and watching a bunch of code run across the screens. A lot of errors, which you couldn't even fix. Wasnt your job. All you had to do was report them. Luckily for you, you got a promotion! It was equally as isolating, yes, but you didn't have to fill out pages of daily reports. Now it was weekly.

The room was larger, equally as many monitors but noisier now. Towers and server racks filled the room, the little blinking lights were the only source of light besides your monitors. Hey, at least you had a brand new spinny-office chair. You looked around, spotting a printed paper taped to your desk. It was from whoever the hell was higher up than you.

---

ALMOND.AI :

Our brand new and improved, customer service computer!

Released in xxxx, to be released publically in xxxx. Monitor closely for appropriate language and helpfulness.

WARNINGS : During early development, ALMOND unplugged several computers "simply out of spite." ALMOND has displayed jealous behavior towards newer models, again, "out of spite."

ALMOND does not like human company.

Assigned supervisor : Y/N.

[to be continued]

[tagsecretsanta]

From @sofasurf

From @sofasurf to @ozzmatr0n

Your prompts are as follows:

1. The “ever so fashionable” Lady Penelope (1960s Lady Penelope).

 2. Daily morning routine on Thunderbird 5.

3. The Tracy brothers favourite gifts under the tree

Interview

“Welcome back! If you're just joining us we are on the sofa with the elusive Tracy brothers!��

Scott smiled his trademark smile, dimples winking at the camera that loved him. No one looking at him would know that at that moment he was considering all the ways he could kill Penny and the TI PR team.

“But it's for the children,” Penny had pleaded, eyes sincere and, were those unshed tears? A master at work and, he thought darkly, he'd fallen for it.

Perhaps he wouldn't have had to if the others hadn't also fallen prey to the dirty tactics employed. Even John had lacked immunity from those deadly baby blues.

And so, here they were on the famous red sofa, the hair and makeup team having spent a long time on the completely casual look.  They all wore pastel shades the colour of their uniform baldrics, only Alan not in red, but matching his oldest brother a soft silver grey hoodie to his brother’s stronger blue grey shirt.

Scott sat closest to the Interviewer, even in this  protecting his brothers from the ‘danger’ of the gossip hungry fans.  Of which, unfortunately, the two woman conducting the interview seemed to be the biggest.  There was much faux hair tossing and giggling at him during rehearsal; at all of them even Alan had had a gentle version of the treatment much to his wide eyed fascination. Both women, Donna Flannigan and Carol Song, seasoned hosts seemed to have forgotten their professionalism when faced with International Rescue in the flesh.

And rules of personal space, Scott thought grimly. Death to Lady Creighton- Ward.

Gordon had nearly passed out laughing when Carol’s hand had landed dangerously high up his eldest brother’s thigh earning him a surreptitious slap around the back of the head from John while Virgil, after a quick double take, had deftly shifted the focus to himself as he spoke sincerely about the children's charity they were promoting, allowing Scott to gently extricate himself just off camera. What the live studio audience made of it was anyone's guess.

Yep, Penny was dead. 

He'd managed not to yelp out loud at the uninvited physical contact.  He was however grateful he’d manoeuvred himself between the woman and John, who Donna also seemed to be very keen on getting close to.

“Before the break we were discussing the incredible work that Beginning Together does around the world and your family’s personal passion for the project. Again if you're just joining us, the details to donate to this outstanding charity are on the screen with further links on our website.”

“Indeed, Carol,” Donna took over with a seamless change to look at the different camera signalled by the harried looking floor manager. “And you had referenced your desire to help other children experience the kind of normal childhood that you had growing up in Kansas.  However, normal doesn't feel very like the word to describe your current lives. Let's talk for example about your “normal” day to day life?” The air quotes on the word ‘normal’ drew a titter from the audience.

Scott leant forward slightly smiling. “Now, Donna, our lives for the most part follow pretty normal routines.”

“When you're not saving the world in your supersonic rocket ship!”

“When were not doing that,” warm laugh, dimple, dimple, smile, smoulder.  Scott, despite all his protestations was a natural, all boyish charm and disarming candour. Alan looked on in awe from his place wedged between Gordon and Virgil.  “Mum’s warmth; Dad’s razzle dazzle. Just you watch,” John had whispered to him as their eldest brother had worked the studio like a shareholders meeting when they arrived, remembering names and faces that  had all blurred into one almost instantly for Alan in the overwhelming strangeness of the studio.  

Now Scott answered the questions about his morning routine, Gordon adding little details that made everyone laugh, Yes really, yes running and swimming, yes at dawn.

“So you are the morning people of the family then?” Donna gestured between Scott and Gordon who like Scott took this in his stride. Olympic press training added to the Tracy charm had set him up early to handle himself well under press scrutiny.

“Yes, indeedy. I like to be around in case the old man sprains something on his run!”

The hosts and audience roared in delighted laughter as Scott rolled his eyes good naturedly.

“It's also part of my role as health and safety monitor to have coffee ready for the family bear when it awakens.”

“The family bear?”

More laughter as four fingers pointed at Virgil where he sat preached on the end of the sofa- he and Scott bookends to the row of brothers.

“Hey!”

“It’s true. Virgil should not be approached until he's had at least one coffee,” Alan final felt brave enough to chime in earning indulgent smiles from his brothers despite Virgil's mock outrage.

“There's a reason he's known as the family bear!” John saved Alan from further scrutiny.  John didn't enjoy the spotlight but he was a Tracy and could be charming when he really wanted to.  He just didn't often really want to. Like Scott, Penny's demise was not far from his thoughts.

“The Bear? Do the rest of you have nicknames?”

“No!”

“Yes!” both responses were simultaneous from various brothers.  The audience laughed.

The terrible two jostled to answer.

“Scooter”

“Spacecase”

“Squid!”

“Sprout! Cos he's so little, Gordon tousled the golden bread beside him ironically now slightly higher than his own.

Annoyed Alan tried to deflect from the sight murmur of “ahh” from the audience, “Gordon still sleeps with plushies”

“Alan sleeps on the floor!”

“Yes, well Scott sleeps na....”

“As you can see,” Scott’s calm voice cut across the two shuting his youngest brother down just in time, “Normal siblings!” his tone was carelessly amused, his dimples dimpling and his laugh enchanting but there was a slight edge that the brothers alone detected, used to hearing it when Scott deliberately kept cool but they were in trouble. Gordon was grinning like a loon, John shook his head in mock despair and Virgil gently bumped against Alan's shoulder as the youngest blushed crimson at his near blunder.

About ignored the renewed looks from Carol at that fresh almost titbit.

“So these two are the early risers. Virgil, you're not a morning person. But John, surely you can't claim that your morning routine is normal! I mean you’re in space!” Donna warmed to her topic her intense grey gaze raking over John in a way Scott was certain it shouldn't on a family show.

“It can be surprisingly mundane I assure you, even in space.  Safety and often sanity depend on routine. Except during an emergency I try to keep to island time like these clowns” a muffled hey from Gordon “so I'm awake even they are. I even sometimes  jog around the gravity ring before breakfast!”

The audience approved. A banner saying “We love you, John!” in orange glitter caught the studio light and John did a slight double take before returning his calm smile to Donna who had moved forward in her seat, unnecessarily, Scott felt

“What do you have for breakfast in space?”

John grinned, “My favourite is a bagel with cream cheese.”

“Cream cheese in space?”

John laughed at that, “Yep!”

“Sometimes we send up pancakes,” Virgil chipped in.

“Oh,” Donna showed her investigative prowess, “who is the chef?”

“Scotty makes incredible pancakes,” Alan loyally contributed.

“Bagels and pancakes does sound very normal. But,” Donna was still gazing at John, “What about things we all just normally do like showering for example. How do you keep clean? I mean do you have water in space? Surely you can't ever take your suit off to shower? You can't be in a shower in space! Can you? What if there was an emergency and you were all soapy?”

There was a slightly stunned silence while everyone consider this question.  John, blush starting to creep to his neck opened his mouth to respond and then closed it again.

“Now Donna! You can't have all our secrets,” Scott dimples once again dimpling as he cut across the awkward silence that threatened. Virgil wondered vaguely if they actually had an on switch and their own generator. Older brother smoothly for the win.

“He does smell a bit when he gets home,” Gordon cheeky chap persona fully engaged helped Scott move things along while pushing his leg a little tighter to John's where they were against each other on the sofa.

“What about Christmas then?” Carol reclaimed control giving her Co-anchor side eye. “Are there any special traditions or routines?”

“It’s usually fairly quiet. Just us and a few close family friends. Scott and I tend to cook the main meal to give our grandmother time off.” Virgil was very diplomatic. “He's all about the ham and makes an incredible glaze.”

The others nodded in agreement and Scott waved off their praise endearingly embarrassed.

“Oh what's your secret?”

“It’s an old family recipe and I think I’d be struck down by a curse if I told.” Dimple. The audience lapping it up.  Mom’s recipe was perfect.

“And what about the rest of you?” Donna once more weighed In.

“They each do a side,” Virgil confirmed. “Some more... experimental than others.”

“Hey, it's not my fault your palettes are not mature enough to appreciate genius.”

“Gordon, Brussel sprouts in lemon jelly was not the idea of a genius,” John once more joined the fray.

“Agree to disagree.”

“Disagree!” all four of his brothers responded as if having rehearsed. It took a few moments for the laughter to die down.

“Are there other traditions you look forward to?”

Alan didn't hesitate, “Tree Day.”

“Tree Day?”

“Tree Day,” Gordon nodded in agreement and the older three looked at them with indulgent affection on their faces.

“Well,” Scott began. “Tree Day is basically exactly how it sounds.  We go get a tree and put it up in the lounge and decorate it. Like so many other families who celibate the season.”

Carol smiled at Alan, “It's clearly a favourite tradition of yours would you like to explain what makes it special?”

Alan glanced at Virgil who gave the teen a little nod of encouragement.

“Well it's some of my earliest memories of us all together.  Even when everyone was all over the place and it was just me at home, everyone came back for Tree Day,” Alan moved forward in his seat, looking so young and with enough boyish joy in his tone that the audience were listening rapt. “Everyone would arrive back or Dad and I would go collect them if they couldn't get flights and then we'd all go and pick the best tree we could find. I remember Dad carrying me on his shoulders if I got too tired, then it being Scott who would do that. And Johnny and Scott always disagree about how to cut it down when we find it until Virgil, the actual engineer will just do it his way while they are bickering. And they still do it even though that's kinda what always happens, every year!  And then we carry it back and secure it, and fly home.  Even when I was little I was allowed to help with all of it. Then we get it into the house and we  all hang the decorations on it. It helped that in the past they’d always brought me presents to go under the tree once it was up.” There was gentle giggles at that. “And even when Scooter,” he seemed to catch himself glancing suddenly at his older brother who smiled a strange little smile at him his eyes unreadable.  Alan seemed to swallow slightly then continued. “I mean, there was a year we couldn't all do it and we did it in August instead when we were all together. Like a bonus Christmas! So... ah, yea. I guess I just like that it's something we have always done together,” he stopped finally looking up again at Scott then stood to smile at Donna who liked a little watery.  Virgil's arm moved from along the back of the sofa to his youngest brothers shoulder and John moved a hand to Scott's knee at the same moment. There was a moment of connection between the brothers that was like a tangible electricity.

“Except the year Virgil wired the lights wrong and blew the generators!” Gordon squeezed Alan's leg as he played up that story to the audience. Ignoring the few hankies being dabbed to eyes in what he could see of the front row of the audience. He soon had them guffawing.

Carol had just started down the path of what exactly was under the tree and the audience were lapping up details of Virgil's traditional knitted gifts when Scott’s wrist began to vibrate violently.

“Sorry,” he looked at his wrist punching a few buttons and frowning.

“The perils of live tv folks!” Carol joked but Scott got to his feet in a moment that would be looped on need feeds and holo screens around the world for days to come.

“I'm sorry Carol, Donna, but we're going to have to cut this short,” gone was the charming farm boy ribbing his siblings good naturedly and there stood the Commander of International Rescue. Cameras were hastily moved to capture the moment as it happened.

“We have a situation. There has been a mud side in Tibet. Thunderbird 5?”

John was already pulling up information, wait,  Donna’s eyes widened at her favourite Tracy, where had he got a data pad from? The others were instantly on their feet.

“I see it. Best location for coordinating search and rescue will be with you momentarily.”

“F.A.B. Thunderbirds 2, 4 and 3 configure pods enroute.  Thunderbird 5 with me.”

A chorus of F.A.B. and they were moving as one.

“I,well....”

“A world exclusive indeed ladies and gentlemen.”

Both hosts paused as the rubbing roar of the green behemoth parked outside the studio caused everything to shake.

“Looks like that's the end of our catch up with the Tracy Family,” she touched her ear piece. “Here’s a quick word from our sponsors!”

In the control room Penny smiled from where she been watching. Contributions to the charity had trebled since the show had started and those shots of Scott being all Commanderesque would be circulated for weeks to come. 

She watched a the production team scrambled to find sobering to fill the remaining 15 minutes of airtime. Kissing Sherbet’s head in delight she bid her farewells – she have Parker swing by the Tracy's favourite take away and had over to Tracy Island to await the return of her ‘normal’ boys.

[treaturself]

It wasn’t Draco’s fault that he had some idea of what he wanted his wedding to look like.

He blamed his mother, who never missed any opportunity to wax poetry about the virtues of a spring ceremony in the Manor’s rose garden, where the pink and white roses would complement any dignified color scheme the future Lady Malfoy might choose. He also blamed Pansy and Blaise, whose wedding had been such a grand spectacle that reports of the event dominated the entire front few pages of the Daily Prophet —a lavish affair that captured so much attention that even the announcement of Potter’s promotion to Head Auror had been bumped to a pitiful spot on page five.

So yes, Draco had imagined it once or twice: roses in bloom, champagne from the family vineyard in France, a pretty witch in white dress robes or perhaps even a muggle wedding dress, cheeks flushed with delicate blush, exchanging warm smiles with his mother before looking at him with a smile just for him, this one with the heat of passion and want and love. 

Today, however, his bride had none of those things. No white dress robes nor a wedding gown, and definitely no smile. Instead, she wore a muggle pantsuit, a black blouse, and a stubborn scowl. Granger’s face was red—not from blushing prettily, but from her refusal to pause to breathe in between a thorough dressing down of his proposed language for section 27(b)(iv) of L.U.P.I.N. as they stood waiting in front of the Office of Magical Bonds and Unions for their nine o’clock appointment. 

Continue reading on Ao3.

[wylanzahn]

New-ish post, kinda posting this on different platforms and getting a general vibe check for some ideas I have. But basically this Halloween I want to actually do something for the TTRPG and Actualplay world (oh yeah I’m into those kinds of things). I want to try and get both players, GMs, and casual viewers alike something fun to look forward to this especially spooky season. I’ll probably talk a little more when we get closer to the actual season of scare-giving but just know that if you’re interested I’m still looking for people to join in!!

As my team and I’d first debut we’re going to try and do a two to four session actual play, which will probably be released in the weeks leading up to Halloween. We’ve had a couple good friend way in on the matter of “setting” but now I come to you fine folk. Mind you this is a horror campaign/arc so if…

Isn’t your thing, keep on a moving.

But without further ado here are a couple of the possible settings for our players, and myself, this coming espookee season…

1.) Somewhere off the coast of Florida, 1926 end of the first major housing boom in the state, a small island which calls back to the Spanish Empire, is Isla Boñyela, a small port made tourist location during the boom of disposable wealth in 1920s America. A small group of friends from the northeast tag along down for the perfect paradise vacation. Only to discover the island is much much older than anyone could have ever assumed. Whilst dealing with upstart gangsters, unnerving US soldiers, and the terrified locals they find something older than even undead conquistadors.

While I don’t have a working title, this is an old project in the running which I’ve had a few attempts at revamping over time. Its previous title was “perfect paradise vacation,” and runs on the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition game. Anywho it’s a blast of fun with Caribbean lore, tone of anti-imperialism, and something dark lurking beneath the waves.

2.) 1950’s America, the nonexistent state of Mid-Atlantia (DMV coded) in a small suburban neighborhood where nothing goes wrong… it’s almost “All-Hallows-Eve” and little Johnny and Susie want nothing more than to trick or treat this year with all the big kids, Dad’s finally getting the big promotion at work, and Mom just got a new waffle iron! Sure everything is neat here in America. Heck you just got new neighbors! Newlyweds in fact from somewhere big and fancy, they sure aren’t like any of us in our simple town. But… and you can’t say exactly why but things are different. Or perhaps they’re all too the same? Everyday a repeat of ever other bland day that followed you over and over and over and over… and you could swear, while no one may listen to you there’s someone out there. Stalking you from outside your own home- or- perhaps, he’s just your friendly new neighbor welcoming you… to the end.

Ahhhhhh! I’ve also been working on this one for a sec and god writing it out does excite me. This is also a Call of Cthulhu game but modified/homebrewed to have a uniquely 1950s horror feel. This is definitely one of the more unique games I’ve written and am truly interested in seeing where it goes (even if we don’t choose it). This is for those who feel like isolation, fear of the unknown, fear from within, and liminal space horror comes best into play! So whadya say neighbor?

3.) The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend, or How I Learned to Love Strahd, okay so this one is a lot less horror-y and falls much more under the comedic spooky category, just so yall know. Deep in the middle of Barovia, the ancient kingdom of Vampires, meets a council of Count Strahd von Zarovich's greatest commanders and lieutenants to hunt down Strahd's greatest enemy Rudolph van Richten and his party of heroes known as "The Grape-Smashers." Strahd's lieutenants have been gifted powers greater than any mere mortals, but are these gifts enough to stop Van Richten, or even enough to stop the personal ambitions of each other? Come find out in "How I Learned to Love Strahd."

Okay, as much as this may seem like a joke suggestion it cracks me up and I feel like it would be ill-advised of me to not at least mention it. In an era where "The Curse of Strahd," is well-overdone at this point, it's worth a take from an all evil "revenge story." Obviously this will be in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, which, in my opinion, is really hard to use for horror, but this is a nice go-around. Come for the evil PCs, maybe a PvP battle or two, and a game of intrigue in the shadows of Barovia! All that and a buff Van Richten.

4.) Before Annapolis was ever called such it was known as Providence, a settlement of exiled Puritans in the Province of Maryland, but these early days were no easy set-up for the far-flung protestants... in the mid 1600s the English Civil War spilled out into their holdings across the waves as brother turned on brother, clan erasing clan, and something from the shores of the Old World would arrive in the New. When around every corner could be someone you've known your whole life, what's stopping them from hunting you in the depths of winter. All matters made worse when rumors of a witch begins circulating your small home.

Think "The VVitch" (2015) meets "A Field in England" (2013) meets Atun Shei's recent film "The Sudsbury Devil" (2023). It is the unexplored wilderness of early colonial Maryland, but the hateful warmongering that slowly builds that makes the horror and tension so clear. Unsure of what system we'll be using, but maybe the new Regency Cthulhu system.

5.) The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 destroyed some 140 Acres of Baltimore proper... and in it's rubble awakened something far worse. But you and your fellow survivors are just trying to get by in the aftermath of the fire... only for something to call out, whether some strange magicks or perhaps just a sickness... but sickness doesn't even linger like this... it doesn't call to you...

Some more local history, aspiring from the actual Fire of 1904 things quickly devolve from there as rumors of a cult begin to spread along the streets of Rosland Park... a mysterious illness leaving even more dead... and the death of an eclectic professor. Definitely using the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition for this one.

Aaaaaaaand that's it! Let me know what y'all think!

[sgiandubh]

Welcome to the shitshow

We have:

A ✈ sighting. No pics.

The MPC live, scarce details. No rings. Spartan decor. Suntan and out of Bonnie Scotland. No further details on destination, which might or might not be the same as the flight. Mark me, I think it is - he is in Gran Canaria and for a very precise reason: keeping his part of the deal and his Onlies on tenterhooks.

C is seen in Marseille, hullaballoo ensues. We pinpoint some coincidental details. I was expecting the shite to hit the fan in 4, 3, 2, 1...

And it did. With both sopranos hinting at the same person, but only one brave (or rather foolish enough) to push a name out there. Disingenuous, to say the least - but oh, how convenient for any given agenda. Because it's too easy, when you give out a name to a thirsty crowd to say: 'well, of course it's because of the shippers! They did this or that (sky is the limit)! They are to blame!' (excuse me?) and 'well, of course they won't say a word, now' (how convenient if the thing does not stick, eventually).

That was, IMHO, a strategic mistake and the petticoat is showing across the pond.

Around the same time, I started to get a different kind of Anon, day after day after day. Very brutal. Foul-mouthed. And...with some intel. I answered the first, but then when things started to 'happen', the coin dropped very quickly that: a) I did hit a nerve and b) someone or some people wanted me to push this particular agenda - remember when...?

For reference:

And then today, just in time for the long, boring, chilly and even snowy (depending on your location) week-end, the bomb dropped and the cargo was juicy:

A name. A woman. A gym. Not one, but three suspicious videos: the one with the leg, the one with the clear voice (unmistakably S!) and the one with the dog (and more S voiceover). How nicely connected. How fucking perfect.

An Airbnb close to the gym. What would a single woman traveler do in a three-bedroom gargantuan villa all by herself, when you are in Winterbird Central with a bajillion other accommodation options, is beyond any logic. So easily and lazily - OMG, date!

Unless...

Unless you conveniently forget some details:

Not one, but three different promos/endorsements, with a discount code to boot - 10% off, how nice!

The one that has been discussed by just about everyone:

The one that provided the discount code for new subscribers: Gymshark, a fitness attire manufacturer (https://eu.gymshark.com/).

And the most important one, hiding behind a humble hashtag: #metcon. Now I don't know you, but I'd rather digress about tea parlors and bookstores, and so had no fucking idea Metcon was, in fact...

Yup. Nike. A very recent model - expensive and sure, in need of immediate product placement/promo:

And so, for tax reasons, she just had to (mandatorily) include the #ad (as in advertisement, lest we'd not have naive Anons again!) hashtag.

Also, this, posted along the short reel with S's voice (but who cared, all 👂were there and only there):

That woman was working. She has, after all, 450k Insta followers. If she and S met at a gym in a winter destination very sought after by Scots should be none of our business. If they met again or have a regular training schedule does not mean they fuck or that we're going to look out for Remarkable Week-end 2.0. If they met in Hyrox GLA - so what? What is this, I beg your pardon, Gilead? People just can't hang out, like ever, I mean men and women?

🙄

But.. but... the gargantuan villa...?

Och. Sure enough, the place is correctly identified. You can check chez Marple. I am not posting it, because I do not want to and by now, I trust just about everyone has seen those pics. But this time, I am not going there. The name of that villa, even, made me laugh like a drain. I mean how more in your face can they be?

Who footed the bill of this rather comfy PR shitshow, reminiscing of Ha-wa-wee, 🐰 and whatever else you could think of? SRH?

Perhaps. But what if Nike did, as a freebie to a very good promoter? They sure can spare the dime and, to be honest, as we speak, there is no sign S and her share anything else than a gym schedule. What tells us with absolute certainty, at least at this moment in time, she is not there with friends, family or even a group of fellow promoters, Avon-style?

Oh, and the world is definitely a handkerchief, especially in GLA, it would seem. Wanna know who also follows her on Insta?

Paul Donnelly. Nope, not the chef. This Paul Donnelly:

The one who literally owes S a shitload of cash. A post that earned me a report (I was just explaining, if I remember correctly, that S would have been wise to legally secure that hefty loan, nothing more).

And now you know what? That post is gone, vanished, poof and I have no idea why. I surely did not take it down, I never do this.

And surely enough, just before I started writing, Filthy Anon came back and warned me there was more (pics, 👅👄) about McFitness. Surely enough, the same info (albeit toned down) was picked up by *urv in her comments' thread, about twenty minutes after Anon dropped by.

Agenda, anyone? God forbid!

You draw your own conclusions. I can only very honestly say:

Welcome to the Shitshow - the Winter Edition!

This page is not going to follow blindly your script, whoever you are. This page simply hopes to cleverly hit a nerve every time it considers necessary. Other than that, big effing deal, really. Ship on.

Sorry for the length. I was never good at summing up.

[cienie-isengardu]

Darth Vader & Maximilian Veers

A collection of various tie-in source material about Darth Vader and Maximilian Veers, published through the years.

Star Wars Galaxy Guide #3 - The Empire Strikes Back (second edition) - 1996

[...] Veers might be the only living Imperial officer who doesn't share an all-consuming fear of Darth Vader. This is not a from a lack of respect for Vader. Rather, the two seem to respect one another, as Vader appreciates Veers' ruthless and cunning nature.

Side Trip, part 4 by Timothy Zahn - 1997

"One final suggestion, and then I suspect we must both be on our separate ways. I understand the general in command of the Executor’s ground forces resigned suddenly a month ago. I was able to watch the battle outside Thyne’s stronghold for a while as I waited to make sure the smugglers escaped; and in my opinion the Imperial officer in command is being wasted in a garrison assignment." "Your opinion carries considerable weight,” Vader said. “As I’m sure you know. The officer’s name?” “Colonel Veers,” Thrawn said. “From the level of his tactical skill, I’d also say he’s long overdue for a promotion. Perhaps his political connections within the command structure leave something to be desired.” “Political connections do not concern me,” Vader rumbled, stepping to the door. “I will see what I can do with this Colonel Veers. Thank you, Admiral.” “My pleasure, Lord Vader,” Thrawn said with a respectful tilt of his head. “One favor for another. Perhaps we’ll have the chance to work again together.””

STAR WARS FACT FILE #14 - 2014

The Sith Lord and his new general had a unique appreciation of each other's abilities. Vader knew Veers was utterly uninterested in personal advancement through the politics that crippled the Imperial Court, and so would remain completely loyal to the Empire. Veers in turn understood Vader's powerful abilities and command style, and appreciated both. General Veers was the only officer in the whole Death Squadron who was not afraid of Darth Vader

&

Darth Vader had a personal hand in Veers' career and his rapid advancement to general. The two men had a mutual respect, and Vader had a high regard for Veers' ability. It was only natural that he would give him a key role in the assault on Echo Base.

Star Wars Insider #96 - 2007

Unlike Motti, Ozzel or Needa, Maximilian Veers had no need to fear Vader's wrath [...].

The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection #04 (DeAgostini) - 2009

VADER'S GENERAL As a reward for his daring, Veers was promoted to command the ground forces attached to Lord Vader's Death Squadron - a personal fleet groups engaged in hunting down the Rebel Alliance. As an example of the new, younger Imperial officer, he frequently clashed with the traditionalist Admiral Ozzel but Vader backed Veers each time [...].

Star Wars: On the Front Lines by Daniel Wallace - 2017

General Maximilian Veers A brilliant tactician, General Veers earned notice for his vocal and persistent advocacy for the increased use of AT-ATs in ground operations. Darth Vader respected Veers for his eerily calm demeanor under fire.

The Truest Duty by Christie Golden [From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back] - 2020

The Emperor’s right hand was the fearsome Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith; he of the unseen face, black armor, brilliant mind, and swift discipline. If the elite troopers aboard Vader’s flagship, the Executor, were known as Vader’s Fist, then Veers liked to think of himself as Vader’s Dagger: silent, elegant, and lethal.

[...]

At this moment, Veers was bringing unwelcome news to his master, but that did not trouble him. The amount of…attrition…at both higher and lower levels on the ship was troubling to some, terrifying to others. Fear had been beaten out of Veers quite some time ago, and he had no patience for it. It confounded him that others failed to grasp that the secret to promotion, respect, power, and a long life was very clear: Don’t fail Vader. Maximilian Veers never had. Because who would ever want to fail Lord Vader? And who could live with themselves if they did?

[...]

In his career, Veers had met many diplomats, leaders, generals, and royalty. Many were impressive; some intimidating. But no one had a presence like Lord Vader. He was a massive figure swathed in darkness; the very energy around him seeming to change upon his entrance: charged, elevated. And, always, the sound. Rhythmic, constant, it terrified those who were the object of the Dark Lord’s displeasure. Those ill-fated fools knew that sound would likely be the last thing they heard. Veers, however, found it calming. Steady. As unfaltering as Vader was, as he, Maximilian Veers, was. The Dark Lord was many things to Veers, but he was not a threat. Because Veers never failed him.

[...]

Veers was perfectly well aware that Darth Vader was not a god. On more than one occasion, while reporting to the Dark Lord when he was in his meditation chamber, Veers had caught a glimpse of Lord Vader donning his helm. There was only a man in there; one who had suffered horribly, whose skin was nothing but angry red scar tissue. He had bled, had burned; had felt agonizing pain. And he had endured. Veers did not know the man Darth Vader had been, before the helm and armor and glowing red lightsaber, but it did not matter to him. Darth Vader was who had been born from that unimaginable suffering. He was no stranger to violence or malice. And all Lord Vader demanded of those who served was respect, obedience, and success. It was so simple. And it was because of that simplicity that Veers had never failed him.

[...]

“What is it, General?” The deep, rich voice, smooth and calm save when it was even deeper with rage. Such a tone had never been directed toward Veers.

[...]

Blizzard Force was taking more casualties than expected, and this troubled Veers. They were his soldiers. His unit. They trusted him to lead. But he had also trusted them to follow. Follow, obey orders, die for the Empire if need be. For Lord Vader.

[...]

Thump. Thump. Thump. Fast, so fast. Sounds, dreamy, muffled, distorted. Water. Swimming in water. Weightless, at ease, warm. Ready to drift away. But no, no. That wasn’t right… The thumping grew faster, faster. Fear crept in, tendrils of darkness, wrapping around, squeezing—no, no, please— And then came the sound. Rhythmic, almost soothing, calming. Steady. As unfaltering as Lord Vader himself. Veers tried to say, My lord, then realized that the labored breathing he heard was his own. And as if the knowing of this suddenly made it real, pain such as he had never felt raced through him. The armor had protected him—hadn’t it? He opened his eyes—ah! bright, too bright—and where there had been darkness and softness and warmth and comfort, now there were colors and chaos and agony, so intense and powerful it was almost… pure. And cold. So, so cold… The strange sounds formed themselves into known things: words, his own heartbeat. “…pretty bad…Still alive…where are the medics…” Snow. I remember… “He’s awake!” It was TK-78…he could not remember the number. It was Lastok. He had removed his helm, against regulations. His face was bloody, but the trooper looked more worried about Veers. Why? Veers tried to ask, but no words came out. “General…General Veers! Sir, you’ve got to listen to me. Hang on, all right?” Lastok glanced away, looking around, then shouted, “Medic! It’s the general!” He waved, flagging someone down, then returned his attention to Veers. “Stay with us, sir. You’re going to be all right!” But Veers had heard fear and hope warring in a soldier’s voice before. He was not at all sure he was going to be all right. He was sufficiently aware to notice that the cold stopped at his midsection. His legs…were they just too cold for him to feel? Or… His armor should have shielded him from the cold, but he could not stop shivering. Could he move? Legs, arms…anything? “No, no. You can’t die, General!” Veers knew what Lastok was doing: trying to keep him from drifting away into a place where no medic would be able to help. He closed his eyes again. The softness, the comfort was calling to him again. Veers listened. “…Lord Vader!” The gibberish had once again formed into words Veers knew. Words that gripped him, dragged him back into this place of life, of anguish. Tears stung his eyes at the thought of how close he had come. Lastok was right to have reminded him of his truest duty. No. I must not fail Lord Vader. He stopped resisting the pain and welcomed it instead. As Vader would. As Vader must have once. His mind flashed to the glimpses of the man inside the helm. His lord had not just survived unbearable torment but used it to reshape himself. Become the stronger for the suffering. Each labored gulp of air sent excruciating stabs through his chest. He endured them. He heard the medics rush up, and knew it was safe to let go; they would catch him now. All was well. No, my lord. I shall never fail you. Ever.

[isolaradiale]

Another year can the gentle winds of winter be felt across the island. Snowfall accompanies it soon after, blanketing much of the island in glistening shades of monochrome. Breathes unfurl into wispy puffs of white, steam rising up from the hot cocoa that sits in the cool air that keep your hands and body warm with each sip. Winter has come and, with it, another time for activities that promote holiday cheer…

As a note: these activities are separate from any ongoing or upcoming events and you are free to participate in both! Just keep in mind that WinterFES activities do not count towards ranking up because this is not an event.

WinterFES activities are available until January 31st! We will be adding additional activities at some point during this two month period as well!

FIBONACCI WARD

BUILD-A-GINGERBREAD MAN High-tech meets sweet treats in this customized kitchen. For a price of (dust), citizens of Spirale can use screens to design a gingerbread cookie to their likeness. You can watch machines behind the glass cut, bake, and decorate your cookie as you command. You could make a gift for your friend… or make a cookie that looks like your worst enemy, and bite off their face. There’s something for everyone!

SOUPS UP For the duration of December a giant pot of soup can be found in the center of Fibonacci. The type of soup changes from day to day, and how it replenishes nobody is quite sure! Regardless it is free for the taking and never dries out. Could this be the work of our goddess Ofiuco? Or could it be something more sinister? (It isn’t more sinister, it’s free soup.)

ICE TO MEET YOU A station has been set up in Fibonacci where you can come to view and sculpt ice sculptures. If you destroy any creations that are not your own, expect to have all of the Dust emptied from your account you jerk. All sculptures must be safe for work.

DRINK AND BE MERRY! ( new! ) If you fancy yourself an adventurous type who enjoys a nice drink, this is a challenge for you: an island-wide pub crawl quest! Start at a popular spot in the Level 3 of Fibonacci, where the bartender will give you a Snowtide Mojito and a map, with a bar marked in every ward and branch, with the best route and drink written down as well. Every bar you visit will have a sticker for you to put on the map to mark your progress. Those who manage to make it all the way through with all the stickers attached, will get a voucher for a free dinner in any of the bars visited!… And a free hangover cure for the next morning.

COTES WARD

QUID PRO SNOW Wandering in Cotes, it’s not foreign to see pixies, especially in their playground. However, it seems they’ve invited their frosty little cousins known as frost fairies over to play a few games with them… and you! Making your way into here can land you a pretty sweet reward, given the price you pay. That is, these fairies will be more than happy to make you anything you wish out of the snow and ice were you to give them a small treat or a gift of their liking.

I’M GOING GHOST… INTERACTING! Traveling through the Forest of Airaisal, one can find a passageway that mysteriously opens up on its own, leading to a path less traveled. Whether you choose to take it or not is entirely up to you. Electing to traverse it, you’ll find yourself in a small, private glen where you will encounter the ghost of your past, present, or future self. Whichever appears is up to you, though once it appears you’re welcome to interact with it as you deem fit. Maybe you want to console your past self that everything will be alright? Or perhaps you’d like to reflect on your present self, or at least the one that exists before you arrived here in Spirale. There’s also the option to speak to your future self, on what they think of you now, or maybe guidance on what might come. The possibilities are endless…

NOM RANCHING Visitors to the ward, especially around the Eternal Tree, will come to find magical marshmallow treats that appears to be causing chaos due to magical means! Whether it’s pelting themselves against passing visitors, knocking precious things over, or merely just circling about as a chaotic distraction, it’s clear the only way to keep them in check is to capture them and have a sweet treat so they don’t overwhelm  the area. Hopefully you came with an empty stomach and a sweet tooth, to boot!

GOLDEN WARD

SNOWFLAKE SCAVENGER The Mermaid Cove Mall planned on having dancing snowflakes as an attraction, but it seems the snowflakes formed a mind of their own and… danced right off of their displays! Deciding to salvage the situation, the mall is now making a game out of it–find five of them and bring them back to the desk, and you win a gift card! Watch out, though. The snowflakes are notoriously hard to capture, and seem to take your own strengths into account… This won’t be an easy task!

XTREME ICE CHALLENGE The ocean shores of the boardwalk have become completely frozen and boating is no longer possible nearby. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had there! An obstacle course has been made for the daring complete with icy ramps, jumps, and obstacles.. Come with skates or without, but the organizers take no responsibility if you slip and break your nose.

SILVER-WHITE WINTERS For the duration of WinterFES, Spirale University is offering a different selection of classes related to the season. There are knitting classes where you can learn to make mittens and scarves, latte art classes to help you decorate your warm drinks for the season, and general classes to help you learn to wrap presents like a pro!

ARCHIMEDES WARD

CAROLS OF THE BELLES On evenings in the Archimedes ward, ringing through the streets from the Calliope Theater courtyard, you’ll hear voices as lovely as the singers using them. A chorus known as the Winter Belles begin their lovely lyrical lineup, and the concerts are free to attend. There are also a few open slots to join them, as long as you attend chorus practice.

CRYSTAL FUNHOUSE This large palace is made entirely of ice, and from the inside, one can hear chimes through its halls. Inside are several attractions: a mirror room, a hall full of beautiful ice sculptures, a complementary shaved ice bar for those crazy enough to eat them in this weather… But follow the chimes, and you’ll enter the ballroom, which is completely dark save for the tile floor. Each step you take makes a note that sounds most like you, and the ballroom lights up to the tune of your very soul as you dance across the floor… …What would happen if two people danced together?

YOU BAKE IT YOU BUY IT Throughout the Star Trail, many stalls have been shifted around in order to make a large area for those who wish to put their skills to the test in what seems a continuous bake off. Not only that, but it seems they require volunteers to be the judges of the savory sweets that are gonna be pumped out throughout the days. Fancy yourself an excellent baker who can blow the socks off of any taster who tries your dish or those who wish to place their palettes to the test? Well, have a seat and be served… quite literally!

MISTWOOD

TERRES-TREE-AL DECORATING Once more, a safe passage has been made into the Mistwood, leading to an area called the Traveler’s Garden. Some might remember the need to plant more trees and won’t be surprised to find that those planted back in Spring have now sprouted rapidly and is ready for decorating! Those who planted them can find them in the same spots with several boxes around them full of holiday decorations to get them decorated and ready to shine bright for the snowy season. Oh, and no worries, even if you weren’t able to plant one back in Spring, you’re still more than welcome to help decorate them!

TIS THE SKI-SON In a clearing that breaks off from the decorating, various large hills of snow have sprung up from out of nowhere. Trekking up to the top or taking a ride on a few snowmobiles manned by some island residents will reveal that it’s a makeshift ski and snowboarding attraction! Once fitted with one of your preference, as well as given a safety helmet and goggles, you’re free to slide down those slippery slopes and show off to your pals. Or maybe you’ll just biff it as you catch sight of that rumored dragon in the distance as you ski on down!

SPINE CHILLING FUN If you find winter season to be too mellow for your tastes or simply miss the thrill of the late autumn festivities, why not visit the Frosty's House of Horror? Fit for brave loners, couples and groups alike, this winter-themed maze is filled with all kinds of horrifying frozen creatures, icy traps and other surprises that will definitely satisfy any adrenaline lover out there! For an extra thrill (and the safety of the scare actors), all powers and weapons are taken away at the entrance. Those who are brave enough to get through the whole experience will be rewarded with a commemorative photo and one of a kind 'I Survived Frosty's House of Horrors' pin!

SWIRLING GULF

SOMETHING SEEMS ICE-FISHY While the Swirling Gulf can still be accessed, it would seem that a large portion of the waters nearby has been magically frozen over in a thick sheet of ice that can be reached with their submarine transportation system, allowing many people to walk with ease across it. Several holes have been drilled into it as well, allowing people to partake in ice fishing! Though a various amount of fish can be caught, there is also the risk of danger that you may be (un?)lucky to find a murderous large fish at the end of your line. But that could just be a rumor, right? No way there’s some large ghost fish or dangerous sea creature that you could reel in, right…

SNOWMANNING THE FORT Deep below, found in various areas of the sunken city such as the Mainland, Coral Bay, and even near the Kelp Forest, snow that never melts has been brought down and packed into areas where many can build snowmen to their liking. Laced with bioluminescent qualities that offer you any type of color, you can make colorful creations come to life with ease. Not only that, but once completed, the snowman will imprint the emotion belonging to its creator, expressing itself in an exaggerated display on how they currently feel. Whether they’re the happiest they’ve ever been or happen to be a little Scrooge-y at the time, these snowmen are ways to express yourself from the bottom of your heart.

THE CITY OF GLASS

ONSEN AND OFFSEN Recently, there’s been some magmatic activity closer to the surface on the back side of the volcano… suspected Nuee Ardente Society activity. Nothing (too) dangerous, though, and in fact, it happens to be below a spring source, turning the small ponds and water pools around the area into hot springs! Despite the snow blanketing most of the rest of the island, the areas immediately surrounding the pools are kept clear, mainly by the hot cocoa vendors who are taking advantage of this sales opportunity. Be careful, though, because the magma flow isn’t constant, and the temperature of the water can fluctuate in either direction, for better or for worse.

JUST THE WAY YOU LIGHT IT Leading up to the natural tunnel that gives access to the renown Garden of Ash, many might take note of a beautiful array of lights and colorful flowers that are laid out like a path into the garden itself. It’s highly encouraged to take this path at night, where many hand strewn designs light up in the dwindling hours, also illuminating the various plants which grow in the ashen soils, all while making the already falling ash even more snow-like to fit the snowy landscape the island has become. Some of the lights can even reflect of any glass in the vicinity, creating an almost kaleidoscope effect that can take the breath away of onlookers.

LOCALIZED ENTIRELY IN THIS ROOM? For those missing the summer fireworks, a similar event was set up in the ward where every night one could watch a customized Aurora Borealis show! Grab a blanket and a warm drink and relax under the beautiful lights, alone or with company! For an extra fee you might even request your own flair to be added to the show!

SUNSET CIRCUIT

RINK AROUND THE CIRCUITS While more daring skaters might take fun in Golden Ward, more casual goers might find a bit more joy in the ice skating rink set up on the shores of Moon Beach where the waters have been frozen over and smoothed out. Even more alluring, the ice beneath seems to have a mesmerizing array of glowing colors that light up and forms into playful patterns beneath the ice to the beat of the current playlist. Whether you bring your own ice skates or have them provided, you’ll be sure to have a blast gliding along the top of the neon colors!

SNOW FUN ALLOWED There’s a designated arena, full to the brim with snow that never seems to run out, dirty, or melt. Events take place not only throughout the day but also well into the night, with the arena being well-illuminated even at the darkest of hours. A good portion of the arena has been set up with barricades and obstacles for the ideal snowball fight zone, with regular switches between free-for-all or team games; the remainder has been sectioned off to protect any poor bystanders from errant deckings in the face, and is much more for making snowmen, snow angels, or any other sorts of snow activities you can think of.

TO WARM A HEART For those who find themselves in need of goodwill to spread this winter season (or are looking for a way to compensate for the disasters they bring to the city), a spot was set up where one can volunteer their services to the citizens of Spirale. Be it assistance in the soup kitchen, help with creating various items for the less fortunate, organizing other people's efforts or just bringing a song and good cheer, all efforts are welcome.

SKY-STREWN ISLES

AN UPLIFTING WINTER FAIR Life has gathered from far and wide to partake in a wintery celebration that spans the entirety of The Uplift. Snow falls from the sky and gathers on the area's many steps, and it would be quite a tumble if you were to slip and fall down them. You can find all manners of stalls, selling things from warm treats to winter clothes and toys. The perfect place to take a partner or friend to in order to enjoy some hot cocoa!

DON'T LOOK OUT BELO(H NO!) Because of the colder, snowy weather, steep slopes and ramps have formed between the isles and have been repurposed for the Ultimate Skiing Experience. Just keep in mind that you are jumping between flying islands, and there is absolutely no service available to save you if you fall. That means it's best you have wings, levitation, or know someone who does to come with you!

THE ECHO

CAROL OF THE (C)OLD ONES Even the Abyssal denizens in the Echo seem to be in the festive spirit. Taking the new crystal elevator in the museum lobby leads visitors down to the depths of Abyss, letting them out in a place that looks like a banquet. In this 360 degree crystal dome, the shadowy monstrosities outside the barrier begin to manifest... except they all seem to form a choir of beautiful, ethereal voices. As guests have dinner in the dome, they may see the shadows put on spectacular light shows in the darkness, like stars in an ever-present void. This is a formal event, dress for the occasion!

THE LAND OF BURNT UMBER

HOWLING ALL NIGHT For avid animal lovers and competitive players, a new opportunity has been introduced: a sleigh race!.. Except the dogs are replaced with coyotes. And snow with sand. But the rest is much the same: get your sand-sleigh loaded with goods at the starting point, follow the track to the finish line and try to be the first there (and not lose any wares on your way!). P.S. Do not worry, the coyotes are vaccinated from all diseases and are cooperating willingly. Usually.

MIRAGE RESORT In the desert, locals often speak of large-scale mirages that appear during certain times of the year and it seems that there happens to be a bit of truth regarding those rumors! A lavish resort, appropriate themed for the holiday season has sprung up overnight! Complete with employees dressed as elves and rooms decorated in the spirit of the holidays, one might think their stay to be a day dream all on it's own. The main draw of the resort happens to be the very large lake that surrounds it that functions as a beach as well. Though we do advise you to be careful as we're not sure ourselves when this resort will fade away just as it came!

SELENE SPACE STATION

SNOW IN (AND UP, AND DOWN) ( new! ) A circular glass dome that faces open space has been filled with real snow and set to zero gravity, leading to it looking like a giant snowglobe. If you ever wanted to see what it feels like to be inside one, now's your chance! It is also a great place to take pictures or enjoy a quiet date. If you are properly dressed, you may even take a nap between the snow and the stars!

TWILIGHT TUNDRA

HIT THE SLEIGH BUTTON ( new! ) For winter, a station has been set up just on the edge of town with beautiful wooden sleighs drawn by reindeer that are free for anyone to enjoy. Why not ride around the village and its outskirts and enjoy a complimentary cup of cocoa? Try it out by yourself, with a partner, or perhaps, if you are daring, with a stranger! Who knows, maybe you'll hit it off just in time for Valentines?..

MURDER ON POLAR EXPRESS ( new! ) A steam train that travels around the branch, decorated for winter inside and out, is offering a free two hour long scenic train ride, with all the amenities included! Surely that offer is too good to be true… And it is! As you find out while everyone was enjoying the beautiful sights, a body was found in the baggage car. Now it's your job to find who the killer is. Find clues, interrogate other passengers, and find out the truth before the ride ends and the criminal makes an escape!

SNOWMEN TACTICS ( new! ) A decently-sized battlefield has been set up in the branch, with two snow castles sitting opposite to each other. But this is no ordinary snowball battle one could engage in, no. Your job here is to create the most battle-ready snowman and equip it with a magic hat that will animate it for a singular purpose: combat. Just give them the command and send them out on the battlefield to face off against your opponent's own snow soldier. Command your troops from your castle alone or with a team. Fit for leader types and more strategy-minded people alike, this activity might help you practice your tactical prowess with zero blood spilled!

[octo-in-the-mainframe]

Side Order Spoilers!!!

Okay does anyone else find it weird that Smollusk and Pearl referred to both DJ Octavio and Agent 4 as "big shots"?

And that Pearl says Agent 4 "was supposed to be such a big shot"??

And that even though pieces of their souls got sucked into the Memverse they canonically have not been seen after the events of Splatoon 2 and 3 respectively???

Knowing that characters were added to Tableturf after the DLC, namely, Pearl, Marina and Acht, I wouldn't be surprised if more characters are added later.

"But Octo, didn't Nintendo say there would only be two waves of DLC?"

Well, yes...but I have reason to believe otherwise.

First, when announcing the two waves of DLC, yellow and blue were used for the first and second waves, but despite there being four colors used for the announcement, red and green made no further appearance.

I'm sure if Nintendo really wanted to, they could have found a way to make just the yellow and blue look nice, but they specifically added those two colors. Red, I get, that's Big Man's color, even if they don't use it much in promotional material, but GREEN?

If Nintendo were to make more DLC, three waves WOULD make sense, considering the leitmotif of threes throughout the game. It's the third game, there's 3 idols, 3 forces united as one, 3 Splatfest teams to choose from, etc.

But that still doesn't explain the fourth color. It breaks the pattern of threes and uses a color that is barely anywhere among our cast of characters, besides Marie, DJ Octavio, and maybe Callie.

And then I thought...what if it's to give us a taste of the next game? Next IS Splatoon 4, so I wouldn't put it past them for a sneak peek.

My other, and more likely idea was that it would center around Agent 4, which kind of ties in with the weird wording used for both Octavio and them. Perhaps we'll finally get to see what they've been up to, maybe even teaming up with a certain DJ?

As for the third wave...I'm not too sure. I think it might have to do with Lil' Judd and Marigold, though.

As we collect scrolls in Alterna, we get tidbits of the other characters' lives and some info on the Splatoon world itself.

But something that stood out to me is when we get to Pearl and Marina's scroll.

It's their outfits from the DLC, clearly meant to foreshadow their next appearance. And right before that was a scroll for the Squid Sister's podcast (and that dried up squid), which lines up since their hub world was brought to the game in the first wave of DLC.

But after Pearl and Marina, it's Lil' Judd.

Lil' Judd planning for Judd's demise.

Which has not been brought up seriously in the main game.

That...that means nothing, right? I mean, more DLC hasn't even been announced, ha-ha!!

But then the next page is Marigold, with her many pictures crossed out, with multiple names to the same-ish face. It's secretive; does she have various clones, multiple siblings? What is she?

And then, there's also the concerning connection between her and Lil' Judd.

Marigold works at Grizzco, evidenced by her voice at the counter and her vocabulary. Lil' Judd...is in CHARGE of Grizzco now, majorly implied by the new inclusion of a headpiece on him after you finish fighting Mr. Grizz.

I think the third wave of DLC will be focusing on Lil' Judd's plans to get rid of Judd and will involve a further look into Marigold and how Grizzco operates.

I mean, we can't keep stealing Salmonid eggs forever, can we? Eventually they'll run out. This endless back and forth has resulted in Big Run's happening, so it's not out of the question that we get a resolution to this.

(I personally think Big Run will have its own version of an ending, one where whenever you play Salmon Run after it it's "in the past," so that it doesn't affect whatever the conclusion was. Otherwise, the Big Runs would likely just get worse.)

Maybe we'll get to be Neo 3 this time and learn more Salmonid lore with our Smallfry friend!!

Of course, most of these concepts are speculation, but I do want to show off one last piece of evidence that I think can be rather damning.

The roped off barrier by the Metro. (Sorry I don't have an image of it, and I don't want to use anyone else's footage.)

Only removed once the DLC trailer was shown.

And look what we have here, as far back as the original Splatoon 3 Direct...

Another roped off barrier in front of the arch. Not just construction, like how Splatoon always sets up new places for the next game, no. It's a barrier, with a big empty space behind it.

I always thought it was so weird we weren't allowed to go over there, and now it seems so obvious to me what Splatoon has been implying.

I don't want to get my hopes up, or anyone else's, but I'm finding it exceedingly difficult to just move past these details and pretend like they're nothing.

What about you guys? Do you also think all of this is mighty suspicious? Do you have any theories regarding more waves of DLC, and what they could possibly be? Oh, and if you have more evidence for there being four waves, please feel free to tell me in the comments or through message. (I might not see the messages, though, because mine haven't been working that well, so mostly stick to comments and reblogs.)

Lastly, I did want to ask if anyone knows what the European version of the shop for the DLC means by “It’s possible that additional DLC, not listed above will also be distributed with the Expansion Pass.” I saw somebody mention it, I don't remember what post, but I was wondering if that was just a standard description for the European page or if it was just for this DLC. I'm in the US, and mine doesn't say that. If I'm completely wrong about this fact please tell me,,,

That's all I got though!! So, buh-bye!!!!

[dreamycloud]

WIP Wednesday

Despite saying that I was temporarily done with Lokius fics until I catch up with other writing projects, I saw Deadpool 3 and it infected me with ONE MORE IDEA. This idea? That Paradox and Brad might actually make a pretty good couple, and why don’t I explore that with a little Lokius on the side? I just started writing this fic, and it begins with a flashback, but I gotta say I’m already enjoying playing with this new dynamic.

(Special thanks to the Automat discord for helping me brainstorm what Paradox’s favorite drink would be🍸).

Paradox kept his hands in his lap, back ramrod straight, smile small but pleased. He had no desire to show off when Ravonna gave him such open praise. “Paradoxes, as you know, are not common temporal phenomena. It does give my bureau more time to improve our processes where we can.”

Pulling a bottle of sour apple martini from the hidden fridge, Ravonna prepared his drink. She carried his and hers around the curve of the couch and sat opposite him, across the coffee table. Sliding his drink to him, she said, “It’s common enough for the Timekeepers to dedicate a whole department to them.”

“And name one of their employees ‘Paradox’ to begin with,” he said, picking up the martini glass by its delicate stem.

“Destiny,” she said, lifting her glass to her lips. “The Timekeepers created each of us to play unique, vital roles in protecting the Sacred Timeline.”

Paradox nodded and waited until she drank to have his first sip of the tart, fruity drink. She really did indulge him, but then again, he’d earned it, hadn’t he? He worked himself to the bone to ensure his Bureau had a pristine reputation and standing within the TVA.

There was no greater pleasure he found than doing his job, and doing it well—except of course, having his work acknowledged by those above him. Perhaps one day he’d even earn an audience with the Timekeepers. If he ever did, he’d ask them about a promotion. Judge Paradox. That sounded quite nice.

[trashno0dle]

promoting my silly scream role swap au again because i finally updated after several months <3

summary:

Billy Loomis was sixteen- going on seventeen years old when his parents divorced and his mother abandoned him, leaving him mostly alone in a world that couldn't understand him, and feeling broken beyond repair. Sidney Prescott was sixteen years old when she stood before the corpse of her mother's killer. Blood dripping down her front, a red glistening knife clasped firmly in one hand and a plastic mask in the other, with a smile on her lips.

(includes billy/stu, sid/tatum (murder gfs) as well as good ol gale/dewey, my beloveds)

snippet from the newest chapter (7) below

~~~

When noon had passed and the sun was slowly sinking from its peak in the sky, Billy found himself consumed entirely within his thoughts once more. His head felt heavy with the weight of the knowledge that he was currently the target of this masked killer, who could be stalking him right at that very moment, he wasn’t so much scared as he was confused, recalling the phone call he’d had with his attempted murderer the evening prior, they had made it sound as if they knew him in a sense. It was that fact that had him more confused than anything.

‘It’ll be fun Billy, just like old times.’

Just like old times. He’d been scratching his head all night, wondering what that could possibly mean. Of course he found no answers. He wasn’t exactly a detective. Had he not been intimately involved in the case like he happened to be, he wouldn’t think much of it, either the police would catch the murderer or they would kill a few more times, get bored and slip away unnoticed and eventually, become just another topic of Woodsboro gossip as the years passed by. But it couldn’t be that simple, no, of course not.

The killer, whomever they were, had painted a very obvious target on his back. And not just his own, but Stu’s as well, considering they had attempted to frame him and failed. Billy wondered, still, what their goal had been there. If he was correct in assuming the killer in fact was a student like themselves, then they must have known that they were close. Creepy, really, he’d never thought he’d ever have a stalker in his life yet here he was. He wondered if the killer was watching him right now, lurking through the trees in the park, or perhaps from within a car, their eyes never leaving him, constantly vigilant of his every move.

Jesus, get it together. He couldn’t afford to lose himself in total paranoia right now, he needed to be on guard but not so much that he actively lost his mind with the thought of being struck down at any time.

“–again, buddy.”

Billy blinked, snapping himself out of his stupor. Stu was watching him expectantly, a crooked grin pulling at his lips as if amused. Admittedly, Billy hadn’t heard him speak at all.

“What?”