#shes a cutie and she rolled the independent trait!

[floralsimmi]

Venus aged up! Anaya took her to the park..but honestly she did not enjoy the vibes

[shiftingfornoct]

shifting script:

full name: sibele nox lucem

nickname: LILIE!! ,princess , sweetheart, pumpkin, darlin, honey sugar CUPCAKE beautiful muffin cutie patootie doll buttercupp sparkle sunshine kittie OK ENOUGH BUT UGETIT

gender: cis female

pronouns: she/her 💌

age: 9teen

bday: march 29th !!

race: white

ethnicity: half european ,,native american

height: 5'2 , 1,58cm

weight: 37kg

languages: english , brazilian portuguese, french, korean, japanese n russian !!

accent: american

money status: infinite muney (*´ω｀*

wardrobe: infinite !! every fit / clothes i desire will appear

physical appearance :

face shape: oval

eye color n shape: brown glints of yellow, almond -shaped

eyelashes: 3d , long and doll-like (> ω <

lips n cupid's bow: cinnamon roll-ish thin, rosy pink lips

teeth: perfect, healthy n well aligned teeth (!!! lil' gap in the upper center) NO gingivitis, tartar, periodontitis, cavities, wisdom teeth, pain etc

nose: petite , smol nose . little hint of redness on tip

jawline: well-structured, firm n defined

eyebrow shape: neat , plucked and well trimed . almost straight , slight arch in the brow tail

nails: curved , moisturized full mani-pedi n everything .

foot size: 36 aka 5.5

body: angelic n smooth neck , smol , feminine shoulders . thin and dainty upper / lower arms, tiny firm shaped waist, almost as if fairy-like . flat stomach, slim and rounded hips (!!hips are wider than waist , but SLIGHTLY), sexy thighs with thigh gap n well toned, delicate long legs .

scent: 🍓 , miss dior n designer perfumes

hair colour / length: warm n sunkissed light brown , chest length smells like strawberries

hair texture: 2b , wavy but sometimes i can straighten it with a flat iron

hair style: layered w thin bangs , vry cute

body hair: NO BODY HAIR!!! (!!!except lashes , hair n brows)

breasts: smol to medium sized , perky and sexy

skin tone: white but slightlyy tanned

acessories: lotssss of girly stuff , hair bows, dainty jewelry, pearls, PINK . frilly n heart socks , designer purses.

personality :

sexual orientation: bi

positive personality traits: creative, kind, hardworking, smart, logic, mature, independent, childish etc

negative personality traits: quiet, impatient, insecure, people pleaser, introverted, shy etc

turn ons: noct

turn offs: not noct

likes: plushies , fashion, makeup, hobbies etc

dislikes: toxic ppl, sex*ual topics / themes , imagery, being or feeling alone

favourite meal: pancakes (✿^‿^

favourite colour: yellow, pink , cream n baby blue

clothing style: coquette , dolette messy french girl , it girl n girly

hobbies / talents: singinggg , dancing, writing, drawing, studying ,journaling n cleaning

personality type: infp

star sign: aries

nervous ticks: biting nails n peeling skin of fingers

relationships and love life :

friends: iris n luna

best friends: noct ,iggy gladdy n prompto

siblings: none! !

father: cassius

mother: diana

crush: NOCT.

past romantic relationships: none .

future romantic relationship(s): noct

physical and mental health :

blood type: O- (universal donor)

allergies: none .

mental health: stable , but prone to getting worse if there r any triggers

disabilities & disorders: none .

mental illnesses: borderline personality disorder, anxiety, agoraphobia, body dysmorphic disorder , an0r3x1a

physical health: extremely perfect physical health , NO HEALTH COMPLICATIONS OR DISEASES . NOTHING!!!!!!

personal history :

backstory: http://txti.es/8jp2l

birthplace: tenebrae

current residence: insomnia

powers: http://txti.es/esxxx

EXTRAS :

safeword: bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

BASIC DR SETTINGS :

✿always smell good

✿cant get pregnant until/unless i really want to

✿always have money

✿don't get my period

✿clear skin

✿don't have skin imperfections/diseases like wrinkles, fine lines, acne, melasma, flakiness etc

✿endless closet

✿anything i’d want is in there

✿all my clothes fit perfectly/the way i like

✿always have good hygiene

✿immortal (can never die in DR)

✿can only feel moderate/slight pain

✿immune to any illnesses and mental illnesses unless specified

✿semi-fast/fast metabolism

✿walk and run easily, wont get tired and worn out quickly

✿cant get too badly injured/hurt

✿know how to fight

✿wont experience any major trauma

✿everyone understands my humour

✿will have my/a phone

✿for every year that pass in my cr, six months pass in my dr

✿TIME FREEZES WHEN I LEAVE AND RESUMES WHEN I COME BACK!!!!

✿i will remember everything!!

✿i know every combat style of fighting

✿i know how to use every weapon

✿im a pretty crier

✿im a pretty sleeper

✿im confident

✿i have a high endurance

✿i have good communication skills

✿i don't have motion sickness

✿i have an attractive voice

✿i have no gag reflex

✿i never get left out

✿i can play all instruments

✿i don't have a double chin

✿i have amazing handwriting

✿i can come up with the smartest insults and comebacks

✿my lips never get chapped

✿drugs dont have a negative affect on me, they only affect me in a sense of euphoria

✿all food tastes good

✿everyone finds me attractive

✿my friends and loved ones cannot die as a result of violence, injury, or illness

✿i always have perfect posture

✿i have fast reflexes

✿i do not have any unwanted body hair or odor n do not fart, sweat burp etc

✿selfies and pictures taken of me always turn out how I want them to

✿if someone lies to me, my nose itches and i recognize this as a sign that they are lying

✿i have the lifa app

✿anything i order from the lifa app will be immediately delivered to my wardrobe

✿no one can see my lifa app interface but me; if someone looks at my phone while i'm on the app, to them it will look like i am on google or facebook

✿no one gets tired of me

✿everyone tries to help and support me and they like doing it

✿my friends, family, and romantic interests are always loyal to me

✿any feelings of attraction that i have are always reciprocated

✿i will never be cheated on or betrayed in a relationship

✿my partner will never be physically or psychologically abusive or toxic

✿my partner will always be loyal to me and pay attention only to me

✿my partner will not fantasize of other women or consume things like that (!!!!ex : p0rn0gr4ph1)

✿noct doesnt die saving the world

✿when the wind blows, my hair flows perfectly

✿i don't get things stuck in your teeth

✿there are no racism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, life threatening sicknesses, air water or land pollution, natural disasters, global warming, covid 19, cultural appropriation, stalkers, non consensual filming, r*pe, sexual harassment, misogyny, sexism, misandry, p3dophilia, trauma, animal abuse, abuse in general

✿my hair is soft and never tangles

✿my phone has unlimited data

✿animals like me

[babblingstacey]

Cutie little Trenton aged up! He randomly rolled the Independent trait.

But he didn't mind his mama teaching him basics needs - for a little while anyway.

And he also was happy to see his baby sister - who joined this household with some difficult bugs and no in progress photos. Welcome to the world Orna Estrada, our Gen9!

Javier and Coraline felt having the Masks of Khaas looking over her while she sleeps was the perfect place to keep their little girl safe.

[fanfiction-blep]

I had a thought

What if the Decedents kids went to Hogwarts. What houses would they be put into?

also i do not Support JK Rowling's recent comments on Transgender women and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community i support my transgender's sisters, brothers and siblings

another PSA, i wrote this about a year and a half ago, and couldn’t bring myself to finish after Cameron passed away i know i didn’t know him personally  it still impacted me in a way i felt odd writing about one of his characters :) 

One: Mal

SLYTHERIN

Ok ok so before you shoot me hear me out. Mal would 100% be a Slytherin think about it she's cunning, she's very ambitious. She reaches her goals and maybe not in the way she aims to at first. but she still dose it. She's also a strong leader. You can imagine she being queen be of the Slytherins. And being a very out spoken person, but following her mother's beliefs she bullied and tormented Muggle Born's and first years. You know casting hex's and unleashing horrid spells those would be her fortae. This would all be a cover up though. No one but her mother knows who her father is so there is much question about her blood status and weather her father is actually a muggle. So Mal over compensates. She's doesn't allow time for emotion or for second guessing her actions. Instead she goes out of her way to be the meanest, baddest Slytherin in her year. And the worst Hogwarts had seen in a long time. That was until she met Ben, ben taught her compassion and not to care what people think of her. He taught her love something her mother never could, which leads me too.

Two: Ben

HUFFLEPUFF

Ok hear me out. Yeah he's a strong guy who'd you'd normally place in Gryffindor. But that doesn't mean he is. Yes he is born leader in the sense he is a prince that doesn't mean that he is a natural, he works very hard on making sure everyone is happy and that no one is left out. He messes up and and tries to make it right straight away. He's adorable and just wants to help people. But he's strong will as well and sticks to his guts. Everyone wants to be Ben's friend just as everyone should have a Hufflepuff friend. He looks out for his fellow students regardless of house. His dad being a pure blood Noble born and his mother a muggle born. He was placed in Hufflepuff like his mother and thrives there. But not everyone likes him, even if he helps them he will often get a very negative response. "Blood traitor" "muggle lover" ect but it's when he finds Mal tormenting a young Hufflepuff he finds his biggest challenge. He went way out of his way to prove to himself and Mal that she had a heart and that she was a good person she just hadn't had the right person to show her that yet.

Three: Evie

RAVENCLAW

I am NOT saying this because she wears blue! Although that did make this even better. I chose ravenclaw for Evie because she is smart. She's intelligent and she has an passion for learning she is very creative. I mean come on that girl makes her own outfit's! And loves making them for other People. Over time she becomes less dependent on what her mother taught her and become independent in herself and relays on her own experience not her mother's. She also learns to accept, she accepts her heritage and all that she must learn not to do in life from it. She accepts that she can be smart, funny and creative and not have to hide herself for a guy to like her.. ALSO can we talk about the fact she took another guy's homework load on top of her own AND was making her own cloths. Who the hell other than a Ravenclaw would give enough shits to make sure all her work got done. Regardless of weather or not she should have been doing others work for them. She still did it and did it well (remember she didn't get caught) she seems like the type that would absolutely help the younger students, like ones who move out or run away from home shes like “hey its okay i’m your MUM now :)” and makes them cloths helps them study and acutlly takes them home because i’m damn sure her and Mal have a house together by this point. and she helps whoever she can even if they are not a Ravenclaw

Four: Jay

Gryffindor

Don’t start but i definitely think Jay would have been a Gryffindor, the sporty thing kind of pulled me there but its coupled with the fact that the traits “brave and reckless” seam to fit him very well. if we look back at jay he fits in with the family mentality that most Gryffindor’s have. the protectiveness of the girls and Carlos show as he doesn't really leave their side. and lets be honest its pretty freaking brave of someone to stand up against everything you have ever been taught. like come-on Jafar as a father and this kid still became part of a team and stuck by those who stuck by him. he seems like the type to HATE quiditch at first and then ben gets him into it and he’s like well if the soft boi said so while rolling his eyes and he’s BOMB ass good at it, and helps the whole team. he also seems like the type to actually not give a Fuck at all, unless you mess with the younger kids, he doesn't pay much attention to kids in other houses cus their older members eventually get involved in but his house becomes his family and he acts like it 

Five: Carlos

Hufflepuff 

okay so i thought Carlos would be difficult but i saw this GIF and instantly though our boy is a huffl for sure. i mean naturally Hufflepuff's are naturals with animals and as we know so if Carlos he is afraid of dude because of what his mother taught him but he realizes that dogs even animals in general are NOT scary and he becomes the softest boi. lets also take into consideration he is very loyal to his friends, his mother HA (i mean she defo deserved it) but you can also see in the scenes he has with his mum hes super uncomfortable with her teachings and even look at this Scene the way his mother is speaking to him, his loyalty is instant its earned, he is loyal to those who prove they are worthy like his friends. we see in D2 that when Mal is upset but the girls lead off the talk he wasn't having any of it he wanted to be involved he wanted to help and look after his friends. he also seems like a newt Scamander type, like he would have a room or place somewhere in the castle where he has kept all his amazing little animals. boi would have ALL THE NIFFLERS omg. i cannot even begin to imagine when the nifflers have babies he keeps them with him at all times and it just like a protective older brother. he doesn't see animals as animals in a ‘lesser’ than me way, he sees them as creatures that cannot vocalize in the same way he can and need protecting and sees it as a joy to do so. and the one time someone hurts a magical creature around him, he gets into a fight and GODDAMN wins cus no one messes with his cuties, he pays for it, for a long time but he doesn't care  

[allie1804-fan]

Please Assist Me (Epilogue)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8,  Chapter 9, Chapter 10 , Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15 , Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23 , Chapter 24 , Chapter 25

 Warnings: Finishing this story off with more fluff!

She Said

Monday 2nd September 2024.

I sneaked out of bed at 6.30 and went through to Eva’s room   - as promised she was already awake and I sent my grown up girl (now 12) downstairs as planned to start the coffee, warm up a croissant and set out two trays – a breakfast tray and a gift tray. Then, I went through to Miguel, always more of a sleepy head, to start the process of waking him.  Hopefully when the time came for us to go back into our room to wake the birthday “boy”, he would be awake  and through being a morning grump - how he was already behaving like a teenager at 10 was a mystery to me!

Finally I went into Emma who I knew would most likely be playing with one of her sound effect story books already. She was 3 months away from her 3rd birthday and sleeping in a big girl bed but she rarely got up independently, preferring to play quietly until one of us went into her.

“Hey cutie pie, you all ready for Daddy’s birthday?” She looked up and beamed at me, her dark hair sticking up at crazy angles – in that respect and many others she was a daddy’s girl! 

By 10 to 7 we were ready to rock and roll and that was vital since it was a school day – the world didn’t stop simply because it was Keanu Reeves’ 60th birthday!

He Said

I awoke on 2nd September 2024 to what had become a family tradition since we’d all lived together. The kids and Sophia would make a breakfast tray and bring me coffee and a croissant and one or two gifts as well as singing me happy birthday. They would start softly if I was still sleeping, the volume rising to raucous as soon as they knew I was awake! The previous year had been the best since then my birthday had fallen on a Saturday and we’d all slept in, but this year had to be early with the older kids having to go to school and Emma would be in nursery.

Eva held the breakfast tray and Miguel the one with the presents while Emma jumped up and down, holding onto a helium balloon with the number 60 on it and shouting “Happy burpday Daddy!”  

Her enthusiasm and energy still surprised me  -  her early entry to the world had imprinted on me a sense that she was a little more delicate than the others. She’d been born at 37 weeks and spent a couple of weeks in the NICU helping her lungs develop better causing Sophia and I a period of worry that went on far beyond that time in the unit. However since she’d turned 2, she seemed to have caught up on the growth charts and her respiratory issues had settled. She was a little firecracker and seemed to have inherited quite strong traits from each of our parents - the Hawaiian from my dad and the Mexican from Sophia’s dad.  I was sure she’d grow to be a real beauty and that I’d end up being even more protective of her in her teens!

Sophia sat down on the side of the bed and gave me a big kiss – to Miguel’s disgust – he started his vomiting noises right away.

Eva scolded him

“You should be glad they love each other – much better than parents who argue all the time!”

She had a wise head and I know her comment came from the experience of Sophia and Javier splitting up as well as several of her school friends whose parents had gone through divorce. She would always report into us when this happened and I could tell that she was checking in on us too, just to make sure she had nothing to worry about.  When I went away for a shoot, she always made sure she knew the call schedule and rarely missed her chance to check in with me whereas Miguel would not drag himself off his Xbox if he was mid game!

“Ok everyone, let’s get this party started”, I said, sitting up in bed so the trays could be presented.  I handed one of the gifts to Emma to unwrap and the other to Miguel. You two unwrap so I can have my breakfast OK?” This was another tradition we had started though Miguel was getting a little old for it by now but he took part with good will. Sophia had brought me a new blue scarf to replace the one she’d bought me in Christmas 2019 that I’d since sadly lost. The children had opted for a couple of devices for me to attach to my bike and car keys that I could whistle to locate them!

  She Said

It was 10.30 and we’d only been back in the house for about 30 minutes after doing the school and nursery runs. I lay back on the bed, beads of sweat on my brow and chest.

“Ok, you win, you’ve proved your point!”

“And that is?”

“That there is no decrease in performance  as you move from one decade into another!”

“Thank you, I’m very glad to have proved my point”  Keanu said grinning. “I love all our birthday traditions, but that is the best of them all”

“Mmmmm” I murmured, nuzzling into his chest, feeling sleepy already.

“Love you old man!”  

“Love you too, my cheeky chiquitita”

 @fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithk’eanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles @bitchyslut99

[sarah-bae-maas]

Why do you like Sarah J Maas' books so much?

So I do just love a good story, but I have reasons beyond that. If you want to read them, the abridged version is below the cut. Get ready to get personal anon, and just remember, you asked for it 😂

So I’ve been writing and reading since I was very young. I have notebooks filled with stories from the ages of 4 onwards before we all had laptops and computer time at school that contain all the tales I used to write for myself. Reading was my favourite thing in the world, and although I loved writing I had yet to realise how much I needed it. 

I grew up with an incredibly abusive father. It didn’t start really effecting me until I cut him out of my life (I haven’t seen or spoken to him in over 6 years) but none the less I have to acknowledge his role in what my life became. 

The first signs of my eating disorder came at a very young age. I would say around 7. These signs only escalated until I was 12-13, which is when I first started having bouts of binging and self-starvation, which was on top of an already hazardous diet. I was a competitive athlete by the time I was 9, in a sport where we were weighed. You can imagine what this might have done for my psyche. My coach didn’t understand that, and looking back I feel sick at the way he treated me, a child, when he was a man I was meant to look up to and idolised. 

When I was 14, my family and I were homeless. For 2-3 months, I shared the floor of my grandmothers study floor with my older brother, the divorce that was so desperately needed between my parents was so bitter that my biological father refused to let us have the money we needed from my childhood home to buy a new one, even if it meant his children had no where to live. During this time, our car, full of our possessions, was robbed. This, although a small event, made me feel violated in a way I hadn’t before. That day when I went to school, my teacher gave me a detention for being late, and after (in tears) when I explained why, he made me walk through the bustling school with the roll to give reception. He shamed me, and made everyone watch. Again, a small event that I will never forget.

I was 13-14-15 when the depression hit me hard and I started experimenting with self harm. I also developed pretty severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Books were still my safe space, but by the time I was 16 I had completely abandoned writing. Anyway, my mother found out, and I was sent of to a psychologist. This was the best thing for me, and I will always be grateful that I was extended the help by my psychologist at a time when I desperately needed it. She helped me start to overcome by issues with my body, what I would say I still struggle with most today, and helped me through my depression. I was diagnosed with OCD, depression an anxiety. She still to this day doesn’t know the full extent of my eating disorder, and even now, as an adult who is incredibly open and well educated, I feel it’s my burden to bear. As for my anxiety, she wanted me on medication but with the amount of medical forms I had to fill out for school I didn’t want to have to explain myself, so I always refused. My OCD was bad, and luckily I had a really understanding doctor who prescribed me the steroids I need to fix the skin I had ravaged in my routines. 

My older brother, who I love dearly, so, so much, is on the spectrum and has depression. Living with him is incredibly difficult. His bouts of violence clashed harshly against my own mindset. My mother, as you can imagine, has PTSD, which was also something I just couldn’t deal with. My baby brother is a lil cutie pie and so pure of heart it makes me melt. The only time he’s an issue is when he plays those bloody online streaming games. He’s uses up all the internet and he turns into a bastard 😂 But he’s a teenager so I’ll forgive him. 

I know what you’re thinking. Zoe, what the hell does this have to do with SJM? Well, friend, I read her books when was 16 or 17, i can’t remember, and I was reading about these amazing, strong, fierce independent women and I was like holy hot damn I love this. 

Reading Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses made me want to write again. 

And if I had never started writing again, I never would have recovered. Reading Sarah’s books ignited a long burnt out flame in me. I started creating characters, creating worlds, and I started writing fan fiction for her which led me to this community. I started taking pictures of myself again, which I know wounds bizarre, but from the ages of 12-18 the only photos of me are mostly my school photos. There was a period of about 3 months were I couldn’t walk from a surgery gone not to well, and instead of falling into a slump about losing the use of one of my legs, I was fine. Because I had Aelin, I had Feyre, and most importantly I had my own characters and my own story. I recovered, thankfully, but I still have chronic pain in that leg, and you know what? I don’t care. If Elide can get through life with it so can bloody I. 

Because of Sarah’s books, I’ve started to really love myself. 

I haven’t got flaws, I have interesting character traits. 

I never would have done my university course if it had not been for Sarah’s books. Hell, I might not have graduated high school at all (first girl to on my biological father’s side to do it, my older brother was the first boy). I never would have been accepted into academic societies for my grades, I never would have been able to rub my success in the face of those who didn’t believe in me. I never would have received a place at a university in London nor gotten grants to do it. I might never have had the guts to move out at 18 and start my life in the city, being a young, powerful, finically independent woman. 

So Sarah’s books could turn to shit. I’ve critiqued them before, I have no problem continuing to do so, but I will always, always been grateful, and they will always have a special place in me. I will always support the author who has no idea how much she supported me. 

People often tell me I’m wasting my potential as a writer - I have the grades to to law, science, medicine, and the brain to back it up - and I always respond with one this. Culture, art, literature, is as integral to society as those things. And I am happy to say I’m a writer, proud even, and thrilled to be where I am now. 

Even if London’s weather is shit and I don’t have a buff fae male to keep me company 😂

[osmw1]

Poison-Wielding Fugitive   Chapter 27

Death-Beckoning Cooking… ah, it got awkward all of a sudden. The name is so straightforward. It’s almost as if the creators of the world were warning Arleaf, saying, “Stay away from cooking.” But at least she’s aware of how bad she is at it, so we should forgive her. Well… I get a power-up from her cooking, so I can’t really say anything.

“The reverend from the church told us that there must be balance. For the beneficial talents she is granted, she must also be blessed with these negative traits.”

Arleaf, much like me, lives with a heavy burden. She’s an angel to everyone around her so she doesn’t show it…

“Cohgray! Come on, now! Cheer her up and tell her that you’ll take care of it all. Tell her that you want to eat her cooking everyday!”

Shut the hell up, Pops! If you want to eat it that bad, then eat it yourself. Arleaf’s mom grins at us while petting Muu on the head. Can you, like, please stop your husband?

“Uhh, umm… you can remain as a Chemist if you’d like?”

To be honest, even with Arleaf as a party member, we’re not gonna do anything that much different. Well, I mean, Arleaf is proficient in magic…

“But…” “We’re not planning to go anywhere that dangerous anyway. How about you try it out then think of what class you want to be?”

There’s an advanced version of Chemist, right, Veno?

‘I have only heard talk of it, but I believe that Scholar and Alchemist are possibilities. Perhaps the girl’s father has chosen the Alchemist path.’ “You could also set your sights on advancing from a Chemist while you’re with me.” “… I understand. Then while I adventure with you, I shall give thought into what I want to be.”

After hearing me out, Arleaf changes her mind and agrees with me. I finished the pleasant lunch and got ready to leave the apothecary they call home.

“Alrighty, Cohgray, I’m leaving Arleaf in your hands.”

Arleaf’s dad, the happy drunk he is, sends me off from the counter of the apothecary and waves goodbye. You bastard. I’ll get you back.

“Do you have any plans for afterwards, Yukihisa? If you are going to go out, please let me know.” “I think I’m gonna go hunt in the swamp, though I didn’t take any quests.” “In that case, I shall accompany you. I would love to see you in battle and I could also point out anything we could purchase off you.” “Okay, let’s go afterwards then.” “Mu!”

With that, we decided to head to the swamp to hunt.

“If you’d like, why don’t you live with us?”

Arleaf’s parents suggest with a smirk on their faces.

“Pardon me, but may I ask you to consider how Arleaf feels?”

Not only would I be a bother to them, I’d feel like they’d bother me too. They’d probably do something like bringing me to a double bed with “LOVE” stitched across the pillows. I mean, as much as I’d love to go out with a cutie like Arleaf, I should respect how she feels. We’ve only known each other for a few days as well. We should at least start with a date, and progress from there.

‘Thou art prone to be bothered by the littlest things. Instead, why not just take her in one fell swoop?’

What the hell? Veno, you’re really pissing me off. Rather, when everybody around Arleaf are pushing her so hard to get hitched, it might be even harder for her to do anything. Think about it. She’s always getting teased by her parents, so Arleaf gets embarrassed about stuff like this.

“… let us level up so that we may be independent one day.” “… right.”

We leave the village early to get away from the awkwardness.

 As we get close the swamp, Arleaf puts on her gas mask for safety.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t fought any monsters together before, have we, Yukihisa?” “Now that you mention it, yeah, you’re right.” “Mu!”

Showing off his enthusiasm, Muu takes a couple of practice-swings with his axe. Cut it out. That’s dangerous.

“First, let’s form a party… how should our formation be?” ‘I shall show thee how to send an invitation. First, open thy status screen. Like how thou would check the status of Muu, send the girl a request to form a party.’

I do as Veno tells me to and send Arleaf the request. As soon as I do that, she received the invitation and accepted it. It now shows that we’re in a party now. Let’s see… I can easily see her health and mana now. I think that’s from being in the same party.

“We’ll just stand in a regular formation, so I can watch over you. What do you think?” “You’re right… I can’t be getting in the way of you or Muu either.”

Then Muu will take the front, I’ll get the rear, and Arleaf will be on standby close to me.

“Mu!” “Oh? Something’s here? Lucky us.”

A pack of Terracotta Poison Zombie Dogs notices us and rushes on over. Poison isn’t very effective against them, so I’d avoid them if I can. But since Arleaf’s here to watch us, we’ve got no choice but to fight. Well, we’ve leveled up recently and Muu can handle these dogs on its own anyway.

“Muuuuuu!”

Muu activates War Cry, buffing his own attack, and takes a slash with his axe.

“Woof!”

A cloud of dust kicks up in the middle of the pack and a few dogs get mowed down by Muu’s charge. I think I can take one of them down with each shot.

“Alright! Time for me to shine as well!”

I fix my posture, steady my aim, and launch two bolts. They struck the legs of two zombie dogs, pinning both to the ground. I feel like I’m more focused than normal, my shots hitting truer than before.

“Mu!”

Muu takes advantage of the situation and instantly goes for the death blow on the two dogs.

“Bow wow!”

The remaining zombie dog, taking advantage of moment, charges at me. Before he can close the gap, I shake the crossbow up and down, reloading it, and used Poison Enchantment for Slow Poison–tipped bolts. Thud, thud, thud. I fired three times in rapid succession with all three bolts finding their target. With it slowed right down, Muu storms the zombie dog and finishes it off. Wiping them out felt relatively easy. Oh? I check the experience points gained to find nearly double what I normally get. Arleaf’s Poison Cooking sure is amazing.

‘The bonus experience gain certainly makes thee earn more. When any living creature is slain, not all of its quintessence can be absorbed. With the bonus, thou art able to receive more of it.’

Veno goes into detail. In games, you’d find items that boost your experience gain, so I guess it’s like that in this world as well.

‘There are accessories that aid in this way but are very expensive. It is also not a permanent bonus but instead a consumable. To recreate the same effect so simply is quite shocking.’

That’s Arleaf’s cooking for you. I check how long the food buff lasts.

“Just about done, I think.”

As soon as I say that, Arleaf seems to have noticed something.

“Oh, I hear the wings of Spray Green Mosquitos beating. Be careful.” “Ah, we’ll be fine. Cover your mouth so that you don’t breathe this stuff in.”

Spray Green Mosquitos either wait for their enemies to drop their guards then fly in, or they like to swarm their opponents. But whatever they want to do, they’re just small fry to us now. As soon as the Spray Green Mosquitos buzz close, Muu scatters his spores. Immediately after the Spray Green Mosquitos breathe in the spores, they weakly flutter around and drop dread. We’ve gotten stronger, eh? At least that’s how I feel.

“That’s how we roll. What do you think?”

We’ve always fought in this formation. If either of us get injured, we wait for the other person to heal up then continue fighting. I’ll jump in a pool; Muu uses Self-Regeneration. That’s one of our strong points—we can always fight at peak conditions.

“Just as I have been told, Muu is the vanguard and Yukihisa is the rearguard… but less so of a mage and more of a ranger.” “The truth is that I don’t actually know how to cure poison with magic…”

Not that Veno didn’t explain it to me before, but bluntly speaking, if I don’t have the Sense, I should just give up on learning magic. And it’s also not that I enjoy not knowing magic. I think it’d be helpful to our survival. Veno did say with a specialty class like mine, I might have a chance later.

“With this formation…”

Arleaf starts to think hard and mumbles to herself. She’s really serious about trying to be helpful to me.

“I had been thinking that I could heal you and Muu in battle, but since you two are both skilled in self-recovery… on the other hand, if I learn some offensive magic spells…” ‘Well, with such a small party, it would be rather dangerous if anything serious happened to thee or Muu. I understand the problem the girl has.’ “If you could fend off the enemy so that they do not draw too close, another option is for me to join Muu in the frontlines.”

I start imagining how Arleaf would fight with a knife. Assassin style, perhaps.

“Ah, you don’t have to think so hard over it. You could just stay in the back with me.” “I’m not too sure.” “You could take care of harvesting, compounding, and selling if you’d like.”

I mean, since you’re a Chemist and all. It wouldn’t be right to force yourself to serve me.

“I don’t like it. It’s not as if that would be a bad idea just to advance my job… but to be a Physician like my mother…” ‘By the way, Physician is advanced from Chemist or Priest.’

That’s useful to know, but right now Arleaf’s troubled by what role she should play in our party.

‘Here are some more options to think about. Though Chemists do not have much combat prowess, they can learn Rod Sense for fighting with staff-type weapons, though that is close-quarters again. With her Medical Sense, a possibility is to throw concocted potions and poisons from the rear.’

If I were to try to explain that to Arleaf, she’d be even more bothered. What, is her class a master of none?

‘Thou cannot compare a non-combative class to a specialist one.’

previously: /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /ch005/ /ch006/ /ch007/ /ch008/ /ch009/ /ch010/ /ch011/ /ch012/ /ch013/ /ch014/ /ch015/ /ch016/ /ch017/ /ch018/ /ch019/ /ch020/ /ch021/ /ch022/ /ch023/ /ch024/ /ch025/ /ch026/ /ch027/ /next/ (full list of translated chapters) (discussion thread on Novel Updates) (please support me on Patreon or Paypal)

[brooktiniwrite]

Chapter Seven The Vision (part 1)

Bryn's heart hammered from her run. The cardio burn in her chest rose into her throat as she sat at the Billy Chinook Dock. Silver rimmed running shoes, a sweaty pair of socks, and a shirt were piled at her left. A collection of skipping stones sat on her right.

She reached for a smooth oval stone and tossed it into the lake.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Four skips. She sighed. She used to do this with her father. Just like this too, when the sky was orange and the sun was merely a half circle behind the mountains.

It was moments like this that Bryn couldn't help but remember the day he passed. She remembered following Nella into her parent’s room. She sat in the doorway, her young heart breaking as Nella tore down the wedding photo above their bed. It was Bryn's favorite picture of them. Her mother’s white dress was soft against her silk blond hair, and her father looked so in love as he held Nella’s hand in his.

Bryn gathered herself, exhausted from the forlorn thoughts of her father. Before she collected her running attire, she tried to remember the good things. She envisioned the way her father loved her mother unconditionally, the way he protected his family fiercely. She savored the memories of him happy, caring and strong.

It was only a five minute walk from the dock before Bryn reached the gravel road that trailed to her cute little double-wide and it’s wrap around porch.

When she entered, the door swung open so vigorously that it closed on the back-swing.

"No death threats yet?" Bryn asked DeDe and Marley.

The girls had been anxiously awaiting a screaming call from Nella ever since they snuck out. Sneaking out, Bryn found, was easier than she had imagined.

Nella left abruptly after receiving a mysterious phone call.

I need to leave for half an hour. Her mother blubbered as she rushed around the house, scrambling for random trinkets in the kitchen. Don't leave. I'm calling Stan to check on you, got it!?

They took the opportunity and left before Ryder and Jamison's dad, Stan, could catch them in the act of anything.

"No." DeDe answered distractedly.

She was currently involved in an intense game of Egyptian Rat Screw with Marley. Both the girls were hovering at either side of a long picnic table adjacent to the kitchenette, hands ready to strike at a pile of cards.

Marley flipped out three cards and they both slapped at the pile viciously.

"Fuck!" Marley pulled a reddened hand out from underneath of DeDe's. She shook out the slap and greedily slid the pile of cards into her stash.

"You're cheating!" DeDe leaned over the table.

Marley smiled haughtily as she ordered the chaotic collection of cards into a deck.

Bryn crossed to the living room couch, where her bag of clothes nestled. She tossed through it until she settled on some clothes to change into. A black cotton romper that cinched at the waist. It was loose and airy. The straps were thin and crossed over her back.

“Has Tailynn woken up yet?" Bryn questioned. “Or have you thought to check on her at all since I've been gone?”

Marley and DeDe exchanged guilty glances from across the table.

“It’s fine,” Bryn griped. “I'll check on her.”

She headed toward the guest room for Tailynn. Bryn leaned into the door, but a rumble stopped her. She knew in an instant that the rumble belonged to a diesel truck. She left the handle like it was iron hot and spun to face the front door, a translucent screen only barely skewing her view of the gravel driveway outside.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Marley let out a high-pitched worry. “It’s Stan.”

The truck whipped in front of their double wide and slammed into park.

“GIRLS!” A bellow echoed into the house.

DeDe, who had the worst trouble lying and even more when caught in the act of something, shivered behind Marley.

     “Get out here this instant!”

     DeDe was the first to follow orders, she sped out the door to face Stan like a soldier called to attention.

“Bryn and Marley, now!” He called.

     Bryn stepped in sync with Marley, exiting the coziness of their manufactured home in order to stand square with DeDe on the front porch.

Stan was a man of good stature, a trait he passed along to his sons. Jamison inherited his coarse dark hair and Ryder his calm demeanor. Though now, Stan’s hair was silver and his demeanor was anything but calm.

Attentively, they watched while Stan paced in front of them.

“Someone please refresh me on what your mother asked you to do before she left?” He seethed.

“Stan, We didn’t-“ DeDe began.

“Did I ask for an excuse?” Stan cut her off before she could finish.

“No,” Marley attempted to defend her cousin. “But-“

“I recall asking what Nella asked of you?”

Bryn had never seen him this flustered, even when they had broken the worst of rules.

“It’s not their fault.” She blubbered.

But as he caught her worried look, she saw his lips begin to tremble. He cleared his throat and tucked his head toward his chest, stifling something. A cry, was he really about to cry?

“I'm sorry St-,” Bryn gulped. She couldn't possibly imagine him in tears. “Stan. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

Stan wrapped a hand around his short silvering hair, his head still tucked into his chest.

His voice jostled. “It’s just- your faces.”

After his words, Bryn realized that his watery eyes and shaken voice didn't stem from sorrowfulness, but from laughter. Bryn and Marley looked to each other, confused. When the girls looked to DeDe, she screamed.

“Damn you!” She said angrily.

Bryn analyzed the weathered hands that held his head in laughter. The dark silver that jut from between his fingers melted into a soft looking blonde. His limbs and joints began to crackle and jerk. It was the oddest thing, this body rearranging itself in front of her. She was too intrigued to be afraid as Stan's tall, lean stature morphed into a youthful body. His shirt tightened, dipping into the crease between his chest. His shoulderblades grew lean and wide. His skin smoothed, rolling over tendinous forearms. His crisp tan shorts fell just above carved calves.

“Damn you Ryder!” DeDe screamed. “You scared the piss out of me!”

It clicked. Bryn looked back to where Stan had been and saw Ryder in his place, giggling in false-seto.

“Holy shit.” Bryn pressed a hand to her chest.

Ryder finally rose, gulping in breaths of air and waving to the truck. Rolling out of the vehicle came Jamison and Triston.

“You should have seen the look on your faces!” Triston boasted.

“S-S-Sorry Stan!” Jamison chimed in, mimicking Bryn’s star stricken face.

His mockery sent a wave of embarrassment rushing to her cheeks. Bryn wanted to gush out an excuse for her stammering, but instead she shot an excruciating glare to the masterminds behind Ryder's act.

“How did you know we were out here?” Marley asked behind Bryn.

“Dad left his phone at home while he was at work.” Ryder reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a thick, flip-open cell phone and bounced it happily between his two fingers. “When Nella called, we thought we’d get you off the hook for the night.”

Any anger she held from their prank evaporated in that second. Bryn flung herself at Ryder.

"Thank you, thank you!" She sputtered into his shirt as she hugged him.

“Sure.” He stiffened at first, patting her back awkwardly, but he was used to Bryn's affection. Bryn nearly abused him with it when he was young and pocket sized. “She thinks dad picked you up and took you to our house, so you’re covered.”

Ryder flushed, his dimples bright against his cheeks. Bryn couldn’t help but notice how handsome he’d become. Long ago she’d considered his face round, but now that his jaw had surfaced, it was square.

When they were young, Ryder had earned the nickname “cutie” among his peers, because he was just that, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, his angled cheeks and perfect dimples. His shy nature flushed at the attention; it was safe to say that he hated it.

He wasn't like Jamison, who did quite well under the limelight. Jamison was independent, charismatic, and every girl swooned over his witch black hair and glowing blue eyes. Ryder, who was once comfortable being the shadow of such a bright star, the cutie compared to the hunk, was finally coming into his own.

"And we've got the phone." Jamison sang behind Ryder. "So if she calls, Ryder will be nearby to shift."

"Thank you." Bryn gushed.

"We owe you." Triston shrugged earnestly.

The people around Bryn stilled at Triston’s words, as if they were waiting impatiently on her reply. Bryn frowned, hating that they felt as though they owed her. She shoved her hands into the soft fabric of her romper pockets, knowing that this would be the perfect time to accept their apology, and yet refusing to do so. She couldn't make the words surface.

"So are we going to celebrate your birthday or what?" Jamison interjected, saving Bryn a forced apology.

Quickly, Bryn nodded at him. Thanks, Jamie. He caught the silent gesture, and nodded back at her.

"Right." Triston cleared his throat. “We brought party favors.”

The group dispersed, and Bryn lingered on the porch. She couldn't find it in her to join as they entered the house. She could hear them bustling about inside, clinking glasses together and mixing cocktails. As she stewed longer, those thoughts turned into an attempt at wrapping her head around the new world at her feet. Could Jamison really help her become a part of this? Did she really want this? Could she be a warrior like the other Fae?

"You can worry about those things tomorrow." A voice emerged from the front door.

"Damnit, you liar." Bryn flung her head toward Jamison, who was leaning against the doorframe. "You can hear my thoughts."

"Actually, No." Jamison pointed a finger from the hand he had wrapped around a bottle of Jack Daniels. "You just have very loud feelings."

He popped up from the door frame, walked over to Bryn and sat down. The bottle of jack clunked onto the wood as he sat. She looked at him, studied him to see if she could sense something from him, but she felt nothing.

"How come I can't do that with you?" Bryn asked.

"Because it doesn't work that way." His vagueness was far more irritating than the invasion of privacy his senses wrought.

Bryn let out a frustrated grunt.
 "Then how does it work?"

"Oh no." Jamison laughed as he hastily twisted the cap from its bottle. "If you think I am going to explain the entire fiasco of your destiny and my selective emotion reading right now, you are out of your mind."

He took a large swig of whiskey. Huskily, he wiped at his mouth and passed the open bottle to Bryn. Bryn's face contorted at the sight of it.

"Would you look at that." Jamison's mouth pressed into a humored grin. The Langley family dimples playing strikingly against his cheeks. "A Fae who refuses liquor."

"I wish you would just tell me." Bryn frowned, furious with the way he tried to avoid the questions she wanted answered so badly.

“Look, I’m not going to tell you until you're less stressed out.” He pressed the bottle at her again. “A lot less stressed out. Seriously, you're a buzz kill."

Bryn looked at Jamison with fury in her eyes. Partly because of his secrecy, but mostly because she didn't take being a buzz kill lightly. She snatched the whiskey from his hand.

"Fine." She managed to spit before she brought the bottle to her lips.

She swallowed the fiery liquid and tried not to cringe in front of Jamison. She exhaled the sting and pushed the bottle back into Jamison's grasp. He sat up quickly, heading back toward the door. When he reached it, he paused.  

"Your birthday party is starting without you." With that, he disappeared into the house.

He was right, and though it took a large amount of energy, Bryn numbly joined the group inside. They cheered to their witty escape and Bryn couldn’t force happiness upon herself like she thought she could, so she drank. She drank until the bubbliness in her stomach trickled into her mood. After a third concoction of whatever Marley had fixed up for her, Bryn found herself deeply involved in a game of beer pong.

She and Marley formed a team against Jamison and Ryder, but the game ended in a terrible loss for Bryn and Marley.

“Damn, we suck.” Bryn exhaled.

     “Next time we have a sibling rivalry game, remind me to claim DeDe instead.” Marley called as ambled to the porch.

Bryn cast a middle finger at her sister as she tossed back the last bit of beer in her red solo cup. “So you know the rules.” A voice startled her.

Bryn snapped forward, seeing that Triston had quickly made his way to her side.

     “What rules?” Her head spun from the beer she had just devoured. Her lips were bitter and wet from the liquid

“Loser Drinks the rest of the winners cups.” Jamison said as he joined Triston’s side.

Bryn took a gander at the eight solo cups they were daring her to ingest.

“If I have anymore, I’ll be naked and in the lake.” She squinted.

“In that case, I’ll grab the Jack.” Triston left the group to search for the other bottle of whiskey that had been clenched in DeDe’s hands all night.

     Bryn folded her arms as she called after Triston: “That was meant to gross you out, you’re dating my cousin.”

“Right,” Triston said distractedly as he stumbled toward the door. “And whenever you get the bright idea to skinny dip, DeDe is the first to follow.”

He passed through the screen door, wedging it open before he left. The doorway opened up to Marley, lounging on the porch. She was leaning into one hand, feet swinging off the edge of the deck. In her other hand she held a clove, a habit that she had picked up from their father. Bryn hadn’t paid much attention to the scene until she saw a hand reach down and pluck the cigar from Marley.

"That is so cute." Bryn said ruefully, because it made her think of Kyle.

She tried to squash the feeling it gave her: the feeling of longing, of hope. Kyle was gone, he left her. The thought sat hard in her stomach, like spoiled meat.

"What?" Jamison asked, squinting to see as Bryn saw.

She shook the feeling, trying to focus on what was in front of her.

"Ryder and Marley.” Bryn answered, pointing a hand in their direction.

     She looked back at Jamison, who was now grimacing at the view. It was as though the sight made his stomach roil as it did Bryn’s. Surprisingly, his dimples flared just as wildly as when he smiled. He rose the plastic cup he’d snagged from the beer-pong game to his sour face.

"You know, when I was a kid, I always thought that one day her and Ry would get married- or something." Bryn mused.

"Married!" Jamison shouted, spraying the beer from his mouth.

   "Oh my god." Bryn stalled. "You like her."

"Jesus Bryn," he said as his shaking hands teetered the cup clutched between them. "No. I don't-"

"You suck at lying." Bryn flashed a grin.

"Okay- okay. Maybe just a tiny, tiny crush."

He displayed a measurement between his thumb and pointer finger, and  Bryn nearly jumped into Jamison, she couldn't contain herself.

"Once," Jamison added to calm Bryn's excitement. "A long time ago."

Bryn didn't understand why she'd never seen it. Jamison had always been protective with both of the girls, Marley especially, but she never thought it might be for any reason other than brotherly obligations.

“I need something stronger than beer." Jamison swung his cup to the table.

He disappeared quickly and returned to Bryn with a second glass in his hand. He offered it to her, the sad, sour look still staining his face. She caught him trying to steal a glance out the door again, and hastily stole the second shot glass.

     "To you." She said, desperate to ward his attention away from them. "For saving my ass the other night."

Jamison finally smiled.

"No," he protested. "To you, for your twenty second birthday."

Bryn raised the glass to her lips. When she brought her sight back from the glass, she caught Jamison still facing the door. His expression sad again. Ryder looked happy though, and her sister was blushing.

"That's it," Bryn wrapped her hand tightly around Jamison's. "you are coming with me.”

Jamison's response was delayed. He stumbled into Bryn's tug.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"To the lake." Bryn said, focused on escaping Jamison's gloom.

She followed the wrap around porch out back, and exited off the side, just before Ryder and Marley could see them.