#i made this mod in like. may. and i just never released it

[jane-trademark]

decided to go back and finally release the belle mod i made when ring racers came out so other people actually have the opportunity to use it!! have fun!!!!

[greenplumbboblover]

Simblr.cc

I made a website!

Now you've probably seen the attempt before, people getting mad at tumblr and then making a 'Simblr' (Tumblr clone). Though, despite tumblr being sometimes a bit frustrating because of their changes, that's not why this site came to be...

I wanted a place where Storytellers, Creators, and just generic sim players can all be together and get the exposure and fun that they deserve.

Not only that, but also for a place where the TSM community and TS1 can belong somewhere too without the use of a forum.

And eventually, I hope we can make it the home for Life by you and Paralives when that comes out :)

Plus, it's also NSFW friendly! While the site is initially PG-13, we've got tags and profile settings that allow you to browse NSFW items as well.

Simblr.cc:

Discord:

What can I find on Simblr.cc exactly?

Anything for all sims games, really! TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4 and TSM

Practically anything you technically can find on Tumblr and really other sim websites. We've got...

Mods

I've specifically made filters for different games, and their needs in mind. For example, for TS2 there are so many awesome game fixes out there and clean templates, that you'll be able to navigate and find this easily.

Not only that, items can also be put in multiple categories! Especially great if you've uploaded a set!

You can also find Testers wanted only mods here if you feel like helping out fellow simmers with testing!

NOTE:

Mods do go through a "queue", but not in the same way as you may have experienced on MTS or TSR. I merely check if it's flagged as NSFW correctly, and then it's good to go! :) So the waiting time will be much less!

See TOU: Click me!

Eventually, I may see if I can get a bypass system in place, but that really depends on if NSFW isn't too confusing.

Work In Progress

To show off your work to others! Even if it's project #94882 that may never get released, any WIPS are fine!

Stories

It's really difficult to find new Sim stories or Legacies on Tumblr, let alone for these writers to get people to read their awesome stories! Hopefully this should make the process much easier now!

Also! You got any comic or "movie/cinematic" like stories? No problem! Just check the "carousel only" option, so no description needed!

Feed

... and for the Simblrs here, a feed to see all the people you follow, their content (stories, WIPs, mods and general posts)! Or, simply check out sitewide, or even game-related, what people have been posting!

Customizable profile pages

Just like tumblr, you can make your own profile page! With it's own colours and a pre-made theme. (if you need a different profile page, though, Let us know on the discord)

Want a peek? Here you go:

What about moderation?

While there's a report system in place, and the items in the queue are checked for NSFW, but users could still turn their non-NSFW to a NSFW, items may be stolen. So do report these as that will never be condoned!

Additionally, all comments you get on your mods, story, etc. Those are primarily moderated by you. You can delete them, you can turn comments off even if you'd like. If things really go wrong, you can always ask an admin.

Got any ideas? Feel free to share!

Since I really wanted it to be a website we all create together in some degree, if you have any features you're missing or would like to see, feel free to share on the discord!

Where are the Advertisements?

If you're currently not seeing them as of reading the post, that's because that's still being set up. This is merely to cover the cost of the website! Though, I promise you I won't bombard the site with ads, as that's just annoying.

[moonlight-tmd]

Bumblebee having an electric ability without mods and he’s just never told his team because outliers weren’t always seen as good & so he never uses it publicly.

One day his stingers get yanked out and his team is hurt and so he HAS to use it.

He hasn’t used it in so long he forgot how powerful it could be and accidentally knocked out himself and the threat and his team because he lost control.

Blitzbee - he hints at it to Blitz because decepticons were more open about outliers & one day he shows blitz who helps him learn how to control it.

Prowlbee - Bee doesn’t give a single hint and prowl is so hurt bee didn’t feel he could trust him but he understands because he’s seen what outliers went through and Ratchet is so hurt because his grandson ( self declared ) didn’t slip him the outlier info off record while Optimus is such a mom and worrying for bee.

Bulkhead figured it out when he saw bee get electrocuted one day on Earth but didn’t even seem phased beyond surprised and just brushed it off.

Ok i kinda don't know what you're on about but i think i see it?

To simplify: Bee can manipulate electricity as a feat, just like Icy and Hotheat can control Ice/Fire respectively. And those that can do that are basically outcasted from society for being a threat/different.

Bee may have been forged defected but lemme tell ya, those wiring mishaps actually made him tougher to crack. The electricity just didn't flow right like with normal bots therefore he couldn't really take shock damage. He'd withstand high voltages with almost no harm.

Of course, being the street-raised bot he knew the risks of standing out so he tried his best to hide it. I think he might have accidentally electrocuted someone to death when he was a fresh runaway from the carequarters. He never knew they died, just that one moment someone was trying to hurt him and the next they were laying on the ground motionless and he ran as fast as he could.

He knew electricity could hurt so he tried his best to pretend being hurt whenever something zapped him. It was tough getting around trying not to zap anything but once he got the stingers from Ratchet the uncotrolled zapping was slightly more controlled as it had actual output designed to release electric charges.

Team Prime- Bee never told them about his little stunt ability, he thought they would look at him differently if he ever did.

One time some 'con ripped out his stingers and crushed them, Team Prime barely got to Bee to defend him. Ratchet had a lot of fixing to do so Bee was left defenceless for a while. One time when he and some other bot from the team were helping out some citizen, Constructicons wanted to have fun and came to wreck them. It was a close call and the rest of the team got there in time to fight... but something went wrong and the bad guys had advantage after advantage. At some point they were about to finish off Prowl when Bee came out of the forced hiding and latched onto the 'con before letting out the highest voltage electroshock he could muster. Of course it barely missed his teammates as chain reaction went off and knocked out half of the cons and damaged the rest. Somehow they managed to scramble and run away with the carcasses of their unconscious fellas, leaving Team Prime in quite literal shock of what happened.

Optimus was the first to be at Bee's side after noticing the scout laying motionless on the ground. He tried to reach and shake him awake but the moment his servo got close a leftover jolt of electricity zapped him hard, leaving a half-scorched mark.

Bee wakes up in medbay after few hours and is greeted by very worried Team. They ask him about what the heck happened back there and Bee avoids answering until Ratchet yells at him to tell them because it's important (and from that high voltage technically he should be dead lol).

Bee is visibly nervous but gives in and tells them. "So you know how Blitzwing can manipulate ice 'nd fire?"

"Yes- what does that have to do with this??"

"Well,... I can kinda do the same but- with electricity?"

And then he shows them a trick he learned to entertain himself- just making little electric sparks between his servos- when they ask to explain. Now onto reactions-

Optimus: He's still recovering from having his servo temporarily disabled by the leftover discharge, he's very much surprised and then concerned that Bee never told them- he worries about Bee's wellbeing as well as this being a possible threat for everyone if Bee doesn't get full control over it.

Ratchet: Honestly he shouldn't be surprised, the kid had so many electrocuting accidents that ended in no damages he should have connected the dots already. He just wishes the kid would have told him something about it to spare so many hours half-paranoid over how this mech still works after so many stunts that should have killed him.

Bulkhead: Bee told him about nearly everything except the super personal stuff like trauma. He's a little hurt for the lack of trust from his best friend but still finds it cool that Bee has such neat ability.

Sari: She is so heckin happy- Bee can do cool shit and make electronics do his bidding(kinda)! That's so cool! She does get a little spooked if she's too close to said electricity cuz she's been taught about the dangerous side of it.

Prowl: He's very much surprised cuz he didn't think someone else on the team possesed a unique ability like him (the whole hologram duplication and weird telekinesis thing, ex: turning stasis cuffs/electric locks off). He'll be glad to help Bee learn to control this ability. If ProwlBee: Prowl would still be surprised but he'd also be disappointed that Bee never told him when Prowl himself was pretty open about having his unique ability. He understands why Bee might have felt like he shouldn't say anything but he still feels that little bit of hurt inside.

If BlitzBee: Blitz learns about it before the event. Icy was showing him fun ways to play with ice and frost and Bee was so amazed by it he accidentally mentioned wishing he'd be able to do that with his element. Bee was shy about it when Blitzwing asked but he eventually showed him the little entertaining trick i mentioned earlier. It wasn't anything spectacular, he tried his best to keep it as low as possible to not get it out of control, but Blitz was still amazed and excited that his hummel could do something similar to his powers. Of course he teaches Bee how to manipulate element and they have some fun.

I think after the fact Bee can manipulate electricity is out in the open, Bee will definitelly pull some pranks on the others like messing with the lights or turning on/off some non-important machines to annoy them.

It would also make them aware of why the fuck Bee has so much energy all the time- the scout keeps his battery up by touching electronics, he unawarily charges himself via other stuff's batteries/outlet connections. (This explains why his switch/controller keeps dying so soon, huh.)

After being taught how to control his ability he defo drains certain stuff on purpose like, he'd drain stasis cuffs off their power and switch off the forcefield cell the 'cons put him in to hold hostage. Heck he might even drain them off energy if he sticks to them long enough and gets them passed out on the ground. It's also a good way to make someone go to berth when they can't recharge- drain them low enough to enforce the recharge protocol.

Ngl, that kinda sounds like energetic vampire but Bee's all for it. He likes the joke and keeps the play up quite well whenever someone mentions his ability.

[orangeblossoms7]

Addressing a Few Things (hopefully for the last time)

Please don't look down on creators who make 'decorative things and texture packs.' Just because my mods are mostly cosmetic doesn't mean they're any less valuable than the 'mechanical value' you're talking about. We may not know each other, but with the disrespect you're showing to aesthetic creators, I sincerely hope we never meet.

The screenshots are from the SDV Discord server.

Maybe leaving Nexus was a really good idea because of people like these. 🥲 Thanks to the one who spoke up for me though! 🥹

For the record, while my Ko-fi shop items and Patreon download links are marked 'members-only,' I've clearly included a link directing followers and free members to my CurseForge profile where the mods are also available. See below:

'|⬇| FREE DOWNLOAD' is there in capital letters. The same is true for all of my 'public release' mods.

You can see that almost all of my mods are in this new site.

'DOWNLOAD MY MODS HERE' is highlighted in bold, capital letters in my pinned post.

On my about page, 'FREE DOWNLOADS HERE' is also highlighted in bold, capital letters.

I initially marked my Ko-fi and Patreon mods as for 'everyone,' but later decided to change them to 'members-only'. To offset this "inconvenience", I made sneak peeks and polls of my 'to-be-public' mods free for all, as communicated in my welcome post below:

The same is also written in my Patreon welcome note.

It's frustrating to be reproached and get derisive comments for wanting compensation for my work when others literally do the same with commissions. I'm not even one of those modders who paywall sneak peeks and then upload the finished mod on ad-heavy, pop-up-heavy sites where they earn revenue.

Regarding the limited-time mod (like my September 2024 Milk Door), it's simply a fun bonus for my members—a way to thank them for supporting me all this time... and still being there for me all throughout the bad times I've experienced at Nexus and the SDV community there. I didn't think it would be an issue since it's a tiny little mod that won't even impact anyone's gameplay except for roleplaying(?) purposes of having a milkman deliver milk to your milk door...

I'm trying to balance 'members-only' and 'free for all' mods without making anyone feel left out. Admittedly, some of my mods are for members only (around 8) but I think the amount of free mods (34 to be exact) I've already shared with everyone offsets this "imbalance."

(I'm not trying to hold this over anyone, but I'm adding this little disclaimer just in case someone tries to twist my words.)

If you disagree with how I do things, feel free to unfollow. I'm gonna be sad to see you go because of this, but if you feel uncomfortable, then I understand. My content and rules may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. If waiting to download my mods for free isn’t for you, I suggest exploring other modders.

As for those who are still here despite everything else, you have my eternal gratitude. Always. ♥︎♡♥︎

love,

🍊🌸

[imoenhatesthis]

Lily Orchard and Imoen: Is the Mod Popular?

So unfortunately, Lily Orchard talks about the Imoen Romance mod in her 'Addressing Allegations' video (starting at 39:31, ending at 41:13) in regards to Courtney, whose made allegations against Lily you can hear for yourself here. Please heed the trigger warnings in both videos, though I won't be going in-depth here.

In this video, Lily describes that Gorion's Ward and Imoen are "the best of friends whose closeness borders on romantic at times...", (40:13) who discover being siblings in BGII. That isn't true but whatever, I'm not here to talk about the game itself. After going through her other sister OCs, she ends by going, "[I] talked about one of the most infamous and positively received mods for one of the most popular RPGs ever made," (41:05) end quote, so clearly this doesn't have anything to do with the real life allegations.

Two issues: One is that this is a deflection that does not address Courtney's allegations at all, or why she would find the fascination with those characters suspect. But the second is that this idea that the mod is popular and well-loved is just not true, and I'm going to spend time arguing against. If anything, how decidedly unpopular it is says that Lily is the one actively seeking out this content.

So why didn't Lily show proof about the mod's popularity in her debunking video? Maybe include a positive review? Well...

There was once a forum dedicated to the mod, populated only by people who'd want to play this kind of thing. So, if Lily is remembering this forum, that information is going to be skewed one way with any negative reviews chased out. It's long gone now, so I can't pull numbers. Instead, I'll be using general forum spaces that are probably the most popular with general BG fans, Beamdog and Reddit.

On the official EE mod release thread on the Beamdog forum... the total combination of posts from the author/coder and players only total 30 pages, with posts as recent as this month. 25 posts a page equals 750 posts altogether from across 10 years, though the most recent page is just 1 post, so 726. If we're SUPER charitable and say that's about 700 people playing and posting there throughout 10 years, not including mod authors, that's a minuscule audience. Especially when the original BGII game sold about 2 million copies, as well as Steam estimated selling about a million copies of the Steam release of the Enhanced Edition. Let's say the old deleted forum had about 1 thousand, maybe 2 thousand members, let's say there may be 10,000 downloads of the mod--that's still such a small percentage as to not matter. Definitely not enough to call it popular in the community.

Googling for lists of the best mods for BGII will bring up mods for the UI, general tweaks, difficulty, visuals, and portraits/voices. Especially portraits, people really like portrait mods. Sometimes the BG1 NPC Project is mentioned (which has it's own controversies, it's just probably the most talked about of any of these), but all of these will come long before a mention of NPC mods. So, NPC mods, especially romantic ones, are a niche of a niche.

On a few forums where I do see someone recommend the Imoen Romance as a "required mod"... most of the time they get a negative response.

(Source)

(Source)

Just straight Googling Imoen Romance mod or mod reviews will bring up forums with pages in the single digits, with general discussion devoted to "Is this incest?" questions. It's impossible to go onto any forum post about the romance without at least one person weirded out by it's existence. So, there's at least a variety of opinions on the mod, it's not overwhelmingly positive.

But fine, that's general forums. What about BG mod reviewers? ONCE AGAIN, never ever reach out to these people.

Lily uses the Smoldering Mod Bar's review of Saerilith Romance to condemn that specific mod for its bad writing and taboo themes. It sure would be something if the mod reviewer also had a negative view on Imoen Romance...Oh wait:

(Source)

Okay, well, let's look at positive reviews instead. Lily has also quoted a Beamdog forum review to defend her views on the mod:

(Source)

Why didn't Lily link to the review in question? It would prove to everyone people love her favorite mod just as much as she does, right? Well, I can link it below:

(Source; scored on a 5/5 scale)

Oh, that's not quite as positive as she'd have you believe. Still liked it, but not quite to the level Lily does.

Here's another Beamdog mod reviewer making similar negative points, despite overall loving the mod:

(Source) Even reviewers who champion the mod as great can point out "Wow, this talks about incest quite a lot in a way it didn't even have to." And about it's other flaws too, things Lily never does.

I'm not saying NO ONE thinks the mod is good or that no one has ever mentioned it. I included positive reviews for a reason.

The issue is lying about how popular and well-liked the mod is in order to paint her sister as a crazy obsessed stalker whose just overreading into things. Especially saying this in a video about those allegations, and especially after saying the Gorion's Ward and Imoen are "romantic at times" all in the same breath. Putting ANY lie in this specific video is a serious stain on the credibility of Lily, thus it's important to call it out.

[jrob64]

Ghosted

Chapter 3 - Plans

So, it appears this story will wind up being 4 chapters long. The final chapter is in the midst of being written.

Fair warning - this chapter also has some rather intense scenes, so if the previous chapter threatened to give you nightmares, as some of you commented (and of which I'm secretly proud), don't read it just before going to sleep!

A huge thank you to my beta @hookedmom, who looked this over despite having just gone through emergency eye surgery for a torn retina. Please send her your thoughts and prayers for a quick and complete recovery. I can't thank @kmomof4 & @motherkatereloyshipper enough for the wonderful pic set. And of course, the mods of @cssns for having this great event.

Please continue to forgive me for any errors pertaining to ghost hunting and being a YouTuber.

Story Summary: When Emma Swan’s ex-boyfriend dies, she’s haunted by his ghost. Her neighbor, Killian Jones, a ghost hunter who has a YouTube channel, realizes what’s happening and offers to help. However, there’s more at stake than simply helping the apparition move on. There’s also the matter of Killian telling Emma he’s in love with her. 

Rating: T (subject to change)

Words (Chapter 3): 8542

Previous chapters on Tumblr: Ch. 1 Ch. 2

Also posted to Ao3 and ffn

*********

Belle put her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, while a grim-faced Killian rubbed his hands up and down Emma’s biceps in an attempt to soothe her. Will said bluntly what they were all thinking. “The bloody bastard thinks you’re his and wants to drag you to hell with him?”

Emma looked up at Killian, tears shining in her eyes. “Can he do that? Is it possible?”

“No, Love,” he assured her. “Those movies where you see people being pulled kicking and screaming to the Underworld aren’t factual. He may keep haunting you, but he can’t physically take you somewhere against your will.” He looked at Belle and Will. “I think we’ve all had enough for today. I’m going to walk Emma back to her apartment.”

“We’ll clear things away here while you do that, won’t we, Belle?” Will stated.

She nodded her agreement and rose from her chair, moving to where Emma was slowly standing up, too. Taking her hands, Belle said, “Try not to worry about anything, Emma. These guys are good at what they do and I have no doubt that, in time, they’ll be able to get Neal to move on.” Then she wrapped her arms around the other woman in a warm hug.

“Thanks,” Emma murmured, blinking back the tears threatening to fall. When Belle released her, she turned to Will and said, “And thank you, Will.”

“Yer welcome,” he replied, giving her a quick hug, too. “Like Belle said, don’t you worry ‘bout that git. Me and Kil, we’ll take care of him once and for all. Ain’t that right, Kil?”

“Aye,” Killian said softly, intertwining his fingers with Emma’s. “All you have to do is trust us and give us some time.”

Emma sighed. “I hope it doesn’t take too long. I’m ready to get back to my boring, ghost-free life.”

Killian kept hold of her hand to lead her out of the room. Once they left his apartment, they meandered to her door, neither in a hurry to get there. Coming to a halt, he turned and faced her. “Are you going to be alright?”

She shrugged ever so slightly. “Until he’s gone, I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder and thinking I hear something. This whole ordeal has made me paranoid and I hate it.”

Nodding in understanding, he said, “I know, and I wish there was more I could do to help you.”

“You’re doing all you can and I truly appreciate it. I guess it pays to have a ghost hunter as a friend, huh?” she said, managing to give him a small smile.

He took a step closer, reaching up to brush some hair over her shoulder. “As I said before, I’m here for you, Emma - day or night. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need me, okay?”

“You might regret that offer.”

“Never. I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t ready to follow up on it.”

Her lips ticked up in another hint of a smile, then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Killian.”

Holding her tightly, he rested his cheek against her silky hair. Having Emma Swan in his arms was something he had longed to do, so he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, despite how much he hated the circumstances.

After several long, comforting moments, Emma pulled away, looking up to give him one more grateful smile, before turning and going into her apartment. Killian stood staring at the closed door for a while, breathing a prayer that she would have a long period of respite from the imbecile who had made her life miserable for far too long.

*********

Belle and Will were ready to walk out the door when he returned to his apartment. He bid them goodbye, taking note of how Will slung his arm across Belle’s shoulders as they walked down the hallway.

He knew from experience that going straight to bed following a lengthy review of everything they collected during an all-nighter, wouldn’t result in him being able to fall asleep. Instead, he went through his regular routine of getting something to eat, taking a long, hot shower, and making himself comfortable in loose sleep pants and a well-worn T-shirt. Then he settled into bed on his side, flipping through the pages of a magazine he kept on his nightstand.

His eyelids were just starting to droop, when he felt a familiar sensation. “Liam? Are you there?” he called out.

Sure enough, the apparition of his brother appeared in front of him. “Aye, little brother. I’m here.”

Killian opted to ignore the moniker that irritated him so much. “I was just about to go to sleep. We had an all-nighter at Emma’s apartment last night. Her ex-boyfriend provided us with a lot of stuff to analyze. He’s definitely haunting her, and get this - from what we deciphered, he’s determined to take her with him into the afterlife.”

Liam chuckled. “He hasn’t figured out it isn’t possible, huh?”

“He’s still an idiot,” Killian sighed. “And I hate the effect he’s having on her. Hated it while he was alive and hate it now that he’s…”

“Dead,” Liam finished for him. “You can say the word, you know. It’s not going to bother me. I’m well aware of my state of being.”

“I know, but I’d rather not think of you like that.”

“Killian,” Liam began, and Killian knew what his brother was about to say was serious. He rarely addressed him by his given name. It was almost always ‘Killy’ or ‘little brother’. “You know the day is going to come when I’m no longer with you. I’m going to have to…”

“We don’t need to talk about that,” Killian interrupted.

“Well, it’s going to happen, whether you want to face it or not. May I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why are you afraid of me moving on?”

“I’m not afraid,” Killian said indignantly. “I just…I don’t want to be left all alone.”

“You wouldn’t be alone. You have Will and that lovely lass, Belle…”

“Friends aren’t the same as family.”

“What about Emma?”

“What about her?” Killian hedged.

“If you were to marry her, she would be your family.”

Killian flopped back onto his pillow, hands over his face. “Not this again,” he said, voice muffled. “Why are you so insistent I ask her out?”

“Because I want to know you’re happy before I move on.”

“I’m not unhappy with my life,” Killian defended.

“I never thought my brother would grow up to be a coward,” Liam said.

Killian whipped his hands away from his face and sat up. “I’m not a coward! I have good reasons for not asking her out.”

“Excuses, you mean. You forget that I saw how upset you were every time she went out with someone, and how it tore you apart when she started seriously dating that guy, Neal. She’s a beautiful, fetching woman. Do you think she’s going to remain available until you finally get up the nerve to ask her out yourself?”

Killian didn’t answer, his head bowed and jaw ticking.

“Listen, little brother, I didn’t mean to upset you. You know I love you and only want the best for you. I don’t want to move on without knowing you’re going to be okay.”

“Then don’t move on.”

“Is that one of your excuses for not asking Emma out? You’re afraid I’ll move on?”

Killian looked up at his brother’s translucent form. “That’s your unfinished business, isn’t it? Making sure I have someone here to love so I won’t be alone. That’s why you‘ve pushed me so hard to ask Emma out.”

“Took you long enough to figure it out,” Liam said, his voice fading as it always did before he disappeared. “You might not want me to go, but you need to live your life among the living, not hanging on to me. Think about that. I’ll see you soon, Killy. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Liam.”

Despite having gone through his established routine, it still took Killian a couple of hours to fall asleep after Liam left, his words ringing in Killian’s ears.

********

For the next three days and nights, there was no paranormal activity, allowing Emma to have restful sleep. Ruby informed her that the crime lords’ house of cards came tumbling down, and included a prominent judge, who was discovered to have planted a guard in the prison to take Neal out. There were several arrests and it appeared that Neal’s death helped put numerous dangerous people behind bars.

Emma began to hope that Neal’s unfinished business was to see justice done to those who were responsible for his death, and then he moved on. She informed Killian about everything that had happened, enabling him to join her in hoping her encounters with Neal were over.

Everything was beginning to feel almost back to normal, when the nightmares began again. Two nights of feeling as if she was being suffocated left her anxious and exhausted. After the second night, she texted Killian.

E: I thought the nightmares were over, but they came back. I had them for the last two nights.

His response was almost instantaneous.

K: We can do another all-nighter and try to talk to him again, if that’s alright with you.

E: I’ll do anything to get him to leave me alone.

Killian and Will set up the equipment again and were able to capture more light anomalies, evidence of an apparition in Emma’s bedroom and more words on the spirit box which sounded like he kept repeating ‘you’re…mine.’ Killian tried for over an hour to get the spirit to answer questions on the flux, to no avail.

When Emma sent another text stating that nothing changed, Killian and Will set up and ran the equipment for a third time a few nights later. When they arrived at Emma’s apartment to prepare everything, Killian was taken aback at her appearance. Her complexion was sallow, her hair limp and lifeless. Her usually sparkling eyes were sunken and dull, and she told Killian and Will she had taken sick days the last two evenings because she didn’t have the energy to work.

In the midst of them setting up, Emma left to use the bathroom. “I hate to say it, boss, but she looks bad,” Will whispered.

“Aye, she does. We’ve got to get Neal to move on before he completely wears her down.”

“D’ya think that’s what he’s tryin’ to do? Keep comin’ to her in her nightmares to drain her life force, like ghosts sometimes drain batteries?”

Killian’s eyes shot up to meet his assistant’s. “Bloody hell! I think you could be right, Will. I think his intention might be trying to make her so sick she dies, so he can take her with him!”

“Just like he said he’s gonna do,” Will spat disgustedly. “Are ya gonna tell her?”

Killian pondered the question, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “I don’t think so. She’s almost ready to break as it is. Knowing our theory about what he’s trying to do might just send her over the edge. We’ve got to give it our best shot tonight to get him to move on. If we’re not successful…”

“We have to be,” Will said decisively.

That night, it was nearly two AM before Emma finally fell into a fitful sleep. Killian was ready with the flux response device as soon as signs of Neal’s appearance were seen and heard through their monitors.

He entered her bedroom, his heart nearly shattering when he saw how she was thrashing about in her sleep, a look of desperate fright on her face. Setting the device on the nightstand with hands that were trembling with rage, he once again knelt beside the bed and began asking questions.

“Are you Neal Cassidy?”

There was a long pause. Just when he thought he wasn’t going to get an answer, the green light glowed.

“Do you know you are dead?” Green light.

“Do you know how you died?” Green light.

“Do you still have unfinished business?” Green light.

“Once you’ve completed your unfinished business, will you move on to your eternal home?”

He waited several minutes before asking the question again. As soon as he did, the green light flicked on.

“Is your unfinished business getting justice for your death?” Red light.

“Is it saying goodbye to your loved ones?” Red light.

Killian drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly, unwilling to ask the next question for fear of the answer he thought he might get.

“Is it…causing Emma to die?” After several tense moments, the green light lit up.

He cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to talk a spirit out of such an insane idea?

Tasting bile in his mouth, he swallowed hard, then asked, “Do you love Emma?” The response was immediate - a green light.

“Don’t you want her to have a long, happy life?” No response.

He decided to rephrase the question. “Would you rather have her die and be with you than go on living?” Green light.

Sick, selfish bastard.

Killian was done asking questions. He needed to somehow persuade Neal to move on.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you, and Emma told me she is, too. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the men who caused your death have been arrested and are going to be held accountable. The whole crime ring is toppling and they won’t be able to kill anyone else like they killed you.”

“It’s time for you to move on, Neal. Your plan to take Emma with you won’t work. Look at her.” He gestured to where she lay wrestling on the bed. “All you’re doing is causing her to be exhausted and miserable. She doesn’t want to die…”

His breath was stolen away, as what felt like a cold blast of air passed through him. The room went completely still and he realized Emma was no longer struggling or whimpering. He stood and looked down at her, then sat beside her on the bed, smoothing her tangled hair away from her face. “Sleep now, Swan,” he whispered.

He was tucking the sheets around her, when Will cracked open the door and stuck his head in. “I think he’s gone, boss,” he said softly. “All the instrument readings are normal again. Should I pack up, or continue to monitor?”

“Let’s keep monitoring for another hour or so, just to see if he comes back. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Will nodded and closed the door with a soft click. Killian looked down at Emma again, surprised to see her eyes open. Her hand snuck out from under the sheet and gripped his wrist. “Please don’t leave me,” she rasped.

“We think Neal may have moved on.”

“I heard, but I still don’t want to be alone.”

“We’ll stay the rest of the night,” he assured her. “We’ll be out in the living…”

“No,” she interrupted, beginning to sit up. “Stay here with me. Please, Killian.”

Her pleading nearly undid him. He cupped her cheek, lightly stroking it with his thumb. “Alright, Love, relax. I’ll stay right here, I promise.”

She laid back down, but didn’t let go of his wrist or close her eyes. “Killian?” she said, her voice smaller than he had ever heard it.

“Aye?”

“Will…will you hold me?”

He blinked, absorbing what she was asking of him. Then he quickly toed off his shoes and laid down beside her on top of the covers. Without hesitation, she moved into his open arms, tucking herself tightly against his chest.

He slid one arm underneath her and wrapped both around her rigid form, murmuring reassuring words into her hair. It took several minutes, but he finally felt the tension begin to recede and heard her breathing deepen and even out.

Will peeked in again. “Do ya want me to turn off the video camera, Kil?”

Killian didn’t turn to look at him. “You can leave it on,” he whispered.

“Okay. I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on things. You can sleep if you want.”

“Thanks, Will.”

Then, holding the woman who held his heart, he took Will up on his offer.

*********

Emma awoke slowly the next morning, her foggy brain trying to figure out what felt different. When she tried to move and wasn’t immediately able to, she began to panic, pushing at the solid body in front of her.

“It’s okay, Swan. It’s okay,” a deep voice soothed. At the same time she felt the arms around her loosen.

As soon as it registered that it was Killian, she exhaled his name in relief, then said, “You stayed.”

“Aye, Love. Will packed up the equipment and left a couple of hours ago. I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

She pulled away to look at him. “Thank you. I haven’t slept that well since Neal...”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Killian interrupted, making no move to let go of her and get out of bed.

She rested her cheek against his chest again. “Do you…do you think he’s really gone?”

“I told him to move on and that’s when I thought I felt him leave, which the equipment verified. Whether he’s gone for good, though - only time will tell.”

Emma sighed deeply and sat up, running her hands through her unruly hair. “Were you able to communicate with him at all? With that spirit box or flux capacitor thing?”

Killian swung around to sit on the side of the bed, chuckling. “I think you have my show mixed up with ‘Back to the Future’, Swan.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

It was his turn to sigh. “He did respond to quite a few questions I asked using the flux response device.”

When he didn’t continue, she said, “Are you going to tell me now, or will we watch it on the video later?”

“Um…” Killian stalled, trying to decide which option would cause Emma less pain. He felt her hand on his back and turned to look at her over his shoulder.

“Killian, what aren’t you telling me?”

Shifting on the bed to face her, he forced himself to meet her eyes. “I found out his unfinished business.”

“Which is…?”

His gaze shifted to where her hand rested on the bed. Taking it in his own, he concentrated on their linked fingers. “He’s…he’s, uh, planning to somehow cause you to die, so he can take you with him into the afterlife.”

“What the actual FUCK?” Emma exploded, gripping his hand so hard, he winced in pain. “He…he can’t…can he really do that?”

“It’s unlikely…”

“But not impossible?”

“Look how exhausted you are because of the nightmares. You haven’t even been able to work the last couple of days. Exhaustion can lead to serious illness, so while it’s improbable, it’s not entirely impossible.”

He watched her carefully as she digested what he said. Then she looked at him with glassy eyes and said flatly, “He’s not gone.”

“Emma…”

“No, Killian. I know he’s not gone. He wouldn’t give up that easily. You witnessed firsthand how persistent he was after I broke up with him. He’s obsessed with me, and being dead obviously hasn’t changed that. How am I gonna get away from him? Telling him to move on hasn’t worked…”

“Me telling him may not have worked, but you telling him you don’t want to die might,” Killian said thoughtfully.

“How am I supposed to do that when he only comes to me while I’m sleeping?”

Killian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I wish I had an answer for that. I’ll talk to Belle and Will about it today. Maybe together, we’ll come up with an idea.” Slowly, he stood to his feet. “I should probably go home. Will was going to crash at my place for a few hours, then we were going to review what we collected. Do you want to be there when we do?”

Emma chewed on her thumbnail, pondering. “No,” she decided. “You already told me about his plan. Hearing it once was enough.”

“I understand completely.” He studied her for several moments. “Are you going to be okay?”

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. “I think so, at least for today. Now that I got some sleep, I should be able to go back to work this afternoon.”

“Alright, then.” He picked up his shoes and moved to the doorway, turning to give her a smile. After he opened the door and stepped through, he heard her call his name. Poking his head back in the room, he asked, “Aye?”

“Thank you for staying with me last night. I just really didn’t want to be alone.”

“It was no hardship at all, believe me. I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

“Yeah. Let me know if you figure out anything. Thanks again, Killian. For everything.”

“My pleasure, Love.”

*********

When he entered his apartment, he could hear voices coming from his office. He tossed his shoes in the living room, went into the kitchen to start the coffee maker, then walked down the hall.

He stopped short just before he went through the doorway, catching Will’s words.

“...was wondering if ya might, uh, might be interested in goin’ out with me.”

Killian took a step backward to be sure he wouldn’t be spotted and ruin the moment. There was a short pause, during which he held his breath, hoping that, no matter what Belle’s answer was, Will’s heart wouldn’t get broken.

“I was beginning to think you were never going to ask,” she said.

“Are ya sayin’ yes?” Will asked, and Killian could hear the nervous hopefulness in his friend’s voice.

“Yes, I’m saying yes,” Belle said with a giggle. “I would love to go out with you, Will.”

“It’s about bloody time,” Killian said, entering the room to see the couple embracing. They turned around to look at him, both with wide smiles on their faces.

“Were you eavesdroppin’ on us, boss?” Will asked. He tried to sound indignant, but was too happy to be successful.

“Technically, it’s my apartment, so I’m entitled to listen to anything going on here.”

“I’m not sure that’s an actual rule,” Will grumbled good-naturedly.

“My home, my rules,” Killian grinned.

“Will tells me you got a lot of responses on the flux overnight,” Belle said, effectively changing the subject.

Killian dropped down into a chair with a heavy sigh. “Aye. Has he told you any of Cassidy’s responses?”

“No, we were just cueing up the video to watch it when you came in.”

“Got sidetracked, huh?” Killian teased.

Belle and Will’s faces both reddened. “Maybe we should talk about how ya spent the night in Emma’s bed,” Will said.

“What?” Belle exclaimed, whipping her head around to look at Killian. “How did that happen?”

Killian scratched behind his ear. “After the apparition left, she asked me to stay because she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted me to hold her and the only way I could do that was to lay in bed with her, but all we did was sleep.”

Belle gave him an understanding look. “Poor Emma. Will told me you think Neal’s spirit may have moved on. What do you think? Is he gone for good?”

“Sadly, Emma doesn’t think so, and neither do I. The guy wouldn’t take no for an answer when she broke it off with him, and now that we’ve learned what his plan is, we’re sure he’s not going to give up easily.”

“What’s his plan?” Belle asked.

“Let’s watch the video and you’ll find out,” Killian said, swiveling in his seat to face the monitor.

She nodded and tapped the space bar to wake the computer up, while Will took his place behind her chair. She clicked the play button and they saw Emma’s bedroom on the screen.

“This is just before her nightmare started,” Will said. “We should see evidence of that asshole’s ghost entering the room pretty soon. Pardon my language, Belle.”

“There’s no need to apologize. In this case, I completely agree with that assessment.”

They focused their attention back on the screen, and within a couple of minutes, saw a streak of light appear in the left side of the room. It seemed to pass through Emma’s sleeping form on the bed and they heard her let out a soft cry.

“You’ll see me come in soon,” Killian said.

Sure enough, Emma’s bedroom door opened and he entered with the flux response device. The three of them watched in silence as the exchange between Killian and the apparition took place.

When it ended, Belle paused the video and turned to look at the men, a look of incredulity on her face. “He has no regard for her life or what she wants? And he claims to love her? I think calling him an asshole is being far too kind!”

“Agreed,” Killian said.

“You truly don’t think he’s gone, boss?” Will asked.

“No,” Killian sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “I probably just pissed him off, so he left. I think Emma is going to have to be the one who tells him to move on, but he’s only there when she’s asleep. She can’t talk to him then because in her nightmares, she feels like she’s tied up and gagged. I told her I would ask the two of you if you have any ideas.”

They contemplated for several moments before Will declared, “That’s a head-scratcher. I’ll have to give it some thought, after I get some sleep.”

“I’ll think about it, too,” Belle said. “I just came over this morning to see the new material from last night. I’ve been editing and putting together what we have so far. This is going to be the longest episode we’ve ever had. We might have to split it in two.”

“I hope we won’t have much more to add to it,” Killian grumbled. “I want this to be over, for Emma’s sake.”

*********

Once Belle and Will left, Killian went through his regular routine, but had trouble falling asleep. He was sure it was because he slept for a few hours at Emma’s, added to the fact that he had so much on his mind.

He didn’t have a clue how to solve the problem of getting Neal to leave. Even if Emma was able to talk to him, that didn’t guarantee he would heed her plea. After all, he didn’t listen while he was alive, when she told him to leave her alone.

Killian finally dozed off on his couch late in the afternoon, waking up just after ten PM. After fixing himself a sandwich, he grabbed a beer and wandered back to his office to review some of the footage they had collected, hoping to find something they missed that might spark an idea.

An hour later, he was in the midst of repeatedly replaying the video from the previous night, when a scream caused him to jump, knocking over the nearly empty beer at his elbow. He quickly righted it before it spilled over his equipment, then got to his feet. “Emma,” he gasped, once his brain registered what he just heard.

He took off running through the apartment and was halfway out the front door, before realizing he needed the key for Emma’s apartment. Spinning around, he skidded into the kitchen, yanked open his junk drawer and began digging through it.

“Fuck!” he cursed, flinging miscellaneous items onto the counter as he searched frantically. Finally locating the key, he dashed out the door and over to Emma’s apartment. As he fumbled with getting the key into the lock, he heard another scream.

Once he got the door open, he ran to her bedroom to find her splayed out on the bed, her head agitatedly rolling from side-to-side, arms and legs thrashing about. She was choking out moans that were heartbreaking to hear.

Killian had purposely kept himself from touching her while they were recording, knowing it could awaken her and ruin chances of getting usable information. This time, however, he ached to bring her out of the nightmare that seemed to be causing her so much pain.

He shouted, “Swan! Emma! Wake up, Love!” then sat on the bed, grabbing both of her shoulders.

As soon as he touched her, a strange sensation that felt like a slight electrical current passed over him and his eyes slammed shut. When he tentatively opened them a few moments later, he was shocked to find himself in an alternate reality. He was able to see things fairly clearly, but it was like looking through a textured glass. Everything looked slightly distorted, as if he was in a Salvador Dali painting.

As the shock began to wane, he looked around and spotted Emma standing mutely in front of him. She was facing away from him, but he could tell by her slumped form, she was debilitated. He called out to her, but she showed no signs of hearing him. He moved until he was facing her. She stared blankly off into space and he realized she was in a trance, unable to respond.

Then he heard someone speaking, chanting something over and over. Concentrating harder, Killian was able to make out the words.

You’re mine, Ems.

You belong to me.

I’m taking you with me.

You’ll be happier with me.

Just let go of your sad, lonely life and come with me.

Neal Cassidy, the selfish son of a bitch, was holding Emma captive in her nightmare, trying to coerce her to end her life and join him.

Killian became enraged. “Emma!” he hollered, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. “Don’t listen to him! Wake up and come back to me!”

Suddenly, Neal’s apparition appeared over Emma’s shoulder, teeth bared and eyes blazing. “You can’t have her!” he screamed maniacally. “She’s coming with me! She’s MINE!”

“Leave her alone!” Killian replied. Judging by Neal’s reaction, he realized that, unlike Emma, Neal could hear him. “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to come with you? She has a life and wants to keep living it!”

“I don’t give a fuck what she wants! I want her and I’ll have her!”

“Stop torturing her, you sick bastard! You’re dead! Move on!”

With a primal screech, Neal came at Killian, circled around him, then flew off and disappeared, trailing a string of expletives behind him.

Silence descended and Killian blinked, finding himself once again in Emma’s bedroom, still grasping her shoulders. Her body was unmoving, but her eyes remained tightly closed, giving her face a pinched, pained expression.

“Swan,” he said, gently shaking her. “You can open your eyes now. Your nightmare is over.”

Slowly, her face relaxed and, at last, she was looking at him. Then, she was in his arms.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright,” he crooned, as she sobbed into his shoulder. “I’ve got you, Love.”

“Wh- how…oh, how are you here?” she asked, voice breaking with emotion.

He buried his nose in the crook of her neck. “I heard you scream, so I used my key to come in. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t care, I don’t care. I’m just glad you’re here,” she cried.

Killian pulled her into his lap so he could hold her more tightly. Her sobs gradually lessened and her body sagged against him. “I…I can’t take this much longer,” she whispered.

“I know, but you have to stay strong. We’re going to get this figured out, I swear.”

“Why can’t he just leave me alone?”

“Because he’s twisted and demented. I told him you want to keep living your life, but he said he doesn’t care what you want…”

She pulled back to look at him. “He talked to you? You mean through that flux thingy?”

Killian could feel the heat creeping into his face. This wasn’t the way he planned to tell her. He was hoping to have time to prepare her before he told her about his experience.

Reaching up to rub a finger behind his ear, he explained haltingly, “I, um, when I came into your bedroom, you were thrashing about on the bed. I tried to calm you by putting my hands on your shoulders. When I touched you, I was…I was drawn into your nightmare somehow. I could see you and talk to you, but in your dream, you were in some sort of…trance. It was like you were frozen. You couldn’t respond to me.”

He paused and swallowed hard at the look of absolute shock on her face. Her mouth hung open, her breathing labored. When she didn’t speak, he continued. “Neal…he…his spirit…was there. We could see and hear each other. He was…he kept trying to get you to go with him. He was completely unhinged. When I told him to leave you alone and move on, he screamed and vanished, but I…I’m sure he’s not going to give up.”

“You…you were in my nightmare? How the hell were you able to do that?”

“I don’t really know,” he confessed. “I…I’ve always had a…an ability to sense paranormal activity. Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s a gift or a curse, but maybe that has something to do with it. I’ve never been able to be immersed into a dream like that before, though.” What he was thinking, but wasn’t going to say, was that his emotional connection to Emma might have something to do with it.

She heaved a sigh and rested her head against his chest. “Why did I ever get involved with that idiot? I have such terrible taste in men.”

“Perhaps you just haven’t met the right one yet.”

“Well, when I do, I can just imagine how it’s going to go. ‘I’ll marry you, but oh, by the way, I’m being haunted by my jackass ex-boyfriend, so there’s that’.”

He chuckled, running his hand up and down her back. “At least you still have your sense of humor, Swan.”

Suddenly, she sat up straight. “Wait a minute. If you were able to get into my dream, couldn’t you do it again and figure out a way to break me out of that trance? Maybe that’s why he keeps hanging around - because I haven’t been able to respond to him. If I can, I’ll tell him there’s no way I’m going with him.”

Killian pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in contemplation. “I suppose it’s worth a try. I wonder if Cassidy is somehow causing you to fall into a trance to make brainwashing you easier. Perhaps if I’m here with you from the very beginning of your nightmare, I can prevent that from happening.”

“You would be willing to do that?”

“Of course, Emma. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you. I would have to stay here overnight, though. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. You stayed last night and were a perfect gentleman.”

“Well, I’m always a gentleman,” he grinned.

She laughed, then sobered a bit. “The thing is, I don’t have a nightmare every night. I’m sure Neal is the source of them and if he doesn’t show up, I might get a good night’s sleep.”

“I understand. With your permission, I’ll plan on being here every night until we have a chance to test our theory.”

“I don’t have a problem with that, as long as you’re okay with it.”

“I am,” he assured her. “The way he took off, I really don’t think he’ll be back any more tonight, though.”

She nodded and climbed off his lap. “I’ll let you go home and get some sleep, and I’ll try to do the same.”

Killian stood up, turning to face her. Unable to help himself, he cupped her chin in his hand and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll plan to be here tomorrow night. If you need me before then, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Okay. Thanks, Killian,” she said. “You’re such a good friend.”

He fought to keep the smile on his face, deflated that she obviously only thought of him as a friend. “Goodnight, Emma. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Once he got back to his apartment, he went through his nightly routine and went to bed, where he lay wide awake, thinking about all that transpired at Emma’s. He had just decided to take his mind off of it by going into the living room to watch TV, when he heard the familiar sound of Liam’s voice.

“Greetings, little brother.”

“It’s pretty late for a visit from you,” Killian commented, sitting up in bed.

“Sometimes I pop in to see if you’re awake.”

“You mean there are times I miss visits from you because I’m asleep?”

“I always come back the next day. Why are you awake tonight?”

Killian pushed a hand through his hair. “Something really strange happened tonight and I’m trying to make sense of it.”

Liam’s apparition moved closer, but didn’t touch Killian. In the past, if he came in contact with his brother, it caused an uncomfortably cold chill. “You look very shaken. Can you tell me about it?”

“Last night, Will and I were doing another all-nighter at Emma’s…”

“That wanker’s ghost is still giving her trouble, then?”

“Aye, but I was finally able to get some answers from him on the flux response device last night. Basically, he admitted that he wants Emma to die so he can take her with him.”

“That’s nigh impossible, isn’t it?”

“He’s causing her to have nightmares and she’s utterly exhausted. You should see her, Liam. She’s still beautiful, but him haunting her is wearing her out physically, mentally and emotionally. She had to take a couple of days off work because she has no energy. If this keeps up, I’m afraid she’s going to end up becoming very ill.”

“Which could lead to…”

“Please don’t say it,” Killian interrupted. “I don’t even want to think that way. Anyway, I tried to tell him he needs to move on and I felt his spirit leave the room. When Emma woke up, she asked me to stay with her.”

“Don’t tell me you refused, little brother.”

“Of course I didn’t. She needed me, so I stayed the rest of the night. And before you ask, yes, I was in her bed, and no, nothing happened, except that we both got a good night’s sleep.”

“Sometimes I wish I wouldn’t have insisted on you being such a gentleman.”

“Do you wan’t to hear the rest of the story, or not?” Killian asked peevishly. “You’re never here very long and if you keep interrupting, I won’t be able to tell you everything.”

“Sorry,” Liam said, making a circling motion with his finger. “ Continue.”

“I told Emma about Neal’s plan. She was understandably upset, but being the brave lass she is, she carried on with her day and so did I.” He ran both hands through the sides of his hair again, tugging slightly on the ends. “Then around eleven tonight, I was doing some work in my office when I heard a scream coming from Emma’s apartment. I ran over there and let myself in. She was in the midst of a nightmare, and when I grabbed hold of her to try to wake her up, I was pulled into it.”

“Into what?”

“Her nightmare. I could see her, but she couldn’t see or hear me. She appeared to be in a trance-like state. Neal was there and he could see and hear me. The two of us had a bit of a row and he took off in a rage.”

“He moved on?”

“No, I don’t think so. He’s a stubborn S.O.B. and he’s determined not to move on without Emma.”

“That was the strange occurrence you mentioned?”

“That was part of it. I told Emma what happened, which came as a shock to her, of course. Then she had an idea. She wants me to try to get into her dream again, to break her out of the trance somehow. That would give her a chance to convince Neal to move on.”

“Will you be able to do it? Get into her dream again, I mean.”

“I don’t even know how I did it tonight. I guess touching her had something to do with it, combined with my abilities with paranormal phenomena. I’m hoping being with her from the onset of her nightmare will allow me to keep her from being put into a trance.”

“What if it doesn’t?” Liam asked. “Do you have a plan B?”

Killian shrugged. “Not really. Shouting at her and snapping my fingers in front of her face didn’t have any effect on her.”

“Perhaps you could try a true love’s kiss.”

“You’re hilarious, Liam. And also not very helpful.”

“I’m not trying to be funny. True love’s kiss is supposed to be strong enough to break any curse.”

“Yeah, in fairy tales. In case you’ve forgotten, this is real life,” Killian grumbled.

“I guess I’ve been dead too long to remember what real life is like.”

Killian looked stricken. “I’m sorry, Liam. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know, brother.I was only joking. Think about what I said and tuck it in your pocket for a backup plan.”

Liam’s voice was fading fast and Killian knew his time with his brother was coming to an end. “I’ll try it if I’m desperate enough. Thanks for your help, Liam. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You don’t need me. You’re smart enough to figure it out by yourself. I have to go, Killy. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Liam.”

Then he was alone in his bedroom again, thoughts swirling even more than before his brother’s appearance. Giving up on trying to go to sleep, he tossed back the covers and went out to the kitchen. After getting a glass of water, he settled on the couch and flipped on the TV.

He had just selected a crime drama show to watch, when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. His brow furrowed, wondering who would be texting him this late. Picking it up, he saw a notification from Emma.

E: You asleep?

Quickly, he typed a reply.

K: No, I can’t turn off my brain.

E: Lol. Me neither.

K: Do you want to talk?

E: Maybe. Do you mind if I come over?

K: Not at all.

He had just gotten the door unlocked, when there was a light tapping on the other side. He pulled it open to reveal Emma, dressed in sleep shorts and an oversized T-shirt.

“Hey,” she greeted quietly. “Are you sure you don’t mind? It is nearly 1:30 in the morning.”

“I’m sure. I was getting ready to watch a show. Do you want to watch it, or would you rather talk?”

She shrugged. “I’m not really in the mood for television.”

He picked up the remote and hit the power button to turn it off. “Can I get you something to drink, or a snack, or both?”

“Water would be great. Do you have any Cheez-its?”

“I always have Cheez-its, because a certain neighbor of mine is obsessed with them.”

As he turned to head into the kitchen, he heard her call after him, “You’re a good man, Killian Jones.”

He returned moments later to find her sitting with her back against the arm of the couch, legs stretched out in front of her. He handed her the water, set the box of snack crackers on the coffee table, then sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.

She moaned as he pulled her bare feet into his lap and began massaging them. On the odd occasion when she worked an afternoon shift at the hotel and later they shared a pizza over a movie, he found that she adored foot massages. As he rubbed and kneaded every part of her delicate feet and ankles, she purred like a contented cat, proclaiming his hands to be magic. He loved giving her those moments of pleasure and longed to use his magic hands on other parts of her enticing body.

She took a drink of water, set the bottle down and picked up the box of Cheez-its. Popping a couple into her mouth, she offered him the box, but he shook his head. “Suit yourself,” she said. “More for me.”

The room was quiet for several minutes, save the crunching sounds Emma was making.

“Can I ask you something?” she finally said.

“You just did.”

“Haha, funny guy. Earlier tonight, you said you’ve always had a gift for sensing paranormal activity. How did you figure out you could do that?”

“When I was a young lad, my mother found me talking to someone she couldn’t see. She thought I had made up an imaginary friend, and didn’t think much of it. Small children do that, you know. But one day I asked her why our neighbor, Mr. Shaw, always looked so sad, didn’t bring us sweets anymore, and entered our flat through the wall. I was shocked when she said he had passed away, because I could clearly see him.”

“Did she figure out that you were seeing a ghost?”

“I’m not sure, but I do know after that, whenever she heard me talking to someone whom she couldn’t see, she would ask who it was. Several times, it was a person who recently died. Sometimes she would see me staring off into space and ask if I could see someone. She never made a big deal of it, just treated it like it was a normal thing. When she passed, I saw her soul leave her body and drift upwards. By that time, I had realized my ability wasn’t normal, and at that moment, I was very glad I had it. That way I could tell my brother Liam she went to Heaven.”

Emma leaned forward to rub his shoulder. “That must have been very special, but also terrifying.”

“That’s a good way to put it.”

“If you can see ghosts, why do you have to use all of that equipment?”

One hand moved from massaging her feet, to scratch behind his ear. “It seems that I can only see them if I have a close connection to them. Mr. Shaw, our babysitter Mrs. Lucas, Mum, Liam…”

“How long ago did Liam die?” she asked solemnly.

“He was killed six years ago.”

“So his spirit appeared to you after he, um, passed away?”

Killian nodded, his eyes not meeting hers.

“Did you get to see his spirit move on to Heaven, too? Like you did your mother’s?”

He began massaging her feet again as he contemplated how to answer. He had never told anyone about being able to see and speak to his brother’s spirit, but now that he’d told Emma this much…well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

“He, uh, he hasn’t moved on yet.”

She sat up a little straighter. “How do you know that?”

“Because,” he began, then looked up to make eye contact with her, “he still comes to see me.”

Her eyes widened. “He does?” She started looking around the room, “Is he here right now?”

“No,” he chuckled, a bit relieved she seemed to take it so well. “He drops in sporadically, but can never stay long.”

“Why not?”

“I think it takes a lot of his paranormal energy to appear and talk to me and…”

“He talks to you, too? Do you have to use your equipment to hear him?”

“No, I did originally buy it to communicate with him, but he was able to figure out a way to actually talk to me. I think he somehow channels his energy to do that, so it gets sapped quickly.”

“The fact he hasn’t moved on means he has unfinished business, doesn’t it?”

“Aye, it does.”

“Do you know what it is?”

Killian dropped his eyes once again, rubbing his thumb along the arch of her foot. “He’s always been my protector. He won’t move on until he knows I’m happy,” he answered, a bit vaguely.

“You seem happy to me.”

He forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I have friends and a job I really enjoy, so I’m content.”

“Being content isn’t the same as being happy,” Emma pointed out.

“No, I don’t suppose it is,” he agreed. “But it’s not as if I’m unhappy.”

“Do you think you’ll ever be ready for him to move on?” she asked quietly.

He tried to think of an answer that didn’t make him out to be incredibly selfish. “After Mum died, Liam was my only family. Our father deserted us when I was a baby and we never saw him again. After I lost Liam, I was a mess. I moved to the United States because I thought getting away from where I experienced so much sadness would help. It did, to a certain degree, but when Liam started making appearances, I guess I became somewhat dependent on him again. I just…I don’t want to be by myself.”

“But you have people who care about you, Killian. You have Will, Belle…”

“You?”

She smiled. “Yes, me. I think this whole experience with Neal has made us closer, don’t you?”

“Well, nothing draws people together better than trying to get someone’s ex-boyfriend’s ghost to move on,” he quipped.

They fell quiet for a while as she munched more Cheez-its and he continued lightly rubbing her feet. “Can I ask you something else?” she finally said. “And don’t say I already did.”

He laughed. “Sure.”

“I don’t claim to know everything you do all the time. I try not to be a nosy neighbor, but it seems like you never…go out with anyone. On a date.”

The tips of his ears felt like they were burning. “I, uh, I don’t.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged, his eyes fixed on the chipped red polish on her toe nails.

“I mean, I bet you could have just about any woman you want,” she added.

His heart began hammering so hard, he was sure she could hear it. “Why do you say that?” he blurted out.

“You’re a great listener, very sweet and helpful, easy on the eyes…and you give great foot massages. What’s not to love?”

Her choice of that phrase made him swallow hard. “Perhaps, like you, I just haven’t found the right woman yet. Or… maybe I just haven’t worked up the nerve to ask her out.”

Her brows rose. “Sounds like you already have someone in mind.”

He sucked in a breath, knowing what he said next would inevitably change their relationship. He simply didn’t know if it would be for better or worse. Shifting on the couch so he could fully face her, he looked her in the eyes and said, “Don’t you know, Emma? It’s you.”

*********

Thanks for reading! The CSSNS24 event already has numerous fantastic stories and pieces of artwork. Be sure to check out all of them!

Tagging:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4 @hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper @lfh1226-linda

@pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426

@julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling @andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones

@zaharadessert @lyssapup27 @undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat @teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90 @apiratewhopines

@hollyethecurious @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @caught-in-the-filter @stahlop @veryverynotgoodwrites @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @whimsicallyenchantedrose @earanemith @superchocovian @idristardis @captainswan-kellie @beckettj

[atombonniebaby]

Yay, I've been modding! 🙌🏻

So, I've posted Duncan stuff before, but it's always just been a random NPC I've spawned in and used...well no longer!

I've been playing around in FO4Edit and cross referencing other NPCs to figure out how to make this little guy!

I still need to figure out how to make Duncan spawn after 'The Long Road Ahead finishes', I did set up some stuff, but it's not working... yet...BUT it does have him spawning into Sanctuary Hills, so I'm halfway there! 😏

Dunky does use a generic npc child voice, but he's copied from one of the farm kids...and since Mac had a farm, well, it kinda works!

I'd like to try and add some idle chatter between him and Mac, dunno if I can pull that off, but I'm gonna have a crack at it!

I do have his and Mac's relationship set to father and son! You can never see that in game, but I'll know 🥺 (Like Hancock and Fahrenheit being father and daughter!)

Mac spawns in with some tweaks, some scars, a couple freckles, etc (blood type) and his usual goatee, but with some stubble and side burns and bluer eyes!

I also Made Beth into an NPC, and can have her as a companion by using "Liga of my Companions" I even edited the meshes and combined my two fave hair styles and gave her a custom do! 🙌🏻

Beth and Duncan have their own outfits now and I've made custom items for the 3 of them. I'm also gonna give the kid a fallout 3 teddy with a custom name too. Oh, and I gave him a car, because "Duncan's toy car" is a thing in Fallout Shelter Online 🙌🏻

I did Mac's inventory ages ago, and he's been 'Robert Joseph 'RJ' MacCready' in my game (RJ for short) for ages now! 🙌🏻

Might edit Sturges, name him Beau, give him some spectacles! 🙌🏻 (and maybe even get him yelling "Woo Boy!" every time Mac walks past 🤣🤣🤣🤣)

I'm still figuring things out, but I may release in the future if this works out! 🙌🏻

[mspopstar]

Welcome to the MS Pop Star Ask Blog!

This is a ask blog for the various titular characters of Dream Land in a loose yet-simple mspaint style.

“The setting takes place in a continuous consistent 'after' the most recent game release. This setting takes place in a modified mix of the Game-verse and Novel-verse. Almost everyone from the games are here to answer questuons and by everyone, I mean everyone. (i.e. Galacta Knight and President Max Profit Haltmann) The dead are now alive, though possibly not well. Not necessarily in Dream Land though. So come, come and send some asks to this 923kb land!”

Keep Reading For More Information

Questions will be answered directly by a character while others will be treated as a prompt. Note, this askblog is more gag-ish in nature than anything so not everything depicted is my honest and true interpretation and head-canon of a character or thing. A lot of it has exaggerations for the sake of humor.

Rules

Please be sure to follow these!

Please keep your questions Kirby related unless it's a direct question to the mod of this here ask blog.

No NSFW or gore related questions. There may be violence depicted on this blog but it will never be anything serious. NSFW will never be allowed on this blog. Even if shipping comes into play or if you direct the question at a adult character such as Meta Knight, Kirby, Susie, or Taranza.

I do not have intentions to have pairings be apart of the general universe at the current moment. While shipping isn't forbidden on this blog, please do not get your hopes up for certain pairings to appear or get upset if a pairing you dislike does appear. Shipping will be a option once I've reach enough asks answered and even then, it will be a poll whether such content will even occur on this blog.

No spamming. If you ask a question once, only ask it once. If you spam a question it will not be answered and I will delete it.

Please be patient! I made this blog out of my love of Kirby, to creatively think more, and to draw more often for myself and others! I may not get to every question as quick as you'd like.

No OC related asks. This is a mostly canon focused blog. I also worry about accidentally portraying an OC incorrectly and offending others because of it so I want to put it out there I do not accept asks with OCs in them. If you want a specific interaction and want to actively interact with the characters yourself, such asks will be done using "Anon Waddle Dee".

Any and all images on this blog are free to share and use for non-commercial purposes. Meaning, it's fine to share this art, use it, if you want to put my art on a shirt for personal use that is fine too!

If you have any questions, concerns, or you just want to chat please go shoot me a message at @capicola323427

META AND WORLD-BUILDING INFORMATION

This is just general information about the ask blog's universe! This can update so check back every now and then!

Pop Star and other planets are interconnected in various ways for communication and importing/exporting of goods, through differing levels of technology and means.

Some planets are barren and underdeveloped, such as Planet Floria. Other planets are booming giga-cities like Planet Mecheye.

Technological developments depend on the planet and what is imported from other planets, however, Pop Star generally technology up to a rudimentary working internet but not everyone uses it.

"World Ending" characters like Dark Matter or Fecto Elfilis are able to be asked asks, but it isn't like they're free to walk about. Like Zero & Dark Matter are biding time in the recesses of a barren planet on the outskirts of Gamble Galaxy! I will try my best to create a reasonable explanation for those sorts of things if asked, so please be patient!

Not every character is at Pop Star, Dream Land!

[miloscat]

[Review] Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360)

They made hoverboards fun and exciting, then the fans made it actually playable.

After Zero Gravity, Sonic Team were apparently not done with the Riders series. Not done using it for motion control experiments, that is. The next and final instalment was a launch title for Microsoft's ill-fated Kinect motion sensor accessory. This camera apparatus could track a player's full body and so you needed a large, empty area to play your games in, which has never been practical for me. So I considered this game essentially lost media as far as I was concerned, until I recently learned about a mod that reworked the game for traditional controllers that I could use on an emulator. The updated version of this patch was buggy but the original release worked a treat and I was finally able to experience this title.

Compared to previous entries, the plot is very low-stakes. Eggman is hosting another racing tournament in disguise, shenanigans ensue. The cutscenes are merely static character portraits, the dialogue nothing but banter and posturing with the framing device of Omochao reporting on the racing for a TV broadcast. But the strength this has over prior Riders games is including a broader range of the cast, with Teams Rose and Dark being involved and playable in their own story modes in addition to the usual Heroes and Babylon stories. Well, Team Dark is missing Omega and substitutes a random eggbot who is more than it appears in perhaps the only notable story development. And Team Rose is Amy, Cream, and... Vector... so Team Sonic Racing wasn't the first to randomly force him in to fill out another team, or to have a weird addition to Team Rose.

As for the racing, from what I could tell from the tutorial, there's a lot of actions you need to be able to do. It seemed complex and the pace of gameplay quite fast for something you control just with various body motions to an unresponsive IR sensor grid. In other words, compared to Zero Gravity it didn't feel as compromised by the control scheme, and translated reasonably well to a controller, so it's a shame they never officially offered that as an option. The game reviewed terribly at the time on the basis of its controls, but with a pad in hand I had a fun time. Sure it was easy most of the way through, but by the very last stages it did even offer a decent challenge.

There's no drifting, but a heavy turn assist helps with cornering. There's a boost function that drains your air meter, as well as a "lean forward (tilt control stick up) to go faster" mechanic. Stunts are done in Zero Gravity style, by jumping at the right time off a ramp, although you can spin to do a better trick (not supported in the original mod release). Arm flailing is a factor, where you can lean to grab rings that are just off the course, throw items that skew a little more Mario Kart in their effects while still being unique, rub steam or splatter off your screen, or grab poles to swing around and take shortcuts. As a power character you can punch to destroy obstacles, and flight characters have to have arms outstretched to remain airborne when necessary. It sounds exhausting but all these functions are mapped pretty well to a controller in the mod, and I got to grips with them quickly. And while it may sound overloaded with gimmicks, I thought it was a better balance than the previous games of keeping up your pace while doing them, or being ignorable entirely.

It may sound like I'm being contrary but this quickly became my favourite of the Riders games. Because it expects you to be flolloping around, it's so much more forgiving and I found I wasn't constantly struggling against the game and its demands. It integrates a mission-like structure into the campaign so most of the time you're doing various objectives and single-lap runs of the courses in story mode, which moves things along at a quick pace. It also looks gorgeous, the environments varied and ultra-colourful, helped of course by being in HD for the first time. The tracks have fun setpieces like toboggan or minecart sections, jumping onto rooftops, or surfing while being pulled by a dolphin.

Free Riders kind of fulfilled the promise of what I wanted the series to be, for the first time. Fast-paced and bombastic, not overly punishing or bland. It's such a shame that that lively energy had to be locked behind an impractical peripheral gimmick. The assets were all there for a potential conversion or fourth instalment that takes the strengths but makes it play like a normal video game that people can actually play... but alas. As is often the case in the Sonic series, it was up to the fans to fix what Sega had broken, and I'm very thankful to Rei-SanTH for doing so in this case (please fix not being able to turn right on v1.1!).

[youredreamingofroo]

For those awaiting an answer on one of my more recent posts, and whether I'll be leaving, here it is. .....Under the cut, as it, in my usual fashion, gets lengthy, you can skip to the end for a TL:DR :)

I'm not going to leave tumblr/simblr, I'll be floating around and still liking people's posts, I'm probably gonna unfollow some people (not my mutuals ofc ilya) just because it's hard to keep up with my dash when I get over 10 notifications every 2 minutes or so especially when if I'm not going to primarily consume Sims 4 content. I'm going to put my mods folder into my external HDD, in order to preserve them ykwim, and I'm going to uninstall TS4, I'll try to make one more sim before the sims 4 gets poofed off my laptop, although as it stands even after freeing up 20 GBs of space, my space went back down to 400 MBs so 😭😭 I will probably be posting variety content, even though I know all my followers are primarily Sims content consumers (some of ya'll do other stuff, but I mean as a whole, my audience tends to be more Sims 4 related), I might play and share some of my Sims 1 content, which is not story oriented, it's just a little gameplay of Roo in the Sims 1 :) I'll also probably post Baldur gate stuff (if I can free up the storage for it LMAO), I'll post witcher content maybe, and plenty of other things, and like I said, I'll continue to float around, and I'll continue to reblog any Sims content I see and enjoy... as well as other things. .... So what about W.A.S? Yea. I dont know, while W.A.S IS supposed to be a fleshed out story, and while I know I AM leaving sims 4 behind, completely limiting what I can and cannot make story-wise (just cuz I don't know how to make scenes and stuff lmao), I will ATTEMPT to make W.A.S content, I will still make and post the Official teaser, and I'll probably introduce the characters myself sometime after the teaser (I'll take screenshots in CAS and just hope my storage doesn't dip TOO low). I may release some of the story in just text form, as I do really want to continue to post about the story. I'll try to come up with something tho, don't worry :)

I may also start getting back into art, I still need some hobby to preoccupy my time that isn't gaming, I will still do blender stuff (since I have a bunch of my Sims' DAEs) and I will maybe make more edits, but regardless, I still enjoy art and Sims 4 kinda consumed the time that I wanted to spend doing art, soooo yeah.

For the unrooleased tag, I have a bunch of sims that I've never posted, as well as renders that I've never posted, and I may, as Sims 4 filler, post those to fill the void that will become my Sims 4 content

and FINALLY. LAST THING I promise :) I know all of ya'll LOVE Roo, and I do want to reinforce the fact that ROO IS NOT A SIMS CHARACTER, I did NOT make him originally from the Sims, if you were at any point worried I would stop posting about him, I will not be, I will continue to share about Roo, probably with a lot less pictures considering I really only used TS4 as a visual assistant for his story, I do have his DAEs, so I can make SOME Roo blender content, albeit limited with Scenes and stuff. Roo is a character that I will continue to be passionate about, I never mentioned this but I LOVE to make Roo in pretty much every game I play (besides Skyrim................ and ofc games where u dont have customization), like Animal Crossing, I made a variant of Roo there, and in Stardew! You get the point, he will always be a prominent figure of my content. I may also bring back some characters I made from TS4, like Nirvana, I LOVE her character and would LOVE to continue to post about her, as well as Roo's family, I love posting about his family members and sharing their own story and what importance they are to Roo.

WOW, okay that was a lot, if you're skipping here for a clear answer, or a sort of TL:DR, here ya go, I don't want to leave tumblr, so I won't, and I won't necessarily leave the Simblr ring, TS4 is going to be uninstalled, but I WILL preserve my TS4 mods in my external HDD, and be on the look out for the last sim I make in TS4 :)

[punkbxt]

after seven exits her outer borg mechanisms theyre left with a body thats highly inorganic

seven keeps it relatively simple and original to how she left the borg with the exception of some android replacements and mods over time for whatever reason they may be necessary

arm details at the end of the post and a lil story below!

<<¿como se siente?>>

the question is so unexpected that it takes seven a moment to reply.

they were sitting on some stools at a side table that tuvok and chakotay had installed in the medbay. it wasnt uncommon to have a small droid maintenance station on a medbay in maquis ships so they figured it would only be a matter of time till it was needed.

b’elanna had been the one assigned to assist the emh. he had long gone back to doing his own thing and all that was left was sevens more mechanical parts which left the two alone.

“what does what feel like?”

b’elanna forgot she left half the sentence in her mind. she had been contemplating it the entire time she had been repairing sevens prosthetic arm.

“ay perdón. what does it feel like being touched on your synth skin? can you feel my touch even though your forearm isnt attached to you?”

a pause from seven.

b’elanna shifted in her seat and put the small dermal regenerator on the table. she was almost finished but suddenly felt shy at bringing up something so personal. “you dont have to answer if you dont want to of course-“

“it depends on what is being touched,” seven replied as she wiggled the fingers of her unattached arm, “and yes, i can feel your touch.”

the solitary forearm still having capacity of movement freaked b’elanna out just a bit. borg technology was a wonder and a horror to behold.

“what do you mean by depends?” b’elanna looked at her toolkit, examining the spanner she had used to losen seven’s elbow.

“the skin around my eye was grafted from a de- donor and the skin on the arm youre repairing is made up of tiny hexagonal shaped silicone cells.”

“amazing”

“indeed”

b’elanna picked up a screwdriver and proceeded put the metal panel back where it belinged “does it feel different from real skin?”

“supposedly almost imperceptibly so.”

b’elanna brought the joints back together and with sevens help latched seven’s forearm back into place. she then grabbed the spanner to tighten the safety in place and looked at it carefully and back at sevens arm.

“will this hurt?” b’elanna’s curiosity amused seven.

“only if you do it too tight.”

“really??”

seven laughed. huh. that was a first.

“no. the metal bits take a bit more than a tight screw to feel pain.”

b’elanna finished but stood in place at sevens side with no intention of uncradling sevens hand.

“how does this feel?” b’elanna said it ever so softly that seven almost didnt catch it.

the touch felt tingly in a way it never had to seven before. her breath hitched (as she frantically ran a minor nerve diagnostic which ran merely a fraction of a second) ever so briefly that b’elanna didnt notice. nothing was wrong. but it was new and just a litle but scary.

“it feels… electric…”

“is that bad?”

“for me? no.”

the medbay scanned seven and beeped with confirmation that <<the patient is ready for release>> startling the two out of the moment.

b’elanna stepped back and gathered her supplies together. “bueno um- if you encounter any more bichos let me know. ill help ya out” she said as she twirled the dermal regenerator she was about to take and tucked it into her coat pocket.

“thankyou for your assistance, doctor torres.”

b’elanna snorted, “youre funny. i like it. see u around.”

[rosetyler42]

Some WIR-Verse HT and Bendy fun, featuring the man himself, Joey Drew

I kinda feel Ericka has...mixed views on Joey. On one hand, this man knows fuck all about management, killed thousands of people to bring his cartoons to life, locked up her friend Bendy, give Susie a penchant for vivesection, sabotaged Alice's popularity and trapped her inside Susie's head, turned Buddy into Boris, tortured Henry, and generally left behind a huge inky mess for his daughter to deal with. On the other...she sees a bit of herself in this guy. Charismatic, cheerful, angry and alone, helped by love and someone to see they could do better, and Memory!Joey at least is TRYING to fix his mistakes and do better. So while she generally doesn't trust or LIKE Joey and every voice in her is SCREAMING not to trust him, she IS willing to at least give him a chance to prove he's gotten better, both for herself, her pal Audrey, and Joey could be a useful ally for learning about the Cycle and taking down he much more dangerous Wilson.

Mavis, on the other hand, is far more likely to trust the odd and haunted yet friendly and charming old man. She may have some misgivings about him, but Mavis is naieve and much more likely to dismiss these as lingering unease and prejudice being around a strange human. True, she's not stupid, but even her suspicion of Ericka (Which, Ericka's proud of the fact Mavis saw through her) was mostly her worrying about Dad finding love at all. Ericka gets this more than anyone, but she has a family to protect. While she's willing to give Joey a chance, she sees through Joey's friendly Walt Disney persona and isn't ready to risk losing her soul OR Mavis and Johnny's souls to him just yet.

Things didn't end well for the LAST people to trust him, after all...

I like the idea of Ericka both being the protective one of the more naive Mavis while on trips to BATIM despite being the more vulnerable of the two, and her being one of the few mortals who could put the fear of mod into any version of Joey. XD Who's having something of a John Sparrow "I deserved that" moment.

I also love the idea Ericka's secretly one of the most scary and dangerous of the Drac Pack. Dracula, of course, adores this and is smug as bleep when others find Ericka terrifying. ESPECIALLY people like Joey, who HE kind of dismisses largely as an idiot human who "fucked around and found out" with forces beyond his comprehension. Unlike Ericka who rants about it, He does not touch Joey's mismanagement with a 10 foot pole. If he WERE to start ranting about it, he'd never STOP.

Plus...putting the stubborn and tough-loving Ericka against the emotional and naive used-to-getting-her-own-way Mavis is fun.

Bonus: The shiny Swoobat here is Ericka's WIR-Verse pokemon pet, Eddie the Shiny Swoobat. He's named after Eddie from Rocky Horror and Edward Scissorhands (NOT Twilight XD) and a gift from Dracula. He's one of her companions on ghost hunts for the Arcade's Ghostbusters because Eddie can see in the dark, fly, and has psychic powers. He also functions as the Legacy's Lookout and Ericka's service 'mon since Male Swoobats can release good vibe soundwave when courting that perk up the mood of any creature near it. He does not trust Joey, either. XD

Also, another bit that never made it in here:

Ericka: "I still think you're a twat."

Joey: "...I can work with that." XD

@lovelylivelyv @black-ak9 @hotelt-resurrection @ssleeping-in-a-coffin @ebevkisk @deathfangirl9 @twinklecupcake @kittyball23 @thedopedemon @inkhyaena @inkspottie @inkwelldevil @bendysstudio @benjimatorarts @drericka @drericka-is-lyfe-blog @drerickastan @inkdoodles @doberart @thedemonsurfer @serial-serializednovelreader @wingingfromthezing @heartsong1994 @howling-nightmare

[sysmedsaresexist]

sysmedicalism is an objectively pro psych stance. The fact that you're identifying as it is extremely disturbing, as a DID SYSTEM that has been harmed by the medical institution.

This post is highly related to this post, and I hope you'll read both. This was written first.

Mod Quill here, automatically done with this entire conversation about the term sysmed. Let’s just break this down.

This blog is pysch-critical. Because we believe psychology is beneficial and we are. In therapy. For our psychological problems. I’m not sure where you thought we were anti-psych? No false advertising here. Mod Dude is quite literally on all sides of psych; patient, trained SSW, proud DSM-bootlicker, you name it. The other mods are in similar positions. We can acknowledge the flaws of the medical system while also acknowledging the need for it. If you can’t, then you’re not going to like us.

Sysmed, as a term, means basically nothing at this point. Yes, it had a definition. No, the definition is not agreed upon. Until the Holy Pro-Endo Prophet who invented the damn word comes down from the heavens and announces what it actually meant, I’m going to continue to be a little bitch about a word that’s hurt me (and you can ID with it all you want). Fun fact, I actually don’t agree with Mod Dude using the label sysmed — I think he’ll reach a point eventually where he drops it in favor for some other label, or maybe no labels. But I also cannot bring myself to give a single solitary shit about it. Why would I? The word has as much meaning now as half the labels I see in system spaces. It’s not a useful word. I have literally never understood the desire to cling to it when it’s not ever used usefully. When is the last time someone actually used the term to *properly* critique the associations of the systems who feel plurality is medical to those who feel gender identity is medical, a flawed argument in of itself?

Lastly, I’m so sorry that the constant correlation between “CDD Focused” and “Sysmed” has made me and many others accept that we (DID systems) are sysmeds to you all. I’ve been told countless times that my beliefs are “sysmedical,” despite those beliefs being things that have nothing to do with medicalizing plurality. Dude is far further on the medical spectrum than I am, and yet I’ve been called a sysmed more times than I can count. Traumascum, too. Because I’m a CDD system speaking up for CDD systems.

Look. Anon. I’m sorry for what you’ve faced. I’m sorry you’ve been hurt by the medical system. That sucks.

It’s also not our fault, and something some of us have also experienced. It’s bold of you to think you’re unique in those struggles.

I hope you can find healing outside of the psych system, and that you can recover on your own, or else one day perhaps find solace within a medical system. Who knows?

The fact is, this blog has always been psych critical, and will continue to be. And that shouldn’t matter because the thing about this blog is, it has been and always will be dedicated to focusing on CDD systems. If that bothers people, there’s a million other blogs out there. May I suggest pokemon-cards-hourly?

---

Everyone getting in on this.

Mod Dude, here, OG blog owner

To reiterate, I am on both sides-- patient and clinician in the psych field (NOT LICENSED).

I really just want to pop in and say something myself.

I am psych-critical, and I always have been. I have had some terrible doctors. Fatphobia, transphobia, homophobia, ableism abound, and a large population of uneducated people parading as doctors. I was sanctioned once by a doctor who didn't like that I was gay. Yes, in Canada. It took the threat of legal action to get me released, and then they tried to purge my file and say I had never been admitted.

I've had more amazing, wonderful doctors that have gone and above and beyond to help me than bad ones, though. I want to be one of those doctors. I want to change the landscape of psychiatry to be what it SHOULD BE, not what it is now.

The psych system is a necessary evil, and I have a very complicated relationship to it as, eventually, my father will need to be forcibly confined and treated for his disease. The world will be very lucky if he doesn't kill someone before then.

I don't think it will always be evil, though. I don't think every case is evil. I don't honestly think a system is capable of being evil, only the people within the system and using it to further their own gain.

I feel for anyone who has been abused in the system, or that has suffered because of it.

I see anti-psych as giving up. Rather than fight for change, it's rejected entirely for talking points that are already available and need to be improved within themselves anyways.

I have HOPE for the FUTURE of the psych system, and can acknowledge its many current flaws while simultaneously engaging with and promoting its positive aspects and work, and by encouraging more people to get into the field and specialize. Releasing the backlog and increasing the number of specialists with lived experience that actually care is step number 1. I want to reduce the fear of stigma of engaging with the system.

I support the medicalization and treatment of systems that WANT to engage with psychiatry (hence sysmed). I support systems that have no desire to engage for simple reasons, or for no reason at all. I equally support and care for those who have been so hurt by it that they can't engage anymore. Those are real people with real stories. I hope that the things I post can help those that can't engage directly.

It's not the full picture, though. Hence "critical".

I have never WANTED or TRIED to force medicalization on anyone, and I never will. I can understand that in some cases it's not so black and white. But this may not be the space for you. Good luck elsewhere, genuinely ❤️

Also I'm going to follow Pokémon hourly now.

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Side B

Propaganda below ⬇️

Luis

real funny little guy I was introduced to him through seeing a shirtless mod that made several already somewhat queer scenes with him even more queer lol. also he dies so sadly and asking Leon (the protagonist) if he turned his life around which is both very catholic flavored and very depressing

Okay so i marked yes because the wiki says he was raised catholic but i can't find a source on that so here is what i for sure know: He does the sign of the cross with his gun when you play as him in the mercenaries mode and a major part of his character was that he grew up in an extremely backwater part of Spain. The head of the village when he lived there had the title of Father so thats Probably Catholic. A side novel released with the game about the village describes the village head as a priest and everyone in the village attending church on Sunday as well.

this guy drives me nuts for a variety of reasons including same age as my mom (not now but the game is set in 2004 so he would be now) he's very goofy and silly in a pretty scary kind of game, he eats floor three times in his second cutscene, and he has an extremely emotional and touching death scene (yeah he dies and im not over it). Also in the OG version of the game the protagonist literally never pronounces his name right even as he is dying (he dies in the original too yeah) so he deserves a break.

Jason

Okay it's cannon but like in an alternative universe because Comics. I just think the fact DC made Known Murderer and Reblious Teen with Daddy Issues a Catholic priest in a different universe. Just. Casually.

Jason Todd is may or may not be Catholic in the main timeline of DC Comics, but I the Flashpoint storyline, my man is a priest! He was a drug addict, thief, and in the Blood Brother cult before dying, only to come back to life and decide to become a priest in the hellhole that is Gotham. In the main timeline, he comes back after dying and stuffs a duffel bags full of heads! The common trait before all Jason Todds is that they all have to be as dramatic as possible. Dying and coming back as the most unexpected thing. Unbelievable. I love this man.

[wrightingdungeon]

Square One

this is the first chapter of my Dante X Abigail series. I will say two mods are somewhat included SDVE and the Caroline divorces Pierre, just for a little more background

Ch2 / Ch3 / Ch4

Word #: 1,444

Warnings: Death, kinda murder, definitely murder, read the story, cursing, "farmer" isnt fully human

P.s. Tumblr keeps yelling at me that I have to many words so let me know if it's funky, I may have to split it in two.

Sighing to himself, Dante kept walking, his feet screaming for a break. He had been walking for days with few pauses, pushing himself to cover as much ground as possible. The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light offering little visibility for an ordinary human. However, for Dante, seeing in the dark was a piece of cake, a skill that had saved him more times than he could count.

As he trudged along the desolate path, he noticed a faint light flickering in the distance. Dante paused, his instincts kicking in, wary of stepping into the light and risking exposure. Slowing his approach, his mind raced with questions about what could possibly be out here in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, anguished screams of "Help me!" and "Stop!" pierced the silence, causing him to halt in his tracks.

"It's just the middle of the night, it's just the middle of the woods, it's just my fucking luck..." he muttered to himself. Kneeling down, he tried to stay hidden as he moved closer, employing his powers to deepen the shadows around him, making him nearly invisible.

As he reluctantly got closer, Dante's sharp eyes made out a horrifying scene. A monstrous creature was attacking a person, the figure writhing in pain and terror. The light he had seen earlier turned out to be a bus stop, inexplicably placed in the middle of nowhere, likely a stop for bus transfers that no one would expect to encounter such danger at. This was not the first time Dante had seen a monster; he had encountered countless beasts in his time. However, each one still managed to stir a deep-seated anger within him.

Dante's heart raced; he knew if he wanted to pass, he would have to fight the monster. Summoning the shadows closer, he felt them wrap around him like a protective cloak. He moved closer, each step deliberate and silent, his eyes never leaving the monster. The person being attacked let out another desperate scream, the bloody sounds of bones snapping under the creature's vicious assault echoing through the night, but Dante's focus lay solely on the creature.

"Hey, ugly!" he shouted, his voice echoing. The creature's head snapped up, its eyes locking onto Dante with a malevolent glare. With a focused thought, Dante took a step forward, his red eyes gleaming with otherworldly power, commanding the shadows to swirl and grow around the creature, creating an aura of darkness that seemed to absorb all light around it.

The creature, recognizing a greater threat, hesitated. It let out a low growl, torn between continuing its attack and self-preservation. Dante pushed the shadows further, the darkness becoming almost suffocating, a force of nature unto itself. Finally deciding that the risk was too great, the creature released its grip on the person and fled into the night, disappearing into the woods with astonishing speed.

Dante watched the creature disappear, his muscles tense and ready for any sudden moves. When he was satisfied that the threat was gone, he allowed the shadows to dissipate, returning the area to its natural darkness. He spared a brief glance at the person lying in a pool of their own blood, their terrified eyes pleading for help, but Dante remained unmoved.

Turning away without a word, Dante went to resume his journey, the victim's weak voice calling out behind him. "Wait! Pl-Please, help me!" Dante halted, irritation evident in his tense shoulders and cold expression. Slowly turning to face the injured person, he cut them off before they could beg further. "I got rid of the monster," he stated curtly. "You're on your own now."

"But I... I can't move! Please," the person pleaded, tears streaming down their face. Dante's gaze narrowed, his resolve hardening. "Figure it out," he replied icily, preparing to leave them behind.

Unexpectedly, the person cried out, clutching something in their blood-soaked hand. "Please, I can pay!" they yelled, holding up a crumpled bus ticket that somehow survived the attack. "Help me get to Pelican Town... I'll pay."

Dante hesitated, his eyes flickering to the ticket and then back to the dying person. He knew they wouldn't survive much longer. After a tense moment, a faint smile touched his lips—a rare sight.

"Alright," he conceded, stepping closer and pocketing the ticket. Without warning, he grabbed the person's ankles, causing them to scream in pain as he pulled them roughly into the cover of the woods.

"What are you doing?!" they protested loudly as Dante continued, unfazed by their cries. "You're barely clinging to life as it is. You won't survive the bus ride," Dante retorted, having seen the schedule on the ticket. "W-Wait!" they pleaded, screaming and trying to resist as Dante dragged them deeper into the woods.

"Stop struggling," Dante snapped, dropping their legs unceremoniously on the ground. With a swift motion, he summoned the shadows, enveloping them in a darkness that choked the light and the air.

The person gasped out, as the oppressive darkness closed in around them, but Dante's expression remained firm and resolute. Whatever happened next was out of his hands as the night swallowed their cries.

Dante resumed the person's spot at the bus stop, rummaging through their bag. Unfolding the note from their grandfather, its weathered edges hinting at years spent tucked away. "Leaving the deed to the family farm to them," he read aloud, an eyebrow raised, amusement washing over him that these documents had survived the attack. "You know," he muttered to himself, tracing the faded ink with his finger, "I've been craving a change." His gaze flickered between the note and the bus ticket in his hand. "Pelican Town..."

As the bus pulled into the Pelican Town stop, Dante's mind raced with rehearsed preparations. ‘The letter to this Farmer person is ancient,’ he thought, looking at the worn wax seal on the parchment. The seal was practically crumbling. ‘It must've been ages since Grandpa wrote it. And since he left the farm to them, he must be gone.’

Stepping off the bus, Dante’s eyes settled on a middle-aged woman with peppered red hair, her smile wide and welcoming. He sucked in a breath and mustered a cautious smile in return, offering a tentative wave. "Hello! You must be Farmer!" she greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Yes, ma'am, though these days I go by Dante," he replied, his voice kind but uncertain, his fingers idly twisting his ponytail. "Oh! Of course. Hello, Dante!" Her cheeks flushed slightly as she corrected herself.

Following Robin to his new home, Dante watched with slight apprehension as an older man emerged from the house, his face breaking into a welcoming smile. "Ah, the new Farmer!" he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm, quickly descending the porch steps to extend a hand towards Dante.

As they shook hands, Dante learned the man was Lewis, the mayor and most likely the same one mentioned in the letter. Learning the entire town had been anticipating the Farmer's arrival made Dante uneasy. He hoped that the identity of the Farmer was not known to anyone in the town already.

Watching Robin and Lewis depart, he opened the front door, sighing with relief, only to be nearly toppled by a gust of wind. Casting a sharp glance over the landscape, his gaze settled on a mysterious figure cloaked in purple amidst the trees. Glaring slightly, he turned and stepped inside, going to shut the door, but stopped upon noticing the purple-cloaked individual standing before him.

“I don't know who you are, but you're not Farmer,” the stranger declared, shocks of purple magic crackling around his hands.

Dante sucked on his teeth, gathering shadows around him defensively. “They left me their belongings,” he countered with a small smirk, eyeing the town's wizard who was edging closer. “I don't know how you breached my barrier, but it's clear to me you're no human,” the purple-clad man observed, scrutinizing Dante intently.

“The bus,” Dante replied, smirking wider now, a chuckle escaping him as the man in purple rolled his eyes. Before the tension could escalate further, a woman's voice called out from beyond the open door.

“Daaaad! Where’d you go?” Dante looked out, seeing another flash of purple within the trees. “Stay away from my apprentice,” the man snapped, his figure vanishing abruptly as the door slammed shut.

The abrupt departure left Dante taking in the encounter, the lingering presence of magic in the air showing that this town was far more complex than he had ever imagined.

[sheikzine]

“In everyone’s life, there comes a lull.” (1/5)

During the applications period, we'll be posting a part of a Sheik fic every week, written by our writing mod! Enjoy part one and stay tuned for others to come!

Applications will remain open until May 9th, 11.59pm PST

In everyone’s life, there comes a lull.

Whether it’s short- or long-lived, near the end of days or the midst of chaos, peaceful moments can be found and cherished close to the heart. They are most often sporadic and out of the blue; yet as fast as they go by, one can still grasp them.

This was one such moment.

Everything was still, although not dangerously; not in the way that made the hair on one’s neck stand on end. No; this silence was comfortable, like the Goddesses themselves had hushed the land to listen.

Link had set up camp beside a stream, hidden from roadside view by the trees on the edge of the forest. Water trickled by in time with the rustling of the leaves that twinkled from the rays of sunlight that shone upon and between them.

The Hero lay on his back, hands folded over his stomach and hat folded beneath his head to ease the pressure on his ponytail. He was watching the motion of the trees above them, eyes flickering between the bright leaves at the top of the canopy to the darker ones near the trunk, then to the occasional bird and creature that switched between branches. While he didn’t want to turn and check the ground beneath him, he was sure the insects, too, were making their daily rounds, guided by the state of peace.

Well, it was peaceful until there was a sudden burning pain in Link’s leg.

“Ow!” He hissed, jumping at the pain, yet he knew better than to reach for the source. He grunted, huffed out a breath, and raised one arm to lie across his eyes. “... Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Came the voice from his company. “Just take a deep breath.”

Link did as commanded, opening his mouth to take in as much air as he could get, then releasing it through his nose. He felt better already; the flare in his chest had—

“Through your nose.”

Right. He did it again, closing his eyes as he inhaled slowly through his nose. As he did, his colleague continued their ministrations with gentle hands—well, as gentle as they could get, anyway—while Link closed his eyes and assessed the damage.

It really wasn’t that bad of an injury; it was only a bite from a Deku Baba, which he had never had much issue healing from, even without a potion. Yet this time, something had been different; he couldn’t tell if it had bit deeper than every other bite he’d gotten, or perhaps there was something else wrong, because the moment he had finished his battle and turned around to find himself face-to-face with his guide, he had retched violently and nearly thrown up.

The next thing he knew, they were on the side of the road where they sat now, and he was being forced onto his back with the demand to relax. Link had tried to protest, like always, but it never worked.

Another splice of pain shot through Link’s leg, and he tensed, held his breath, and huffed it out as he turned his head to the side, facing the other. “... can’t I just—”

“Use a potion?”

Red eyes met blue, and although the golden eyebrow that arched above them felt threatening, Link couldn’t help but grin. Red eyes rolled before returning to Link’s leg, and there was another slight spike of pain that felt intentional. “I knew you would ask that. Just settle down and allow me to get my tools.”

“Sheik, have I not been lying here the entire time?”

There was no response aside from a hum, but Link was fine with that. The Sheikah had always been quiet, observant; he felt lucky about every word that had come out of their mouth today.

As for Sheik’s tools, the word had sounded scary, but they held only a cloth, some shiny black thread, a bottle with some clear liquid, and a needle. The needle was the scariest part until Sheik poured the liquid on Link’s leg, and he soon tilted his head back into the ground while hissing through clenched teeth at the fierce, burning pain that ensued. His hands, too, clenched into fists by his side, blades of grass peeking out from between his fingers. With every ounce of his strength, he held himself back from releasing the slew of curse words that poked at the inside of his lips, and he tried his hardest to relax for Sheik as much as he could while they tried to help him.

“I apologize,” Sheik said, pressing one hand to Link’s thigh right at the top of his knee joint. The grip was barely there, but their strength was incredible, rendering his leg still. Their other hand poured for a couple more moments before setting the bottle on the ground, and as the pain lessened, Link realized there was a slight sizzling sound coming from below. He didn’t dare look. “But the Deku Baba’s poison infected your injury. It appears you will need stitches as well… this creature had rather wide teeth.”

Stitches? No, it couldn’t be that bad—and yet as Link propped his elbows up behind him, pushing through the pain to look, he realized it was that bad, as nearly the entire right side of his pants were soaked red, as were the bandage wrappings around Sheik’s fingers. It made him dizzy to look at, but he couldn’t let it get to him; instead he settled his eyes on the injury itself, and he swallowed back the shock that lodged its way into his throat. In the meantime, Sheik had expertly guided the thread through the needle, then held the needle with one hand while the other lit a flame ablaze beneath it.

“Lay down,” Sheik said once they appeared to be finished, leaning close to Link’s injury. That time he did so without hesitation, focusing on the leaves once more.

While Sheik hadn’t explicitly said they were going to use magic to ease his pain, he was confident they had. The only thing he felt when Sheik lowered their hand to his leg was slight tugging, then nothing more; yet everything else—the burning, the slight headache behind his eyes, the stiff pain surrounding the bite—was still there. Perhaps they had just masked the worst of it for him; he knew getting stabbed with a needle had to be at least somewhat painful.

“Almost done. Then I’ll have to treat your burn.”

His burn…? Oh, right; while fighting the Deku baba, he had tried using his torch to set it aflame, or at least see what it could do. Before he reached it, however, the Deku Baba had snapped its teeth at him eerily close, causing him to drop the torch, which he had then tried to grab out of mid-air—only for his hand to close on the lit end. His palm pulsed in pain as a reminder.

Cleaning a burn… how did one do that? All Link knew about how to treat a wound was drink a potion, and all the burns he had gotten at Death Mountain seemed to heal with the potions he’d taken, so… what was the big deal?

Well, as good as Sheik was at predicting Link’s every move, they were also incredible at reading his thoughts.

“Why can’t I use a potion, Sheik?” The Sheikah asked in a playful yet mocking tone. All Link had to do was look at them before they continued as if they could see him—or maybe they just knew. “Don’t give me that look; you’re highly inquisitive, Hero of Time. You cannot tell me you weren’t going to ask without lying to me.”

“Well—” Link protested, only for his voice to fade off into nothing. Sheik was right—they always were. So instead, Link just laid quietly as the Sheikah finished their work, biting back noises of pain.

Soon after, Sheik wrapped his leg tight and neat with the cloth, tucking the end underneath, then released a long sigh before moving off their haunches to sit on the ground instead. They held a hand out to Link, beckoning towards his hand, and he used his elbows and his good hand to push himself up before holding his hand out to Sheik. While his gloves had done a good job protecting his palm, his fingertips were bright red, and a couple had small bubbles on them. Sheik turned his hand over in their own, inspecting it, before shrugging and releasing his hand.

“Not nearly as bad as I thought,” Sheik said, pausing at the sight of their own hands before unwrapping the bloody bandages. “You got lucky, Hero. A moment longer and you could have been in two places of Hyrule at the same time.”

Link shrugged as well, grinning at the other. “Cool story though, right?”

Sheik rolled their eyes and shook their head, but as they turned away, he could tell they were amused. He followed their line of sight, admiring the scenery once more as a comfortable silence fell between them. Even the Sheikah was at ease, something that never happened, and so Link let his guard down and relaxed.

Silence these days was a rare occurrence, and often it was not welcome. Too often Link found himself settled in silence, ears twitching, body thrumming in pain as he settled in the smallest crevice he could fit into the sleep. Even with the clear safety he managed to find sometimes, he couldn’t find it in him to relax. So now it was just…

It felt good.