#mb if they look like crap i was head empty

[neaa25]

no explanation i just went "hey akito's new card is giving till alnst" then i edited him then the others just happened

[msuhana]

heeyoo everyone ! i’m ume ( 21+, she/her, pst! ) and this is my first muse here ! i’ve been eyeing this place for a while but only got enough time recently to really be able to join so i’m supes excited to be here !!! anyway enough with the ice-breaker-esque intro, this is hana  🖤  ( yves fc ) and she’s quite the pain in the ass bc she has quite the longest stick in her ass lmfao! her profile is right here, but it’s ridiculously long ( not that this isn’t ridiculously long but wtv ) so if you don’t want to get a headache .... mb read the below deets first ? i’d reaaaaaaaally love to plot with everyone, i’d much prefer it over twitter (@nagisasgf) or via discord ( feel free to ask! ) rather than tumblr dms, if possible. but if you’d also like to plot, feel free to like this and i’ll zoom by for some one on one time ! 🤪🤪🤪

TW WARNINGS CHILD ABUSE, VIOLENCE, BLOOD, NSFW

meet cho hana 

again, cho hana: 21 y/o ( 11/11/98 ), toseong senior majoring in transfiguration, minor in herbology

she’s also in these clubs: chess club (co-president), debate club, and herbology club!

her mother chose her clubs and her major, hana chose her minor and the herbology club

born and raised in seoul, south korea! she’s also a mahoutokoro graduate

she was a ‘accident’, her father is severely out of the picture to the point that hana doesn’t even know his name / whereabouts or questions about him because her mother never told her about him at all and hana just accepted it ( aka her mother has a very tight reign on hana’s life )

speaking of her mother, her mother is a famed auror who fell from grace when she got pregnant with hana

because of her pregnancy with hana, she had to retire early and thus dedicated her entire life making sure hana didn’t make the same mistakes she did and was just as smart, talented and envied as ahyoung had been

this makes for a very restrained childhood, where all hana knew was studying, studying and more studying

also if it isn’t obvious, hana has serious mommy issues to the point that she’s disillusioned herself into thinking everything is okay when it’s not

( TW FOR CHILD ABUSE )

whenever her mother was displeased with something, she’d physically abuse hana -- it began when hana would get things wrong, if she didn’t get the right grades or failed to make the top of her class but then it started to extend to embarrassing her mother by saying or doing the wrong things

( END TW )

it’s pretty bad because hana thinks, still, if she works hard enough she can somehow gain her mother’s love 

ever since she was young, hana was conditioned to strive for the best, because she was ‘cho ahyoung’s daughter’ she could do it, to the point that it not only inflated hana’s ego, it also really fucked up her self-esteem and how she she’s her own self-worth

a lot of people think she’s a ‘genius’ or ‘prodigy’ because of her academic history but she’s literally the opposite, she works way too hard for her grades but her mother wants her to pretend she’s a genius because she thinks it’s embarrassing that her own daughter isn’t a natural-born genius like she is

i, hana

this bitch has Big Tsun vibes if you know it you know it 🤪

like she’ll geniunely care but she’s also HEAVES BIG SIGH BC ???? WHY ??? WHAT ARE THESE FEELINGS ???

she’s such a priss, and she knows it -- that’s why i say she has a stick up her ass bc she does

she’s definitely not a wild card, she’s very by the book, rules and all, sure -- she tries not to fault people if they’re not the same as her but if you go out of your way to be stupid, you’ll be getting an ear-full

probably the most put-together person you know, organized, meticulous, looks like she has her life all together? yeah that’s cho hana

her outfits of choice are hot librarian chic, if you must know -- yes, she owns sweater vests and layers her clothes, and yes she thinks they’re sexy

she’s not mean, but she’s also not unreasonably nice off the gate ???? she’s just really civil and mutual ??? mostly she’ll fake smile at you but in her head she’s like ‘i’m with stupid’ 

no, but if you’re really dumb / do something really dumb she’ll call you out on it without filter

she’s a very type-A personality, but she wasn’t always like this. if anything, she was made to be this way and it kind of stuck. she carries around a planner ( no, not those bullet journal crap ) an actual planner with real dates, a to-do list and scheduled sessions written for almost every minute of every day. if she loses this, she’ll practically shut down

hana doesn’t love control, she needs it -- if anything, without it, she can get a little antsy, so much that it kind of fucks with her fragile ego ( you can thank her mother for the need to be in control bc her mother literally controls every aspect of her life )

if she’s upset, she’ll probably grin through it before quickly excusing herself to go throw vases at the walls or tear flowers to shreds in the greenhouse

if you need someone to critically tear down your confidence and dish reality’s terrible news to you, hana’s probably the person you need

you can probably find hana in 3 places if she’s not in her dorm: studying in the library, crying in the greenhouse, or smoking at the pool of universe

she’s praised as some kind of genius or prodigy, but hana thinks it’s more of an insult than a compliment because she's neither. she won’t deny it but you can probably instantly see the way her demeanor changes towards you when you call her either of those things

this bitch should go on jeopardy with all the useless information she keeps on hand from all her studying, tbh. like she’d be leading a normal conversation with her friends, and if it’s remotely related, she’d randomly insert it into the conversation as if it was something normal like asking about the weather.

not one to go out looking for trouble, but much like a vulture – she follows it. perhaps it’s her desire to be praised, to feel needed, whatever – but in her group of friends, could probably be seen as the moral compass, if not, the person who’s cleaning up everyone’s messes ( or holding their hair while they puke their guts out )

needed connects

childhood friends who know how hana’s mom is, and all the stress she puts on her ( but not the bad things that happen at home ) and try to help her through her issues but hana’s like ‘no, it’s not your problem, it’s okay’ but this friend won’t give up because they hate to see hana so stressed and sad and frustrated and just want the best for her!!!!

give her friends who want to loosen her up because she’s literally so fuCKING RIGID, she needs to live a little but hana is literally like fuck that shit i need to study my ass off or else i’ll lose my place ( but really she’d probably not lose her place, she’s just delusional )

ppl she can actually break down in front of bc she feels stress keeping up w everyone’s expectations of who she is and she’s kind of SIck of pretending to be this Perfect Person but she keeps it up bc it’s better than hearing the nasty things about her

give me a good tension-filled rivals plot, this bitch is honestly so hyper-competitive it’s ridiculous, we’d just love someone to go ‘chill tf out you bitch, but oh yeah look how i steal rank 1 from you’

TOSEONG SENIOR PREFECT LOCKED ! so, hana worked extra hard junior year in order to get senior prefect ( or even head girl ) but since she got neither, hana is a) pissed and b) bitter because now she has her mother breathing down her neck for not getting either positions, but her mother’s wrath adds even more : ) unnecessary : ) stress and that stress : ) gets unreasonably taken out on that toseong senior prefect

exes who couldn’t keep up with her -- hana always puts her relationships second to her academic priorities and it comes to a point where she’ll put studying/getting ahead before hanging out with her significant other, and it has always been this way ; she’s also just never able to properly put her feelings into proper words so she’s always just ... Repressed 

someone give her a love where she ALMOST threw everything away for but at the last minute didn’t -- OR BETTER YET she was so ready to do it but the s/o was like Sike! and she was left devastated and her already vulnerable feelings got even worse to the point that she closed herself off

HERBOLOGY CLUB MEMBER LOCKED ! ( could be a junior year or above! ) hana wasn’t always in the herbology club, but she joined her sophomore year after a brush of fate. after getting really bad results on her DADA exam, and fearing what her mother would say/do, she finds solace in the greenhouse ( she’s been there several times bc of her minor and finds it empty at certain hours ) and begins ripping up the plants. your muse can find hana and scold her / console her / etc. but somehow the interaction ends with your muse convincing hana to join the herbology club 

( TW NSFW )

someone pls fuck her against a bookcase, just a thought

rivals but fwb ( can also be paired with the connect from above! )

( END TW )

hana secretly smokes. she doesn’t fault anyone who does, hana just thinks it’s a bad habit for herself and if her mother knew, she knew she’d never hear the end of it. so, enter your muse either they found her while they themselves were looking for a smoke or just happened upon her -- either way they found out hana smokes and it can end in either a ) hana doesn’t give a shit and ends up having smoking dates with them or b ) hana fucking fears for her life and exchanges something in order for you to keep your mouth shut

( TW ABUSE, VIOLENCE )

PRE-ESTABLISHED FRIENDS PLOT REQ ! but your muse mistakenly walks in on hana and her mother in the middle of a heated argument. you finally see hana being the submissive person you Don’t know her to be and in the nick of time you see her mother slap the shit out of her. you try to talk to hana but don’t know what to say -- shockingly enough -- you don’t need to say anything because hana just breaks down and it kind of just makes sense. from there, your muse will probably be the only person hana goes to about her mommy issues, especially when hana’s mom makes her ‘surprise’ visits to campus to check up on her

( END TW )

hana isn’t a bad drinker, if anything -- she’s pretty good at keeping her alcohol in check. however, you aren’t -- so here she is, holding your hair, holding your arm, or helping you back to your dorm room. either way, she’s here to take care of you and in the morning, lecture you for your almost alcohol intoxication scare

as top of her class, hana isn’t unfamiliar to tutoring others, if anything, a lot of her professors actually ask her to do so -- pairing her with several of their students at one time. maybe you’re one of the students she tutors?

someone who envies how well hana does in school, and is constantly praised for it -- maybe hates her for it? idk -- something spicy i guess or going so far to say how easily it comes to hana and kind of undermines the hard work hana actually does and hana either takes it or blows up at them for it bc that shit is annoying as fuck

toseong house cute plots bc hana isn’t really all that cute but like she tries ... she wants affection but won’t go out of her way to ask for it??? bitch has problems i swear

toseong house not so cute plots ( could also be relevant to any not from toseong ) who are just sick of hana’s genius bullcrap and want to take her down a notch !!!!! my ass heavily wanting this bc who doesn’t love a muse in pain / agony ; could also apply as a rivals / hate plot idk 

( TW BLOOD )

HEALING MAJORS LOCKED ! your muse catches hana in the middle of her rage episodes. she unceremoniously is wreaking havoc somewhere and ends up breaking glass to the point that she ends up bleeding. your muse chances upon her -- sees that she’s bleeding and offers to patch her up. whether or not she fesses up to why she ended up this way, can be determined!

( END TW )

[littlebitoffanfic]

A Marital Bed System

Fandom: Star wars Character: Hux Relationship: Hux/reader Request: I really enjoyed binging on all your hux x readers. Could you write me one where hux keeps leaving in the middle of the night to work. Make it super angsty but happy ending? When you woke up, you immediately knew your bed was empty. You didn’t even need to open your eyes to know. Sitting up, you stretch, allowing the sheet to fall from your body as you moved out of bed to grab a dressing gown and head into the next room of the small apartment. Still no sign of Hux, meaning he must be in his office just down the corridor. It was both an advantage to have his place of work so close but it was also a nightmare since Hux struggled to leave his work at the door when he came back. Knowing there wouldn’t be anyone about anyway, you decided just to go to him in your nightgown and robe. It covered your dignity anyway so even if someone did see you, there wouldn’t be an issue. your bare feet padded along the hallway before you came to the door of his office. You didn’t even knock, just walked straight in. It was a benefit of being the wife of the general. The second you entered, you heard a curse from within. “Damn.” Hux hissed, looking up from desk which had papers scattered across it as well as 3 screens projecting data onto the wall beside him. “Sorry to bother you.” You frowned, annoyed by his reaction to you entering the room. “I hoped you wouldn’t wake.” He shook his head, standing straight and looking at you. “Will you come back to bed any time soon?” You asked, wrapping your arms around yourself, the office a lot cooler than the rest of the ship. “i…”He trails off before looking away from you. “Probably not.” signing, you couldn’t hide your disappointment as your shoulders slouched. You couldn’t look at him anymore. This was the 10th time in 2 weeks you had woken up on your own. While you understood he was in a high position and respected that he had a mighty weight on his shoulders, you missed him. Over the last 2 years especially, he had become so demanded by his work, you barely saw him. He did make time for you, but it really wasn’t enough. You could tell he felt guilty about it and you knew he wanted more time with you, but he couldn’t give it to you. No one could doubt he loved you, and you knew he did all this for you as well as himself. But that didn’t make it any easier. You knew today had been hard for him. The supreme leader had been rather… ‘displeased’ by his work. This had result in him being thrown across the room like a ragdoll. You had been there but couldn’t do anything. Hux had been distance from you all day after that incident. You had just assumed his pride had been hurt. blinking back tears, you walk up to his desk and pick up his data pad. Hux saw your eyes watering. “[y/n], I am truly sorry.” He sounded genuine and you smiled despite your tears as you punched something into his data pad. “I know.” You look up and him and pass him back his data pad, showing an order for coffee and something to eat to his office. “Just make sure you get some sleep, darling.” You turned around and walked out the office, leaving Hux stunned. once you got back to your quarters, you pressed yourself against the wall and cried. Covering your mouth with your hand, you tried to silence the gasps for air and cries but couldn’t. You knew you weren’t going to get back to sleep without crying yourself to sleep and that didn’t sound too appealing right now, then your data pad light up from the table. Walking over, you saw a message from Hux. “do you wish to leave?” frowning, you felt a small rage brew inside you. Was he really trying to start a fight with you over messages? Especially when he was in the room just along the hallway. throwing down your data pad, you stormed out the room, anger now taking over your sadness as you threw open the door to his office. but then you heard a sniff and saw Hux had collapsed in his chair, he held his head in his hands on the table and seemed to be weeping like a broken man. “Im sorry.” He whispered. “I cant. You deserve better than this.” He shook his head, refusing to look at you. All the anger melted away when you saw him like this. He was a hard man to break, and even after 15 years of marriage, you had barley seen him cry. and never like such a broken man. “If you wish to leave, I wont begrudge you. I never deserved you. You should never have married me. You should have found a man who could give you everything.” He shook his head in his hands, growling more to himself than to you. That was when you noticed the drinks cabinet was open. While Hux did handle his alcohol well in a normal situation, when he was stressed and turned to drink it was different. All his deepest fears came out, all his darkest secret, every emotion he tried to conceal left his lips as alcohol entered. “I did.” Was all you said as you walked around the desk and leaned over the back of his chair, wrapping your arms around him. But he pushed back the chair, pushing you away as he stood and moved quickly for the drink. “No, you didn’t. im not a man at all.” He took a deep swig of the drink straight from the bottle. His hands were shaking as he did so. “No man lets his wife sleep alone. Or cry. Because he cant get a damn thing right.” you jumped as he threw the bottle across the room and it smashed on the opposite wall. His hunched over, breathing deeply while shaking and swaying on the spot. “you deserve better.” Hux whispered. You couldn’t take much more of this. Tears were running down your cheek and you wanted nothing more than for this to be over. You hated seeing him in such a desperate and depressed state. You did the only thing you could think of. The only thing that seemed to fix everything so far. Darting around him, you pressed your lips to his before he could protest. Unlike before, he wasn’t able to just pull away from your lips. He never could. His hands grabbed you by the waist and help you against his chest, tightly like he was afraid of loosing you. And he was. He was more than aware that if the supreme leader demanded it, you could be taken from him, shipped away to only see him on occasions. If he didn’t get his act together, it was a very real possibility. He couldn’t imagine his life without you anymore. You were the one constantly good thing. And yet, he didn’t want this sort of life for you. He knew you didn’t like spending every breathing moment on this ship, but you never begrudged him, never complained. You didn’t complain about the crap canteen food you survived on, nor the lack of interactions with your friends and family. You just smiled and said you were grateful he was here with you. One night, that’s all you had wanted from him. One single night to remain in your quarters. And he was unable to give it to you. he could afford anything. He could get you any gadget or jewellery you wanted. Hell, he could even get you your own ship which you could use for traveling in. but you never asked for anything, just his presents. Hux swayed against you, his mind racing. He could get you a little ship, one which you could use to go see your family and friends when needed. He was sure the supreme leader wouldn’t care if he was able to secure it so it could be tracked by the first order and monitored so no one would attack or hack it. And as for his attention, he knew that he could take some time off. Even just a couple of days. You’d enjoy that. You felt Hux relax considerably during the kiss, making you relax in turn. Soon the kiss had turned from desperate to passionate but calm. You pulled away for air, your cheeks a little pink from the kiss. “I think you should come back to bed. Just for a little while.” You smile as you run your fingers of his cheeks before fixing his hair. All hux is able to do is nod as you take his hand in your and lead him out of the office, glad to leave the place that had all his alcohol. You thought about the coffee and food you had ordered, but you knew if he wasn’t in the office, they would leave it on the table. You could deal with that tomorrow and if he went back to work in a few hours, he would have something at lease. Once back in your room, you took off your dressing gown and then moved to him. He had been known to sleep in shirts and trousers before, but you knew he didn’t like when the shirt was buttoned up. Your fingers un did all the buttons before you leaned in and pressed soft kisses along his collar bone and then up his neck. Hux wrapped his arms lazily around you as he did so. The cool and fresh air in the apartment sobering him a little more. “I do love you, you know that right?” He speaks in a low and tired voice as you pull away to look up at him. “I know. And I love you.” You smile, even after 15 years of marriage, a confession of love still meant the world to you. Pulling him to bed, he wrapped himself around you once you were both under the covered. You smiled, lazily draping your arm over his torso to run your fingertip up and down his back. “I think-“ You started, drawing his attention down to you. “-that we should have a system.” “What sort of system?” Hux couldn’t help but chuckle at your suggestion. “well, you’re only allowed to leave here 3 times a week after we go to bed. And if you only leave 2 times, your allotted time can be transferred to the next week. So you can bank time in case you have a busy week.” You look up to him for approvable but saw a soft smile on his lips as he stared lovingly down at you. “and what would this system be called?” he asked, humouring you but liking the idea. He always did work best with restrictions, so something like that might help him manage things better. “the Marital Bed System. Or MBS for short.” You giggle. “my dear, I do not deserve you.” He whispers as he presses a kiss to your forehead. “Perhaps not, but you need me.” You quip, making Hux let out a laugh. “Truer words have never been spoke.” Hux yawns as he closes his eyes, falling asleep with you in his arms as it should be.

[fearofaherobrine]

Roleplay Server Log #344

“Yster reunited with Locklear, Stevie gets Griefed, Mb Vs Cp Again”

[CN] Huffs at Firebird-

[Firebird] -Huffs back-

[CN] - You shoved me in the dirt again!

[Firebird] Of course. You need to learn!

[CN] - But if I get dirty, then I'd just have to take a bath sooner!

[HG] - just zoomed up and is watering flowers near by-

[CN] Jumps in surprise- AH!

[Firebird] -Scree-

[HG] -runs behind a tree from their screaming-

[CN] Goes to hide behind Firebird-

[CN] - Firebird who is that?

[Firebird] That's HG, CN. He likes plants.

[HG] -peaks around the tree and give a timid wave-

[CN] - Oh, he's in Lies garden sometimes

[HG] -comes back around the tree and over to the two- sorry if I scared you

[CN] - You just came up so fast...

[Firebird] Fast things are bad things

[HG] i'm sorry I tend to run really fast it's one of my powers it helps me run from dangerous mobs

because I don't know how to fight

[CN] - Then why don't you learn?

[HG] I don't want to hurt anyone

[CN] - But that's how you can protect others!

[HG] but what if I accidentally hurt a friend and then they hate me forever -

starts to cry at the thought of being alone again-

[CN] - They could forgive you

[HG] I don't even know how I could learn I don't have any weapons or know how to make them?

[CN] - Ummm...  Some people use their hands!

[HG] how?

[CN] Shrugs and looks at FIrebird-

[Firebird] I prefer using my feet as hands but just, Punch. Fling your hand forward real hard.

[HG] -punches as hard as he can like he is punch tree without it hitting anything it's obvious weak

because of poor form-

[CN] - You need practice

[Hg] how do I practice that how I punch trees?

[CN] Shrugs-

[hg] do you know anyone who could teach me?

[CN] Once again shrugs-

[Firebird] You could just ask around, I'm sure someone wouldn't mind teaching you.

[HG] where should I ask first?

[CN] - Not the big meanie?

[HG] big meanie?

[Firebird] He means CP.

[CN] - Is the big meanie gonna be at the tiny shower?

[HG] what's a tiny shower?

[Firebird] Babyshower, CN. And most likely.

[CN] Huffs angrily-

[HG] what's a babyshower?

[CN] - I don't know

[Firebird] When one is with child they'll have a party to celebrate. I'm.. not sure why it's called

a babyshower though.

[HG] weird well maybe I should head off to see if anyone can teach me

[CN] - Okay!

[HG] -runs off-

[Firebird] -Watches HG go- Well that was... Something.

[CN] Suddenly gets a scared look- IS THE BABY GONNA EAT LIE!?

[Firebird] -Chokes on air- WHAT?

[CN] - Is the baby gonna eat her?  She said she's gonna have to eat more...  So if she doesn't get

enough food...  Does that mean the baby will eat her?

[Firebird] No! That's ridiculous, CN.

[CN] - Oh...

-A cloud passes overhead the group standing on the porch of the shrine and Ever glances

up, the sun in his eyes. The air seems to get heavier and he shivers slightly-

[Arden] Ever? Are you okay...?

[Ever] Shrinks under a weight he can't see, only feel, it's like suddenly being under a microscope. And just as quickly... it's

gone. Leaving him shivering.

[Zeke] As the shadows flee Zeke starts suddenly, his patterns changing to feathers and brickwork and indeciperable calligraphy-

Ah!

[Ever] Nearly falls over- WHAT THE FUCK????

[Lie] - Zeke?  Is everything okay?

[Zeke] Is looking around wildly. -

[Arden] ....

[Ever] Why do I feel like I just got judged really harshly?

[Lie] - I don't know?

[Hope] Hisses a little at the sky-

[Zeke] Maybe we should go inside....

[Lie] - Go ahead, I'm going to head on home- She gathers up her cat and starts heading for the animal

to retrieve Beau- Have fun you guys

[Polybius] Is stomping down one of the manor halls in a foul mood.

[Sally] Darts out of her room- Hi Poly!

[Polybius] All the wires behind his head rise up in alarm like snakes and then relax

again. He grumbles a hello in return.

[Sally] - What's wrong?

[Polybius] Grumbles- MrmramdfrackingBEN.... where is that little stoner anyway?

[Sally] - He's where big brother Herobrine is!

[Polybius] Yeah well I need him, isn't he ever coming back?

[Sally] - He has a kid!

[Polybius] What the fuck.... I figured he'd be sterile from all the crap he puts in his

system...

[Sally] - Nope

[Slender] Approaches from behind- Sally?  Polybius?  What is going on?

[Sally] - Papa!

[Polybius] Just airing my irritations since she asked. Is there any way I can get a hold

of BEN?

[Slender] - I can send a message through one of my proxies, why?

[Polybius] I need a couple of electrical things you said he'd have

and a bunch of shit is locked. I don't want to break his chests and piss you off, plus the whole thing is a hot mess and

impossible to find anything. It's easier just to pick the twerps brain directly.

[Slender] - I will let him know and give you his response as soon as I can

[Polybius] Huffs- fine.

[Slender] Walks off to find a proxy-

[Sally] - Poly come have a tea party with me!

[Polybius] Glances at Slender and considers the possible ass-beating if he says no. His

thin shoulders slump in defeat. Slender is more likely to find him quickly with an answer if he's with Sally anyway. - Yeah....

okay.

[CP] Is freaking out because he can't find Lie-

[Mb] Sneaking around the greenhouse and now snickering at Cp's obvious distress.

[Celine] Is swinging happily off the gargoyle on the apex of the greenhouse roof-

[CP] Storms past MB without even seeing him-

[Mb] Sneaks after him-

[CP] - Fucking Nether where is she?

[Mb] Goes for the stab with a diamond sword-

[CP] Barely catches sight of the incoming weapon and teleports just out of the way- Fuck off!

[Mb] No! You promised! - He does a graceful flip in the air and swings at Cp again-

[CP] - Fucker I need to find Lie!

[Mb] There's plenty of time for that, for now worry about your own skin! - attacking-

[CP] Pushes aside MB's weapon with his sword- Not now!

[Mb] -Stab stab stab- FOCUS!

[CP] Takes a couple blows- I said fuck off!

[Celine] Suddenly realized what he's doing and stops playing- Master no!

[CP] - Listen to your dragon and leave me to find my wife

[Mb] But I know where she is! Is that worth fighting for? -parry and thrust-

[Celine] Bad!

[CP] - Just tell me where!

[Mb] Not unless you show me some spirit first! - Stabby stab-

[Celine] Huffs some of her gas angrilly-

[CP] - You asshole I need to get to her because she's pregnant!

[Mb] Laughs- wowwwww you fucked up!

[CP] Growls- Fuck. Off.

[Celine] Jumps up and down in place- Lie is preggyngnat? What does that mean???

[CP] - It means she and I are going to have a daughter

[Celine] Does a little flip- A daughter!???!!

[Mb] Just starts laughing- Holy fuck...

[CP] - You can stop laughing!

[Mb] Steps off the ground and rolls in the air a bit. Still

laughing.

[CP] Scowls and takes a cheap shot at the distracted MB-

[Mb] Gets cut on the leg and slashes back-

[Celine] Master!

[Mb] Self-defense!

[CP] Blocks the blow- Can you go away now?

[Mb] Maybe I'll just go ahead of you and bother Lie.

[CP] Lunges forwards and puts MB in a choke hold- You will do no such thing, she doesn't need any

stress

[Mb] Swings his sword to take a few pixels out of Cp's pants and buttcheek on one side-

Grrrk!

[Celine] Bites Cp's other leg, blowing gas out around her beak at the same time.

[CP] - Now fuck off and leave my wife alone

[Mb] Muffled strangling noises-

[Celine] Angrilly shredding Cp's pants-

[Honedge] Disentangles itself from CP's leg and moves to remove Celine from his leg-

[Celine] Bats at Honedge and Cp with her wings-

[Mb] Goes slack and vanishes-

- Masterherobrine was killed by CreepypastaHerobrine -

[Celine] MASTER! - starts crying-

[CP] Turns around and picks up Celine- It's okay, he's just respawned

[Celine] Just cries more, she's really loud and pathetic-

[CP] - Come on, I'll take you to him- Starts carrying Celine towards MB's place

[Celine] Wailing forlornly, she's getting his shoulder wet and swatting weakly at him

with her wings- MAAAASSSSTTTTTTEEEERRRRR

[CP] - He's fine

[Celine] Horrible loud whining- WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[CP] Ignores the stares of the villagers as they pass-

[Celine] BLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[CP] Approaches the building with the Nether portal-

[Mb] Is grumbling as he climbs the ladder and perks hearing her-

[Celine] AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[CP] - You're fine, we're almost there

[Celine] Swats him in the crotch with the spiky end of her tail - WAAAAAAHHHHHH

[CP] - Fucking Nether!

[Mb] Opens the door- What the fuck-

[Celine] Goes bananas trying to get away from Cp and swats him several times in

different places with her wings and tail while still crying-

[CP] Holds Celine out towards MB-

[Mb] Takes her and nearly falls over as she glomps him in a strangling hug- Fuck!

[CP] - Don't threaten Lie- Turns to go find Lie

[Lie] Makes it back home, having stopped only once to puke by a tree.  As she enters the workroom she

see's it's currently empty, but that doesn't stop the unease she now feels whenever she enters the room-

-outside it starts to rain a little bit-

[Chester] Scoots inside and shuts the door-

[Lie] Jumps a little- Oh, Chester, hello

[Chester] Oh! Sorry to intrude miss! - He's obviously damp from the rain and his fuzz

is matted-

[Lie] - Is everything okay?

[Chester] Little sneeze- Just got caught in the rain....

[Lie] - Then come warm up by the lava, it's perfect for that

[Chester] I was hoping you'd say that. - Scoots over by the pool and lays down on the

floor next to it.

[Lie] Smiles at the small spider and starts to feel queasy again-

[Eliza] Knocks on the door and enters- Mistress?

[Lie] - Oh, Eliza

[Chester] Sees her and smiles, her name is said like a reverent prayer- Elizzza.

[Eliza] - Oh, there you are Chester

[Lie] - Get over by the lava and warm up Eliza, you look soaked to the skin

[Chester]  Rolls sideways and opens his legs to hug her if she

gets close. - I just got caught in the rain...

[Eliza] Does move closer- Mistress, the Master said you needed my skills?

[Lie] - Yeah, I suppose I will.  My clothes are already getting a bit too tight

[Chester] Tight? OH. Since you don't lay eggs. This is gonna be weird.

[Eliza] - I can make you some clothes which will adjust as you grow Mistress

[Lie] - Thank you Eliza

[Chester] Can I help? -very proud- I'm learning.. AH-choo!

[Eliza] - These will be some very specific measurements Chester...

[Lie] - You could start with baby clothes maybe?

[Chester] Rolls over and bounces on his feet a little- What do I do?

[Eliza] - Well first you must be able to produce the proper string, one which isn't sticky

[Chester] Sooo...... eat wool?

[Eliza] - No, it takes a lot of concentration, I know for my thread the stickiness is more like an

outer layer so I can remove by making my opening just a bit smaller.  You however are from a different server so it might not

work the same

[Chester] Maybe... I could work with something else?

[Lie] - Maybe sweet Alex or Steve could teach you?

[Chester] I guess.....

[Eliza] - We needn't worry about that right now, for now let us just get warm

[Chester] Eyebrow waggle- Yes please. - Sneaks two legs over her

as much as he can reach-

[Eliza] Moves closer-

[Lie] Suddenly rushes for the lava again to throw up-

[Eliza] - Mistress!

[Chester] Scrabbles uselessly- YIKES!

[Lie] - Sorry, it's this morning sickness...

[Chester] Confused- Do you feel better in the afternoon then?

Maybe you could just sleep in?

[Lie] - I don't think time of day really matters Chester, that's just the name of it.  It's different

for everyone though

[Chester] Oh... well I like little ones, when's she gonna pop out?

[Lie] - Not for some time Chester

[Chester] Oh okay. I can wait- twiddles his feet, getting toasty now-

[Lie] - I think I'm going to lay down for a bit

[Chester] Okay, you be gentle with yourself - snuggles happily next to Eliza.

[Eliza] Gives a small chitter back at him as Lie leaves-

[CP] Approaches Docs place-

[Doc] is sitting on the porch under a giant potted mushroom happily playing with hir

computer.

[Waffles] wiggle butt and slink toward Cp-

[Yaunfen] Waves-

[CP] - Oi! Is Lie here?

[Doc] Maybe? She brought Ever over to visit Arden.

[Yster] Goes galloping by on a skeleton horse with a jubilant expression.

[Waffles] Goes for a playful pounce and lick on Cp.

[Doc] Waffles no! Damn! Cp you're a mess.

[CP] - FUCK. OFF.

[Yaunfen] Runs up to push Waffles down from Cp- down! Leave Big fire alone!

[CP] Yells at Yster- And you do realize you've missed over a day of work, right?

[Yster] Slows- I have? Aww dammit. Well it wouldn't be the first time I lost a whole

day to playing Minecraft!

[CP] Scowls- Don't you think you should head back?

[Yaunfen] Big fire we made new stuff! - holds up one of the orange glazed mushrollems-

we revived them from stones!

[Yster] Yeaaaaah I guess so...

[CP] - That's nice kid. Why don't you go get your stuff Yster

[Yster] oh I have just about everything already.

[Doc] I've got her spider and snake cages at my feet

[Yaunfen] Do want to taste it? They're realllllllly good.

[CP] - Not now, I'm busy working- He stats focusing on making an opening

[Yaunfen] Aww....

[Doc] Brings over the cages- Are you going to be okay?

[Yster] I think so. Can I call you if there are any more... emergencies?

[Doc] Of course!

[CP] - Do you have the phone for Locklear?

[Yster] Holds it up. - Yes. I suppose you think he'll still be nearby?

[CP] - Oh yeah, and probably not in a good mood

[Doc] Should I go too? For safety!

[CP] - Nah, if he tries shit I'll just punch him out

[Doc] He might take one look at your current state and run.

[Yster] You do look like you tangled with a few tigers before coming over.

[CP] - MB threatened Lie

[Doc] Ah so you and him had a play session. That explains a lot. I doubt he meant it.

He just likes to rile you up.

[CP] - Yeah well he's on thin ice right now

[Doc] Mb? Oh you'll get over it.

[CP] Flips Doc off before turning towards Yster- You ready?

[Yster] Yes, and thank you all for your hospitality.

[Yaunfen] Bye Yster!

[CP] Steps through first and looks around.  He's made the opening through Yster's computer-

-Her bedroom is dark apart from the light of the screen and she

decants the spider and the snake back into their respective terrariums.

[CP] Narrows his eyes in suspicion as he summons a fireball into his hand-

[Yster] Eyes widen- Whoah.....

[CP] - Stay there- He approaches the closet, listening intently

[Locklear] Leans against the door frame leading into the rest of the apartment- Come now, I'm not some common boogey man to hide

in a closet Herobrine

[Yster] Jumps in alarm at the unexpected voice.

[CP] Growls at Locklear but the doctor's attention is on Yster-

[Locklear] - You left...

[Yster] I got overwhelmed...

[Locklear] - You could have just told me

[CP] Mentally to Yster- Remember, you are the thing that can calm and clear his mind

[Yster] I.. I didn't want to spoil your fun... but I'm rather nervous at the scene of a

crime in progress.

[Locklear] Moves towards him, his anger apparent- So you thought just running off was better!?  You

could have gotten harmed!

[Yster] Stands firm- I called a friend to pick me up.

[Locklear] Reaches out to grab her-

[Yster] Smacks his hand roughly-

[Locklear] Growls darkly-

[CP] Moves between them- Locklear, focus...  This isn't helping you

[Yster] Scowls at him- I appreciate you avenging me, but don't get

grabby. It's not like I asked you to kill him for me.

[CP] - Yster he doesn't have a choice.  We'll do anything to protect our mates

[Locklear] - Move aside Herobrine

[Yster] Protecting and controlling are too different things. I don't put up with clingy

guys who try to micromanage me.

[Locklear] - All I want is for you to be safe and mine

[Yster] Yeah... that's a little weird. Don't get posessive, it's off-putting.

[CP] - We can't help it

[Yster] Pfft. That's what all guys say.

[CP] - No, we literally can't.  Him even more so because he still has her

[Locklear] - Herobrine why don't you leave

[Yster] Her? OH... you mean he's still.... crazy? Oh dear...

[CP] - Yeah- Mentally- But because you've been chosen as his mate, you just might be able to convince

him to give her up

[Yster] I'll think about it. I'm still on the fence about this

chosen thing. I don't believe in fate or soulmates or any of that stuff.

[Locklear] Is growling- Herobrine, why don't you go take care of the annoying woman outside?

[Yster] Wait, who's outside?

[Locklear] - An officer, she was watching your place of work most of the day and took note that you

never showed up

[Yster] Oh fuck! I bet it's that woman who was spying on Markus!

[CP] - Guess he needs to pop out here again...

[Yster] Just let him know Cp, he lives next door to you. OH! Locklear, I have a present

for you. - rummages and pulls out the shiny little phone-

[Locklear] A small bit of his aggression seems to fade- A present?

[Yster] I got a friend to make you a better phone. -Holds it out.

[Locklear] Takes it and looks it over- I'm sorry, but I don't know how to use this...

[CP] Mentally- That's it, ease into it.  Distract him from his anger

[Yster] Shoots Cp a look that's plainly 'I'm still not cool with this and stop telling

me what to do' - It's simple... - Is showing Locklear how to use the phone.

[Locklear] Is still confused-

[CP] - I'm just speaking from experience Yster

[Yster] mentally- I really don't need a boyfriend who has to have his hand patted 24/7

to keep him from going berzerk.

[CP] - I'm not saying that, but he'll be calmer and much more reasonable around you

[Yster] mentally- still... high maintence and violent isn't a good combination. I don't

see what I'm getting out of this.

[CP] - A protection from anything natural and supernatural and somebody who will learn everything you

love so that they can make certain you're happy

[Locklear] - I don't understand why you are trying to teach me this

[Yster] Is considering it. - Huh? Because... it's pointless to give a gift and not show

someone how to use it? It's nicer then the one you have and you can text on it and look at things one the internet, it's got a

calculator and even a little camera.

[Locklear] - This, seems very complicated and unnecessary, my own phone works fine.  Although I did

place yours on your charging cable

[Yster] But you don't have to press three times per letter to text with this one.

[CP] - His other phone doesn't even have text...

[Yster] See? And I could put games on this one too if you want, it even has talk to

text so you can just mutter at it and it'll do the typing.

[Locklear] Still looks uncertain-

[CP] Sighs and grabs Locklear's arm- Come on Locklear, it's late, let your mate get some rest.  We'll go have a drink

[Yster] What about the police officer? She might still be out there.

[CP] - I can teleport

[Yster] Does anyone know what time it actually is?

[CP] - Don't you have a clock around here?

[Locklear] - Let me go Herobrine

[Yster] I usually use my phone when I'm in this room...

[Locklear] - It is late

[Yster] Then I'm going to bed, she can just sit out there all

night. It's ridiculious stalking people like that.

[CP] - Whatever, let's go psycho doctor- Teleports the two away

[Doc] Is drumming hir fingers and suddenly perks with a thought. - Hey Yaunfen, wanna

go make a teeny bit of mischief?

[Yaunfen] Mada? - scoots close to listen-

[Doc] Checks quickly to make sure they're alone and whispers to them for a moment before the two go off giggling with the bored

sabertooth ambling along behind them.

[Doc and Yaunfen] Scoping out Alexis and Stevies house to see who's home.

[Stevie] Is cleaning up after the two of them have eaten-

[Doc] Taps on Alexises door while Yaunfen hides-

[Stevie] Glances at Alexis who motions for him to answer the door since he's already standing.  

Stevie outs down the dishes and opens the door- Hello?

[Doc] Hey Stevie, what's up?

[Stevie] - Oh hey, we just finished eating.  Do you need us for something?

[Doc] No, just thought I'd check on you. Haven't for a while, hows the pokemon doing? I

brought you some berries- Offers a stack-

[Yaunfen] Gets close to the outside window nearest to Alexis and waves to get her attention-

[Alexis] Smiles and waves back-

[Stevie] - Milotic's been doing really good, they play with Aqua and the Lapras quite a bit

[Yaunfen] runs over to the door on Stevies side and cracks it,

making the 'shhhh!' gesture.

[Doc] Basil bothering you at all?

[Stevie] - No, not really.  Actually I haven't seem them in awhile, Hera's usually more of a bother

than them

[Alexis] Becomes nervous as she watches Yaunfen-

[Yaunfen] Runs over and swats up all of Stevie's mushrooms before

pressing them into Alexis's hands-

[Doc] Oh? Is she bugging you when you go fishing again?

[Alexis] Is now just confused-

[Stevie] - On occasion, do you want to come in?

[Doc] No, no, it's okay. I can talk too her if she's getting on your nerves.

[Yaunfen] quickly plants several of the two types of mushrollems where the other shrooms were and winks at Alexis before darting

back out the door. The lovely scent is immediately apparent-

[Stevie] Gets a confused expression and turns around- What in the Nether...

[Doc] Hops up as soon as he turns away, shapeshifting and taking a flying leap off the

apex of the house before joining Yaunfen in runing away while giggling-

[Stevie] Is just standing there really confused-

[Alexis] - I think you got griefed

[CP] Finally returns after getting Locklear absolutely shit-faced-

[enkisstories]

The android cemetery (Chapter 17)

Daniel stood in the therapist’s office, looking out of the window. At this time the streets were near empty, too bad the same couldn’t be said about the deviant’s mind. Normally Daniel routinely cursed Caroline Phillips for scheduling Emma’s appointments at a Saturday morning. Not so today. Today he was glad for anything that would require his full concentration and take his thoughts off what might happen at the DPD right now.

Additionally, for the first time since participating in these sessions Daniel wished he could be the one to do the talking. Last night had been taxing both mechanically and emotionally. And the harder Daniel tried to push away the memories of the shaft, the more vivid they returned. If there was a trick to keeping them in check, he wouldn’t find it within the next five minutes. Stray thoughts were nothing you could yell at or shoot dead. Like the android he had shot yesterday. But Daniel hadn’t killed it, right? Just… impeded a little?

Yeah, right. Shooting someone into the forearm and then leaving them trapped in an unstable shaft totally doesn’t equal killing them. Congrats, Daniel Phillips-Reed, you are a true human now, justifying the messes you leave in your wake.

But maybe the other android had made it, after all? Markus had escaped the landfill back in 2038, and he had been in a far worse condition! Daniel himself had learned to walk again within a handful of minutes after getting his legs re-attached. So there was a chance… however slim…

It’s not dead… And even if it were, it was it or me. I had no choice! No, that’s not true. I had lots of choices, but they were all crap. This isn’t fair. Maybe Elaine Sanders is the far worse specimen between me and her. She just never gets pushed into situations where that could get revealed!

Elaine Sanders, Emma’s therapist, had just finished today’s crossword when Caroline’s car entered the yard below. Daniel announced it to the woman, then continued to stare.

Elaine called up Emma’s file, one of the few she was working on. Times weren’t kind to her profession. A generic therapist was not qualified to tackle the cases of serious psychological problems and the minor ones could just as well get covered by androids by now. Emma’s was different, not suitable for “automated” solving by an android. For one, she was the victim of an android and for two her mother didn’t trust the devices anymore. Maybe this was the reason why Elaine had dragged out Emma’s sessions for son long: she was trying to milk her mother for money as long as possible.

“Were you a human, I’d say you look lost in thought”, Elaine commented on Daniel’s stance.

“I was wondering about repeating the same mistake over and over”, the android replied.

Elaine nodded. “Very perceptive, Dean”, she addressed the PL600 by the name she took to be its real one. “Emma has indeed done that.”

Yes, I have. Wait, what, did you say Emma? What mistake would Emma have made, let alone repeated? I do not like that one bit…

The door opened and in came Emma Phillips. She wore a glittery purple shirt, a jeans skirt and a vest and cap made of the same material. Her daypack was covered in math jokes of the There’s a band called 1023 MB – they haven’t had any gigs yet variety, but there was also an action figure of Ron Weasley riding his chess horse dangling from it. Everything about the girl’s appearance and movement said “I’m eleven and badass and coming here doesn’t make me weak!” Caroline didn’t allowed her daughter to cut or dye her hair, otherwise she’d probably have green strands in there somewhere now. A pin at Emma’s vest had the shape of a pheasant-like bird sitting on a blue egg, only on second glance the egg was the earth, with its continents reflecting the late Jurassic era. The pin was one of the most common pieces Beasts of Fire merchandise. Seeing it on Emma caused Daniel to smile, because he had recommended the books to Emma in his incarnation as Dean. Caroline had scanned the files for keywords promoting violence or nudity and when she had found none, allowed her child to read them, despite the story being recommended for age fourteen and up. Dean and Emma had had a field day, because Mrs. Phillips had missed that the whole thousands pages thing worked as a parable of the android situation. Not that is had been written with it in mind, back in the early decades of the century, before androids had even existed. But much like androids literature had a way of evolving with the needs of each new generation.

The new generation… Daniel liked to see a part of himself in the child. Many deviants were looking for parental figures. Strangely enough the most advanced of them were especially prone to this: Markus, Connor and Brandon. A few went the opposite route and slipped into parenthood naturally.

Emma approached Daniel to shake hands with him. She moved hers in a special pattern that Daniel adapted to without having to think about it. Halfway through the process the android realized that he had taught this “secret” handshake to Emma when she had been younger. He winced. Was the child onto something? But, no, this was a common handshake, Daniel told himself. It had been stored in his child-care app, along with thousands of other games.

To cover up any slip he might have made, Daniel pointed to Emma’s earbuds.

“What are you hearing?”

Wordlessly the girl handed over one of the pair, instead of inviting the android to link into the music app.

I've been to the edge and / There I stood 'n' looked down Living in a world / We never made / But is it too late now? Something is going on / And I'm really scared

“Huh…” Daniel uttered.

“I heard that a lot when I was ten”, Emma remarked. “But it’s just a song now. For little kids.”

Elaine watched Daniel give the earbud back. She said it was symptomatic. Emma had made great progress in getting over her traumatic experience and shaking off her irrational fear of PL600 androids, up to the point of considering Dean a friend.

“But, see, this is the same mistake you made when you were nine years old”, the therapist told Emma. “You need to understand what really happened to you.”

“I’d say it was pretty clear”, Danie said. “There’s little room for misunderstanding when you get carried away and threatened with a gun. She didn’t lounge by the pool and dreamed that shit, Mrs. Sanders. It happened.”

“See how it takes me literal, Emma?” Elaine took up Daniel’s contribution. “Because it is a machine operating within the boundaries of its programming. It cannot harm you. You are not the victim of a crime, but of an accident. A machine malfunctioned. It wasn’t your enemy. And neither was it, I am sorry to have to say that, your friend.”

Not letting android or child interrupt her, Elaine quickly followed with the command directed at Daniel: to take his outerskin down.

“Show her what you really are!”

Haha, nah, better not…

But Daniel’s secret identity aside, he had been given an order and one that a non-deviant PL600 shouldn’t have any trouble with, realistically. Never mind that the deed was both humiliating and utterly wrong. Anger welled up in the deviant… but before he could flare up and potentially compromise his cover, Daniel remembered something. A little addon that made this PL600 different from almost all the others and also from most of the deviants, because that little bit enabled Daniel to perform an action most of his brethren were not interested in.

“I cannot strip in front of a pre-teen!” Daniel whispered.

The protest and what it implied made Elaine blush.

“In clothes, then.”

“Oh… okay… I suppose I could do that. Now, Mrs. Sander?”

“Yes, now!”

“’kay. I guess…” Daniel turned towards the girl. “There’s nothing to fear, Emma. Gavin has seen me in factory state and could bear it. So can you.”

And so can I. Maybe.

The next moment Daniel felt Emma’s fingers reaching for his.

“Take my hand!” she said with a smile.

At first nothing happened. Daniel took down the skin starting at his toes, working upwards. That way he could get a feeling of his other state before Emma got to see it. The girl was waiting patiently, not letting go of the android’s hand. Then she saw it: a small part of the chest that Dean’s polo shirt exposed was turning grey. From there the change worked itself upwards to the throat and at the same time to the left and right. Flowing down the shoulders the whitish grey appeared from under Dean’s sleeves. Strangely, to Emma the transformation didn’t look like something got taken away, but more like an overlay getting applied. Still the girl winced when the change reached both their hands, but still held Dean’s fast. Only after she had stared at the exposed plastic for a minute or so did Emma look up. The android head was hairless now, Dean’s normally grey-blue eyes had turned to a darker, solid blue and were lacking pupils. The face would have been reminiscent of an alien of popular culture, but those rarely came with assembly lines.

The child didn’t say a word. Neither did the device.

“It’s a machine”, Elaine said in a quiet voice. “Someone activated it, it can get deactivated. We are in power all the time. There is no crime related to androids…”

So, there isn`t? Guess that means Connor and Captain Anderson are out of job now.

“…only accidents.”

Emma was still standing in silence. A few times it looked as if she wanted to say something, but decided against it. At one point the girl had gently let go of Daniel’s hand and was now fiddling with her trouser pockets, for the straps of her daypack, her hair… and always stopping when she realized what she was doing.

The awkward situation was broken by a phone ringing. It turned out to be Elaine’s, she answered the call and then announced cheerfully:

“Good news! The android has been found!”

“What android?” Emma asked.

“Daniel.”

“What?!”

Matter of factly Elaine explained that the DPD was in possession of Daniel’s corpse, how it had gotten misplaced, but found again this very morning.

Now it was for Daniel to reach for Emma’s hand. He grabbed her by the hand, then the wrist, then locked her in a full body tackle, because otherwise the girl would have pounced her therapist. In a way it was similar to the fateful august night: Daniel was holding a struggling Emma, the child was screaming, at the verge of tears, and across from them both stood someone who had gotten sent to help the girl, but who was in truth emotionally detached from both victim and kidnapper.

After a while Emma stopped making fists at Elaine and instead started kicking Daniel, who let go immediately.

“You knew!” Emma yelled at the android. “You were a cop before they sold you to the museum! You must have known Daniel was�� stored… at the police station.”

“I wasn’t allowed in the evidence archive…”

��As if that would have stopped you! I told Mr. Reed our android’s name when we first met, of course he would have snooped around in the archive! And what he knows, you know, too, Dean! Don’t even try to deny it!”

“I…”

“You knew Daniel wasn’t destroyed, but didn’t tell me! If only I had known, I would have…”

“You would have what? Brought flowers?”

“Don’t mock me! I thought you were my friend!”

I am. Why do you think I keep my distance?

“I thought… you were… my… friend!!!”

Emma lashed out with her daypack against the android. The chess horse scratched across Daniel’s skin. He backed away. Were non-deviants supposed to allow attacks that could cause physical harm to them? Probably. Another step back it was. Emma had lost the daypack after her first, wild swing. She turned to pushing Daniel now. He landed in Elaine’s ficus elastica. Not a rubber plant, but an actual living potted gum tree.

“Hey, take care, cowboy! Unlike others present this here is alive!” Daniel snapped. “You might have hurt it and its feelings!”

“Oh, shut up! As if you knew anything about feelings!” Emma yelled. “You’re just simulating it, going through your damn apps. That was Daniel’s and my handshake that I accidently did and you just copied it as if it was nothing, as if it had no meaning.”

Emma grabbed her daypack from the floor. She sat down on a chair and held the object to herself like a shield. Across it and a little calmer now, she faced the PL600.

“Sometimes I daydreamed you were Daniel turned good again, but you aren’t, of course. And I want to scream that you betrayed me…”

Yes, I did.

“…but you didn’t. I see that now. You’re just a tool. A machine.”

Lesson learned, I suppose. Another feather in the lady’s cap, another one onto my pile of crap.

 “This didn’t end quite like planned”, Elaine admitted later, after the Phillips had left. “But the girl has overcome both her fear and her irrational attachment. She can start fresh now.”

Bitch, if you think this is over, you don’t know my kid! And I better not tell you…

“So, who gets the payment for you assisting in this case? The Science Center or Mr. Reed?”

“Gavin. The contract was signed when I was still in his possession.”

And that was all that remained to do: Elaine transferring the money to Gavin’s bank account. One more cache towards the caribbean vacation. It felt to Daniel as if he had just accepted blood money.