#so i’m like the odd guy out aaaagh

[batqueers]

ACK the want to dress a bit more feminine but knowing you’d get misgendered. hell on earth

[taulun]

Hiiii it’s your anonymous-au-obsessed freak once again! You have no idea how grateful I am for your answers, I love building images in my head for such things and it’s so great that you’re an author who provides very detailed answers ❤️

Okay okay okay so I have more questions and I didn’t even entirely comprehend all the previous answers. I’m not sorry tho this time haha:

1. At what point did they release Crystalline? Stable times of their relationship or rocky times of the situationship? And again - was For A. and Yours released during T H E. M I G H T Y. B R E A K U P??

2. Is Mari an astrological freak like you (it’s a compliment, I swear, I love it in you!)? Or maybe Adrien (odd maybe but you said he likes the stars but maybe only in astronomical way)?

3. Were they ever diagnosed by a psychiatrist BEFORE they started therapy as a couple to build a healthy relationship? Like, did they know officially they’re mentally f-ed up? I don’t want to offend anyone with those words, I myself struggle with diagnosed bpd and it’s really easier just to say it like that

4. I know Adrien does not bond easily with anyone but would he consider Luka his best friend? I thought about Plagg (Peter) for a moment too but I think that maybe the fact that he’s always stoned and he does not acknowledge what’s going on in the situationship (as per one of your recent memes) and the age gap is there but maybe I’m in the wrong here??

5. What are their go-to songs for a karaoke night?

6. What’s the aesthetic of their rooms? Do they have any sentimental things there or are they plain-hotel-room types of people?

7. And as for the sentimental things - what are the things that when they see anywhere make them think about each other?

8. Is Mari an only child? And what would be the age difference between Adrien and his brother if he didn’t pass away?

ALSO I LOVE YOU SO FREAKING MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA AAAAGH IM LITERALLY OBSESSED

HELLO DEAR ANON AKA MY FAVOURITE ANON HERE ❤️❤️ sorry for taking so long to answer but I was gathering ideas all this time, so I could give you a detailed answer!!

So here it goes, under cut because it's gonna be a long post, BEWARE:

1) Actually they released Crystalline pretty fast. It was like 1 month after they met at Exitium's concert that they started writing it - lyrics by Adrien alone, with only some additions from Marinette, music by Luka btw - but it was supposed to be just another metal ballad for Exitium's upcoming album, nothing fancy. When Adrien and the band went on tour with their newest album (which I'm gonna make a cover for because "From Here To Eternity" came out even later, since it includes "Yours"), they invited Ladybird for the song, BUT those were already "the rocky times of the situationship", like you said. So a generic love ballad turned into some pretty angsty shit, especially when they performed it on stage for the first time. Even their audience was like "ummm that be looking suspicious ". Sometimes their live performance of the song was angsty af, other times it looked like they're trying to seduce one another with "hungry eyes" they were giving each other while singing. The song was also one of the reasons why Mari became so delusional about their relationship - the lyrics were written by Adrien, and especially his part hits hard and basically indicates that the guy's ready to fully engage in a relationship with a girl, sooooo. They realised the actual message of the song long after the breakup, and it became much more meaningful then. 

And for the second part of the question - yep, "Yours" was released after the breakup, when Adrien was left alone with his thoughts and feelings that he could no longer deny (lol "the sound of her voice leaving me with no choice" basically). "For A." was written some time before the breakup, but Marinette decided to keep it for herself until she heard "Yours" for the first time. She then released her mini album as a musical answer to Adrien's song.

2. Oh no, she's not, but Juleka kinda is! (Ahaha I took it as a compliment, don't worry ) She's actually not that crazy about it, but she knows a thing or two, and sometimes is like "I mean it makes sense for you and I to be complete opposites, Mari, because that's what we are astrologically - Cancer is the opposition of Capricorn, right", and Marinette absolutely loves listening to shit like that even though she doesn't really get it that much. Adrien's more of a "that shit can't be real" guy, so is Luka.

3. (I didn't get offended at all, I'm fucked up myself, BPD here as well, high five)

 Uhh yeah, Marinette was diagnosed in the past. At first she was diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder as a teenager. Her mom noticed immediately when her problems began, and made sure she was getting psychological help as soon as possible, but when Mari turned 18 yo, she made a stupid ass decision to quit therapy. Her mom couldn't really do much about it, Marinette was already an adult after all. Later when she was 21-22 years old, she went to a psychiatrist to get some medication, BUT medication is only temporary solution for BPD. She sometimes even forgets to take her meds, so.

Adrien was never diagnosed with anything, and I don't think he suffers from any particular disorder or mental illness. He's got commitment issues, that's for sure. He knows that his way of "bonding" with other people, mostly when it comes to romantic relationships, is not considered normal, but he doesn't know how to change it, and just doesn't feel like changing it in general - until later, of course. Being truly vulnerable with someone is completely out of his comfort zone. It's easier for him to create an image of an asshole who's only up for sex and nothing else, than actually face his own fears and deal with them.

4. Luka is the only person who Adrien calls family, period. And that's only because they've known each other since childhood, so they're basically brothers (no blood relation of course). Friendship is the only type of relationship that Adrien actually understands, and it is within his comfort zone. He never had a good example of a romantic relationship as a child, after all his parents never really loved each other :") 

Oh, the age gap between Peter and the rest of the band isn't really that much visible. Well, of course Plagg is more chill than the rest of them since he went through some ups and downs of "his 20s" already, but he's a big kid at heart. And yeaaah, he likes smoking weed and getting intoxicated one way or another, but he's not an addict. He just enjoys the feeling of it, I guess. He thinks he's a connoisseur because he treats alcohol and drugs as "something that he doesn't need, but enjoys", but then he drinks literally anything they give him, so XD He's more like that "older friend who's not very serious about life, but makes some pretty intense and wise comments from time to time" to Adrien, but he's not as close to him as Luka. He is pretty close, though.

5. OHHHH MY GOD okay okay so: 

 Adrien: Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden, Hard Rock Hallelujah by Lordi, Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi AND Bed of Roses (just because Nils Molin from Dynazty covered it), The Show Must Go On by Queen (also bcs of Nils covering it), Hardcore by Beast in Black, and many many more actually but he only participates once he's drunk af

Marinette: Gods and Monsters by Lana Del Rey (honestly anything by Lana lmao), Self Control by Laura Branigan, Bubblegum Bitch by Marina, Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men, some classics by Elvis and The Beatles too - she LOVES karaoke in general

6.  Okay so for Adrien - he lives in a small flat, not super fancy or anything, just a normal one-person apartment (I'm gonna make it in the Sims 4 later and show it to you all); he's got his keyboard there, his guitar (yeah he can play it, too), some vinyls because he's a huge music lover (duh), one photo album that includes mostly photos with Luka and the rest of the members of Exitium, a little note from Marinette that he keeps hidden somewhere because God forbid him to admit his feelings - it's a note written on a piece of pink paper that says "toss your dirty shoes in my washing machine heart  - M"; he also keeps a skull of his cat that died when Adrien was a teenager, aka his best friend besides Luka; in general his apartment is a mess most of the times, and he doesn't have much there anyways.

And for Mari - she's got tons of clothes, TONS TONS TONS of dresses (she seems to be a little addicted to buying clothes) - some also made by her mom (yes, Sabine can sew) that she loves the most; she's got plants in her room, too, but sometimes she forgets to water them and if it wasn't for Sabine keeping them alive, they would already be pretty much dead; she's also got a nice collection of crystal gems and jewellery (she loves pearls the most), a teddy bear named Buttercup that Juleka gave her (see what I did there...), and lots of other stuff; her room is full of everything and nothing, basically.

7.  THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BUT SO HARD TO ANSWER BECAUSE I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT but lemme think..... Marinette associates Adrien with specific scents, actually - she thinks of him whenever she smells the air after a thunderstorm and the scent of pavement after heavy rain (because it was raining after Exitium's concert and when they went to a bar later); the scent of leather, cigarettes; Adrien, however, "sees" Marinette in the sound of a singing nightingale (the thing is that Luka used to call Mari - and still calls - "birdie"/"little birdie" because she reminded him of a bird when they were dating, and Adrien kinda started associating her with birds as well). Oh, he's also got one of her crystal gem rings (a rose quartz one) that she left in the  pocket of his leather jacket once and forgot to take it back, and so it stayed with him. So that's one thing that reminds him of her.

8.  Marinette is the only child! Adrien's brother would be 5 years older than him, so he'd be 32 in the AU.

PLEASE ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO ASK ME MORE, I LOVE YOU, GOODNIGHT <3

[defeatedbyamerechild]

I’ve started watching a swsh gameplay today. (Spoiler alert)

So, as most of you must know, I haven’t got money for a switch and, therefore, won’t be able to play swsh anytime soon. So instead, me and my siblings are watching a full game walkthrough! I’m gonna talk a bit about my first impressions! ^^

OK, so. First thing. I LOVE the looks of the game. I’ve been told by many people that the game looked weird and ugly and that the graphics were bad, but really... To me, that’s nonsense. I think so far everything looks very pretty and the ambiance is just lovely! I love the Pokémon walking around in overworld and I love the scenaries, the houses (inside and outside), everything looks so cute and pretty! I also loved the lakes and rivers! It’s really very pretty!

Secondly, I’m absolutely amazed at how much easier most things were made in this game in terms of practicality. Everything you need is handed to you very early in game, you can find several items on the floor and you start off with plenty of money, being able to buy more advanced items such as revives right from the start! I love this! 

The box link mechanic, OH. MY. ARCEUS. What an amazing thing, to be able to access your box anytime like that! This is something I’ve been asking from Pokémon since forever and I’m very glad it’s a thing now. Also, I love that you can choose whether you want to switch your newly caught Pokémon for one in your party instead of sending it to your box (although my sister said it had already been done like this in Sun and Moon).

I LOVE that you can just select your Pokéballs quickly with one button in the middle of a battle instead of having to open your bag and look for it and everything, it’s a small difference, but it’s cool. I also like how you can interact with every Pokémon in the grass and even go for the one you want. I think maybe this had already been introduced in Let’s Go, but I don’t know because I haven’t played it or watched any game play of it.

Rotoms. Rotoms everywhere!!! How lovely! If there’s one thing I can’t get over, it’s Rotom’s cry. I love its little voice and I love its littel face!!! So seeing all those Rotom Phones and the Rotomi, and your Rotom Phone showing up every time you complete a Pokédex entry... YES! Lovely! A+++!!! Cyrus approves! I love it! ^^

About the characters:

 I’m very surprised about Hop! I didn’t expect him to be that energetic. He is very similar to Barry, which is nice, since Barry is one of my favorite kids from Pokémon!

About Leon. OH. MY. ARCEUS. I LOVE HIM. He is so dumb! He is so stupid! I love that guy! He is so nice and pure too, and he is so ridiculous with that embarrassing pose he does with his Charizard... But it’s in such a pure and lovely way, I really like him. I like that he’s dumb and has no sense of direction and has such a pure and lovely heart. I mean, the guy doesn’t even know you but gives you a Pokémon anyway because you’re friends with his bro, how sweet is that? I love him, really.

About Magnolia. What a lovely lady! She’s so sweet! I just think they could have used her a bit more in the beginning of the game. Still, I haven’t seen much yet, so I don’t know what they’ll do with her in the future. So far, I really like her. I thought she’d be more grumpy, but she seems very lovely.

About Sonia. She’s so cute! I haven’t got much of her personality so far, though. She seems really nice and I like how her relationship with her grandma has been portrayed so far. Then again, I have seen just the very beginning of the game, so I can’t judge it yet.

About Chairman Rose: All I’ve seen from him so far was his introduction to the Pokémon World, in which he was acting just like a host in a big event, so I can’t say anything about him yet. I’d say he wasn’t being exactly himself in that situation, so I’ll have to wait for the next time I see him.

Random characters: Old man I’m presumin is Leon and Hop’s grandad sitting in his house - A++. Seriously, I love that there’s just that old guy sitting casually in there, just because he’s part of the family and old people exist. So nice. I loved it! Sceince Fat Man: Rally happy to know the Science Fat Man is still a tradition! Loved him! Random trainers: The lass is basically Serena haha but that’s fine, and the youngster look very cute too. 

About the story so far, I didn’t like much how the wishing stars were introduced. They LITERALLY fell from the sky, so conveniently... It’s way too much of a Deus Ex Machina to me and I didn’t like it. But that was just a small detail. I love how you are neighbor with the Champion and how close to you he is from the beginning, it makes all the League thing less intimidating, but they still manage to make it look like something very serious in the context of the game. I haven’t seen anything from the plot yet, there hasn’t been any conflicts or anything, so I can’t judge it yet. But I really liked the Legendary Pokémon encounter in the woods and how the game lets you just try to straight up kick Zacian in the face as if it wasn’t a god or anything. I like it. You fail miserably, of course, but it’s cool.

About Dynamax mechanic: As I expected would happen, I hated it. It’s literally the only thing so far that I really disliked. I think the whole mechanic is pretty much pointless and it looks just very weird and out of place in the game... I mean, the sixe of the dynamax Pokémon is absolutely unnecessary and the way the whole environment around the battle changes is just terrifying and depressing to me. At one moment you’re in a nice and beautiful park and then, suddely, everything is dark magenta and black, with a KingKong-sized Minchino crushing the bones of three tiny Pokémon, while your Starter grows to the size of Godzilla and growls loudly with a weirdly low voice before trying to beat the heck out of that giant monster, most probably causing massive destruction to everything around them... I don’t know. It’s just plain weird. It looks weird, it feels weird, and it’s not necessary. I didn’t like it at all. And everything is so over. The attack animations are so explosive and bright and long, there’s really no need to all that in my opinion... So to me, yeah.... Dynamax is a big nope.

My last comment is about the camera and the rendering. It’s a little bit weird how some things just pop into and out of existance depending on how close you are to them, but I wouldn’t call it a downside. It just looks a bit sudden sometimes. I guess it might have been done in a less weird way, maybe if there was a kind of fade in or something... But I’m not sure, it might look even worse. So yeah, it looks a bit odd, but I totally get that they can’t just render all the objects in the distance, it would be unnecessary. The camera sometimes goes to some weird angles and the character sometimes disappears if the camera gets to close to them. (Happened once in the gameplay so far). I would have rathered if they would change the cam position instead of making it enter the playable character’s head making the whole character pop out of existance. But this is just a very subtle and unnimportant detail. I’d say the camera is still better than Pokémon X/Y’s cam, so yeah, that’s great. I love that we can see everything a bit closer, because in Oras the camera is always very far from your character (like in most Pokémon games).

To wrap it up, I’m enjoying this game a lot and I really wish I could actually play it! I’m quickly falling in love with Galar, and I love the map, it looks so cute! I’d give this game... 7.8 out of 10, too much water. (lol so funny right? fresh memes guys). But seriously, so far this is 9/10 to me. I’m excited about watching the rest of the gameplay! ♥

Oh, one last thing. I can’t stand Scorbunny’s idle animation. That guy just doesn’t stop jumping!!!! AAAAGH. (joking, it’s fine, but it’s a bit annoying sometimes).

[ts-2020-olympics]

EPISODE 3 - “Am I Old?” - Sarah

So far Shosha and Yujo haven’t lost any challenges, if we keep winning until the swap  i fear that the other tribes will target our people because we’re all still intact. Maybe it would be a good thing to maybe lose one? I dunno

ちくしょう 😉

FUCK the hosts for this how many hours can you put in challenge this early in the game, i'm literally fucking pissed, FUMIN love! i knew we were gonna lose from early on but i still put in the time and hours to distract myself from this bitch ass boy who curved me yesterday night, whatever. i'm just so exhausted like of the constant losing, the tribal council, ugh. i haven't been on a losing tribe like this in SO long. and i'm so.. over it. i can't stand losing and i can't stand that emma is immune right now because deciding who to vote off is going to be impossible and people are going to be coming for me so i'm like, probably most definitely gone or whatever. and that means i'm going to have to do the arena challenge and NOT have a day off which... ugh....... dont get me wrong i know that ORGs are time commitments but usually i win the premerge challenges so THIS IS NEW OKAy kdhfnsdkfndkfndf. i'm just annoyed and i'm so over my tribe... and i didn't find any advantages at the olympic village i finally remembered to search in. anyway i dont even wanna THINK about tribal rn so this is just me saying fuck this challenge and ughhh i'm so TIRED just so fatigued of everything, i'll like come back tmrw and strategize or something. *throws a rock at the cameraman* fuck this shit i'm out, give me the osake RIGHT! GOD DAMN! NOW! (alcohol for all you non duolingo-ers)

i'm kinda happy that bailey was evacuated from the game, she would have been voted out regardless and this gives our tribe better odds at survival. even if we had gone to tribal i would've been comfortable, but now i feel like it's better than i try to prove my value as a player by competing in the arena! kinda excited.

tribal three times in a row check! 😍✨💋 LMAO no one is wanting to actually talk to me about it so i’m hoping that i can still sway the votes in my favor but we’ll see! i think landen would defiantly do his best to help keep me from going, but it’s all a matter of who would we send instead. so! we’ll see! at least i can say i did my best 

So, for starters, the past round went pretty much as expected.  Kathy was the vote off from my tribe, and she lost at the arena, as well, past round I found nothing yet again at the village.   Now, right now in terms of this round, my tribe didn't win immunity, but Bailey ended up getting medically evacuated due to getting three inactivity strikes, so the tribal got cancelled for my tribe, and Beck ended up volunteering to do the arena.  So basically, just awaiting to search Olympic Village again, and hoping to goodness there is a tribe swap next round, since right now my tribe is just my alliance with Ben and Beck, which will make things rough come another loss with no swap.

yep worst case scenario happened. My tribe lost with me sitting out and Will, my one main ally, not showing up to the challenge at all!! I was hoping it could be an easy vote so i didn’t have to vote and I could get the advantage but now it seems like my tribe is ready to boot Will and if I want that advantage I need two of those other three to vote against each other! God this is gonna be hard... 

I’m in a tough predicament here. I could either A. play it safe, agree with everyone to vote will or B. try to save my ally and my advantage at the same time by getting Sarah and Eve to vote out Nik, risking my whole game. Godddd I don’t know!! aaaagh! 

it's 10am, tribal is in 10 hours, and i've had about 10 separate heart attacks throughout the morning. i don't know what to do tonight. i'm really struggling to figure out what's right. my heart says jacob, that's definitely where i'm leaning. juls is my closest ally at this point, and after the whole debacle with Billy, voting him out, then instantly starting to bond with him and all that, and apologizing, and him sticking by me even after I voted him out first, I would feel terrible voting for him again and I want us to prove to eachother we can trust eachother. but the fact he said juls' name.. if that's who he's going to go for, i simply can't prove to him i will vote with him. i'm tight with juls, she saved me even over emma, and i just really feel a bond with her. we're both the youngest in this cast, we both have lots in common, it really do feel like we're the same person at times. at the same time, my head tells me jacob is good in challenges, and will be ok in arena, but that i really don't need a 3rd person upset at me for going to the arena, and if Emma is still coming after me, she could probably use me coming for Jacob to her advantage, but I don't even know where she's voting or what she's thinking. i'm torn about this vote, and it's all the more annoying that if emma just hadn't fucked up at the last challenge, we wouldn't be here without someone to vote right now. we'd all be able to agree on emma or jacob probably, and it would just... it would still suck complete ass, but it wouldn't be as complicated as it is now. with a tribe as tiny as 5 people, going to tribal THREE times, with all the same 5 people.. it's just not something we can afford. our tribe is being torn apart and... whew, i just need the swap. give it to me rn. as of now, i'm thinking i'm going to vote jacob, and i hope i can get billy on board for that and take his mind off juls. that's where my head is at right now... tribal is making me sick to my stomach

What the f does I stan you even mean? Am I old? And I no longer hip and down with the lingo? Bogus, man...

Our first tribal is tonight... I hate to say it, but I'm voting for Will. Nobody has heard from him in days, or for the last challenge, and tonight will be a second strike if he doesn't come back for tribal. WILL I'M SORRY. I definitely would not have voted him otherwise, he did great on the other challenges and is a great personality to have around. Come back for the next season Will.. 

I am the swing vote again lol Juls got blamed for messing up last vote by Emma and Billy, which considering Juls is beloved by everyone, PERFECT But now since we lost I need to pick a side, Landen and Juls or Emma and Billy. I like Emma, Billy sketches me out. Landen is the perfect meat shield for eternity. He's a bit of a blabbermouth. I watched the tapes of the live tribal, he sold me out unknowingly in front of Billy. How am I supposed to both sides these people now!? I could get sold onto a Landen vote, but that's not being sold, so WELL, who do I screw over. I feel so bad voting out Juls, but that's a reason to vote her out too, gah. GAH. Do I pick a side and lowkey goat, or do I make my control of the tribe forefront (but not evident because everyone hates each other) Time will tell. 1 Hour until tribal, and I have no idea what to do. inb4 voted out

why the FUCK does emma have immunity? she's literally so useless and does nothing in challenges... and the fact she already turned on juls, this quick, over practically nothing? im sick to my stomach, love. i know i said that already, but you know what? I must have the flu, because my nausea is neverending with this tribe and our constant spins at tribal council. as emma once said, we're basically taking turns sending people to the hellish arena. but the twist is so complex because you can't send someone you like there, because there IS always the very real chance that they lose the challenge. going there could be a good risk if you're smart with it, but it could be a risk that puts your entire game in jeopardy and i'm a KNOWN safe player when it comes to game mechanics ^_^ the only risks i take are in emotional labor! speaking of, myself and juls have both been working very hard to keep her safe from billy and emma's focused target on her, but i don't see it happening.. Billy and em seem to be tight now and it seems like they've convinced jacob to take out juls. The really horrible thing about all this, is that if i want to save juls.... i'm likely going to have to vote billy. and that is going to be aching, because i really like the guy, and i was being 100% honest and genuine with him saying i wanted to be on his side, to prove to him i have his trust and that i will be loyal to him and want to work with him til the endgame and be his ally. but if he's going to go against juls and i have to choose between the two of them..... i mean, i can't choose billy. it would be bad. so there's 30 minutes left and i don't have a clear idea of what's happening yet and any choice i make will permanently damage a tight connection that I thought I had heading into the later game. I guess in good news, Sammy, Caeleb, and a new friend, Jordan, ALL messaged me saying good luck at tribal, and talking to me a bit about it, saying they hope I'm safe. Forming those cross tribal bonds could be crucial in surviving the next stage of the game, which, god please, is happening VERY soon... *i bind myself to the cross* Give me strength to get through this, Japan. Onegaishimasu.

So far the game is makin  me p sad, I’m super tired of going to tribal and having to send people to arena. And that Japanese challenge was so damn frustrating 

so tribal last night.... i mean, uh, i guess my power, huh? lmao........... MESS!!! IM A MESS MY GAME IS A MESS THIS WHOLE DAMN THING IS A MESS. Someone get me a MOP rn because Sonkei-Matsing tribe is STRUGGLING and it's all EMMA'S FAULT!!!!! On the other hand, I'm very grateful Emma is an idiot, because Billy got to be safe!!! So let me explain what happened in that bonkers tribal council, from MY perspective... When I heard that my closest ally Juls had her name coming up, i was like, oh HELL. NO. So I put in the WORK to get Jacob and Billy to vote for eachother. Don't get me wrong, Juls worked hella hard on this too, she is a bad ass bitch and she deserves credit. But I do believe I was a major factor in swaying their votes as well as I'd built pretty close relationships with each of them in terms of strategy. But with Billy, that relationship wasn't a tight trusting one, more of a, please, I like you a lot, let me prove to you that I can be trusted and we can work together. Let us prove that to eachother. But here's how it happened. Even though Jacob and Billy DID vote for eachother... NEITHER OF THEM TOLD ME THEY WERE VOTING FOR EACH-OTHER. BILLY LED ME TO BELIEVE HE WAS VOTING JULS THE WHOLEEEEE TIME. And initially, I was fine with it, and i was STILL going to vote Jacob off with Juls!! Thinking there was nothing I could do and she would go 3-2. But then, 5 minutes into tribal, you'll see me furiously typing... Because Jacob FINALLY told me he was going to vote for Billy (and that's on Whispering!!! #LiveTribal!!) So from my perspective.... Billy and Emma are voting Juls. Juls is voting Jacob. Jacob is voting Billy. It's 2-1-1... and if I vote for Jacob, then Jacob and Juls can't vote, and Billy and Emma have the majority to send Juls out, saving Jacob on the revote. BUT if I vote for Billy, then Billy and Juls can't vote, and now me and Jacob have the majority over Emma. That was the thought process behind my initial vote for Billy. LITTLE DID I KNOW BILLY ACTUALLY WAS VOTING WITH ME AND NOW I FEEL HORRIBLE FOR VOTING FOR HIM AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT UP TO HIM BUT HE DIDN'T TEXT ME WHEN HE GOT OFF AND UGH, I NEED TO MAKE THIS RIGHT!!!! Emotional labor is the most annoying thing, and I'm really bad it. I'm terrible at apologizing and owning up to things, maybe that's why I just let my friendships fall apart in real life instead of doing the actual work to save them once a problem happens. because emotional labor is fucking annoying, exhausting, and stressful! I don't got time for it! But now, I need to have time for it, because our tribes are FIVE PEOPLE strong, and at the next tribal council, if I don't get my relationship with Billy in check, I WILL be gone. It is his vote that I need to help make sure Emma's psycho ass goes home, and if he, Jacob, and Emma all think they're on the bottom... Yikes. I hope Billy understands that I was absolutely disgusted it came down to him or Juls and I thought I was doing everything I could to save an ally.. I even swayed Juls to help save him with me, when she felt uncomfortable with him. He totally screwed up by like... not telling me he was voting with me, he said in tribal people just need to be real with where they're voting, and I agree! I wish he had just followed his own advice with me, because he would still be here right now. But his screw up does not at all compare to Emma... what the FUCK was she thinking, self-voting like that...? Like, HELLO? She throws out Juls' name all round, for I don't even know WHAT reason, since they were supposedly close, but it's implied she throws out Juls' name for getting 4 crowns on the challenge... Um, YOU STUPID BITCH YOU LITERALLY ONLY GOT ONE MORE CROWN THAN HER AND BEFORE THAT DID NOTHING ON THE SLIDE PUZZLE CHALLENGE OR THE TRIBE CHANT, DESPITE US KNOWING YOU CAN PUT IN THE TIME WHEN YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT IN THE ARENA :) Headass.... Then, after doing that all round, she SELF-VOTES??? WITH IMMUNITY AROUND HER NECK??? Girl you MUST be crazy, cus this is psychotic. Headass, deadass, she is gone the next time we lose tribal, which, lbr, is probably next time because we're LIT RALLY matsing. at least caeleb thinks i'm denise though. i feel like i have the same amount of wrinkles as her, after the stress of this game like 3 rounds in. imagine how tired i am.  

Round 3's over! That's fun, innit? Glad we got rid of some dead weight in Bailey. As for friendships and alliances, I'm still slightly on edge about Darcy - I trust Beck over him. Got acquainted with Karen - they seem nice, but I'll keep an eye on them, too. Other than that, Nicole and Tommy are the people I'm mainly corresponding with. Seems like fun! :) Here's to a fun Round 4!

Okay so we won this round which is fun! Tommy went to the arena which gives me, Karen and Kevin a good chance to bond because Stoner just isn’t paying attention ever. I wonder if he has even made a confessional. Anyway, I’m going to be real annoyed if we lose and he whips out an idol. Also going to be mad if after this round there’s a swap and I’m swapfucked. I don’t think it really COULD happen to me though, because I’ve talked to at least one newbie on each of the tribes. Unless I’m stuck with Nik, Emma and Billy who have no interest in speaking to me, I think I’ll be fine. Speaking of newbies, I find myself talking to Ben a lot but I’m under the impression he talks to a lot of people. He reminds me of a lot of friendly pure men in this community like Joey, just very social and very nice! The only thing is sometimes he will say something in a conversation and I don’t necessarily know where to go with it. For example right now he’s having a full conversation with me in the village chat about pizza. I don’t know what to do with this and rather not be so vocal in the village chat. While the other newbies are increasingly hard to talk to, and sitting around all day waiting for the arena stuff is boring, Ben is a very nice person to talk to but I just wish we would talk like...about the game not what I’m eating. When it comes down to it I want to know I have an ally or two to bring to the end that might offset my immediate threat of being a winner, but not give them so much power that they win over jury votes. He seems to be showing his social side and not giving me any game info at the same time, which I have to look out for. All of the other newbies I’ve spoken to have talked game. He’s either playing a really good game by doing this or a really transparent one, I can’t tell yet. We will have to see! 

Last night proved something that I’ve been wondering about Landen for a while. He truly is a snake. I unintentionally made a really good move in keeping it mysterious on who I was voting. In order to make the vote go his way and to keep Juls, he instead changed the vote to ME and got Jacob to do the same. Sneaky mother fucker 😋 thank god Juls stayed the same though. I know for an absolute fact now that I won’t be able to trust him. As for Jacob, I do hope he comes back, because now that I know where the tribe stands I know I can get him on my side.

I don't know if I ever had such a frustrating round for challenges first duolingo and now the arena I was in the lead in front of everyone until the last clue and I lost it all I didn't get a medal. I'm so pissed, you really don't wanna @ me anytime soon because I'm at the point where I wanna go off on someone. 

Love the tribe, so happy we 5-0d the last tribal!! it was a cute moment!! hehe, we seem to be very together as a unit

So Will’s gone, well he’s at the arena but i think he died so he’s probably out for good. Now that he’s out that leaves me on the bottom of my tribe as the next to go, my only hope is getting as close to sarah as I can and crossing my fingers for a swap! Due to that triple tribal I think it’s going to happen next... hopefully! 

Ughh i keep forgetting to make confessionals until right before the round ends so im always like oh shit and then dont really know what im gonna talk about so its not good. hows things in the life of jordan pines? great thanks for asking, while i still feel on the bottom of my tirbe i definitly see a swap coming soon which i think depending on how it goes would be pretty good for me. Id ideally like to stay with most of the people ive been with plus new ones, becuse i think im seen as like an expendable numebr to caeleb and Jacob. I want them to keep thinking of me like this while I go out and start forming stronger relationships, keep bringing in those jordan pines minions, i got my sights set on billy right now, i like him but he makes me look as humble as they come and ive i could definitly turn him into a goat for me with the right coaxing. Im hoping will survives the arena cause hes for sure a number for me, but hes also a lil innactive so maybe he peaced. Im starting to build relationships with Landen who I like. I havent even looked at the all winners tribe holy shit. Karen and Stoner are gonna be my biggest obstacles as they dont necesarily love me. Im gonna try to work with Nicole for a bit if i can tbh. Thats really all im feeling right now. I think best cast scenario is people use me as a number and carry me just a little too far that I can turn shit around and fuck em over. It's definitely gonna be an uphill climb to the finish line, but the only way to do it is go step by step.

I feel like I am in a great position on my tribe! I trust Sarah and Eve a lot. Pete says he has my back so we can only hope that in the case of another tribal council, I will be safe! I’m still going to work my ass off and play my ass off to stay safe and not have to go to another tribal! This game is long and hard and I’m trying to see big picture. And within that big picture is a flashing sign that’s telling me there’s a tribe swap soon! Hopefully I’ll be able to work some magic and avoid being on a tribe with individuals that don’t like me. But overall I’m feeling pretty good after the last tribal!

[codylabs]

Chapter 27: Farewell Savage Fate

Links: P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 2:50pm (you don’t really need to pay attention to the times, they’re there for MY benefit.)

- Place:

- Crash Site Omega (control room)

-Warning: Intruders have begun Reactor 5 startup. Power output: 5% and rising. Coolant levels sufficient.

-Warning: Intruders have access to all remaining ship systems and engines.

-Input: Assign bioforms 3 and 4 a threat level of 20. Combat preference: Immediate lethal force. You are clear to engage. Take no survivors.

-Threat reassessed. Antimatter pellets loaded and launchers charged. Drones 155, 157, 158, 163, 164, 174, 175 and 179 engaging.

The 8 drones did exactly as they had been instructed, without a briefest moment’s hesitation. They hovered quietly out of the darkness, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the control room, their weapons hot, their minds already visualizing the battle.

Intruder 3, whom friendly faces knew as McGucket, was still busy at the computer, and would not be able to react in time. A single antimatter round could penetrate his torso and explode, killing him instantly. Stan, identified as intruder 4, remained catatonic in the chair; even if he were to wake up now, he would not be able to offer much resistance. Another antimatter round would terminate him.

Two shots. That’s all that was needed. Each drone loaded four for good measure.

But then something happened.

A brilliant flash of blue light lit up the control room. McGucket jumped backwards from the controls, startled and frightened. Did I just do that? This alien tech must be touchier than it looks… But then when he looked hard at the readouts, nothing seemed to have changed… All the settings and feedback were just where he’d left them… But then he noticed something really quite odd: The plasma beam weapon that had been leaned beside him was no longer there. He glanced around. Stan didn’t have it. Where did it go? What happened? It was right he—

The sound of eight simultaneous explosions echoed through the room. He heard debris rattling against the walls from outside, saw a scrap of burned wreckage bounce in past the doors, and shards of plating and chunks of robotic innards clattering to the ground outside.

Stanley was awake in an instant. “HI HEY NO PLEASE SUSAN I COULDN’T…! *Snrf* …Heeeey, can’t a fella get any sleep around here?”

“I dunno whatappened!” McGucket cried, rushing toward the door with Stan on his heels. “Whasappenin’ whatwassat noise whosthere whereintarnashin my death ray run off to?”

They looked out. Stan didn’t remember it being quite so warm and smoky. McGucket didn’t remember there being quite so many burned, smashed piles of robotic wreckage.

He also didn’t remember leaving his death ray out here. Yet there it was, sitting on the floor at his feet, that very same tool he’d misplaced seconds ago.

McGucket picked it up and found that it was lighter; its fuel tanks were nearly empty. And a quick check of the electrical charge revealed that the batteries were almost wasted as well.

The ignition chamber was still warm.

“Well I’ll be a pork-bellied feather-hearted dingleberry… What in the name of me Pappie’s gibberflunked bramblesnippin’ Mississippi combine just happened?”

“You need to keep better track of that thing.” Stan told him.

“Did you just do that just now?” McGucket asked.

“Did who do huh? Did something happen?”

“Wha--? But… The thing…? Oh my, lookit these poor robits…”

Stan made a long string of confused grunkley noises. “Welp, I’m in over my head. You got a brother I could call? I mean… A phone I could brother? I mean… Agh, can’t talk today. Hey waitaminute, where are the kids?”

“Yeh can’t get service down here…” McGucket reminded him. “Oh yeah, and them two teenagins said they’s was curious ‘bout somethin’, and ran off that-a-way.” He pointed off into the darkness.

“…Aaaagh. Dumb kids. Don’t they know there’s killer robots down here? …Okay; so you’re sure something blew all these things up?”

“Well yeah, an’ I think it may’ve used my plasma beam ta do it!” McGucket objected. “But I can’t rightly figger how they got it right out from under my nose, or ‘ow they did it so fast. Y’know this thing needs a moment to prime, a little bit ta charge, and even longer ta cool down, so it woulda taken a while ta do all this, but I believe I heard the events occur simultaneously, and…”

“Yeah, yeah, alright, listen, pal I’ve been living in a cramped ship’s cabin with my nerdy brother for the better part of a year now, and I have developed an extremely short fuse for technical mumbo-jumbo. So here’s how it is: if somethin’s weird, you say ‘somethin’s weird’ and stop there. Savvy?”

“Err… Sorry… Somethin’s weird.” McGucket said.

“Great. Weird. We know weird. We can handle weird. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with weird.” Stan pulled the doors closed behind them as they stepped into the control room. “Now. In case some maaaaagical death-ray-stealing mischief fairies wanna pay us another visit, I’ll leave it open a crack so we can hear ‘em coming.”

“Sounds good…” McGucket wrung his hands together as he stepped back up to the console. “Well… Actually, I think I got the programmin’ all finished. The reactor should be workin’ again. The gravitational nacelle has been calibrated to focus on the Forest of Daggers, and-”

“So what yer SAYIN’ is…” Stanley crossed his arms. “This whole joint’s gonna get weird once ya push that big red button.”

“…Yeah.”

“Better wait ‘till the kids are back then.”

“…I could run it through a test sequence…” McGucket scratched his chin. “Bring the core up to 50% output ta test for malfunctulations and stir up some noise; get ‘em back here faster.”

“Yeah. Great. Do that.”

McGucket hit the big red button.

It started quiet and built in intensity; an enormous, rumbling sort of hum, which thundered through the frame of the ship, shaking the walls, steadily overcoming all lesser noise.

McGucket turned it off again after a minute.

Stan adjusted his hearing aid. “That was a little loud.” He understated.

“Yeah, well, I reckon the coolant compressors had some corrosion, and the hydraulics were nearly rusted shut, so that’s my guess as to why…”

“Geez, you just take any little thing as an excuse to start in on it, don’t ya?” Stan grunted.

“Sorry.”

A noise from beyond the door interrupted them. It sounded like gunfire. From a raygun. Raygunfire.

“OKAY WHAT WAS THAT?!?” Stanley picked up a weapon, and marched for the door. “That better not be you stupid fairy brats again! Because I swear, this is getting on my last nerve! C’mon out and show yourself!”

But when he levered the hatch open, he froze in surprise.

“Ford?”

“Stanley?”

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 4:30pm (it doesn’t really matter when this was, but plotwise it happened before.)

- Place:

- Ford’s study, beneath the Mystery Shack (time and place where Sam happened to locate Ford)

Mabel stared up at the shapeshifter for a minute. Then she blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. Yeeeah, that’s him alright.

She didn’t know why he was here, who let him out of the bunker, or what he was doing here. To be honest, she hadn’t even a faint inkling of what the heck happened at all while she was asleep. Gee whiz, spend one afternoon in a coma, and now the single nastiest and scariest monster I’ve ever met is right in here in the Shack… She had quite a lot of questions, but Great Uncle Ford or anybody was nowhere around to answer them. There was only this creature, this hideous, frightening… Thing.

Oh well.

She may as well just ask.

“Hi guy!” She smiled, forcing a smile onto her face. Be Mabel. She thought. Just like Dipper told you. Be Mabel. Think good thoughts… This IS gonna end up okay. One way or another. “How’s it going?” She asked, as her cheery words forced past her fear. “When did you get here?”

Sam hadn’t been expecting a question like that. In fact, he hadn’t expected even a hint of this cheery disposition. Unsure of how to react, he found himself answering candidly. “Twenty minutes ago…”

“Okay! Uh…!” She hopped down from her chair and stretched her sore neck as she glanced around the room. “Have you seen my Great Uncle? He was just here I think.”

“…He’s gone.”

She blinked. “Well yeah, I can see that; did you see where he went?”

“I think I kindnapped him.” He heard himself answer truthfully again.

“Whaaaat…?” Mabel frowned up at him skeptically. “How in pig’s name are you not sure if you kidnapped somebody?”

“Well, I…” Sam blinked down at the little girl. “…He disappeared. I’m sure it was me who did it, or who will do it. And… I… Uh.” He looked down at the yellow time machine in his hands, and felt himself descending ever deeper into confusion.

Mabel followed his eyes. Her jaw dropped and she gasped loudly. “What…! You! Wha! That’s no tape measure! THAT’S A TIME MACHINE! You have a time machine! You really have one! For real! Where’d you get it?”

“Y-yes. I… My mother gave it to me, I—”

“You have a mother?!? What’s she like?!?”

“I-wha-hey!” He finally found his focus again, reminded himself that he was in charge, and drug the conversation back on-topic. “YES. I have a time machine.” He repeated, clicking his teeth. “And I’ve been using it to remake my life as I will… I took Ford, I outsmarted all of you, and now, I have everything I want…”

Before she had time to feel intimidated, Mabel started talking again. “This is so awesome…!” She smiled, as her brain but together a plan. “Yes… YES! With a time machine, we can save him! It’s perfect! This fixes everything! We have a TIME MACHINE! Man, your mom must be AWESOME! Is it your birthday? Or is it Christmas? Do aliens have Christmas in June? Summermas? Where did she buy it?”

“…Calm down.” Sam frowned at her.

“Saaaay new friend, could I actually borrow that thing for a minute?” Mabel pleaded. “It’s really really reallyreallyreallysuperduper important.”

“Calm down.” He repeated.

“I’ll give it right back and everything!” She promised as she reached for it. “But my brother kind of died a couple days ago so I really need to save him. It’s really kind of urgent so would that be alright? You could come too if you want!”

“QUIET!” He reached out a hand and pushed her away. She stumbled right over on the floor, and almost hit her head on the corner of a table as she went over. Sam blinked, surprised. Oops. She’s weaker than I thought. I almost hurt her; I didn’t mean to hurt her… Wait, why DIDN’T I mean to hurt her? Of course you mean to hurt her! You’re HERE to hurt her…!

“You’re a fool.” He growled out loud. “You’re asking me to loan you this? To save your brother?…” I’m here to hurt her. “Don’t you know who I am and what I’ve done?”

She stared at him blankly. “Well… Yeah, you’re the shapeshifter guy…? You kinda--”

“My name is Sam, and I’m your enemy.” He explained. “And as for what I’ve done, did you know your brother’s death was no accident?” He held up the machine. “I just used this to kill him, stupid. He’s dead because of ME. And I’m proud of it. Because I hated him.”

Mabel eased slowly up to a sitting position in one corner of the room, and then even slower to her feet. “Oh…” Her voice became small and flat, as she considered this latest revelation for a minute. “Oh.” She finally repeated.

He nodded. “Now what do you think of that?”

“Well… Uh…” Mabel’s shoulders shuddered briefly. “That’s… Kind of… Mean.”

Sam wasn’t sure if he’d heard that right. “Mean.”

“Yeah, pretty mean…” Mabel informed him. “Like… Pretty selfish too… Most people would be… Nicer than that.”

The two little orifices on the top of his head emitted a snort. Mabel supposed that they must be his nostrils. “Are you… Brain dead?” He asked, as his fangs clicked in amusement. “You do realize what I’m saying, don’t you? That I killed your brother in cold blood? That I’m going to kill your uncle? That your own fate is subject to my whim…? You do understand… Don’t you?”

Mabel wrung her hands inside her sweater sleeves. “…Yeah.” She said. “I get it.”

“…Then why aren’t you thinking dark thoughts?”

Dark thoughts…

Mabel recognized those words. Robbie once said those words. The day that Dipper died, Robbie had stolen her joy with those words. The day she’d brought Robbie along on her happy little adventure, and sent him down into the bunker, he’d come back with those words… Mabel finally put it all together.

“Oh…” She said. “That wasn’t Robbie, that was you… That was when you got out…” Her voice got small. “I let you out.”

“Give the young lady a prize.”

“Uh… Oh… I’m really sorry… I mean! Uh, no, not sorry, I mean good for you! Hi! Welcome to the surface world! Uh… Ooh. Gee. Awkward…”

There was silence for a moment in the room, as the girl and the monster looked at each other, neither one precisely sure what next to do or say. Finally Mabel spoke up again.

“So… Uh… Besides for killing people, what are you doing?” The girl asked. “Like… I’m still kind of confused, and time travel is really complicated so… What’s going on?”

Sam looked at her.

“Well…” He started. “I was just taking care of some business. Making sure that things happened the way they were supposed to. Making sure I got to where I am today. Controlling your very lives.”

“…You can’t control my life.” Mabel frowned.

“Oh, but I can. In fact, I already have… Do you remember this?” He produced a small metal box, popped it open, and removed the robot kitten, of all things.

“Oh… Uh… Hi Juan!” Mabel waved at the little metal creature.

Sam stuffed it unceremoniously back in the box. “You loved it so much that I can use it to manipulate you. I saved it when your family tried to kill it… And now… Oh, I have a wonderful idea! What if I were to give it back to you the next night, with a note attached to it that said you needed to take action? What if that was the spark that lit the fire inside you? What if that were the reason you first launched on your hairbrained quest and accidentally freed me? What if…”

Sam walked over to one of the computers in Ford’s study, and booted it up. When a data entry program appeared, he began to type. “How about it? Am I talking nonsense, or truly writing history here?” He finished typing, and hit another button.

A nearby old-timey printer began to chatter, and it noisily emitted a single small piece of paper. “There!” Sam held up the note and shoved it in Mabel’s face. “Is that the note? Does that sound like something nice enough to get you to do something stupid?”

Mabel read it.

Enjoy the time you have with him.

Because it’s not right for him to stay here long.

Find a good place for him, Mabel. We believe in you.

Be wise and loving. Be his hero. Save his life.

Mabel read it a second time.

“Uh…” She mumbled. “Yeah… That’s the note… Hmm. Oh.”

“Well then.” Sam pulled out the time machine, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Mabel blinked and stared at the place where he’d been standing.

She took a step back, and found herself all the way in the corner of the room.

I always just thought it was an honest, well-meaning invisible wizard who did that. She pounded her forehead with her fists. I just thought ‘hey, there must actually be some decent, happy people somewhere in the world’… But it was all a lie. Everything I did, it was just a random, convoluted, pointless wild goose chase that accomplished nothing except ruining everything.

But… Wait… If Sam DIDN’T give me that note, then I WOULDN’T have done anything, and I WOULDN’T have freed him and he WOULDN’T have given me that note! …But since he DID give me that note, I DID free him, so he DID give me that note… It’s just a weird random circle that happened for no reason except itself! Dang it time travel! Why you gotta be so complicated?!?

…Well… Actually, this entire thing relies pretty heavily on me being stupid. I was so bent on being kind, so determined to find niceness and happiness where there was none, that I turned my brain off entirely.

So if at any time I’d just decided to use my head, then that would’ve been it. And it wouldn’t have happened.

If the time loop ever DID had a cause, then that cause was me.

…

Dipper, what do I DO?

There was another flash of blue light, and Sam was standing there again.

“And that’s it.” He spread his arms grandly, like a magician would after the completion of a spectacle. “I’ve been hopping around doing whatever I please, killing whoever I please. And that’s why your uncle’s gone too. Soon as I’m through with you, I’ll head back in time, take him away, and do as I will…”

“Yeah…” She whispered. “I see.”

“It all fits.” He told her. “I did it. It’s been a complicated equation, but I’m the answer. I’m the end. And that’s what’s happening.”

Mabel bit her lip and squeezed back tears.

You need to be stronger, Mabel. Dipper’s words whispered in the back of her memory. No matter what happens, to me or anybody else, we need you to be strong. Strong enough to hold together when something hits you. Tough enough to take a thousand hits and never break. Be hopeful. Be loving. Be cheerful, and caring, and good… Be that way forever. With or without me. That’s what we need you to do…

Mabel took a deep breath. In an instant, she knew exactly what she had to do. I have a job. She remembered. Fate has a job for sweet, happy, trusting little Mabel, and I’m the only one that can do it.

Time to do it.

“Hey Sam.” She said.

“What?”

“I’m…” She wiped her eyes and struggled to hold her voice steady. She really was afraid. “Uh… Why you haven’t killed me? …Do you like me?”

“I— What?” He grew a couple inches taller and snarled. “I don’t like you.”

“Eh… Well! I mean!” Mabel stuttered. “I mean you must have hated Dippingsauce a lot to kill him, but with me you’re just standing there, so that means you don’t hate me. I mean you don’t have a reason to hurt me and you don’t really want to. And that’s why you don’t. So yeah, so right, so there.”

There was silence for a minute in the darkened room.

Sam hadn’t thought about it like that before. But now that it came down to it, he realized it was true… He didn’t hate her.

He remembered his mother. How she treated everything like an object, or a tool. In all things she acted shrewd, cruel, pragmatic and level. She hurt and killed anyone that ever crossed her, never hesitated to stoop to the sickest, most murderous depths to gain any advantage. Power was the name of her game, and strength was its only rules. That made sense to Sam. That fit with what he knew and had seen. That was the only way it ought to be.

When he realized that he himself didn’t hate somebody… It felt like weakness. Why don’t I hate her?

Why AM I even talking to her, anyway?

What am I trying to do?

He’d come here for revenge; to destroy even the memory of everyone who’d been responsible for what happened to him: Stanford Pines, Fiddleford McGucket, Dipper Pines, Wendy Corduroy…

And he’d also wanted to find his people, so that he would no longer be alone. But now that he knew what it meant to be a part of his own family, now I know what his mother expects of an ally, Now… It seemed to him that he hated her as much as he hated the rest of his enemies.

But that was also none of Mabel’s business.

Sam opened his mouth to growl something, but the girl was already talking again. “I dunno about you, but I want a happy ending!” She stated. “And I bet deep down you actually want to help me! Because really everybody wants everything to turn out alright. So do you think there’s any chance you could have a change of heart and start being a good guy instead of a bad guy anytime soon?”

Sam blinked as if in shock, having a hard time believing that such a train of thought could even exist. “…Really…?”

“Come on!” Mabel pleaded. “I know you can’t be all bad! You let me sit on your lap and drive when you were pretending to be Robbie! And how about Tambry? She’s been on her Facepage account, and her Bumblr account, and her Chirper account, and all her accounts all week really, talking about how great the concert was and how great Robbie was but you were Robbie!”

“I had to learn to operate a vehicle.” He explained. “You were the only one around with a rudimentary understanding. That wasn’t you sitting on my lap, that was me tricking you into teaching me. And as for Tambry, I needed to blend in. Killing and eating her wouldn’t have blended in.” Wait, what am I doing? Sam demanded of himself. Am I trying to justify myself to HER? Trying to convince her that I AM a monster?

If you want to convince her of THAT. Another thought intruded on his mind. Just kill her. Remember who and what and where you are. You’ve got places to be and things to do. Standing here chatting with a teenage girl is wasting precious seconds. You were right in the middle of your revenge!

“Well yeah but you still did let me sit on your lap!” She once again interrupted him. “And you still were extra nice to Tambry even when you didn’t have to; so how about it? Maybe you were even happier when you were nice to people! I don’t know, but maybe down deep inside you’re actually a nice person! And the only little problem is that you’re just really angry and mean and evil and think it’s alright to do terrible things, but you’re actually nice… You know, like Beauty and the Beast or Doofenshmirtz or Count Bleck!”

Sam stared at her.

Mabel swallowed quietly.

I have a job to do.

It all led up to this. It all wraps up in this. It all ends now.

She told her foot to take a step forward, but it hesitated. Come on, move you stupid leg! She silently shouted. I need you forward! The place where you aren’t! Just move movemove come on move! Sure it looks like a monster up there, but it’s really a person somewhere inside, a person who needs his justice too! Come on, this is it! Take a step! Her leg wasn’t used to being yelled at, and finally obeyed.

Then she told her other foot to take a step too. It hesitated as well, but obeyed just like the other. She could hear her own heart beating, and knew she had to keep talking so that fear wouldn’t drive her right back.

“S-s-so how about it, Sam?” She asked, and with a monumental effort forced a smile onto her face. “Maybe… Maybe we could work together to make everything right again! Maybe you don’t have to be the bad guy, maybe you don’t have to be alone, or sad, or angry… Maybe everything could be okay if you just stop thinking dark thoughts…”

She was close enough to touch him now. Close enough to smell his breath. Close enough that he could injure her by no more than flinching. Close enough to make out every detail of his creepy, slimy body. Close enough to even hug him.

“Come on, Sam…” She said. “Don’t you want a happy ending?”

In spite of himself, Sam considered it.

He weighed all sides of the issue. He remembered all the evil that had been done between him and this family he was killing. Stanford and Fiddleford’s experiments, and the years spent locked underground. Dipper and Wendy’s attempts at his life… But in return… There was everything he’d done back to them… So Sam then wondered about forgiveness: could this family forgive him? And could he forgive this family? Was forgiveness possible after things such as this? Could there ever be peace?

…And were friends something he ever wanted? He remembered the time spent with Tambry. Indeed, the best week of his life had been the one where she loved him; where he had people around to laugh and joke and eat and sing with. Nowhere, in all the revenge and violence or deceit since, had he ever tasted anything as sweet as love…

…But would any of it be worth it, to forsake the destiny his mother had laid out for him? She would have him live a life of lies, violence, malice… And with that life would come strength, power, greatness… A chance, perhaps, to one day return to his people, even earn their respect. He could earn allies, powerful allies. He could have anything he wanted…

Anything he wanted…

But what if peace was what he wanted?

Sam thought about these matters.

And then he made his decision.

He raised his hands in the air, and brought them down hard. Mabel’s body broke and twisted and came to pieces as he smashed her to death. And each blow brought more resolution, more clarity, more confidence to his soul, as he knew then and there exactly the type of man he was. But it also broke his heart, for he knew that he was throwing away what could be his one and only chance at honest friendship.

In that moment, he hated himself more than he had ever hated another, so that he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, and longed more than anything in the world to change his decision. But there was no going back on it now; he had sealed his soul and his fate, with a sin so cruel and monumental that could not be undone, even within his own mind. And with this burden on his heart, he turned and left the lab, to continue a life that led ever deeper into darkness.

At least.

That’s exactly what would have happened.

But instead, before he made his decision, while he still thought about these matters, he was distracted. And while he was distracted, Mabel’s hand darted forward, and plucked the time machine out of his hand.

The action was so quick, so nimble, and so utterly unexpected, that he didn’t even have time to react until she was already gone.

Gone, gone, gone.

Already gone.

- Time:

- 2013 A.D. (somewhen)

- Place:

- Ford’s study, beneath the Mystery Shack

The ethereal blast of the time-jump left her disoriented as her feet touched down in Ford’s study in some other distant time. She wasn’t sure exactly when she was, she just knew that she was safe.

It worked. Mabel gasped.

As soon as she was sure, her legs buckled beneath her, and she collapsed onto the cold wooden floor, crying and shaking and maybe even laughing just a tiny little bit. “I’m sorry…” She blubbered. “I’m sorry Sam… I’m sorry… I lied… You…” She choked. “You don’t get a happy ending you gross, fat, lying, murdering, poop-headed JERK! …You killed my brother… Nobody… Nobody gets to do that… Nobody… Nobody… Nobody…”

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 2:50pm (about the same time, maybe a little before)

- Place:

- Crash Site Omega (some place on the way back from the Shifter’s lair)

The close metal walls of the alien ship creeped with slime, rust, and decay. In every direction they stretched, great decrepit monoliths interwoven with deliberate purpose by beings long since dead. The trusses and members of the walls curved over and beneath and around the hallways, like the uneven, bloated ribs of some monstrous, shapeless corpse. The rays from the headlamp reflected strangely off the faded metal surfaces, casting shadows shaped like reflections, and reflections shaped like shadows.

It was a scary place on its own. Human minds have always guarded a natural fear of the strange and unknown, and this environment seemed designed to foster such unease. Any pillar might seem to hide an enemy. Any dark area might conceal death. Everything but the very nearest walls were a mystery, forgotten since time out of mind.

Wendy should have been afraid.

But this place wasn’t strange or unknown to her any more. She understood it, and the very real, very dangerous threats that inhabited it: the cold reckoning and electronic reflexes of patrolling security machines, and the wily, bloodthirsty intelligence of a timeless, formless beast. There was a reason, she knew, that this place had gone unnoticed for so very long: everybody who ventures inside was killed. Murderous natures did lurk around every corner. Fear was never irrational.

Wendy should have been afraid.

And yes, she did want out of here.

Yes, she wanted nothing but to return to peaceful places, to be reunited with loved ones, and to lie quietly at home in the light, far from harm and the burden of destiny and violence.

Yes, she was in phenomenal pain.

Yes, she was probably bleeding out.

Yes, she was trying very hard to keep her eyes open, because she knew that if she bent over and fell asleep now, she would never awake.

But she wasn’t afraid.

Not even a little.

Not anymore.

Her slow, limping trudge was interrupted by a quiet noise from somewhere up ahead. A pair of security drones hovered around a corner and fixed her with their unwavering red stare. Beneath their smooth surfaces, all manner of weapons charged and readied.

But their sensors swept her, and found none of the usual chemical markers of hostility. They saw her calm. Perhaps one of them sent a request to the security officer, asking for input on how to deal with this subject. But the officer never responded.

“Don’t even try it.” Wendy muttered up at their unhearing stares. “She’s already dead. And I’m already gone.”

She never stopped walking. And the drones did nothing but watch as she approached, watch her pass between them, and watch her backside as she continued on her way.

Soon now… So soon, and it would all be over. Once she finished her tasks and closed all the time loops, she would be free to undo all of history. Return things to the way they were supposed to be. Return to peaceful days free of sickness. Return to the nights when she could sleep easy. Return to a time when killer robots were the worst she had to deal with.

Return to the mission.

Return to him.

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 4:28pm (less than a minute after Sam’s appearance)

- Place:

- Ford’s study, beneath the Mystery Shack

Ford didn’t honestly have time to put together what all was happening. All he knew was that somehow, the shapeshifter was right here in the Shack, his niece was helpless and asleep behind him, and this thing is a much faster than I…

Strong hands grabbed him by the collar and hurled him headfirst toward the wall. He winced instinctively to prepare for the impact, as he reached for a weapon hidden in his coat.

Then there was a flash of blue light, and he didn’t hit the wall; he hit Mabel.

They both went into a pile on the floor.

“OOF! HEY! WHAT?!?”

Mabel stood back up unharmed and ecstatic. “It worked! It worked!” She blared like a siren. “I saved you! It worked!”

“Umm! Uh! Agh! What’s happening?” He staggered to his feet and drew the gun. He saw the shapeshifter standing in the middle of the room, frozen mid-throw… And he saw that Mabel was still where he’d left her, asleep in the chair. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure who he should be aiming at: the frozen shapeshifter, or the mysterious second Mabel?

Before he could do either, the mysterious second Mabel had her arms wrapped tightly around his hips, squeezing him in a tight hug and jumping up and down at the same time.

“I can’t believe I did it! It worked! It worked! I time-traveled like an expert pro and I froze time and I saved you! At first I was confused because time machines should just have only two buttons, for forward and backward, but instead it had a bunch of other buttons and one of them said ‘FRZ’ which I first thought stood for ‘Fat Rolling Zebras’ but then I realized it stood for ‘FReeZe’ as in ‘freeze,’ so I tried it out and time froze so here we are, and I’m sorry when I’m excited I tend to deliver exposition in really long unbroken sentences!” She finally took a breath. “But anyway it’s like destiny or something! IT WORKED!”

Ford poked his fingers up under his glasses to rub his eyes, then tried to compose himself as he waited for the spots to clear. He took a deep breath. He was still sick with a high fever, and still running on about 2 hours of sleep; not the best conditions to go on any type of adventure, let alone making sense of whatever the heck this was. “Okay.” He said anyway. “I think I got it, but just in case… Would you remind repeating all that again? Significantly slower this time please.”

Sam stared at the place where Mabel had disappeared, having taken his fate, his hope, and his one possession with her.

He had been tricked.

But he was not unintelligent. He was not unfamiliar with the way time travel worked. He knew in an instant what this meant.

It meant that she was going to save her uncle. That had been the real reason he disappeared. It was her who’d taken him, not to kill him as Sam would have, but to save him. Now that Sam’s greatest, oldest enemy had access to the tape, Sam realized that he could be easily killed at any time. Just as I killed the boy. At any point they could freeze the flow of time, and appear among that breach in the flow with a deadly weapon at the ready. I won’t see anything. I won’t feel anything. At any moment now, any moment at all, I’ll see a flash of bluish light, and when it fades, I will stand with a mortal wound.

Any moment now…

Any moment now, and the good guys will win.

Any moment.

Sam stared at the place on the floor.

He imagined Mabel standing there again, and tried to think what he might try to say to her if he could. What could he say? Could he apologize? Could he beg? Could he undo time and give her back her beloved brother? No… Yes… No… Perhaps… If only she were here again… Oh, who am I kidding? If she were here again, the only smart option would be to kill her again…

Then he imagined Stanford there, and tried to rehearse what he might say to him. Could he reason with him? Could he accuse him? Or just beg for mercy all over again; beg to be consigned to another terrible life in a cold prison beneath the ground? It would be so much better than death… ANYHING was better than death. Anything but that cold, dark, mysterious hell… No… No, if Ford were here, I would just attack him again. Because I will not suffer prison again. Never, not again, not one minute more. Death, any death, would be better than that.

He imagined Tambry there. What the devil could he say to her? Perhaps, before he died, he would have liked to tell her that he really did love her. He wasn’t sure if it was true, but he wished so badly that it was. Most of all, he would’ve just liked to thank her for loving him, and for leading him through the one beautiful week he’d ever had in his life; the one he’d spent in the light. That, he knew, was true. Oh, Tambry… If you were here… I could tell you that I did indeed love you… But if you were here, you would finally see me for who I really am, and then you would hate me, just like all the others. You would hate me for being a monster. And I would kill you and possibly eat you, because… Because…

Why? Why are you so bloodthirsty, Sam? Why is every inclination of your soul only evil all the time? How did you come to be the monster that you are? What foul soul did you inherit from that psycho mother of yours? What black deeds must she and her kind have done, far away and long ago, so black and pitiless and cruel that they echo right down to you…?

Then he imagined his mother there.

And he couldn’t imagine a single thing he could possibly say to her. He couldn’t even bring himself to meet her eyes. He bowed his head.

“You’re weak.” In the back of his mind, he heard his mother’s words whispering down at him. “If you were strong, you could have killed him when you were a child. If you were strong, you could have escaped. If you were strong, you could have killed them all. If you were strong, you could have been worthy to stand, worthy to be called my son. If you were strong… If you were strong… If you were strong…

If I was strong…

Sam couldn’t cry. His eyes didn’t naturally have any tear ducts, for his body was slimy enough already. And he couldn’t’ scream. He’d never screamed before, only roared or snarled. But those were sounds for anger, for fight-or-flight, for pain of the body. He didn’t know what sound to make for this pain of the soul, or for this incredible, overpowering mortal fear. He knelt down on the floor and he wondered if he could pray at least.

Dear God.

Dear God…

…

God, I hate you too.

There was nothing else to say, nothing at all.

But a song did come to mind.

It was an old, classic song, one that McGucket used to play 30-something years ago, down in the lab on an old record player. It was long ago in Sam’s youth, and he hadn’t quite understood the meaning of the words back then. But he recalled them now, and now he understood. Indeed, it seemed as if it had been written for him, so he quietly recited it.

“Well, my name, it is Sam Hall, Sam Hall.

Yes, my name, it is Sam Hall, it is Sam Hall.

My name it is Sam Hall, and I hate you one and all.

And I hate you, one and all,

Curse your eyes.

…

I killed a man, they said, so they said.

I killed a man, they said, so they said.

I killed a man, they said, and I smashed in his head.

And I left him lying dead,

Curse his eyes.

…

But a-swinging, I must go, I must go.

A-swinging, I must go, I must go.

A-swinging, I must go while you critters down below,

Yell up, “SAM I TOLD YOU SO!”

Well curse your eyes.

…

I saw Mabel in the crowd, in the crowd.

I saw Mabel in the crowd, in the crowd.

I saw Mabel in the crowd and I hollered, right out loud,

“Hey there Mabel, ain’t you proud?

Curse your eyes.”

…

Then the sheriff, he came to, he came to.

Ah, yeah, the sheriff, he came to, he came to.

The sheriff, he come to and he said “Sam, how’re you?”

And I said, “Well, sheriff, how’re you?

Curse your eyes…”

…

My name is Samuel, Samuel.

My name is Samuel, Samuel.

My name is Samuel, and I’ll see you all in hell.

And I’ll see you all in hell.

Curse your eyes…”

He shifted one of his hands into a long, bony stinger. And he placed it under his chin. He lowered the bone density in his skull so that it would be easy and painless.

“…And I’ll see you all in hell…

…Curse your eyes…”

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 3:05pm (one hour previously)

- Place:

- Crash Site Omega (last known location of Wendy, Stan, McGucket, and Robbie)

A short time jump, a two-mile walk, and a seemingly endless ladder later, Ford and Mabel found themselves slowly and stealthily progressing through the engine room of the alien spacecraft. Mabel’s story mulled around in Ford’s head, while worry and anger built up in his chest.

“Wow, this place is creepy. How come you never brought me down here? Are there lots of aliens? It’s dirty down here. They must have run out of soap. And did they invent sparkles on their world? We need to take them to our glitter. Wow, di-”

“And you’re sure the Valentino boy was replaced?” Ford interrupted.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “You’re sure that he went down here with everyone?”

“Yes…” Ford hissed. His worry increased with the darkness and the silence and their depth beneath the ground, and his anger increased with Mabel’s constant talking and chattering and cheeriness. Why couldn’t she just calm down and be quiet? Didn’t she realized the danger wasn’t yet passed?

Eventually, the walls began to shake, and a great noise filled the air. Ford pulled Mabel for cover, and they sat there together in the dark, waiting for the noise to pass. Ford realized that it must be McGucket; he must have gotten the ship’s reactor working again… At least he hoped it was him… He hoped his friend was still alive, still in control… One worry on top of another.

“So what are we doing down here, again?” Mabel asked.

Ford��s patience was growing dangerously thin.

“We.” He growled. “Need to find the others, and warn them about the shapeshifter. There’s no telling where and when it has been, or what it did, before you trapped it. It could have been here right at this very moment…!”

“That last sentence was pretty confusing, but okay, I’ll be quiet!” Mabel whispered a little too loudly. “Wait, hold on, when are we right now? Are we in the present?”

“Every time is the present when you’re in it.” Ford rolled his eyes. “It’s a subjective term.”

“Brain hurting…”

“To answer your question, we’re about an hour before you stole the time machine from it. With any luck, that will prevent it from seeing us coming.”

“Hmm… Okay, yeah, but actually, I think he’s a ‘he’ not an ‘it’. I mean since he has a soul and everything.”

“What?”

“Right? I mean, living underground for so long probably made him really sad and angry. And now that he’s out, he got a name, and a mom, and he really started to… You know, really become his own person and everything… Like, his revenge is wrong and everything, but it still makes sense…”

“The… The… The ability to think…” Ford stuttered. “D-d-doesn’t make you a person. Neither does the ability to lie. But that doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that we find everyone else, get them to safety, and get out again without being seen by something worse…”

“Stealth mode… Activated.” Mabel pulled her sweater up over her nose, and combed her hair into a ninja mask.

Ford paused to stare at her. “…Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better at least!” He suddenly burst. “You know, for a girl who just lost her brother to a murderous monster that she unleashed herself, you’re acting awfully chipper, you know that?”

That hurt.

But Mabel was used to hurt after all this. She’d already reached rock bottom today. Rock bottom was a terrible place to be… But Dipper had met her there. He’d still loved her there, and he’d helped her rise back up.

“He forgave me.” Mabel said.

Ford lost his temper as he stood up and continued down the passage. “Then he’s a BETTER MAN than I!”

That hurt even more.

Mabel was silent from that point on.

And Ford pushed onward, trying to ignore his own guilt, as he wondered if perhaps he was the one the shifter truly hated. Perhaps all of this was just an elaborate, contrived ploy to get back at him… Perhaps it’s all my fault. Perhaps that really was an intelligent creature I locked in my lab for all those years. Perhaps if I’d treated him as an equal, or a friend, or a child, then… No. NO! It’s an ‘it’! It’s evil! It killed! And it will kill again! Ford pushed his guilt, and his doubt, and all other cluttering, pointless thoughts toward the back of his mind. And he promised to think about it later; sometime when everything was safe. Sometime when he could afford to waste even a single moment on such thoughts. Sometime when real people, when humans, when family, weren’t in danger of death.

Finally, a dim yellowish light appeared not far ahead, reflecting green off the bluish walls. They rounded one last corner to find the light shining out through a crack in a heavy metal door; Ford recognized it as the entrance to the control room. Somebody must still be inside. Please be Fiddleford and Stan. Please be alive…

But then Ford noticed something very odd: this hallway had been rather empty the last time he’d been down here. But now it was messy; cluttered with debris and broken machinery and thousands of shards of shattered glass. He motioned Mabel to a standstill, and pulled out a magnet gun as he bent to inspect the wreckage. He recognized a lot of these parts; fusion pulse weapons, tentacled robot arms, and scraps of spherical glass shells, perhaps 2 meters wide.

“What’s all this clutter? Was this an alien attic or something?” Mabel whispered from his elbow.

“No, these are security drones… Or they were…” Ford poked at it with the barrel of the magnet gun.

“Are they all dead?”

“Well it definitely appears as if… Wait.” Ford’s eyes swept the carnage. Toward the opposite end, a single motor twitched. One of the red triangular eyes lit up briefly to look at him.

Ford flipped the gun to its pulse setting, and shot it. The red eye flashed, and sparks arced across its body, frying and scrambling its circuits. The remains of its artificial intelligence realized it ought to send some manner of report back to the central mainframe, but it was so frazzled that its last words ended up being nothing but an incoherent string of nonsense: “INTRUDERS DETECTED INCONCLUSIVE REFERENCE CODE RETURN THREAT LEVEL UPGRADED TO JELLY ROLL ONE: ERROR 443\]kl;/oij#JE’~~3Dde~~~…” It broadcasted with the last of its consciousness.

“Now they’re all dead.” Ford answered confidently.

“Okay. So-”

“OKAY WHAT WAS THAT?!?” A new voice spoke up, coming from the control room entrance. “That better not be you stupid fairy brats again! Because I swear, this is getting on my last nerve! C’mon out and show yourself!”

Ford spun on his heels. The narrow sliver of light creaked open to its full width, and the silhouette of his twin brother was suddenly standing in the gap.

“Ford?”

“Stanley?”

- Time:

- 2013 A.D., June 12th, 3:05pm (concurrent)

- Place:

- Crash Site Omega (Wendy)

It seemed like hours of walking, with the pain burning through every wound in her body, blood pooling from the spike in her stomach, and her legs stiff beneath her. It was probably only 20 minutes or something, but still.

Finally, she reached the control room at the ship’s center, and pulled the tape to jump back to right before she’d heard the ship’s engines going off; back when she’d first realized drones were being sent to kill McGucket and Stan.

She hit the ‘freeze’ button on the tape as she appeared, and took a moment to look around. Sure enough, there were no fewer than 8 drones approaching the control room, and sure enough, the old men had no idea what was coming. Stan was even asleep.

Ugh.

Well, they’re too high of the ground to use an axe… And I left the ray gun somewhere… Ugh… Oh hey, wait, McGucket brought that new death ray of his, didn’t he? Yeah, he has it down here…

She stumbled into the control room, unfroze the massive weapon, and brought it back outside.

Okaaaay, soo… How do you turn this thing on?

She messed with it for a couple seconds, flipping this switch and that, pulling the trigger, and scratching the record (why is there a record player?) Eventually she found a switch that made it make a whole lot of funny noises, and another one that turned on the ‘ignition’ light. The weapon roared to life in her hands, and a swirling, glowing pink ball of pure sci-fi-ness formed a few inches from the tip. She aimed it upwards at the first drone and pulled the trigger.

Wham.

The time-frozen room glowed with brilliant pink light for a moment, as the superheated beam tore through the robot’s shell. The grass cracked, the metal components melted, and its batteries violently burst.

But time was still frozen, so its debris just hung motionless in the air, mid-explosion, as Wendy aimed the weapon at the next drone.

Wham.

And the next.

Wham.

Wham.

Wham.

Wham.

Wham.

Wham.

Finally they were all dead, and Stan and McGucket were safe.

Huh. Wow. She looked down at the death ray. I actually REALLY like this thing. She unfroze time just long enough to watch the robots’ wreckage clatter to the ground, and catch the stench of warm smoke. Then she dropped the death ray where she stood, and stepped back into the shadow of a nearby pipe to think through strategy: Okay, so they’re safe, that’s a real load off. But now how do I find Sam? How do I get myself medical attention when I can’t trust anyone? How do I keep him from killing Mabel and Ford and everybody else? Where do I go from here?

Oh man, I’m still bleeding…

Every time she thought about her injury, it seemed to be getting worse. And always she seemed to be getting tired faster. Things were getting… Weird… And every time she sat down, it was harder and harder to force herself to stand back up.

After 10 minutes of balancing torture and sleep, she was forcefully drug out of her brooding by the sudden loud discharge of a magnet gun.

“OKAY WHAT WAS THAT?!?” Stan’s distant voice mirrored her thoughts. “That better not be you stupid fairy brats again! Because I swear, this is getting on my last nerve! C’mon out and show yourself!”

Wendy forced herself to an upright sitting position, and peaked around the pipe to see what was happening.

Much to her surprise and suspicion, she saw two guests that she’d presumed dead.

“Ford?”

“Stanley, is that you?”

“Bro, why are YOU down here? I told you to get some rest!”

“The real question is why y’all’re down here!” Mabel piped up. “It’s colder and creepier than the county jail down here! Heck, creepier than a unicorn dungeon! Dare I say, even creepier than a gnome drunk-tank!”

“Mabel!” Stan noticed his great niece standing there with him. “Sweetie! Are you okay? What’re you…? What’re you both doing down…?”

“Stanley give me your hand.” Ford commanded, rushing up to him. “Here. Now. Give it. Quickly and quietly now; we haven’t got all day. Mabel, stand guard, would you?”

“What woah hey what’s the matter with-” Stanley began to protest as Ford grabbed his wrist, drew a small knife, and pricked a hole in Stan’s palm. Stan drew his hand back as fast as he could react, and clutched his wounded fist to his chest. “OW HEY GEEZ FORD WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!? YA COULDA KILLED ME!”

“I… I was just…” Ford looked at the drops of red fluid trickling out of his brother’s fist. “Red blood. Good. My apologies, it was a necessary evil. Stanley, we’ve got a-”

“Look poindexter, I don’t gotta put up with this! I’m OLD!”

“We’ve got a problem.” Ford continued. “Where’s Robert?”

“I said I’m too old for this!” Stan gave one last try at driving the idea appropriately far into his brother’s brain. “TOO. OLD… And wait, who in Stalin’s pits is ‘Robert’…?”

“The Valentino boy! Shaggy, gangly little creature. Wears a hoodie? Eyeliner? Human, I believe.”

“…Oh you mean Robbie? Yeah, he was here earlier. McGucket said he ran off with Wendy about an hour ago. Thought they’d be back by now.”

“Oh, blast it all…” Ford nervously glanced about.

Wendy sighed, and drew her axe. If Ford and Mabel were real, then that was 4 of her friends accounted for, and she could get their help. But if one of them was the Shifter… She didn’t know how she’d face him in her current state, but it would be better to get it out of the way now than later. “ALL RIGHT YOU TWO…” She announced, as loudly and strongly as she could muster. “HERE’S HOW IT IS.”

Everyone turned about, looking for the source of her voice. Ford drew a ray gun and pointed it toward her hiding place in a fit of panic.

“Stan 2…” She struggled upright, using her axe like a walking stick. “You… You know about the shapeshifter… Which means you either beat him, or you are him. So… So prove the first one or I swear I’ll, like… Do something bad…”

“Uh… I can vouch for him!” Mabel spoke up. “He ain’t been out of my sight!”

“And I can vouch for Mabel…” Ford said. “But now YOU… Uh… You’d better be the real Wendy…!”

Wendy figured that was proof enough. Or maybe it wasn’t… Oh, heck if she knew. And even if it wasn’t, she couldn’t fight like this…

She stepped out into the light.

She was bleeding the color red from enough places that they no longer found her suspect.

“Geez, girl, you alright?!?” Stan took in her injuries. “C’mon, sit down! What got ya?”

“Uh…” Wendy finally seemed to partially relax, and let Stan lead her over to a big, round alien chair in the control room. “You… You guys are all okay… You’re all alive. I thought…”

“Wendy, I’m dreadfully sorry, but we have bigger problems!” Ford told her. “We have reason to believe that the Shapeshifter had a parent, likely possessing time-travel capabilities of far-reaching extent. Have you s-”

“Neutralized.” Wendy collapsed into the chair, while Stan fumbled with a first aid kit. “I… T-t-took care of it.”

Ford blinked. “You… Did? It’s captured?”

“Dead.” Wend winced as Stan lifted her jacket to inspect the wound. “She’s dead.”

Mabel put her hand over her mouth. “You killed her?”

Ford frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yeh.” She grunted quietly.

“Uh…” Ford noticed the greenish filth covering her shirt and forearms for the first time, and was shocked to realize it was all blood. “Uh… Y-y-yes…” He stuttered. “I should think so…”

“Where’s…” Wendy grunted. “W-w-where’s the other one? The first one? Has anyone seen him?” She fixed her eyes on Ford and Mabel. “YOU’VE seen him. Where is he? I’m going to kill him too…”

“The heck you are!” Stan growled, as he kept pressure on her wound with one hand, and rustled through the first-aid kit with the other. “I ain’t no doctor, but you’re in a real bad way, so you’re staying right here until we get ya patched up. You shouldn’t even be walking!”

“Yeah… Yeah I am…!” Wendy pulled a time tape out of her pocket, and coughed. “I know I am, because this one just came flying out of the air at me at the start of the battle, and there’s no way for me to get it except prying it from his cold dead hands and that means I-”

“Wait…” Ford snatched the machine from her grip, and inspected it closesly. It was perfectly identical to the one they’d taken from Sam, right down to the same exact dents and scrapes. He pulled its duplicate out of his pocket. “No, we already did… It’s the same one…”

Wendy stared. “…You mean… You got him…?”

Ford nodded. “Neutralized…”

Wendy blinked tiredly. “Oh.”

“And so if I’m understanding this right, this one a past version of this one…” Ford held up the two tapes. “You have to help me understand this, I-”

“Ford.” Stan growled, as he glared at his brother. “I’ve got my fingers in this girl’s INNARDS trying to pull out a HARPOON, and you’re trying to TECHNOBABBLE with her. Stop talking.”

“…Well. Wait…” Ford scratched his head. “Okay. I know how I can help. I know what I can do… I just need to know where this ‘fight’ is…”

All of a sudden, there was a flash of blue light, and another Ford appeared standing in the room, looking as if weary from a journey. “Well, that’s that…” The second Ford sighed. He glanced at present Ford. “Take the Norther cargo doors out of the engine room, then follow the 3rd hallway on the left as far as it goes. You’ll reach a loose hatch in the left wall near where it’s collapsed, and you can find your way from there.” She pointed to the tape he’d taken from Wendy. “Use that one to return to now.”

“Got it.” The first Ford nodded.

“Also, don’t interfere with anything!” The second Ford added. “DON’T interfere. It already happened the way it did. She got hurt, but she won, so you don’t DARE even RISK messing ANYTHING up…”

“Understood.” Present Ford disappeared, and everybody was left staring at the second Ford: the one who’d just come back from completing the final mission.

“That… That’s that…” Ford sighed.

“That’s it…?” Wendy whispered, scarcely daring to believe it. “That’s it…” She realized it was true, and had a feeling as if a great load had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders.

“What’s it?” Mabel scratched her head.

“I’m kinda perplexified by what gist happened…” McGucket admitted.

“I’ve learned to accept my confusion for what it is.” Stan had totally ignored everything in the past two minutes. But now he sat back, wiped his hands on his shirt, and looked at his brother. “Okay, I think I got the bleeding stopped; least until we can get back to the Shack. So. Now we can talk.”

“Okay… I’ll see if I can put this into simple words…” Ford adjusted his glasses and prepared. “So… Wendy… Ah… Wendy just got through with a… Fight. A very… Intense fight; I watched the whole thing. And… I now no longer doubt Stanley’s claim that her father can wrestle a bear. Also… Wendy, I have to say that you’re much smarter and tougher than I ever gave you credit for. And I don’t doubt that your grit, ingenuity, and unsettlingly high tolerance for pain just saved all our lives.”

“Gee thanks.” She mumbled. “But you coulda helped out too while you were there…”

“Couldn’t risk it.” Ford stated briefly. “Now, moving on. A number of… ‘Stable time loops’ were employed during all today’s events. Things happened the way they did because time travel forced them to happen the way they already did. Information and persons traveling backward through a stable time-like curve result in recursive causality.”

“Ford.” Stan frowned. “Yer technobabbling again. We’ve talked about this.”

“Sorry, sorry… Anyway… To summarize, things were weird.” Ford summarized. “But now… To the very best of my knowledge, all those time loops are ‘closed’. That is, we’ve completed all the actions needed to make things happen the way they have. And, by some miracle of either talent, intelligence, luck, or all three, the way they happened is that we won. It’s all done. We are now officially free to live out the rest of our lives without fear of the Shapeshifters.”

“You mean Sam and his mom.” Mabel corrected him.

“I…” Ford considered that. “Yes… Yes… Sam and it’s… And his mom. We are free to live without fear of Sam and his mother.”

“But we won’t.” Wendy muttered.

“Hmm?” Ford clarified. “What did you say?”

“We won’t.” Wendy repeated. “Dipper’s dead. And we ain’t gonna leave him that way.”

“Oh, and also Robbie!” Mabel added. “Robbie’s probably dead too.”

“And Robbie.” Wendy agreed. “Right… Keep forgetting about him. But anyway, we’re going to save them. And… Okay. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’ve got a good plan. I think that if I went back alone, there’s one single moment that I could change. And if I change it, if I knew then what I know now, then none of this would have happened. I know exactly where I need to go…”

“Well…” Ford winced as he looked down at the tape. “I’m… I’m not sure we can undo Dipper’s death with these. They seem to form stable time loops only and-”

“There’s a switch on the side.” Wendy sighed. “When it’s engaged, you don’t time-travel like normal, it just beams back your brain. It replaces a version of yourself at a previous date. Good for fixing mistakes, I guess.”

“Oh.” Ford flipped the switch, and then stared at the tape again for a minute or so. “But…” His voice was small. “But if we undo everything…”

“Yep. Sam’s mom will be back alive.” Wendy admitted, wishing she could forget that detail. “And Sam will be back in the bunker. It’ll be like nothing happened, because nothing did.”

“You… You saw her though!” Ford wished he wasn’t making the argument that he was. “You saw how dangerous she is! How psychopathic she is! How many people she’s killed! You LIVED through the experience of how MUCH it takes to DESTROY her! We CAN’T risk undoing that! Suppose she catches even the faintest HINT of what happened?!? She could be anywhere, anyone, anywhen…! She-”

“That’s less important!” Wendy retorted.

“It’s not that simple!” Ford pleaded. “Do you have any idea how lucky we were today?!?”

“I have an idea that I didn’t fight across time and space just to hide for the rest of my sorry, miserable life!” Stan tried his best to stop her, but Wendy pushed him aside and struggled to her feet, pressing her arm to her stomach to keep the bandages in place. She stepped right up into Ford’s face, and glared. “I did it because my best friend died, and I want him back…” She told him. “Now if it’s all the same to you, I’m tired, I’m in pain, and I just want to start fresh. So GIVE me back that tape, or YOU are an obstacle.”

“…Ms. Corduroy.” He said. “Be reasonable-”

“Mabel, go for it.” Wendy sighed.

Mabel leapt off a high shelf, and landed on Ford’s back. Her arms and legs all entwined themselves about his face and right arm, and her hair got in his eyes. He stumbled a little bit and almost fell over, so Wendy kicked him in the chest to finish the job, and the time machine flew out of his hand and into the air.

By the time Ford regained his composure, he was lying on the floor, bruised and coughing. Wendy and Mabel were standing over him.

And Stan had caught the tape.

“Stanley…” Ford coughed. “Stanley, you… We… You must realize this is foolishness…! You know we can’t do this again…!”

Stan stared at the tape.

He thought about it all for a good long minute.

“Y’know Poindexter…” He hummed. “When we were out sailing the world this last year… When we heard the siren’s song, did we turn around?”

“We… What?” Ford frowned.

“No. We didn’t.” Stan said. “What did we do? We pulled out our hearing aids, we sailed right in, we kicked their tails, and we found a whole chest of pearls, now didn’t we?”

“Well… Well, yes, I suppose we did, but what does that have to do with-”

“And how about when we ran into that bounty hunter? Did we hide from her? What woulda happened if we hid from her?”

“Then… Then we would have had to leave the rocket launcher behind…?” Ford frowned. “…And… I don’t know, probably would have been defenseless against the cyclocks…”

“And how about that one warlord? If we woulda put up our hands and backed out of that business, we’d be permanently banned from Peru, not to mention never meeting all those babes in that harem of his…”

“We’re in mixed company, Stanley.” Ford glanced toward the children.

“And how ‘bout Bill?!?” Stanley demanded. “When Bill had you during Weirdmageddon, WE were all SAFE! We coulda RAN! Left the town scot-free! Instead these morons drag me along to give up everything for your stupid hide, and wouldn’t ya know it, we just so happened to save this whole lousy dimension along the way!”

Ford nodded.

“And my brain…” Stanley said. “Soon as my mind was wiped, you all started right in helping me back up; mixing up old memories, tickling the old thinker, making me a Grunkle again… Even though ya must’ve worried that you might’ve been stirring Bill up too… Ya coulda left it be, but nooooo, instead you loved me too much, and now we all gotta worry that maybe he’s still rattling around in there, kicking stones and twisting wires…”

“If he ever comes back we can deal with it…” Ford growled.

“That’s what I’m saying!” Stan agreed. “That’s seriously, like, the moral of our entire adult lives; that we DON’T RUN…! Remember, we’re PINES! And Pines don’t leave family behind. We stand by each other through thick and thin… We’re there for each other! No matter what! Seriously, get your head in the game, poindexter…”

Ford’s eyes fell.

The room was silent for a moment.

“All right.” Ford whispered.

Stan handed the tape to Wendy. “Go get ‘em, sweety.”

“But…” Ford implored. “But we don’t know what’ll happen… Nobody can know…”

“HA HA! Well that’s the funny thing, isn’t it?” Stan chuckled. “Cause we kinda DO! Wendy here says she actually once met a future version of herself!”

“Dude.” Wendy frowned at him.

“Yeah!” Stan continued, with a beaming smile. “She was all grown up and everything! And this freaky chick says that her and Dipper are actually married by then! Can ya believe that?!?”

“What.” Ford’s expression went blank.

“EH?” McGucket almost dropped his glasses.

“SQQUEEEEE!” Mabel instantaneously lost all motor control.

“…You did not just say that.” Wendy glared at her Grunkle. “You gave me your word. You scumbag.”

“Wha-haaaaat? I’m rootin’ for ya babe!” Stan put up his hands and took a step back, smiling broadly. “And besides, this timeline is all gonna get undone anyway, so it’s not like I really spoiled anything!”

“This close.” Wendy growled, holding up her fingers to a very narrow width. “This close to having a brick shoved up your nose.”

“Okay, okay, you’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry… Yeah, uh… Okay, that wasn’t cool.” Stan glanced down at Mabel, rolling around on the floor and frothing at the mouth just a little. “Yeah, uh… Hmm… I guess you better get outta here then…”

“Darn right I better…”

“Hey.” He put a hand on Wendy’s shoulder. “You done good kid. I, uh… I dunno what to say besides that this reality bites, so you go back and make a better one. You knock ‘em dead, you grow up to be that hero, and watch out for my nephew, hey? Make sure he does the same.”

“Yeah.”

“And also. You proved me right, kid.” He said sincerely. “This was your day to shine. Even if nobody saw it, you did it, and you proved for good an all that you are that hero. Hope he knows that.”

Wendy nodded.

“…Wait.” Ford said.

They looked down at him.

He stood slowly to his feet, a look of sorrow on his face. “I’m… I’m the villain in this story… I am, aren’t I.”

“The heck are you on about?” Stan frowned at him. “Y’know we’ve got time-traveling booger monsters runnin’ around, not ta mention killer robots up the wazoo…”

“No, I…” Ford rubbed his face through his hands. “I mean… Is it my fault, for treating… For treating ‘Sam’ like I did? Are they just monsters? Or are they people?”

“I treated ‘im bad as you…” Mumbled McGucket. “Like livestock…”

“Hey, what’s done is done.” Stan spread his arms. “Ya didn’t know all this back then, right?”

“But am I still the bad guy?” Ford asked. “Are they people? Do they think, feel, live, choose…”

“I dunno…” Wendy shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Then…” Ford nodded. “That means he has a soul. And that means I misused mine. That means that wrong was done… Uh… Would you mind… When you go back, would you mind telling past-me what happened? You don’t have to tell him everything, just… Just, he would have liked to know what could have been avoided… He’d like to know about the shapeshifter… And about who he is… It occurs to me that I’m sorry for what I did to him. It occurs to me I imprisoned him, and treated him unfairly for many years. If he ever could have been anything more than a monster… I’d have liked to know.”

Wendy nodded again. “Alright.”

“Biscuit Brown.” Ford added. “Carrot Costume.”

“Wait, what?”

“Tell past-me that.” Ford nodded. “‘Biscuit Brown’, and ‘Carrot Costume’… They’re codes. So that he’ll know that it’s serious.”

“Okay…” Wendy repeated the codes to herself with a shrug. They were bizarre, and nonsensical, but that’s part of what made them easy to remember. She fished out the pull-tab of the tape measure. “Guess this is goodbye, then, ish.”

“WAITWAITWAIT *cough* I GOTTA *cough* I JUST REMEMBERED THAT I’VE GOTTA COME TOO!”

“No.” Wendy told Mabel.

“BUT! UH! …But what about Robbie? I gotta stop him from going underground where he could get snagged by the shapeshifter! That means I definitely have to come back with you and uh incidentally know your secret also but that’s just a side detail I mean really who cares…”

“Well…” Wendy knew that, objectively, Robbie’s safety was much more valuable than Mabel not knowing. If it meant him living, Mabel had to come. She glared at Stan. “Now look what you’ve did.”

“Sorry.” He winced.

“Okay…” Wendy realized that she was too tired and worn and injured to even care. She glanced back at Mabel. “Fine… But if you tell anyone else…”

“Even Dipper?”

“Especially Dipper… Ugh… If you tell then I’ll…! I’ll… I dunno, I’ll do something bad… Okay?”

“Okay! I get it. You don’t have to worry. And besides, my vast network of spies would have eventually found out anyway, so it’s probably better this way.”

“…Yeah, I suppose that makes sense.”

Wendy held up the time machine, double-checked that the switch was in ‘unstable’ mode, and gripped her hand around the ‘backward’ button.

Mabel put her hand on the device too, so that the field would encompass both of them.

Wendy checked the time on her phone, then pulled the tape out to 4 days, 2 hours, and 15 minutes, then double-checked her math.

She knew where she was going.

This was going to work.

“Bye friends!” Mabel said. “We go to the past in the name of the future!”

“Adios.” Stan gave thumbs-up.

“Smell ya later!” Fiddleford danced a little jig.

Ford sighed, and closed his eyes. “Farewell.”

“And that’s all she wrote…” Wendy released the tape.

Voom.

Ph qry ermw, zvy ygo lgnlr bzs.

Dhw’v ysfzysev los nyufgzl vt mgkydafn hbv xpsl gm vyi rtfw ophb yox, wgjrwhx cttz zpa, zzmstafn kckn sie, jlgnztr walo vcd… Vprzswg nykj cgmsr lrode s uowfu zzgwlosl, igtsw s mogzrj; a tjlsx knlt ogbzx xxzw dsyuyi gyd klychxkc afv tclv vzwwjmif, lteid los zlzfrw ovifu hp swubfy wuc hwj jvccjcef, sur nykj cgmsr cenlbal h kiiro ox losci uhn… Al dom r jcese avyp nld kzhfyu, gyd vjlog knpy zsk zimko, ak ebqb ry ehwq’k zimko esuo cnykc.

Bml os qry oesv ucq.

Yk hak vlox.

Rto wzwys qry dhw?

Los zfm zf mfjchjitomkusmj ywoodf zcwzpd sfk gbv uaefwk vyi kjek, lv hubk sej xpfmk mzov dvce rz sej flk bfsp.

Il ohg u egcrgo, jmfztorauhz jiodof, oocmv zlld, ktcikn haddz kyik mrgclb ierj bq s zaucr xelss bcgvwe, darsfp csejw mciu czudv is xzyaefklr. Uej ehw xscii cls kdvdyu oywsjk zcbk l szsszin iznw, lvkuij l djspb wfbprwv pb zztp mwko; zcbkwy ewhbn ku noddlqn ykc ujaus uej hakll. Gbv ylt mh hbx dugev sycoej ehw jvcg, rto fgmur ck zz bw kv ggrrw tzsa gbv izudv acotn molz zwxvy lt gfjs.

Myk aewjlr wcudedq hh nyk comfk kucrd, afv mcoej ehsl avyp cprw kswayzwy ljhbmggcefl; hg cw yse owys fzbtny augcuk l gayhbnzi eekl aivv. Uftkaks nyk eutw zhifj wofy swhvy zf glosl kamek au juiozuk kpnyj, gyd af isnnkpn lzlfy nkce ogyyvvtnhwk, sov vwfihelbn, rto sljhbav, zpnlsjzyu iceslbfyj ge wgjr.

Gbv xpcgyuwtvj ehwkl qlvgeujwz; hbve hejw avy jgxe ozpqb ygo ifnhryu npr ogyzx; knp ssel kbzis hsv ksmtkydwv mfid zse kcf hi iulm oaav wrxpfjwl oougnilq; avy jgxe ozpqb ygo kadssx ykc pwgwzy; knp ssel kbzis hsv rwfcko hae.

Hg nyk xifmasm konkwv im uej ehwq wocu npr fg ucnzip, szw zon lv lnv tluue zz wsljv nykx.

Il ibwwbrj bwuhay trpaj lv vyi zsal losmv vlrlajifrx nrwsailvy hejw uscknpr ugueovxprk fvf qrxcigjz, wh wgnt lzlm qvxp nglowhx szrw looh jiteflpgnj, czrcauu nf gyadqgs uej fnvwygnrto add avy kntnyk avyp nld xgbbx. Knpy kwlayu kicallr, okzprdq lbuducev ophb knpij ovfe rto tzwpf wlxtomkphs rto tzw zdyckydav ysmlres gx avyzx dtjsuuy kkdtk. Wphbvx oivf’a yhfc zr vakb’n tgce stvin knp ssnhuy dkehgvz ps nntcz loss’u gnqmaysx knpij kbpdvies.

Wnlbnlgwlq loss dgoe lzlwl ngj dgou hbv rtnw lv vyi zfbw, sur vvmln lg asmk npr.

Lzlm mkank kehzf kuzlk auhi ykc pjazch ku aocw hbx gxzd zwy. Hcjyfe kstdfvy hejw aoevt. Hijwz kyik waav vjyi npr kuhzj ku dcjmawhzfp hwj twhu. Zsejehz, r-igj, afv tcfviflsj kwmgrlcwelbn zslgafn uumk ehwe cwyny lnv yyojyy zf wnlfs jwfajw pbwy uq hwj icxp. Yzmw gm hbv zpslk oilk. Yzmw gm hbvs hejw pbprytvw. Kvay fl ehwe sszk npr laysx rto afyym.

Vlz ehjgbub zz lld, kos hvbpr yscs og npr jwzcfmk lnv zlf wrrx. Afv hg nyk somjz hctqpd tq hbx kacnwv pbnf jlyk, kos qrznhwv avyd, pfsl sz qffyplq sz hbve haluosx ykc. Szw dontnpd lzla fzqp a tayr qrznhwk wfyp, rtkw s nihjrtnywy kukisek s jvucrpnywy, zcbk l dwllqnzbp wsljvyj zse egcsgvte ox s zvuuuhy wflas. Jnp lakashvj eo lzlwl cgygmsns, uej dhw ohhwyko tzwpf avyeujwz ohu zseaj isbrbtojk, hbx jnp csel hi ltoejkaohu zsee. Muryiyeafv avy jizpw sur jlxaokw vt nyktr ogyy, uej ehw kpny rto cgewzyooey gx avcj ysih, sur nyge hwj vkh grlnwl dome’z ehw xpfmk zz rwulwpv yfcz lysukspnl.

Kos ymkytmsszs tgxe lg bbxvxdtsfk hbvs aejxlqnce.

Lnv kos brzpd lzla.

Fftr bwxvfy knp twkag brj noehssnvj, hhadl gbv cls klpzf zt ehw eprmk uq hwj woce, csef kos qry qewdpba ry dmsds ohu gd hwdwzyjy ls kzl spvx, dhw dvcevj zul sa vyi kyeealg, uej xavw osl uknikavb.

Myk xavw hb irzs.

Szw zkiik fpgf owm jufl lzhh myk homdk opvtre zat. Gbv yhojw avuk yse ogbzx fbprugts ucr ehwkl tilr ehafng; mtopnlazhm, juwdawyg, gftdtwjz, ofzkys, sfk shkoce sjtwyj… Yse kovfy knlt kzl kilro gjgd— Ulfc fnlas gbv hpcsel hbv WFEWF vt nyod vwkzsf, rto tzsa gbv czudv RWFC kgejq zwhxrp msf, dcgrt, lnv kuwpvrtny uowfu zsal dpjyu uybgsyr…

Myk dwgjl wn. Lvzn zaz ayducy, sfk ijft lld los xiklmk loon knpy zsk rlvgxt, kzl gqfxp il. Sur qyky szw oox ykc ohhvfnltttq, oosh jknujaam qvte lsp, dvye gwl osz eozke afv avyp gwl zsk hbvoc bsurg nlxyev… Kos qfawd sua ijft tt.

Al dom ftwy s ehhnvx zf lats.

Uej xesfdvcck, dhw ovifu yfrnacs.

“Sfac bagscazill kanbukace vglgh’k sltuz dwny gyy gx avy fzsej uysukacek au vyik, lnv gbf hvacodgnwwrr dcsfz whuonalw avuk ezu darsfp vzskwzg mfsp dwyysy fl deflpshtk. Xojwvjyi, ezu zscsh’k xpshguryu zz tzw asmky ls sf hbcdgw wgmsr, fvgoify bg nf hplawcs nyge ygm hfy zteeflpchrrwy zakwhx ezuj siwfzztek sur cezpldanshtk… Mul… Tbh qv’xp ngl oslv zz hmja mil. Cp rwsszs rxpn’l, A dohk ezu lg bbxvxdtsfk hbrz. He bmzh qrte tg cucq puf. Ww’jl qoiozuk, jpubk? Ezu cfvk qyge cmjpcoj od, dgf’a mil…? Yz… Sg am mil iln mfksljzlnv el, cl zl jom’jl qidvcezwurcem lnqlowhx O’x ssqpba, grpakw nwpv yzmw kvfn fl diyf… P fyrrwy vgu’h gvgy ygm hbs ygcm…”

Kzl zifqpd mh hh Xi. &X/\MJ sk os nrrvev, sur myk fnvwygnfuo pwjmswkrj. Sgelvin zse ‘mfpjyiyll ljhbmcgeoj’ (gy kbrzpvwj os wrrwev loon ukgiuw) zsydko tg tl qidsfnauhhcem oijwjhfp oytg zlf vigtn, kg avuk zse ewhbcem mezaur Xi. &X/\MJ’k fhgucrj, slmjy-og bziuw dom zsaokkppfv zz makz. Pok yse vakb’n ikdpgfk myk. Oy ojvlf zfx ehak ac af npr osf, vy ygo tg ylh bzs eo ljbgn ykc. Szw oox ku rel zpa nf rpt zaz uorxo dgou.

“Dfvgde, s kpuh. Rtj sayu on rrw, rwsszs… Puf kfgd, ky ygo ygm zhiiko walo hbv ayifllzfzmpnl uhfaf, jzwf au hbv rzwwj sspvrd. Ix qvi jiuge lg hqnlgwlq tl o mvteiwfa pyztr, ww uvifu aagjsks sfac salbonzuy walo qyizlif sjqidszdslpchj; lfld-kpnyu wfajllfm, modilgyg, u mgciwlf cz dkllk… Qvi xft’e swwt hi cove lzl ofxgw pskas, vlz he usu tusxtcsll ayrz ls owsz, ii… Uc sowlhm? Uu jom dpyy jcpelk? Johue…?”

Ehak dom ftp ox los mtopnlazhm nnz pjgisx ykc (dav avyp zsifc zvy tuflvf’a fyturnarl vcd?). Hft mfswev zse gloslj, np swwtsx boyd. Kzl’r bvgcd zat cvaknt lg h tyn uq tzw tclv oyvskpjy kkdtk, zl’r xiuapwv swnkrp tjwhhm zteo zwy tyvjtny lbpy wxzm lats nf ztmw, sur bv’j lscwk cpvx lnv gcsl wuc tzw jvueip tg kwsub cttz zlf xzxpcldf. Vy iklldq dom rt sofwzh, qvrw-mwsuwhx, qtnvdf cfu sln, oaavilz lnq ehzctozuk auhyeztofk mcl knp cjwhhoikd hw kaixzko.

“Rwsszs…” Yk znuw huuzt cehwhhyu. “Xpaddf, W xf clnl ooon’j hpsl xvf sfa… Oo qgb… Ri puf hsnl o hrsp? Hsnl o avtoej? Kvaykntny qvi qrte? Afq xiyjztofk mcl dk? Lrw qvi nyk daew zdytops sk avy yudtadlg qyonh slaowbko omj lljcucalavb nvgx…?”

Szw nzueipd sl avy fzsej kjwyeztslk, hg cw yse osz ozigtd gx avyd. Jc. &R/\TB mfintpd, jwjcaeokify osl tuycwju. “Ib… Ln, homdk mil stnv kasjgoyg gma cz knp rggt tii g xoewuh, avtelwelb…?” Bv kycgmyoavj sik uvzfvgruwk, dvcck eujflr ungj fjgt hbv stcjgwviek. “T, uz… A oopv gy ivwh. W nyoyk kzl’g dlye susysx.”

Knpy vak om ztdtjmjhyu, gyd Vj. &Y/\PD kacnwv iowb zz hwj. “Ds’lv gwofw ucq…”

“…De… Xy fsts… Gp tlmw az ███████.” Gbv yaocw pb bvx yalacs frtrusyl, hi uodgmazs nyk qudd llnvte ox zlf cezpldanshtk.

“Fh…” Vj. &Y/\PD jkpmwv zvitqpd. “Owsz bvrwo!” Zw isudko. “I-a-aa’g mf bprq fpqy ku xewl fco, ███████! Knlt’k s cslp rzvwdf budk, fh… A’e zc acgo ygm kswzjpd lg afojz xe…”

“Qgb’fy r ttcw ehb…” Myk fswv h ggrrw taepr pfone, dars nyge ox s scmk mtrd, lv rcjmfikw osl dgwiuw. “P’a mfxcy A vprh’k zllc, A dom aadt kg zquiko, afv P kuezpd lg owxv… Gce… Sjl as dux afv kox zt sejw aci?”

Yk rlsfjsx rxzufv uslmufsdq mcl r ypcgfk. “Ob… Nkwl, fg… Uc, C’d yzrjq, iin pufr egavyi gyd xsavyi… Axm… Vakb’n dgve al. Iin nk’ce sds bctk aeghss bvxp! Ww’jl bik mzify ac blxe ygm! Fco tgy hsnl o hvc soew oslv…”

Gwl zaz kiijd wwjl zcvy, mul kos jzknev lvuyknpr kgts mtxlpk gm hllzs. Sg los myoa mmka vumk wexl vil nuclv. Ol aojz lld tl offtp ngo, vin zt ehw efgnvxtomk cccu. Zsejw pg hf nplh xvf gv, hft lzlfy zy llkg uc bvra fgj avyd… “Axm…” Kzl gbllqlwv osl wkpt. A flsx duce afmcldgeigf. P byvj waqgbhm fl oeucz, shxoyek, uoocey zf ugtauej. T nwwk cok. “Yz… Wzsa wm knts hdhqy vdlcldf?”

Hbv qtnv kjwyeztsl ohgnvj yo lats ce ucgsfpncem l tgmy, gi vgrej ohg bv zz fgkasl tuxmmfpqukozn sfk uifjhidd dwny zsik flkfp-jtsugcslvj tnlwszcxkyt damszfxx. Hw zhr bvx alsulr ce g xuuz avcetpr, hgyhusrp cgfaocekc, afv lgwfxeev zlf nyxzuyz avy cuh-swubfcke lrwsz cz knp szaw, gbfctny zlf nyod afv avuk, kipdspbcem soo los aiggilq kfcmk hojclr, uej ehw zfdyijcinw, hbx knp gqjvgwfvps sfk hbv oxpjgiovzrttq uvflvieigf kmhrszs. Sfk gbv gdkwv awgzj willss mkaaiv ibsmkoznk oowwy np afkdslvj eo lzl pyjz zf zaz ovzrttq.

Oosh knprw ohg zztlldq uc gfxp tg tl uuztpd lzycoxn eadc, zvy rieev. Kos mygaekzptnvj qoj los zzxdt lats mztne zwy shkxlpewuh, nrqtny gu o zfxx sljvba vtzuyz ac viklk lzycoxn ehw ysomj.

Yse jawdyu Jc. &R/\TB’z hbiult gma. Gbv gwsg cpzfvj 6 xojw wsigrp wzg oojgkyev lv py jzlnvauu hvgcbq, sur mgxlywv h hioon sdats uiufnv lv rykkc pmjziyiy. Dhw sas bvx qidd mfid zse tgkwyj (oe wsk zc afuo tg zhjy dklt syhwh), knpn vmjyyu oytg los pvteidsawie yjslwt, kbvxp szw oox r isaful hi jntfl auhi knp fgjt cz r jtfxwyshk yniwfawmk, gyd ugtdijk sejklzz nntlw kos jikaajwk hi gxzpwjsm celtlljhhy knp cjwd.

Pok zse kwjhii cpnl auhi cunkvgdb glis fskasl knln kzl srgkntwv, avy mkytadhhcft ouulz gyrrpd gxm, ohu zse kasshk, lwoslpba xalrvk jogv. Gwtzgbub knpsw jvihu, yeajauu grisifwz kyik calzlf mkaaiv au hbvoc oof ywayz, dhw uvifut’e fggs hbvoc bagtsnion swfzclj; zseq olfy nkwl wibwjgko tg kls nyxzuyz osl uodgmazs. Mf, hpfgjl hbvoc msff kyrvznk, kos mlxcefvlfyu gyd dwa vyiyplx tl rycogejwk putq eo lzl hosk.

Tt kwlayu rtkw s zhyg hlcc, tbh ck clsf’l, mcl jnp hsv ssuitpd. Dwhfhvj zf lzl quggmidaawyj uq hwj lbydops, sfk gidkehafn cz knpij oloeekdswk. Hg nyk hewcz ohu zsokw pbnf sznlzz, ohu gd tzw wceztr afv wfiujtny sur jiumify jchkoyuwv dwnyuft uwhgy, ykc pdsug ymuwvwv hbx xxpw. Xjva bvx eiew vin knprw, kos jlz eoywavyi sptzgkg nf uftoaa hbv jcofwz, hi seaakk scwbjzwfk, ac ezrw enwu aiik aeghss.

Myk vnwo ocq.

Jnp wgmsr mlxginw.

[fearofaherobrine]

Roleplay Server Log #257

“Basil, Levi, and the Mystery Corpse”

[Doc] Bit of a happy tail twiddling around. Xe types in the chat - Hey Deerheart! We rescued another brine, 'Ohana'. Seems really nice.

[Deer] - Oh that's wonderful!

[Doc] Buff helped too.

[Buff] Huge smile- I'm gonna go make some more fruit bars too. - Heads for the castle

[Lie] - I think I'll take mister grumpy home now

[Deer] - That's good.  Yaunfen can't wait for you to get back either

[Doc] Hops up and busks on Lie a little- Thanks for the help guys-

[CP] - FUCKER STOP THAT!

[Doc] No. - Xe pats Cp with a paw- I'm in too good a mood for you to annoy me.

[CP] Swats at Doc-

[Doc] Is just out of reach and chuckles - I need to head home myself-  Xe starts to leave-

[Lie] - Bye Doc!

[Doc] Does a little dip and slides into the ground- xe passes through some of the lower rooms of the house, sniffing around for hir mate and child.

[Deer] She and Yaunfen are having a bit of lunch in the kitchen-

[Doc] Rises up into the shrine, where there's more room and then walks back down into the kitchen in hir human shape-

[Deer] Smiles as her mate enters and motions towards a plate of sandwiches- Victory feast?

[Doc] Absolutely! - Takes one and sits down at the table. Xe smiles at Yaunfen's plate of sweet pastries - Did I miss anything?

[Deer] - No, we a had a rather quiet morning

- The room suddenly gets darker and there's a lot of churning and sloshing sounds above them-

[Doc] Looks up and the glass above them is uniformly black- um....

[Deer] Frowning, she looks up, hoping everything is okay with Lapras-

- the air is rent with an unholy keening noise-

[Doc] Grabs hir head in pain- fuck that's loud!

[Deer] - How do we get it to stop!?

[Doc] I don't know! But I'm going to go have a look

[Yaunfen] Cowers under the table-

[Deer] - I'll stay here

[Doc] be safe, both of you

[Splender] Having heard the noise has teleported over-

-Xe walks outside and holds hit head as the gigantic entity flounders in the bay - What the hell?

[Basil] is glitching slightly -

[Splender] - What's happening!?

[Doc] No idea! Maybe it's sick?

[Basil] Snaps at Doc -

[Doc] Barely managed to get out of the way

[Splender] - Basil please!  Calm down!

[Doc] It's been here a while, is it turning digital maybe?

[Basil] Lots of loud noise and splashing

[Splender] - I don't know!  That's more CP's area of expertise...

[Doc] Maybe he's just hungry? He likes angry energy?

[Mix] -Completely shirtless and covering ears as she pokes her way over, theres sand in her hair and he expression is heavily annoyed- Is that awful noise coming from that thing? -Just, gesture at the flailing sea monstrosity-

[Splender] - Ooooh!  Poor Basil...

[Doc] Yeah, sorry Mix. It's just not happy right now. Not sure why.

[Splender] - It's emotions taste yucky

[Mix] Why not calm it down??

[Doc] We're still trying to figure out how.

[Basil] Rolls over dramatically- Arrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Doc] How did it even get past the lava flows?!

[Splender] - Well Levi and her kind have been known to get into places they shouldn't be able to...

[Doc] That's a terrifying thought since I'm betting they're just as big or bigger...

[Splender] - Oh much bigger, but she can vanish in an instant too, left many humans absolutely confused

[Doc] Well... I say we try the angry thing first. Who's the closest pasta with a bad temper?

[Splender] Concentrates- The pokepastas...  Then CP, then BEN...- He frowns- Jeff and Jane are together and not fighting, that's a little concerning...

[Doc] That's odd, I wonder what they're up too?

[Splender] Shrugs- Now that I think about it, they have been awfully quiet since that incident with MB...

[Doc] That makes me suspicious.

[Splender] Cheerfully- Oh well!

[Doc] I think I'll go check on them-

[Basil] Unpleasant loud noise -

[Splender] - They're beyond BEN's place

[Mb] From his doorway-  SHUT THAT FUCKING THING UP!

[Basil] Hisses at Mb -

[Doc] I'll be back shortly- Xe takes off down the road, shifting and twisting and then flying in crazy jinking motions far out over the village and then the savannah, looking all the while for hir quarry.

-Jeff and Jane are rather well hidden beneath the canopy of the roofed forest-

[Doc] Scuttles down in among the trees, sniffing around-

[Jeff] He and Jane go silent as they hear movement near them-

[Doc] Hunkers down and goes quiet as well. Listening intently-

[Jane] Glances at Jeff as they both strain to hear anything else-

[Doc] Only the tinest tail twitch. Hir eyes dilate slightly.

[Jeff] Hears the tiny movement and crouches a bit lower, knife at the ready, Jane does the same-

[Doc] Is totally silent, but hir phone buzzes softly from hir inventory with an email alert.

[Jeff] And Jane burst forwards, knives ready to be buried into their quarry-

[Doc] Sudden wide eyes as they rush hir and xe swiftly sinks like a stone into the ground.

[Jeff] - Fuck!

[Jane] - Oh, it's the Doctor...

[Doc] Peeks just the top of hir head out of the dirt - Sorry to startle...

[Jeff] Gives off a string of curses as he kicks a tree-

[Jane] - You should know better than to do that around pasta's...

[Doc] Well you went quiet and I got over excited. That's all. What are you guys doing out here?

[Jeff] - NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!

[Doc] Sinks down a little so just hir eyes and top of mane are showing. - I was just asking...

[Jane] - Is there a reason you sought us out?

[Doc] I need someone who pumps out a lot of angry energy to help me for a little bit.

[Jeff] - Would one of the digital pasta's be better for that?

[Doc] No, anyone who yells a lot will do.

[Jeff] Is very tempted not to just to piss Doc off-

[Doc] So.... uh.. yeah... You busy?

[Jeff] - Yes!

[Jane] Nods-

[Doc] I can make it quick. I'll know near instantly if that's what's needed.

[Jeff] - Just fuck off!

[Doc] But if I take you anyway....  you'll be even angrier.... sooo....

[Jeff] Growls and tightens his grip on his knife-

[Doc] Yeah... I think I'll just...

- /Tp InfamousDoctorF and JeffTheKiller to Splenderman/ -

[Jeff] Begins cussing angrily immediately as Jane is left behind-

[Splender] - Jeffrey!  Language!

[Basil] Rolls back over and opens it's impossibly huge jaws near Jeff- Hhhhhhhhhhh

[Jeff] - FUCK OFF!

[Splender] - Jeffrey!

[Doc] Well at least it's getting fed now.

[Basil] shows all its teeth, inhaling deeply in Jeff's direction

[Mix] That's.. Kind of creepy?

[Jeff] Scowls and starts walking off-

[Doc] Yeah it's a bit unsettling...

[Basil] lunges suddenly at Jeff's back with his mouth open. The head alone  is the size of a bus

[Splender] Quickly teleports to get Jeff safely away- No! Bad Basil!

[Basil] Jaws snap closed hard on air and he slides back down into the water a bit. Hissing like a deflating balloon.

[Doc] Holy shit.

[Doc] Backs away from the water quickly- I hate to say it... But maybe thats not all he needs?

[Mix] Meat?

[Splender] - I could ask Levi...

[Doc] shaking hands searching through the creative. Xe takes out a cow spawn egg and taps it cautiously by the shore.

[Mix] -Backs up from cow and shore-

[Cow] just stands there - moo. [Basil] Slips a little deeper and makes a double string of bubbles from his nostrils

[Mix] Might work better if you had something closer to its actual diet...

[Doc] I hate to say it... but I'm morbidly curious about this Levi...

[Basil] Shoots out of the water like a crocodile and snaps up the cow before flinging it violently into the air. There's some scattered screams and the sound of wood being smashed as the cow falls back down directly into the village.

[Doc] Leaps in fear - SHIT!

[Splender] - I can always take you to meet her!

[Doc] I'm seriously considering it....

[Splender] - Do you think it would help Basil?

[Doc] I have no idea. But I do know he looks pissed and he's kind of hazard where he is.

[Splender] - So what will we do?

[Doc] We'll go. Let me tell Deerheart real quick- typing in the chat to let hir mate know Basil is there and they're going out for a bit.

[Deer] - Be careful

[Doc] Mix? You keep an eye on Basil, just make sure no one wanders close to him.

[Jeff] - Can I go now?

[Doc] Yes. And thank you. Even though I know you didn't want to help.

[Jeff] Scowls and storms off, trying to remember how to get back to Jane-

[Doc] I'm ready Splender.

[Splender] - Where are we going?

[Doc] What kind of enviroment do we need? Just anywhere with water?

[Splender] - Deeper water, she's rather big

[Doc] Ummm.... maybe the backside of Dawn's island? It puts us near the water at least, we can go from there.

[Splender] - Okay!- He begins twisting his tendrils to make an opening

[Doc] I'm glad to see you improving at that. It opens up a whole universe of places to go and explore that your brothers can't even touch.

[Splender] Finishes the opening- Let's go!- He strides right on through

[Doc] Follows and is immediately hit with a blast of hot air. The beach is drenched in midday sun and the sand is alive with tiny skittering crabs- Aaaagh! Spiders!

[Splender] - Those aren't spiders...

[Doc] Is trying to avoid them - Ugh! They're still weird!

[Splender] - They're related to the lobsters on the server- Starts heading for the cliffs

[Doc] Oh... - Heads into the jungle after him-

-There's a bit of a yelp and some rustling as something darts away into the underbrush as they approach.

[Splender] - Hmmm,  wonder what that was

[Doc] Sounds like a wolf....

[Splender] Happily continues on his way-

[Doc] Weird place for a wolf. - Xe forges a little ahead and the whisper of a trail they were following ends at a sheer cliff, a wall across their path. - Lets go this way. I can hear the waves more. - Follows the wall-

[Splender] Hums as they walk along-

[Doc] Nearly stumbles into a hidden opening and catches hirself quickly- There's a little cave here. Do people mine solo irl?

[Splender] - Not normally

[Doc] Pulls out a torch and shines it into the opening. Hir breath catches a little. - Someone's been living rough... - There's a sad pile of clothes that looks as though it's been used as a bed many many times, and a little pile of gnawed bones in the other corner.

[Splender] Frowns- Do you think Dawn knows?

[Doc] I don't know. But I'll certainly tell her she has a squatter. Let's get out of here. Just in case they're crazy or something.

[Splender] - Okay!- Skips along

[Doc] Leads through the thick under brush and eventually comes out on another part of the beach. The cliff arches high above them and the water is crashing heavily against the back of it. The shallow sand gives way to rocks and dark depths below as well. Xe looks up at the dizzying heights - Should we just fly up?

[Splender] - I could teleport us

[Doc] Will it hurt me? I don't think I should get drunk right now.

[Splender] - I don't know...  Probably?  What if I teleport and you fly?

[Doc] If you're going to do that,  I'll just carry you. - Xe checks the water around them for any boats and shifts- Just grab around my neck-

[Splender] - Okay!- Grabs onto Doc

[Doc] Steps up and flies up the sheer incline with as little janking about as xe can manage, so as not to dislodge Splender. Xe scuttles along the top edge of the cliff and loafs - Gods... it's beautiful up here. I feel a bit exposed, but the view is spectacular. - All around them is just water, but they're high up and there's a perfect view of the sky from horizon to horizon. It's a balmy day and the sky is dotted with fluffy clouds and distant soaring seabirds.

[Splender] This should work wonderfully!  You may want to brace yourself...

[Doc] Should I stay in this shape? It makes me less nervous, but I don't want to look like I came to start a fight.

[Splender] - It won't matter either way, so long as I'm here Levi shouldn't attack...

[Doc] Loafs a little more tightly and swallows. - I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

[Splender] His face goes calm, a rare expression for him as the slender being focuses, sending out waves of energy over the water.  After several long agonizing minutes the ocean goes quiet, as if all signs of life have fled-

[Doc] I may have the psychic senses of your average potato, but that feels extremely ominious.

- Far below them a massive eye opens under the water, there is a great displacement of water as Levi raises herself up out of the water-

[Doc] Peeks over the cliff and them does a perfect impresssion of Pinwheel pre-neck strike. Extremely quietly- Curse my curiousity.

[Levi] Keeps rising until she is higher than Doc and Splender.  Her massive eye scrutinizing Doc before turning onto the much more familiar figure of Splender-

[Splender] - Levi!

[Doc] Extremely quietly- Hi...

[Levi] Is mostly squid like in appearance as she slaps giant tentacles onto the cliffs.  There are sharp hooks which line the tentacles and dig into the ground as Levi balances herself-

[Splender] - Levi, we have a question...  It's about Basil

[Doc] She is okay with us having him, right?

[Levi] Releases a low screech-

[Splender] - Yup!  So long as he's safe!

[Doc] That he is... What's she saying?

[Splender] - She wants to know why I summoned her here

[Doc] Can she understand normal speech?

[Splender] - Yup

[Doc] Basil is lacking something, I suspect it's diet related. He's been fussy today and tried to eat Jeff.

[Levi] Makes a weird chirping noise-

[Splender] - I don't know Levi

[Levi] Growls-

[Splender] - Um, she wants to know what her child has had available as food

[Doc] We have several kinds of fish, they're small but there's an unlimited supply, and lobsters. And several very angry people on the server to suck bad vibes from.

[Levi] Rumbles-

[Splender] - I don't think so...  Can you show us?

[Levi] Slips back into the water-

[Dawn] Rises up from where she was sitting at the top of the steps - Did you tell it to go away? I'd really appreciate you not summoning massive demons near my island. Mort is hiding under my bed, as well as both our cats and nearly half the chickens.

[Doc] Oh! Sorry Dawn...

[Splender] - Hm?  Oh!  Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you.  But we needed to talk to her, she should be back in a little while

[Dawn] Back? What on Earth are you doing with such gigantic monster? Plotting to attack Tokyo?

[Splender] - Levi is going to show us what Basil needs!

[Dawn] Basil?

[Doc] The monster you had me and Cp scoop up and take away.

[Dawn] It's name is Basil?!

[Splender] - Uh huh!  It's one of Levi's children!

[Doc] A child? Geeeze... I thought he was more like a pet.

[Splender] - Levi is mother to all sea monsters!

[Dawn] I've seen some strange shit, but I'm very glad I don't have a taste for cruising the deep waters.

-The sea goes silent again-

[Dawn] Is gripping hir scythe handle staff nervously-

[Levi] One of her tentacles rises up out of the water and drops half a corpse of an unknown deep sea fish.  It's a bit gelatinous and smells-

[Doc] Starts coughing -

[Dawn] Oh gods! What IS that?!

[Splender] - What Basil needs

[Levi] Let's bubbles erupt from under the water-

[Doc] Ill just... put it away... I'll have to analyze it... holy crap.... And then scrub myself with bedrock so Deerheart won't kick me out of the house... - pulls out a double trunk and starts to stuff the corpse into it-

[Dawn] Is both obviously terrified and a bit green from the stink-

[Levi] Pulses a bit of energy at Splender who leans over to look at her-

[Splender] - Thank you Levi!

[Levi] Just simply vanishes-

[Dawn] She went Outside.... Just like that...

[Doc] Outside?

[Dawn] As far as I can tell, it's like another dimension. Laying parallel to this one. Certain times of the year it's easier for things to come through, but if they're big enough and powerful enough... nothing can keep them out.

[Splender] - Levi is a good friend!

[Doc] Thank goodness for that. I'd hate to be on her bad side.

[Dawn] Next time, just warn me, okay?!

[Doc] Got it. And... Dawn? Do you know you have a squatter on your island? I found a cave with some clothes?

[Dawn] Looks very sad all of a sudden. - That's Blake...

[Doc] He's living like an animal.

[Dawn] He is an animal. And now, that's all he'll ever be. Trust me, it's for the best. - turns to leave

[Splender] - THAT'S SO SAD!

[Dawn] Looks over her shoulder - He was slowly being driven mad by inhabiting spirits. Now he's free.

[Splender] - Still...  So much sad stuff lately, it's made the air on the seed bitter...

[Dawn] Turns- What happened? I thought your place was pretty safe?

[Splender] - CP and Lie were both deleted...  But Doc saved them!

[Doc] It was still harrowing. Both of them had several days of recovering to go through. It was touch and go.

[Dawn] Geeze. Who would do such a shitty thing?

[Splender] - A NOTCH

[Dawn] Oh, one of the Ai's? Is there anything I can do to help?

[Splender] - I don't know, I haven't encountered this one myself

[Doc] He's fully digital, the only thing that seems to hurt him is physcial contact with my scrambled codes.

[Dawn] That is hard. I think it would be easier if he was an actual evil entity from the Outside.

[Splender] - I'm just grateful that Doc and Flux were there to help Lie!  Otherwise she would have been gone for good...

[Dawn] Send her and Cp both my well-wishes at least. And as far as the bad vibes go, I brought this as a precaution because of that creatures energy. Take it with my blessings. Burn it around the server and clear the air- Pulls out a rather large bundle of fragrant sage from her bag and holds it up-

[Splender] - Smells nice!

[Dawn] Hey.... - gets a rather wicked and unsettling look- How about I curse him for you? I don't think I can kill him, but I can make him miserable.

[Doc] I like the sound of that. What do I need to do?

[Dawn] Bring me something that's his. Something he's touched at least that isn't a living thing. Metal object if you can get it.

[Doc] That'll be hard....

[Dawn] Ech. You know where to find me. I'll get the other ingredients in the meantime.  See you guys later, I have to go calm Mort down- Leaves

[Splender] - CP should know of something

[Doc] Agreed. I'll hit him up once I finish with this... corpse....

[Splender] - OOOH!  Maybe EJ can help!

[Doc] Well... I guess so? I'm sure no one would notice the smell if we brought it in the manor....

[Splender] Creates another opening- Let's go!  Let's go!

[Doc] Just slinks in after him and wraps hir tail around hir feet.

[Splender] - Brother!  I'm home!

[Offender] Laying on the upstairs balcony railing- He's in his library bro

[Doc] Waves a paw at Offender, he's way more unsettling while sober-

[Offender] - So what brings you by without the little biting machine?

[Splender] - We have something for EJ to look at!

[Doc] At Splender - wait.... did you leave Pinwheel alone? I mean it's not like anyones going to pick a fight with her, but still... was she at least napping?

[Splender] - Ummmm...

[Offender] - That would be a no

[Doc] Ah well... I'm sure if she was making trouble my carrot would be buzzing like crazy anyway.

[Offender] Grins- Which carrot?

[Doc] It's a phone! But it's also a carrot, I've got it set to vibrate when  I get messages and... I'm going to shut up now.

[Offender] Still grinning-

[Splender] - Brother, do you know where EJ is?

[Offender] - Pretty sure he's in his room

[Doc] Firmly follows Splender with slightly reddened cheeks.

[Offender] Watches Doc's ass as they pass-

[Splender] Knocks on EJ's door- EJ?

[Doc] Mostly hides behind Splender-

[Splender] Hears no response and opens the door- EJ?

-There's a sound of vomiting coming from the bathroom-

[Doc] Shifts down to hir smaller shape - that doesn't sound good...

[Splender] Hurries in and opens the bathroom door-

[EJ] Is hunched over the toilet- Fuck off Splender

[Doc] Oh dear...

[Splender] - EJ what's wrong?

[EJ] - Nothing

[Doc] Doesn't sound like nothing. What are your symptoms? Just vomiting?

[EJ] - Fever...  Cramps...  Been happening since you fucking "fixed" me

[Doc] Is it possible you're still aclimating to the transplanted organs?

[EJ] - Possible...  Fuuuuck...- He leans against the toilet

[Doc] You know... adjusting when and how much you eat may help. Not just what. They're digestive organs, they need time to heal, if you stuff yourself you'll get crampy and nauseated. Try eating six little meals instead of three big ones.

[EJ] - Oh just fuck off

[Doc] Is getting that look again - Actually! I did a little research on transplants after you left, what do you know about gastric neurostimulators?

[EJ] - Probably more than you

[Doc] Have you tried it?

[EJ] - No, because of the EMP fields

[Doc] Oh, well... if there's anything I'm good at, it's shocking people! Give me a minute. - Rustles around in hir pockets for something metal-

[Splender] - Do you want some water EJ?

[EJ] - No

[Doc] Settles on a compass and melts the glass front partly away before twisting the metal pointer nearly to breaking and filling the inside space with statick and bad code. Xe seals the face again and shakes it. There's a tiny hum from the glitched object and a soft bzzt! as it delivers a tiny electrical shock. - Tasty! Here, just hold it on your abdomen.

[EJ] Flips Doc off-

[Doc] Oh come on. Just try it once. It also wouldn't hurt you to puree your food now and again for easier digestion.

[Splender] Grabs the compass and holds it against EJ- Just try!

[EJ] Gets a small shock and groans-

[Doc] Do I need to turn it up?

[EJ] - Why are you even here?

[Doc] I needed a second opinion. I'm carrying a corpse.

[EJ] - Of what?

[Doc] I have no idea. I was hoping you could identify it.

[EJ] - Well where is it?

[Doc] In my inventory. It's pretty stinky. I didn't want to just flop it out anywhere and ruin the carpet.

[EJ] - And that would be a problem in this house how?

[Doc] Points at self- This is me being polite.

[Splender] Pokes EJ with the compass again-

[EJ] Yanks it out of Splender's grip and tosses it up onto the sink-

[Doc] Winces slightly-

[EJ] - Well, show it to me

[Doc] Okay...  - Xe backs off a little and shakes the trunk upside down. The hunk of rotten flesh thumps heavily onto the floor and sags on it's broken bones. The air is instantly filled with the stink of dead fish and muck from the deep.

[EJ] Proceeds to vomit-

[Doc] I warned you.... Use the compass.

[EJ] Can't stop heaving to talk-

[Doc] Takes out some of the sage Dawn gave her and lights it, shaking the smoke around as much as possible.

[Splender] Perks as a staticky noise travels through the air- Oh!  So that's what it is!

[Doc] Huh?

[Splender] - Brother recognized the smell, it's a -Insert static noise here-

[Doc] Okay... I guess it doesn't translate well to common.

[jainarepellista]

Tower of God S2ch243 Rough Translations

take a shot whenever Evan says princess

If you have any comments / questions / complaints regarding the translation, please contact me. Also, please link this blog if sharing to others. Thanks!

Mhm. I met him.

Yeah. He's taking the test.

I don't know. Of course it's difficult.. But I'll just have to put my trust in him.

Huh..? What are you talking about?

What?!

Two of the 13 Months are ignited at the same time!?

!!

Princess?!

?!

Kya-!!

That's..

the ignition  of a 13 Month...!!

Ooh-

...What the? That person?!

Could she be.. the one Karaka was talking about!?

43F Hell Train - Floor of Death - 12

Aaah-!!

What's that?!

Pr...

Princess..?

?

!!

Something's wrong with her!!

!!

Pr.. / Princess?!

(I'm also here!)

Aaack!!

Aaaagh!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!

Frog Fisher Desire for Appetite

Aaaaaaaahh!!

Pr.. / Princess..!!

It's like she's lost her mind..!!

What the heck happened to her?!

T-that was massive..

But.. isn't there something odd about her?

(She even attacked an ally..)

W-what's going on? / My body's not regenerating..!!

If that dwarf didn't block it, my whole body would've been blown away..!!

That..

is seriously dangerous..!!

Gah!!

I have to run away..!!

!!

?

What the heck are you!!

Sanchez Release Real Form

Walcott's body didn't regenerate!!

What in the world-

did you do!!

!!

(What?!)

She stopped my attack so easily..?

Be careful!! Sanchez!!

It's..! Coming back..!!

Gaaaaack!!

Sanchez!!

Take this..!!

!?

Walcott..!?

No way..

He's dead..?

What?

Immortal people

die easier than I thought?

Ah- This is so refreshing- (alt. exhilarating)

It's been a long time since I breathed in air from the outside-

Princess..?

Joe-nim!! Walcott is!!

d-dead!!

Fuck!! How!!

The guards inside the castle are getting restless (alt. agitated)!

...... I'm sure of it..!!

Joe-nim!!

That person..!!

I can escape this place if I capture her!!

Let's go.

At the same time Passage to Grand D'za's Castle

It's quiet.

Does that Grand D'za person really live here?

Yeah. / Just a bit more and we should see his residence.

!!

Those are..!?

The huge monarch (lit. great king) lizards that inhabit this place!! / They're usually docile but they turn aggressive towards intruders..!

Leave those guys to me!

?!

!!

Those creatures are scared of the light from the lightbulb.

They're not immortal unlike the leeches, but they flock together when attacked so it's better to drive them away.

C'mon!!

Thank you!! / We would've been in huge trouble if you weren't here, Mata-ssi!!

Haha!! It's no big deal!!

But if Mata-ssi's been in this place..

were you here with him too, Hockney-ssi?

I... don't know.

I hardly remember my past.

What?

I lost my memories somewhere.. / Mata found me after I revived.

I heard a bit about the old me from Mata..

But for some reason, I can't remember the memories that I lost. / Although I'm sure that I was being chased by that Hell Joe person..

and by chance, a part of my soul went in my painting of the "crimson light"

That's why I was able to get out of this place with this body.

Your soul.. is in your painting!?

Yeah. / I don't know how it happened.. / But thanks to that, my soul got released from the Room of Souls.

Hell Joe thought I could put souls in my paintings. / So he captured me and ordered me to draw his portrait

But I refused.

He got angry and sold my painting of the crimson light. (That jerk..)

Why did you not draw his portrait?

...That's.. 'cause I don't want to draw when I'm forced..

(That's the pride (lit. stubbornness) of an artist)

(Hmph!)

Ah..

Just so you know, I've actually never seen the complete painting with my eyes. / It was already gone when I opened my eyes after losing my memory.

But ever since I lost it, one side of my chest always felt so empty.

So I thought that if I find all of my paintings and see them as a whole- / it will fill this empty place in my chest

and I will remember my lost memories.

And perhaps, these monstrous eyes-

will turn to normal once again.

Eyes..?

Actually, I..

could see the present together with the future.

What!?

In my field of vision, I can see the present and a few seconds of the future together.

For example, I can see a person jumping and then tripping after a few seconds at the same time.. / Although I can somehow suppress them if I really try.

But at critical moments, they forcefully show up.

Everyone wants to exploit this ability / But to me, it just hinders me from drawing.

Doesn't a painting capture a moment suspended in time in its canvas?

But all I can draw is distorted time and space. / If I focus on painting, I see the present and future together..

To me, these eyes are only a curse..

Before, when I was climbing the Tower / a woman who happened to be a team member asked me to draw her.

She was a pretty good person.. / and I also needed a model so I accepted.

Her laugh fit her round face quite well. / And I wanted to draw her smiling.

So I held my pencil to capture the moment when she smiled.

But at that moment, her face-

changed to a face full of pain after a flying needle pierces her neck in the future.

I was so surprised that I yelled out to her. But in an instant the needle flew and struck her neck. / She died on the spot.

I found out later that she was working with another teammate to kill me and take the items I had with the painting as the bait. / But because I made a sound after seeing the future, the other teammate missed and hit her instead.

Someone said I managed to save myself because I could see the future.

But.. it's not like that.

Hm?

I just want to see the "present" as it is.

Even if that needle struck and killed me- / I wanted to feel the beauty of that pure smile.

I wanted to draw that moment even if it was a lie.

I think it's best- / when the past, present, and future all exist in their rightful places.

The past me living without knowing the future me.

That's the most important thing to me right now.

.........

So I'll help you find what you're looking for.

Hm?

Since you're helping me out, Hockney-ssi-

I'll help you find your painting too when I'm done with this

Y-you don't need to!!

Nope! Actually, I'm also in a similar situation as you..

?

so I want to help..

My friends would want / to help you too for sure.

(Although Koon-ssi would grumble a bit.)

..........

Friends..

Th... / Thanks.

You're welcome. Thanks too for helping me!

Hmmm...

.....Hockney..

We're here..!

D'za is beyond that!!

The sound of waterfalls..?

I can feel it..

A piece of the thorn..

is definitely in there..!

...........

Intruders.

[ruiningvoldemortday]

GoF Chapter 36- The Parting of the Ways

- Dumbledore doesn't even look at Voldemort with "disgust", which just goes to show what a great Death Eater Barty is - A lot of the Death Eaters are better characters than Voldemort tbh - He even managed to nauseate McGonagall - You don't need to bring Fudge into this why would you do that he's a jackass - Dumbledore could you maybe do something about Harry's leg - She writes Harry's shock so well.  "Numbness and a sense of complete unreality" :( - Sirius all white and gaunt and terrified for his godson gaaah - And he's the only one beside Barty to realize Harry needs to sit down - Fawkes is here to be all comforting <3 - Dumbledore's probably right that Harry needs to deal with all this ASAP but like let the boy process damn - I wish I had a phoenix - And Dumbledore making him face all of it right away actually helps! - Dumbledore knows how hard Voldemort just fucked himself over but why would he tell Harry that would make sense - "The Reverse Spell effect"?  This is just a thing? - What are the odds that the two most important wands in the Wizarding world come from the pet phoenix of the most powerful wizard in the world -  "An echo" that says exactly shit about what just happened - Sirius burying his face in his hands at the mention of Lily and James is heartbreaking - FINALLY someone fixes Harry's leg - Sure, Dumbledore's allowed to question him but no one else is - Though tbf Molly would never be able to keep calm over something like this - Sirius settling into a chair in dog form is kind of adorable - Fudge you are the WORST. - Angry McGonagall is scary af - FUDGE WHY WOULD YOU BRING A DEMENTOR AND LET IT JUST GET OUT OF YOUR CONTROL WHAT THE HELL WHY WOULDN'T YOU WAIT FOR HIM TO CONFESS WHAT THE SHIT - Also what a waste of a villain - Fudge refusing to see reason because he's the Minister and he's always right and anyone who disagrees with him is lying or making shit up is REALLY cringey giving Certain Things happening irl nowadays - Sirius growling at Fudge says it all really - That Rita Skeeter article is the basis for all of the shit in Order of the Phoenix holy shit - God fuck you Fudge - But at least the wizards have the decency to throw him out in disgrace in HBP.  *stares at America* - Just because you've never heard of something doesn't mean it's impossible you piece of shit - Dumbledore's fucking pissed - Malfoy being from an old family and donating to the government being enough to clear him of being part of the magic KKK and a murderer is ARGH. - And Macnair working for the government doesn't absolve him of anything either - Was this really written seventeen years ago because it's quite topical and I am raging - Fudge even has people talking sense right at him and refuses to listen and aaaagh - But really dementors were a bad idea in the first place - But like why is extending olive branches to people/creatures you don't want against you a bad thing I don't understand - I will say this about Dumbledore.  He does not like Republicans. - Or the British magical version of them, idk much about British politics - "It matters not what a person is born but what they grow to be" underrated Dumbledore quote - You can either take action and be a great leader or you can shout at anyone who disagrees with your delusions and have a 23% approval rating - For once Snape does something good and it still isn't enough - Please don't get in touch with Dumbledore about the running of the school, no one wants Umbridge.  Pls. - "We know what Fudge is" and yet you work for him - Seeing all these plans Dumbledore's making that come to fruition in the next book is kinda cool - Maybe getting Molly out of the room before revealing the convicted criminal would have been smart - Dumbledore trusting Snape is not enough to make him a good guy I'm sorry - A lack of hostility is much more likely - "Lie low at Lupin's" I want this story.  Sirius and Lupin reunited.  Snape as an awkward unwanted houseguest.  Yes. - Molly Weasley is the best - "He had no memory of ever being hugged like this, as though by a mother."  I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING

[crabsticksforbreakfast]

I haven’t been on here for a while...

In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I updated you. I guess I could sum it up by saying, things were going well, really well, and then they weren’t, and now I’m confused and a little bit screwed up.

A few weeks ago everything seemed fine. S2 and I were talking pretty much every day, but underneath, something was bubbling up that I only vaguely suspected... S2, it seems, got scared.

During the last half term, he was getting pretty brave, and so was I. We even had a few “almost” moments. One of these was him messaging me to tell me his parents had gone out, effectively hinting that I could come round, but then he said they weren’t out for long which put me off going over. I really didn’t want the “first time” to be rushed. Going round his for a quick one would have cheapened the whole thing and I would have regretted it. As well as “almosts”, there was also one time when I invited him out for a drive. He neither said yes or no, and when it came down to it, and he got in touch with me that day, he decided it was too late, but he “would have if it had been earlier”. He also fobbed me off with the old excuse that he’d be working a lot during the week. When we reunited after the holiday, he told me he hadn’t gone in at all. Although to any sane person, all of this would have set off alarms, I settled it in my mind as I knew he was always going to be difficult to pin down.

Back at work, things were good. The banter flowed, and after hours, we still messaged. There were a few days when it trailed off, but I put that down to him leaving me to revise for my uni exam. And sure enough, once the exam had been and gone, he started messaging me again. This was on the Friday after he had made some hints about having a boring weekend ahead of him. I deliberately ignored his hints as I had told him during the holiday that I wasn’t going to ask again, and if he wanted to do something, it was up to him to ask me.

On the Friday we flirted, and on the Saturday, I went out with WW and Twin all day, which S2 knew about, so we didn’t talk at all. On the Sunday, we messaged again a little during the day, then a lot in the evening. Things got steamy, scarily so in fact. The things he was saying and coaxing me to say pushed me out of my comfort zone, and in the end I kind of snapped. Then, everything spiralled out of control between us and it ended with him telling me he hadn’t meant any of it and it was all just a “fun conversation”. I was mortified and said that if that was the case, we should stop. And it did. He said a couple of irrelevant things, then I pleaded for him to let me sleep, and when I checked my phone an hour later, he had deactivated his Facebook account. I felt the bottom fall out of my world. It was over.

The next day at work was awful. He avoided me like the plague and in the few moments we were in the same place at the same time, I couldn’t look at him. I felt humiliated. If this was all a joke, then I was surely the punchline. I felt the need to protect myself from him, and the only way I could do that was to shut him out. He stayed away, and as much as I wanted this, it also made me angry. I wanted him to fight to keep me. I was livid, yes, but I still loved him.

During that dreadful Monday, we finally found out about our jobs and whether they were safe or not. Mine is, S2′s isn’t. As the week went on and the odds were worked out, S2′s hopes of remaining at work seemed slim to none. He was devastated, but I didn’t know that because we weren’t talking. From what he had said to me on Sunday, I believed he wanted to leave. Either way, I was still too emotional to say or do anything. I didn’t even know what to feel most of the time.

On Thursday, I was in a mess. I was so confused and angry, and I missed him. All I could do was stare at his greyed out face on Messenger, willing him to return, but it seemed unlikely. Nothing made me feel better, even though I was really trying to keep afloat. Then, in the evening, a friend of mine who lives down the street posted something on Facebook which I commented on, and somehow it ended with her inviting me over for a cup of tea and a rant. I gladly accepted and went over, and I was shocked how she already seemed to know what was wrong.

“It’s about a guy, isn’t it?” She asked, sorting the tea. “Or should I say, a boy? Well, he’s not a boy, but he is very immature.”

How did she know? I was dumbfounded. As much as I credit S2 with a lot of maturity in some ways, he does have some very childish aspects, and in fact, during our spat, he admitted to being childish. It seemed weird to me that my friend, let’s call her Hen, knew so much. She led me into the garden and we sat on a bench. She told me to spill, so I gave her a summary of the whole story from beginning to end. Her perceptions were:

* He likes me, he’s just scared of commitment * He is autistic (she put it as eccentric, but later clarified that’s what she meant) * This wasn’t a lost cause, but it would have to be me who made a move to fix things * I should do something to show him how I feel - a handwritten letter

I resisted her idea at first (aaaagh, emotional vulnerability), but then she said something that really resonated with me.

“At this point, you have nothing to lose, do you? Pull the plaster off.” She was right. I really did have nothing to lose. He wasn’t even speaking to me, so if I lost him officially, it wouldn’t really be that different. I decided to do it, no matter how scary I found the idea.

Then, as we were discussing the situation further, Hen turned to me suddenly.

“Who’s Alice in your family?” She asked. I couldn’t think. There is no Alice in my family. Hen then said she was someone no longer living and I vaguely remembered there being an Alice far back in my family tree. I asked Hen why and she said, “She’s standing right here.”

My heart skipped a beat and a rush of positivity ran through me. Hen then gave me a few images to prove the validity of her claim, such as describing something in my house (a house she has never been inside). She then started to talk about my Grandmother, and to my amazement, she was also there! Hen passed on several memories from my Grandmother that she could never have known about, and then my Grandad appeared too! I said to Hen that I’d have loved to know what my Grandmother would have thought of S2 as it all started around the time she died. To my astoundment, Hen said, “This is very out of character for her, but she’s standing here doing this...” and put her two thumbs up. Thumbs up! That was mine and S2′s “thing”. The amount of thumbs we must have sent each other! I hadn’t mentioned that at all when I told Hen the story!

The spirits didn’t stop coming, and before I knew it, my brother was there, as well as my beloved Great Grandmother who has visited me before, my Grandmother’s brother, my old manager, my missing cats, and some other animals. The messages kept coming and coming, and some of them were so scarily accurate that there was no way this could have been fake. Hen knew all the names of my relatives, as well as details such as how old they’d been when they died, and how long they had been dead for. She even knew there was a cat buried in my garden. That happened YEARS before she moved into the street!

Hen’s husband cooked her some dinner, so I had to leave, but I felt like I was floating on a cloud! I’d been pulled back from the brink, if I’m honest. I had had a few worrying thoughts, but this boosted me to the point where I felt determined to fight and fix things, not just in terms of S2, but I wanted to take steps to make my whole life better. My Grandad had told me off for hating my body so much, and also for constantly checking to see if S2 had messaged me. He said he knew it would be hard for me to stop completely, but told me to ween myself off of it. I knew he was right. It was time to hang back, and as he put it, “go with the flow”.

The next day, I knew it was time to talk to S2. The plan was to get him alone and ask if we could stop being awkward. I didn’t need to in the end. When I arrived at work, I went to the exam room where the team were setting up. S2 was sitting with his back to me as I entered, and at that moment, I was too nervous to even look at him. As I buzzed around, I glanced at him and saw that he was watching me with a painfully sad expression on his face. It cracked my heart in two, but now wasn’t the time, not with everyone else there.

Once I’d gone to complete a small task, I returned and sat in the exam room, which was now empty. S2 was talking to the kids outside the door, then he came in and walked over in my direction, and as he glanced up at me, I managed to give him a tiny smile. It was as if I had pressed a button as he suddenly started to mumble something. I asked him if he was OK. He said he was and asked the same of me. We then had a very pointless conversation about tea until a student came in for a chat, which further helped to break the ice as it bridged the gap between us a little more.

Later on in the day I got another chance to talk to S2 alone and I asked him what was going on for him job wise. He was planning to apply for a teaching job, which in my mind seemed perfect for him, but he said he didn’t really want it. I couldn’t see why, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up by assuming he wanted to stay here for me. I gave him some reassurance then he went off to do something else.

That afternoon, Diva and I were discussing the work situation and I ended up getting really passionate about things, probably to the point where I made my feelings for S2 quite obvious, but of course Diva didn’t let on that she knew. We were pondering about the various people who for some bizarre reason are able to apply for S2′s job before him, and how we could put them off so he stood a chance of staying. I felt like a warrior and I no longer cared how obvious it was. Despite all the crap that had gone on between us, I still cared about S2 and wanted to fight for him.

Over the weekend, I had a chance to get my head together a bit. Skittles and I went to a gig to see one of my all time favourite bands. Their songs reduce me to tears and have always been somewhere to turn to when I’ve felt sad. At the gig though, I felt nothing but happiness as I sang along just a few feet from the stage. The next day, I felt inspired to work on some more music of my own. My Grandparents had also suggested I do this. As if by magic, I ended up writing a really good song that said everything I was feeling and also would have been obvious to S2 that it was about him. Even the title gave it away. In a moment of bravery/recklessness, I posted my song on Facebook. I kind of wanted S2 to hear it, but I didn’t expect him to, seeing as he wasn’t even active any more... I checked one last time and saw he was still missing, then went to bed.

In the morning I woke up and almost jumped out of my skin. He was back! I almost cried. But then I noticed that even though he was back, and still my friend, I had no ability to message him. What? Had he blocked my messages somehow? I couldn’t work it out. It would have been such a harsh move, and it didn’t make sense for him to do it, so I decided to go into work and see what happened rather than try to find explanations for it all - go with the flow.

At work, I was amazed at how normal S2 was being with me. I also caught him perving at my boobs. I knew even more than before that all he’d said about not meaning to flirt with me was a lie! He didn’t mention Facebook and neither did I, and when I got home, I had an idea. I deleted Messenger and reinstalled it, and that fixed the problem. I was now able to message him. I wasn’t going to, but at least I knew he hadn’t blocked me.

Throughout the week, things got better and better between us. We were talking like nothing had happened and sitting together at lunch. It also seemed like there was a little more hope for him staying around at work. I even played a part in this as I had managed to convince Nem to apply for a job elsewhere rather than go for S2′s job. There was no way I was going to let her take him away from me and weedle her way even deeper into my territory. Of course I put on a great act as supportive friend/motivational speaker, and there was no malice in my plan as such. It was all about preserving S2′s job.

Then, on Friday, I did something stupid. Stupid isn’t even the word... Embarrassing... Shameful. Yeah, those could work! I did something that would scare the living daylights out of any Facebook stalker... While hovering inside our chat, I accidentally managed to press to invite him to Messenger, which he has obviously not reinstalled. Crap, crap, crap!!! I panicked, the blood draining from my hands. How on Earth was I going to talk my way out of this one???

In the end I decided the best thing was to tell the truth, or a less pathetic version of it, that I had opened the chat then pressed it by accident. If he questioned me any further, I guess I’d just have to admit that I was looking at the chat because I missed talking to him. I think I’m beyond the point where I’m going to fight to preserve my dignity. Being made to feel like a joke had already put an end to that. Plus, with this uber emotional letter in its draft form, there was already a whole sack of emotional vulnerability to come...

I went to work knowing he wouldn’t see the notification until he next went on Facebook. I’d just have to act normally and enjoy my last day of freedom before he realised I was nothing more than a crazy stalker. Ugh. Luckily, the day was great. At lunch, he was ridiculously chatty and positive. It really did feel like old times, but I could tell he was still very conscious of how he was acting with me, trying not to be flirtatious. I tried not to over analyse it. He may have just been holding back because he knew how much he’d hurt me before. Who knows?

Then, at the end of the day, we bumped into each other as I was leaving and he gave me the biggest, most excited smile, like he was so pleased to see me. I still felt wary at the time, but once I walked away, I just felt happy. Things are OK between us, whatever that means at this point! Maybe this is just a bump in the road. Maybe hope isn’t lost!

Oh, and he still hasn’t seen my invite on Messenger! Aaaagh!!!