#smash or pass but smashing is literally picking up the person and chucking them around

[justanechoflower]

smash or pass?

[we-have-bangtan]

BCO (Bulletproof Crime Org.)

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Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Theme: Mafia au, poly au, smut, gore

Warning: Swearing, smut, gore, Hobi and Jimin smooch.

VERY UN-EDITED

SO SO SO LONG

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Chapter 1 || chapter 2 ||

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She was tempted to smash the window with the tennis ball she had been given in order to stay entertained. She hadn’t realized how boring house arrest was in all these years, she vowed to never let any of her victims go through this.

               She stood up, going to look out the window again, gang members littered the lawn, 2 to the right, 3 towards the corner of the building and 2 more directly across from the window. She’d have a tough time running away, not that she had any plan to do that.

  She felt like Rapunzel in Mother Gothel’s castle, just that here she had 7 mother Gothels. She considered throwing the ball as hard as she could at the two men, one with pink hair and the other with black hair, to the right of the window; just to practice her aim. She decided against it, picking up an apple from the fruit basket Taehyung had delivered to her this morning, preferring to chuck an apple at them instead. 

    She leaned out of the window, aiming with one eye closed and threw it with all her might, the apple she had thrown meeting the head of the one with pink hair, “Heyyyy” the boy yelped in shock, looking all around to look for where the apple came from, he didn’t notice her in the window right behind him.

   The boy with black  hair seemed to convince the guy that he was imagining stuff. The two of them went back to their conversation as Yn smirked to herself, finally some entertainment, she thought as she grabbed the smaller basket on grapes, tossing one of them at the pink haired one again before quickly moving away from the window just as someone knocked on the door. 

   “Come in” she yelled, hurriedly moving away from the window as Jungkook peeked into the room before entering, “Supp” he asked, looking around her room, it was nice, comfortable and bright, it had a very comfortable bed and an arm chair that was a little squeaky, “Same ol’, bored, how long will I be under house arrest?” she asked making the youngest of the boys raise an eyebrow at her.

   “You’ll be under house arrest till your injuries have healed, and the fuck you mean bored, I could literally see you throwing fruits at Yeonjun” he said, calling her out on her bullshit, “yah, what am I supposed to do when I’m bored” she defended, Jungkook walked over to the window as he spoke, “I didn’t say you had to stop, I actually came to join you” he admitted, his eyes fixed on the black haired fellow.

      She quietly dragged a chair towards the window, taking the fruit basket with her as well, handing Jungkook an orange before taking a grape for herself. Jungkook aimed at the dude’s head with all the concentration that he had before throwing the fruit which met with the poor boy’s forehead. 

   “Aish, you blew my cover” Yn huffed as the guy looked up at them. “Ah, don’t worry about it, I can entertain you instead” he assured as he saw Soobin take Yeonjun away from the window to a place out of their range. 

     Soobin would have given anyone else a piece of his mind if they had done that to him but now that it was Jungkook and the boss lady, he would lose his life if he even looked at them wrongly. He’d complain about it to Jin hyung later he decided before going back to his conversation with Yeonjun.

    Jungkook fell back on Yn’s bed as she too moved away from the window to join him, making sure not to put any pressure on her injuries. “I need clothes of my own don’t you think?” she said, looking down at the clothes one of the girls in the compound had lent her, they were nice but not exactly her style.

      “Why, are the ones you have now not enough?” he question taking a moment to look over the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing, “It’s not they aren’t enough, it’s just that they aren’t my style” she admitted as she toyed with the hem of her sleeve. 

  She and Jungkook had come to a mutually understand each other in the past three days. He’d come to the room to check up on her and somehow managed to stay back to entertain her for a while before he’d have to go again. He was a few months older than her and was constantly bugging her about it, he’d whine and groan when ever she didn’t use any honorifics but he had come to the understanding that she was not going to use honorifics with him or anyone in the group.

He was comforting and entertaining and a dumbass at times, but he was nice, he wasn’t the 7th leader of Bulletproof crime org, the biggest criminal organisation in Korea. He was Jungkook, a goofy 24 year old with an addiction to banana milk.

      “We’ll see, I’ll as Namjoon hyung if we can go to the mall, do you have money?” he asked as he got up from his spot to strecth his body a little. “Ayaaa, my card is at the compound back home, I need to sneak in to get it” she huffed, already devicing an action plan on how she would get it back. 

              “You can just open another account you know, no need to go back home, how much was in it anyway?” he asked, worried for her safety although he knew she could handle herself.

        She really didn’t have to risk her life to get a dumb credit card, plus, cash was better than car, it didn’t leave tracks anywhere. Jungkook looked at the pretty girl in front of him, she looked like she was contemplating whether to go or not. He didn’t want her to go, honestly. It was a waste, what if she got caught by her old gang, they’d behead her themselves. “20 million won, and I need to end them anyway, might as well get some work done when I go to get my card” she answered leaving Jungkook’s jaw hanging.

    “20 MILLION WON??????” he exclaimed, “does the bank not get suspicious? how did you even get that much money?” he questioned, eyes wide with concern for the 23 year old. “It’s a bank run by a close friend who will be relieved if I show up there, but I cna’t go to the bank yet, I’m wanted” she explained, popping a grape in her mouth before continuing, “And i get money the same way you do, through deals and private missions” she answered. 

 “Do you have private clients?” he asked, he had never been a private assaissin nor had he ever met anyone who was a private assassin, he was curious about it. “Yeah, most of them are politicians or other gang leaders” she answered, “anyway when is the earliest that I can get out of here?” she questioned, successfully diverting the topic. 

  “Probably in a few days” he answered, being vague on purpose. “Be more specific” she demanded making him chuckle, “Aish, so demanding” he teased, before continuing, “The day after tomorrow, if all your injuries heal properly” he finished, heading to the door, 

   “ Ynnnn holding Jungkook us again I see” Hobi playfully scolded as he brought a bag of snacks to the table, giving her a bag of shrimp crackers that she had asked for when he had told her that he was going to town for business and asked if she needed anything. “Thank you!” she said, grabbing the packet before ripping it apart, “Aish, I didn’t know you liked them that much or I would have bought more” Hobi said watching as the young assassin devoured the crackers two at a time. “You guys literally gave me fruits, which sane person would have fruit as a snack” she accused as Jungkook left the room quietly so he didn’t have the patience for her whining right now.

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                      2 DAYS LATER

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“I’m free, I’m free, I’m free” Yn yelled as she went into Namjoon’s office, Namjoon just groaned at how noisy she was before asking her to take a seat. “Do you have somewhere to be immediately?” he asked her as the rest of the boys filed in to join the discussion. 

       “No where important, but I need to get my money” she answered, Namjoon nodded, Jungkook had told him about it earlier. “Will you do that before or after your test? and when do you want to take your test?” he asked making her look at him with a raised eyebrow, “can I finish the test now and I can leave for a short while to get my shit done before I come back” she asked, he nodded.

       A gunshot echoed through the compund as Yn moved out of the way, Jimin had fired a wax bullet at her, it wasn’t meant to hit her. Just to warn her. She quickly climbed onto the chair as Namjoon yelled the rules, she could run anywhere in the mansion at the count of three, but the moment she was hit with the bullet she was out, 30 men were out there to catch her, she had an hour and if she passed the test she was eligible to join the gang.

 It was basically a game of tag except that it was 1 against 30 and she didn’t have any weapons either, “Do I get a gun too?” she asked, scanning the room frantically for a way out. “Sure, if you want but it will have only 5 bullets, anyone who gets hit cannot hunt you anymore” Namjoon said, laying out the conditions out for her, she nodded and was quickly tossed a revolver, she checked her ammo before tucking the gun away in her waist band. “Do I get to hurt anyone?” she asked again, gaining a nod from Namjoon.

          She held her breath, hearing multiple guns being loaded, which way to go? should she make for the door? no. Taehyung was guarding it, what about the table? no again, Namjoon was staring at her with a revolver in hand, casually spinning it like it was a toy. She never thought a man with a revolver, ready to shoot her would look that sexyy.

She looked left and right, Jungkook and Yoongi were on one side waiting for Namjoon’s count and it was the same case for Jimin and Jin. “1!” Namjoon hollered as she looked all around the room, she should be prepared, “2!” he counted as her eyes landed on the window, her mouth curved into a smirk, she found her escape. 

  “3!” Namjoon yelled as she leaped out off the chair as high as she could, landing directly in front of the window before jumping over, “GET HER!!!!!!!” Hobi yelled as he barged out of the office chasing after her. 

    Yn’s thigh stung as she landed in the floor below the office, it looked like a sort of library with rows and rows of floor to ceiling shelves full of books, she quickly jamp atop a shelf, laying herself flat aginst it as she dragged herself by her hands to the end of the row noticing Beomgyu not very far away from her. She silently crept down, using the shelves as a ladder to climb down from the top, she clenched her teeth when a few books fell from the shelf she was holding on to.

   Beomgyu turned around to see what the sound was, he looked down at the fallen books with confusion, ‘must have been the wind’ he thought with a shrug turning around when a sharp pain went through his head before blackness enveloped him.

    ‘Heh, weak boi” Yn thought as she rubbed her knuckles, despite how effective temple punches were, they were a bitch when it came to the pain to her knuckeles. Just as she was going to relax from this dumb game she heard Hobi’s voice outside. He was loudly talking to Jimin who was being just as loud. 

    She climed the shelves when she heard them some closer and almost lost her shit when she saw them enter the library, she didn’t want to hurt them or shoot them, yet. She peeped down at them watching as Hoseok went through the library never once looking up before he stop right under the shelf she was on. 

  “Yah, Hobi hyung, what do yout think of her?” Jimin asked as he leaned against the shelf, they didn’t seem to sense her presence in the room. “She’s nice, she’ll fit in well with us” Hobi admitted as he moved closer to him, pushing Jimin against the shelf, Yn almost popped an imaginary boner when she saw them roughly kiss each other. She wanted to look away, she really did, but she couldn’t tae her eyes away from the two of them.

     She made the mistake of trying to get more comfortable, caying the shelf to creak making the two lovers move away from each other, she quickly grabbed her gun, moving as silently as she could as Hobi and Jimin looked around to find her, “Ynnieee, I know your here” Hobi sang as he walked into the row a little away from her, “click, aim, shoot” she whispered to herself as her hands followed the actions watching with glee as Hobi yelped attracting Jimin’s attention.

    Yn quickly jumped out of the window again, climing up the water pipe to Namjoon’s office only to see Yoongi relaxing in Namjjon’s boss chair, a glass of bourbon in front of him, she hung by the window sill, trying her hardest not to be seen as but she felt someone grab onto her leg, pulling her down. She quickly kicked the hand off, looking down to see Jimin with a mischevious grin on his face,   

    “Yah, Jimin-ah let go!!” she yelled as she struggled to maintain her grip on the window sill, Yoongi heard her yell and grinned as he walked towards the window , he looked down at her with a sadistic grin on his face, he looked like Scar from the Lion ing for a moment there, with his hands on Yn’s, ready to push her off just like how Scar had done to Mufasa. 

   “Okayyy super villain, pull me up and I’ll give you like 2 million won” she bribed, kicking at JImin’s hands aggressively, “Make that 4 million and you have a deal” he countered, “how about 3 million instead?” she bargained, giving him an almost blinding grin when he pulled her up. 

   “You better keep that bargain up and don’t kill anyone” he said as he dusted his hands off before retaking his seat.”I swear I will! and I can’t promise that I won’t kill anyone” Yn yelled as she casually strolled out of the office only to come face to face with Taehyung, he gave her a naughty grin, “Gotcha” he said, grabbing her arm, she quickly jabbed at his neck and the unsuspecting fellow fell to the ground with a thud. 

  “I told you not to kill anyone” Yoongi said, peeking from a crack in the door. “He’s not dead” she assured as she made for the staircase, crawling up so no one can spot her. She checked the time in the fancy Rolex that she had stolen from an unconcious Tae, 30 minutes had passed, 30 more to go. 

  She snuck up the stairs when she saw Yeonjun on the other end of the sprawling corridor, quickly preparing her gun she set her aim, steadying her hand before she pulled the trigger, the gunshot was loud and echoed through the compund as the bullet hit Yeonjun in the side, he didn’t seem surprised infact, he tured towards her with a smirk before gesturing for her to look up.

       She tilted her neck to look above her to see seventeen men staring down at her, their guns aimed straight at her, she held her breath as she jamp down thw stairs right as they all fired their guns, she almost got hit more than once but she was quick enough to get out of the way before they could touch her.

  She huffed as she ran down the stairs, scolding herself for not hitting the gym as regularly as she could. She could feel how unfit she was, she was out of breath and panting, she was hungry from all the running around and she realized just how much of her stamina had gone down in the last few days.

   She huffed and cursed as she ran downstairs, but hurriedly crept away when she heard footsteps, she cursed to herself as she hid, holding her gun out incase she might need it. She took a deep breath, waiting for the person to pass her when pain shot through her arm, Jungkook stood next to her, his grip tight on her elbow causing her great pain. She quickly jabbed at his stomach making him let go of her before she grabbed his gun from his pocket, he seemed to be unprepared to catch her explaining why his gun was still in the hollister.

          She pointed her own gun at Jungkook’s head, a grin taking over her tired and sweaty face, Jungkook almost fell for her in that instand, seeing her hold a gun to his head, looking fucking gorgeous with at smile on her face. He steped closer, pressing his head against the nozzle of the gun, Yn instinctively took a step bac only for her back to hit the wall when a sudden yell made them junp away from each other. 

     “You’re supposed to shoot each other, not make out you know” Jin yelled looking down at them from the top of the stairs, he wasn’t gonna lie, he had felt thirsty when he had seen the two of them in that position. Yn pointed Jungkook’s gun at Seokjin and pulled the trigger only for Jin to duck away fromt he bullet, “Stay fucking still” Yn growled as she took aim again.

      Jungkook almost went feral at the sound Yn made. Her gun still pressed to his head. The next shot rang out, hitting Jin in the chest and Jin dramatically fell to the ground holding his heart, “What a damsel,” Yn scoffed as she kicked Jungkook away from her before shooting him with his own gun. 

   Jungkook wasn’t even offended that he had lost the game, he happily hopped up the stairs to join Jin hyung who was going to the kitchen to make a snack for himself, the bright orange stains on their clothes, a batch of both honor and shame.

  Yn looked around the mansion when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned around to see Soobin standing behind her with an unimpressed look on his face, “Supp” she said with a wave, “everyone is looking for you, Jimin hyung is convinced that you ran away”  he said, rushing her to Namjoon’s mansion. 

   The boys were quiet surprised to see Yn being shoved into the office, her face puffy and her hair sticking out in every way, thry thought she had ran away. “Where were you,we’ve been lookig for you everywhere” Namjoon said as Seokjin walked towards her to take the revolvers from her, tossing the purple one to Jungkook and tucking the other one in his own holister.

   “Taking a nap” she answered cheekily as Namjoon got behind his desk, “Did you hurt yourself anywhere?” he asked as he pulled out a box from one of the drawers, she shook her head, craning her neck to be able to see what was in the box.

   “Good, because you have a mission” Namjoon said, pulling out a sleek dagger from the box, its handle had a snake design, making it look like the snake was coiling itself around the handle, the sharp blade, glinting in the light. 

    “Yahh, so pretty” Yn said as she reached for the dagger only for Namjoon to pull it back, “not for you, I’m supposed to take a blood oath of loyalty” he said, as he took a hold of her wrist, “Don’t cut too deep” she said as he placed the blade on her thumb, he pushed down on it causing it to bleed before letting a few drop trickle down her thumb onto the paper with the oath written on it, right next to her name.

“Congratulations Yn, you are now a member of the Bulletproof crime organisation, I’ll give you a week to settle all matters outside the organisation.” Namjoon said, putting the paper away.

  “Can I still continue with my private assassinations?” she asked, sucking on her bleeding thumb, “Yes, on the condition that you give 10% of whatever you earn to the mafia and we have a say in which missions you accept” Yoongi said as he too got up to go have dinner. 

 “As long as you don’t push too much, we’re good.” she said, before following him to the dining room. 

    She needed to eat up, she had work to do tomorrow.

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A/n: Next chapter will be up whenever I find time to write. <3

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Taglist:

@thefreddieman

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[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 1: The Accident...

It is recommended, though by no means a must if you know the Marauders history enough to be reading fanfiction about them, you read We Were first. The first five chapters are slightly AU to the continuity of this fic, but the grand point and especially the final chapter are key to the beginning of this fic as you get plopped in the middle. Link is below or you can find it in my profile.

Before you get started; Warnings include- Explicit Wolfstar (Remus/Sirius), and on the whole a rather flimsy premise that I honestly created to indulge myself because I didn't let myself do it the first time. A lot less logically based and a lot more I just felt like having fun with this one. It's not to say I'll let this degenerate into tropes and one note things, but there's going to be even less reading of the books involved, as in literally they're just interacting around the story with only passing mentions of what's going on in there. If you want a much more grounded basis and more 'realistic' approach to a reading series, I put my heart and every cell of my mind into The Life that Never Lived, PDF's upon request. I'm pretty sure this one grew from my funny bone that I broke when I was seven.

HPHPHPHP

The dungeons where Potions were held had always felt like the most oblique part of the castle, and Sirius had been in every corner of it to claim as such. It wasn't entirely the fault of the dark stone walls, sweltering hot air from the many flames, or the often unexplained fumes. The feeling seemed to seep up straight from the cold stone floor no matter how many fires were lit, as if the wooden stool itself were trying to pin them all with the unknown.

Sirius had never been more grateful for a Potions class to be over, and that was really saying something. It was the last one of this bleeding school semester, and if he had to spend one more day glaring at a cauldron and somehow inexplicably turning it the wrong color one more time without the usual helpful hint from Peter telling him why, he was going to chuck every last drop of it in Slughorn's face for constantly telling him he'd figure it out!

He'd never packed up his bag faster, even managing to multitask by muttering under his breath how stupid all this was. He was the first person to make it to the door, but collided with someone even less pleasant to see than the three people he'd most been avoiding lately. He cursed loudly, earning several dirty looks as the rest of the class was now passing. His bag had ripped upon stumbling into his little brother and smashed to the ground, sending his things flying and managing to spray him with ink.

Regulus hesitated in the doorway, muttering a quick, "sorry Sirius."

"Oh, it knows my name," Sirius growled under his breath, though his tone was far less hateful than usual, considering this was the first time he'd had a proper conversation with someone in nearly three weeks. His little brother was hardly his first choice, given his proud Slytherin status and being two years younger didn't remotely have them coming near each other most days, a fact he was usually grateful for.

"Yes, he does," Regulus' scowl looked remarkably close to Sirius', the two put side by side at once was rather eerie. His tone though was even more friendly than Sirius', which wasn't all that hard as he tried to explain his abrupt appearance. "I ah, I came sprinting down here to see if I could catch Slughorn, ask him if I could pick up an extra credit assignment."

Sirius straightened with his stuff still half strewn around, but again that pull for someone to talk to seemed greater, especially as he glanced back and saw who hadn't left yet, so he responded no matter how unenthusiastically. "Yeah, what you struggling with?" While tapping his bag and mending the tear, slowly bending down to pick each item back up while he absently listened. Regulus even began to help him while he explained in short, precise sentences like he was practicing for the teacher.

Frank Longbottom and Alice Smith slipped in past the two Black brothers at the doorway and found the room mostly empty, and they shared an exasperated look as they wondered if they'd just walked in on Slughorn telling this group off again. They were early for their next class after all, but the teacher was nowhere in sight. They did get a full view of what started quite an interesting journey.

James was hanging by Evans' cauldron, trying to chat happily with her, but mostly waiting for Sirius to leave first. He could hardly stand to look at him these days, let alone pass by him in such a restricted place, yet the wanker had struck up a conversation with Regulus of all people, someone he'd hardly spoken a whole sentence to in the past five years, but no, he'd chosen now! Probably just waiting for them to walk past first, like this was all still some game to him.

Remus and Peter were hovering on edge right beside him, Remus fidgeting with what was left of his cauldron on the desk while Evans was trying to pack hers up and being hampered by James staying in her way. "Won't you at least consider coming? It's our last game of the season! What if you're my good luck charm, you've always been the best at those! Do you really want to be the reason Gryffindor loses?"

"They've gotten on just fine without me there the past years," Lily snipped. She never knew why she even bothered responding to him half the time, but considering it no more discouraged him than ignoring him, at least this way she got to vent.

She tried to sidestep past him, James once again stepped into her way, and the two collided with each other, their hands accidentally slipping into her cauldron Remus had just mistakenly dumped his own potion into.

Whatever the concoction the two mixed together created upended the entire world.

At first though, nothing really changed. There was no marvelous flash of light, no force of nature that showed everyone outside of this room had vanished. Lily simply made a gagging noise as she pulled her hand out of the vat and glared furiously at the oddly pale teen, pulling her wand out at once with her less dominant hand she hadn't tried to catch herself with and banish the gunk off while hissing at him, "You are so lucky I turned that in already Lupin! What the hell did you even create? I've never seen this before," she finished with a critical eye at the now steaming mess, that vanished before their eyes.

"Wow Remus, you should do that more often, really makes cleanup easier," Peter chuckled while Remus looked rather concerned.

"I, err, I'll admit, I really screwed up my potion worse than usual. I think I added three things I actually wasn't supposed to, so you've got me."

James just flung the mess from his hand, which also vanished before it had even landed on anyone, and glanced back hopefully like he'd thought his source for this mess had left already.

He hadn't.

His face was turned in their general direction, like he'd been trying to subtly glance over and hope for the same, but now he was looking right through James. That wasn't uncommon lately, but the stunned look of confusion on his face was enough James grudgingly turned his head the other way to see what.

Back on the lip of the cauldron, was a slim red book with a golden one on the spine. It was just sitting there, like Evans had left it on purpose, but it certainly hadn't been a second ago.

Lily took his distraction as a chance to bolt from the room, Regulus gave his brother an awkward wave goodbye and went back out towards Slughorn's office since he'd clearly missed him, and Alice and Frank tried to casually step back out as well. Even being a year above those four had not left them oblivious to their fight. The whole school was aware of the fact the four Marauders had not been seen together in quite some time, and neither of them particularly felt like putting their nose into why.

James was still frowning in confusion at the odd title stamped across, which simply read Harry Potter Year One.

"Err, did either of you-" James looked at the two as if in some kind of explanation, but both gave a mystified shake to their head. James couldn't help it, he still looked automatically towards his best mate, and then he caught himself and realized they were the only four left. Sirius' eyes had still been locked in on the odd object, really ridiculous his mind supplied as James had no relatives named Harry, and wondered if this was some odd attempt at a prank?

Sirius didn't stick around to care, completely forgetting the rest of his things, he turned on his heel and finally exited as well, when they all heard a shriek.

As one, the four bolted up to the Entrance Hall, Alice and Frank right behind them as they hadn't wandered off far, to see Lily standing in the middle and stamping her foot in frustration upon seeing them. "Damn, I thought someone would have reacted to that."

"Err, Evans," James began in concern as if for her health.

"Where is everybody!" She demanded while gesturing to the Great Hall where there should have been a packed lunch crowd. Nobody was in there, and now that they were listening for it, the din of a castle filled with people, was deadly silent all around them.

As if given a signal, everyone began shouting all at once, sure the ruckus would cause someone to appear, but the only other arrival was Regulus coming up from the stairs as well, looking at all of them with great concern. "Geez, you lots shouting usually has a much greater audience."

"Thank you Regulus for that helpful insert!" Sirius snapped.

Regulus ignored that and seemed to look around himself and really acknowledge his own words, before realization slammed into him as well as he whispered, "What's going on?"

"We'd all like to know that," Frank put his hands up in frustration, this was what he and his girlfriend got for getting to class early.

"This is ridiculous," Lily seethed, stomping up towards the stairs. She was intending to barge into every crevice of this place and find someone other than these idiots to deal with. She didn't know what the school was playing at, but it wasn't funny.

Alice and Frank followed her as they still considered her the least craziest compared to the others.

Sirius still couldn't bring himself to look at the other three and bolted out onto the grounds for an exit, and Regulus couldn't think of anything better to do but follow him.

James waited until they were back alone before nodding to Peter, who pulled the Marauder's Map back out and cast the charm to activate it. On cue, the magical ink appeared, spreading through the tattered paper, but only revealing eight names instead of the several hundreds it normally housed.

"What the bloody hell?" Remus demanded, snatching it away as if sure somehow Peter had cast it wrong. He deactivated it and retried five times before looking up in exasperation, to see James flipping through the book. "Of all times, you chose now to pursue one of those!" Remus demanded.

"Remus, what the bloody hell was in that potion," James whispered to him.

Remus looked at him askance. "I told you I don't know, I was, well I-" it was hard to admit how thoroughly distracted he'd been, even more than usual in his potions classes. His past two attempts had been utter messes as well. Somehow without Sirius by his side and being a constant distraction, he'd found a way to blow up his more recent attempts, so he'd been rather proud this one had only changed the wrong color seven times. "What's your point?"

"This," James waved it around, his face still looking somehow detached as if he had no clue what he was really saying, "it's-" he broke off, and Remus huffed in exasperation as he snatched it away.

"Yes James, it has words, glory look at that they're even strung together with sentences! What's the big-" he stopped abruptly at what he saw quite clearly had Prongs so thrown off. Remus could feel it now, this book was giving off as if the most powerful magic to exist, certainly that he'd ever been around.

"This isn't, there's no way-" he tried to protest what his eyes weren't changing.

"What?" Peter demanded in exasperation of the two.

"That's from the future." James stated coolly.

Peter laughed, realized neither was pulling his leg, and then yanked the book to him as well.

"It, it's a joke or-" he tried to say, but it was the exact same to his eyes as well.

"Remus, what the bloody hell did you mix with Lily's Profligare potion?" James asked again like he'd have another answer!

"I, I told you, I have no clue!" Remus insisted, his heart restricting painfully in his chest.

"Why aren't their words in the rest of this book?" Peter asked curiously. There were an easy three hundred pages to this thing, but only the first sentence was visible. The rest was blank.

"Put that down," Remus suddenly yelped, slapping it away from him. It thudded to the ground and even skidded a few feet while Wormtail looked offended.

"Merlin Remus, James was holding it for a whole five minutes and he didn't explode."

"Let's prioritize for a minute," James insisted. "Ignore that thing and figure out where everyone is, maybe show that to Dumbledore-"

"That might be a problem, as there's no one else here!" Remus snarled.

"Well I'll say one thing, Evans sure can make one good banishing potion," Regulus commented as he stepped back into the Entrance Hall minus Sirius.

The question burst out of James before he could consider doing otherwise, "where's your better half?"

Regulus scowled hatefully, hesitated, but still answered, "still wandering the damn grounds, think he said something about checking the bottom of the lake. I don't know what you lot are fighting about, but for him to be saying that even as a joke really is something."

James flinched with the first spot of guilt he'd felt, and Remus looked away as if he hadn't even heard. Peter took the opportunity to shove the map back out of sight before he twisted his fingers together and just deciding to ignore that as well and said, "We might as well go find the other three and show at least them. Something Dark is going on around here, perhaps we shouldn't go wandering off."

"Oh that's nice, just leave him out on the grounds by himself then if that's what you're thinking," Regulus muttered as his two friends seemed to agree and took off up the stairs, Peter having to jog to keep up.

They found them already up to the second floor, and with every empty room they'd opened, they'd become increasingly more panicked. This just wasn't natural! Even during the holidays you were likely to run across someone by now! A ghost even! What was left of the Marauders caught up to them, and Lily's near hysterics weren't helped with their answer to this.

"Just come back downstairs!" James was trying to put his hands up in a comforting, surrendering gesture to the vivid redhead who hadn't stopped shouting for a solid minute, so her face was as bright as her hair. "We found something you lot really should see!"

It took a bit more persuading and Frank and Alice agreeing first before Lily conceded searching every room wasn't helping.

They went back downstairs and saw Sirius had rejoined his little brother, and the two were frozen in place over what had already been discovered with the book still open on the ground for all to see.

"You wanted to show me a book!" Lily demanded as she looked murderously at Potter. "How is that helping to find out what happened!"

"Just look at it," Potter insisted.

Without touching it, she went to where it had fallen on the floor, and then she too along with Frank and Alice saw.

Scrawled across the top was the title The Boy Who Lived, which meant nothing to anyone so their eyes skipped down to below that, which was just under the date 1981. Six years from now.

[selfwriting-sugarquills]

Hey love! I absolutely love your writings and the Weasleys, so could you write a George x reader imagine where they're playing quidditch (did i spell that correctly) against Slytherin, and her playing like as a chaser and getting hit and falling and him reacting to it y'know? Sorry my english sucks :]

A/N: (ok I adore this request!!! I hope it’s good enough, these past two weeks have been really hectic and tiring, so I’m lying pretty low in terms of creativity :( but I have two weeks off for Christmas now so hopefully, I’ll have plenty of time to write all the amazing requests I’ve gotten!!) 

Warnings: None (implied broken bones?) 

Word count: 1.605

Fall

You were tightening the laces on Angelina’s sleeves when the twins stumbled into the changing room, 

“Sorry we're late,” said Fred, dumping his bag containing quidditch gear down on the benches next to Harry, 

“We ran into Filch on our way here and it turns out, he wasn’t a fan of our latest endeavours in the arts of surprise.”George’s face split into a grin as he pulled his shirt over his head and feeling suddenly flustered, you to avert your eyes. You had had a thing for George since your third year which you’d spent gawking at him and blushing deeply whenever he’d looked at you, then in your fourth year, you’d been paired up in charms, where he succeeded in a very literal sense. He’d asked you to help him practice on the quidditch pitch and you’d said yes, mostly because you wanted to spend time with him alone and you hoped that was his intention too though when Fred showed up on the pitch as well, you weren’t surprised, just a little disappointed. 

Now, you were in your fifth year, your crush still going strong, not that that would help you in the biggest match of the school year, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The weather seemed to be on your side, being on the clear, cool side with little wind but the tension between the two teams was at an all-time high, meaning you, one of the chasers, would probably be spending most of the match trying not to be murdered. 

“you know,” said Angelina, breaking your trail of thought, “there’s going to be this huge party after the match when we win,,” a smirk was playing on her lips, as she glanced towards the twins, who were sharing the tale of their latest prank with Harry and Katie, 

“and when we win, which we will,” she reassured quickly, mostly to herself, “I think it’s about time you tell a certain redhead how you feel,” her smirk grew as she watched your eyes widen, 

“shh!” you hushed, “he is right over there could you say it a little louder you think?!” 

“I can if it will make you two finally get together,” 

“Shut up!” 

“Alright team,” Wood said, gesturing to your small group of people as to bring you closer, “as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there’s a lot hanging on today's’ results and Slytherin wants a victory no matter the cost, so let’s try to stay alive, and Harry,” he turned to Harry who gulped, “I assume there’s no need for me to tell you just how much I need you to catch the snitch before that Malfoy kid does,” he said with such seriousness that even you felt a surge of adrenaline. 

Walking up to the entrance you were gripping your broom tightly, remaining quiet despite everyone else chatting quietly to each other, your eyes were fixated on the grass below as you listened to the cheers from the stands. An arm nudged you slightly, 

“you nervous?” George’s chocolate coloured eyes watched you with amusement, though you thought you could see a hint of nerves behind the confident sparkle, 

“A little,” you chuckled, 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, the Slytherins are all a bunch of gits, we’ll have the snitch before they even realise the game’s begun,” he smiled and you looked back at the grass at your feet, 

“Alright team,” Wood said at the front, turning around, “‘s time.” 

** 

Normally, flying wasn’t scary to you, ever since you’d tried it for the first time you’d become somewhat enchanted by the surge in your stomach when you dipped and the dizzying satisfaction which came with learning a new manoeuvre. 

A bludger zoomed past you as you dipped, the surge in your stomach feeling more nauseating than exciting. The Slytherins were indeed ruthless but so were the Gryffindor team and it hadn’t taken long before the two teams had begun to pursue a more personal feud than anything. The foul playing had begun after Katie Bell had taken a bludger to the stomach, sent by one of the Slytherin chasers, who’d somehow gotten hold of one of the beaters’ bat, causing the game to be paused for several minutes. Then, the twins had retorted by sending two bludgers after the chaser who’d sent the bludger after Katie, both hitting him, the first sending him off-course by hitting his broom, smashing it to pieces, the second hitting his stomach, much like it had hit Katie, and sending him onto the ground with a thump which caused the audience to let out a collective groan. The beater’s downfall and injury caused another break. The team was getting restless, the twins pacing back and forth, most of you sat quietly, bouncing your legs and wringing your sweaty hands as you waited for Madam Hooch to call you back onto the pitch.  

When she finally did, the beaters from both teams were sending bludgers directly after each other, exchanging various swear words as they whacked the balls towards each other, completely neglecting the chasers and goalposts. You were flying in formation with Katie and Angelina, who was holding the quaffle, she sent the quaffle to Katie, who dropped it when a chaser from Slytherin collided with her, Angelina and yourself were quick, though, and without much need to communicate you dived down, where Angelina seized the quaffle easily from one of the younger Slytherins who was quick, but incredibly clumsy, passing the quaffle to you as the opposing chasers tried to surround her in order to take it from her. You headed straight from the goal, you could hear the twins cheer you on as the Slytherin beater yelled something from behind you, in a fear of being pursued, you chucked the quaffle towards the tallest ring with your eyes closed and without opening them you heard a bell go off and a roar from the stands. Sighing in relief, you opened your eyes,  

“L/n scores leaving Gryffindor in the lead with 30-10” Lee’s voice could be heard ringing out over the pitch over the cheers but you stopped listening to his remarks about Slytherin, as you focused instead on a small whistling noise, which seemed to grow closer and closer, when the realisation of what it was hit you it was already too late for you to react, something fast, hard and round hit your arm with a crack as you were knocked off of your broom. 

*** 

George had had little time to react. After you’d scored both he and Fred had been too occupied cheering for you to react when a Slytherin beater sent a bludger towards you with such speed that if George had blinked, he’d have missed you being knocked off of your broom, his heart racing as he saw the bludger collide with your side. 

Only seconds later he was on the ground along with the rest of the team, running towards you as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. Madam Hooch was already crouching beside you, inspecting you, you were sitting awkwardly, holding your arm and wincing as Hooch inspected it, 

“ow,” you hissed, a tear slipping down your face, George held himself back from sitting beside you and comforting you, instead, he heard himself say, 

“Is she going to be okay?” to Hooch, 

“Oh she’ll be just fine after a visit to the hospital wing,” Hooch said, helping you stand, 

“Can you still play?” asked Wood, Hooch let out a laugh, 

“With a broken arm? not a chance,” She said, “we’ll call the game off, congratulations, I believe you’ve won.” and with that, she marched off, an arm around your shoulders. George couldn’t look away as you went, his insides hurting when he heard you let out a choked sob, as McGonagall joined you and Hooch. His stare was broken by Fred hitting his arm gently, 

“Let’s go get changed,” he said, George nodded but turned to look after you once more before following. 

** 

You sniffed as madam Pomfrey finished wrapping up your arm, she placed a glass of skele-gro on the small bedside table, you sighed. 

“This is the worst,” you muttered as you grabbed the glass and downed it, grimacing as poured down the foul-tasting liquid, you opened your eyes when something hit the duvet resting on top of your legs. What you found were two boxes of chocolate frogs, 

“Figured you might need something to help with the taste of that stuff,” George smiled, you put the glass down, 

“Thank you,” you said, picking up a box, “and I’m sorry for getting hit,” 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault the Slytherin team is a bunch of gits,” he said as he sat down on the bedside, “I’m just glad you’re alright, you gave me a real scare there,” he said earnestly, his lips forming a grin. Blushing, you glanced down, suddenly unable to look him in the eye, you sat there in silence for a few seconds, painfully aware of how George’s eyes were resting on your face, in an attempt to bring the silence to an end, you grabbed the other chocolate frog, 

“Want one?” you asked, holding the frog out for him to take. 

And so that was how you spend your afternoon, eating chocolate frogs while George told you his worst (best) jokes in order to make you laugh, someday you figured you’d gather up the courage to tell him about your crush but for the moment, you were satisfied with George sitting across from you trying to catch a chocolate frog in his mouth and failing epically, much to your entertainment. 

[zippdementia]

Part 67 Alignment May Vary: Welcome to Hell

The players awaken and everything is messed up.

You all wake up to the sound of a repetitive blaring horn. Each of you is in a tube whose purpose is not immediately clear. Behind you is soft padding and in front of you is a see through cover made of some kind of hard glass. The world beyond this cover is darkness punctuated by frequent bursts of light that seem to come in time with the blaring horns. The light illuminates a large room.

It takes a moment for them to remember where they are. Once they do, they realize a very long time has passed and the spaceship is in trouble, about to crash land on a mysterious red planet and currently being bombarded by asteroids in an asteroid belt a computer tells them is “The River Styx.” Bob and Fiona are broken and rusted, and there’s no time to figure out what went wrong here. The players flee to the ship’s escape pods, only to have the hull of the ship breached and Aldric almost sucked out when he fails his saving throw. He makes it, but Blackrazor is ripped from his back and spins into space, lost.

All of you are tossed back and forth against the walls of the escape pod as it tumbles and twists and turns, spinning incessantly until you think your body will be crushed from the force of it. You can hear a roar and outside of the pod’s single window you can see heat and flame building up around the outside of your small circular craft. Then there is a mighty, sickening jolt and you are thrown one more time against the wall as everything finally goes still. The door to the pod slides open and a mechanical voice brokenly states “Thank you and have a safe journey” before an explosion of static cuts it short.

You emerge from the broken pod and clamber out onto red rock. The pod has come to rest on a high shelf overlooking a vast red landscape, a maze of dry canyons and valleys that stretches to the horizon. And on that horizon is a massive city scape, so large you cannot see where it ends. It literally encompasses the entire line of the horizon from left to right and though it is very far away, you can already see it is constructed of massive towering structures, like no city you’ve ever come across in your life or heard tell of before. A wind blasts across the landscape, stirring up red dust clouds and pulling at the fabric of your clothes.

At this point in the campaign, we are off book and running my own material. I’ve always wanted to do a planar adventure in Dungeons and Dragons. The possibilities such a campaign offers are exciting, though I have not found many official (or even unofficial) adventures set in the planes. And the ones I have always feel a little... I don’t know... standard. Like they just took the same kind of adventure you’d see in a normal campaign and themed it with different creatures.

For my planar campaign (which I am working on releasing on DMs Guild), I wanted something far more outside the box. Just as the characters are having the boundaries of their worlds stretched, I think the players need to have the boundaries of what they think of as a DND game stretched, too.

So the first thing I’ve changed is that these planes are literally planets, not planes. That lets me throw in a touch of sci fi for a nice spelljammer element. And the first of those planets to be explored is Planet Hell.

Encounter: The Hell’s Angels

The first big encounter here is against four biker devils, a Bone Devil (named Bones), a Bearded Devil (named Beards), a Barbed Devil (named... Cisco, which was supposed to be funny, but now I wish I’d just kept it Barbs, so let’s call him Barbs), and an Imp (Larry). These guys are straight out of Easy Rider, leather jackets and all, and they ride hovering jet bikes. The set up here is that they will attack the players and this will result in a jet bike chase through a maze like canyon full of dangers and driving challenges. While all this is going on, a meteor storm that hits Hell every day is about to start and the players will literally have to outrace the storm to make it to the safety of the world city of the Nine Circles (which is protected by a magic/science shield. Helping them in this endeavor is Alyss, a young blonde punk rocker looking chick who rides in on her own jetbike and warns the players that the biker gang is coming to investigate their crash site.

This encounter ends up being so much fun in so many ways.

First of all, the players don’t want to meet the biker’s head on. So Imoaza decides to use disguise self to look like a devil herself and pretend like she’s captured Carrick, who will then launch a surprise attack. She rolls a high success on her disguise and ends up looking like a classic red satan devil you’d get at a costume store, goatee and all. She also speaks Fiendish, as it happens, so she is able to really complete the disguise. It works and she doesn’t discard the disguise for the whole encounter. This ends up being absolutely ridiculous. Read on.

Beards tries to insult Carrick by peeing on him with a devil’s penis that looks like a living lobster and pisses acid and this is when Carrick launches his surprise attack, the other players joining him shortly.

Early on in the fight, Barbs and Bones escape, Bones dragging Imoaza’s red devil face along the ground until she is too dazed to fight him. He then blasts into the canyon, closely pursued by Alyss on her own personalized jet bike with Aldric riding shotgun and wielding a grenade launcher Alyss tosses him. Imoaza steals Larry’s tiny bike and rides after them, but for the life of her, she cannot roll well enough to figure out how to use the bike well. And while all this is going on, a meteor storm has begun to crash down around them. So what you end up getting is this ridiculous red satan devil (who is really Imoaza) cruising backwards on a hoverbike, screaming in terror as she races into the canyon just barely outrunning a meteor storm.

We honestly think this is the end of Imoaza. I’ve set up challenges the players must face to navigate the canyon and hers ends up being a leap over a wide chasm. With the way she’s been rolling... but then, against all odds, she rolls a critical success on this jump, and it looks a little like this...

The silence surrounding the chasm is broken suddenly by a shrill cry, like a plea for help, and rocketing into view comes a tiny hoverbike, clinged to by a tall red devil with a jet black goatee hanging beneath a mouth open in a wide scream. The Devil is ridiculously large a top the miniscule bike and Every part of his body that can grip something is gripping the bike: knees, buttucks, hands clenched on the seat of the motorcycle, his tall shape crouched low and terrified... and backwards... over the bike as it speeds its way without stopping towards the chasm. This is the end for the devil for sure. Except just before the bike takes its fatal dive, it hits a rock and is tilted upwards and suddenly the screaming devil man is flying, not falling, as the bike soars like an angel across the huge chasm, spinning around in the process, knocking the devil free from his perch, whereupon in his mad scrabbling he gets himself turned the right way around, grabs the handlebars and successfully lands on solid safe ground.

Then there’s Larry. Oh my god, Larry. I initially threw him in just so there would be an easily accessible bike for the players to use during the jet bike chase. But the minute I start voicing him and he keeps hilariously failing to injure Carrick while the Paladin (have I ever mentioned Carrick is a Paladin before?) fights Beards, using his fiery whip to smack away Beard’s attacks, Larry becomes a crowd favorite. Carrick especially loves him, finding the imp’s futile attempts to harm him more cute than anything else, to the degree that once Carrick defeats Beards, Larry takes a liking to him, calling him “Chuck” and determining they are going to be a new gang. He grabs Beard’s bike, tells Chuck to get on, and he rides him away from the Meteor Swarm, saying how cool it is that they’ve met and how they are going to be friends forever.

Well, by the time this happens, Aldric’s launching of grenades in the canyon has caused landslides and certain passages have been blocked off by piles of rock. Larry gets to one of these just in time to see Aldric and Alyss soaring over it in a marvelous display of driving skill and defying gravity, intent on continuing their chase of Bones and Barbs.

Larry looks at the rock wall and takes a deep breath. “Do you believe, Chuck?” He says in his small, hopeful, tremulous voice. Carrick slaps him on the shoulder. “I believe in you, buddy.” Larry then guns the bike, heading for the rock wall, about to perform the same stunt as Alyss. His eyes closed, his legs flailing out behind him (he’s too small for even his own bike), he drives a top speed for the wall.

And rolls a critical failure.

Carrick sees what is about to happen and does what any true friend would. He bails off the back of the bike, misty stepping off to witness Larry drive into the cliff wall, the bike upending itself to smash him into pulp against the rocks before exploding in a ball of fire.

And that’s the end of Larry, short lived favorite familiar.

The rest of the chase has too many crazy moments to list: Aldric finally catches up with Bones, jumping off his bike and impaling the devil, then stealing his leather jacket. Aldric and Alyss outrun a horrible cave monster a little bit like a gaping dragon from Dark Souls. Imoaza has to outrun the meteor storm on the way to the shielded city, and almost doesn’t make it. And Carrick finds Blackrazor in the desert.

This last moment is a defining one. Carrick initially is hesitant to retrieve the blade, knowing it is evil. But he also knows it may not be his call to make: this is Aldric’s burden to bear. The player is so torn, he literally has to toss a coin to figure out the answer. It tells him what to do... he picks up the sword, and Blackrazor is less than grateful, berating him for having let Aldric drop him in the first place. He does finally thank him and tells him that Carrick will play a nice role in his final plans, then makes a joke about eating the souls of children. This last one is too much for Carrick. Not sure whether Blackrazor is being crass or honest leads Carrick to realize he cannot trust the sword’s actual intentions. And in a moment of decision, he drops the sword back in the desert and rides away (he traded his exploded jet bike for a summoned horse... which here in Hell turns out to be a Nightmare). Blackrazor screams profanities at him as he goes, promising that one day he’ll cut off his head and drink his insides.

Eventually the party synch back up on the edge of the city, which this close up they see is actually just a ruined sprawl of ghettos. This is in fact an illusion, created by Alyss to protect them, but they won’t find that out for a while. For now, they wander the dead city with Alyss, who tells them to abandon the bikes except her own, which she hits a button on to cause it to shrink down to pocket size, and which she drops in her back pack. She explains a little about their situation while they walk.

Hell, it turns out, used to be involved in an eternal war with the Demons of the Abyss, in a conflict dubbed the Blood War that mostly took place in the River Styx, the asteroid field right outside of Hell. Some centuries ago, Asmodeus traveled to the Abyss himself at the head of a huge army to finally bring the fight back to the Demons. His plan was successful and he used a magic so powerful that the Abyss was sealed away into between reality, unable to manifest and interact with the real world. But Asmodeus himself did not survive the magic and Hell was left for the first time in its history without a leader.

With the war against the demons over, the devils turned on themselves, waging a war that began as a physical conflict but slowly became more political. Out of this war emerged the Nine Cities, a sprawling conglomerate of nine separate cities, all ruled by different Arch Devils. Hell also became a tense democracy, with the leader of Hell voted into office to serve a fifty year term. The current president is Mammon, devil of greed and pride, who rules from his vast casino-ridden city of Messmiter, the Golden City.

While different presidents have pushed different agendas and together have turned Hell into a technological leader in the universe, one thing they all agree on: Hell’s borders should remain closed, its warships destroyed and grounded. No one comes into Hell except in death. No one leaves Hell. Ever.

Alyss tells them that there are crystals here on Hell which call souls to them when those souls pass around the universe. It’s uncertain why a soul may be called by a crystal to end up reborn on Hell, but it is known that Devils used to be able to make this happen as a contract. Now with Devils forced to stay in Hell forever, the influx of new souls has slowed, leading to a lot of anger and unrest. Devils desire souls, they need them to grow in power. Without them, they feel starved and restless.

Also restless are the few unfortunates who end up being called to Hell. Not only are their souls almost always drained for a devil’s personal gain, but Hell used to operate on one basic principal: Hope. There was hope that with enough penance, one could leave for a better place. This actually used to be true. But no longer, not with the borders closed. So Alyss has joined a group known as the Hell’s Rebels, led by who she says is an incredible leader of men, a visionary. Their goal is to escape Hell.

This gives many reasons as to why the player’s presence is so disruptive and yet so important. One, they’ve broken the closed border rule, albeit unintentionally. Two, somewhere on Hell their working spaceship has landed, which could be the rebel’s ticket out of here. And three, they have fresh, living, souls. That makes them a target. And because Barbs escaped them in the canyon, she is sure word has reached Hell that they are here.

And with this set up, we enter my next planned scenario in Hell, hideout.

Rooftop Showdown

I want this part of the adventure to feel a little like Blade Runner, or Dark City. I am aiming for mystery and a touch of uncertainty and I want to create a daring escape.

So the set up becomes that Alyss brings them to a decrepit hotel room and leaves them, telling them she’ll be back in a few hours but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are they to leave or open the door. They aren’t even to speak if someone calls to them. Alyss has her own way of getting back in. Don’t speak to anyone, she warns them again, before leaving. The players settle down for a much needed long rest, but when they finish it, Alyss hasn’t returned.

Three days pass. The players stay alive by Carrick casting “Create Food and Drink” and summoning a bunch of random Fiendish foods. They eat them all (except for a summoned plate of fried Bearded Devil Penis, which they leave in a corner of the room, where it begins to acquire a greasy acrid odor). Imoaza passes the time by reading various tomes she’s collected over the course of their adventures, especially the journals of her people taken from the Yuan Ti temple. Aldric digs through Alyss’ left behind backpack, eventually finding the shrunken motorcycle and blithely pocketing it for later study. He also finds an energy capsule which they use to recharge Carrick’s rifle. And he detoxes, not from drugs but from Blackrazor’s influence, slowly wresting his mind free from the blade’s evil influence, which he can still feel reaching for him and calling to him. Carrick finds a cellphone (of course, they don’t know this is what it is) and is able to pull out of his distant other-life memories that this is a communication device. He leaves it alone.

On the fourth day, a knock comes at the door. The players ignore it, and then Alyss’ voice calls to them, saying she lost the key and is being chased and needs to get inside. The group is nervous and anxious, not sure whether this is really her or not. As they hesitate, she becomes more desperate, saying that she will die if they don’t help her. They stay silent. Some time later, her voice returns, only this time she says she’s been caught and will be executed if they do not open the door immediately. She tells them that she will work something out with the Devils to keep them all safe, but they need to open the door now. Again, the players do nothing, and Alyss sobs and cries before there is a horrible crunching sound and her voice goes silent. Completely unnerved, Carrick uses a detection spell to try to sense anything outside the door. He senses a presence so large and evil that it almost makes him sick and he whispers to the others that he hopes they did the right thing by doing nothing.

It is not long after that the cellphone rings, jarring them all. Carrick picks it up and a male voice tells them he’s coming to get them, they have to trust him, that Alyss’ illusion is wearing off (it was never meant to last this long), that something has happened to her, and that they need to go. They decide to trust this voice and it (naming itself as “Jacobs”) instructs them to climb out of the window of the hotel and up to the roof.

Here is where things get crazy. Opening the window shatters Alyss’ illusion and for the first time, the players get a true look at the city they are in. It is not decrepit at all, but rather a bustling metropolis filled with flying vehicles, loud noises, and bright lights. It is night time right now but the city is brighter than day with all of its neon and LEDs. The players climb out of the window and Imoaza casts fly so that they can avoid a difficult climb. Just in the nick of time, too: behind them, the door to the apartment shatters and a Pit Fiend forces its bulk inside the room. But the players are already gone.

I think the sign that this section was a success was the players later asking whether that was really Alyss on the other side of the door. It wasn’t. In fact, it was the devils trying to break through her illusion and find them, but the fact that the question was left in their minds is exactly what I was trying to achieve, that uncomfortable feeling of “maybe we did the wrong thing.”

They end up having to wait on a rooftop while Jacobs makes his way to them. While they wait, they are accosted by a group of 12 Spined Devils and an Erinyes. Imoaza and Carrick face off against the devil’s in ranged combat from the roof, while Aldric flies up to meet the Erinyes, who taunts his bravery as base male bravado while ripping into him with her whip, spear, and arrows. The battle is intense, with spines falling all over the roof while Carrick and Imoaza use their eldritch blasts to fire back at the Spined Devils. Maybe the most intense moment comes when the Erinyes restrains Aldric with her whip and then throws him down into the river of traffic below them.

Damn that Larry, thought Harry as he steered his shiny new hovercraft down Risen Street, taking time to shake his fist at an old van as it puttered along in the lane he wanted to be in. If Larry would just start acting like an adult and less like a child then Harry’s life would be a lot simpler. Larry was supposed to have been back in town after the weekend to watch Harry’s kids (inexplicably, the little Implings loved their uncle Larry) but instead he was nowhere to be found. Harry wasn’t concerned, he knew Larry was most likely off with his gangster buddies and thinking of himself as much cooler than he in fact was. How many times did Harry have to tell his brother to get a real job before it was too late and no company would have him? How many times had Harry had to bail out Larry from some misadventure or another? Despite his anger, Harry couldn’t stop his lips from curling into a small smile as he thought of those misadventures. That was Larry’s one gift: no matter how much frustration Harry felt at him, his damnable brother was just so happy-go-lucky he couldn’t stay mad for long. As the frustration left him, Harry felt a sudden tinge of worry. Where was his brother? It wasn’t like him to just disappear without a trace. To be halfway around the world asking for help, yes, and inconveniencing his dutiful and responsible older brother, sure, but just disappearing was odd.

Harry didn’t have much time to consider the thought. There was a sudden jolt as a man fell from the sky and smashed against his windshield with the force of a dropped boulder. The shiny new hovercraft that Harry had spent nine years saving up for (it could fit all three of his kids and his wife besides) spun madly out of control, being ping ponged around by the other speeding traffic. Harry meanwhile, was flailing against the sudden release of the air bags, unable to see anything past their white bulk. He desperately tried to steer the car into safety, but only succeeded in pointing its nose directly at that old van that he had shook a fist at earlier. The two cars collided and Harry’s shiny new car was chucked aside into a building, Imp and vehicle alike exploding against its side in a fireball not unlike the one that had claimed his brother Larry only a few days earlier.

Eventually this battle comes to a halt. It is on a timer, with me rolling a die each round with an increasingly easy to hit goal number. When I roll that number, Jacobs arrives. There is one last mad dash as the players try to figure out what side of the roof Jacobs has pulled up to, failing all of their perception rolls, and leaping off of three different sides (all of them wrong). This results in Carrick being knocked unconscious and almost killed by traffic, Imoaza having to dodge madly through cars to save him, and Aldric (who got a haste spell from Carrick during the fight) whipping around in traffic like a car himself, madly looking for them.

They eventually all are pulled inside Jacobs’ vehicle and he flies them off to meet the leader of the Hell’s Rebels. Their hideout is a moving target, a giant airship that looks like a cross between a mighty galleon and a blimp, with a huge air bag suspended over the main deck and keeping the whole ship aloft, and giant jet engine pipes coming off the back of the ship to propel it forward.

They are taken on board the massive vessel and brought to see the commander. He stands in a long throne room, decked in an impressive robe and commander’s outfit. He turns as they arrive and eyes them all with a scrutinizing eye.

“Jacobs!” he shouts at last in a quick voice a little bit like a speeding racecar. “If I have tried to teach you one thing while being on board my ship, it is... well, it is my name. And you’ve actually done a great job of learning that. But if there was a second thing, it would be manners! And by all the devils in the nine hells, we do not leave people to bleed on our carpet. It’s not civilized! Did you even offer them something to drink? Get them a bath and a bed and whatever else they desire. Maybe a bowl of my famous cereal. That would perk them right up! Greetings, this is my ship the Jolly Roger Mark II and I’m Captain Krisp, Captain Roger Krisp, at your service. No, I won’t shake. I don’t know where you’ve been.”

And we stop there, with all of us laughing at the return of a favorite character. It’s a huge moment, actually, one I’ve been wanting to get to for a long time. Captain Krisp was one of those NPCs who became so quickly memorable that I’ve long wanted to bring him back into the campaign in a role that felt worthy of him. Being the captain of Hell’s Rebels is perfect. It also keeps alive the feeling of world-spanning that I’ve so valued in this long long long campaign. The fact that an entirely new group of adventurers is dealing with characters and plots left over from other groups of adventurers just makes the whole story feel epic. And of course, the players are the glue tying it all together.

By the way, for anyone ever wondering what Captain Krisp sounds like or how he thinks, I have taken massive inspiration from Varrick from Legend of Kora. Which is a wonderful show for many reasons, but maybe most memorably for Varrick.

Next time, we’ll get deeper into Hell and more crazy scenarios for the players to work through.

[patsquidbob]

Sailor Sailor

A Sailor Moon parody I wrote for fun. Warning it’s pretty long and badly formatted because I wrote this on some website that has weird formatting and yeah. It also includes some Chinese in pinyin.

I walked out of the school, breathing in the windy air that lay all around us now, it was so nice to finally be out of school! Better yet, it was Friday, so now I can relax at home! My friends were chattering about stuff I didn't really care about before Yuèliàng mentioned something about a scalpel. "I was able to sneak this scalpel past my kēxué lǎoshī!" Yuèliàng exclaimed pulling the sharp blade out of her skirt pocket, this was probably the fifth time she had stolen from one of her lǎoshī's and got away with it. But at this point I don't think they cared.

"Yuèliàng! That was a very dangerous thing of you to do, you know?" Tiffany; a transfer student from America; exclaimed, trying to snatch the sharp blade from her precious friends hand. Yuèliàng just moved the scalpel away from Tiffany, snickering at Tiff's failed attempts of retrieveing this sharp and shiny object. We continued walking until we got to out split; Tiffany and Yuèliàng lived on the same street while I lived on the opposite street. I waved to my friends while saying goodbye and walking down the road, not paying any attention due to a text I had recieved. It read something about..... Well I couldn't understand it, and before I could translate it to Chinese I tripped and fell down a long and steep hill.

"W-WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I screamed out as I fumbled down the hill, hitting my body on every rock, stick and crevice that layed on the steep hill. It was a short ride as I abruptly came to a stop, smashing into a long and thick tree. I think I may have cracked a rib.I stood up gripping my waist, groaning out in pain; that's definitely gonna leave a mark. While looking around my surrounding (I didn't see much other than trees, bushes and the dirt I was standing) I saw something that sticked out from the nature environment that I was in. A very bright pink heart charm... How feminine, I wonder who owns this, whoever it was they were probably a massive girly girl. I picked up the charm which unbeknownst to me, was a big mistake. I found myself being engulfed in a bright pink light of beam, with many sparkles accompanying it. I think i'm gonna go blind if I continue looking at this with my eyes opened, so I shut them as I felt the clothes on me transform into well... A completely different outfit.

I soon fell onto the ground as I snapped open my eyes, thanks for giving me a safe landing charm. As I looked down towards my body, I was now wearing a completely pink and girly outfit, wow this is... Almost disgusting from how pink this is. I heard a twig snap, looking up I saw no one. I looked around, still nobody... But I feel as though there is someone around, somewhere, just anywhere. Maybe they can help me get out of this stupid forest!

"Hey!! I heard you!" I yelled out looking around me, still no response. Fine, if they wanna play hard to get then we'll play that game. "I said hey! I know you can hear me, come out of hiding!" I yelled out walking towards where I heard the twig snap, still nobody. What... Did they just come to look at me and then leave? How inconsiderate! Stupid people leaving strangers they don't know to die alone, I mean, what have they got to loose to not be able to help me, stupid world, stupid economy! I kicked a tree, making it shake but also hitting my foot way harder than I was supposed to."OW FU-" I was shortly cut off by finding a man standing opposite of me. Something about him felt strange and... Unnerving. He smiled before opening his mouth to say something that I didn't want him to say. "Sailor Sailor, you've really changed since last time I saw you, you got younger! That's good to see, also you dyed your hair black, how lovely. Anyways, I still want those Warrior crystals, for I need them to power my empire! Hahahaha-" He started to ramble and then laugh, but I cut him off. "Listen dude you have the wrong person, my name is Ushaung and I just got lost in the forest, i'm not this "Sailor Sailor" person you're talking about, in fact. This Sailor Sailor person probably doesn't exist you lunatic, you must be some teen who forgot to take their meds! Empire, Warrior crystals?? What are you on!" I yelled before storming off in the opposite direction of him, before bumping, or well slamming into somebody else. I fell backwards before looking up towards the bit- uh person who could've been in my way. I didn't know who she (or that delusional man) was, I just dusted myself up before trying to pass, ahem, emphasis on the try. She seemed to block my path and actually punched me, can you believe it? The A U D A C I T Y-

"Give us what we want Sailor Sailor and we''ll leave you be!" The girl who resembled the man said, casting out a gloved hand. It was icicle like; pointy, sharp and a nice light shade of blue. I stared at her as if she was insane, because well... She was!! "I told you! I don't have any 'Warrior crystals' you lunatics! I just want to go home!" I yelled at her before shoving her to the side rudely, I just want to go home and eat dinner, is that too much to ask now-a-days? I didn't get far before the man who wore completely iced out clothing (and not iced as in cool and fresh, ice as in literal ice looking clothes) blocked my way. Wait... How did he get in front, wasn't he just-? "Sailor Sailor~" The man cooed, ew. "It seems you've forgotten all about my powers, I guess that just makes it easier for me then!" He exclaimed before doing your typical evil villain laugh. Were these guys really actual villains? Or maybe he just walked in front when I was distracted by this... Mess of a woman. The man smiled, man I really need names for these guys.. Okay. The man will be named Dá mǔ and the woman will be named Bèn. Perfect names for lunatics like them.

But as of now, I was cornered by these kuángrén, and there seemed to be no way out. Oh no, i'm doomeeeeeed! Too bad I don't care if I die or not."LEAVE SAILOR SAILOR ALONE!" A woman's voice yelled as a figure came flying in, trying to slice Bèn but missing, slicing a big chunk of her hair off. "MY GORGEOUS HAIR!" Bèn yelled out before rushing off to fix that mess she now has on her head. Dá mǔ cursed under his breath before yelling out something, "I'LL BE BACK SAILOR SAILOR, I'LL ALWAYS BE BACK!" What a cliche thing to yell out, i'm not scared what so ever. He's just a man who's probably taken way too many drugs.The girl who had saved me sported a similar outfit to mine, only being coloured green; I would take that dress over mine any day, mine's so pink that Pinky Pie would be jealous of how pink I was, bleugh. She smiled at me before going to talk, but I got outie right away, i'm tired and hungry, I don't want to deal with another annoying person. I ended up finding my way back onto the path and getting home. My mother was still at work, my father as well so they couldn't see me wearing this horrid outfit. Oh how excited they'd be to see me in something girly, gross. I looked at the charm that had connected to the bow on my outfit, I pulled it off with great force, it came off easier then I expected, woohoo! I chucked the charm out of the window, no more worries anymore haha! I grabbed a plate of jiǎo zi and then went to sleep shortly after. I never want to deal with that ever again!

[necrokittytales]

Necrokitty Tales: Trouble in Inkwell Isle (Chapter 6)

Authors’ note: Remember, Necrida’s writing will be in italics and SPKC’s writing with be regular font.If you have no idea what this roleplaying thing is, you can start from the beginning here.

Amber made a turn in the vents and swore as she came to a dead end. She was absolutely lost. The vents all looked the same and she was getting really confused on where she was. She started scampering back only to all down a sharp drop. She stifled the gasp of surprise and landed on her feet. She tried to climb back up but the vent was too smooth for her to climb back up.

She froze at the sound of voices and turned around. Straight ahead was the opening to the other room. She crept silently until she could press her little nose against the grate to see what was inside. She spotted the meteorologist and that grumpy flower. Huh, she didn’t think those two would be hanging out.

She swore to herself again. She couldn’t go back out the way she came which meant she had to go forward. She looked up at the now partially open dome and noticed a couple rafters. If she could just climb up there, she could sneak out through the hole between the glass and the dome shield. Then she’d be scott free.

She got to work on unscrewing the vent, as silent as a mouse.

–

Hilda admired the look on his face, her plan worked perfectly! He wasn’t angry anymore and now their friendship was strengthened thanks to her little pot-cup-thingy. “ Yeah, you’re a big grumpy dandelion now.” Her eyes passed to his hands who were carefully handling the present. Her thoughts were starting to mix again… the distant giggle of Gemini reverberated in her head. She stopped staring at Cagney and tried to focus on the stars. Venus was starting to be more visible shining with a golden light. “Hey, we can almost see Venus.”

She laid down comfortably between some pillows.

He watched  Hilda adjust herself on the blankets and pillows before realizing he had been insulted. “Hey,” he protested. “Well, I might be a big grumpy dandelion but you’re a…”

A determined sky witch.

A fiercely intelligent woman.

A beautiful sylph of the sky.

None-none of those were insults. Shit. He yawned instead, thankfully for real, allowing him to leave the rest of that insult to disappear into the air.

He cleared his throat. He should really ask about sleeping arrangements. Would it be weird if he asked about sleeping arrangements? It would probably be weird. Why was this weird now? Was it weird because she had given him some very thoughtful gifts without too much sass? That she set up this whole room as an apology? That they were under the stars? They had fallen asleep under the stars in the field before but never inside. With a bed. And privacy.

Maybe he should just try to lie down near her. Not next to her. Just near her. The thought of lying down next to her made his petals curl slightly. But then again, what if he lied down and she gave him a weird look. Oh, that would be even worse. Maybe he should just bite the bullet and ask.

“Uh, so, uh, there’s no dirt in the pot, so did you want me to uh…you know?”

Hilda chuckled when Cagney finished his insult with a yawn. After his question she blushed and looked at him confused.  “Did I wanted you to what?… Oh!” She finally understood that Cagney was asking for a sleepover and not for what she was imagining “You can totally stay here tonight, I mean, bed is pretty much made” She laughed nervously. What was wrong with her today?

Crap. It didn’t look Hilda had actually planned for him to sleep here at all. But…she did just say he could. That was good, right? “I don’t have to if you don’t want.” He tried to phrase it differently, “Don’t get me wrong, I want to sleep with you, but if you weren’t planning on it-” He stopped midspeech. “I mean, not sleep with you like that, not saying you’re not attractive or whatever and I wouldn’t not do it, just, I. Wouldn’t. Mind. Sleeping. Next. To. You,” he punctuated those last words, hoping it would make sense.

The constellations in her head got all riled up at the prospect of sleeping with Cagney in a ‘mature’ way. Hilda kept them under control and decided it was time to cut down the weird tension that was obviously building up for some reason. She seriously started to consider she might have gone a bit overboard with her surprise.

She frowned at the plant with a smirk in her face.

“Jeez Cags… How about you shut your fly trap and lay down already!” She patted the floor next to her. “We’re gonna miss Venus.”

–

They didn’t make vent grates like they used to. Amber finally managed to finish unscrewing the last panel before she quietly removed the cover and tucked it behind her. It looked like there was cloth on the walls. She could climb that easy. She started to sharpen her claws and readjust the two stolen goods in her bag that threatened to spill out.

–

“Alright, alright. I’m lying down already, ya stubborn blimp,” he managed. Cagney carefully laid down next to her, initially making sure his foliage wasn’t touching her. But he had to adjust himself quite a few times and by the time he got comfortable, he was definitely touching her. Not too much, but he was aware that his leaves were definitely against several parts of her body.

He gave up trying to readjust himself further. He was the only one making this weird. He relaxed as he looked up at the stars. It really was quite nice here.  “So, Venus. Goddess of love. Big yellow planet? Tell me science stuff about it.”

Hilda’s smile widened while the giant flower tried over and over to accommodate next to her.

“Well…Venus is also known as the Earth’s sister planet. They have almost the same diameter and Venus  mass is—OH MY FUCKING GOD!” She stood up and stumbled over Cagney when she wanted to reach the door.

He was just thinking about how nice she would feel if he was able to press into her a little bit more but at the sound of her explanation suddenly turning into a shriek, his heart stopped in his chest.

Cagney’s eyes widened. “What?! What did I do?!” He called after her.

–

Amber nearly lost her grip at the woman suddenly screaming and only the fact that she had the rest of her paws latched onto the canvas along the walls prevented her from falling and exposing herself. This was getting risky.

–

Hilda run through the door cursing loudly and made her way to the kitchen.

A black cloud greeted her when she opened the door.

“Oh! Shitshitshit!” She turned off the oven and opened a window. She grabbed a piece of cloth and took out her coal looking cupcakes. She stared at them sadly “Fuck.”

–

Cagney watched Hilda leave the room before he buried his face in his hands. “Get it together, ya dumb weed,” he argued with himself. “This is literally something you’ve been wanting to do your whole life. Don’t blow it.” He pulled his fingers off his face and stared up at the sky only to blink in confusion. It looked like there was something hanging from the wall. He peered at it closer. “What the hell is that? Is that a person?” He cupped his hands. “Hey!”

The shout startled Amber enough for that she missed the next notch to cling to it and slipped from her canvas perch. She fell but quickly readjusted herself so she could land on all fours and landed nimbly. She looked up to see herself face to face with a very confused large flower. Her satchel popped open with the impact and out fell the weird spaceman thing she had picked up. It skidded across the ground until it landed near a large flower pot. “Oh shit.”

Cagney’s eyes followed the object and he recognized it as one of Hilda’s displays. His eyes narrowed as they went back to the cat. “Thought you could just come in and steal from Hilda, huh?”

The cat hesitated. “Yes?” She squeaked and darted to the side, barely dodging a large swing of his limbs. Cagney attempted to dig his roots into the ground to grab her only to wince as the roots collided with the wood floor. Right. He was indoors. No access to the soil here.

Didn’t mean he didn’t have a trick up his stem. And by trick, he meant acorn seeds.

Amber breathed a sigh of relief from behind her cover of the big pot. She spotted the heavy metal thing near something equally small and tried to go around to grab it, only for her to dart back to her hiding spot - barely missed by a rocketing acorn seed. She felt the pot shake with the force of wind of the projectile and realized if that hit her, it would be game over. She stuck a paw out blindly and grabbed the item and shoved it in her satchel without another look. She eyed the wall. If she made a mad dash for the wall.

But there’s no way she’d make it to the wall. She could hear the flower approaching and suddenly decided on a distraction. Before he could nab her, she pushed the pot roughly, sending it shaking back and forth dangerously.

Cagney’s eyes widened as the big pot nearly tipped over and quickly reached out to cushion its fall before it could hit the hard floor. He breathed a sigh of relief but looked up, furious and another acorn in hand.

Amber was so close to the gap between the glass and the dome. She spotted the carnation taking aim and realized her treasures weren’t going to be much if she was in jail. And one treasure was better than none! She reached into her satchel and chucked the telescope at him. He dropped the acorn and managed to catch the relic before it could smash to the ground. She just reached the edge when her back paw became tangled within the canvas cloth, leaving her dangling right below the dome’s glass lens. Amber struggled with a desperate whine, like a fly caught in a spider’s web.

–

Hilda decided to improvise. She made a cake-like sandwich with a layers of bread and raspberry jam and lit a used birthday candle before walking back to the projection room.

“Haaappy biirthdaaay tooo–” she stopped at the door of the room at the sight of Cagney aiming at her glass dome.

“What the…?” Her eyes widened.

Cagney grinned evilly and placed the telescope down. “Looks like you ran out of lives, cat,” he chuckled quietly. And with that he chucked the acorn as hard as he could at the cat. However, with one last panicked pull, the cat pulled free and slipped through the crack and out of the observatory. Cagney’s eyes widened as his acorn now shot toward the glass. “No, no no no no! SHIT!” He gasped, staring up at the glass.

The acorn slammed into the glass and fell to the ground. For a moment, nothing happened and Cagney breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh man, that was cl-.” A loud crack spread out from the impact spot of the acorn. Cagney cringed but when nothing more happened, he relaxed and looked up. “Well at least the glass is still up there.”

The glass fully schismed and shattered, sending large pieces thundering down toward him. He managed a leap to safety just as the large chunks of glass came crashing down, obliterating the large pot with one final, horrifying smash.

Hilda couldn’t believe her eyes. Did Cagney just destroy her glass dome? She stood there with wide eyes and her jaw dropped holding the sandwich-cake like an idiot.

“What. The. FUCK!?” That last word sounded like a thunder. The woman’s eyes lightly starting to glow.

Cagney didn’t even have to look to know how angry Hilda suddenly was. He could feel it. He turned toward her frantically. There was a legitimate chance of her murdering him. “Hilda! I know this looks bad but I can explain!!!”

He pointed up. “There was this cat and it had some of your stuff and it was running away and I tried to hit it but it moved last second and…I…” He looked up. The cat was not there. He paled.

Hilda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked at him very serious.

“Get out.” She said controlling the urge of turning into Taurus and run him over.

Cagney gaped at her before narrowing his eyes. “Are you serious right now?”

Taurus was getting stronger in her mind.

“GET OUT!” She shouted with another thunder sound.

Cagney realized she was serious. Deadly serious. He bristled angrily and stomped toward the entrance. If she said one more word, he was going to say exactly what he thought of all of this.

As the carnation passed by her Hilda looked at her plate, still frowning. All the work she put on this… ruined at a catastrophic level! How she was going to pay for a new dome? She grinded her teeth blinded by rage.

“ Hey Cagney!” She called him out.

That did it. He turned around, teeth sharp. “What?!”

Hilda threw the sandwich-cake right to his face.

“Happy birthday! ” She yelled, eyes glowing vividly.

Cagney saw red and it wasn’t from Hilda. He wiped the cake from his face and decided this was it. His roots desperately sought soil now and he had just barely touched them to the dirt at the front door when they practically drilled down into the Earth.

He turned around, sharp thorns covering his entire stem and arms, and loomed over Hilda. His manic eyes looked down at her with such loathing and contempt that it was almost poisonous.

“Happy Birthday, huh?” He snarled, his voice deep and warped, “You stupid, selfish husk of weather balloon. I should crush your traitorous little body in my coils.”

He emphasized that point by wrapping around  nearby tree and splitting it in half with a fierce squeeze. But that didn’t make him feel any better. It just made him feel angrier. “I can’t believe I even considered you a friend, much less anything more, you psychotic witch.”

The hateful language flowed freely now. There was no censor in this form. “If you didn’t believe me about the burglary, then believe this.” He leaned down so he could look her dead in the eyes. “I never want to see you again.”

Even full of rage, she stepped back at the view of Cagney turning into his monstrous form. Her rage immediately vanished as he crushed a tree with his vines. ´Holy shit´ said all the voices in her head -including hers-. She´ve never seen Cagney this angry before. Maybe she overreacted a little.

Cagney was getting closer and closer to her, she kept backing up until she felt the a wall on her back. That stare he gave to her, accompanied by those words make her freeze. Did he really just say that? The pain she felt was way too strong to bear it. So she turned it into hate.

Was he seriously giving her shit after breaking her dome? Inventing a stupid excuse for his clumsiness. After the lovely night she organised just for him!? ´Fuck this´ Taurus took over her mind… and body. Her eyes lighted strongly turning into stars, her body changed to a cloudy mist and in a few seconds she was Taurus.

“Then let me poke your eyes out!” She thrust angry towards him lowering her head and aiming for his stem.

Cagney knew two things about Taurus. One, the constellation was incredibly powerful and you had to be exceedingly careful about how you approached it. And two, its blind rage could make it a very easy target.

As soon as the bull was in striking range, a flurry of vines broke from the ground and wrapped around the charging constellation, suspending it in air. Cagney grit his teeth and smiled maliciously as he began to squeeze, feeling the air forced out of the creature of the sky. He almost continued but stop at the pained cry.

He remembered Hilda, and all the nice things she had ever done. How much it meant that she smiled and talked with him. That he enjoyed their time together even after gambling his soul. Is this how it really was going to end?

He sighed, despite every monstrous plant fiber urging him to finish the job, and released her, letting the semi conscious constellation drop to the ground with a thud.

“Bye, Hilda,” he managed to grit through his teeth before submerging underground.

Taurus turned back to a coughing Hilda trying to recover some air. She stared at the hole on the ground for a few seconds and rolled on her back. Softly, she lifted a shaky hand and rubbed her aching ribs.

Venus was shining beautifully, it felt like it was mocking her.  After seeing her friend like this, the broken dome didn’t seem like a big deal at all. Her eyes filled with tears but she was to stubborn to let them go. She gulp like trying to swallow her guilt and wiped her eyes.

She laid there a few minutes before painfully standing up and  and going home. She will have to think something very big for her friend to forgive her.

–

Cagney resubmerged in his field and collapsed to the ground with a bitter, pained howl. He gnashed his teeth, angry regret hitting him instantly. He wanted nothing more to go back, to check on her but there was no going back from that.

He broke the dome. The DOME. To stop some two bit criminal from taking things that yeah Hilda would have liked to keep, but ultimately would have rather lost. Anything but the dome. To even get it built had been a massive undertaking, having to carefully plan with Djimmi and Grim to even get the specs, heat and sand together. She stayed up for weeks to get it so she could share her love of space.

But to then turn on her. Because she kicked him out and threw cake at him? Because she didn’t believe him which he had to admit would sound like a rather flimsy reason if he hadn’t been there himself? Turning on her was unforgivable. There was absolutely no going back from that. He looked up and saw Venus. He sniffled. “That really is pretty,” his warped voice admitted. He clung to his tree for support, feeling wretched and now, truly alone. He swallowed the bile in his throat and continued to watch the sky until exhaustion mercifully took him.

–

Amber didn’t stop running until she was safely within the reaches of her own home. She panted heavily. She needed a shower and a drink after all of this. She placed her satchel on the table and stopped as it made an odd clunking noise. She turned around and open the satchel before reaching in to pull out her spaceman.

Except it wasn’t a spaceman. Instead she was holding a small clay pot. Crap. She must have grabbed this by mistake. It was definitely homemade judging by the imperfections and lack of holes. And it was worth literally nothing. Amber considered tossing it but decided against it, instead putting it in her kitchen and putting some apples in it. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do with it, but for now, it looked like it was happy enough to hold the apples.

She quickly groomed and settled in for the night. She could have sworn she heard glass breaking when she jumped off the observatory. She wondered what broke. Probably a mirror or something. That’s like 7 years bad luck. But still could be worse. He could have hit something really important.

[dlkardenal]

Behind the Scalpel #3 Setting the foundations

Hey there, traveler!

Dar here with another episode of our favorite penguin telling stories clutching a weapon-sized medical tool. Today’s topic starts with one of our dear friends and important beta readers. He just finished reviewing the first draft of our WIP and the familiar itch to write came over him, so he asked us a question – how do you start?

So let’s talk about that, shall we?

A few disclaimers first: we are not a writing advice blog, and we never will be.

There are plenty of those around the web if you’re looking for some, I’m sure they’re easy enough to find because they are literally everywhere. This is more like a fireside story of how we did it and someone may find a few moments here and there that rings a bell or inspire them.

Still here? Awesome! Let me show you around…

I. Our writing style

Before we started creating our little book-baby, we already had a few years of experience roleplaying on play-by-post forums, so we pretty much knew what type of writers we are. Mainly, we are the type that doesn’t outline. Yes, that’s a thing and no, it is not the devil. You don’t HAVE to outline, some people can’t stick to a plan and like to explore the story as it unfolds through the characters. This is especially true for the co-writing method we used, which I talked about in a previous reply, but if anyone’s interested chuck me a reply and I’ll gladly elaborate again.

II. The world

But still, there were a few things we wrote down in a really pretty, ornate notebook. These were the “do”s and the “don’t”s. They are pretty self-explanatory: the “do”s were a bunch of concepts we insisted on putting into the book (to be more concrete, the “do”s were Arabic aesthetics, the appearance of djinn and A thousand and one night type of magic, a kingdom destroyed in a magical cataclysm leaving a desert and the few surviving cities). The “don’t”s were things we detested in other books so we tried to avoid these (things like forced love triangles, the chosen one trope, over the top mythical animals, a prophecy about the end of the world). When we finished this little brainstorm over a cup of green tea, we had ourselves the broad outline (well, not really but sorta) of a world.

III. The main character

Now came the exciting part and a point where our roleplayer past kicked in – we needed a POV character. We decided that Lory would control and act out this character throughout the story while I lob plot-related things and sexy mercenaries towards her, so she came up with the idea of our main character, Zaira. To start with she wrote a page-long text about Zaira smoking hookah in a luxurious villa and trying really hard to forget something in her past. Reading her thoughts two things became obvious: first, that Zaira (or Zee as we call her among ourselves) was a type of djinn that should’ve been able to control air, but she for some reason couldn’t. Second, that she worked as the assistant and adopted daughter of a perfume maker because the only superhuman power she had was an overly sensitive smell. That was all I needed to start and formulate a story.

IV. The inciting incident.

My first thought was some kind of murder-mystery. Maybe an important man was killed, a nobleman and his wife, and the murder weapon was a poisonous gas. Maybe the nobleman’s surviving son saw a young woman, so the city’s law enforcers think Zaira as a perfumer created the gas and know they are trying to blame, imprison, or even execute her.

That was the first idea, so I picked up the scene of Zee in a hookah party and threw a benevolent but serious law enforcer at her. This was Rashad, one of the more important side characters, a soldier tasked with finding the killer. Then all we had to do was act out how would the characters react. What would Rashad ask? What would Zee answer? Would she cooperate? Would Rashad believe her? From that point on we just kept acting out the characters, I swtiched from Rashad to some other faces you’ll meet eventually on our blog and I kept adding random tidbits to the story until it started to take shape. Of course there were a lot (I mean a LOT) of bad ideas, which needed rooting out. So before I weaved something into a scene I always asked Lory out-of-character what he thought about my newly made-up idea. When I got the green light I smashed it against the story and the part that didn’t scrape off on the already existing lore became our new building block. This was the same if she had an idea we could add, and that was the way we discovered our story.

Well, this is kind of it for now. I know it’s a bit shorter than our last post, but you get the gist of it. 

Some take-home messages I wanted to pass: outlining is not the only way, writers are not Mandalorians. There are many ways. Also, it is a good strategy to just dump everything you want and don’t want in your story on a blank page, then mold it into a more or less functioning world, then create a character to explore it and flood him/her with every possible fuckup that can happen. Then just write until a new idea flashes your mind, try that idea against the already settled things and if it fits, go for it! Just keep your character’s personality in mind so they don’t do something unthinkable and unbelievable. Once again I must say this is not a writing advice post, so don’t go burning your manuscript if you’re not doing it like this. Go, find your own path, but if you try how we did it and succeed in jumping into your story, definitely message me so we can cheer together!

Also, we are toying with the idea of releasing the first book in pieces on Wattpad (either the whole thing our a few chapters to give a little taste), so if you’re interested in what that little first scene in the hookah place turned into, please let us know! But if you think that’s a terrible idea and we should sooner hit ourselves with a hammer, then don’t keep that to yourself either!

Dar

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEWS 'FUTURESHOCK TAPPED III' - TAPPED WITH A VENGEANCE

Hello and welcome everyone to this edition of Graps and Claps this time taking me on a short journey to the Piccadilly area of Manchester for Futureshock Wrestling’s Tapped III event at the Fairfield Social Club for what will be in the first in a line of special Wednesday night events which seems a regular thing now in the British Wrestling sphere with many a midweek show taking place up and down this land, with the now defunct Lucha Forever being the innovator of said ‘midweek graps’.

Getting into Manchester for 6pm, I swiftly made my way to The Piccadilly Tap to meet up with some of the Graps gang (Steve, Ben, Andrew and our Geoff) for a couple of pints before walking around the corner to the venue. Only two pints before the show which included in the Piccadilly Tap – a pint of Marble/Heart & Craft Macchiato Porter (5.1% £5.80) that smelt coffee like but only tasted a smidgen like it’s supposed flavour which was maybe cancelled out due to it being a cold keg drink.

It was then a walk across the road to the Store Street Craft Beer Bar which is adjoined to the Double Tree by Hilton, so it is basically a glorified hotel bar offering supposed ‘Craft’ beer from Brightside Brewery and JW Lees plus the usual Craft legends called Foster’s and Heineken – they will literally stick the word ‘Craft’ to bloody anything nowadays. Anyways the £4.60 pint of Brightside IPA passed as a solid 6.5/10, but I did feel sorry for Ben who bought a £6.50 pint of Goose Island IPA which is an example of hotel bar prices. Décor though in this place is welcoming but it is certainly one place where you would only visit to have 1 pint and nothing else if especially you are on your way to the Apollo as it is very sparse in good pubs on that route.

Drinks done, it was time to get to the venue – whilst on the way my mate Andrew was telling me about a recent Kaiser Chiefs gig he had been to that wasn’t all it was cracked up to be with lead singer Ricky Wilson having a reet bad night on the mic. Arriving into the Fairfield Social Club I would estimate the audience to be around the 150/200 marker with many people taking in the fantastic ale selection (around 16 on tap on this evening anything ranging from £3.50 - £6 a pint), plus the food selection from Vasos Kitchen offering fries with different Indian style toppings including a Keema Option for £7.50 and a Masala option for £4 that I frequented – very fragrant in smell and a taste that certainly packed a punch but was well worth the price to fill a corner in my tummy!

Taking our seats at the back near the commentator’s desk which wasn’t being used, as Rob Halden and Matthew Richards decided to do their commentary from the couches near the bar watching on monitors from G-Man video editing lair – probably the best option as our singing would have deafened their ears in the first match between Angst Strongman – Big Joe and one of our personal favourites Sugar Dunkerton who was making his debut in Futureshock in what was if I am right in thinking – his 1 year anniversary wrestling in the UK since his debut on a cold Leeds Afternoon.

Early on in this match there were many chants aimed at Joe’s stature and also the Sugar chant was in full force thanks to his adoring fan club (us lot) meaning that his debut instantly got off to a great start with this response. As we eventually got into the action, we had Joe showing off his strength as Squatted Sugar but in turn after 3 squats, Sugar had him locked in a sleeper which left Joe laying on the floor. This lead to Sugar trying to quieten the crowd so he could pin Joe whilst he was asleep, but a big shout from the Nordic Alarm Clock on the outside woke Joe up at the two count.

Once Joe was back awake, he laid a beatdown to Sugar but Sugar was only playing possum during this as he fired back with a Pimp Slap to Joe then a DDT for a 2 count. As the match reached its conclusion Joe used his strength to power up Sugar to hit a fireman’s lift then a Vader Bomb for a 2, but when he went to the other side of the ring to hit a splash, Sugar rolled to the other side of the ring and offered Joe to jump anyways which he duly did after much persuasion from Thomas Wolfe on the outside and Sugar inside the ring, sadly for Joe there wasn’t enough distance on the dive and no water in the pool as he went SPLAT! Sugar took advantage of this by rolling up Joe for the 3 count to get the popular victory to start proceedings. In terms of Comedy style wrestling these two were a match made in heaven with the charismatic Sugar and the ever improving Big Joe who has his character down pat – just all around entertainment that you can’t ask much more of!

Second match now with the Futureshock Women’s title on the line with a clash of goodies as the Champion, Lana Austin took on her protégé of sorts – Hollie who was looking to possibly get the shock victory and maybe a championship by the end of this match even in her early infancy as a wrestler. The early feeling out process ended up with Hollie getting the best of it, but once Lana got into her stride she did so with hard forearms to the face. Hollie though came firing back with a couple of knee shots to get near falls. As the match was going on though, out came two newcomers to Futureshock (but already two regulars in WrestlePro), that being Alexis Falcon and Taonga who came to keep a watching eye, but they would soon get involved by attacking Lana from behind as the referee wasn’t watching.

When they chucked Lana back in, they willed Hollie to pick up the scraps but her conflicting head got the better of her as she refused to pin Lana so instead Taonga and Alexis took offence to this and came in the ring to attack both Lana and Hollie to cause the No Contest – BOOOO!!! So it looks like we have a possible tag match for a future show with Hollie & Lana taking on Taonga and Alexis Falcon which is a good thing to see as it is a change from the monthly Queen Bees vs Lana & Partner match we have got often in Futureshock recently. Match wise with Lana and Hollie it was a decent follow up from the first match and hopefully we possibly get to see it again in the future.  

A special bonus match now as the sirens rang out in the Social Club with the appearance of the Futureshock Champion Crater, much to the disgust of some in the crowd (my friend Mike especially). His opponents for the evening were not 1, not 2, but 3 opponents with the appearance of Karl Stoxx, Tom Thelwell and PCW favourite Philip Michael who got a good reception from the crowd even though this was his debut in the promotion – probably due to his familiarity on the North West scene. Sadly, though for the three lads, it didn’t turn out great as Crater smashed his way through them in quick style, despite them getting in little offence like double dropkicks to try and knock the big fella down. Crater soon finished it by hitting a double choke slam to 2 of them and putting a foot on the other to bring an end to proceedings. After the match though we had an appearance from Crater’s nemesis Henry T. Grodd who came out to spear Crater to the chants of ‘Grodd! Grodd! Grood! to once again stake another claim to a title shot against Crater in the future. To be honest though I do feel at this stage that the crowd are certainly behind a Grodd victory against Crater more than a John McGregor one!

Half time Main Event now, with The Young Guns (Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs) taking on the makeshift team of Sam Bailey and James Drake – this was due to Zack Gibson being unable to compete due to Injury. Gibson though did get on the mic before the match to explain why people were asking – Why are Gibson and Drake friends again in Futureshock after a 9-month feud? To their credit they explained it as more of a friendly tiff between great friends/colleagues – which I am glad they have explained it (They must have read my comments about the lack of explanation at the Stockport show). Just to report – no chants of ‘NXT’ on this occasion! They did promise the Guns though in the future that they would eventually get a match against the Grizzled Young Veterans with possibly some gold on the line – but we shall just see!

Anyways with Gibson’s chatting out of the way, we got down to business with the Young Guns on top early with Jacobs first working on Bailey, then dissecting Drake. Ethan Allen then tagged in but was soon beaten down by both Bailey who hit a big superplex to young Ethan and then Drake followed up on Ethan with a Back Breaker to the boos of the crowd. The continuous beat down carried on to Ethan, that was until he got the hot tag to Luke who came in like a house on fire flooring both Bailey and Drake. It was interesting to see during this that Ethan was selling excellently on the ring apron from the beating – just the little things like that shows that this lad could be headed to the top. With Ethan back to full health, himself and Luke hit a Big Back Cracker double team to get a 2 fall, also in the home stretch we had Drake & Bailey hit their version of the Vets finisher which I will name for the purpose of this occasion – ‘The Ticket to Bailey’s House’ for a 2 count.

With the Guns on top though, Luke was ready to finish off James Drake, but from behind Zack Gibson waffled poor Luke to leave him in prime position for Drake to hit the 450 to get the win in a fantastic tag match, but sadly for the Guns another one in the loss column – which I do hope for their sakes they can pick up some wins soon!

Back from the break, we returned with Adrenaline Title action with No Limit after CJ Banks and Joey Hayes (Champion) went to a 15-minute Time Limit draw in Stockport, which has led to this match where the winner of the match will then go on to face Chris Ridgeway in Prestwich on the 23rd February. The early bulk of this match was CJ showing his dominance beating down Joey, including winning the best of the exchanges on the outside as they fought near the bar. Back in the ring though, both Joey and CJ went hold for hold for a good 20 minutes, that eventually ended in both guys’ double pinning each other much to the annoyance of the crowd who wanted an outright winner – so for the Prestwich show we now have a Triple Threat match with CJ vs Joey Hayes vs Chris Ridgeway for the Adrenaline Title.

Couple of things to point out from this match, included a post-match beat up of Joey from CJ, plus my overriding opinion of this match the day after and also on the evening, was that this was a good wrestling match but it did suffer from crowd heat and not one to be a toss as I am not a wrestler, but this always seems to be CJ Banks downfall as a baddie – when he is on the offence especially as he was against Joey, he doesn’t attempt to jaw jack with the crowd to get them to boo him, he just goes straight into the next manoeuvre with no response. CJ is a good wrestler but he is as bland as anything. 

Second to last match as the time was coming up to 9:30pm and with our Geoff wondering if he should go home as he had work at 6am in the morning, but he decided against this. In this match we had two up and comers on the North West scene with JJ Webb taking on Callum Corrie, with the latter trying to making 2019 his own, like he did in the latter part of 2018 in GPW. Corrie had the bulk of the crowd noise for him with chants of ‘Sandy Beach’ and ‘Callum Corrie’ blaring in his ears and it was this support that got him over the finish line in this match as he hit poor JJ with a DDT to pick up the 3 count in a good under 10-minute scrap that kept the audience’s attention throughout the match.

After the match though, this loss got too much for JJ who attacked Callum and then locked in a Crab to make Corrie moan like buggery, so this feud is going to continue so happy days as these are two good young up and comers.

Main event time now with John McGregor trying to prove he has what it takes to dethrone Crater in March, by testing himself against former Futureshock Heavyweight Champion Ashton Smith who was looking himself to get back on track after a quiet couple of months in the promotion due to WWE commitments - plus as ever it was good to belt out a rendition of ‘All of the Lights’ once again as Ashton made his way down to the ringside area.

A bulk of this match was very much Ashton being the aggressor as he beat down the much smaller McGregor, but John over these last couple of months is showed those fighting qualities from underneath that helped him win the Legacy Tournament, especially his match vs Zack Gibson where he was excellent. With John fighting through, he looked like he was ready for the loss as Ashton hit a GTS then a ‘Roll of the Dice’ for an agonising 2 fall that had the crowd on the edge of their seats but John managed to somehow recover from this as he hit a Jumping DDT to Ashton to get the 3 count in around 15 minutes in a very good main event.

After the match though, Ashton got on to the mic to say to congratulate John on the win, but then the pleasantries stopped at that when he said bluntly to John that ‘You are not ready for Crater off that performance’! – Which instantly I think puts in the crowd’s head that the Gentleman is not good enough to beat Crater in March, but this writer though thinks differently and can see him pushing Crater all the way, but with the threat of Grodd I can see John ultimately failing – we shall see!!

Show done, it was time to leave but not before having a quick chat with Ashton, ring announcer Neil and also Sugar Dunkerton who as ever was a gentleman to chat to. Overall as a show it was a good 2 ½ hours of entertainment with the Young Guns vs Sam Bailey/James Drake, Dunkerton/Big Joe and the Main Event being matches you should check out on Futureshock’s On Demand service.

Next time we will be at Futureshock will be the 23rdFebruary in Prestwich for the visit of PAC who will be taking on Soner Durson. Next time you will be hearing from me will be for Breed Wrestling’s debut show in Sheffield on Sunday 10th February – so as ever go and give this a share, likes and retweets and spread the word. So until then – BYE !!!!

[wrestlewriting]

Insolence, Pt. 10 [Adam Cole]

Title: Insolence, Part Ten of ? (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine)

Characters: Adam Cole/OC(Brenna)

Genre: Angst. Drama.

Length: ~5,200

Warnings: Language.

Summary/Inspo: Different (adj.) - partly or totally unlike in nature, form, or quality; unusual, special.

@catie-kaboom​ @libby-rose-2016​ @legitlunatic​ @valeonmars​ @superkixbaybay​ @danapotterwwe​ @alexahood21​ @rollinstrash​ @covergirlcollarbones​  @hiitsmecharlie​  @tearsropsandtiedye​ @thedeboniardevistation​ @ily-zaddy​ @wweismyguiltypleasure​ @darwarsnoam​ @bulletbaybay​

AUTHOR NOTE: I don’t feel this is my best chapter, but it had to happen and here we are. Two-three chapters left in this story.

Thank you all SO SO MUCH for the reviews and love and such. I love hearing your guys’ take and opinion on the story!

You pushed open your hotel room door, stepping inside, your body feeling heavy. Taking three more purposeful steps, you stopped as soon as you were visible to Candice. She was on her bed, legs crossed under herself, playing on her Nintendo DS. When she looked up at you, you just stared back.

“Fuck today,” you declared.

“Wut-woh Shaggy,” she replied in a terrible Scooby Doo-esque voice. It didn’t even make you crack a smile. You turned instead and fell straight forward onto her bed on your stomach, your face going into the covers, legs still dangling off the end.

“That bad?” In response, you put one arm up in the air and promptly gave her a thumbs-down. Candice huffed a small laugh, placing her game beside herself. “What happened?”

You lifted your head and used your hands to gesture for a pillow, which she handed to you. You folded it within your arms, resting your chin on the bunched up object.

“So, uh, Adam and I decided last weekend to like…genuinely try, um, seeing each other,” you admitted slowly. “…surprise?”

“Huh,” she sounded more accepting than shocked. “It’s about time?”

“I guess?”

“I’m glad we’re both confident about it,” Candice stated, making you smirk almost uncomfortably. “So, it’s not going well then?”

“Adam and I? Up until this morning, we were doing just fine. Genuinely good, actually. Except, I made the decision to keep it a secret, and he agreed, but then Mark saw us, which led to Jay knowing, which involved lots of yelling amongst all of us,” you recounted.

“Who yelled at who?”

“Mark at Adam, Mark at me, Jay at me,” you listed out. “And I didn’t necessarily yell at Adam, but we had a talk just now, and it didn’t exactly help the situation.”

“Alright, lay it on me,” she ordered, turning her hands palm-up and bending her fingers in a grabbing motion. With a sigh, you began to tell her all about the day, starting with your morning with Adam. How it progressed to you being wrapped up in Adam and caught by Mark. The way Mark had reacted, which led to the way Jay reacted. The doubts that their words had put in your head with regards to Adam. Adam’s unabashed honesty when confronted with accusations in former relationships.

Your day had been the definition of turmoil you realized, and you really, really hated that.

“So, on one hand, I get where the boys are coming from. Jay takes his chosen-big brother status very seriously for you. He wants you happy and safe and he’s allowed to have reservations towards Adam, especially because he’s right, he probably has seen a side of Adam we haven’t,” Candice rationalized. “But, on the other hand, Adam hasn’t acted at all like that version of himself with you. He’s been careful and cautious and I’m not saying perfect, but it’s clear he’s been really trying to be good to and for you.”

“But Jay doesn’t see that!”

“How can he though? You and Adam do everything in secret,” she reminded. “If you didn’t tell me all these things, I mean, I wouldn’t know them either.” You pursed your lips, knowing she was right, and being annoyed by it.

“I just…wanted to let Adam and I figure ourselves out, and be solid and on the same page, so when I told everyone it would be like ‘oh, well, they’ve been fine for a while and we didn’t even know it so I guess this is good’,” you detailed.

“I know, and I get that. But it didn’t turn out that way. So all you can do is work from where you guys are at now. Now, it’s more about damage control.”

“It’s literally been a week. A fucking week since Adam and I decided to give this a genuine go, and look where we’re at.”

“Well, to be fair, you’ve been in this weird back and forth for longer than that,” Candice pointed out. “And, I’m pretty sure most people didn’t know that either. They probably thought this whole time it was a lot of negativity and hate towards one another, not you two getting together.”

“I’m not sorry I didn’t want everyone in my business.”

“I know you’re not,” she said. “And I can respect it. But you also had to know the people you are closest to would be upset at being kept out of it.”

“…I guess,” you mumbled.

“So, why does what Adam told you bother you so much?”

“Because he was just so…matter-of-fact about it, so causal,” you supposed. “Like, I meant it when I told Jay that he’s allowed to do whatever he wanted when he was single, but it still bothers me that he so casually just slept around with people. I just, I’ve never understood how people think that’s OK. To each their own, and all that, but I personally don’t get it. And the fact that it was only like two months ago that he stopped…I don’t know. It just doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Do you believe him?”

“On which part?”

“The part where the second he realized the extent of his feelings for you, he shut it down with any other girls.”

“I want to…I think I do…. But then it’s like, but no, his last relationship, she had to tell him to stop it. Why didn’t I have to? What makes me so different?”

“Um, maybe the fact that you are different to him?” Candice offered. “How many times has that word been used between the two of you? I mean honestly, this entire situation for both of you is a brand new endeavor. Neither of you have been in relationships like this before. And you aren’t some typical other girl to him, so his behavior won’t be typical or similar to when he was with girls like that.”

“I don’t get why I’m special to him, why he’s different with me than other girls.”

“Of course you don’t,” she replied, almost compassionately. “But, you are special to him. And he is to you, or else you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“What if he wants short term? I’m not a short term person. Why would he want to be tied down to me? What if he does have some ulterior motive?”

“Then I’ll kill him,” Candice planned as if it were nothing. “Maybe you should be asking him this though? All I can say is from how this has been going, I think you’re worrying over nothing.”

All you could do was sigh more. She was right; this was a discussion you had to have with Adam. While he’d made it clear his feelings for you, he hadn’t indicated really what he was expecting out of this. Was he even a guy that believed in marriage? There was a lot you realized you didn’t know about him. Did you even have the right to be asking about long-term when you’d barely survived seven days without issues?

“…you know today’s Evan’s birthday?” Candice scrunched her face up in a sympathetic, almost pained, look.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” you dismissed her. “Just…weird, knowing he spent so many of his birthdays watching me wrestle, and not doing something he chose to do. And now I’m spending it in all this craziness because I’m trying to move on….”

“Evan wanted to be with you. I know he never regretted a single birthday watching you wrestle,” Candice disagreed. “And even if you don’t believe it always, I know he’d want you to move on, find happiness again. He loved you being happy.”

A bittersweet smile came to your face at her words.

“Ya know, Adam told me that once? That he likes me happy,” you recalled.

“Then, he’s a good person,” she said. “Because that’s what you should always want for the person you’re with; their happiness.”

“Yea,” you breathed, biting at your lip. “Hey, remember when I had my life together? And I was the one that others asked for advice from? Remember when there was no drama?”

“Life changes,” Candice shrugged. “You’re in a transitional phase.”

“I’m in the fucking twilight zone is what I’m in,” you grumbled, smashing your face in to your pillow. Candice laughed, sliding off the bed.

“I’m gonna go to the corner store and get some beer, and then I’m gonna come back, and we’re gonna watch a stupid movie,” she arranged. As she passed by you, she smacked your ass, causing you to jolt.

“Really?!”

“Just trying to figure out what Adam’s so into,” she grinned, picking up her purse. You grabbed your pillow and chucked it in her direction, causing her to shriek and jump out of the way. Candice giggled merrily as she left the room, and you just rolled your eyes.

You really hoped a beer, your best friend, a silly movie, and a good night’s sleep would be the remedy you needed. Or at the very least bring you some clarity. You could really use some of that right about now.

The next morning found Adam in the lobby of the hotel. He hadn’t heard from you all night, which worried him, set him very much on edge. He knew you’d requested space, but just how much space did you need? You’d told him you’d see him in the morning, yet there was nothing but silence from you.

With his hood up, Adam headed out to the parking lot, dragging his suitcase behind himself. The Bucks had said they would be down in a little bit, and instead of waiting around inside, he decided to at least put his things in the car.

Unfortunately this endeavor brought him within too few feet of Jay Briscoe, who was also putting his things in a car two spots down. Adam chose to ignore him, popping the trunk and hauling his suitcase in to it.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” Jay ordered, his voice loud in the silence of the lot.

“You can’t possibly believe I’ll listen to you,” Adam smirked arrogantly, slamming the trunk shut and turning to face the older Briscoe.

“If you have any brains in that fucking head of yours, you will,” the more tattooed man challenged, stepping closer to Adam, stopping inches away. “She isn’t just some little play thing for you, Cole. She’s far too fucking good for you. I won’t let you ruin her.”

“She is too good for me, but I’m not going to let that stop me from being with her.”

“Man…how fucked up are you? You and Evan hung out. We all got together to watch football! And now you’re fucking his widow?!”

“Was he a buddy of mine? Yea. And that’s why I was the one who tried to keep this from happening,” Adam disclosed. “You think Brenna is innocent in this? She’s not. I pushed her away for a while because I know she’s still healing. But we kept ending up back together, no matter how often I told her to stay away. She’s the one who decided to give this a go. I didn’t persuade her, I didn’t seduce her, I didn’t fuck her. You can try to make me out to be some despicable opportunist, but I was the good guy here!”

“And how long is that gonna last huh? How long before you get bored with her? Before you stop caring about her? Before you put yourself before her and hurt her? Again?”

“Never.”

“Bullshit,” Jay laughed incredulously. “Bull-fucking-shit.”

“You don’t know me nearly as well as you think you do then. And you don’t know shit about her and I,” Adam contested. “I care about Brenna. I want her happy and safe. You just want her to do what you want.”

“I want her to be with someone who isn’t going to leave her broken. She’s been through enough shit!”

“You don’t know me,” Adam reiterated. “You and I, we’re around each other, we see each other a lot. But you don’t know my motives, you don’t know my thoughts. All you know is what you see, and what you think you know. You can tell her what I’ve done, but you can’t tell her why I did it. You can give her doubts and accusations, but I can give her the truth.”

“You give her what you know she needs, to get what you want,” Jay alleged.

“Or maybe, I give her what she needs so we both get what we want,” Adam proposed, glaring right back at Jay. “Have you even asked her what she wants? Or have you just screamed at her and told her she’s making a mistake?”

“She is making a mistake,” his peer growled.

“No, you are,” Adam snapped. “You’re pushing away someone who really loves you and looks up to you. YOU are the one hurting Brenna right now, not me. So get over yourself, Briscoe. Because if you don’t, I can tell you without a doubt that you’re gonna lose her. And she’s going to come right to me. And I’ll make fucking sure you don’t get near her again after that.”

“You think you can come between us?”

“I’m not the one coming between anything. You’re doing all this on your own, man,” Adam assured him disdainfully. “But if you think you can keep upsetting her and I’m not gonna do something about it, then you’re very wrong.”

“You’re not gonna do fucking shit,” Jay sneered.

“Watch me.”

“…hey, everything good here?” Nick approached the two very agitated men cautiously, Matt only a few steps behind him.

“Yep, we’re all good,” Adam answered, his eyes never leaving Jay’s. It was only after one more tense moment of the stare down that Jay scoffed and walked away saying nothing more. Adam watched him go, his scowl lingering on the man’s retreating back.

“What was that all about?” Matt asked, looking from Jay’s disappearing figure to Adam.

“Nothing,” Adam muttered, turning to his friends, swallowing his emotions. “Ready to go?”

You were almost grateful that your duties for the night were ring-announcer only, and not wrestler. The tag match that had been set with Candice had been scrapped, leaving her in a singles affair. You weren’t positive you could focus in the ring tonight to be honest. You hated that, couldn’t remember the last time you felt this way. No matter what was happening in your life, you had always been able to maintain inside the ring. But tonight…the tension backstage was so real for you, you couldn’t ignore it.

You chose to clean up the mess with Adam first.

It was easy to find him, standing around with the Young Bucks, dressed in his jeans and shirt still. There was plenty of time for them to get ready, whereas you knew the first match was in an hour and you had to be dressed and good to go. That was why you were in a dusty pink knee-high dress, which haltered around your neck, with various embellishments and beads along the fabric.

“Hey guys,” you greeted the group when you arrived. Casual greetings were thrown to you from the Bucks, and Adam just regarded you, his face blank.

“Can I borrow you?” you asked, looking up at him, setting your hand on his forearm. He nodded slightly, to which you skimmed your hand down, linking your fingers into his. When he reciprocated the notion, his hand tightening on yours, you relaxed.

Leading him away, you continued to walk in silence, as you took him outside of the building, into the back parking lot. No one was around, everything having already been loaded in and the roster having already arrived.

“What’s up with this?” he inquired, lifting your joined hands in indication.

“No use hiding anything anymore, right?” you conceded.

“Fair enough.” Adam smirked, pulling you to him via your hands, so you were directly in front of him. “No use hiding this then too,” he determined, putting his other hand onto the side of you neck, beneath your jaw, drawing your mouth up to meet his. You smiled slightly into the kiss, gripping the front of his shirt with your own free hand.

The kisses were sweet, earnest, calm. There was no rush in your kisses, just a lot of comfort. When Adam finally let you go, it took you a moment to come back to the present. Opening your eyes, he had a matching gentle smile on his face as you did on yours.

“We still need to talk,” you stated.

“I know,” he replied, swiping your hair from your face, before his arm dropped back to his side. “Why did you leave last night?”

“Because…I wasn’t expecting it,” you answered, letting go of his shirt, stepping back from him, letting go of his other hand. You felt a little space would be good in this conversation, to keep your thoughts on track. “I wasn’t expecting to hear those things. I just…it surprised me. And it made me start questioning what you want with me, what Jay is so upset over. If you want to give up things for me. I’m not sure how to be with someone, but I know I have to be with someone for a while. And I just…don’t know that you know what you’re here for.”

“So what? You think I’ve just been…wasting my time with you?”

“That’s not what I….”

“Yes, it is,” he cut you off. “You just basically told me that.”

“Adam…”

“No, I’m done letting you try to dictate this,” he declared, his tone firm, his anger rising. “Brenna, I’m not just messing around with you. I genuinely like you, care about you, fuck, I could love you at some point. I don’t know right now. But what I do know is, I’m here for you, for us, and the more you push me away the less I want to be.”

“I’m not trying to push you away. I just…”

“What? You what? Can’t get past your past to be with me? Trust me, I’ve noticed.”

Your eyes narrowed as you felt ire shoot through your veins.

“FUCK YOU!”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it baby?”

How. Dare. He.

Who did he suddenly think he was, to talk to you like that, so condescendingly? So contemptuously? You had the sudden urge to punch him…again. But before you could even get your fist up, he started talking again.

“You’ve always gotten after me for telling you what I think you want or need, so I’ve tried to be conscious of that, try not to do it anymore. But right now, I’m going to tell you, you want to be with me. I know that. YOU know that. But you are still the one getting in the way of this. Why?”

“Because I don’t know you!”

“Yes you do,” Adam argued. “You know a lot more about me than most people. And that other stuff? The things you don’t know? That’s the point of being with someone. You learn about them. You ask them. And I think we both know I’m going to be honest with you about whatever you ask, even if it makes me look bad or isn’t what you necessarily want to hear.

“Just…you have to stop. Stop thinking this is going to be immediately easy or isn’t going to take time and work, because it will. And I’m willing to do all that, because I want to, because I want you. Can you say the same back to me? Can you just fucking try to, Brenna?”

“I AM TRYING,” you shouted. Adam looked taken aback by your sudden outburst, whatever else he was going to say dying on his lips. “Jesus Adam, you think this hasn’t been me trying? Because that’s all I’ve been doing. I’m trying to not second guess every move, every word, every feeling. But I can’t just shut off my mind. I can’t just pretend I don’t hear the things Jay says, because why would he say things he doesn’t truly believe to me?

“I know this isn’t easy. It’s not easy for me to disregard him. It’s not easy for me to believe you over him. It’s not easy for me to let you in and trust you and trust myself. But I am. Fuck you for thinking I’m not trying. Because I’m putting more in to this than anything else in my life right now!”

“Then what the hell is the problem?!”

“I don’t know! You were being a dick!”

“You made it sound like I’m not serious about you, and like you didn’t believe me last night,” he contended. “Kind of hard to not take offense to that!”

“Yea, well, doesn’t mean you get to throw low blows about my shit at me,” you grumbled. With every passing second it was obvious both of you were coming down from your fighting moods, though each of you looked irritated still. This had been a discussion that had spiraled unnecessarily out of control in to an argument that didn’t need to happen.

“Look, I shouldn’t have said what I did the way I did,” he admitted, his body relaxing. It wasn’t a direct apology, but you knew it was Adam’s version of one. “You have a right to be hesitant, a right to be confused about a lot of things going on. But I can’t have you being hesitant or confused about my reasons for being with you, OK?”

“I don’t want to be, and I’m not usually. But then Jay comes along, Mark comes along and I…like I said, I can’t just ignore what they say.”

“Jay doesn’t like me at all right now,” Adam told you. “He confronted me earlier in the parking lot. And I get where he’s coming from, sort of. He has seen me do some questionable things, and I’m not proud of them. But that isn’t who I am now, not with you. And over time, he’ll see that.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“We can’t play the ‘what if’ game, Bren. We’d both go crazy trying to. All I can say is, give it time, and then we’ll figure something out,” he offered.

“Yea, alright,” you agreed, still a little uneasy about the entire situation. While you had originally wanted time before you let everyone in to your situation with Adam, you weren’t sure time would help you now that everyone knew. If anything, you had a bad feeling more time would just give Jay more time to come up with reasons to hate the entire situation.

“Hey, you and me, OK?” Adam reached out to take your hand back in his, tugging you into him, before wrapping his arms around you. You placed your face against his chest, winding your arms around his waist.

“You and me.”

The show came and went, without any issues. You changed out of your dress into leggings and an oversized hoodie, Chucks on your feet. Wheeling your suitcase out of the women’s locker room, you continued towards the back of the arena, where you found Adam waiting on you. Walking up to him, you kissed his cheek, causing his gaze to go from his phone to you.

“I need to go see Jay,” you informed him. His face immediately went stoic, his shoulders visibly tensing. “I need to at least try to clear the air.”

“He’s not going to want to hear it,” Adam countered.

“Well, that’s fine. But I need to at least say it,” you replied. He looked entirely displeased with your decision. “I’m not going to leave here until I know I’ve at least tried.”

“You’re wasting your time,” he said.

“Then it’s a good thing it’s my time to waste,” you disregarded his words. “Just, I have to do this. He can stay mad, fine, but I need to at least make sure he knows why I did what I did.”

“We did,” Adam corrected. “And I’d even go so far as to argue that you haven’t done anything to him, and this is actually on me. At least to him.”

“Which isn’t fair. I had my part in this too. And he needs to know that.”

“Nothing I say is gonna stop you, huh?”

“Nope,” you grinned, standing on your toes to kiss him lightly. “I’ll be fine. I know what I’m walking in to.”

“Yea, alright,” he reluctantly let the topic drop. “I’ll just, take our stuff to the car, and then I’ll be right here when you wanna go, OK?”

“OK,” you agreed. He kissed you again, before turning to take the handles of both of your suitcases. Instead of watching him go, you started to walk into the backstage area further, in an attempt at finding Jay. You asked a couple coworkers, who each had different answers, keeping you on your hunt. Finally someone told you they had seen him lingering around the one locker room. And sure enough, you found him in the hallway, typing on his phone.

“Hey.”

The look he gave you could only be described as indifferent.

“Can we talk?” He remained silent, and didn’t give you any indication that he’d heard you. Then he turned and started to walk away. You weren’t sure if he was walking away from you or if you were to follow him.

“You comin’?”

Apparently you were to follow him.

So you did, through the hallways until you were away from any of the post-show breakdown and chaos. You found yourselves near what you guessed was the kitchen of the hotel, but at least no one you knew would be in the area. He stopped somewhere in the middle of a hallway, the noises swirling around you, but no one in sight.

“Talk.” Jay looked at you plainly.

“Don’t be a douchebag,” you replied. “I know you’re mad, but you don’t get to treat me like shit because of it.”

“Well, you’ve treated me like shit, hidin’ shit from me,” he argued.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about what was going on. I can get why you’re upset with the whole situation being a surprise,” you acknowledged. “You’ve been awesome to me, for me, for so many years, and you are for all intents and purposes my big brother. So I totally understand why me suddenly having some guy, especially given everything else, wasn’t easy to have thrown at you.”

“Yea,” Jay muttered. Despite his still tense and aloof exterior, you knew him, and knew your words meant something to him. He could look pissed still, but you knew your apology resonated with him.

“So, that said, no more secrets,” you promised.

“I can agree to that.” You smiled slightly, nervously, before taking in a deep breath.

“I’m staying in Vegas for a couple days,” you informed him. “With Adam.”

“Oh come the FUCK on,” Jay exclaimed, his temper flaring right back up, as he threw his arms out to his sides. “You’re making a fucking mistake!”

“If that’s what you think, then so be it. But you can’t stop me. And if this does turn out to be a mistake, I’ll at least learn from it,” you decided evenly, shrugging a shoulder. “Jay, you can hate this all you want, but I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions.”

“And I can tell you when they’re fucking stupid decisions,” he disputed. “You are not the kind of girl he gets with. You deserve better. You deserve to have another Evan.”

“Well, too bad cloning isn’t a fucking thing,” you snapped, irritated that he had the audacity to say such a thing. “Jesus Jay, you think I don’t know how good I had it? I do. I think about it all the time. It’s in the past though, and I need to stop doing that. But let me tell you something, Adam, he’s not that different from Evan, not in his heart. You just don’t see that part of him, and are choosing to never see that side of him. That’s not my fault, that’s on you.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“That’s your choice. But I do.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself in to.”

“You know me. You know that I overthink and I analyze and I look at pros and cons over everything. So what makes you think that I haven’t done that with this? Fuck dude, I pushed Adam away for a while and fought him on this and he let me come to him when I was ready,” you explained. “Hell, up until a few hours ago, I was still doing that! I probably will continue to, but he’s sticking it out with me. And it’s not fair that you keep putting this, this blame on him about this! It was me, Jay, ME! This was my choice. You don’t have to like it, but you’re gonna have to fucking respect it, because I’m not changing my mind about him! Not now. Maybe not ever.”

“You’re gonna regret this.”

“Well, then you’ll get to say ‘I told you so’,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Think whatever you want Jay, but I’m gonna do what I want to. And I hope you can eventually see that I’m learning how to be really happy again, with someone who cares about me. And if you don’t, well, that’s your choice and you’ll be the reason we stop talking, not me.”

Jay didn’t say more, just looking at you up and down, his face still in a scowl. With a last glance at him, you turned and went back down the hallway. You chewed on your lip as you made your way to where you’d left Adam, realizing the weight of what had just happened. You’d walked away from one of your best friends, someone who had supported and helped you so much over the years, specifically the past one. And why? Because of a relationship that you were still building. You knew Jay was being irrational, but were you too?

“You alright?” Adam asked as you approached, his eyes roaming over your appearance. You made a face, showing your annoyance and unhappiness, looking thoroughly done with the day.

“Can we just go?”

“Yea, of course,” he replied, pushing off of the wall he’d been leaning on, slipping his phone into his front jean’s pocket. “C’mere beautiful.” You placed yourself against his side, as he settled an arm low around your back.

“We’re just gonna be drunk for the next 48 hours, OK?”

“Whatever you say,” he chuckled. “I’ve told you I think you need to relax.”

“Well, there’s your mission for the next two days then. Make sure I make that happen.” You leaned further into his side, placing your head against his shoulder.

“Oh, sweetheart, I got this,” Adam assured you, his hand sliding down so his fingertips were just inside your back pocket. You smiled to yourself at the action, as you both headed towards the door to the parking lot.

What you didn’t see was Jay coming around the corner, also apparently heading out. You didn’t observe the way the two men met each others’ stares, or the absolutely smug smile that came over Adam’s face. You certainly didn’t notice the wink Adam sent the other man as he held open the door for you to go through. And that was probably for the best.

Moment of honesty, Someone’s gotta take the lead tonight. Whose it gonna be? I’m gonna sit right here, And tell you all that comes to me. If you have something to say, You should say it right now. You give me a feeling that I’ve never felt before. And I deserve it, I think I deserve it. It’s becoming something that’s impossible to ignore, And I can’t take it. I was wondering maybe, Could I make you my baby? If we do the unthinkable would it make us look crazy? If you ask me, I’m ready. If you ask me, I’m ready.

Chapter 11 is up here now!

[400legends]

One Week in Lanrepus

A whirlwind tour of our week in Lanrepus.....

"I started weaving as a hobby, really,” said my companion. “In those early years, Evret was always travelling, preaching Pelor's good word to all the surrounding towns." Mathilda sighed and pulled on a green reed. "And I knew that was to be my lot: the waiting wife. After all, that's how we met. He came through New Gilead, and I knew he was my destiny. And now the baskets... well, everyone expects them. But I enjoy weaving them." Matilda looked at the marshy area surrounding us, and at the gnomes gathering reeds in the near distance. "I feel at home here."

"In Lanrepus?" I asked.

"That, too," she said. "And Quojin, with your help, we'll make it a more godly place. Evrit and I have talked many times about starting a school and small orphanage, and you and your friends were just the spur we needed."

We strolled back toward the construction site. I could see Ferris talking with one of the fisherman. He was shaking his head. I'd seen that same gesture too many times lately and not all directed at Ferris.

I knew we were asking these tired men and women to pick up hammer and saw after putting down nets and hooks, but it was for a greater good. Anyone could see that.

"Your friend," Matilda ventured, "she's - she's not what I expected."

"Ferris is a singular person. A druid, you know." I glanced at Matilda. "You don't see many here."

"Druids? No, no we don't. But she's very well-spoken, if a little single-minded."

"The rose," I began to say and then stopped. I'd learned over the last few days that the townfolk really didn't want to talk about the rose. Or perhaps, they really didn't see its significance. Either way the result was the same. Their minds seem to slip past the rose. The situation was such that they were quite literally building the school around the rose, and yet, no one mentioned it!

Ferris and I could stand beside the rose, and the people of Lanrepus would scurry all around us. They wouldn’t pause; they didn’t linger. It was as if in place of the rose there stood a massive tree or a boulder, an obelisk or perhaps a tower of stone.

Ferris had drawn up plans for an ornate screen that would encircle the rose. She’d even begun carving the moon and rose symbol that would have adorned the center of the structure, but her plans were rendered useless as the school construction took shape and the school and orphanage became a different sort of wooden wall. Different than Ferris envisioned, and yet, it seemed fitting to me.

As we got closer, Ferris looked up from her conversation and caught my eye…..

 …… Surely it’s not my accent, I thought to myself. Perhaps he’s never conversed with a Hirood elf before, but surely, even this hamlet gets sylvan visitors on occasion. “Thank you,” I said. “I will confer with my friends and with your priest Henchick.” I gave the man a firm nod and turned away, but not before I saw relief flood his eyes. Does dusky skin frighten him so much? The bright brass scales of Quojin never seem to give anyone pause.  

Such thoughts can drive you mad. This ground is not new, Ferris. Move on to happier thoughts, or at least worthier ones. The Rose and how its shadow covers this land. It’s as if the land knows the fate that awaits it. There’s Quojin walking and talking with Henchick’s wife, Matilda. Should I tell my friend of the fate that awaits Matilda? What good would it do to tell her that the kindly human will be found dead in the very reed beds they just left? What good to tell the paladin that Matilda will be reanimated by her distraught husband to live a second life undead and enraged?

These thoughts tumbled through my mind as I walked back into town. Perhaps Threnody could intervene with the townsfolk on my behalf. Building a school near the Rose? Are they mad? Or tainted, perhaps, by the darkness that seeps from the Rose?

For half a moment I considered putting torch to the construction. Let the fields burn now as they will 30 years hence. But I know that will not change the future.

I passed the apothecary shop, the stables, the Spool House Inn. All destined to burn.

Why had the Rose chosen this place? Or is it possible that the people of Lanrepus were drawn here, drawn to the dark power of the Rose? It has drawn me, why not them?

My thoughts threatened to spiral down further, searching for a bottom that might not exist, but just then Globnar raced past me followed by a huge hound. “Dognar!” she said. “I smell snacks!”

“Hey!” I called out to my barbarian friend, a young woman who refuses to be weighted down by the events of our quest. “Hey,” I called again and tried to smile. “Not more rotten meat, I hope.”

With a laugh Globnar turned around with her hands on her hips. “Ferris! Hi. Have you met Dognar?” She thumped the side of a huge brindle beast. “He’s agreed to join us!”

“Is that right?” I said as my eyes met Globnar’s…..

 ….”Yes, and he’s the best dog ever,” I said to Ferris. “Dognar! Say hi to Ferris.” I pointed, and Dognar raced toward her. My slim friend looked alarmed as we both ran past her and pulled up short. Dognar’s tail lashed back and forth, hitting Ferris in the hip.

“He’s a big boy!” Ferris scratched his head.

I nodded and grinned. Druids know dogs. “He’s hunting hound, I think. Dontcha think? He’ll be so great in fights.”

“I’m not sure,” said Ferris.

“No! He will be. Me and Dognar. He can bite, and I can smash. It’s whatchamacallit – a winning combination.” I patted his side and dust rose from his coat.

“I meant,” Ferris went on, “that I’m not sure he’s a hunting hound. Those tend to be slim, fast dogs. He’s a war—“

“Exactly! A war hound. That’s what I meant.”

Dognar sat down, and so did I. “I was looking for snacks, you know. “ Dognar laid his head in my lap, taking up most of the space. “And I heard this ‘woof.’ Like deep, deep woof. Just that: ‘woof.’” I glanced at Ferris to see if she was understanding what I was saying. “You should sit down,” I told her.

She crossed her arms and smiled. “You were looking for snacks….”

“Salty snacks for a salty town. You know, I’m glad to be back here but sad, too.” I pointed at a man who’d just left the inn. “Like that guy. Is he a zombie or just dead now? Or then. Or soon. Er. Sooner? More soon? Time travel, man. It’s messed up. But either way, he’s dead.”

The man gave the three of us a wide berth. “Have a nice day!” I called to him. “Oh! But there were some survivors, right?” I said to Ferris. “In New Gilead. Go to New Gilead in 30 years!” I yelled over my shoulder. “Did he hear me,” I asked Ferris.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “He heard you. So did everyone else. The mayor, Threnody, that girl sweeping….” Ferris shook her head.

“Threnody’s here?” I whipped my head around. “She needs to meet Dognar!”

Sure enough there was Threnody on the mayor’s porch, watching us. “I got snacks!” I called to her. “And a dog!” I walked halfway across the street, shading my eyes….

 …..”I admire you, Lady Threnody,” said the mayor. “You lead quite a diverse group – the barbarian, the Drow, the—“

“She’s Hirood,” I said without thinking.

“Of course,” said Poppy. “You’ve told me that before. I meant no—“

“None taken.” I waved my hand. “We’re all very thankful for the warm welcome you and the town have given us.” I knew about Poppy and Jennora, but I didn’t know if Poppy knew that I knew.

“I hope that this doesn’t sound strange or ingratiating, but we know of the Tatooine family – I know of the Tatooine family – even all the way out here. And that alone would merit a welcome, but you and your friends have done so much for the town.”

Poppy shook her head, and I could certainly see what Jennora saw in her.  She was in her late 30s or early 40s and in the prime of health. Piercing eyes, a strong jaw, lustrous red hair. The mayor of Lanrepus could have her pick of people, and she’d chosen the young dwarf. Maybe Poppy was drawn to Jennora’s intense curiosity, to her youthful vibrance. Perhaps—

“I said, something does pique my interest, Threnody.” Poppy was looking at me closely.

“I’m sorry,” I smiled. “A little wool gathering. Please accept my apologies.”

“Only if you promise to take what I’m about to say in a spirit of comradery, because I have quite enjoyed our late night political discussions.” Poppy paused and said, “The Butehulls are related to the Tatooines by marriage. My nephew Burnic married your cousin Gizelle last year. Or rather, my nephew married Gizelle Tatooine.” She glanced at me. “Quite an affair, the wedding. Everyone from both sides was there. Everyone, except a girl named Threnody.” She folded her hands. “You are obviously an accomplished young woman. You lead an impressive band of friends. Your speech, your dress, your weapons, they all speak to wealth and polish, but you are no Tatooine.”

My heart was in my throat. What a thing! What a statement, what a notion. It struck me harder than I expected – the idea that I might not be who I am.

What to do, Threnody? You could “confess” and keep the secret of your time travel. And why not? Who is Poppy Butehull really? In the grander scheme, in the quest to find the orbs, does it really matter if a village bureaucrat thinks you’re an imposter?

But deny my birthright? Set aside my name and rank? Who would I be then? Might as well chuck it aside for good then.

No, never. The truth would have to do. “I know Gizelle,” I said. “Very well. She and Uncle Burn have three children and five grandchildren. Or, they will. And Uncle Burn – he’s everyone’s favorite. He always has a bag of mints, and if you can recite the—“

“The Cavalier’s Oath he’ll give you a sweet.” Poppy’s eyes were huge. “That’s my father’s tradition and my brother’s. But how do you know that? It can’t be true. You can’t—“

Just then Jennora called from the street. “Permission to come aboard?” Her eyes twinkled at her joke.

Poppy shook her head. “You and your funny ways. This is not a ship; I am not a captain.”

“You’re the captain of my heart,” Jennora said with a grin and bounded up the three steps to the porch.

“Threnody was just telling me about how she came to be here. Her long, long journey.”

Jennora’s face said she had no idea what Poppy meant. “I was telling her,” I said, “about our time travel.”

“Oooo did you show her Walter? Did you see Walter?” She sat down beside Poppy.

“Walter?” The mayor looked from Jennora to me.  “Who’s Walter?”

I gave Jennora a glare….

 …..Man, the look Threnody was giving me, you’d think I’d farted or something. I said, “Oh, you know. Walter is—“

“Walter,” said Threnody, “was an old and cherished friend. I keep his ashes. I don’t know why, really. But Jennora here, is most interested—“

“It’s scientific curiosity,” I said. “Purely….” My mind raced for what to say next. Why had I said that? Why had I said any of that? I clapped my hands together. “So, where is Valerian? Where’s my little buddy?”

Sure, I’d been surprised at first to find out about Poppy’s kid, but he was pretty awesome. And it made it easier somehow to say goodbye. Not that it was quite time for goodbyes.

As if she’d read my mind, Poppy said, “I saw Pumilla this morning. She said your potion order is coming right along.” She looked down at her hands. “Just a few more days.”

“That reminds me,” Threnody rose from her seat. “I promised Quojin…” Threnody pointed at the paladin, who was just coming into view, walking slowly and talking with the priest, Henchick. “I promised Quojin that I’d talk with her.” She smiled at me and Poppy. “You two have a nice night, alright?”

Once we were alone on the porch Poppy grinned. “To answer your question, Val is staying with Popkin tonight.” Her tone grew serious. “I think I finally begin to understand how important this quest is. If it brought Threnody back in time, it must be truly epic. I can’t keep you from that; no one could, so we need to make the most of these nights.”

I couldn’t help but match her earlier grin. “The mayor’s word is law, isn’t it?”

I stood at the porch railing and looked at the street. Ferris still stood talking with Globnar while a huge dog lay on his side at Globnar’s feet. Had Ferris conjured him?

Threnody had intercepted Henchick and Quojin and was holding forth to them both. The afternoon sun glinted off Quojin’s tall silvery shield. I felt Poppy’s hand cover mine. “It’s not a bad life here,” she said.

“No,” I said, “it’s worth fighting for.”