#i have 8 layers and 3 of them are scans

[quilleth]

*squints* how the fuck is my drawing style digitally more realistic (?) than when i’m drawing on paper? i’m using the exact same references, and i’m not consciously doing anything different here. what is happening... at least in some places. in others it looks ridiculously shoujo minus the sparkles.  like please art style pick one

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite scully moments from s2

after the x-files are shut down, she gets moved to teach at the academy, and in episode 1 she does a little monologue on how a person’s body is a physical manifestation of a lifetime, which one of the students describes as “spooky”

when mulder sneaks off to puerto rico in the same episode, she goes into his place to try and figure where tf he went, and prevents his sneaking about being caught by the investigators who broke into his home with the power of feeding his fish

lecturing about the dangers of eating raw steak in episode 2, then getting lost down a rabbit hole of worm science

when no one was answering the door in episode 3, she just walks in. this made me laugh hysterically, i cannot explain. both of these guys WILL enter your home.

every single time she is a bit of a medical nerd, like when she learns about the surgery that allowed people to survive without sleep in episode 4, which she describes as “incredible”

(and the freckles + flower earrings combo were also a fave)

when she scans the piece of metal that came from duane barry in a grocery store in episode 6, and the cash register goes crazy. and she denies involvement and just walks away LMAOOO <- honestly i'd do the same!!

she wakes up from her coma in episode 8 and wants to write a thank you note to the nurse that took such good care of her, only to learn no such nurse ever existed. scully got to witness the paranormal for once!!!!

in episode 9, someone brings up a volcano scientist in conversation, and she says she had heard he was brilliant, which means that somehow she is keeping up with volcano news. she is a woman of many layers.

being deeply worried about this scared looking grad student she just met, and once again not waiting for an answer to enter her room and figure out if she is okay

(and when said grad student is being consumed by a fungus, scully thinks quickly enough to get herself locked behind a door, keeping herself safe, despite being handcuffed and otherwise looking death by fungus in the face)

in episode 11, mulder walks into his office, only to learn she has been there and has been going through his stuff since 6 in the morning. queen of getting results!

in the same episode, an old man overdoses on mushroom pills, and she shifts into Doctor Mode, yelling about “ventricular fibrillation” and “milligrams of lidocaine” and it was, like every other time she goes Doctor Mode, so deeply satisfying to watch

when she meets the two cops in episode 12, and can immediately tell they are having an affair and that the detective is pregnant, and despite the detective pleading with her not to tell a soul, the absolute MILLISECOND she is reunited with mulder, she spills the tea. and he is SHOCKED! <- arguably my favorite moment in the entire series so far

(and, to make the woman feel more comfortable, she confesses to also having had feelings for coworkers before which. elaborate on that, please)

but she really does care; when the detective ends up in the hospital, scully brings her a change of clothing <3

when she is so shaken by what she sees in episode 13 that she goes to the FBI’s onsite therapist; she’s too scared to tell mulder how she feels because “i don’t want him to feel like he has to protect me”

(as if there was ever going to be a choice; he is the protector and he Will protect, it's just his nature)

((and then later sobbing into his arms, realizing she doesn’t have to always put on a front))

toads start falling from the sky in episode 14, so she rationalizes that they likely came from a nearby tornado. this is a scully-approved theory.

they’re investigating a murder in the same episode, and a teenager starts pouring her absolutely horrific trauma out to both of them, scully holds her while she sobs into her jacket

honestly any time either of them know weird information, i love it. she says that it would take hours for a snake to eat a man and then weeks for it to digest in episode 14, and mulder makes some funny remark but it’s sooo endearing to me. she knows her snake facts.

then in episode 15, she notes poison in someone’s blood, but specifically that the poison comes from pufferfish eaten in Japan… girl i’m crying, she just knows stuff!

during that same case, they get rooms near each other like always, and she knocks on a door thinking it’s mulder’s. he doesn’t answer. she walks in and hears water running, so she just talks to him through the door to the bathroom. and i love this so much. i love that they are close enough to just walk into each other’s rooms and talk from behind the door while the other showers. it’s such married behavior.

working on the case in episode 16, we see her at home wearing a flannel, checking her computer, still serving looks but now giving casual

(and seeing the art she keeps on her walls- little postcards of beach scenes <3)

in the same episode, she knows mulder left to go get himself in trouble, so she bursts into skinner’s office to ask for help. but she feels bad for barging in on skinner, so she apologizes to him. which was very sweet.

when mulder is gone, she goes to his apartment to look for clues, and falls asleep on his couch

(and when X knocks on the door, she knows he is hiding something, and screams at him to tell her where he is)

this whole monologue from episode 17, which i loved more than life itself:

“several aspects of this case remain unexplained, suggesting the possibility of paranormal phenomena. but i am convinced that to accept such conclusions is to abandon all hope of understanding the scientific events behind them. many of the things i have seen have challenged my faith and my belief in an ordered universe, but this uncertainty has only strengthened my need to know, to understand, and to apply reason, to those things which seem to defy it”

(and that is just Her, isn't it? the need to understand, to rationalize. the worldview shaped on science- if she doesn't understand something, it's because a key piece is missing, and she'll find it. because the world Has to work that way, has to be bound by a greater logic, even if it is yet to be understood. to imagine otherwise would be impossible, to imagine otherwise would be to abandon hope in everything, and she cannot abandon hope)

((and maybe the idea that the world being something she cannot perfectly comprehend is a failing of her own understanding makes me a little emotional. but still))

she says that the whole loaves and fishes deal was a parable in episode 21; she is not a biblical literalist

(she then makes some sassy remark about things generating spontaneously, and mulder laughs in the corner. good to know he thinks she is funny)

every single time she answers the phone, she says “mulder, it’s me”, and idk i just think it’s so endearing

she thinks she might have been infected with a killer disease in episode 22, but mulder calls, so she tells him she’s okay and to take care of himself out there.... those are the last words she chooses, just in case they never talk again </3

and every time she says unsettling things, like “could be the residue of burnt human flesh” or “darkness covers a multitude of sins”, both in episode 23, i eat that up

reassuring her student who has just become a detective that she is doing just fine!!!

and then going to said student's funeral when things do not turn out fine... she loves her students that she taught for like 3 months so much :(

getting pulled aside by skinner and her bosses after mulder just acted wild in episode 25, and denying that she had seen any top secret files even though they say they will fire her if she lies lmaooo <- she is a ride or die!!!

but also going to his place, demanding assurance that she is doing the right thing by assisting him, and i love that. i love a character who will break all of the rules as long as they believe they are doing the thing that is morally Right, and that definition is so deeply her own, but she is committed to it, and she'll do anything to stick by it. and he just says something about getting the code that he wants broken, and despite how awful he's being, she goes through with it anyway because it's the Right thing to do.

later, her being the one to realize that mulder should not leave the house after his father was killed because he will be the prime suspect (he does not listen to this sound advice)

he stumbles into her place with a million degree fever, and she carefully lays him down in her own bed, despite the fact that he is soaked in his dead father's blood. and she takes care of him.

this one honestly deserves its own post because it is so incredible, but: shooting mulder with enough precision to get him to knock off his wild behavior that was going to make him look like he killed his dad, but not actually HURT him, then finding out krychek was putting LSD in his water, knocking him out, and driving 2 days to New Mexico to get him where he needed to be. AFTER he had been acting wild because he was inadvertently drugged, and had accused her of spying on him and being a traitor. that level of love is deep. very very deep. she is a Lover.

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 122]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54

Not going to do much this morning because I only have an hour or so. I may do more later today however.

Chapter 55 (Logan)

Virgil was beginning to be able to read some of the common instructions in magic books, but Logan still made sure to read out the instructions to him at least twice before setting him loose. He’d started to jot down notes to himself about things, though these notes were not words, but various symbols that only made sense to the boy himself.

Logan had asked about their meaning at one point and received an answer that, while earnest, was unintelligible. The symbols were mostly just pictures of things to represent certain steps in spell casting, but they were filtered through Virgil’s rudimentary penmanship and often bizarre perception of the world.

Though, despite the fact that Logan could not often decipher his chicken scratch, it did seem to help him produce more and more quality charms even as Logan began to introduce more complicated processes to make them. He was a very good student even if he didn’t have the best foundation for learning.

“I add lavender for the next step, right?” Virgil asked, his finger on a word in Logan’s magic book.

“That is correct,” Logan confirmed.

Virgil looked back at the book and mouthed the word ‘lavender’ to himself before turning back to his potion. He grabbed a few sprigs of lavender and threw them into the cauldron.

The liquid popped and bubbled violently, but Virgil didn’t flinch as he once would have, prepared for it now.

After the lavender, Logan knew that it would have to simmer for 5 minutes. Virgil looked down at the boiling liquid, contemplating it for a long moment.

“Can I soak a knife in it?” he asked.

“What?” Logan asked.

“Can I soak a knife in the potion once it’s done?”

“In that potion?” Logan clarified. “In the emergency hand warmer potion?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I think a hot knife would be useful,” Virgil said.

“For what?”

Virgil shrugged. “Cooking food on the road,” he said, “burning wood, stabbing someone and immediately cauterizing the wound.”

“That is… not a standard use for this potion,” Logan said.

Virgil titled his head at him. “Would it work though?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Logan contemplated. “Perhaps. The potion can cause burns if one uses too much of it or if it is used without an appropriate layer between it and the skin. If one were to pick a knife with enough surface area and let it soak long enough, it could in theory get hot enough to do as desired. Hmm…” he thought about it. “There would perhaps be the problem of the potion not sticking to the knife very long as it is intended to soak into fabric. However, cardamom could solve that issue as long as it doesn’t interact with any other ingredients. Let me see that spell.”

Virgil stepped out of his way so he could study the page. “Yes,” Logan said after scanning through all of the ingredients. “I think cardamom would work for something like that. Let me go find some.”

He turned to walk towards where he kept his supplies of potion ingredients. Virgil followed on his heals.

“Can we use a serrated knife?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Virgil,” Logan said, nodding as he searched through the cupboard that should hold the coriander. “The knife being serrated would help keep the potion stuck to the blade after many uses and would increase the surface area.”

“That was certainly my intention,” Virgil said smoothly. There was something odd about the tone that had Logan turning and blinking at him. Virgil just smiled at him innocently and Logan turned back to the cabinet finally locating the cardamom.

“So how are we going to use that?” Virgil asked.

“We’ll put it in right before the last step and let it sit for about 3 minutes,” Logan said. “If it doesn’t quite work, we may need to make another batch. There are options other than cardamom, but that’s the first idea that comes to mind and it’s a lot simpler if it works.”

He continued to speak of the many other options they could try as they returned to the caldron as well as how they could test the hot knife. It was already about time for the next step and Virgil did it without interrupting Logan’s rant.

Virgil listened to his suggestions with interest all while still making sure the potion he was making was progressing well.

Logan did eventually take over to finish the potion with the revised steps he’d come up with and they ended up with a potion that looked perfect except it was a few shades darker than the one they’d originally been planning to make.

“Well, it looks good,” Logan declared. “We will need to acquire a knife to test its effectiveness, however.”

“There are a few good ones in the kitchen,” Virgil pointed out. “I especially like the one 10 inch one with the black and white handle.”

“You have been eyeing up the kitchen knives?” Logan asked.

Virgil rolled his eyes as though that was not a perfectly reasonable question to ask him. “We should steal that one,” Virgil said.

“Do you think we’ll be able to sneak past Ms. Heart to steal a knife from her kitchen?” Logan asked.

“We can’t,” Virgil said. The ‘but I can’ was implied.

Logan almost didn’t believe him… and then he remembered the water pouch incident. “It’s the dinner rush,” Logan said. “We should probably wait for a bit.”

Virgil was shaking his head. “The dinner rush is the best time,” he said. “Everyone will be distracted, and all of the knives will be out and in prime stealing position.”

“And if Patton’s mother catches us messing around in her kitchen during her busiest time of day, she will have Father ground us for a week.”

“Then we just won’t get caught,” Virgil said.

“I’m not sure if it’s that simple,” Logan said with a frown.

“You can stay here if you want,” Virgil offered. “I’ll just go by myself.”

“No, I’ll come too,” Logan relented, though he did still have some reservations about the idea.

He let Virgil lead him towards the main dining hall. By now, Virgil knew the kitchens and dining hall very well.

“Stay here,” he said. They were in a hallway a few feet down from the staff entrance to the main kitchen. “I’m going to do some reconnaissance.”

“What type of reconnaissance?” Logan asked, but Virgil had already vanished before his very eyes. With a blink, Logan looked up and saw a dark figure disappear onto a balcony overhead.

Well, Logan really had no choice but to wait there for him. It wasn’t like he could follow him. He could hear the clatter of silverware on plates from the dining hall down the corridor as he impatiently waited. It only took Virgil a bit over five minutes to return. He dropped suddenly from above and landed in front of Logan in a crouch.

“Well?” Logan asked, letting a bit of irritation into his tone so Virgil knew he was displeased. Virgil did not seem to care.

“Got it,” Virgil said with a wide grin, brandishing a large kitchen knife.

Logan flinched back at the unexpected sight of a weapon.

“You said you were doing reconnaissance!” he sputtered. “Not…” he trailed off remembering that while they weren’t in eyesight of anyone right now, they could be in earshot of someone. He lowered his tone, “stealing the knife already.”

“I was doing reconnaissance,” Virgil said with a shrug, “and then I used the information gathered by that reconnaissance to steal a knife.”

Logan narrowed his eyes at him.

Virgil just smiled. “You would have gotten in my way.”

“I would not have,” Logan insisted.

“How many times has Patton’s mom caught you stealing food from the kitchens in the past?” he asked.

Logan pursed his lips. “That is Patton’s doing,” he said.

“Sure,” Virgil said with an eyeroll. “I’ll have you prove it some other day, but for now,” he twirled the knife around in a way that made Logan cringe even though he did seem to have an expert handle over it. “We have a knife.”

“Right,” Logan agreed with a nod. “We should continue the experiment.”

Virgil stored the knife away… somewhere on his person, and they snuck back to Logan’s rooms.

When Virgil handed over the knife, Logan did have to admit it was a perfect specimen for their project: long and saw-like with a heatproof handle.

Logan carefully set it in a shallow dish and proceeded to pour the potion they’d made onto it. They let it sit for a little under half an hour before carefully pulling it out of the concoction with tongs and letting it airdry. Meanwhile, Virgil suggested they set up a testing area with various old sheets and clothing. They’d even found and decorated an armor stand with an old suit that Logan particularly disliked.

“Well,” Logan said once he’d tapped the handle and had not gotten burned by the potion. “I think we can test it now.” For safety, he made Virgil put on thick heatproof gloves before handing him the knife.

“So how do I make it work?” Virgil asked.

“The original potion works through light friction,” Logan said.

“So just start stabbing things?”

Logan went to respond, but before he could, Virgil had already twisted around and sliced through one of the sheets hanging in Logan’s potion room. There was a sizzling noise as the knife cut through the sheet like it was tissue paper leaving two aflame halves flapping about.

Logan leapt forward to tear the pieces of sheet down and the two of them stomped on the flames to put out the fire.

“It’s perfect,” Virgil said with a grin once the charred remains of the sheet were extinguished.

“It does seem to work as intended,” Logan agreed.

“Let’s do it again,” Virgil said.

“Er, well, perhaps we shouldn’t…,” Logan started, but Virgil had already set his eyes on the armor stand they’d set up. That suddenly seemed like not such a good idea to Logan.

He stabbed the armor stand viciously. It went up in violent flames. Logan’s eyes widened as the blaze only seemed to get bigger as Virgil drew back the knife.

Virgil did not seem to share Logan’s worry as he turned and stabbed another piece of hanging clothing, setting it ablaze as well.

“Virgil, no! You’re going to burn the room down!” Logan yelped.

The armor stand, at that very moment, decided to fall to the ground. They had, perhaps, not set the testing area up as well as they should have because it fell directly onto one of Logan’s rugs and set that on fire as well.

“Oops,” Virgil said, eyes wide.

Above the sound of crackling fire, Logan heard a tapping on the door between his bedroom and work room. It opened slightly after a moment and Logan’s father’s voice called out as he was sticking his head into the room, “Um, what do you mean Virgil… is burning the room down!”

The moment Logan’s father fully processed the presence of the flames, he was bursting into the room. He at least remembered that there was a fire extinguishing powder stocked in Logan’s work room even though that fact had slipped Logan’s mind in the chaos. (Perhaps Logan should have thought to set it out when they were testing a fire knife, but Logan would just add that to his growing list of regrets.)

The king managed to put all of the fires out within 30 seconds of poking his head through the door, but the fire left in his eyes when he turned to look at them afterwards was perhaps more dangerous.

Virgil slowly hid the knife behind his back. It was probably a bit late for that.

“What were the two of you doing in here?” the king asked.

“Nothing,” Logan said. Virgil shot him a look that told Logan what the boy thought about his lying abilities.

Logan’s father put his hands on his hips. “‘Nothing’ set the rug on fire?”

“We may have been doing a small experiment,” Logan said.

“What experiment?” the king asked.

“…I do not wish to say.”

“Logan.”

“Virgil wanted a fire knife.”

“A what?”

Virgil frowned over at Logan. “Your resistance to interrogation techniques is deplorable.”

Father turned to look at Virgil and obviously spotted the fact that Virgil was holding something behind his back.

“Give it here,” Father said, though his tone was a bit gentler with Virgil than it had been with Logan.

Virgil debated it for a moment, but then offered over the knife with a pout on his face. Father gingerly took it and the fire-resistant gloves from him. “Where did the two of you even get this knife?”

“You can’t tell her,” Logan said.

“You stole a knife from the kitchens?!” the king asked.

“We borrowed it,” Logan said.

“Can it be used for cooking anymore?”

“…Well.”

“In the intended manner.”

“No.”

“Then you stole it.”

Logan just frowned and looked away.

“I’m going to go put this in a secure location,” Father said, grimacing at the fire knife in his hands. “No more experiments for you two for a month. I’ll sic Patton on you.”

With that, he picked up what was left of the fire extinguishing powder (just in case) and turned to exit the room.

“Well,” Logan said once he was gone. “That was irresponsible.”

“I could steal it back from him.”

“N-no don’t do that.”

“I definitely could though,” Virgil said.

“I did not hear you say that,” Logan said, putting his hands over his ears. “I am not responsible for any more of your actions in this matter. I am going to the library.”

He walked out of the room then and Virgil followed him to the upstairs library. He said nothing more about the fire knife, but Logan would be a fool to suppose he forgot about it.

Chapter 56 (Thomas)

“Good day for a picnic,” Helen commented as she handed over the basket Thomas had requested from her a few days before. He was taking Logan, Patton, and Virgil to the cliffs today and it was perfect weather for it. Spring was truly here, which meant that those of Thomas’s duties that had laid dormant over the harsh winter were about to start up again.

The world had been on pause for a bit considering no armies or agents from any kingdom could get through the snow the last few months, but the concerns of last fall were showing their heads once again.

Thomas had just gotten word a day ago that the queen of Lamir had routed out a second assassin hiding in her ranks over the winter. The assassin had been sent shortly after it was made clear that the queen wouldn’t bow down after the assassination of her mother. Luckily, the assassin sent for Queen Cecil had not managed to complete her mission during the winter months.

While there had been no similar attempt on Prijaznia soil, Thomas couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time now that the snow had melted. They were already working on increasing security in the coming weeks and, though it was doubtful an assassin had managed to hide in the castle all winter without revealing themselves, they’d be closely scrutinizing all of the newer staff members.

It would be a stressful time in the coming months, which is why, despite everything Thomas needed to do, he was still going to take his son and his son’s friends on a picnic today. Logan had already started taking on royal duties as of late, but he still hadn’t taken them all on quite yet. Considering this was last summer before Logan was of age, they should at least try to take advantage of it where they could. Patton was a year younger, but the sentiment held for him as well.

Then there was Virgil. Despite their best efforts, they still didn’t know enough about Virgil, but Thomas was fairly sure he’d never had a summer to enjoy until now.

“Thanks for prepping lunch for us,” Thomas said to Helen with a smile.

“No problem,” she said waving them off. “I put in some of Virgil’s favorites.”

“Great,” Thomas said. “Do you know where the kids are?”

“Patton said they were going to go pet the cats, so I’d guess they’re in the gardens.”

Thomas thanked her again and told her to have a good day before exiting the kitchen. There was a nearby door that led straight towards the part of the gardens Patton and Logan had always favored. He figured they’d either still be around there or they would have wandered towards the stables by now knowing that they’d be taking horses to the cliffs.

So, he decided to simply walk the normal path from the door to the stable, hoping to find them.

His prediction ended up being hilariously correct. They were indeed on the path Thomas had chosen. It was clear they (or at least Logan) were attempting to make it to the stable. However, as was typical, a portion of the party had been waylaid by whimsy.

Logan was standing further down the path, arms crossed and frowning as he watched his friends. Patton and Virgil were surrounded by cats. Patton was sitting down, holding two of them in his lap and watching Virgil’s legs being swarmed by the rest of them, maybe two dozen in total.

Virgil looked confused, but not unhappy about the presence of so many cats. He was leaning down to try to pet them all.

Logan met Thomas’s eyes as he approached and waved a frustrated hand at the two of them. Logan couldn’t help but smile.

“Virgil fed one of them,” Logan complained as though he wanted Thomas to somehow go into the past and prevent this crime.

Patton and Virgil looked over at Thomas, noticing him when Logan addressed him.

“You’re going to make Princess Marisol jealous,” Thomas said. Logan frowned at Thomas as he used the ‘Princess’ label for the cat.

“Princess Marisol decided not to come,” Virgil said with a shrug. He continued to pet one of the cats.

“She’s probably sleeping on my pillow,” Logan said, sounding grumpy.

Thomas just chuckled. Princess Marisol was technically Logan’s cat, at least that’s what the kids said, and she did spend much of her time in the royal rooms. However, she was very clearly actually Virgil’s cat. Virgil just spent a lot of time in the royal wing as well.

In fact, Thomas still didn’t know where Virgil was supposed to be sleeping. He and Mr. Deknis had actually tried to tail him a couple of times, but he always ended up sleeping in Logan’s room those nights.

Knowing Virgil, he might just sleep in the walls. Though that still did not answer the question of where his parents or guardians were. They still had not figured it out. Thomas would assume he was an orphan who’d snuck onto castle grounds for safety, but Virgil had told Mr. Deknis during their first meeting that he was supposed to be in the castle, and it had not been a lie.

Then again, it had slowly become apparent that Virgil was good at dodging the multrum’s powers. It was starting to seem more likely that he’d somehow inserted a second meaning into his answer to Mr. Deknis that night than he somehow had some ghost guardian no one was able to locate working in the castle.

“She deserves the pillow more than you,” Virgil said, bringing Thomas’s thoughts back to the situation at hand. The look of audacity on Logan’s face made Thomas chuckle.

Thomas cut in before it could become a fight. “I could get Princess Marisol a pillow, so she doesn’t sleep on yours. Or we can get you a new pillow if you’d prefer, Logan.”

“It’s not about the pillow for her,” Logan argued. “It’s about her inflated sense of superiority.”

“She deserves it,” Virgil declared. Thomas could tell he was just trying to rile Logan up, and Thomas was sure Logan knew it too, but still his son reacted exactly in the way Virgil wanted him to.

“You have enabled and encouraged this behavior from the start!” Logan seethed.

“She’s a Princess.”

“She is not a princess!”

Patton shook his head while squeezing the cats in his arms, completely used to this behavior at this point. He ran a chin idly over one of the cat’s heads while watching the argument.

“We’re never going to make it to the picnic at this rate,” Thomas said to him, “and after your mother made all of this wonderful food.”

“You’re the dad,” Patton said. “Make them stop.”

And, of course, Patton did just mean that he was Logan’s dad with that statement. However, when he glanced back up at the silly argument still going on between his son and the cat covered boy on the ground, it did almost look like a fight between siblings.

Especially with the dark hair and stubborn but mischievous look in Virgil’s eyes, Thomas could almost imagine the boy being his own child.

He shook away the thoughts and glanced at the picnic basket in his hand.

“We do have a lot of food in this basket,” Thomas said, pitching his voice up so that Logan (and more importantly) Virgil would hear them clearly.

Virgil immediately turned to look at him, abandoning all interest in antagonizing Logan to look at the basket curiously.

Thomas was never sure if he should be amused or worried about how food motivated Virgil often was.

“What’s in the basket?” Virgil asked.

“I’m not sure,” Thomas said. “Patton’s mom made it. We’ll just have to see once we get to the picnic area.”

Virgil nodded in understanding and began to gently scoot all of the cats out of his lap. Logan rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem inclined to continue the argument he’d been dragged into. Virgil and Patton got to their feet and they continued on their way towards the stables.

The horses Thomas had requested be prepared for their trip were already in saddles, though the stable hand who had been handling Mr. Apples seemed a bit dirtier and more exhausted than the rest.

The stable hand seemed as happy to hand Mr. Apples over to Virgil as Virgil was to have Mr. Apples handed over to him. Thomas received Bella with a smile and Logan and Patton got their own horses as well.

The Cliffs were about half an hour's ride from the main castle. There was a mostly well-maintained path to it, though it was easy to get lost if one didn’t know the way. Mr. Apples knew the way perhaps better than Thomas himself and seemed annoyed by the fact that Thomas was trying to lead the way.

Virgil and Thomas ended up side-by-side whenever the path allowed it to placate him.

He still marveled at how willing Mr. Apples was to let Virgil ride him, especially when he tossed his head in Thomas’s direction, a horse’s equivalent of giving Thomas a stink-eye.

“Are you excited for the picnic?” Thomas asked the boy beside him.

Virgil glanced over at him and nodded.

“I am too,” Thomas said. “It’s always beautiful this time of year. I’m glad I could find the time to take you all there this year.”

“Are you very busy?” Virgil asked curiously.

“I am king,” Thomas reminded, “and now that the world isn’t snowed in anymore things will be busy.”

“With the war?” Virgil asked.

Thomas paused for a few seconds. “Yes,” he confirmed. “With the war, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Virgil asked.

“You’re just a kid,” Thomas said.

“I’m 14,” Virgil said.

Thomas glanced at him. “Exactly,” he said, “a kid, and luckily, you’re in a place that can afford you the luxury of being one.”

“What do you mean?”

“The war has been mainly fought on Mocnejsi soil in recent years. Our boarders have held strong against invasions. Unless something goes horribly wrong suddenly, it would take a long time for the main conflict to get here. The only real threat in the castle would be assassins sent after me personally.”

“Right,” Virgil said. There was an awkward pause in conversation before he spoke again. “You’re winning the war then?” he asked.

“Something could always happen,” Thomas said, “but for the most part, yes, we have quite the advantage right now.”

“Oh,” Virgil said.

Thomas shook his head as they were coming up to a narrowing of the path. “Anyway, today is a day to not think about war. Today we’re going to have a lovely picnic and do some bird watching.”

“Right,” Virgil agreed from behind Thomas as Bella took the lead (to Mr. Apples discontent.)

When the path widened again, Thomas did his best to direct the topic to lighter subjects and soon they made it to The Cliffs.

Chapter 57 (Virgil)

Virgil had never been to a picnic. At least, that’s what Patton had informed him when Virgil had described his past experiences of eating outdoors. Logan had agreed even though he’d admitted that the definition of “picnic” was only eating a pre-packaged meal outdoors which Virgil had done plenty of times.

From what Virgil could tell, the main difference was just how much stuff one brought to a picnic.

In addition to the basket full of food (that Virgil still hadn’t gotten to look in yet), the king had brought a large soft quilt that he had Logan and Virgil spread out on the ground for them all to sit on.

Patton and Logan had also packed some things themselves to bring along. Logan had brought along a book to read, and Patton had brought along a board game (thankfully not checkers but something Virgil did not recognize). Virgil hadn’t brought anything (except for the fire knife he was definitely not supposed to have and was definitely not letting the king see) because he hadn’t known he was supposed to bring things. He wouldn’t have known what to bring anyway.

The blanket was soft and a much better alternative to sitting on the ground, especially because, while there was grass at the top of The Cliffs, there were also a good number of rocks.

The king set the picnic basket in the middle of the blanket once it was spread out and then lowered himself down to sit on one side. Patton quickly followed him, already fiddling with some of his board game pieces, though he wasn’t setting it up yet. Virgil highly doubted that Logan was going to be allowed to read his book unless Patton eventually got bored of the game.

However, they would, hopefully, be allowed to make use of the basket the king had brought along.

Virgil followed the king and Patton’s lead and got to his knees on the blanket across the picnic basket from the king. He peered at the basket curiously.

He didn’t quite know what picnic food was, but Patton had told them they’d be getting ‘picnic food’ and he was very curious about what that meant.

King Thomas smiled at him. “Let’s see what Patton’s mom packed us, huh?” He reached for the basket and flipped it open as Logan sat next to Virgil. “There is a lot more food than usual in here,” the king said, sounding amused. “Let’s see.”

He began to pull out packaged food and glanced in each package to identify it before setting it out.

“We have a few types of mini sandwiches,” he said, putting them down, “and some pasta salad.” He set down the bowl.

“We also have… er something else.” He showed it to Logan.

“They’re hot cauliflower bites,” Logan said instantly upon seeing them. Virgil perked up in excitement. That was one of his favorite foods.

“Ah,” King Thomas said, but shrugged and set it down. “We also have two desserts apparently: cookies and mini apple pies. That last one’s a bit extra for a picnic.”

“They’re very good,” Virgil said happily.

“And we also have.” King Thomas paused, looking confused. “Chicken alfredo?”

“Yes!” Virgil said.

“Why do we have chicken alfredo for a picnic?”

“It’s a Virgil picnic,” Logan groaned. “She packed us a Virgil picnic.”

“Hey, at least momma sent us something too,” Patton said.

“I think I’ll stick to sandwiches for today,” King Thomas said. He looked at Patton and Logan. “Do either of you want…?”

“No,” Logan said. Patton shook his head.

The king nodded and offered the entire covered bowl of chicken alfredo to Virgil. “Here, this one’s yours,” he said.

“Really?” Virgil asked tentatively. It wasn’t exactly strange for people here to offer him food, and he’d expected and anticipated getting to eat on this venture, but the king of the country offering him an entire bowl of his favorite food was something else.

“It’s not really my idea of a picnic food and you seem excited for it,” King Thomas said with a warm smile, still holding it out.

Virgil took it reverently. Despite the time it had taken to get to the cliffs, the bottom of the container was still warm. Virgil assumed it was one of the heating spells the kitchen sometimes used.

“Thanks,” Virgil said, setting it in his lap.

“Of course, Virgil,” the king said.

The bowl was enough for four people to have a little bit, but for one person it was a lot. Still, Virgil was offered a little of every other food in the picnic basket (and he ate a good number of the hot cauliflower bites).

“Where do you put all of that?” the king asked when Virgil finished polishing off the chicken alfredo bowl.

Everyone else seemed to have finished eating long before Virgil, though Patton still had a small plate of grapes, and he occasionally popped one in his mouth. King Thomas was currently setting up the board game they’d brought on the blanket between all of them.

Virgil shrugged in answer to his question. “It’s good,” he said, “and I don’t want to waste any of it.”

“You know we can just take the leftovers back to the castle and eat them later,” King Thomas said. “You don’t have to eat it all now.”

Virgil just shrugged again, watching as the king set out a group of 8 figures on the board.

“Here, which character do you want to be?” the king asked Virgil, gesturing at the group of figures. Virgil had not noticed the figures were different at first glance. They were all copper colored and about the size of his thumb, but they had slightly different shapes. He squinted at them each carefully, finding they all looked like people, but with different clothing. Some worse pants and some skirts, a few had hats, and one was even carrying a book.

After a few moments, he pointed at one that looked like it had vines wrapped around its arms and was wearing a floppy hat that almost covered its eyes.

“That’s the druid,” King Thomas told him with a grin. “Good choice, and luckily not one that anyone usually fights over.” He glanced at Logan who didn’t react to his father’s gaze. He just plucked the figure clutching the book off the board for himself.

Patton and the king picked pieces for themselves. Patton picked one with an apron that kind of reminded Virgil of his mom and the king picked one that was in a suit of armor before putting the other 4 figures away.

Unlike checkers, this game wasn’t just for two people, and so no one had to sit watching people play while bored out of their mind.

85949

They played a practice round so Virgil could figure out how the game worked, though honestly it wasn’t that complicated, so it wasn’t really necessary.

The theme of the game was all about stealing. They were supposed to steal special tokens from other players as well as characters in the game and the first person with 20 tokens won.

The other three players argued that stealing was not the point and not the main mechanism of the game, but considering Virgil was consistently winning the entire time, he would argue they were just playing it wrong. He managed to collect 20 tokens before anyone else. In second place at this time was Logan with 9 tokens.

Logan insisted on continuing to play the game to determine 2nd and 3rd place, so Virgil ended up watching them play for a bit. Virgil didn’t mind sitting and watching other people play this game, mostly because he still had the joy of victory running in his veins.

Thomas was definitely going to lose, he noted. He kept wasting his money feeding the nonplayer characters who lived on his lands. Virgil didn’t mention this faulty strategy to him in case Virgil ever played him again.

When Logan took too long thinking about his next move, Virgil took in their surroundings.

86167

He’d been a bit too distracted by the prospect of food and then trying to understand (and then win) the game to truly take in The Cliffs. They were settled a good distance away from the cliffside but Virgil could still see how quickly the edge dropped off. He couldn’t see the large river he was told was at its base from where he was sitting, but he did see a few of the promised wild birds (including doves) flying around. The king had promised they’d bird watch for a bit, and Virgil figured that would happen after the game was over.

A cool spring breeze brushed across Virgil’s face, and he put his hand in his hoodie pockets to warm them. Instead, his fingers hit something icy cold.

For a moment, he didn’t remember what it was. The crescent shape of it was familiar when he put his hand over it, but he had never felt it cold before.

It was the protection charm: the first charm Virgil had ever made with Logan so many months ago. It was meant to ward off small threats as well as warn you about larger threats by changing temperature…

It had always been warm.

“What?” Patton asked, having noticed Virgil suddenly tense. Virgil, despite how he drilled into his friend’s heads to stay alert had gone soft. He’d let himself be distracted by a full belly and warm blankets and fun games.

He didn’t answer Patton. He filtered the other boy’s worried face out as well as Logan’s face as he glanced at him and the king’s still focused on the game for now. He filtered out the picnic blanket and smell of food still lingering in the air and the vine covered figure set in the middle of the board on the winner’s space. He filtered out the sound of the breeze and the breath of his companions and the distant chirping of birds.

And he heard a whoosh.

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

Damage Gets Done - SAS: Rogue Heroes x OC - Chapter 9

Masterlist | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |-| Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Summary: As the group returns from the raid on Benghazi, Diana is forced to confront the secrets she's kept from Paddy

Relationships: L Detachment x Platonic!OC, eventual Reg Seekings x OC

Warnings: Language, mentions of death, angst

Word Count: 2.5k

Tags: @20th-centu-fairy-girl @trenchenjoyer @dcyllom @footprintsinthesxnd @regseekings

A/N: Sorry this one's a little shorter than usual! I was originally going to include this part at the end of the previous chapter, but it got too long so I decided to separate them. Enjoy!

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Exhaustion tugged at Diana's eyelids as the jeeps rolled into their rendezvous point, the familiar figure of Mike Sadler lounging tiredly beneath a makeshift shelter, shielding his eyes from the sun as he watched them approach. She was jolted sharply awake by the sudden ceasing of the engine's constant hum, a noise she had grown accustomed to over the past few hours, and hurried to re-button her shirt, her makeshift camouflage now nothing more than a frankly embarrassing memory.

But Mike was not the only figure awaiting their arrival. Over by the car stood a woman, dressed sharply with a pair of designer sunglasses to shield herself from the glaring light. Diana suddenly recalled her first day in the SAS camp - had she truly looked as out of place then as this woman did now? The idea almost embarrassed her. But the woman's presence immediately raised a million questions in her mind - questions none of the gawking men around her seemed to share.

Men. Pathetic.

"There's a rumour going around in Cairo that Winston Churchill's son went on a mission behind enemy lines with the SAS," The woman spoke, fanning herself with the brim of her hat as she approached. Scanning Stirling's face, Diana could tell he recognised her. Actually, the more she looked, she wasn't entirely sure she didn't recognise the woman.

On her right, Reg let out a low whistle, staring unashamedly at their new visitor. Diana raised a brow, shooting him a disapproving look, which he didn't seem to notice. That stung. That stung far more than she had expected, and that was... concerning. She wasn't supposed to give a shit when fucking Reg Seekings of all people looked at another woman like that.

But he'd looked at her like that. And maybe she'd been stupid enough to think she was the only one who got that look. Maybe she even cared that she wasn't.

And the more she stood there, the more she was sure she had seen this woman before. "Sorry-" Diana interjected, suddenly realising the others had been halfway through a conversation when the entire group's gazes fell upon her. "Have you been in my house?"

"I have," She nodded, a slight smile curling her lip. "I've spoken with your father on a few occasions - he's one of the only senior officers I can count on to stay in one place."

Diana smiled, nodding. That was her father alright - a nester if ever she'd seen one. He'd lived in Cairo all her life, but she wasn't confident he could navigate beyond the end of their street. The woman held out her hand, and she received in, introducing themselves in turn. She could feel Churchill's gaze boring into the back of her skull, and could tell he was irritated at his meeting with yet another good-looking woman being interrupted.

As her hand was released, she sidestepped towards the Prime Minister's son. "Chin up, Randy. 0 for 2 isn't too bad when we're both out of your league," Diana spoke with a tone of mock sympathy. "I'm sure there'll be a whole fleet of boring little posh-o's with a history of inbreeding in the family for you to choose from once you get home."

He looked nothing short of horrified, face turning bright red, visible even under the layer of sunburn. She let out a snort, patting him on the shoulder and turning away. Making the man squirm was one of the small joys in life, and Diana cherished her chances.

But when she turned, the sight before her almost stopped her in her tracks. Reg had since discarded his shirt, arms raised in a not-so-subtle attempt to show off his muscular build as he continued to stare blatantly at Eve, giving Diana not so much as a second glance. Before her mind had quite had time to register whether her actions were altogether reasonable, she had reached down, grateful for the loose laces on her boot as she tugged it off. Standing awkwardly on one foot so as not to fill her sock with sand, she took a swing and lobbed the shoe straight at Seekings, striking him in the side.

It had not been a hard throw, but enough to elicit a yelp from the man, who stared back at her with an expression of equal parts outrage and confusion.

"What the fuck-?"

"Put your fucking shirt back on," Diana frowned. "Making us look bad, ya creep."

"Fucking Christ," Reg muttered, rummaging for a replacement shirt as he eyed her remaining boot with unease.

"And give me my shoe back," She demanded, leg raised like some kind of enraged flamingo. Seeking chuckled, shaking his head in a wordless reply, holding her boot by the laces as he began to walk further out of her reach.

"Reg? Reg?" Diana prompted, gesturing dramatically at her bare foot as Cooper noticed the situation, beginning to laugh along. Eve, along with Stirling and Churchill, had moved far enough away to continue their business without being disturbed, but she found she had little choice other than to hop after him, suddenly regretting her impulsive act of aggression.

"Oh, you shit," She called, tearing off her remaining shoe with as much zeal as she had the first, throwing the second with greater force as it collided with Reg's back. If it had hurt, he hadn't shown it, for he was too amused at the sight of her standing there in her socks upon the sand, already grimacing at the feeling of it between her toes.

"Well, what are you gonna do now?" Seekings laughed, the corners of his eyes creasing as he held out the shoes to her like she were some dog failing at fetch.

"Fuck!" Diana cried, her dismayed expression suddenly turning to a grin as Cooper swooped in from behind, snatching the boots from Reg's grip in the second that he was caught off guard. She gasped, chuckling at Seekings' stricken expression as he tossed them over, scrambling to catch them before they hit the sandy ground below.

"Johnny, my darling, someday you'll make some girl very happy," She said, craning her leg at an awkward angle as she tugged the thick leather back over her heels. Cooper batted a hand at her, wordlessly wandering off, but she noticed a spattering of red across his cheeks accompanying his boyish grin. Reg frowned, turning around and almost walking straight into a jeep when Diana smirked back at him.

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For the remainder of the trip back to Jalo, Diana kept her feet propped up on the dashboard beside Stirling, attempting to get the sand out of her socks. He complained frequently, but in the months they had known each other David had long since grown accustomed to her complete disregard for what he did or didn't want her to do. Frankly, he was just glad she wasn't driving.

"You're flicking sand on me," He droned, eyes on the horizon as they led the small convoy behind them.

"You're annoying," Diana retorted, shaking out one of her socks as she flexed her toes, making him grimace.

"Very mature, thank you."

"You're welcome," She replied sweetly, and he caught a glimpse of her smile in the crooked rearview mirror. Dammit. No matter what she did, he could never quite hold a grudge. Stirling found himself wondering if he would have liked to have had a sister growing up. Although, he wasn't sure he could have coped living with Diana every day, especially not in the more petulant days of his youth.

It was silent for a long moment, but he could feel her gaze boring into the side of his face. "Whatever you're about to do, don't."

The sudden feeling of her finger in his ear made Stirling yelp, and Diana let out a loud snort, laughter erupting like a bubble from her throat. "Stop acting like a child or I swear I'll crash this jeep," He barked, attempting to sound authoritative but sounding altogether far too alarmed, succeeding only in making her laugh harder.

"You think the pair of us dying in a horrible crash is an appropriate punishment for that?"

"I'll probably enjoy it the same amount," David stated, beginning to chuckle himself as Jalo came into view up ahead. "Do not tell the others you just did that," He sighed.

"Think it'll undermine your authority, eh?"

"I find you do little else, Diana," Stirling smiled sarcastically at her, pulling up the handbrake as they rolled to a stop outside the oasis.

She grinned, taking her feet off the dashboard and straightening up as the pair got out of the car, matching frowns tugging at their expressions as they noticed the new French troops lounging about in the sun chairs, flipping through newspapers and sipping on their booze.

"What the fuck..." Stirling muttered.

"They're definitely supposed to be training," Diana pointed out.

Beginning to march up the sandy slope towards the gaping hole in the wall they used as an entrance, Stirling called back to her over his shoulder. "You're in charge for the next thirty seconds until I get back."

Planting her hands on her hips, she let out a snort. "Promotion. Nice."

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By the time he returned, blustering and pissed off, Diana had taken to staring at the tent pitched just beyond the boundaries of their little territory, the canvas blowing slightly in the breeze, a recently shot gazelle strung up over a wooden frame like the hunting trophies her father used to collect.

She hadn't even had to ask what the situation was when Stirling returned - if she knew anything at all about Paddy, she could figure this one out. "He's not done shit since we left, has he?"

"What he has done is break bones, knock out teeth, and almost inspire a fucking mutiny," He fumed, brushing past her as he made an angered beeline for Mayne's tent. At the feeling of her hand grasping his shoulder he stopped, turning to look irritably back at her. "What?"

"I'll go. He doesn't like either of us but he respects me more than he does you."

Stirling raised a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

"In fairness, it's a low bar," She nodded, patting him on the shoulder before taking his place in the march towards Paddy Mayne's makeshift sanctuary.

In the dim light of the tent, he lay down on his bunk, book propped up against his chest as he read in silence. He somehow looked even worse than he had the last time she saw him, covered in dirt and dust, his hair greasy and his beard matted. Diana didn't bother waiting for an invitation, grunting as she crouched down to sit on the floor, stealing the half-empty bottle of whiskey from beside his bed.

Paddy hadn't looked up from his book when he spoke. "So. How'd it go."

"Blew up a car," She spoke, pulling out the cork with her teeth. "Tore a hole through a building, probably killed a dozen men, didn't stay to find out. Beat up a guy in an alley though - scratched his eyes so bad he couldn't see."

He let out a grunt that could've almost been a laugh, putting the book down, open against his stomach. "Buildings don't count for the tally."

"You know I never gave a fuck about that," Diana shrugged, taking a sip of the whiskey. "I do care about this though," She gestured to the tent around them. "About you not doing your job - beating the shit out of those French wankers."

"They deserved it."

"Fucking probably, doesn't mean you get to do it. D'you think I'd be here if I broke the ribs of everyone I met who deserved it? They'd give me the fucking death penalty," She chuckled, almost passing the bottle back to Mayne before rethinking it.

He smiled then, a sliver of teeth showing. After a pause, Paddy spoke. "Why'd Stirling send you, then? Scared to deal with his own problems as usual."

"He was gonna come - I stopped him. Figured you and I could have a more productive conversation."

"And why the fuck did you think that?"

"Because, unlike Stirling, I don't feel threatened by you."

"Oh, bullshit, yes you do."

Diana's brow furrowed, her frown creasing her cheeks. "No. I don't."

Paddy's head lolled to the side, his gaze finally meeting hers. "Then why won't you talk about Eoin?"

She almost choked, a held breath stoppering her throat and making her feel the need to gag. No one had mentioned Eoin's name to her, not since it had happened. Those that had been there knew what she'd been through and left it alone. Those that hadn't didn't know enough to ask her about it. Until now.

"You don't need to know about what happened to Eoin," Diana spoke, her voice meek, barely above a whisper.

His brow furrowed angrily. "You don't get to fuckin' tell me what I do or don't need to-"

"No, no!" She pushed, holding up a hand to silence him. "Let me speak. What I mean is you - specifically you - don't need what happened to him stuck in your head..." In the dim light of the tent, Paddy could still spot the beginning of a tear welling in her eyes. "I know what you went looking for out in the dunes, Paddy, and I know you didn't find it."

He sucked in a sharp breath, the air hissing as it was dragged through the gap in his teeth. "I think you should leave now."

"I didn't tell you about what happened because I blamed myself. And I was scared of what would happen if you did too."

No one spoke for a long time, the desert wind whistling through the gaps in the canvas, the open tent flap swinging back and forth with a repetitively smacking sound as it collided with the outside. The whiskey bottle was tucked between Diana's knees, but she didn't reach for it.

"Weren't your fault." He uttered. She looked up at him with those big, brown, sad eyes of hers, and he almost wanted to hit her. Paddy had never known how to deal with sad people. "Maybe you'll never tell me what happened, but-"

"One day I will."

"But, I know it wasn't your fault."

Diana sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. "Yeah," She nodded. "Yeah... thank you."

Paddy nodded, picking up his book and resuming his reading. She almost laughed, pushing herself up onto her feet.

"Y'know... you're gonna have to apologise to the French."

"Oh, fuck off - you know I won't."

Diana chuckled. "I do. But now I can tell Stirling that I told you to, so it's not my fault when you don't."

The corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk. She turned to leave, pausing in the opening of the tent. "Oi."

"Aye?"

"... Wanna go cook the gazelle?"

Paddy took a long pause, thinking this over. After a prolonged moment of silence, he tossed the book aside, pushing himself to sit up with a grunt.

"May as well. Not giving that Jordan prick any, though."

She smiled. "We'll see."

[thehistoriangirl]

Hello! If you take requests then could you perhaps write Victor x Reader but the reader is like exhausted from work and Victor is too so they're kind of exhausted together? <:D

Love your writing btw!

Have a nice day/night :3

(Also sorry for asking anonymously, im a coward-)

Hi Anon! I'm sorry this one took so long ;-; and hey, don't worry about it ^^ I also get shy and send anon inbox more often than not :3 it's perfectly normal <33

I hope you like it, and that you also have a nice week! :D

Also, I finished editing this one and it ocurred to me one fic where they're going on a date for their anniversary, but at the end of the day they're too tired to go, so they spend the night at home. I'll write it somewhere in the future; that's probably more akin to what you were requesting (?) sorry about that 🤡🤡

In Those Slow Nights

Viktor x gn!Reader------1K----SFW

Tags: Established Relationship| Domestic Fluff|

Taglist: @local-mr-frog

It was a scorching spring night, one of the first ones that pushed the cold of the winter away. Viktor didn't like them—just as he didn't like freezing winter journeys where it made his bones ache. Thing was, while cold coerced him into moving and making things despite the layers of clothes you insisted to cocoon him with, hot days dragged him into a still state where the only pleasing thing Viktor wished to do was to nap with the fan ceiling on, windows wide open.  

But he also wished to spend a romantic night with you. It had been so long since Viktor could cook you something more elaborate, something from his natal country, for example, a recipe of his mother or his grandmother. Even if you two used to snuggle on the couch reading in each other's arms, in spring and summer it wasn't that easy to do.

He couldn’t even remember the last time you two go out on a date, to wherever; it had never been important if you were in a fancy restaurant overlooking the city or a cozy café with scented candles lit at each table, even walking around the boulevards and sitting in the benches of the nearby parks and stargazing was enough.

The important thing was having you next to him, your hand in his.

Perhaps we can arrange something, he thought, waiting for the elevator to come to pick him up.

From the short walk between the lab and his apartment complex, Viktor opened the door with his brow covered in sweat, feeling the locks of hair sticking in the back of his neck. He took his shoes off, sighing at feeling the cold wooden floor as he roamed the kitchen taking a glass of cold water. 

The silence of the apartment confused him when the thirst had gone away. Weren’t you home yet? But it was already too late, almost 10 PM. Surely all research buildings in the Academy officially closed at 8 PM, unless some of the workers have explicit permission from the Dean to stay on Academic grounds after the curfew.

Inside the kitchen, Viktor saw some dishes put over the sink, soaking them in.  He was mildly hungry—when it was too hot outside his appetite seemed to subside alongside his low-energy input—so he took an apple and eat it as he leaned against the stove.

Any other day, you’d be laying on one of the sofas with a book on your lap, or some notebook as you scribbled away any pending work you had the next day. Though there was no one when he looked toward it from the breakfast bar, his view scanning the amorph figures of blankets and cushions thrown away without a care in the two couches surrounding a coffee table.

Frowning, Viktor threw the apple core into the compost bin. The living room was too hot to tempt him into sitting on the sofa and reading a little, maybe even putting the TV on as he fell asleep.

As he walked down the hallway, he discovered the door of the bedroom open, the fan ceiling on, filling the still ambiance with a low buzzing.

Viktor peeked inside to where he found you all stretch out over the bed, like a cat soaking in the sun. Hair covered half your face, but it seemed to help with the light coming from the street lamp; the worn-out fabric of your shirt rolled up showing a peek of the soft skin beneath, and shorts showing your legs as you had kicked the bedsheet away.

He smiled, tiptoeing until he reached the bathroom, where he showered with deliciously cold water, relishing in the way the fresh drops ran out his hair and down his bare shoulders as he quickly brushed his teeth.

The reflection of the mirror let him know that his slow blinks were a sign that he was about to fall asleep, probably even standing if he could.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Viktor concluded he had the shortest bath of the year, opening the door and almost instantly crawling to the bed, his body wriggling until his head hit the pillow.

“You’re here,” you muttered, one of your eyes barely cracked open as you peeked at him, his sleepy eyes opening wide for a couple of blinks.

“I’m sorry for waking you, my love,” Viktor mumbled, and you rolled a little closer, your hand extended over the mattress for him to take.

You had many different smiles; the shy one was the first one he had the delight to meet. But between his favorites, among the mischievous ones you gave him after kissing him for the first time, was your sleepy smile. There was something utterly adorable in the way your eyes closed, curved in a slow smile of their own as your mouth hummed happily, still not fully acknowledging what you were doing.

You tried to shrug. “It’s fine. I’m happy you’re home,” you said, and then, because you stretched. “Cuddle me?”

Viktor hummed, feeling himself starting to drift off to slumber. “Are you not going to kick me this time?”

Your giggle filled his ears, and he found himself smiling too. "Then take my hand at least." You wriggled your hand, fingers grazing his knuckles.

He took your hand, kissing it slightly as he snuggled it near his cheek. “Goodnight, my love. Dream of me, yes?” Viktor muttered, leaning closer to kiss the top of your head. “I certainly will dream of you.”

You squeezed his hand briefly, the sudden, scarce blows of wind moving your hair. “It’s a promise, then.” You smiled, eyes already close.

That night, Viktor dreamed of a myriad of different dates; of taking you for a walk along the port, of all those late evenings tucked at a table holding hands while drinking wine. But any tuck of guilt was numb by the feeling of your hand on his as you two simply lay on the bed.

Maybe in a couple of nights, you will be chatting away as you did on your first dates, where he dressed elegantly and feigned not to be too tired after a day tinkering in the lab to woo you as you deserved—as you still do, forever, surely—but for today, this was enough to make both of you happy. And that was all that mattered.

[kitseddie]

This Must Be The Place

Chapter 8: (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Part 7

(Eddie Munson X GN!Reader)

Summary: Jonathan’s birthday is coming up and he’s throwing a party with the whole gang. You’re so honoured to be there, but with your love for a good margarita and your painful crush on Eddie…is it a bad idea? (fuck it, it’s fine)

W/C: 3.9K

Warnings: illegal! alcohol consumption (EDIT: I read the wrong state law. The legal drinking age for Indiana was 21 since 1934. I’m sure the duffers don’t care but I am neurodivergent so I do.)

A/N: Thanks for the reblogs folks. Also hit me up if you wanna be in the Taglist.

The alarm rang out and echoed throughout the walls of the dimly lit trailer, it was so early that the sun had barely risen. It was cold mornings like these when Eddie started to consider if this job was even worth the money. After hitting snooze a total of three times he finally dragged himself out of bed and stumbled lazily to the bathroom. After a nice refreshing shower, he tugged on his dark jeans and pulled on his shirt. His eyes glanced over some of the hair product that Steve had purposely left on his drawers, rolling his eyes before giving his waves a little spritz and then immediately erupting into a coughing fit.

“Eddie? You alright in there, sounds like you’re about to cough up a lung.” He sighed and yelled back ‘I’m fine Wayne’ before cursing the Harrington boy and giving himself a little once over. His hands grabbed his wallet and car keys, shoving them into his pockets as he placed a cigarette behind his ear.

He pulled on his leather jacket and snatched a pop tart from the counter before popping it into the toaster. He pulled open the fridge and quickly scanned it before bringing the tip of the orange juice carton to his lips. Wayne watched him and groaned, angrily gripping the carton from his hands.

“Ed, what have I told you? We have perfectly good glasses. Would it kill you to use one?” He shrugged with that charming smirk, the one that has been getting him out of trouble all these years.

“Just saving on your water bill Wayne, gotta stay green”. He winked, pulling his pop tart out of the toaster and taking a bite before instantly burning the roof of his mouth. Wayne chuckled as Eddie eyed the cold carton in his hands and he rolled his eyes, handing him it before waving him off. “I’ll be out in five!”. He called back, finishing his breakfast and brushing his teeth before dousing himself in cheap cologne.

He checked his watch and smirked to himself, he still had time. It was still pretty chilly despite his many layers, but he’d learned to brave the cold over time. Perching on the edge of the step he reached behind his ear for his cigarette and held it between his lips, burning the end and blowing out the excess smoke. Wayne sat beside him, doing the same as they soaked in the comfortable silence. This was a morning routine for them and it was something Eddie would always be grateful for. Wayne would get on his ass about smoking when he was a little younger, but despite not being super thrilled about it he did enjoy the company.

“Alright I’m heading out, see you at dinner”. He gave Wayne a half-armed hug goodbye, still holding the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. Wayne smirked and scruffed up his hair before giving him a playful shove, Eddie rolled his eyes and headed to the van whilst fixing it in the side mirror. When he hopped in, he turned the key and listened to the engine roar and the music blasting from the speakers. He honked twice and waved from the window before backing out and heading to work.

Flicking his cigarette butt out onto the road, he glanced down at his watch before looking over at the sign for a new coffee place. A short trip won’t hurt. He hopped out of his van and began walking towards the building, it was a quaint little cafe attached to a strip mall. It was pretty hidden if you weren’t looking, but the second he pushed open the door the bell rang and his nose was bombarded with the most heavenly scents. Bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, coffee, the works. He didn’t have a lot of time but figured he could charm Steve and Robin with some baked goods to forgive him for his tardiness. A young waitress in an apron was preoccupied with refilling the coffee pot when he smiled to himself and looked over at the donuts.

“One coffee and two donuts to go when you got a minute sweetheart”. The waitress turned around with a shy grin and shot him telling eyes.

"Much better than last time, nice work”. He heard a voice whisper in his ear as he clutched his chest with his hand. When he turned around to look at you, he immediately covered his face with his hands. You giggled and pulled them away from his face, holding onto them as he struggled to breathe.

"Jesus, are you stalking me? I swear to god if I flirt in front of you again I think I’m gonna find a nice lake to crash my van into”. You grinned widely, shoving his arm playfully.

“$3.25”. The waitress snapped impatiently, she didn’t seem to feel guilty about interrupting your exchange. Eddie nodded and handed her the money with a small smirk as she hit his fingers against the cash register.

“I’m working at Family Video until 5 if you wanna come stalk me there, there’s some bushes in the parking lot that have a killer view”. You chuckled, as he picked up his coffee and someone yelled out your name for your own cup.

“Speaking from experience, Munson?”. He sighed and shoved your shoulder making you smirk back at him.

“Well, I’ll see you at the Byers tonight?”. The thought had completely slipped his mind, more focused on how warm your smile was and the butterflies he felt when you said his name. Before he could worry himself with what bring to Jonathan’s birthday, he realised the time.

“Right yeah, shit they’re gonna have my ass if I’m even later. Hey thanks sweetheart, I’ll see you tonight.” He pulled some more money from his pocket and placed it in the tip jar before waving goodbye and rushing to his van.

—

Eddie finally waltzed into work, coffee in one hand and donuts in the other as Robin and Steve rolled their eyes at his carefree tardiness. Steve rested against the counter, folding his arms across the chest of his striped polo, a look of disappointment on his face. Robin’s ears perked up as she caught a whiff of the hot donuts and smiled to herself reaching her hands out to grip the paper bag. He quickly snatched it from her reach, his finger uncurling from his cup to wag at her.

“Uh uh. No one’s getting shit , neither of you bothered to give me a heads up about the surprise guest at Byers tonight?”. They exchanged a silent look of guilt as he sighed, storming off into the back room. Steve followed closely behind, watching as he replaced his jacket with his work vest.

“I thought you’d want me to invite them! I mean I guess I could have said something earlier-“.

“Listen man, It’s embarrassing enough having this stupid little crush, but you know how brain-dead I get around them. I need time to mentally prepare, and a party? God, I cannot drink. You got that? Not a drop, okay? You better hold me to it, Harrington, I can’t make a fool out of myself I just ....”. Steve just smirked back at him, watching him lose himself in his anxieties. With a quirk on his brow, Eddie stared back at his friend’s smugness, in confusion. “…what?”.

“You got it bad, man.” Before he could plead his case, Robin stuck her head around the door and nodded in agreement. He whacked his head against the wall and held it there, feeling a swell of fear in his stomach.

“I’m screwed, I am insanely screwed. They’re gonna show up looking like a million bucks and I was planning on wearing whichever shirt passed the sniff test.” Robin’s nose scrunched up at the confession and Steve held the bridge of his nose trying to figure out how they could help.

“Okay, so we got a few hours before the party. If we close up a little earlier today then we can head to Starcourt and get you something cool to wear. We'll get some cologne, maybe a couple of hair products and they’ll be falling at your feet. Who knows maybe tonight is the night you make a move?”. He appreciated Steve’s enthusiasm but he was too in his head to even consider making a move.

“I must really be hopeless to be taking advice from you idiots…fine, but not another chick flick makeover, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” He said with a smug smile as they begrudgingly agreed.

Work that day was one of the longest and most anxiety-ridden shifts Eddie had ever worked. All he could think about was the small time gap between the end of his shift and the start of the party. There was so much to do. The doors to the Family Video store closed about an hour early and they headed to the mall to pick out some essentials to take back to the trailer. As they pulled up to the door, Eddie noticed Wayne sitting outside on the porch smoking his afternoon cigarette. His eyebrows raised as he noticed the abundance of shopping bags that Robin and Steve walked into the house.

“Do I even wanna know?”. He asked Eddie on his way in he just sighed and shook his head, Wayne chuckling to himself as he finished the end of his cigarette.

After finally agreeing on an outfit, the right cologne and the slightest hint of hair product, he was up to scratch. He did a little spin as they both cheered and he grinned like a fool thinking about how much he was gonna impress you. He wandered outside in the living room as the smell alone was enough to make Wayne look up from the television set.

“Well look at you, this all for them?”. Eddie’s face blushed a dark red, of course he knew. “Don’t worry son, I’ll keep my mouth shut. But you better make your move fast, I've heard things about that Harrington boy and I don’t trust him.” He muttered into his ear as Eddie chuckled and brought him into a big hug before they all waved goodbye and headed to the party.

It wasn’t that far of a drive, when they pulled up Jonathan was standing outside the door with a red solo cup in his hand laughing about something with Argyle. Jumping out of his van he smirked to himself heading over, before he could open his mouth he heard someone else shout behind him.

“Hey, birthday boy!”.

His neck snapped to turn to you, watching as you walked over to Jonathan and pulled him for a big hug. Eddie looked over at his friends in shock and they gestured for him to go ahead. He whispered a few “ you’ve got this Munson”s in his head and started to stride over with purpose. Jonathan’s eyes lit up as he pulled him into a big hug and wished him a happy birthday.

“What am I, chopped liver?”. He chuckled, finally turning to you as he took in your outfit for the first time. He was speechless, you’d always looked so amazing but this was the first time he had seen you get dolled up for a party. “Cat got your tongue, pretty boy?”. You smirked, playing it cool whilst you took in his outfit.

“You know, I kinda forgot you were even coming tonight.” You fake gasped and slapped his arm, keeping your blush at bay. He wanted to say something, wanted to tell you that you looked beautiful. That he was so happy to see you. Instead, he grinned at you like a fool until you suggested heading inside. “After you”. He bowed, opening up the door as you smirked and wandered inside. “Ms Byers! Looking as beautiful as ever.” Eddie grinned, grabbing her hand to kiss her knuckles, she chuckled and shook her head.

“Eddie, you are such a charmer! And I tell you every time you can call me Joyce.” He refuses as always and you and Joyce share a chuckle. “Has he always been this stubborn?”. She asked as you glanced back at him at the look of fake shock on his face.

“Oh, of course not.” He grinned at your support as you looked back at her. “He used to be much worse”. She chuckled as Eddie rolled his eyes, you introduced yourself and Joyce made sure to let you know which room was the bathroom and which room had the table of snacks. You noticed Will sat on the table sketching something, whilst his friends sat with their respective girlfriends.

“I’m gonna go check on baby Byers, could you ask Harrington to bring in big Byers gift? I left it in the car.” You conjured up your loudest and most dramatic sigh, before grinning and heading outside where Steve and Dustin were in the midst of one of their ridiculous arguments. Instead of getting involved you just rolled your eyes and shoved your hand into Steve’s coat pocket, he widened his eyes as you took his car keys without saying another word. Once you’d grabbed the gift, you wandered back into the house and handed it to Eddie as he smirked back at you.

“Check out the kid’s work, impressive right?”. Your eyes glanced over the sketch, a giant dragon in a dark cave with flames pouring from his mouth. It was amazing, especially for a kid as young as him.

“Will, this is incredible! You know, a good friend of mine is also a pretty great artist. Maybe you could collaborate?”. You couldn’t see his face from where you were sitting but caught the glimpse of a smile from the corner of your eye. Will nodded and thanked you, you watched as Eddie’s hand reached for a pencil and he started adding some rough sketches and throwing out ideas.

Dustin wandered in tow with Steve and Robin, heading towards the drinks table before stopping in their tracks. They all turned to look over at you both, Eddie leaning against the table listening intently as Will spoke about his art with a look of wonder on his face. He may have missed it but the others were in the perfect spot to see you smiling at the Munson boy like he was god’s gift.

“God, they’re so cute it’s actually sickening”. Robin announced as everyone huffed in agreement, she wandered over to pour herself a drink and ease the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Steve hung back as Dustin shot him a look, he folded his arms against his chest as he ping-ponged his stare between you both.

“Must be weird seeing someone else co-parenting with Eddie, huh?”. Steve just huffed a laugh, only half listening as he continued to watch your interaction.

“Ha, yeah.” Dustin headed to join Robin when Steve finally processed what he’d said. “Wait, what?”.

–

The party had officially started and everything was going great, thankfully Jonathan had pretty solid taste in music and Joyce knew what the best snacks were. You heard her mutter something about ice when there was a knock on the door, she immediately abandoned her cocktail and pulled it open. You turned your head from Eddie and locked eyes on the mystery man who wandered through the door.

“Chief Hopper?”. You froze, staring blankly as he raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t heard that name in a while.

“Sorry uh…have we…met before?”. Before you could think of an excuse and dig yourself out of the hole, your best friend found this a perfect opportunity to humiliate you.

All in good fun, of course.

“Aw come on Hop, you can’t tell me you don’t remember the face of delinquency.” He grabbed your face and squished it as you growled and shoved his hands, hoping the burning of your cheeks wasn’t noticeable. Hopper didn’t seem any more clued in, Eddie rolling his eyes. “My old partner in crime, in middle school? We hopped over that fence back in-“.

“Okay! Eddie, thanks for that. Listen, I am so sorry for how much of a handful we were back then.” He chuckled, shaking his head and waving you off, the clogs started turning when you realised that Eddie called him Hop . It was clear there was no bad blood. At least between them .

“It’s fine, honestly he’s done way worse since then”. You turned your head back to Eddie, raising your eyebrows.

“You have ?”. His face dropped into a serious stare and he nodded.

“Oh yeah, we’re talking drug dealing, petty theft, grand theft auto, I’m two court dates shy of the electric chair, baby”. You rolled your eyes and he smirked like a Cheshire Cat. Hopper handed the ice over to Joyce and she added her finishing touches whilst the three of you stood in awkward silence. Luckily you were saved by Jonathan, wandering in from outside holding the cutest baby you’d ever seen.

“Hey honey, your big brother looking after you okay?.”’ He looked back up at you both with a smile, your eyes sparkling at the presence of the little one. “This is April, our little girl. She’s almost a year old.” He announces as April stares at Eddie and he waves at her, causing her to break into a huge smile. “Oh, and she is obsessed with Eddie.”

“She sure is, come here, sweetheart. Uncle Ed’s got you.” He said in a soft voice, giving in to the grabby hands and pulling her into his chest. You were stunned, you had never witnessed a purer sight. Hopper was right, April was obsessed with him. Her tiny hands gripping onto his curls whilst he bounced her a little and she erupted into childish laughter. She reached for his shiny rings, gently pulling at his fingers watching them catch the light. He handed her back to her father who wandered back to Joyce giving her a forehead kiss and complimenting her bartending skills.

You and Eddie watched them and spoke about how sweet they were and how cute April was. Giggling about how strong Joyce was making the cocktails, but complimenting her on the sugar rim and little umbrellas. She finished up two fruity-looking drinks that you both knew were filled to the brim with liquor and headed towards you.

“Isn’t Eddie supposed to be avoiding the booze?.” Dustin pointed out as Steve’s eyes grew wide and he scarfed down the pretzels that filled his cheeks before sprinting towards his metalhead friend. Just as Joyce was about to hand Eddie his cocktail, Steve swiped it from her grasp and drank the whole thing in one gulp. Her eyes widened in shock as you both stared back at him blankly.

“Thanks, Ms Byers, I really needed that.” Too concerned to give a response, she just shook her head and wandered back to the drinks table. Steve wobbled back to Dustin and Robin, as both of them struggled to stop their intense laughter.

After the drinks were dished out to the guests the party started to pick up pretty quickly, Mike and Lucas dancing like dorks to impress their girlfriends and Will reluctantly dancing with Joyce. You stood with Robin nursing your drinks and shooting the shit when you started to wonder where Steve had gotten to. Excusing yourself, you headed through the less-than-sober bodies in search of the luscious locks of the Harrington boy. After checking most of the rooms, you found him. Sprawled out like a snow angel on the floor of Jonathan’s bedroom. You chuckled and stumbled through the door, collapsing next to him.

“Jesus Stevie, you start a tab out there or what?”. Steve turned his head slightly to face before slapping his hand over his eyes and scrunching his face.

“Oh god, too fast. So much spinning”. You chuckled and pulled his hand down, he opened his eyes slowly and stared back into yours which were almost completely glazed over at this point. “Huh, you’re drunnnkkk”. He giggled as he bopped the end of your nose with his free hand, you smiled back at him and chuckled.

“You’re not exactly giving ‘designated driver’ right now, Harrington. At least I can form sandwic-sentences. I can form sentences. God, that’s a hard word. I think I’m hungry”.

“Well, all the pretzels are gonneeee”. He announced proudly before letting out a burp, you both chuckled in your drunken daze as he glanced back at you. “Eddie made a move on you yet?.” You huffed a laugh and rolled over onto your back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Yeah, right. I was so nervous I started chugging those cocktails like it was my job . Then I got a little too drunk and all I could see was his beautiful brown doe eyes staring at me like fucking Bambi and I just wanna grab his cheeks and just-“. You turned to Steve and grabbed his face, pausing as you both stared at each other. Without a second thought, you both leaned in and shared a kiss, pulling away as you heard someone open the door. “Eddie”. Your face morphed into a smile until you started to realise what you’d done, Steve rose from the floor as Eddie stormed out.

“It’s okay I’ll go after him, just stay here. Please.” Normally you would challenge him but right now your head was swirling with thoughts and your chest swarming with feelings. There was a whole conflict inside your body and you were far too drunk to understand it. So you let Steve go.

He put his track skills to good use and jogged through the living room to meet Eddie on the porch, lighting up his cigarette. It was dark out now, still a little cold for the month. The stars were out and the sky was clearer than it had been all week, the cold air was enough to sober Steve up, at least enough to have a conversation about you. He took a deep breath and immediately coughed on the second-hand smoke as Eddie chuckled and shook his head.

“If you wanna go for it Harrington…just go for it.” Eddie took a drag and stared off into the night, a blank expression on his face and his cheeks blushing red from the wind.

“No. Eddie that’s your-“.

“That’s not my anything. I’m the one to chicken shit to step up and say something. If you have a shot, take it, it’s not up to me to stop you.” Steve groaned and shoved Eddie, causing him to turn around in shock and anger.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up to face him, as he gave him another shove.

“You. You’re being a coward! You’re giving up way too easily!”. Eddie shot Steve a threatening look but refused to follow through with his action. He ignored him and stormed off, heading to his van before gassing it up and driving back home at high speed.

“Fuck.” Steve muttered, collapsing on the porch and holding his head in his hands.

Taglist: @honey-eyed-munson @mewchiili

[islandpcosjourney]

Faith, Hope, Love

16th August 2023

I bought this new leather-bound refillable notebook for my new job when I started working with the Scottish Bible Society in June. Never did I think how much I would look at the three simple words on its cover and for it to be a daily reminder of God’s grace – the need to be reminded of his ultimate control over our world.

Faith – I have plenty of that. 

Hope – I can find plenty of that too.

Love – I definitely have plenty of that, receiving it and giving it.

We have finally navigated through all of the bureaucracy associated with the pre-IVF process, where you haven’t quite started but you technically have and still don’t know what’s ahead of you. 

I have written previously about my ups and downs relating to this process. I may have even mentioned my religion in relation to my anxiety about even starting this process. Well, we are well passed that stage now. We were referred, we waited, we have been tested and further tested, waited, and waited some more and now we have consented and have been given our start month – September. Now, all that means is that with the start of my September period, I go in for a scan on Day 3 to see if my body will allow them to start intervening on my behalf. In other words, checking to see that I don’t have any unwanted cysts lying around anywhere, that my endometrial layer is thick enough and that I am healthy enough to start pumping myself full of chemicals to get my ovaries working in full-blown Hulk mode 💚 It also means we will then be signing a child welfare form which is basically a contract between us and the HFEA to check/agree that we will be suitable parents. Kevin will have to be formally identified as "himself", in person, so that they can go ahead to use his fresh or frozen swimmers to be combined with whatever eggs they harvest out of me weeks later. I will also be taught how to self-inject subcutaneously for up to 10-12 days – oh the joys! I certainly can’t wait for that fun! They will also test me for blood-borne viruses.

So, what I meant by all of that was, we’ve been given a start month but that still doesn’t guarantee anything. It’s a bit like when Kevin is due home on crew change day. It is never certain that he will definitely be making his way home that day, until he’s physically off the ship and on dry land. Until that moment, absolutely anything can happen, and it has in the past. So, until that Day 3 appointment when all papers are signed and my body is given the all-clear to start being manipulated, your guess is as good as mine as to what the preceding month will look like 😉 However, I do now have a clearer picture of what it POTENTIALLY might look like. I am on a short (antagonist) protocol as I have a 5% risk of developing OHSS.

Day 1 – First day of period

Day 3 – Baseline scan & Ovaleap injections start (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)

Day 8 – Ganirelex injections start (ovarian down regulation)

Day 10 – Follicle scan to determine size of follicles – looking to find 3 follicles or more that are 17mm in size. If not, I continue hormone injection protocol and have a repeat scan in another 2 days’ time. Repeat scan every 2 days until follicles have grown enough.

From here on in, everything is dependent on how I am responding to the hormones to determine the next steps. Basically you can only go from one appointment to the next.

So, essentially from Day 10, you take each day as it comes.

Once I take the trigger injection (for eggs to reach final level of maturity), egg retrieval happens 36hrs later. So this could be as early as Day 12 or Day 14, basically around the usual time you’d expect to ovulate. So my plan is to be down at my Mum’s in Edinburgh from Day 10 of my cycle onwards as its from then when I’m either going to be back & forth to Dundee for scans every couple of days or preparing for egg collection straight away, depending on how I respond to the hormones. It’s worth noting here that the number of follicles growing does not equal the number of eggs collected. Sometimes there are no eggs within the follicles, sometimes there are several. IT IS SO MUCH TO TAKE IN! Pardon me if I repeat myself several times but I’m using this writing opportunity to process all that I have been told over the phone, over video consults and written down in letters, gathering together all the info to make it clear and concise for me to understand – you’d be surprised how unclear the whole process actually is! You have to figure out their wording for everything. I’ve been so “caught out” by expressions in the past. Like reading “Day 5 of Gonadotrophin injections” and working out that that means Day 8 of your cycle (because you start the injections on Day 3) and that having scans on Day 8 and Day 10 of your Ovarian stimulation (stims) means Day 10 and Day 12 of your cycle – one can see how it can all be confusing and that the way they measure everything is a new language to us. I perhaps need to get on board with their way of measuring, and I’m sure I will, but for now, my way to understand it is to compare it to my usual way of measuring my cycle, from Day 1 of my first bleed, as I’m used to.

It’s nothing I’m going to worry about though. I have been doing that and have had some very dark days about it all (ones where, if anyone had been around, they’d have been quite literally picking me up off the floor to hold me in the messy state I was in). Those days are, for the moment, being kept in check. We’ve been given a treatment diary where every important date will be filled in as we go along but knowing ahead of time that there’s a high probability of back & forth every couple of days from Day 10 onwards goes a long way to help us plan that I need to leave the island around Day 9 and expect not to be returning for a fortnight at least.

Initially, after my AMH test found I had a high egg reserve, I was told in an early document to expect a frozen transfer, that a fresh transfer would be unlikely as my body would be overloaded and needing a rest, so in my head I was only considering the time required to get from the baseline scan to egg collection. Beyond that would’ve been a couple months later when my body was then ready for an embryo transfer. However, I now know from my consultant that there’s only a 5% risk of OHSS and therefore I need to be preparing for a FRESH embryo transfer as standard, so that means that I need to account for another 5-day waiting window after the egg collection day to expect to be back in for a fresh transfer under sedation, possibly as soon as Day 17 onwards and then allow a number of days rest afterwards. But, if my ovaries become swollen to 8-9cm or blood estroegan is high or I’m symptomatic or collection retrieves more then 25 eggs – all eggs will be frozen. So, in theory the whole process could be as short as 3wks or up to 4wks long and this is the window that I am working to when I am working out whether or not it is advisable to go ahead to start in September, in the month leading up to the biggest week of the Gaelic calendar – the Royal National Mòd 😂

We started trying when we were 29 & I’m now about to turn 36. Time is not on our side, only God is in control of that, but time is not to be wasted as we only have 4 years left before our NHS funding and our own personal clock runs out – once we turn 40, we’ve agreed to let it all go and live our life in the fate that God has given us. Until then, we’re prepared to fight with all the energy we are blessed with.

We’re of course focusing on doing everything we can to help, but more importantly we’re focusing on our relationship & being us in a broken world where we are forced down this rabbit hole in search of the family we so desperately want. I lost myself in the past 7yrs and I will never get those moments back again. They haven’t been wasted, no. I found meaning in the pandemic where I finally got the chance to focus on my health. We’ve been back & forth with ideas of adoption, fostering and facing a child-less life. 

I’ve realised that for 12yrs since being told I may never have children, it’s ruled my life. All I ever wanted was to be a mum. I always talked about being a mum & having my own children, as many would at a young age, never possibly thinking that it might not be an option. To me, the innocent version of me, not being a mum wasn’t an option and to some extent I must regain that level of Faith & Hope. How I wish I could erase the information that I know and be that innocent girl who believes wholeheartedly that she WILL be a mum. No ifs, just no question about it. But above it all, above the waiting, the hoping, the letting go and letting God take over, or as I now have to think about it in some respects, letting the scientists take over (all the while praying that God’s will works within them to the best of their ability, whether they’re God-fearing or not – this is something I am requesting people to pray for - for the staff who’s care we will be under, who’s mortal hands will be guided by Him, to carry out his will) above all of that, is Love. Love that no matter what happens, is ever present and unconditional between us. We have spent years fighting our case, pleading our cause, kicking ourselves, being at our lowest and reaching the height and the depths we never thought we’d reach. But still, we love each other, no matter what, with or without a child. We used to dream of a house filled with children’s laughter but now, and we have not downgraded our dream, we dream only of 2 little lines on a pregnancy test. That is the step 1 we dream about. To us, that would be a dream come true, even just to get to that step. If I’ve learnt nothing from my health journey, of trying to regulate my menstrual cycles and get my weight down, it’s that yes you must have a long-term ultimate goal BUT in order to get there, you must have the tiny, achievable goals. We are well aware that my PCOS makes me 40% more likely to miscarry so we are fully aware that a positive pregnancy test does not equal a baby, or as the ACU unit call it, a live birth. Our NHS funding lasts until there is a “live birth”. As morbid as it sounds, that could even mean a baby born that dies of complications only hours after birth, complications which are even higher because of it being an IVF pregnancy. But to get back to the point, we pray for each tiny milestone along the way. At each and every stage, complications can arise but we can use them as a stepping stone to be grateful for.

Day 3 scan – get green light to start.

Hormone injections (stims) – at home in Lewis hopefully.

Day 8 & Day 10 of stims scans.

Trigger injection – at Mum’s in Edinburgh

Egg collection - under sedation & recovery period

Fertilisation - 70% success rate is normal expectation.

Blastocyst stage (125 cell-stage fertilised egg)

Best quality blastocyst identified for fresh transfer & any remaining good quality embryos sent into cryopreservation.

Embryo transfer - under sedation & recovery period

Pregnancy test - either it is a positive test, and we pray for the next stage for a viable pregnancy to continue (scan 2-3wks after test) or we’re back to square one again…..

Possible complications of each stage:

Headaches

Mood changes

Hot flushes

Night sweats

Nausea

Tiredness

Allergic reactions

Localised tenderness or injection site reactions

Weight gain

Abdominal pain

Diarrhoea

Breast tenderness

Ovarian cyst formation

Vaginal spotting

Vaginal irritation

Skin rashes

Shortness of breath

Risk of reduced response to drugs – cycle abandoned.

Risk of no eggs being collected – cycle abandoned.

Negative pregnancy test – move on to frozen transfers (if embryos are available) or next cycle.

Just remember, while this is an exciting prospect to finally be starting, the process itself is not exciting and there are no guarantees about a positive outcome, in fact, we have been given the stats of a 25% chance of success. While many people remind me, in a positive way, that 25% is still a good chance, try to think of it from the other way around as if you were dealing with the risk factors of agreeing to a surgery. If you were being told you only had a 25% chance of surviving that surgery, would you feel just as excited? Of course you’d hold on to the hope of that chance but you’d put your affairs in order because experience tells you that the number 75 is much bigger than 25 🤷🏻‍♀️

Being open, honest, raw & just plain & simply Me is the only way I know how to navigate this cruel journey. Kevin and I are very grateful for your support and understanding as we delve into a new world of anxiety & hormonal mood swings where he may fear for his life 😂😂😂😂😂

Faith, Hope & Love are important elements in this rollercoaster ride we’re on. Please pray that our Faith is deepened by progressing with treatment. Please pray that the Hope we have now remains strong throughout and doesn’t falter. Please also pray that the Love we have for each other develops our bond as a couple; supports us as we fall and need help; guides us to deal with each situation as we face it, wraps us up in everlasting trust and most of all, Love the God who is putting us through this pain.

Only he knows why we are going through this. 

Only he knows how to get us safely to the other side.

Only he has the power to grant us a miracle, in his name, Amen.

[crystalelemental]

My first time playing a Digimon game has begun with Cyber Sleuth. I'm pretty early in, around Chapter 3, but preliminary thoughts.

It's neat! I like it.

The main combat system is interesting, in that there are two layers of type effectiveness. The prominent, and more impactful, distinction is the Virus, Vaccine, Data triangle. Data beats Vaccine, Vaccine beats Virus, Virus beats Data. These are x2 multipliers. Then there's the elemental types: Plant, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Electric, Light, and Dark. I know they all have a type they're good against and a type they're bad against, and I do not have them all worked out. I think I know it? I'm pretty sure Water -> Fire -> Grass is a cycle, Electric -> Wind -> Earth is a cycle, and Light and Dark are reciprocal. But the signifier is color, and Light and Wind look a lot alike so I think I get tripped up on which is which. Anyway, the element matchup is 50% bonus or 25% reduction. These two can stack, so if you have a Plant Data type attack a Water Vaccine, they take 3x damage. It's not too complicated, and a lot of the time it's just neutral damage, but it can seriously mess with you. Particularly in boss fights. Bosses are really tanky, and a lot of the key to victory is a positive matchup that can be a little hard to predict. Given Memory limits, you likely only have like 5 'mons at a time, and there are...a few combinations and possibilities needed for any specific fight. The main takeaway is, it takes a bit.

Collecting Digimon is...interesting. You scan them in battle, up to 200%, and can create them in the lab at 100% scan. When you do make one, it resets scan to 0, so you can repeat the effort with another of the same. The lower the stage, the more you scan per encounter, and if you get two at once it counts twice. Most of what I encounter is 25% or 20%, which is 8 or 10 encounters to max. The reason for 200% is mostly statistics. As I understand it, getting to 200% is +5 to stats, which includes the elusive ABI. More on that in a bit. The system is fine, but it is somewhat poisonous to me in particular. I am going to stop at every juncture, going "I haven't seen that one!" and forcing the 200% issue. Which means progress has been notably slow. You might think "You can find most of this stuff later, and you know backtracking through areas for quests is a thing." This does not stay my hand, regrettably. It's not a serious problem, it's only a problem for me because of my particular brain worms.

The DigiLab also has the Farms, which I haven't had much play with, but I sure figured out the Search mechanic. Basically, ten Digimon can be set up in a farm and given a collective command to accomplish a particular goal, be it training (more on that later), development of equipment, or searching for cases or items. I've only really done search. Digimon will come with a sort of nature that works similar to Pokemon, in that one stat goes up by a bit, but no stat goes down in compensation. There are two, however, that are specific to the farm: Builder and Searcher. They, predictably, improve what you can do with those commands. There are also items available, as early as now I think, that can alter that nature, which is just great. I also haven't been able to do much with this, but you can apply items to your Digimon and the farms that improve stats or conditions. There's a lot going on, but it's fairly straight-forward.

Now the big one: evolution. This is the most interesting mechanic of the game right now, at least for me. Digimon evolve based on level and stat considerations, typically with the most demanding being ABI and CAM. CAM is easy. Camaraderie is increased by 1 every battle you're in, and can be increased by feeding items to them. It can go down with training of sufficient intensity, but given the ease of increasing it, it's not a big deal. ABI is the real nasty one. When you evolve or de-evolve, it goes up, with greater increases for higher tier 'mons and a higher level at time of evolution. Basically, you are expected to go up and down various paths, exploring what you get and learning new moves as you go, collecting into a final form you like. I haven't run into this one, but my wife got hit pretty hard by ABI in her playthrough so I know more about it than I likely should.

Anyway, you may have noticed "de-evolved." This is what makes this game neat. You can evolve, but if you don't like the form you got, or just want to go back and explore a different path, you can revert to a previous form. As part of this, you have a list of inherited moves learned from your various evolutions taken, and can combine skills from across different Digimon into your desired final state. For example, I chose Palmon as my starter. Palmon is Plant Data, and for most of its evolutions, would remain Plant and/or Data. But you can shift around. An early evolution branch is MudFrigimon, which is Earth type. I decided to pursue Earth type to get some coverage before jumping back to my desired plants. Doing this increases not only ABI, but your max level. Your level caps fairly low, forcing an evolution to make progress, and if you do so and revert back, you can reach a higher level. This is sometimes necessary to hit certain stat thresholds for other evolutionary paths. It's complicated, but fairly easy to follow.

Now, about ABI. This is something I learned incidentally helping my wife figure out how to reach 80 ABI for a particular 'mon she wanted. Apparently, ABI dictates Bonus Stats, which are essentially Pokemon EVs, but you have actual control over them. By training on the farm, you allocate bonus points to the stat you're aiming to train, and with the maximum of 200 ABI, you can achieve 150 bonus points. Which is a lot, as it turns out. 200 ABI doesn't feel reasonable outside of severe grinding, but should you achieve it, that's what you have in store. But the short, basic functioning for anyone not digging into the systems still remains: you want to evolve and de-evolve your digimon frequently, carrying over the best combination of skills for your desired role.

Story-wise, the game is decent thus far. I am, again, very early, so I can't comment too much. I like Yuuko a lot. Kyoko is fun but desperately needs to button her shirt holy shit. Nokia will grow on me, I can feel it. I have no particularly strong feelings about Arata. The situation with the Eaters is pretty engaging, and what's going on feels tense. I know some bits and pieces from my wife's playthrough, but a lot of it is missing, so looking forward to see how things connect.

But forget all that nerd shit! Time to talk about what's most important: favorite Digimons!

As stated, I started with Palmon. This is because I loved it, but also I did see Lilamon from my wife's playthrough. I adore that one and will be heading down that path. I understand there is a Lillymon too. Considerations will be made.

Nyaromon and Wanyamon are adorable, but then again, they are kitties. This is to be expected.

I kinda like the look of Elecmon. It's not a favorite, but it's cute. Otamamon is in a similar basket. I kinda just vibe with the concept.

Armadillomon was adorable, if kinda whatever in battle.

Current favorite thus far is Lunamon. Cute Water rabbit, absolutely adore that creature. Though Biyomon was also incredibly cute.

My current team rotates too much to say I've really landed on anything to run long-term. Which is...hard for me to gauge my feelings on. On the one hand, I do think things like Pokemon and Nexomon are nice, having a clear first stage that you can be relatively certain will still be appreciated by its final stage. Digimon wildly swings around in quality of its 'mons, to the point I can go from something really cute to butt-ugly in one evolution. Which is. Difficult. It reminds me vaguely of the only time I played Shin Megami Tensei, and felt like all the cute ones I liked were garbage too quickly and I had to run through phases of stuff I didn't care about to get what I wanted. I'm a bit more flexible about it now but it's still annoying sometimes. I'm rolling with it though, unless they're like. Really bad. I can't think of the name of any, but there are a handful that I really do not like.

Overall having a good time so far! Will continue to update when more progress is made.

[tcock-of-the-walk]

I was supposed to schedule a CT scan within 24 hours of it being ordered. On a Friday.

I tried to get the prerequisite bloodwork done for my scan and the lab can't find the order for that.

I tried to call the hospital I'm getting the scan done at to schedule and they can't find me. I was told my physical copy would suffice. We drove 20 minutes to the hospital. The physical copy did not suffice.

I tried calling my insurance because the only thing I could think of was that my Urgent Fucking Order had gotten stuck in Prior-Auth Hell.

They don't even have it.

The doctors office says they sent it.

Okay, but where the actual fuck did it go????

I can't eat until I get this done! I'm on clear liquids only until at least Tuesday! I doubt they'll get me in that fast, considering the EEG for a seizure I had in January isn't until August! (I will literally be allowed to drive again before they are able to scan my brain to make sure it didn't go fucky for some reason other than adjusting my meds.)

I don't understand how this shit happens. What's worse is that I know it probably never actually got sent. My doctor's office is part of a chain here that is kind of notorious for being shit at sending orders or referrals. I don't know why. They always say they've sent it. I can call them and ask them to send it 3-4 Times before it actually finally goes where it needs to. I don't know if they just have a crappy computer system or if they somehow forget or just don't want to or what but it's been a known problem with them. I just thought maybe something this fucking urgent would matter enough to make sure it sent. Especially after the hospital itself fucking requested it from them. I am currently stuck basically starving because I suddenly can't digest anything (instead of just most things) correctly and we don't know why.

(Tangent below the cut because I started thinking about how much I hate doctors and lost track of my main thought.)

I'm so tired of doctors. I just want this test done so they can tell me what I already fucking know so maybe I can get treated for it after having been in and out of the hospital and being truant from school because of it because even though I was going to the doctor nothing was being diagnosed so obviously that meant I just said I didn't want to and my mom just said "lol ok". I literally felt like I was fucking dying and had no idea what was happening to me everyday since I was 8. How do you send a kid to school like that?

Like, I'm glad I'm finally getting the diagnosis I need for my conditions now, but it should not have taken this long. It should not have taken 13 years of pain and suffering and as many doctors and hospitals as it did to reach the diagnoses I am receiving. If I had been able to receive them at a younger age I might have been able to get some fucking help. I could've been on disability already and not had to fight this probably losing battle with the government. But no diagnoses means no "consistent treatment" for the conditions they wouldn't tell me I had, which you need if you want a layer to even look at your case because the court is so stringent about it. At no point did anyone think "Maybe we should take the kid out of school/accommodate them long enough to figure out what's wrong so maybe their family can afford to take care of them so whatever is wrong doesn't get worse". It's fucking incredible to me that anyone can see that happening and not understand that, yeah, maybe something is going on with this kid that can't make a full week of school and is constantly in pain and vomiting.

[skills-course]

Linda Sattgast – Help For Heritage Photos LINK DOWNLOAD: https://skillscourse.net/linda-sattgast-help-for-heritage-photos/?feed_id=1897&_unique_id=6542257471d46 Linda Sattgast – Help For Heritage Photos Description of Help For Heritage Photos Are Your Heritage Photos Calling To You From Boxes In Your Garage Or Attic? Get Peace of Mind By Taking The First—And Most Important Step—Toward Preserving and Displaying Your Heritage Photos! In this self-paced class, I’ll show you step-by-step how to preserve and breathe new life into your heritage photos by scanning and fixing them. And just what is a heritage photo? It’s any photo that needs to be scanned. (I’m willing to bet you have some of those!) Plan & Scan If you plan to scan your own photos, you’ll appreciate these invaluable videos on how to proceed so you have the best results! (PLUS avoid disappointment and wasted effort by choosing the right resolution.) Even if you have someone else scan them, planning ahead will save you time and headaches and make your heritage photo project SO much easier! Lighting & Contrast Lighting and contrast can be a problem with ANY photo, heritage or digital, but there are definitely problems unique to heritage photos. In this class I cover a variety of remedies, since lighting is not a one-size-fits-all proposition! By the way, this is one of the few photos of my husband Charlie and me when we were dating. Can you see why I’m so enthusiastic about fixing photos? The original photo is almost unusable! Color Correction Do your photos look a little green around the gills? (Or magenta? Or yellow?) Let the good Doctor prescribe a remedy that will have them looking perky in no time! Damage Control Don’t let a rip or a scratch or dust spots or _____________ (fill in the blank) keep your heritage photos from proudly taking their places in your scrapbook! “Scrappers for Fixed Heritage Photos” unite! You (yes, YOU) can fix ’em up so they look like new! What You'll Learn In Help For Heritage Photos? Welcome and Introduction Welcome to Class Class Downloads How To Contact Your Instructor To Get Help Pre Class Video Plan & Scan Plan & Scan Introduction Lesson 1 Plan a File System (2:31) Lesson 2 Scan Your Photos (4:41) Lesson 3 Scanning Resolution (2:47) Lesson 4 Separating Scanned Photos (7:57) Lesson 5 Helpful Historical Notes (6:17) Lighting & Contrast Lighting & Contrast Introduction Lesson 1 Levels Adjustment (5:27) Lesson 2 Darken with Multiply (1:11) Lesson 3 Lighten with Screen (0:52) Lesson 4 Lighting Imbalance: Gradient Tool (2:31) Lesson 5 Lighting Imbalance: Blend Mode Help for Heritage Photos (1:24) Lesson 6 Lighting with Curves (9:04) Lesson 7 Dodge & Burn (4:44) Lesson 8 Add Contrast with Soft Light (3:21) Lesson 9 Lighting with Levels Eyedroppers (4:23) Lesson 10 Channels in Levels (3:09) Lesson 11 Experiment with Lighting (2:36) Color Correction Color Correction Introduction Lesson 1 Adjustment Layers Master Document (6:30) Lesson 2 Amazing Auto Color (2:51) Lesson 3 Levels Eyedropper Color Correction (4:45) Lesson 4 Levels Color Channels Help for Heritage Photos (4:16) Lesson 5 Brush On Color (4:28) Lesson 6 Adjust Color For Skin Tone (Photoshop Elements Only) (5:14) Lesson 7 Yellow Color Cast (3:05) Lesson 8 Magenta Color Cast (2:41) Lesson 9 Reduce Red (2:20) Lesson 10 Neutralize a Color Cast (3:19) Damage Control Damage Control Introduction Lesson 1 Dust & Scratches Filter (4:49) Lesson 2 Healing Tools (6:31) Lesson 3 Ingenuity (6:34) Lesson 4 Tricky Tools (8:36) Lesson 5 Clone Stamp Tool (6:53) Lesson 6 Surface Blur (1:48) Lesson 7 Removing Ink (2:42) Special Section: Fixing Damaged Photos Lesson 8 Removing Tape, Lines, & Spots: Spot Healing Brush (9:37) Lesson 9 Removing Rips & Tears: Clone Stamp Tool (10:28) Lesson 10 Repairing With Selections Help for Heritage Photos (7:20)

Lesson 11 Repairing With Layer Masks Help for Heritage Photos (5:05) Lesson 12 Content Aware Fill (2:15) Misc Skills Lesson 1 Straighten & Crop (8:33) Lesson 2 Crop Rounded Corners (3:57) Lesson 3 Sharpen with High Pass (5:53) More courses from the same author: Linda Sattgast

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 123]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54

There won't be much of this today honestly lol. I have no motivation.

Chapter 55 (Logan)

Virgil was beginning to be able to read some of the common instructions in magic books, but Logan still made sure to read out the instructions to him at least twice before setting him loose. He’d started to jot down notes to himself about things, though these notes were not words, but various symbols that only made sense to the boy himself.

Logan had asked about their meaning at one point and received an answer that, while earnest, was unintelligible. The symbols were mostly just pictures of things to represent certain steps in spell casting, but they were filtered through Virgil’s rudimentary penmanship and often bizarre perception of the world.

Though, despite the fact that Logan could not often decipher his chicken scratch, it did seem to help him produce more and more quality charms even as Logan began to introduce more complicated processes to make them. He was a very good student even if he didn’t have the best foundation for learning.

“I add lavender for the next step, right?” Virgil asked, his finger on a word in Logan’s magic book.

“That is correct,” Logan confirmed.

Virgil looked back at the book and mouthed the word ‘lavender’ to himself before turning back to his potion. He grabbed a few sprigs of lavender and threw them into the cauldron.

The liquid popped and bubbled violently, but Virgil didn’t flinch as he once would have, prepared for it now.

After the lavender, Logan knew that it would have to simmer for 5 minutes. Virgil looked down at the boiling liquid, contemplating it for a long moment.

“Can I soak a knife in it?” he asked.

“What?” Logan asked.

“Can I soak a knife in the potion once it’s done?”

“In that potion?” Logan clarified. “In the emergency hand warmer potion?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I think a hot knife would be useful,” Virgil said.

“For what?”

Virgil shrugged. “Cooking food on the road,” he said, “burning wood, stabbing someone and immediately cauterizing the wound.”

“That is… not a standard use for this potion,” Logan said.

Virgil titled his head at him. “Would it work though?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Logan contemplated. “Perhaps. The potion can cause burns if one uses too much of it or if it is used without an appropriate layer between it and the skin. If one were to pick a knife with enough surface area and let it soak long enough, it could in theory get hot enough to do as desired. Hmm…” he thought about it. “There would perhaps be the problem of the potion not sticking to the knife very long as it is intended to soak into fabric. However, cardamom could solve that issue as long as it doesn’t interact with any other ingredients. Let me see that spell.”

Virgil stepped out of his way so he could study the page. “Yes,” Logan said after scanning through all of the ingredients. “I think cardamom would work for something like that. Let me go find some.”

He turned to walk towards where he kept his supplies of potion ingredients. Virgil followed on his heals.

“Can we use a serrated knife?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Virgil,” Logan said, nodding as he searched through the cupboard that should hold the coriander. “The knife being serrated would help keep the potion stuck to the blade after many uses and would increase the surface area.”

“That was certainly my intention,” Virgil said smoothly. There was something odd about the tone that had Logan turning and blinking at him. Virgil just smiled at him innocently and Logan turned back to the cabinet finally locating the cardamom.

“So how are we going to use that?” Virgil asked.

“We’ll put it in right before the last step and let it sit for about 3 minutes,” Logan said. “If it doesn’t quite work, we may need to make another batch. There are options other than cardamom, but that’s the first idea that comes to mind and it’s a lot simpler if it works.”

He continued to speak of the many other options they could try as they returned to the caldron as well as how they could test the hot knife. It was already about time for the next step and Virgil did it without interrupting Logan’s rant.

Virgil listened to his suggestions with interest all while still making sure the potion he was making was progressing well.

Logan did eventually take over to finish the potion with the revised steps he’d come up with and they ended up with a potion that looked perfect except it was a few shades darker than the one they’d originally been planning to make.

“Well, it looks good,” Logan declared. “We will need to acquire a knife to test its effectiveness, however.”

“There are a few good ones in the kitchen,” Virgil pointed out. “I especially like the one 10 inch one with the black and white handle.”

“You have been eyeing up the kitchen knives?” Logan asked.

Virgil rolled his eyes as though that was not a perfectly reasonable question to ask him. “We should steal that one,” Virgil said.

“Do you think we’ll be able to sneak past Ms. Heart to steal a knife from her kitchen?” Logan asked.

“We can’t,” Virgil said. The ‘but I can’ was implied.

Logan almost didn’t believe him… and then he remembered the water pouch incident. “It’s the dinner rush,” Logan said. “We should probably wait for a bit.”

Virgil was shaking his head. “The dinner rush is the best time,” he said. “Everyone will be distracted, and all of the knives will be out and in prime stealing position.”

“And if Patton’s mother catches us messing around in her kitchen during her busiest time of day, she will have Father ground us for a week.”

“Then we just won’t get caught,” Virgil said.

“I’m not sure if it’s that simple,” Logan said with a frown.

“You can stay here if you want,” Virgil offered. “I’ll just go by myself.”

“No, I’ll come too,” Logan relented, though he did still have some reservations about the idea.

He let Virgil lead him towards the main dining hall. By now, Virgil knew the kitchens and dining hall very well.

“Stay here,” he said. They were in a hallway a few feet down from the staff entrance to the main kitchen. “I’m going to do some reconnaissance.”

“What type of reconnaissance?” Logan asked, but Virgil had already vanished before his very eyes. With a blink, Logan looked up and saw a dark figure disappear onto a balcony overhead.

Well, Logan really had no choice but to wait there for him. It wasn’t like he could follow him. He could hear the clatter of silverware on plates from the dining hall down the corridor as he impatiently waited. It only took Virgil a bit over five minutes to return. He dropped suddenly from above and landed in front of Logan in a crouch.

“Well?” Logan asked, letting a bit of irritation into his tone so Virgil knew he was displeased. Virgil did not seem to care.

“Got it,” Virgil said with a wide grin, brandishing a large kitchen knife.

Logan flinched back at the unexpected sight of a weapon.

“You said you were doing reconnaissance!” he sputtered. “Not…” he trailed off remembering that while they weren’t in eyesight of anyone right now, they could be in earshot of someone. He lowered his tone, “stealing the knife already.”

“I was doing reconnaissance,” Virgil said with a shrug, “and then I used the information gathered by that reconnaissance to steal a knife.”

Logan narrowed his eyes at him.

Virgil just smiled. “You would have gotten in my way.”

“I would not have,” Logan insisted.

“How many times has Patton’s mom caught you stealing food from the kitchens in the past?” he asked.

Logan pursed his lips. “That is Patton’s doing,” he said.

“Sure,” Virgil said with an eyeroll. “I’ll have you prove it some other day, but for now,” he twirled the knife around in a way that made Logan cringe even though he did seem to have an expert handle over it. “We have a knife.”

“Right,” Logan agreed with a nod. “We should continue the experiment.”

Virgil stored the knife away… somewhere on his person, and they snuck back to Logan’s rooms.

When Virgil handed over the knife, Logan did have to admit it was a perfect specimen for their project: long and saw-like with a heatproof handle.

Logan carefully set it in a shallow dish and proceeded to pour the potion they’d made onto it. They let it sit for a little under half an hour before carefully pulling it out of the concoction with tongs and letting it airdry. Meanwhile, Virgil suggested they set up a testing area with various old sheets and clothing. They’d even found and decorated an armor stand with an old suit that Logan particularly disliked.

“Well,” Logan said once he’d tapped the handle and had not gotten burned by the potion. “I think we can test it now.” For safety, he made Virgil put on thick heatproof gloves before handing him the knife.

“So how do I make it work?” Virgil asked.

“The original potion works through light friction,” Logan said.

“So just start stabbing things?”

Logan went to respond, but before he could, Virgil had already twisted around and sliced through one of the sheets hanging in Logan’s potion room. There was a sizzling noise as the knife cut through the sheet like it was tissue paper leaving two aflame halves flapping about.

Logan leapt forward to tear the pieces of sheet down and the two of them stomped on the flames to put out the fire.

“It’s perfect,” Virgil said with a grin once the charred remains of the sheet were extinguished.

“It does seem to work as intended,” Logan agreed.

“Let’s do it again,” Virgil said.

“Er, well, perhaps we shouldn’t…,” Logan started, but Virgil had already set his eyes on the armor stand they’d set up. That suddenly seemed like not such a good idea to Logan.

He stabbed the armor stand viciously. It went up in violent flames. Logan’s eyes widened as the blaze only seemed to get bigger as Virgil drew back the knife.

Virgil did not seem to share Logan’s worry as he turned and stabbed another piece of hanging clothing, setting it ablaze as well.

“Virgil, no! You’re going to burn the room down!” Logan yelped.

The armor stand, at that very moment, decided to fall to the ground. They had, perhaps, not set the testing area up as well as they should have because it fell directly onto one of Logan’s rugs and set that on fire as well.

“Oops,” Virgil said, eyes wide.

Above the sound of crackling fire, Logan heard a tapping on the door between his bedroom and work room. It opened slightly after a moment and Logan’s father’s voice called out as he was sticking his head into the room, “Um, what do you mean Virgil… is burning the room down!”

The moment Logan’s father fully processed the presence of the flames, he was bursting into the room. He at least remembered that there was a fire extinguishing powder stocked in Logan’s work room even though that fact had slipped Logan’s mind in the chaos. (Perhaps Logan should have thought to set it out when they were testing a fire knife, but Logan would just add that to his growing list of regrets.)

The king managed to put all of the fires out within 30 seconds of poking his head through the door, but the fire left in his eyes when he turned to look at them afterwards was perhaps more dangerous.

Virgil slowly hid the knife behind his back. It was probably a bit late for that.

“What were the two of you doing in here?” the king asked.

“Nothing,” Logan said. Virgil shot him a look that told Logan what the boy thought about his lying abilities.

Logan’s father put his hands on his hips. “‘Nothing’ set the rug on fire?”

“We may have been doing a small experiment,” Logan said.

“What experiment?” the king asked.

“…I do not wish to say.”

“Logan.”

“Virgil wanted a fire knife.”

“A what?”

Virgil frowned over at Logan. “Your resistance to interrogation techniques is deplorable.”

Father turned to look at Virgil and obviously spotted the fact that Virgil was holding something behind his back.

“Give it here,” Father said, though his tone was a bit gentler with Virgil than it had been with Logan.

Virgil debated it for a moment, but then offered over the knife with a pout on his face. Father gingerly took it and the fire-resistant gloves from him. “Where did the two of you even get this knife?”

“You can’t tell her,” Logan said.

“You stole a knife from the kitchens?!” the king asked.

“We borrowed it,” Logan said.

“Can it be used for cooking anymore?”

“…Well.”

“In the intended manner.”

“No.”

“Then you stole it.”

Logan just frowned and looked away.

“I’m going to go put this in a secure location,” Father said, grimacing at the fire knife in his hands. “No more experiments for you two for a month. I’ll sic Patton on you.”

With that, he picked up what was left of the fire extinguishing powder (just in case) and turned to exit the room.

“Well,” Logan said once he was gone. “That was irresponsible.”

“I could steal it back from him.”

“N-no don’t do that.”

“I definitely could though,” Virgil said.

“I did not hear you say that,” Logan said, putting his hands over his ears. “I am not responsible for any more of your actions in this matter. I am going to the library.”

He walked out of the room then and Virgil followed him to the upstairs library. He said nothing more about the fire knife, but Logan would be a fool to suppose he forgot about it.

Chapter 56 (Thomas)

“Good day for a picnic,” Helen commented as she handed over the basket Thomas had requested from her a few days before. He was taking Logan, Patton, and Virgil to the cliffs today and it was perfect weather for it. Spring was truly here, which meant that those of Thomas’s duties that had laid dormant over the harsh winter were about to start up again.

The world had been on pause for a bit considering no armies or agents from any kingdom could get through the snow the last few months, but the concerns of last fall were showing their heads once again.

Thomas had just gotten word a day ago that the queen of Lamir had routed out a second assassin hiding in her ranks over the winter. The assassin had been sent shortly after it was made clear that the queen wouldn’t bow down after the assassination of her mother. Luckily, the assassin sent for Queen Cecil had not managed to complete her mission during the winter months.

While there had been no similar attempt on Prijaznia soil, Thomas couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time now that the snow had melted. They were already working on increasing security in the coming weeks and, though it was doubtful an assassin had managed to hide in the castle all winter without revealing themselves, they’d be closely scrutinizing all of the newer staff members.

It would be a stressful time in the coming months, which is why, despite everything Thomas needed to do, he was still going to take his son and his son’s friends on a picnic today. Logan had already started taking on royal duties as of late, but he still hadn’t taken them all on quite yet. Considering this was last summer before Logan was of age, they should at least try to take advantage of it where they could. Patton was a year younger, but the sentiment held for him as well.

Then there was Virgil. Despite their best efforts, they still didn’t know enough about Virgil, but Thomas was fairly sure he’d never had a summer to enjoy until now.

“Thanks for prepping lunch for us,” Thomas said to Helen with a smile.

“No problem,” she said waving them off. “I put in some of Virgil’s favorites.”

“Great,” Thomas said. “Do you know where the kids are?”

“Patton said they were going to go pet the cats, so I’d guess they’re in the gardens.”

Thomas thanked her again and told her to have a good day before exiting the kitchen. There was a nearby door that led straight towards the part of the gardens Patton and Logan had always favored. He figured they’d either still be around there or they would have wandered towards the stables by now knowing that they’d be taking horses to the cliffs.

So, he decided to simply walk the normal path from the door to the stable, hoping to find them.

His prediction ended up being hilariously correct. They were indeed on the path Thomas had chosen. It was clear they (or at least Logan) were attempting to make it to the stable. However, as was typical, a portion of the party had been waylaid by whimsy.

Logan was standing further down the path, arms crossed and frowning as he watched his friends. Patton and Virgil were surrounded by cats. Patton was sitting down, holding two of them in his lap and watching Virgil’s legs being swarmed by the rest of them, maybe two dozen in total.

Virgil looked confused, but not unhappy about the presence of so many cats. He was leaning down to try to pet them all.

Logan met Thomas’s eyes as he approached and waved a frustrated hand at the two of them. Logan couldn’t help but smile.

“Virgil fed one of them,” Logan complained as though he wanted Thomas to somehow go into the past and prevent this crime.

Patton and Virgil looked over at Thomas, noticing him when Logan addressed him.

“You’re going to make Princess Marisol jealous,” Thomas said. Logan frowned at Thomas as he used the ‘Princess’ label for the cat.

“Princess Marisol decided not to come,” Virgil said with a shrug. He continued to pet one of the cats.

“She’s probably sleeping on my pillow,” Logan said, sounding grumpy.

Thomas just chuckled. Princess Marisol was technically Logan’s cat, at least that’s what the kids said, and she did spend much of her time in the royal rooms. However, she was very clearly actually Virgil’s cat. Virgil just spent a lot of time in the royal wing as well.

In fact, Thomas still didn’t know where Virgil was supposed to be sleeping. He and Mr. Deknis had actually tried to tail him a couple of times, but he always ended up sleeping in Logan’s room those nights.

Knowing Virgil, he might just sleep in the walls. Though that still did not answer the question of where his parents or guardians were. They still had not figured it out. Thomas would assume he was an orphan who’d snuck onto castle grounds for safety, but Virgil had told Mr. Deknis during their first meeting that he was supposed to be in the castle, and it had not been a lie.

Then again, it had slowly become apparent that Virgil was good at dodging the multrum’s powers. It was starting to seem more likely that he’d somehow inserted a second meaning into his answer to Mr. Deknis that night than he somehow had some ghost guardian no one was able to locate working in the castle.

“She deserves the pillow more than you,” Virgil said, bringing Thomas’s thoughts back to the situation at hand. The look of audacity on Logan’s face made Thomas chuckle.

Thomas cut in before it could become a fight. “I could get Princess Marisol a pillow, so she doesn’t sleep on yours. Or we can get you a new pillow if you’d prefer, Logan.”

“It’s not about the pillow for her,” Logan argued. “It’s about her inflated sense of superiority.”

“She deserves it,” Virgil declared. Thomas could tell he was just trying to rile Logan up, and Thomas was sure Logan knew it too, but still his son reacted exactly in the way Virgil wanted him to.

“You have enabled and encouraged this behavior from the start!” Logan seethed.

“She’s a Princess.”

“She is not a princess!”

Patton shook his head while squeezing the cats in his arms, completely used to this behavior at this point. He ran a chin idly over one of the cat’s heads while watching the argument.

“We’re never going to make it to the picnic at this rate,” Thomas said to him, “and after your mother made all of this wonderful food.”

“You’re the dad,” Patton said. “Make them stop.”

And, of course, Patton did just mean that he was Logan’s dad with that statement. However, when he glanced back up at the silly argument still going on between his son and the cat covered boy on the ground, it did almost look like a fight between siblings.

Especially with the dark hair and stubborn but mischievous look in Virgil’s eyes, Thomas could almost imagine the boy being his own child.

He shook away the thoughts and glanced at the picnic basket in his hand.

“We do have a lot of food in this basket,” Thomas said, pitching his voice up so that Logan (and more importantly) Virgil would hear them clearly.

Virgil immediately turned to look at him, abandoning all interest in antagonizing Logan to look at the basket curiously.

Thomas was never sure if he should be amused or worried about how food motivated Virgil often was.

“What’s in the basket?” Virgil asked.

“I’m not sure,” Thomas said. “Patton’s mom made it. We’ll just have to see once we get to the picnic area.”

Virgil nodded in understanding and began to gently scoot all of the cats out of his lap. Logan rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem inclined to continue the argument he’d been dragged into. Virgil and Patton got to their feet and they continued on their way towards the stables.

The horses Thomas had requested be prepared for their trip were already in saddles, though the stable hand who had been handling Mr. Apples seemed a bit dirtier and more exhausted than the rest.

The stable hand seemed as happy to hand Mr. Apples over to Virgil as Virgil was to have Mr. Apples handed over to him. Thomas received Bella with a smile and Logan and Patton got their own horses as well.

The Cliffs were about half an hour's ride from the main castle. There was a mostly well-maintained path to it, though it was easy to get lost if one didn’t know the way. Mr. Apples knew the way perhaps better than Thomas himself and seemed annoyed by the fact that Thomas was trying to lead the way.

Virgil and Thomas ended up side-by-side whenever the path allowed it to placate him.

He still marveled at how willing Mr. Apples was to let Virgil ride him, especially when he tossed his head in Thomas’s direction, a horse’s equivalent of giving Thomas a stink-eye.

“Are you excited for the picnic?” Thomas asked the boy beside him.

Virgil glanced over at him and nodded.

“I am too,” Thomas said. “It’s always beautiful this time of year. I’m glad I could find the time to take you all there this year.”

“Are you very busy?” Virgil asked curiously.

“I am king,” Thomas reminded, “and now that the world isn’t snowed in anymore things will be busy.”

“With the war?” Virgil asked.

Thomas paused for a few seconds. “Yes,” he confirmed. “With the war, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Virgil asked.

“You’re just a kid,” Thomas said.

“I’m 14,” Virgil said.

Thomas glanced at him. “Exactly,” he said, “a kid, and luckily, you’re in a place that can afford you the luxury of being one.”

“What do you mean?”

“The war has been mainly fought on Mocnejsi soil in recent years. Our boarders have held strong against invasions. Unless something goes horribly wrong suddenly, it would take a long time for the main conflict to get here. The only real threat in the castle would be assassins sent after me personally.”

“Right,” Virgil said. There was an awkward pause in conversation before he spoke again. “You’re winning the war then?” he asked.

“Something could always happen,” Thomas said, “but for the most part, yes, we have quite the advantage right now.”

“Oh,” Virgil said.

Thomas shook his head as they were coming up to a narrowing of the path. “Anyway, today is a day to not think about war. Today we’re going to have a lovely picnic and do some bird watching.”

“Right,” Virgil agreed from behind Thomas as Bella took the lead (to Mr. Apples discontent.)

When the path widened again, Thomas did his best to direct the topic to lighter subjects and soon they made it to The Cliffs.

Chapter 57 (Virgil)

Virgil had never been to a picnic. At least, that’s what Patton had informed him when Virgil had described his past experiences of eating outdoors. Logan had agreed even though he’d admitted that the definition of “picnic” was only eating a pre-packaged meal outdoors which Virgil had done plenty of times.

From what Virgil could tell, the main difference was just how much stuff one brought to a picnic.

In addition to the basket full of food (that Virgil still hadn’t gotten to look in yet), the king had brought a large soft quilt that he had Logan and Virgil spread out on the ground for them all to sit on.

Patton and Logan had also packed some things themselves to bring along. Logan had brought along a book to read, and Patton had brought along a board game (thankfully not checkers but something Virgil did not recognize). Virgil hadn’t brought anything (except for the fire knife he was definitely not supposed to have and was definitely not letting the king see) because he hadn’t known he was supposed to bring things. He wouldn’t have known what to bring anyway.

The blanket was soft and a much better alternative to sitting on the ground, especially because, while there was grass at the top of The Cliffs, there were also a good number of rocks.

The king set the picnic basket in the middle of the blanket once it was spread out and then lowered himself down to sit on one side. Patton quickly followed him, already fiddling with some of his board game pieces, though he wasn’t setting it up yet. Virgil highly doubted that Logan was going to be allowed to read his book unless Patton eventually got bored of the game.

However, they would, hopefully, be allowed to make use of the basket the king had brought along.

Virgil followed the king and Patton’s lead and got to his knees on the blanket across the picnic basket from the king. He peered at the basket curiously.

He didn’t quite know what picnic food was, but Patton had told them they’d be getting ‘picnic food’ and he was very curious about what that meant.

King Thomas smiled at him. “Let’s see what Patton’s mom packed us, huh?” He reached for the basket and flipped it open as Logan sat next to Virgil. “There is a lot more food than usual in here,” the king said, sounding amused. “Let’s see.”

He began to pull out packaged food and glanced in each package to identify it before setting it out.

“We have a few types of mini sandwiches,” he said, putting them down, “and some pasta salad.” He set down the bowl.

“We also have… er something else.” He showed it to Logan.

“They’re hot cauliflower bites,” Logan said instantly upon seeing them. Virgil perked up in excitement. That was one of his favorite foods.

“Ah,” King Thomas said, but shrugged and set it down. “We also have two desserts apparently: cookies and mini apple pies. That last one’s a bit extra for a picnic.”

“They’re very good,” Virgil said happily.

“And we also have.” King Thomas paused, looking confused. “Chicken alfredo?”

“Yes!” Virgil said.

“Why do we have chicken alfredo for a picnic?”

“It’s a Virgil picnic,” Logan groaned. “She packed us a Virgil picnic.”

“Hey, at least momma sent us something too,” Patton said.

“I think I’ll stick to sandwiches for today,” King Thomas said. He looked at Patton and Logan. “Do either of you want…?”

“No,” Logan said. Patton shook his head.

The king nodded and offered the entire covered bowl of chicken alfredo to Virgil. “Here, this one’s yours,” he said.

“Really?” Virgil asked tentatively. It wasn’t exactly strange for people here to offer him food, and he’d expected and anticipated getting to eat on this venture, but the king of the country offering him an entire bowl of his favorite food was something else.

“It’s not really my idea of a picnic food and you seem excited for it,” King Thomas said with a warm smile, still holding it out.

Virgil took it reverently. Despite the time it had taken to get to the cliffs, the bottom of the container was still warm. Virgil assumed it was one of the heating spells the kitchen sometimes used.

“Thanks,” Virgil said, setting it in his lap.

“Of course, Virgil,” the king said.

The bowl was enough for four people to have a little bit, but for one person it was a lot. Still, Virgil was offered a little of every other food in the picnic basket (and he ate a good number of the hot cauliflower bites).

“Where do you put all of that?” the king asked when Virgil finished polishing off the chicken alfredo bowl.

Everyone else seemed to have finished eating long before Virgil, though Patton still had a small plate of grapes, and he occasionally popped one in his mouth. King Thomas was currently setting up the board game they’d brought on the blanket between all of them.

Virgil shrugged in answer to his question. “It’s good,” he said, “and I don’t want to waste any of it.”

“You know we can just take the leftovers back to the castle and eat them later,” King Thomas said. “You don’t have to eat it all now.”

Virgil just shrugged again, watching as the king set out a group of 8 figures on the board.

“Here, which character do you want to be?” the king asked Virgil, gesturing at the group of figures. Virgil had not noticed the figures were different at first glance. They were all copper colored and about the size of his thumb, but they had slightly different shapes. He squinted at them each carefully, finding they all looked like people, but with different clothing. Some worse pants and some skirts, a few had hats, and one was even carrying a book.

After a few moments, he pointed at one that looked like it had vines wrapped around its arms and was wearing a floppy hat that almost covered its eyes.

“That’s the druid,” King Thomas told him with a grin. “Good choice, and luckily not one that anyone usually fights over.” He glanced at Logan who didn’t react to his father’s gaze. He just plucked the figure clutching the book off the board for himself.

Patton and the king picked pieces for themselves. Patton picked one with an apron that kind of reminded Virgil of his mom and the king picked one that was in a suit of armor before putting the other 4 figures away.

Unlike checkers, this game wasn’t just for two people, and so no one had to sit watching people play while bored out of their mind.

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They played a practice round so Virgil could figure out how the game worked, though honestly it wasn’t that complicated, so it wasn’t really necessary.

The theme of the game was all about stealing. They were supposed to steal special tokens from other players as well as characters in the game and the first person with 20 tokens won.

The other three players argued that stealing was not the point and not the main mechanism of the game, but considering Virgil was consistently winning the entire time, he would argue they were just playing it wrong. He managed to collect 20 tokens before anyone else. In second place at this time was Logan with 9 tokens.

Logan insisted on continuing to play the game to determine 2nd and 3rd place, so Virgil ended up watching them play for a bit. Virgil didn’t mind sitting and watching other people play this game, mostly because he still had the joy of victory running in his veins.

Thomas was definitely going to lose, he noted. He kept wasting his money feeding the nonplayer characters who lived on his lands. Virgil didn’t mention this faulty strategy to him in case Virgil ever played him again.

When Logan took too long thinking about his next move, Virgil took in their surroundings.

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He’d been a bit too distracted by the prospect of food and then trying to understand (and then win) the game to truly take in The Cliffs. They were settled a good distance away from the cliffside but Virgil could still see how quickly the edge dropped off. He couldn’t see the large river he was told was at its base from where he was sitting, but he did see a few of the promised wild birds (including doves) flying around. The king had promised they’d bird watch for a bit, and Virgil figured that would happen after the game was over.

A cool spring breeze brushed across Virgil’s face, and he put his hand in his hoodie pockets to warm them. Instead, his fingers hit something icy cold.

For a moment, he didn’t remember what it was. The crescent shape of it was familiar when he put his hand over it, but he had never felt it cold before.

It was the protection charm: the first charm Virgil had ever made with Logan so many months ago. It was meant to ward off small threats as well as warn you about larger threats by changing temperature…

It had always been warm.

“What?” Patton asked, having noticed Virgil suddenly tense. Virgil, despite how he drilled into his friend’s heads to stay alert had gone soft. He’d let himself be distracted by a full belly and warm blankets and fun games.

He didn’t answer Patton. He filtered the other boy’s worried face out as well as Logan’s face as he glanced at him and the king’s still focused on the game for now. He filtered out the picnic blanket and smell of food still lingering in the air and the vine covered figure set in the middle of the board on the winner’s space. He filtered out the sound of the breeze and the breath of his companions and the distant chirping of birds.

And he heard a whoosh.

Chapter 58 (Patton)

If Patton hadn’t already been looking, he probably wouldn’t have had any idea what happened.

Everything had been fine. Virgil had been sitting cross legged, idly watching the conclusion of the game they’d been playing when his posture had suddenly changed. Patton had looked over at him only to see an expression on his face he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t seem good.

“What?” Patton had asked, but the question didn’t seem to register to Virgil.

Logan had glanced up confused and also noticed Virgil’s face. He’d just opened his mouth to also ask what was going on when chaos descended.

Virgil was suddenly moving, crashing into King Thomas who hadn’t even looked up to see something was wrong at that point. Patton realized after the fact that Virgil had swiped up the board of the game they’d been playing as he jumped over it, the pieces previously stacked on it scattering all over the blanket. There were three thumps as some things hit the thick board, imbedding themselves into the surface.

When Virgil discarded the board in favor of the picnic basket, Patton saw there were small darts in it oozing a dark black liquid. The parts of the board they touched were dissolving, the grass under the new holes beginning to wilt rapidly.

Logan seemed to notice the oozing liquid the same moment Patton did and was quicker to realize what it was. He grabbed Patton’s arm and yanked him away from the board so hard he almost dislocated Patton’s shoulder, not that Patton was too worried about that. He scrambled away from it when he realized what it must be himself.

He could hear the sound of glassware smashing above them. Logan and Patton had rolled off the blanket in their quest to get away from the smoldering, melting board and apparently Virgil had pulled the picnic blanket fully over the king at some point.

Virgil himself was now gone from where he’d been the last time Patton had looked and it took him a moment to figure out where the boy had gone. The person who had been shooting poisoned darts at them had been drawn out of the wooded area they’d been hiding in by Virgil’s attacks.

They were cloaked in dark green from head to toe, explaining why they’d been difficult to spot when they were in the woods. Whoever they were, they were significantly larger than Virgil, possibly an actual adult or almost adult assassin, but they were also clearly a long distant fighter. They had not been expecting resistance let alone resistance in the form of a so quick he was almost a blur fellow assassin.

They had a bow strapped to their back, but they hadn’t had a chance to get it. Instead, they were trying to fight Virgil off with an arrow they’d managed to draw from their quiver. Virgil, meanwhile was lunging at them with a broken piece of plate in one hand and the picnic basket in the other.

Virgil dodged out of the way of the arrow striking towards his arm, though Patton didn’t think it was because he was afraid of getting scratched by an arrow, but because it may also be poisoned tipped.

Virgil was distracted by dodging for long enough that the older assassin managed to hit him in the face with the arm not holding the arrow.

He went down, but he took the older assassin with him, sweeping their legs out from under them. Patton hadn’t noticed (his mind working too slow for how fast they were moving) but they were on a slight incline. They went rolling in a tangle of arms and legs towards the edge of the cliff and skidded to a stop only a few feet away.

Virgil ended up on top, his piece of broken plate in his hands. He moved to slash it across the other assassin’s throat and managed to draw blood, but the assassin’s fist came out to shove at Virgil’s chest at just the right moment, causing the strike to veer off course and slice across the assassin’s cheek instead.

Virgil jerked to the side to avoid a second strike to the chest and went back for another slash. The other assassin rolled to the side as he did and the plate only managed to nick their ear. The point of the motion hadn’t been to dodge, however. They were lunging for the arrow they’d dropped a few feet away while they’d rolled. They grabbed it with their right hand and in the same motion stabbed back behind them towards Virgil.

Virgil rolled to avoid the hit, already slashing up with his plate as the assassin turned back towards him.

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He didn’t hit them this time but his swipe managed to stop them from stabbing him when they tried again. They shoved themselves back to avoid Virgil’s swing, putting a bit of distance between them. Both of them managed to make it to their feet during the momentary reprieve, but both also stayed crouched, eyeing each other.

They both lunged towards each other at the same time. The assassin went for a stab to Virgil’s neck with the arrow, but Virgil was already ducking down. This time, he wasn’t going for a kill shot. He grabbed the assassin’s wrist and at the same time drove his piece of plate into the assassin’s arm, slicing down from the elbow to wrist. The assassin spoke for the first time, cursing in a language Patton didn’t recognize as they were forced to drop their arrow.

Virgil took a moment to kick the arrow away from the assassin and it ended up falling off the cliff.

However, this pause gave the assassin enough time to regroup. Despite their arm bleeding profusely, they still decided to use it to backhand Virgil across the face viciously, leaving a long line of their own blood across his face.

Virgil lunged back forward, but the assassin was able to get a leg between them, kicking Virgil squarely in the chest and sending him flying back a few feet parallel to the cliff’s edge.

The assassin went to grab their bow and another arrow from the quiver still strapped to their shoulder.

Virgil, however, apparently went for another weapon too and he was much faster with a knife than any archer. A knife appeared in his hand, having been strapped to his ankle and was embedded into the assassin’s chest before they could even full remove an arrow from their quiver.

The assassin promptly burst into flames, fire catching their clothes (and from the smell of it their skin) ablaze. Panicked and dying, they stumbled two steps to the side. They stepped directly off the cliff.

There was a second of silence. They heard the sound of the body hitting the ground far below and then the flap of wings and screeching as birds below fled from the startling sound (and possible soon to be forest fire).

…

“Uh, Virgil?” King Thomas said. He had managed to get the blanket off his head at some point. When, Patton didn’t know, but seeing any of it was probably enough.

Oopsie.

[anshumantiwari123]

8 Ways to Secure Your WordPress Site in 2023

With the WordPress software powering more than 28% of the web, it’s safe to say that it’s one of the most popular content management systems around. Despite its popularity, this software isn’t invulnerable to attacks, and you should be aware of how to keep your site secure in 2023 and beyond. To help you out, we’ve compiled 8 of the best tips to help keep your WordPress site safe from attacks and hackers, as well as how to recover from an attack if one does happen. Here they are:

 1) Use strong passwords

Having strong passwords is one of the most important steps when it comes to securing your WordPress site. Your passwords should be a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols dedicated hybrid developers in UK that are at least 8 characters long. You should also avoid using dictionary words or any personal information in your passwords.

 Another way to create a secure password is to use a passphrase instead. This is a long sentence that is easy to remember but hard for someone else to guess. For example, I like to go for walks in the park on weekends. It can be turned into a secure password by using the first letter of each word: Il2gfwiPow.

 It's also important to regularly change your passwords to prevent unauthorized access. You can use a password manager to store and organize your passwords, making it easier to keep track of them. And if you're using shared hosting, make sure to use different passwords for each account.

 Finally, you should use two-factor authentication whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide a one-time code sent via SMS or email in order to gain access. This makes it much harder for hackers to break into your site.

 2) Use a WordPress security plugin

Securing your WordPress website is one of the most important things you can do to protect your online presence. As WordPress continues to evolve, it's becoming increasingly important to make sure your website is secure and protected against potential threats. In 2023, there are a variety of tools and techniques available to help you secure your WordPress website. One of the most powerful and effective ways to secure your WordPress site is to use a security plugin. 

 WordPress security plugins are designed to protect your site from malicious attacks, block spam, and monitor your website for changes. These plugins can also be used to detect and fix security issues, such as unpatched vulnerabilities, weak passwords, and other common security flaws. There are dozens of WordPress security plugins available, so it's important to choose one that best suits your needs.

 Popular WordPress security plugins include Sucuri Security, Wordfence Security, iThemes Security, and All In One WP Security & Firewall. Each of these plugins offer different features and levels of protection. Some plugins provide additional features such as malware scanning, two-factor authentication, and firewall protection. Before selecting a plugin, make sure you read reviews to find one that provides the level of protection you need.

 Once you've chosen a plugin, make sure you install it and configure it properly. Follow all instructions in the documentation, as this will ensure that your plugin is set up correctly and ready to protect your website. Additionally, make sure you keep your plugin updated with the latest security patches, as this will ensure that your website remains secure in the years ahead.

 3) Don't use admin as your username

When it comes to securing your WordPress site in 2023, one of the most important steps you can take is making sure you don't use admin as your username. While this may have been a common practice in the past, hackers know that admin is a default username and are more likely to attempt to hack into your site if they think this is your username.

 Instead, take the time to choose a username that is unique and difficult to guess. Additionally, create a strong password that consists of a mix of letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and special characters. This will help keep your site secure from unauthorized access.

 4) Keep your WordPress site up to date

Keeping your WordPress site up to date is one of the most important steps to keeping it secure in 2023. WordPress regularly releases updates that patch security holes, fix bugs, and make the overall experience better for you and your users.

 The first step to ensuring that your WordPress site is always up-to-date is to make sure you have the latest version of WordPress installed. You can check this by logging into your WordPress dashboard and looking at the update message at the top. If an update is available, make sure to click the Update Now button to update WordPress.

 It’s also important to keep all of your themes and plugins updated as well. You should always double check with the developer before updating any plugins or themes, as some updates may introduce compatibility issues.

 You should also create a backup of your site before making any updates, just in case something goes wrong. Finally, be sure to set up automatic backups so that if anything happens, you can easily restore your site back to a working state. 

 5) Use a security scanner

There are many security scanners available for WordPress sites. Some of the most popular ones are WordFence, Sucuri, and WebARX. Each scanner has its own set of features and capabilities, so it’s important to research which one is best for your particular site.

 The process for using a security scanner is straightforward. First, you’ll need to install the scanner on your WordPress site. Once installed, the scanner will automatically begin scanning your site for any potential vulnerabilities or malicious code. Depending on the scanner, you may be able to configure certain settings to fine-tune your scans.

 Once the scan is complete, the scanner will provide you with a report detailing any vulnerabilities or malicious code it found. This information can help you address any security issues quickly and effectively, reducing the chances of a successful attack on your site.

 Using a security scanner is an important part of protecting your WordPress site. Make sure to choose one that offers the features and capabilities you need, and regularly run scans to make sure your site is as secure as possible.

 6) Limit login attempts

If you want to protect your WordPress site from malicious attacks, one of the best ways to do so is to limit the number of login attempts that can be made to your website. By limiting the number of attempts a user can make, you can prevent hackers from trying to guess your passwords and gain unauthorized access to your website.

 Fortunately, there are several ways you can limit login attempts in WordPress. First, you can install a plugin such as Login Lockdown or Limit Login Attempts. These plugins will help you set a maximum number of login attempts for each user, as well as set a time delay between each login attempt. This will make it difficult for attackers to guess your password or gain access to your website.

 In addition, you can also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all users on your website. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to enter a unique code sent to their mobile device or email address before they can log in. This helps to keep your website safe from unauthorized access.

 You should always make sure that your WordPress site is running the latest version of WordPress. Security patches are regularly released by the WordPress team in order to protect your website against the latest vulnerabilities. Keeping your website updated will help ensure that your site is as secure as possible.

 7) Block IP addresses that show suspicious activity

If you're running a WordPress site, it's important to take steps to secure your site from malicious actors. One of the best ways to protect your site is to block IP addresses that show suspicious activity. By blocking these IP addresses, you can prevent malicious attackers from accessing your website and stealing sensitive data.

 To get started, you'll need to identify any suspicious IP addresses that are accessing your site. You can use tools such as WhoisXML API or Google Analytics to find out which IP addresses are accessing your site and what type of activities they are engaging in. Once you have identified suspicious IP addresses, you can add them to your firewall so that they cannot access your site.

 It's also a good idea to regularly check for new suspicious IP addresses and add them to your firewall as soon as possible. This will help ensure that your site remains safe and secure from malicious attackers.

 8) Don't store sensitive data on your WordPress site

 One of the best ways to do this is to avoid storing any sensitive information directly on your WordPress site. This includes financial information, passwords, customer information, and even  dedicated hybrid developers in USA proprietary data. Even if the data is encrypted, there's no guarantee that it won't be stolen if it's stored on your WordPress site. 

 Instead of storing this type of information on your site, you should consider using a third-party service that specializes in secure data storage. These services offer secure storage options and will often use encryption protocols as an added layer of security. Additionally, they often provide additional features such as backups and user authentication, allowing you to protect your data even further.

 By utilizing a secure third-party data storage service, you can rest assured knowing that your sensitive data is safely stored away from your WordPress site. This is an important step to ensure your site remains secure and protected in the years to come.

 Final Thoughts

It is essential to take steps to protect your WordPress site from security threats. By following the steps outlined above, you can increase the security of your WordPress site in 2023 and beyond. 

 It is also important to remember that security threats are constantly evolving. It is necessary to stay up-to-date on the latest security trends and vulnerabilities and take proactive steps to safeguard your WordPress site against them.

 In addition, it is beneficial to backup your WordPress site regularly and to use a reliable web hosting service. This will help to minimize the risk of data loss or malicious attacks, as well as provide access to additional security measures.

 Overall, there are many ways to protect your WordPress site from security threats in 2023 and beyond. Taking the time to understand the potential risks and implementing the proper security measures can help ensure that your website remains safe and secure.

[hitaka5ever]

Artist Ask Game by I-Like-eyes in answered meme format

1. Art programs you have but don't use: MS Paint, CSP, and Corel Paintshop Pro 2022

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even): Left

3. What ideas came from when you were little: Flowers

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw: Full bodies

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself: Keep most to myself due to them being quick doodles on paper (also I'm too lazy to make scans of them all since there's several pages)

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it): idk

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate: all traditional mediums

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in: Comics

9. What are your file name conventions

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw: Haven't drawn any yet, but I think hoodies would be my fave

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what: Yes, music that I'm interested in at the time (I repeat songs a lot)

12. Easiest part of body to draw: Paws

13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing: No idea

14. Any favorite motifs: No

15. *Where* do you draw (don't drop your ip address this just means do you doodle at a park or smth): At home

16. Something you are good at but don't really have fun doing: Nothing at the moment. Still learning things

17. Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what: Yes, water or soda

18. An estimate of how much art supplies you've broken: Lots of pencils and some brushes

19. Favorite inanimate objects to draw (food, nature, etc.): Basic shapes, idk why

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy: Nothing

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways: Chibis, anime, edgy

22. What physical exercises do you do before drawing, if any: None. I know, bad me

23. Do you use different layer modes: Mainly just Multiply for shading

24. Do your references include stock images: Yes

25. Something your art has been compared to that you were NOT inspired by: Nothing

26. What's a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended: Haven't had a full blown piece before, so idk

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with: I don't, I tend to doodle a lot though

28. Any art events you have participated in the past (like zines): Art Fight for a few years. I'd love to make a coloring book

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically: Anime, traditional painting

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated: Most of my art is underrated, but if I had to pick, this one:

OP by @i-like-eyes: https://www.tumblr.com/i-like-eyes/691234003105234944/weirdly-specific-artist-ask-game

[buddiestonki]

Serif photo plus 8

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The software works with most of the common computer operating systems. This graphics tool allows users to make professional looking corrections, which gives your photographs an impressive 3D effect. The program also has a complete set of standard tools for retouching photos, including Brush Strokes, Highlights, Drop shadows, Radial gradient, and Alpha Masking. NO OTHER WARRANTIES Except for the above express limited warranties, Serif and its suppliers make and licensee receives no warranties or conditions, or terms, express, implied, statutory, or in any communication with licensee. Serif Draw Plus has many advanced features, including one-touch operation from a desktop or portable device. You can also convert clipart to solid colors and manage your clip arts library, saving a considerable amount of memory. When it comes to optimizing performance, Serif PhotoPlus provides superior results and excellent color accuracy. You can easily edit them in layers and then merge them together, saving you time and money.

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I clearly understand this is a smart and responsible business decision, but typically, companies I have dealt with provide an upgrade path (at a cost of course) so I am surprised and disappointed. With the help of Microsoft Office tools and a WYSIWYG editor like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, you can make effective, high-quality vector graphics. I anxiously await the notification that Serif is no longer providing updates and thereafter is no longer going to support PhotoPlus and DrawPlus.

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To fix an irritating photograph, just download Serif PhotoPlus, install the software, and start fixing. It makes use of an advanced artificial intelligence that restores the original picture after applying a variety of image enhancements, filters, and special effects. It fixes damaged, corrupted, or missing pictures in your computer.

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Now check email in-box,you receive a registration key form serif.Serif PhotoPlus Starter Edition software is a powerful and flexible photo editing software designed for use with Windows operating systems.

Now you will be forwarded to account creation page,enter required fields inthe form and click continue button.

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Ĭoming today’s free offer,this offer is set by Computeractive magazine which will give you £60 or $ 95 worth Serif Photoplus 9 Full version License for free. Previously we shared a promo for Ashampoo Sideshow studio HD,that promo is some what weird and the promo is not working, so we are saying sorry for that.

[justfivestar]

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 install#

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Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 upgrade#

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Imagine having a full room of professional synthesizers, dozens of audio effects, and over two thousand professional loops and sound effects a.

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 pro#

Mixcraft enables you to record audio, arrange loops, remix tracks, compose.Īcoustica Mixcraft 8 Pro Key, Mixcraft 8. Acoustica Mixcraft Home Studio 7Mixcraft Home Studio 7 music recording software instantly turns your computer into a fully stocked music recording studio. With 6 additional virtual instruments and 28 additional effects, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio features over $1250.Īcoustica Mixcraft 8 Pro Key, Mixcraft 8.1 Keygen.Īcoustica Mixcraft 6 - Keygen + Crack + Instruction. Seeders, leechers and torrent status is updated everyday. What is your most interesting problem to work on? How do you get the right people on board? What will it cost you? What will it cost you not to get this right? How will you measure success or failure? What business issues will be impacted by the technology and skills changes? What are the skills the business needs that you do not have? How do you know that? What skills do you need the most? Do those skills need to be augmented by people who have them? What Is Your Talent? What Are Your Layers? How do you inspire them to rise to the challenge? Incentivize them. What is your most important and most valued asset? You. Here are a few of the business issues and questions to consider for a successful migration:įully integrated? No. Consequently, an enterprise P/S migration is not a day-to-day affair, but happens once in a lifetime. It is an event that, for a long time, is thought to be less than 1% of an employee’s total life experiences. This website is a decent starting point.Įnterprise P/S Migration Issues – A Predictive and Preventive ApproachĪs my colleague, Jay Banker, noted in his recent article, a personal P/S migration to the enterprise is by far the most complex of an employee’s life. It can analyse entire hashes, one at a time or in parallel.įor a beginner, Hashcat can be a bit daunting. Mixcraft Artist Spotlight: Rain Absolute.

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 upgrade#

Hashcat can look for known passwords or unknown passwords. Go Pro with Unprecedented Deals for a Limited Time Upgrade to Mixcraft 9 Pro Studio at a huge discount for a limited time Up to 90 off through August 15th Read More. Hashcat is a tool for brute-force attacks. If I am not mistaken, it is most likely that the password is encrypted with Blowfish or another symmetric algorithm. Mixcraft plugins 1.png (377.34 KiB) Viewed 3923 times mixcraft plugins 2.png (356.03 KiB) Viewed 3923 times mixcraft plugins 3.png (239.In order to crack the password you will need to identify the encryption algorithm the password is encrypted with. I have all the vst plugin folders listed in the Plugins list in Preferences. I assume the "圆4.dll" refers to the vst3 file. But if I close Mixcraft and re-open it, it's gone. And there, it seems, is the ssl comp mono & stereo non-vst3 plugin. If I drag this file: WaveShell2-VST 12.1_圆4.dll, an application extension, not the vst file (see pic 3), then all the non-vst3 plugins load in the plugin fx list, underneath, or after, the regular vst list. Do you know where it's located? I've contacted Waves once about this, thought I had the answer, but didn't. I scanned my C drive for all vst2 files and found no waves ssl file.

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 install#

You click install and it just does it and say it's done, which is unfortunate. Sorry I missed your reply! No, the Waves Central install procedure gives no options. Thanks for clarifying and I appreciate yours and the whole Acoustica team's effort in fixing problems. Could you re-test and confirm your findings please?Īnd of course, if anyone else reading this has this plug-in, additional results would be helpful.

Acoustica mixcraft home studio 7 update#

I intend to test further and update an existing bug log on my findings as well. I think it worked at some point in an earlier beta test version of MX9, but I am not certain and have no way of going back and testing as I have deleted those versions some time ago to regain drive space.īut if I use the mono version, it seems to function as expected, and it seems to me the output is still stereo. I have observed that the stereo version currently does not work in the latest build(s). The reason I asked the specific question was an effort to confirm my own findings on this plug in. Waves plug-ins specifically seem to have a few titles that present some problems, and the Acoustica team has been communicating with the Waves team in an effort to sort some of this out at times. Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software. Trouble is, its sometimes different for different users systems. We have seen a few odd problems where certain specific plug ins behave oddly. I am a long time user and have been on the beta team for the last several versions.