#so the city naming system has finally made an appearence!

[cilly-the-writer]

SHADOWS OF SORCERY | Part 17 | “Shadow of Thread” | 1,642 words

Suggested music listening for the vibes: Darkside by Neoni because Elora has entered her villain era and she’s using her mind control ability

      News of Kaden Brush's near death experience—and his stolen magic core—swept through the school quickly. It was one of the biggest threats a sorcerer could imagine. Having their magic taken from them. The vulnerability was frightening.

     Somehow, the Regents Academy of Magic managed to convince the Power Authority to give him a spare magic core—taken from someone undeserving of magic. It was rare for them to redistribute magic.

     Usually, they just destroyed it. 

     A one-time exception was made. Perhaps to maintain the school's reputation and reduce hysteria. It was an immense grace. But Kaden Brush wasn't exactly immensely grateful.

     "This is so dumb…" Kaden said under his breath, while he stood in one of the school’s magic practice rooms. He breathed in and out before he waved and a purple light flashed through the air like a child had waved a sparkler.

     It wasn't supposed to be so static.

"Why couldn't they at least give me developer magic? Why do I have to start all over?"

     Suddenly, a knock came at the door and Kaden stopped in place.

"This room's taken!" Kaden yelled. But that didn't stop the knocker from entering.

     Elora Spade stepped into the training room with her firelights, Imogene following beside her.

     "We heard you're a caster now." Elora said. "We thought you could use some help training."

     Kaden made a face.

     "I don't need your help."

     "Well, do you think you can help me?" Imogene asked. "I don't really know how to use my casting magic…"

     Kaden blinked. What the hell? Is she stupid? I just got my magic. She should know how to use hers.

     Imogene refrained from letting her friendly smile crack too much… Some people's thoughts were certainly harder to read than others. Imogene simply moved her hand and demonstrated what she meant—her purple light sparking up in static just like his.

     "Fine."

     Elora closed the door and then moved in toward Kaden.

     "Well, I'm pretty good at casting," Elora set her hands on his shoulder as she began to position his arm for him, despite the reluctance on his face. "The key is just finding the right flow to control it.”

     But her touch sparked something in Kaden's eyes and he jumped back. His memories had all come rushing back to him: targeting Elora on the bike path outside of school grounds and being mind controlled after he scared off her firelights. 

     "You're—!"

     "Yes." Elora said, gesturing to control his movement so he couldn't escape. "And you're going to tell me everything you know about the person who sent you."

     Kaden tensed at the way his body froze in place. He couldn't move.

     "I swear—I don't know who he is—." Kaden said.

     "What did he ask you to do?"

     "Just—just to get you. He said he wanted rare and exceptional abilities. He had a list of people… but he wanted you the most."

     "Who else was on the list?"

     "I don't know… but he told me not to bother Charlotte Gallison."

      Elora traded uneasy looks with Imogene. Then Elora proceeded to cast her energy magic around Kaden, seizing him in pain. Her firelights even flew back to hide behind Elora.

     "Where is he keeping all the magic cores?"

     "I don't know!" Kaden cried out in pain. "He showed me the room, but it was like a pocket dimension or something. He only let Devin know how to get in. Not me."

     "Where did you meet him before that?"

     "He always met me at the edge of campus, by the school nature trail." 

     "Well, maybe you can lure him out there for me. So I can take care of this once and for all."

     "No! Please, he'll kill me!"

     Elora fell silent as she released him from her mind control. He dropped to his hands and knees and coughed as he caught his breath.

     Imogene sensed his fear and regret while Elora's silence lingered. She glanced over at Elora with a sorry look in her eyes, not wanting to lure him to his potential death. Even if he had tried killing Elora. It just felt too cruel…

     Elora exhaled.

     "Well then, what about Devin? Where did he go?"

     Kaden lowered his brows at her condescending tone.

     "I don't know. He didn't tell me anything. All I know is that the extractor guy gave him a new magic core.”

     “Hmm.” Elora shifted her weight onto one leg and mulled it over. The magic cores had to be coming from somewhere. “Alright.” She stepped toward Kaden and he sprang backwards.

     “Wait—what are you—.”

    But she controlled him before he got any further away. 

    “You’re a loose thread. You’re going to forget this conversation.” She set her hands on the sides of his head and looked coldly into his panicked eyes. “And you won’t do anything to help the extractor anymore.”

     Elora let go and fell back, watching as Kaden shut his eyes and instinctively held his head at the surge of numbness and pain. She had messed with his head. The effects were still settling into place. It wasn’t just instant. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes in a dazed state.

     “What just happened?”

     “Are you okay?” Elora asked. “You just took a hit to the head. You said you could block it.” 

     Kaden rubbed his head, not remembering anything after Elora had begun to give him pointers.

    “Yeah, I guess…” 

     Imogene’s brows fell as guilt sank in.

     “Why don’t you try to hit me instead?” Imogene said. Suddenly forming a very small energy field in front of herself.

     Kaden sighed and shook his head to clear his thoughts. He positioned himself to wave an energy blast at her. He had the right spirit in the whisk of his hand, but the blast separated into static energy clouds that thinned and dissipated before they even reached her energy field. He was still thinking like it was developer magic. Like objects to be conjured.

     Elora realized exactly what Imogene was doing. They were supposed to leave after she interrogated him, but Imogene didn’t want to leave him defenseless. Elora exhaled.

    “Casting magic is fluid. Think of it like water.” Elora did a demonstration and pushed and pulled a blob of purple light around in the air in front of them. Her firelights hovered excitedly in awe as they gleaned a look.

     Kaden didn’t say anything. He simply looked down at his hands and tried to form something similar, on a much smaller scale. It came out more fluid this time. But not perfect. He concentrated on it, and the longer he did, the more it deteriorated.

     This was going to take a while.

     They practiced well into the morning, past noon. 

     Imogene even invited him to grab a bite to eat with them later on, but he declined. The two girls left from there and headed to the campus library, where they checked into a study room. Elora walked right up to a podium with a purple tinted glass pane covering the top and set her palm over it, a magic seal lighting up across it.

     “Articles about magic cases near Region: Redwood Sparrow Rivers.”

     In a moment, a newspaper lit up and appeared under the glass. Elora glossed it over and pressed her palm to the glass again. A flashy purple light replaced it with a different newspaper. She kept pressing her hand to the glass to reveal the next one in the library’s records.

     “So you do remember Kaden tried to kill me, right?” Elora glanced back at Imogene before she resumed browsing.

     “I know…” Imogene said guiltily. “But when I read his thoughts… he didn’t understand why he felt so much… I don’t know… apathy for you before? Don’t get me wrong. His thoughts are very… apathetic. And they threatened to take his magic. So there’s that. But what if they have an emotion influencing ability and they used it on him?”

     Elora made a squinting face, deep in thought.

    “Maybe. But influencing abilities just change your mood. They don’t make you do things you’d never do. Like kill people.”

     “You’re right…” Imogene said. “But…”

     Elora sighed.

     “But what?”

     “He just wanted a materialization ability.” Imogene’s voice got sad.

     “That’s literally the most common dreamer magic there is… He could have at least tried to kill me for something cool like teleporting. That’s so stupid.”

     Imogene fell silent. She stood behind the room's study table and waved her hand over a single spot, conjuring a glass of orange juice alongside a sandwich on a plate. She raised the glass and before she took a sip, she said:

     “Is it?” she raised a brow.

     “Oh.”

     “Anyway, he thought it would change his family’s life. They’re all realists. They don’t have any dreamer magic.”

     “What do you want me to do? Adopt him?” 

     “No, of course not,” Imogene said. “But do you think you can mind control him one more time?” 

     Elora raised her brow this time. But before Imogene could elaborate, Elora stopped and stared at the newspaper that came up next. She pressed her hand over the glass and the glass vanished for her to take it. 

     “Hey… I think these people used to work for Jaelin’s grandfather.”

     Elora held the paper out for Imogene to see. It was titled: EMPLOYEES OF CORE MAGIC SYSTEMS SENT POISON CORES. 

     They took it down to Jaelin's room and knocked at the door, waiting for him to respond. He opened the door, saw who it was, and cut them both off; rattling off a question:

      “Hey—are you starting to think that the person who took Kaden's magic might be the same person we’re looking for? Because I am.” Jaelin stepped aside, revealing all the newspaper articles that covered the corkboard now. They were all about missing sorcerers and missing magic cores.

     Jaelin had certainly been busy.

Next >>

[postersofleon]

Honey Has Value

In Leon's first mission, everyone warned him about the merchants that come every once in a while during dangerous situations. Nobody knows them. But everyone trusts them enough. Even Krauser, who was very sensitive in whom to trust with his weaponry. The merchants are the most chaotic neutral people who would sell to any person who had enough gold or anything in value. During one of his missions, Leon finally saw one of the merchants.

content: smut

notes: pre resident evil four; afab fem!reader; he forgot to socialize thanks to working in the military; reader is pretty femme by wearing a black dress; sexual frustrations coming from leon; small mentions of rotting flesh, leon is an awkward flirt; guys, even though i write smut, i hate booktok, does that make sense or i'm giltching in the system. smallish smut, little story.

taglist: @argreion

Leon could believe in Umbrella's cruel experiments. He had seen these monsters who are kindly called bioweapons, and even though Leon isn't forced to fight against them. He sometimes saw the creatures they turned into, and that was enough for a young rookie cop to see. He then had to mistrust his own government for wanting to harm a young child. Leon panicked and immediately a blackmail was tied around his throat.

A perfect noose around him. A traumatized man can't go back to his old life. Leon had to help a girl he barely saw in the tragedy of Raccoon City.

All because of his stupid want to help people. He was sinking in this damn hole depression, and he wasn't even allowed to go to therapy. When he was excited to talk to Claire, she wasn't there because she was still searching her missing brother.

Leon was alone. Leon didn't even have time with Sherry.

He believed in all of these faults of the world. It was a nasty cruel world that could barely be saved. Leon didn't even save Sherry. That was thanks to Claire. In that night, he didn't save anyone, and he trusted a bad person who fell to her death. Every inch of Leon's body knew guilt, the disappointment of the world, and bioweapons.

But why couldn't Leon didn't believe in this random ass Merchant? Merchants sounded like scumbags and fake to the bone yet everyone in his section of soldiers swore up and down that they are real and good enough.

They only appear in missions. The government doesn't pay for them to help. And none of them are the same person over and over. One had a handsome man with a bow tie; another had an elder woman, and lastly, Krauser even said he had dealt with a pair of twins. That's what made Leon struggle to believe this was real.

None of these people were truly scared to show their faces, but they all had the same name of merchant.

They had no true agenda. No sense of good or bad.

Leon hoped to never see them in his own missions. He didn't care if they had helped them before, Leon wasn't interested in them no matter how much.

His mission was down south. He had to learn Spanish in case the issues came to his language, but he knew the main part of the mission. A couple of normal soldiers came here, and we were murdered by a couple infected by the T. Leon was the next best option.

And Leon came ready. If a merchant was going to be there, he'll ignore them, no matter who it is.

Once he entered the place, it was a lonely village that was nearby an Umbrella lab, so he had already concluded who was going to be here. His heart beaten fast when he saw a person infected by the T. A poor woman whose skin was rotted away. Leon killed her without a second doubt. Even if Leon had the cure in his hand, he wouldn't want to use it on her, especially with the heat of the brutal summer.

Not only was her skin rotted. There was hole in skull that he didn't even make.

"How unfortunate," Leon immediately turned to whom it belonged to, "Seeing death is always unforgivable." A woman with a black dress was behind a desk of items. Due to the circumstances, she was hauntingly beautiful with the death surrounding her. It took a moment for Leon to realize it. She is a merchant.

"Hi, stranger." She smiled politely at Leon.

"Hi." Leon said firmly.

She played with string of pearls around her neck, "I'll be helping you with.... your situations." She seemed so nonchalant, her voice was relaxed as if the danger could never harm her.

"Situations..." Leon looked around her store of items. She had almost everything in this little place, a small box with a strange symbol planted on the center. "I'm sure you are betting for to get into those situations." Leon muttered. But she shook her head. It was almost automatic.

"Goodness, no!" She exclaimed loudly. "My services are here to help you. To assist you." She placed her gloved hand between him and her. "May I? Free of charge."

There was a silence between them. Begrudgingly, Leon handed his gun to her, "Careful with it." He muttered.

She grabbed the gun, "SG-09 R. Quite impressive." She clocked it and checked the modifications in the gun. "Fast, strong, and made by Kendo." She pointed the gun towards a section and shot a glass bottle. "But I can make better. Especially with the control of the government." She broke up the gun and grabbed a small bottle of oil to ease up the details of gun. "Do I permission to change the glock?"

Leon nodded his head.

The merchant got into work, she brought out the small tools to work on the gun, and changed very small details of the gun. After a couple of short minutes, she twirled the gun back into place. "Here you go, stranger." The merchant handed the gun back to its owner.

Leon lifted the gun and noticed the differences. She didn't change the drastic differences of the poor gun, but it made it functional for the monsters. He pulled on the trigger and shot the a piece of wood. The gun shot faster.

She grabbed a rag and cleaned her gloved hands. "It's easy as they come." She smiled. Her fingers returned back to her pearls, dragging the details bit by bit. "I love helping the new."

Leon wished he was normal. His dumb mind entered cave man for like three seconds. Maybe it was the small praise he got from her or how the merchant spoke to him without belittling him. He felt his cock twitch, "Yeah, thanks." He awkwardly put his gun back to its holster.

He promised himself the less impossible thing ever. Leon was spending a lot of time with the merchant, he saw her how her knife formed small knick knacks from wood. "Look." The merchang leaned to show him. It was small wooden figure of him. Leon took in a sharp exhale.

"Nice." He whispered softly.

"I give them to the other merchants so they can sell them." The merchant smiled. Her painting was very gentle, every brush was made with love. "Why sell them?" Leon asked. "It's like discount. If you have this." She lifted a small shield-like charm, "You'll have an upgrade with any merchant."

"Oh, that's great." Leon eyed her face, "So, if another merchant sees it, they'll automatic give you that help."

The merchant smiled, "Exactly." She continued the paint and Leon was just looking at her, "So, what perks will I get if I buy my small keychain?" He whispered softly. The merchant sighed softly, "Mm, well, how about 30% off when I fixed that knife of yours."

Leon nodded his head as he continued to look.

As time passed and such, Leon did his job and then immediately went to her section to 'buy' stuff. All that time of bothering the merchant, he finally got what he wanted as she pumped his cock.

She was on her knees as she pumped his cock into her mouth, Leon's hips moved up, "Fuck." The merchant rubbed the red tip and sucked it gently. He needed this after so long. Leon's hands covered his face, his cheeks were red and he was ultra sensitive over everything. The merchant rubbed Leon's tip around her lips and left his pre cum around them.

He chewed on his lips trying to keep quiet in case an infected could find them. The merchant's hand pumped his length, "I do the first time free." She teased him. Her hand slide down his cock and massaged his balls. He didn't know if she spoke the truth, but he was willing to pay for this again. The merchant's tongue dragged against his shaft and kissed the tip. "Just fuck me. Please."

The merchant shook her head, "You'll need your energy for the fights." She looked at his cock and placed his needy self inside of her mouth. She gagged weakly, his hips weakly moved against the merchant's mouth. He needed to cum and go back to work. His hands traveled around his pecs and squeezed them, he noticed the merchant noticing those details. Leon blushed but didn't stop himself as he played with nipples.

Flicking them a bit trying to help the simulation. She bobbed her head faster and he groaned. "Fuck, fuck-" His cum erupted into the merchant's mouth and it slowly fell out, she licked the mess without an issue. Leon groaned loudly feel his body relax bit by bit. His eyes completely soften and gently caressed her face, "Mm, thank you."

When Leon was back on his feet, he felt her hands smoothing out the wrinkles of his shirt. He felt too easy, but he liked her touch.

As the sun set above him, the merchant waved politely a goodbye to Leon; He simply nodded his head, his legs were a bit weak, but he had to go back to his job.

The next time he was with the Merchant, he was between her dress. He licked her pussy, his hands opened her thighs to shove himself deeper. Her cunt was keeping him sane after the brutal fights, her hands grabbed his hair and pulled his straight blond hair. Leon growled weakly, "Please, I just need your cum." No extra steps, he wanted it. His tongue moved around her clit and once he heard the merchant's moan he focused on it more.

His fingers shoved inside of her pussy and pumped them in and out. His tongue licked the wetness that poured into his hand. His finger curled up and fucked her up. The merchant's legs squirmed around Leon. He licked up the pretty hole and removed his fingers again, her thighs clenched around his face as he fucked her with his tongue. Flicking it over and over, he pulled it out and sucked her clit. She groaned loudly, her legs opened a bit, and Leon kissed her thighs over and over. The merchant released, Leon's fingers rubbed gently her cunt and licked the mess.

He was thankful for the merchant's services.

[catlvrmax]

RACE DAY & NIGHTCLUBS.

MV1 X FEM!READER

summary it's race day! you and amara decide to spend your sunday night out in the city. you make new friends in the process.

cw ONE use of [Y/N] - it was inevitable. idk the deets of how f1 works exactly, but i tried. this is a work of fiction: i don't know these people irl, i don't know how they act. NON-DESCRIPTIVE READER.

face claims girls on pinterest, but you can obviously disregard them, and imagine whoever you want. (the pictures are for aesthetic purposes.)

a/n i feel like the alonso scene is kinda useless but idk i put it in ite.

masterlist | taglist

—

"I'm so excited!" Amara squealed as you grabbed her wrist to keep her close.

Today is race day. You woke up early, buzzing with anticipation. Amara tried to (poorly) contain her excitement and constant giggles until you had at least one cup of coffee in your system but failed ten minutes into breakfast. You don't blame her—she loves the sport.

She also loves the drivers. Loves the gossip and the drama on and off track. A new thing she has picked up, one you really want to put a stop to, is teasing you about a certain Dutchman. It was already bad enough that your conversation kept replaying in your head, and her playful teasing increased the thoughts of the two-time world champion.

You tolerated it on the walk to the circuit, rolling your eyes at her dreamy sighs and romantic scenarios, which she mostly made up to annoy you but changed the subject as you approached your destination. You refused to look or sound like a crazy fangirl in case... well, in case of actually running into him.

Arriving at the circuit and checking in the paddock had been a nightmare. You and Amara were not huge fans of crowded places you more than her, and the heat of the sun beating down on you made it ten times worse. Alas, you finally found yourselves away from the masses and around the corner of the Aston Martin hospitality building.

Amara was not paying attention to where she was going, and you were listening intently to the plans for the day. At the last minute, you saw a green shirt from the corner of your eye. You pulled on her wrist, and she stumbled towards you, but not before softly colliding with the side of the tall man in the green shirt.

"Oh, shit. ¡Lo siento, señor!" The apology comes in Spanish. (I am sorry, sir!)

"Esta bien, señorita? I was not looking in my path." You try to catch your jaw from falling to the ground when you eye the Green Shirt Guy. (Are you okay, miss?)

That's Fernando fucking Alonso. Fernando Alonso, the man you may or may not have a tiny crush on, is helping Amara stand up after she bent over to grab her discarded water bottle.

"Ah, si. Lo siento, señor Alonso. Estaba mostrando a mi amiga alrededor—"

"It's you from yesterday, no?! The girl with the great, uh, Spanish skills!" He talks to her as if they've known each other for years.

You stand there stunned, trying to compose yourself as your F1 crush stands before you, casually conversing with your best friend. Amara must be ready to explode right about now. You would laugh if you weren't fighting the urge to scream and run around from the joy.

You hear your name fall from Amara's lips, and your gaze focuses back on them. "That's my best friend. I gave her the hat!"

Fernando nods, his gaze on you as a polite smile causes his dimples to appear. You show him the signed Aston Martin cap by tilting your head.

"Amara said you are a big fan. I appreciate it. Do you want to take a photograph?"

"Uh-Yeah! Yeah, I'd love to!" You take your phone out. Oh-em-gee. Oh-em-gee. Is this really happening? "It's nice to meet you, sir!" You can feel the heat radiating off your cheeks.

Fernando, being taller than you, asks for your phone. He raises it above your head and takes a couple of selfies. You muster the brightest smile, copying his funny faces and poses. When he hands it back, thank yous stumble from your lips faster than any car on the grid.

"Mucha suerte para ti hoy!" (Best of luck to you today!)

Fernando laughs but bows his head in appreciation. "Muchas gracias, querida." He turns to Amara, who's watching you both with a smile. "Enjoy the race, girls!"

And with that, he's walking away. You and Amara stand still for a few seconds, watching him disappear around the corner. You lock eyes, jaws on the floor. Squeals escape the both of you as you grab each other for support.

"Oh, my fucking God! We just—I—You—"

"I talked to Fernando fucking Alonso, and you took a photo with him. Shit!" Her tone betrays her disbelief.

"Oh, pinch me, 'mara, because this can't possibly be fucking real!" You cup your red cheek with one palm. "He remembered you. That's crazy!"

Amara giggles. "We talked in Spanish yesterday, and he told me he was impressed by my fluency!"

You smack her arm, suppressing a smile. "What? Why didn't you tell me all of that!? From past experiences, your Spanish has been shit."

She gasps dramatically, feigning offence. "How dare you, missy?! My Spanish is almost perfect. I just happened to get nervous around native speakers!"

You laugh and raise your hands in surrender, muttering my bad. Amara links her elbow with yours. "Are you ready to watch twenty cars go in weird-shaped circles?"

"Yup," you answer, popping the p before pulling her towards the building you will be watching from. "He is hotter in person." You cannot help but add.

Amara rolls her eyes but hums in agreement.

—

"Max Verstappen wins the Spanish Grand Prix! Another flawless performance by the current World Champion!"

You can't help but smile as the camera cuts to his team celebrating. Amara claps in delight, gathering her scattered things from the table to put inside her bag. The VIP room you watched the race from is slowly emptying as everyone walks down to where the celebration will take place. Amara wants to go and get as close as she can to the front, so she can take pictures of the podium. Lewis Hamilton came second, followed by George Russell, and your best friend was beaming and eager to see the podium from up close.

"You don't have to come with me. It's pretty tight there, with the crew, and fans, and stuff." You nod, thankful to her for not forcing you to tag along. "You can wait by the Red Bull hospitality. I think it's closer to the exit." She pauses as you stand from your seat. "And who knows. Maybe a Dutchman will pass by, and you deliver on your plan."

You huff at her wiggling eyebrows. "Seems kind of impossible since Max is celebrating on the podium, 'mara. You have a better chance at meeting him." You snort at her deflated expression.

"Oh, yeah, you're right." She shrugs. "Well, who knows? You might bump into each other again."

"I highly doubt that. Now, give me everything you don't need. I'll put it in my bag. I don't want you losing anything in that crowd."

Amara hands you her handbag and kisses you on the cheek before walking away. You're the only guest in the room now, accompanied by the bartender on the other side of the room. You contemplate staying here or leaving for the Red Bull hospitality. The track fills with fans, as is the ground below the podium. Lewis and George are already there, which means that—

"Here's Max Verstappen, the winner of this year's Spanish Grand Prix." Crofty, the commentator, announces the champion's arrival at the podium's top step.

He looks handsome, with a smile decorating his face and high cheekbones glistening with sweat. He waves at the crowd and takes his Pirelli hat off. His hair is messy, but it just makes him look hotter. Wow. You need to stop, or you'll salivate all over the bloody floor. You turn away from the TV as the Dutch national anthem starts playing.

One thought keeps repeating as you walk out of the building and to the sunny paddock. Max Verstappen is undoubtedly handsome.

—

You're aimlessly pacing in front of the Red Bull building, skipping through the pictures you'd taken. Most of them were of Amara posing in front of different buildings, eating or walking. You don't notice a chest heading your way until it's too late, and you collide. Ouch, you mumble as you rub your forehead.

"We should stop meeting like this." You recognise the voice immediately. How could you not? The man has been plaguing your thoughts.

Your heart is racing. You don't meet Max's eyes at first, hoping that a simple apology will make him walk away. "Oh, sorry. Wasn't paying attention."

"Are you lost again? Do you need help?" Max is quick to offer, but you shake your head negatively.

A hand comes forward, a featherlight touch on your elbow. You finally meet his gaze, rubbing on the spot that stings. What the fuck is he made of? Rock? His eyes hold concern as they rake over your face.

"What are you made of? Rock or something? That stung!" You offer a shy smile and a joke, for his worried expression makes your palms sweat.

He returns the smile. "Hey! You were the one not paying attention."

You shrug. "I was looking through the photos I've taken." You raise the old camera for him to see.

"Oh, yeah? Any cool ones?" He asks, stepping closer to you to see.

You notice a man behind the driver, wearing a Red Bull polo and an impatient expression. Anxiety sparks at your chest. He's got somewhere to be. Leave him alone. "Don't you have media duties to attend? You did just win a race." His smile turns guilty at your words.

"Yeah. I've got to change from this," he points at his racing suit," and attend interviews." He doesn't look too excited to do so.

"Well, then, I shouldn't be keeping you." You move a step back, nervously glancing at the other man.

Max does as well, the flush on his cheeks bolder than before. He opens his mouth, and you watch him have an internal war with himself before he decides to voice whatever thought he has. He motions to the man to go ahead without him. I'll be there in a minute, he mutters.

"I'd love to see those photographs."

Your eyes widen in surprise, and you know you look like a fish as your mouth opens and closes. Your face heats up. "Uh—They're really nothing special. This is an old camera."

Max shrugs. "Why don't you give me your number? I can be the judge of that." Oh, shit. You nod.

He does an immaculate job of looking confident as if this isn't affecting him. A pretty girl agreed to give him his number. It's dangerous for a person with the number of young fans he has to give his phone number to a stranger, but he feels he can trust you. You haven't given him a reason to think you might be a crazy fangirl.

"D'you have a pen? I don't have my phone with me." You nod, rummaging through your handbag to find the emergency glittery pink pen.

Once you pull it out, Max can't help but comment on it. "Nice colour." You send him a playful glare.

He stretches his palm, and you softly pull his fingers closer. You scribble down your number, writing your first and last name underneath it. Max feels remorseful for not even having asked you your name. He knows that you no doubt know who he is now. He repeats it, and your breath hitches. He says it so perfectly, you might melt in a puddle. Caaaaaalm down. You sound insane. He's just stating your name.

"Pretty name," he thinks out loud. You don't believe you were meant to hear that, yet your face grows a shade darker.

Before you can say anything, the man shouts his name from the building's door. "Come on, mate! You're going to be late!" You can see the disappointment Max feels from his deflated smile.

"I have to go. Media duties." You chuckle when he rolls his eyes and nod. "I'll, uh, text you. For the pictures." He takes a step back, eyes locked with yours.

"For the pictures, yeah."

His face is flushed. You blame the race he just won. It's a poor excuse to give someone your number, no matter how famous they might be, yet you did. Amara will have a field day with this information. You half expect her to revive her old Tumblr account for the sake of acting on her scenarios.

"Bye." You wave, and he waves back, exchanging bashful smiles.

You watch his figure approach the man by the door when it hits you. "Oh, Max!" He turns quickly, eyes searching for yours. "Congratulations on your win!"

His eyes crinkle from the smile that he gives you. "Thank you!" He adds your name, and you don't deny it this time; Max Verstappen is extremely handsome, especially when he smiles.

—

MESSAGES: two. From > unknown number.

unknown number

hey, it's Max!

Verstappen. The guy in

the RB shirt.

you

hm... i don't know anyone

with this name. sorry!

max verstappen

Two-time world champion?

you

nope.

never met any world champions

in my life, sorry.

max verstappen

I helped you yesterday

and saw you today outside of

the RB hospitality.

This is [Y/N], right?

you

🤣 yes!

i'm just messing with you max!

max verstappen

*phew* had me thinking you

gave me the wrong number

you

*dramatic gasp*

i am NOT that cruel, mr verstappen!

btw, i havent transferred the photos yet!

camera's charging.

max verstappen

That's totally okay!

Soooo, what are you doing tonight?

you

contemplating whether i should share my

whereabouts with a random man....

max verstappen

HEY! you've met me!

two times already!!!

you

and how do i know this is the REAL

Max Verstappen????????

max verstappen

....you gave me your phone number.

you

oh, yeah. that makes sense.

i'm very sleep deprived haha

max verstappen

😂😂

you

Soooo, what are you doing tonight?

  ↪ to answer your previous question,

me and my bff are going clubbing

in Barcelona!

max verstappen

Oh, that sounds fun!

you

i'm secretly terrified of getting lost

in the city, but hey! i'm only here for another

night. might as well have fun

plus, i've heard Spaniards party hard!!!!!

max verstappen

plus, i've heard Spaniards party hard!!!!!

   ↪ THAT'S TRUE. Carlos is an

expert in all things nightclub when we're

here for the GP

you

you have any places to recommend?

amara is still looking on trip advisor

max verstappen

😨 TRIP ADVISOR?

you

WELL WE HAD TO START SOMEWHERE

max verstappen

the Vault is a really great place. Great

drinks and the DJ plays nice songs.

You should try that one!

you

i'm guessing it's expensive

as fuck

max verstappen

not as expensive as it is packed

BUT there's always the Disco Diva

and other clubs down that street

you

max verstappen, you know your

clubs, i see.

(the disco diva? really?)

max verstappen

you caught me ahahahahah

(the disco diva? really?)

   ↪ it plays really cool stuff

you

it plays really cool stuff

   ↪ i trust ur judgement.

so what are YOU, race winner, doing

tonight?

max verstappen

how do I know I'm not giving away

my location to a super crazy

fangirl?

you

you dont! YOU wanted MY number.

soooo.... 🤷🏻‍♀️

max verstappen

LOL. you're funny.

so what are YOU, race winner, doing

tonight?

  ↪ I was thinking of gaming, but the

boys want to party.

you

WELL, YAH! you totally deserve to let loose!

max verstappen

Hm, I might think about it.

Ha! Maybe we'll find each other in the club!

you

hahahahah it would be pretty embarrassing

if i ran into you again.

for the third time.

have fun with whatever you choose

to do, Maximus Verstappen.

max verstappen

that is definitely NOT my first name.

but i thank you, schat 😁

seen, now.

—

"Who are you talking to?" Amara asks, her eyes glued on TripAdvisor.

"H-Huh?" You barely register her words, fingers tapping on your screen incredibly fast.

"You've been giggling for, like, ten minutes now. I'm assuming it's not your mom. She's probably having lunch."

"Oh, you know. Just this guy I bumped into today. You might know him. His name's Max. Ma—"

"Fucking Verstappen?!" Amara all but yells, sitting up swiftly.

Your eyes meet her shocked expression, and you can't help the chuckle that escapes at her priceless reaction. You shrug in response, feigning nonchalance. Truth is, your best friend has hyped this guy up a lot, and your poor heart beats somewhat faster now that you're talking to him.

"You told me to get his number, didn't you?"

"W-Well—Yeah. But I didn't actually think you'd do it!"

You gasp as if offended. "You dare think so little of me? Think that I wouldn't honour my promise to feed your delusions?"

Amara laughs, lightly smacking your arm. "Okay, weirdo. Tell me what the fuck happened."

After pushing yourself to a sitting position, you tell her every detail of your second meeting with the world champion, including the texts. Amara's reactions are comical. At the end of your story-telling process, she's sitting there, with her jaw mere inches from touching the ground.

"So, do you think we'll meet him in that nightclub?"

You shrug. "I don't know. He said he'd think about it." You show her your phone, scrolling to the text he had sent you mere minutes ago. "Doesn't sound that eager to me."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to go by the Vault, or whatever its name was." Amara wiggles her eyebrows.

"Are you trying to get me laid with a celebrity?"

She grimaces. "Pfft. He's hot. You're pretty. If you take out the millions on Instagram—" "—and his bank account." Amara shoots you a pointed look. "He looks like a pretty normal guy." She exhales before continuing. "You should have fun. We didn't come here just for me. And he seems like a lot of fun."

Amara wasn't wrong. Yes, you had come here for the Grand Prix, which was her thing, but there was plenty of time for you to have fun. And if fun meant drinking and meeting with an extremely handsome guy, who were you to refuse? You'd probably never see him again, either.

—

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—

"Finally!" You shout excitedly.

After waiting for a solid thirty minutes in a very long line outside of Club Vault and paying an entry fee that you're sure is way too expensive, you have finally made it inside. The place is flooded with people drinking, dancing, and talking. The lights are dim, and the music loud; a promising, fun night.

You barely dodge swaying on the dancefloor as Amara drags you to the bar. She orders for you while you look around. The DJ and his setup is on a balcony, above which there is a VIP sign. You squint your eyes as another face comes into view. Is that...Lando Norris?

You blindly reach for Amara, turning her around by the wrist. "Hey, isn't that Norris?"

Despite the ear-deafening music, you're able to hear your best friend's gasp. "Oh, my fucking God! Yes, that's him!" She looks at you, a knowing smile on her lips. "Does that mean that he's here—"

"I don't know!" The bartender nods at you, showing you your drinks. "Let's drink!"

And that's exactly what you do. Your drinks are cold enough to help with the heat of dancing, and you can't lie, Lando—with the help of the actual DJ—plays decent music. Max was right about the place being fun. Amara is doing her weird dance moves, and you're copying her, trying to best her.

You're two drinks in, back turned to the DJ booth, when your best friend's eyes widen, dance moves faltering, and you hear everybody cheer. She elbows you to turn around, and your breath hitches: it's Max. He's actually here with Lando and the DJ. And your heart is racing with excitement. He waves at the crowd below, and everyone cheers louder.

Your lip twitches as an idea forms in your mind. Taking your phone out of your boot (an extremely smart and safe place to hide it—if it fits—btw), you snap a picture of the champion, sending it to your chat.

—

MESSAGES: two. To > max verstappen.

you

one file attached.

just found your lookalike!

max verstappen

THATS ME! WhEere are yoU?!?!8@

you

how much have you had to drink? lol

max verstappen

not drunk .

just shvoing past poepel to get to you

where re uoy?????

you

by the bar

max verstappen

real helpful

you

im wearing black?

seen, now

—

You wait a couple of seconds for the grey bubble to appear. When you don't receive a response, you shrug, putting your phone back in its hiding spot. Your gaze focuses on Amara; she's biting her lip while holding two shots in each hand.

"I stole them!" is all she says.

Your jaw drops, and you giggle, accepting the tiny glasses. You yell cheers before chugging down both of them. Tequila. Nice.

You take a step back, eyes blinking away tears caused by the burn in your throat. You don't realise you've stepped into someone's toes until a shout almost bursts your eardrums.

"Jesus Christ!" You yell, covering the side of your head.

Turning around, you're faced with the one and only; Max Verstappen, holding on to the bar railing with a pained expression. Your eyes almost bulge out of your skull.

"Oh, shit! Are you okay?" You can barely hear yourself.

He nods, throwing a smile your way. "Yeah, I'm good! It's nice to see you!" You're barely able to read his lips.

A pinch on your lower back startles you, and you turn around with a gasp. Amara's standing there, expectant, wide eyes moving from you to Verstappen.

"Oh, Max! This is my best friend, Amara!"

She smiles politely, shaking his offered hand. "Nice to meet you!" You wonder if she's close to passing out from internal fangirling.

His eyes return to you. "Hey, you wanna join my table?"

Shaking your head with a confused grimace, you shout. "I can't hear anything you're saying!"

"What?!"

"I can't hear any—"

It's futile to communicate this way, he decides. Max's slightly cold hands are suddenly pulling on your wrists, gently guiding you closer to him. Goosebumps take over your entire body, forearm burning as he moves his fingers to your elbow, keeping you steady, and he leans toward your ear.

"Wanna join me and my friends?" He feels your breath hitch and pulls back to meet your hesitant gaze.

"We don't want to bother you," you say once you pull him down.

Max shakes his head. "Nonsense! I won the race, and I want to celebrate with my friends."

He hears your breathy chuckle. "We're friends, now?"

"Unless you're some super crazy fangirl I should be worried about." The smile in his voice gives away his amusement. He's quoting his texts.

You pause for a second. Knowing Amara, she would agree immediately. You should have fun, you recall her words from earlier. And he seems like a lot of fun. Yeah. She's right.

"Let me ask 'mara." You point to your best friend, awkwardly standing by the bar.

He watches you talk in her ear, a smile forming on your best friend's lips before she eagerly nods. "You're coming?" He asks once you approach him as if he hadn't been staring at you already.

"Okay." As soon as you nod, Max's smile widens, eyes shining.

You nod, and he feels his cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. "C'mon," goosebumps raise on your exposed arms as Max grabs your hand. His hand is so soft. "I don't want you getting lost." The wink he throws your way only fuels the flush on your neck and cheeks.

It's definitely going to be a fun night.

The walk to the VIP section is extremely difficult, with Max getting recognised and patted on the back every few seconds. When you finally make it, you sigh in relief before Max pulls you both by the wrist to meet his friends. Be cool, you mouth to Amara who only nods, wide-eyed.

"Pierre and Kika, Charles and Alex, this is [Y/N] and Amara!" You're sure they can barely hear him over the loud music but wave at them anyway. Charles shares a look with Pierre, the latter unable to contain his smile.

Max leans down, his nose brushing your temple. "Wait just a moment. Lando's around here somewhere." Before you can say a word, he flashes you a smile and disappears into the crowd, leaving you gaping like a fish.

You have no time to recover when the pretty girls approach you. Alex introduces herself as Alexandra, but she doesn't mind going by Alex. Kika's name is Francisca, but she goes by Kika. It's nice to meet them, and you don't hesitate to tell them so.

"Shots?" Amara reappears with four shot glasses passing them to each of you. "Cheers!" You clink your glasses before downing them.

"Oh, are you doing shots without me?!" A new voice pops up from behind you. Amara's eyes widen momentarily, meeting yours in poorly contained excitement.

You turn, gaze landing on Lando Norris and then gluing on Max Verstappen. This lighting makes him look even hotter. Is it normal to be thinking that? Probably not.

He introduces you to the tipsy-looking Brit, who shakes your hands in return. Amara's pulled to the side by Kika, something about doing more shots, and Charles motions for Max to go over to him. Once you're alone with Lando, a smile breaks onto his face.

"He's said a lot about you!" Your brows furrow, confused.

"What? That I tend to get lost easily in big places?" You nervously laugh, but Lando just shakes his head.

"Somethin' like tha'!"

—

views 120 / views 218

—

You haven't had this much fun in a while. You and Amara usually go to two clubs as a duo, but you admit having more people to dance and do shots with is way more fun. You're usually the sober one, having a higher tolerance for alcohol than your best friend, and this time you're extra careful since you're in a foreign place.

At some point during your dance battle with Kika and Amara, you grow tired. As much as you liked exaggerating your moves, your boots were made for walking, not jumping. Max had been out of your vision for a while, and you decided to look for him. He wasn't hard to find, considering he was nursing a drink on a couch further away from the action.

"Hey!" You plop down, bumping your elbow with his.

Max grinned. "Hey, stranger. Are you having fun?"

You nod excitedly. "Your friends are really nice." He snorts at that. "No, really! Drive to Survive does justice to none of you!"

Max's eyes widen, mouth hanging in shock. "Your source of information is a Netflix show?"

"Hey! I had to start from somewhere. I knew next to nothing about racing."

Conversing with Max comes naturally. He's funny, and he listens to what you have to say. He asks about your job: a photographer for brands. He laughs when you tell him you prefer the make-up brands because they're easier to manage than people.

He explains racing to you in simple terms. You nod along, trying your best to take in the information. It's harder with all the music and dancing bodies, but you make it work. You've shuffled even closer to him as Max leans down to talk directly in your ear while his hands move animatedly in front of you.

At some point, the conversation shifts to cats. You're delighted to learn that he has not one, but two big babies. Jimmy and Sassy. Max is a very proud cat dad, you conclude, from the excitement that exudes from every pore of his body as he slides from picture to picture.

"Oh my goodness! They're so cute!" You try not to literally squeal as Max stumbles upon a picture of them napping on his chest.

"They sleep all day and ask for treats all night." You laugh as he rolls his eyes, probably recalling every time this has happened.

"Oh, I'd love to meet them one day. They look lovely!"

"Yeah, I could introduce you someday," he says, and you turn to look at him with a huge smile.

"I should bring my Cheddar when it happens."

"Cheddar?"

"My cat. He's a big fluffball." You reach for your phone, unlocking it to search for pictures of your orange cat.

"And you named him Cheddar? After the cheese?" He looks at you incredulously.

You giggle at his expression. "He's as orange as the cheese. It was my mom's idea to name him that."

You turn your phone his way, showing him a selfie of the fluffiest cat Max has ever seen on top of your shoulders. You're clearly giggling in it, a hand over your mouth. Cute, he thinks.

"He's adorable."

"And fat," you add.

Tapping a most recent picture, you show it to Max. Cheddar is on his back, his fat ass making him look like a pear. Your mom had sent you this just a day before.

"He's staying with my mom right now. And she's feeding him more than needed."

"We should arrange a playdate." You chuckle at Max's suggestion.

"Sure, if you fly out to England."

Before Max can respond, a very loud and drunk Brit makes his way to you. Lando grins when he spots you two sitting close, indiscreetly winking at Max. Your face feels warm.

"Do you guys wan' t' leave?" You barely make out his words.

Charles notices the three of you and pulls a dancing Alex with him, who pulls Amara with her. The three make their way to where you're seated.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Lando turns to him. "Are you hungry, mate?"

Charles shakes his head, leaning close to Alex to ask her the same. She also shakes her head with an apologetic smile.

"I am!" Amara nudges Lando, and his eyes light up.

He turns to Max and you. "Me and my new friend," he pulls Amara by the shoulders, and she drunkenly stumbles, "are hungry. Will you take us somewhere to eat?"

You look at Max, who mirrors your smiling expression. Lando says something about Max promising to be his chauffeur if he got too drunk.

"I could eat," you shrug. Max nods, agreeing.

He stands up, looking at the drunk pair. "Okay, let's go."

—

views 68 / views 95

[ taglist @alexmarie29 , @angelfreckless, @algae-tm, @chonkybonky, @lovely-blackinnon, @namgification, @taygrls, @ssprayberrythings, @ilove-tswizzle, @leclercdream, @halleest, @yaesflorist, @liafterhours, @mrsbrxkkxr ]

[felassan]

Some more DA:TV and related snippets from Sylvia Feketekuty, Part 2. rest of post under a cut due to length and spoilers. [Post One, Post Three]

The dev team really wanted to deliver on Emmrich's romance [source]

Sylvia Feketekuty has now left BioWare so there are likely some things she can't answer now "just because I can't look them up with certainty anymore" [source]

When Emmrich is first introduced, he has a skull helmet. Why does it never ever appear for the next 40-100 hours? "The helmet does indeed look wicked! I believe it actually shows up on his shelf in the Lighthouse eventually. (If I had been a smarter writer I would've asked if we could have it appear again, that one's on me.)" [source]

User: "In another post you mentioned shops in Nevarra City near the Necropolis. How far IS Nevarra City itself is from the Necropolis? Do only senior MWs get to go?" / Sylvia: "I'm reluctant to say what the distance is since I never defined it in game so it's Unknown™. But I imagine they can either walk or take a carriage, depending. Also I never imagined junior MWers are forbidden from going into town or such. It could be they have set hours and times where they're allowed. But got to get all those chores done first..." [source, two]

On the DA:I goat scene ([link]) - "The GOAT! God bless them, that was a delight." [source]

Brian J. Audette, on [this thread] - ""Better late than never" addendum to this thread. I just noticed that Isle of the Gods' writer Sylvia is on here now and I'd be remiss not to tag her in this thread. I can't say enough wonderful things about having worked with Sylvia on this mission." [source] / Sylvia: "Thanks Brian! You tackled an absolutely jam-packed mission with aplomb." [source]

Jo Berry: "Thank you for everything and everything else, on both Veilguard and Inquisition. Sunlight on your road, wherever it goes." [source] / Sylvia: "Thank YOU for all your writing Jo. Seriously, you were a godsend on Veilguard and DAI both." [source]

Trick Weekes: "It's been fantastic working with you, Sylvia, and I know you're going to crush it with whatever you do next. Thank you for finally letting me make you "the person who has to do journals so Trick doesn't" on one of our projects." [source] / Sylvia: "Thank you Trick! I'll miss working with you. It was an honour to finally be given the awesome responsibility of the journal system that still haunts my dreams." [source]

John Epler: "sylvia did you see i told the world Emmrich sleeps standing up like a horse" [source] / Sylvia: "It's days later but: yes. Yes I did." [source]

User: "As someone who also has a truly debilitating fear of death, Emmrich is so special to me. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it represented in such a clear and concise way." / Sylvia: "Thanks, definitely felt that fear myself. I really wanted to express it clearly and was hoping would resonate with others." [source]

User: "Do you have any thoughts or opinions on what nickname Emmrich might have gotten from Varric if he'd ever gotten one?" / Sylvia: "Oh man that's a good question, but ultimately since I didn't write Varric, that must remain a mystery. Nicknames can only be bestowed. ("Bones" like someone suggested below is funny though.)" [source]

User: "If Emmrich's hobby is alchemy/plants, Vorgoth's is art, and Audric's is architecture... what's Myrna's? (Next to Emmrich, she's my favorite Watcher - sorry Vorgoth!)" / Sylvia: "Myrna has a one off line, you may not have heard it yet, where she talks to Vorgoth about getting tickets to the Sword of Drakon.* She enjoys a night out at the theater, whether it's a play or an opera. *(I think that's the play I named, I hope I'm recalling my own line haha.) It's a bit indulgent of me, but I chose Sword of Drakon because it was one of the plays I made up for a series of codices in DAI about Orlesian theater. I had a lot of fun with these and wanted to give them life once more. [link]" [source, two]

User: "During Rook’s disappearance in the prison, how did Emmrich react? Considering their intense romance, did he fall into depression, or did he show a more vulnerable side? Could his fear of death have influenced the situation? In the immortal romance💀, Emmrich promises that nothing will separate them, not in this world or any other. How likely is that? Would he go to great lengths for Rook, even crossing boundaries? Or, at some point, would he accept Rook's death?" / Sylvia: "1) Very strongly! I think it's a bit more interesting if I leave details to your imaginations, but Emmrich feels things deeply and probably had some sleepless nights. 2) So this I can't say much on even though it's a juicy topic. The truth is, I wouldn't even know unless I was actually sitting down to write it. Again, Emmrich feels things very passionately, but this is the kind of scenario where I might want the player's choices to have an effect." [source, two]

User: "Any chance that color scheme [of Emmrich's coat] was based off the corpse flower?" / Sylvia: "I couldn't find anything on the colour scheme and the corpse flower. Afraid this one's a mystery to me." [source]

User: "I'm really curious if there's a Nevarrese language? We have Orlesian, Antivan, Tevene, Qunlat..." / Sylvia: "I wondered that myself, especially given its ancient ties with Tevinter and also Orlais which would certainly have affected the languages of power and influence. Could also have roots with the Planasene. We never talked about one though, as far as I know, so the answer remains...unknown. 💀 (I did introduce tomb-script, the language you see etched into stone in the Necropolis, but I thought of it as more of a specialist's language for occult and magical things specifically.) (If we did define a Nevarran language in some corner of the lore, now I'm going to feel embarrassed, but I don't BELIEVE we did.)" [source, two, three]

User: "I wanted to ask if you have anything you can share about MW grave dowry jewellery - is it the sort of thing they keep on at all times? Also, would Emmrich like jewellery gifts or give them to Rook?" / Sylvia: "I figured it would be something they wear most of the time, or at least in public. You don't want to be without your grave-gold if you pass away! Emmrich would love to get jewellery, especially if it marked a special occasion like his other pieces do! He'd also probably like to gift Rook a piece of grave gold himself, though he knows a non-MW Rook might look at that part askance." [source, two]

User: "Question: how much if anything can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Emmrich's magic and him going to the Mourn Watch? In my mind, his parents' death could certainly be a catalyst for the emergence of mage powers, but I'm so curious why the butcher's boy goes to what seems the equivalent of Nevarran Harvard instead of a regular Circle unless he immediately demonstrated outstanding ability?" / Sylvia: So timeline wise, I think his magic manifested after he was taken in. This part isn't canon, so much as a background thought I had that maybe the spirits of the Necropolis nudged the MW to scoop up this future corpse-whisperer. It seems like a kind of place ripe for that sort of omen. That said, it could've also been a kindhearted Watcher who saw how shattered and alone this young boy was, and thought an upbringing in the Grand Necropolis would be the better place to deal with his grief. It's the kind of thing I want to leave open unless someone goes back one day to fill it out!" [source, two]

User: "what’s the overall Mourn Watch opinion on the whole Weekend at King Markus’s the other Mortalitasi are pulling? I can’t blame Emmrich for not wanting to be involved with that political mess!" / Sylvia: "No clue what you're talking about. King Markus is in the finest of health!!!!! ahahahahaha (To my mind Emmrich's response indicates a tension between the orders, but that they're going along with the polite fiction to avoid a mess. I can't say what the future holds though.)" [source]

User: "Ah, one last note: whoever decided “DA liches are immortal protectors and not always evil?” Chef’s kiss. It’s all I’ve ever wanted!" / Sylvia: "Thanks again! It was in Emmrich's first draft. The other writers and editors gave me good feeback on lichdom and the philosophy behind it especially" [source]

User: "I'm an ICU nurse, and that is imagined to confer a comfort with mortality. Suffice to say Emmrich has been a huge comfort to see." / Sylvia: "Thanks so much. I really wanted him to struggle with it while also engaging with it, because it's something I find hard as well. And I hoped it would find purchase with players." [source]

User: "If you’re willing, can you share a bit about the other orders within the Mortalitasi? Is there a rivalry with the Tevinter Imperium?" / Sylvia: I'm afraid I don't have much, sorry. I left the other Mortalitasi orders a big open canvas in case we wanted to invent more some day. (We've mentioned the palace Mortalitasi are separate from the Mourn Watch, so there's one. As you probably caught, Emmrich's not a fan of theirs.) Is there a rivalry with the Tevinter Imperium? I can't really point to anything in the game talking about that, so I hesitate to call it canon. But to my mind it would be very natural and also very funny. So if that ever manifests, I approve." [source, two]

User: "was any of Emmrich's design or personality modeled on British actor David Niven? I think there is resemblance just wondering if that was intentional." / Sylvia: "Oh I love David Niven. But the more direct actor influence for me was Peter Cushing in a few old Hammer Horror films." [source]

User: "just wanted to say thank you for creating the character of Josephine in Inq!! Helped me learn some stuff about myself when I was younger and meant a lot." / Sylvia: "Thank you so much on all counts! I'm glad the lovely Lady Montilyet was there for you (and enormous credit to her actor, Allegra Clark. She absolutely nailed Josephine, straight away.)" [source]

User, on Emmrich: "He mentions he thought he would marry - is that permitted for Mortalitasi when it wasn't for regular Circle mages? Can they now raise their own children?" / Sylvia: Mortalitasi have a lot of power. I imagine the Nevarran Chantry might grant them permission to marry outside the Circle more regularly than in places where mages are given less respect. (Mages can also marry within Circles, so no permission needed in those cases.) The same might be true for mages raising mage-born children in Nevarra, but I say that with less certainty. I think that's a topic I would've wanted to discuss with the rest of the narrative team." [source, two]

User: "is there a particular reason why emmrich is always wearing a glove on one hand?" / Sylvia: "I like to think it's mostly because he works a lot with his hands. The glove seems useful if he has to, say, grip a rough outcrop of rock when traversing the Necropolis, or deal with a bitey corpse." [source]

User, on Emmrich: "On my 1st run I played a trans Rook and romanced him. It felt incredible how he was so accepting of Rook's identity, and in return she could support him as he did a transition of his own as well. Beautiful mirroring!" / Sylvia: "Thanks very much! If those scenes worked, it's thanks to some people at work who kindly gave feedback that helped get the tone right." [source]

User: "I've been wanting to thank you for writing Luck in the Gardens for 4 years. Hollix was the first time I ever saw a non-binary character given a real voice." / Sylvia: "I loved writing Hollix in that story, they were a treat, and I'm glad they meant a lot to you. (And a shout out to a nb friend who gave me some good feedback on the character, I don't think the story would've been as clear without their help.)" [source]

User: "I was curious about Audric from TN, and if he originally was planned to have an appearance in veilguard, and what he's up to now" / Sylvia: "Love Audric, but I never planned to bring him into VG. I'm not AGAINST it, but I didn't want the short stories to feel like required reading for the game, and I liked where his arc ended in DatDM. That said, I dropped in a few references to Audric to let people know he's around and well. And I imagine he's doing what he loves: being a force of order, in the library. (And reading books during the more quiet hours below.)" [source, two]

User: "As a consumer of (and probably future creator of) so called "erotic" fanficfion, I'm wondering how you feel about the fact that fans make it about a character you created?" / Sylvia: "No issues with it whatsoever. We put sex and romance into the game itself, after all. I think people use fan art and fanfiction to extend their time with a story they've grown fond of, or to figure things out. So it feels like a natural extension of that." [source]

User: "Maybe one day my rook will join the mw!" / Sylvia: "Well, the Grand Necropolis is always eager for more company...🪦👻" [source]

User: "did the flame eternal (short story) come first or the flame eternal (quest)? i’ve been wondering if the quest was named after the story or vice versa" / Sylvia: "I wrote the scene first, the short story came after. But I named the quest AFTER the short story had come out, so I'd say the quest is named for the story because I liked the callback." [source]

User: "1.I know John answered already that Emmrich sleeps like a horse but is there really no bed for this man? 2.How would he react to a bouquet made for him?" / Sylvia: "1. Unknown. Perhaps he brings out pillows and a blanket for the slab in his room (after scrubbing it, of course!) Perhaps he goes home to an elaborate silk-covered bed in his Necropolis apartments. Or the horse thing. (TBH: I never decided myself, so I've leaned into impish mystery). 2. Emmrich would be absolutely delighted and flattered by being presented with a flower bouquet." [source, two]

User: "I hope it's okay to pop here but it might interest you to know a lot of us have been headcanoning that he has a secret bedroom behind one of his bookshelves! It seemed to line up with his sensibilities somewhat." / Sylvia: "That would honestly be great. Pull out the right book and snooze time." [source]

User, on the cemetery date: "This makes me feel like Mourn Watchers include the dead in important personal milestones/events and, if so, I love that so much. Like they want to share these events and the joy/love/excitement/etc. with those who have passed (and perhaps linger.)" / Sylvia: "That's absolutely how I thought of it too." [source]

User: "was there any game/book/show/film that inspired the Mourn Watch and Emmrich? When I saw them in the preview content, I got reminded of the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir and playing through the game cemented those vibes." / Sylvia: "I hadn't read any Locked Tomb when writing Emmrich, I think we must both just have impeccable taste. (I actually tried to stay away from contemporary stuff on necromancy when writing him, out of a superstitious fear I'd be unduly influenced. I do want to talk about influences later though!)" [source]

User, on Josie: "Do you think she’s open to having kids/adopting with the Inquisitor? Lord Ontranto and Yvette are so ahead!" / Sylvia: "I think that falls firmly within the category of what you imagine she and your Inquisitor's romance looks like, which means: absolutely, if that's where you imagine life would take them." [source]

User: "Emmrich, his story & everything surrounding him absolutely played a huge part in helping to lift me up & connecting me with new friends online" / Sylvia: "Thank you! And I'm very glad to hear Emmrich and his fellow Watchers helped you out when you needed it. He'd be pleased to know so himself." [source]

User: "Was it ever considered for him to appear in the game?" / Sylvia: "(short answer is no, but I wanted to let people know Audric's doing well.)" [source]

User: "I enjoyed your short stories in Tevinter Nights. Emmrich mentioned working out in the morning. What does his morning routine look like, and what kind of exercise does he do?" / Sylvia: "Thanks so much! Those stories have a special place in my heart, so that's especially nice to hear. On exercise: He likes a brisk stroll, and does morning stretches, and for something more strenuous, he likes to go swimming. Why? It's a workout where you don't have to worry about sweating. That just seemed to align with his fastidiousness in a funny way to me. (I also imagine exploring the Necropolis keeps him active, climbing all those stairs and crumbling ledges and the outsized walls of hallowed tombs, etc.)" [source, two]

User: "Harding will turn to a MW Rook who's been talking nerdy necro shop with Emmrich, and goes (paraphrasing), "You're so different when you're talking about this stuff than you are when you hang out with us!" and I loved that" / Sylvia: "Yes indeed! And thanks. I really wanted a beat where you realize MW Rook has learned to swap between being a fancy nerd and talking a bit more like "regular" people in Thedas. It seemed like a fun trait for that background." [source]

Sylvia, on how she came to BioWare: "No formal training. The closest to practice I had was running tabletop RPGs for friends, which actually helped me a lot with understanding the different kind of RPG players out there and what people want out of a story. And honestly: I just kept applying, over and over. That was my main virtue. I was rejected the first couple times I applied to BW. And rightly, I think, I wasn't ready and practicing in between really helped me become a stronger writer." [source, two]

Some more on this topic ^ from Sylvia: "To be honest: mostly luck, some perseverance, and then writing skills, in that order. I was rejected at least twice from BW before I got in, and I think they were right to do so. I wasn't ready yet. The third round someone I knew passed on my sample to a writer there, I did two more rounds of samples while taking feedback and revising over the next month. And then I was lucky enough they liked it enough to interview me. I wish I had better advice than perseverance. I think having a small, completed game, even something text based or a mod, isn't bad either. Even if it's short, it shows you finished it. But: my entry was over 15 years ago now, and to be honest I'm not sure what BW's applicant process are anymore. I don't want to be discouraging though. I would say keep applying, and make friends with like minded people who also want to make games, and best of luck." [source, two, three, four]

User: "I've been wondering something about Mourn Watch Rook's background - their bio says they were found as a baby + raised by the MW, and they reference it in-game, but then they also say they were a street kid and left their old life behind to join the MW to Taash. I'm just curious how one - being raised by the MW - lead to the other - street kid era. I just hc'd it as a euphemism for my Rook's party girl phase lol but it did leave me a little confused." / Sylvia: "This is a case of the background changing slightly over time, and me not squaring it in time with dialogue. In my mind: MW IS found by the Mourn Watch, raised by them, and work for them. But MW Rook also had period(s?) growing up where they explored Nevarra city, to explain why they're more. street savvy and worldly than your typical Watchers who never leave the city. I've seen people noting some discrepancies, and in a perfect world I would've caught those lines in time to smooth them out to encompass the whole story. But perhaps your Rook gives slightly different answers to different people for their own, mysterious reasons! (Or, in reality, it's writer error.)" [source, two, three] "Anyhow, I encourage any head canons that help square these discrepancies" [source]

User: "I romanced him on a Rook that I perceived as about 42ish and my running interpretation of the lines acknowledging her being young were either Emmrich not realizing how old she is, a running bit between them, or some cute form of flattery to not remind her of her own age haha" / Sylvia: "That's adorable, I love it" [source]

User: "1. What would Josie's ideal date be? 2. Could adopted kids be heir of the Montilyet estate or would it go to Yvette? 3. What does Josie think of the Crows?" / Sylvia: "1. I think she'd try to structure something, but the Inquisitor taking her away from her strictly scheduled routine to relax would actually be better for her. A picnic in a garden, a stroll around a lake followed by a meal in a quiet little restaurant. Something with a soft evening. 2. I don't think I ever said so in the game, but to my mind Josephine had some nieces and nephews in line to be heir. If she adopted a child and thought they'd be a better candidate, they could absolutely inherit the estate. (And of course, she could bequeath money or personal effects as she liked.) 3. She thinks of them as a necessity in Antiva, and that it's important to appease them. There's probably highly placed Crows she would get along with. But she'd never be comfortable with them. At the end of the day they're contract killers, and she's no lover of violence. (If I actually DID mention who Josephine had lined up to inherit the estate after her, but just forgot, I will ask for mercy because the game came out over 10 years ago.)" [source, two, three, four]

User: "Would you ever consider making a playlist on spotify of the sort of music you could picture Emmerich listening to? Or perhaps sharing any of the music you listened to while writing Emmrich?" / Sylvia: "I actually have an itunes playlist of what I listened to when writing Emmrich on my old computer. If I dig it out, I'll post a screenshot! (A lot of ambient stuff, probably unsurprisingly)" [source]

User: "I utterly, completely adore the way Josephine was written, she's such a wonderful and complex character. Her history as a bard, her ruthlessness, her kindness and sweet nature and how CUTE her romance is." / Sylvia: "Lady Montilyet herself would be flattered to hear you liked it." [source]

User, on Sylvia's comment about Peter Cushing being a go-to for what Emmrich would be like: "This makes me so unbelievably happy given my love for Peter Cushing 😭 my love for Emmrich was inevitable." / Sylvia: "I want to talk a little more about it later but Cushing was such a wonderful actor. Wish we'd had him around even longer." [source]

User, on death and working in death care: "In the end, it’s always about memory." / Sylvia: "That's so true. We want to be remembered, or to have something that lets people know even a little about who we are. (It's why I'm glad newspapers still print obituaries, you can read about the most amazing lives.)" [source]

User: "I was starting to think the game was reading my mind and tailoring to me once he said his favorite color was lilac, and I was given the option to say darker purple." / Sylvia: "I'm glad you enjoyed Emmrich and his romance. And that the bit about colours worked for you, I was trying to think of what would be something fun there, and purple is one of my favorites too. (Fine taste!)" [source]

User: "“Down Among the Dead Men” is one of my favorite chapters from Tevinter Nights. I loved Audric and I was so happy when Myrna mentioned him in Veilguard! Was there any chance he might’ve appeared in game?" / Sylvia: "basically I didn't plan it, but I wanted to let TN readers know Audric is living well" [source]

User: "If Hezenkoss was also you ALL of that was a sheer stroke of brilliance!" / Sylvia: "Thank you! Hezenkoss was me, so glad you liked her. She was a blast to write. Oh my god, I meant to write Hezenkoss was one of my favorites not "me". (I think I snipped out something and consequentially sound like a maniac in that post above. SORRY. She is not me, I wish I had that kind of confidence.)" [source, two]

User, on behalf of their friend: "Well, spontaneously I'd be interested if she can say any more about Emmrich's past romances. Was there someone really serious among them, or all just fun and casual? I'm also curious how the whole mage training works in Nevarra. Are some trained from the start by the Mourn Watch or does everyone go to the Mortalitasi equivalent of a Circle first?" / Sylvia: "1. I think there was probably a mix of more serious romances and more casual ones over Emmrich's life. The serious ones just never panned out. (Until Rook, if you're romancing him.) 2. I pictured the MW taking in promising members from other circles, but I left their selection criteria vague on purpose, in case we needed to define it later. Of course, there's also exceptions. We've seen they take in some orphans or foundlings (MW Rook and Emmrich, for example) when fate, chance, or pity allows it. (I had an idea spirits might sometimes nudge MWers to take in someone, but that's not in the game, so it remains, I suppose now, my own head canon.)" [source, two, three, four]

User: "Emmrich is every bit the warm and kind academic that I looked up to in my undergrad/postgrad days, and I have taken time in the game just to wander the Grand Necropolis and take everything in." / Sylvia: "My pleasure, and thanks very much for saying so. (Props to all my teammates, it took a lot of people to bring those characters and places to life, and they were all so enthusiastic about our weird gothy corner of Thedas.)" [source]

User, on Emmrich's dream: "One of few cases where writers don't go for "actually immortality is lame" lesson to appease the audience for whom immortality is unattainable. Refreshing to have a character who wants to live forever, can do it, and it isn't treated as a mistake. One of the boldest bits of writing in the game." / Sylvia: "Thanks Mary - that was one of my aims, because so many times in stories, immortality is a fool's errand. I wanted it to have its rules, and its price, but not something disastrous or out of reach." [source]

User: "The MW as a whole was beautifully done and the way they handle life and death was deeply healing and aided tremendously in my own personal journey with grief." / Sylvia: "I'm very glad meeting Emmrich and the Watchers helped even a little, that means a lot to hear." [source]

User: "Amazing work in veilguard and inquisition honestly and the flame eternal was such a fun read! Unless it’s been answered before my query is where do the Mourn watchers live/sleep? Is it a case of they live in the higher parts of the Necropolis or do they live in the city and commute?" / Sylvia: "Flame Eternal was a fun one, hadn't written a story that short before but I enjoyed introducing Johanna and Emmrich's dynamic back in their good old days... As to your question, there's one line of banter between Emmrich and Neve that talks about this (so, very easy to miss.) The Mourn Watchers live and sleep in the upper (safer) levels of the Necropolis." [source, two]

User: "does mortal!Emmrich return to the Necropolis or spend more time in the world first? He plays detective with Neve & camps in Ferelden with Harding feels like he’d want to experience more of the world before returning home." / Sylvia: "Impossible for me to say what the future will hold with certainty, but I think Emmrich's enjoying exploring the world too much to go back to living in the Necropolis full time just yet. He'd certainly want to keep visiting regularly, but there's so much more to see." [source]

Sylvia: "The Watchers have a special place in my heart." [source]

User: "I just wanted to say how much I love Emmrich" / Sylvia: "Thank you very much! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed getting to know him." [source]

at this point tumblr stopped letting me add to this post !

[codenamesazanka]

Saw some Spinaraki kid OCs so I decided to try my hand at it too. Though it's less happy family kidfic and more resentfully making Heroes and Deku face consequences post-canon. Sorry.

the Spinaraki lovechild:

Shirakata Masanori | 白方正憲

Age: 15

Appearance: Lizard heteromorph. Black hair, pink eyes, white scales.

Quirk: Adhesion. Decay's spreading effect + Gecko's sticking trait. Anything object Masanori touches and remain in contact with will adhere with anything the object is also touching. If he touches a sidewalk, everyone on it will be stuck and trapped, unable to move their feet.

result of Spinner and Shigaraki getting together post-Deika/pre-surgery. super unexpected.

three months after Shigaraki went in for surgery, Spinner pops out an egg (please go with it)

During Heroes' raid on the PLF Villa, Spinner entrusts egg to ReDestro. Unfortunately, when everyone got arrested, egg gets swept up in custody capture of MLA kids.

With no one to claim the egg, it is placed in orphanage; all contact is then lost.

Egg hatches after war, at end of August.

Spinner was never able to tell Shigaraki about their kid due to the possession.

He decides not to say anything to the Heroes either. Doesn't trust them after Shigaraki got killed, and better that the kid doesn't grow up stigmatized for having terrorists as parents.

But Spinner does leave a letter with his court-appointed lawyer, hoping that one day it will reach the kid, when they come of age.

Spinner dies early due to effects of having multiple quirks; dies ten years after war

The lawyer, deciding to just finish up this assignment cleanly, finds the kid 4 years later and delivers the letter despite the kid not reaching age of majority.

Despite half-assed mild societal change efforts, Masanori grows up an orphan in the system, with the additional stigma of being an PLF raid kid (and therefore very likely the child of dead/arrested Villains/criminals)

Abandoned, unnamed babies in Japan are named by the city/town's mayor. Masanori was named with the kanji "white-direction correct-law" in hopes that he would become a law-abiding citizen (unlike his unknown parents). The Mayor is an asshole.

(Though Shirakata is a real surname, and chosen because kid has white scales)

Early on, Masanori looked out into the world and realized it doesn't want him, made it clear he doesn't belong. So he accepted it.

However, he knows the path of Villainy only leads to doom.

His caretakers drilled that into the PLF raid kids. Quirk counseling emphasized it a lot. So did teachers. Everyone.

He’s (reluctantly) played the ‘Villain’ in enough playground games that ends with the ‘Heroes’ pretending to smash him to pieces or explode him to nothing, because everyone has seen the war footage.

And he’s known too many people who salivate over the satisfaction of proving his blood is irreparably criminal.

So he won't be a Villain.

He just wants to leave - leave the orphanage, leave the city, leave Japan. Maybe travel the world alone forever.

Masanori is: very solitary, utterly disinterested in people, self-reliant, pragmatic, opportunistic, clever enough but can bite off more than he can chew

Masanori doesn't really have any sentimental feelings about his parents; or rather, he feels there's no point to dwell on it

He always knew he was the son of criminals. Discovering that he's the son of the most notorious criminals is somewhat cool, but Spinner and Shigaraki are long dead and gone.

When Masanori first received the letter, there was a satisfaction to finally knowing, nearly a sense of destiny. So he read the League of Villains memoir. He read the manuscript drafts that he inherited from Spinner. He did a lot of research.

(In the letter, Spinner admits that the kid was a surprise, that Shigaraki never knew, and Spinner himself doesn't know anything about the kid and will likely go to his grave not knowing.

They dealt the kid a shit hand.

Saying something cliche like they loved the kid they never knew would be hollow; and besides, Spinner and Shigaraki were twisted and distorted people. Villains. So the truth is, the kid is likely better off without them.

But.

Spinner wishes he and Shigaraki could've known the kid, and he regrets that neither of them were able to stay alive and free.

Spinner also writes that if Shigaraki knew about the kid, he knows Shigaraki would've tried to give them the world.)

But eventually, for Masanori, the end result of all that is realizing that there's nothing to be done with this information. Spinner and Shigaraki don't know him, and he doesn't know them; never will. They were criminals, they were young and stupid, they picked a fight and lost, and they left him behind.

All he has is still just himself.

...and this new knowledge he might be able to use to his advantage.

Which is why Masanori decides to confront the Hero Deku and demand compensation for the death of his parents and other hardships

Age 15, Masanori arrives at Deku's agency, carrying Spinner's letter that is his only proof

But just looking at Masanori convinces Deku. Kid's appearance is basically Tenko in lizard heteromorph form, but even his demeanor reminds Deku of Shigaraki - aloof but intense, determined. (tho he is still younger, less hostile, a bit stiff in nervousness)

Deku is shocked, guilty, suspicious, already wants to help, appalled at the extortion attempt. Ready for a conflict.

At least until he hears Masanori's demands:

Guaranteed admission to UA's General Studies Program, a recommendation letter, as well as a stipend all three years that Masanori is in high school.

And that's it.

Masanori has only an okay school record.

He did not have an enriching school life.

He's been accused of delinquent behavior - mostly suspected small theft and 'incidents' with other students

(They could never actually prove he stole anything; and the incidents he get into are always with the more aggressive classmates. They're not so much fights as pranks, and the bullying usually ceases immediately afterwards.)

High school is not mandatory in Japan, and minors legally can start work at age 15, so Masanori has been "asked"/expected to leave the orphanage after middle school. Jin Scenario

Not a very bright future. But he was ready for it... until he received Spinner's letter.

Suddenly.

If Masanori gets into UA High School, an elite national school, with recommendation from a world-renowned and beloved Hero, it's leaving the orphanage, leaving his hometown, starting a new life.

(General Studies program because he has zero interest in being a Hero.)

Graduate and better prepared to leave everything behind and travel the world alone forever.

Opportunity of a lifetime. He will shamelessly seize it.

Masanori's not blackmailing Deku or anything - nothing to blackmail, since no one cares Deku killed Shigaraki, and admitting he's the son of terrorists is social death. He's relying entirely on Deku's heroism.

Even if his Shigaraki was a Villain that Deku had to kill for the good of the world, that was still his father. Deku will feel compassion and guilt for Masanori.

Because Deku is a hero.

Manipulative? Yes. Is he unqualified for UA? Yes. But Masanori wants a chance at having more to life.

And Deku has to face what he (and All Might, and OFA) never actually did: resolve the continued rejection and ostracization problem in quirk society, and the cycle of Shimura tragedy

Because it's quickly obvious Masanori is just like his parents: given up on the world, given up on people. He's just not dangerous about it.

But his heart is empty. He has never been saved. And he no longer wants to be.

In other words: this time, Deku has to truly save someone that's been failed and rejected by this society he upholds. even if easy mode too because Masanori is not a villain. but is less receptive than a seven-year-old. or someone already having Pro-Hero aspirations

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Longest Night: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Summary: Derek is hell-bent on finding the Prince of Darkness before he can kill the little girl he stole. Derek is lashing out at everyone in anger, Ellie is running out of time, and you're just trying your best to help the situation. The Prince of Darkness uses shadows to hide the monster that he is, and you don't realize just how close the monsters you know are to you.

Season Six Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

Spencer walks out of the RV.

"Hey, guys. The murders we found in Orange County in 1985 might not have been his first. I'll call Garcia about it."

Just as Spencer steps off to the side, JJ calls Hotch's phone.

"Hotchner."

"We have access to the local emergency alert system. The secretary personally set it up herself. It's in the city command center."

"Good. Get an LAPD unit to take you over there, get the system up and running, and I need you to start talking to him immediately."

"Excuse me?"

"It's gonna take me too long to get there from here. I need you to talk to him, JJ. I'll give you some strategies. The unsub may still be in this area, and if he surfaces, we need to be close."

"I'm not a hostage negotiator."

"I'm sorry. You are today."

"You need to be more sympathetic. Give me the phone," you say to Hotch, which he does. "JJ, listen to me. You can do this. I believe in you. Don't doubt yourself because you are going to do great. This situation sucks but you're the best person to do this."

"No, you are," she chuckles.

"No, I'm not. You're going to do great."

You hang up on JJ and hand Hotch his phone before going over to Spencer who is still on the phone with Penelope.

"How's my main man doing?"

"On the completely safe assumption that you're not talking about me, let's just say I wouldn't want to be this unsub when Morgan finally gets his hands on him."

"That bad, huh?"

"Has he ever yelled at you before?"

"Touche," she laughs. "How can I be of service?"

"How far back can you go with your records, Garcia?"

"How far back are you talking?"

"A murder investigation from 1968."

"Give me a second." As she is typing, he puts her on speakerphone so everyone can hear. "Okay, let me preface this by saying that a forty-year-old murder in a suburb of Los Angeles is an absurdly impossible request. Having said that, yours truly happens to know that the Pollack Library at Cal State--"

"Garcia," Hotch cuts her off.

"Yes, sorry, sir. Anyway, this murder was quite a scandal. Nora Flynn was a prostitute and a drug addict living in a desert community just outside of Los Angeles. It appears rough bikers were her stock in trade, and one fateful day, she and her client were murdered by her thirteen-year-old son Billy. Both were shot to death. The customer, ironically named John, was able to tell the police before he died that Billy made him beg for his life and then shot him anyway."

"That's him," Derek says.

"He was convicted but was a juvenile. In 1973, he was eighteen when he was released and was never heard from again."

"Oh, he was heard from," Emily scoffs.

"He never released a statement as to why he killed them, although it does appear his childhood was horrific. I'm sending you a picture of him on the day he was released to your PDAS."

"Make sure you send the files to JJ."

"Of course, my liege. Garcia bids you ad--"

"Penelope, wait a minute."

Derek takes the phone off speakerphone to talk to her privately, and you can safely assume it's to make up with her. Hotch's phone rings and he answers JJ's call. She must be at the command center.

"Okay, I'm here, Hotch."

"JJ, listen. The most important thing is that you build rapport with him."

"Rapport. Okay."

"I'm asking you to do one of the hardest things that anybody in our position ever has to do. I need you to empathize with him. Sympathize. Don't judge the things he's done. Garcia's sending you a file on him and his childhood. Look it over. It'll help. If he hears that you care about him, that's how you're gonna get him to care about Ellie. He has to understand that he's putting her through the same pain he went through as a child."

She's right, you're the best person for this particular job but you're not there right now.

"Uh, okay."

"It has to be his decision because power is too important to him."

"Power? Okay."

"You're going to be fine. Just talk to him. Go over the file and start when you're ready."

"Wait, you're going to be on the line, right?"

"I'll be listening."

"Give me the phone again." Hotch hands the phone to you. "JJ, listen to me. You're a mom. You're a good mom, great even. I know this is scary but what would you do if Henry was taken? How would you talk to someone whose mom didn't take care of him? Use that side of yourself and I promise you, he'll listen."

"Okay."

Hotch turns the radio on and everyone stays still as they wait for JJ to start. She mentally prepares herself before speaking into the radio hoping that he is near one and listening.

"Billy Flynn? Mr. Flynn, I--I don't know for sure that you can hear me, but my name is Jennifer Jareau. I work for the FBI as a communications liaison for the behavioral, uh... Okay. Mr. Flynn, I--I--I want to talk to you about letting Ellie Spicer go. I mean, I want to ask you to... Uh, see, I'm not a hostage negotiator. I've never done anything like this at all ever, but, um, sometimes circumstances, it's..." She's freaking out but you know she can do this. "Look, you can tell I'm not a hostage negotiator, but I am a mother. I know what your mother did to you when you were little. What she was, what she made you watch, what she let men do to you, and it makes me so... It's just not fair, and no one--no one--can make that better. I wish I could. I do.

"But... If I--if I could somehow go back there and, you know, make what was happening to you stop... I wish I could just... pick you up and just tell you that it'll all be okay. That's what moms are supposed to do. They're not supposed to be the cause of your pain, they're supposed to make it go away. They're supposed to hold you and tell you everything is gonna be alright. They're supposed to tell you that thunder are angels bowling and that it's okay to be afraid of the dark and that it's not silly to think there might be monsters in your closet and that it's okay that if you want to climb in bed with them just this once because it's scary in the room all alone.

"They're supposed to say it's okay to be afraid, and not be the thing you're afraid of. Most importantly, they're supposed to love you no matter what. What happened to you isn't fair, it's not right, but um... I'm supposed to empathize with you. Sympathize. Understand, but I can't. That--that would be a lie.

"The truth is, I don't understand what you've done. I don't sympathize with you killing people all these years, and I especially don't understand you taking Ellie. What I can do is tell you what a mother should tell you, and that is you can't take away your pain by hurting someone else. That doesn't make all the nights you went to bed scared and alone any better if you scare someone else the way you're scaring Ellie.

"What happened to you isn't fair, but what you're doing to her isn't fair either. If anyone should understand what that feels like, it's you. You have the power. You can do what you want to do. For once, you can choose to use that power to do for Ellie what should have been done for you. You can choose to let her go. You can choose to teach her that, yes, there are monsters, and it's okay to be afraid of them. But it's not okay to let them win, and it's not okay to be one."

Damn, she's good. You often think what your life would be like if you let the man that raped you control your life. Instead, you decided to become a better person than him and help those who can't help themselves. You wish you could have done the same for Hannah. You respect her space and wish you were more in contact with her, but you know she's happy with her family in New Jersey.

Emily's phone rings and she answers it while stepping off to the side.

"Agent Prentiss. ... Hello, Doctor. ... Yes, sir. ... Thank you." She looks at Derek with a solemn look. "Both of Kristin's lungs collapsed. She died a few minutes ago."

"Ellie's got no one now."

A police officer calls Adam regarding Ellie, and he looks at Derek with hopeful eyes.

"He let her go. He got out of the car and he just let her go. She's in a house about six blocks from here."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in another house, up the street."

"JJ. I don't know if you know. He let her go. You did it," Hotch says over the phone.

Ellie is with several officers when you arrive, and the entire SWAT team is en route. One of the officers sees Adam and immediately walks up to him.

"We have SWAT on the way, Kurz, and an HPT team."

"Yeah, but they'll be a while. We had a phone sent in with a direct line to this one." The phone rings and Adam immediately answers it. "This is Detective Kurzbard, LAPD." He hands the phone to Derek. "He wants to talk to you."

"What?" Derek listens to what Billy says before hanging up. "He wants me to come in."

"Morgan."

"I know this guy, Hotch. He didn't kill me before, he's not gonna kill me this time."

"No."

"I believe in my original profile. He will not hurt me unless I show him fear."

"Listen—"

"When you needed us, we were there for you. This one is mine."

"You sure?"

"As I've ever been."

Hotch allows him to go into the house alone while everyone else stays outside. You're not sure what is said inside or how Derek handled the situation, but you do know one thing. Only Derek came out. It doesn't matter if Derek was justified or not. No one will question it otherwise.

******

Frank wanted to be closer to you to keep a close eye on you despite his wife's protests. She's at home watching the kids and desperately needs him back with her. She understands his need to be near you, but she doesn't understand his obsession with you. You had such potential when you were younger, but he let you go. He let you move out and start a life of your own, and that was his first mistake.

Frank won't let this go to waste. He was shocked to hear you had gotten out of prison which means what he did didn't work. No matter. He's not done with you just yet.

"Baby, I wish you would just come home," Clarissa says over the phone.

"I can't and you know it."

"I need help with the kids we already have. She won't rat us out because she has nothing to suspect. She would have done it already."

"Let me worry about that. I'll call you later. Don't fuck this up, Clarissa. I mean it."

Frank grabs his binoculars after hanging up with his wife and points it at the building across the street from the apartment he rented for in cash. It's a month-by-month so he can use it for however long he wants. He waits five minutes before smiling widely at what he sees.

You walk to the open window and close it but the curtains are still open. You're wearing only a thin t-shirt, unaware that he's right across the street watching you. Spencer comes up behind you and pulls you into him which makes your nipples harden under the t-shirt. He kisses your neck and you turn in his arms to kiss his lips. Spencer picks you up and you wrap your legs around his waist, and Frank pictures the feeling of your legs wrapped around his waist.

He smirks knowing it's going to be so much fun to break you.

"A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one other it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden." – The Buddha

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[hldailyupdate]

Louis Tomlinson has dropped a surprise album ‘Live’ – featuring songs that he recorded at 15 shows across 15 different cities.

Announced and shared yesterday (April 25), the album comes after the singer and former One Direction member embarked on two world tours over the past three years – playing just shy of 200 shows globally.

Now, a variety of performances from both tours – the ‘Louis Tomlinson World Tour’ and the ‘Faith in the Future World Tour’ – have been compiled into a new live album, which is available now.

Fifteen songs are included in the tracklist, and each was recorded in a different city, at a different show from across the three-year run. The album comes in both digital and physical formats, and features his singles including ‘Bigger Than Me’, ‘We Made It, ‘Walls’ and ‘Out Of My System’, alongside fan favourite album tracks, all released live for the very first time.

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last 3 years touring the world twice over. The feeling I get sharing those live moments will be with me forever,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “To be able to record these songs from all over the world and put them out as an album like this feels so special, and a real tribute to the fans who make each and every show feel unique and incredible. Thank you! Enjoy!”

There are four exclusive tracks split between the physical editions of ‘Live’, including a special version of the One Direction classic ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ – which is available only on the double CD.

Accompanying video clips of compiled tour footage will be shared on Louis’s social channels to support the release, showcasing a glimpse into his past three years on the road and 170 performances.

The ‘Live’ tracklist is:

‘The Greatest’ (Live From London, 17 November 2023) ‘Face The Music’ (Live From Nashville, 18 July 2023) ‘Bigger Than Me’ (Live From Vancouver, 26 June 2023) ‘Holding On To Heartache’ (Live From Barcelona, 6 October 2023) ‘We Made It’ (Live From Manila, 16 July 2022) ‘Chicago’ (Live From Chicago, 15 June 2023) ‘Fearless’ (Live From Rio, 27 May 2022) ‘Common People’ (Live From Sheffield, 10 November 2023) ‘All This Time / She Is Beauty We Are World Class’ (Live From Munich, 22 October 2023) ‘Walls’ (Live From Buenos Aires, 21 May 2022) ‘Written All Over Your Face’ (Live From Budapest, 15 September 2023) ‘Out Of My System’ (Live From Brisbane, 30 January 2024) ‘Saturdays’ (Live From Paris, 14 October 2023) ‘Silver Tongues’ (Live From Krakow, 10 September 2023)

At time of writing, Tomlinson has shared two huge solo albums since departing from One Direction. His debut album arrived in the firm of 2020’s ‘Walls’, which has sold over 1.5 million copies, and the follow-up was called ‘Faith In The Future’. The latter went to Number One in the UK, Spain and Belgium, and Top 5 in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe.

Since May last year, Tomlinson has been on his ‘Faith In The Future World Tour’, which hits South America next month for its final leg. From there, the vocalist has a number of festival appearances lined up for the summer. Find remaining tickets to his shows here.

In other Louis Tomlinson news, earlier this week the singer, alongside Courteeners and English Teacher, were among the acts to be honoured at the first-ever Northern Music Awards.

The inaugural ceremony was hosted by the UK’s largest music therapy charity, Nordoff And Robbins and took place at the Albert Hall in Manchester; celebrating northern artists, festivals, venues and industry figures. The event saw Tomlinson named as Artist Of The Year.

[dailytomlinson]

Louis Tomlinson has dropped a surprise album ‘Live’ – featuring songs that he recorded at 15 shows across 15 different cities.

Announced and shared yesterday (April 25), the album comes after the singer and former One Direction member embarked on two world tours over the past three years – playing just shy of 200 shows globally.

Now, a variety of performances from both tours – the ‘Louis Tomlinson World Tour’ and the ‘Faith in the Future World Tour’ – have been compiled into a new live album, which is available now.

Fifteen songs are included in the tracklist, and each was recorded in a different city, at a different show from across the three-year run. The album comes in both digital and physical formats, and features his singles including ‘Bigger Than Me’, ‘We Made It, ‘Walls’ and ‘Out Of My System’, alongside fan favourite album tracks, all released live for the very first time.

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last 3 years touring the world twice over. The feeling I get sharing those live moments will be with me forever,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “To be able to record these songs from all over the world and put them out as an album like this feels so special, and a real tribute to the fans who make each and every show feel unique and incredible. Thank you! Enjoy!”

There are four exclusive tracks split between the physical editions of ‘Live’, including a special version of the One Direction classic ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ – which is available only on the double CD.

Accompanying video clips of compiled tour footage will be shared on Louis’s social channels to support the release, showcasing a glimpse into his past three years on the road and 170 performances.

At time of writing, Tomlinson has shared two huge solo albums since departing from One Direction. His debut album arrived in the firm of 2020’s ‘Walls’, which has sold over 1.5 million copies, and the follow-up was called ‘Faith In The Future’. The latter went to Number One in the UK, Spain and Belgium, and Top 5 in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe.

Since May last year, Tomlinson has been on his ‘Faith In The Future World Tour’, which hits South America next month for its final leg. From there, the vocalist has a number of festival appearances lined up for the summer. Find remaining tickets to his shows here.

In other Louis Tomlinson news, earlier this week the singer, alongside Courteeners and English Teacher, were among the acts to be honoured at the first-ever Northern Music Awards.

The inaugural ceremony was hosted by the UK’s largest music therapy charity, Nordoff And Robbins and took place at the Albert Hall in Manchester; celebrating northern artists, festivals, venues and industry figures. The event saw Tomlinson named as Artist Of The Year.

[bundoesnotcompete]

A sequel to my Stellaron hunter reader found here:

Content: not much to warn about. Implied violence as usual. Also the implied destruction of an entire planet at the end. Possible oocness. Tagged characters appear and do play some small role in this chapter. Lord i do not know how to link please let that link work

"Although not much is known about the original Aeons, we do know about the power and deeds done to create our universe. It has been told that the Aeon of Origin shattered their body to create the base of the universe we live in. On the other hand, the Aeon Of Creation gave their body to fill the universe with life and living beings. While some speculate that pieces…."

Creation and Rules of the Known Universe -Vol 1

The world of Zeven was as beautiful as the advertiments said. The thick green foilage and large variety of flowers that grew on many of the plants and houses. The captial city of Pevol was as breathtaking on the ground as it had been in the air. You did some research into the object Elio had mentioned in the scripts for the others that was supposed to be on planet. Though you did not know what each individual script contained you did know it revolved around an object called The Stones of Origin. The world of Zeven was a rather isolated one due to them not having many ways to contact other solar systems. While it made finding information on the stones difficult, It also made it easier for your plans to be put into place.

The Stones of Origin were a sacred object to the people of Zeven and the system of Zakryn. It was gorgeous stones that glimmered deep blues and purples. The only issue was that the security for the stone you wanted was rather tight. Of course seeing the stone itself wouldn't be difficult, all that required was some minor string pulling and manipulation. Getting it out on the other hand, would be near impossible. You sort of wish Elio had given you a script just so you could steal a stone. They were beautiful, and called out to you in a sort of primal way. It made part of you wonder if Elio knew you would find the stone and wanted to see what would happen if he did not give you your script. Prehaps he did not need to give you the script for you to follow it.

"Master Xevus, we will be arriving to the Palace of Pevol. We will be landing in roughly five minutes." A snake-like being announced beside you. You merely nodded in response and the being left hurriedly back to the front the train. Ah yes, taking the name Xevus hadn't been in your original plan but it was a minor bump in the road. You would still meet the royalty of this planet, so it did not matter what name you took to meet them. Even if the real Xevus met an unfortunate end when he confronted you, his name was still useful. Deciding to take the time to take a glance over your appearance, you noted everything to make sure it was perfect. Making sure your halo is beautiful as ever, wings are groomed, the suit you were wearing was not wrinkled horribly were all important. It did no good to have an unkempt appearance. You closed you eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, everything was perfect.

-

"Ah, Master Xevus it is wonderful to meet you finally. I've heard many good things. I am Emperess Falrun and this is my daughter, Princess Meda." A large Medusa like woman greeted you as you entered the palace. She gently took your hand and bowed. While her young daughter merely bowed. Rising up, she let go of you hand a gestured for you to follow. The large hallways were made of golden stones that were dull in the sun as to not hurt the eyes. Though it has been said this palace used to shine and glitter as if it had been made of real gold.

"It took a long while for the council to relent and give me the blessing to contact help from the outside systems. The abundance beasts are beginning to get out of hand. I hear a doctor of your status has been researching ways to help those effected by plagues such as this. I know you are merely here to research the Violet Plague, but anything you find on other plagues would be greatly appreciated." The snake-like woman paused in front of a large door. "This will be your room. We have set a pair of clothes for tonight's ball. My daughter will return this evening to take you to the ballroom." The large woman opened the door to your room and led you inside.

"To your left is the showers." She waved a hand towards an extravagant door leading to the bathroom. Sweet heavens you couldn't even see the bathroom but you knew just from the room alone that you were about to be spoiled. "Now I ask that for the next hour you stay in your room. A servant and guard will be by to give you a more detailed tour if you wish it. There will be other guests from other world's such as the Astral Express and a representative from the Xianzhou Alliance." The large alien and her daughter headed for the door. "Ah! Before i forget, thank you Master Xevus for helping my planet and system. Now please enjoy your day. A servant will be by shortly to see if you need anything. I must attend to other affairs. Thank you." The empress gave a short bow before closing the door.

Playing the role of Master Xevus was one of the best things you've ever done. The large room had some of the most beautiful plants you had ever seen. The overly large bed was soft and the sheets were silky. The bathroom was even better. The large tub/shower combo was one of the best you had ever seen. You were definitely glad you disposed of the true Xevus after seeing the treatment he was to get.

After a nice bath you put on a nice set of clothes and set your appearence to something nice. Scanning yourself in the mirror you decided that it would do for now. Now all you had to do was to wait for your tour to start.

----

The tour had been rather informative, but boring. The Stone of Origin residing on Zeven wasn't in the palace, but instead kept in a temple. When you had returned to your room to get ready for the ball, you had been horribly bored. It was still another hour before it started and it had only taken you half of that to get ready. The suit and gloves ypu were wearing complemented you nice, even if it was a bit uncomfortable. A knock at the door interrupted any plans for tomfoolery that were about to form in your head. A shy voice came through the door after a small series of knocks.

"Master Xevus? It is Princess Meda. The empress has requested all special guests come to the ballroom early." You walked to open the door to a nervous looking Meda. Her white scales shifted nervously and she looked ready to run, well slither, away at the sight of you. You look to you her and nodded as if telling her to go on. Your smile and soft demeaner seemed to ease her nervousness towards you. "Come I shall take you to the ballroom." The two of you made you way to the ballroom, the princess nervously trying to make conversation. It was obvious she was young and naive, prehaps you should use that to your advantage in the future? Maybe she could get you a more private tour to see the stone? It would be nice to get your hands on a stone without bloodshed.

As you entered a massive ballroom you scanned the area. The large room was filled with tables of food and drinks. Large banners hung from the sides of pillers. In the center of the room was a faceless representative from the Xianzhou Alliance, an IPC representative who you did not recognize but noted for later, and a part of the Astral Express crew. A sort of semi-circle line had formed around the empress by the time she took note of your entrance. The pearly white scales of the empress glittered as she shifted to see you. You absent mindedly wondered if her scales would fetch a nice price at a black market somewhere.

"There they are! Master Xevus, we were just about to begin. Come join us and we will begin." The Empress happily announced. The only spot available was one right beside the IPC agent and Welt Yang. Welt looked rather pale and the IPC agent was beginning to turn an intresting shade of red and purple. What better place to stand then between the two. With a plan in mind, you happily stood between the two, knowing full well what you were doing. Once the large Empress began speaking you quickly tuned her out. Her voice was rather grating on the ears after awhile. You took a better look at your surroundings to soothe the boredom in your mind. Plans were quickly mapping out for places to lurk or flee if need be.

Oh my, look at that spot. It sure would be a shame if some noble took a banner to the skull as it fell, accidently, of course. It seemed like hours before the empress finally dismissed all of you. As you quietly made your way to the drinks table you felt two pairs of eyes on your back. It was going to be an intresting night, especially when you aimed to misbehave. Of course, not enough for the empress to know it was you but enough to distract other guests. It would do no good to get in serious trouble without getting your hand of the stone. With ear wings fluttering happily, you got your drinks and waited. There was enough downtime until the guests arrived to plan anyway.

---------

Surprisingly, neither Welt nor the IPC agent approached you. Other then the few small problems you caused for the fun of it, you largely kept to yourself. Eavesdropping on the other guests to see what you could uncover. Sadly, it seemed all they could talk about was who was banging who and the latest scandal. Mid-way through the night was when someone from the Astral Express decided to approach you. March's bright dress and attitude visible from far away. She had strolled up to you with all the confidence of someone who was unaware they were talking to a very wanted war criminal.

"Hello Mr. Xevus! I am March 7th of the Astral Express. Its a pleasure to meet you." She held or her hand to you to shake. You shook it a began to sign. She looked crestfallen though at your response. "Oh, I can't read sign. I'm sorry, but I'd be glad to go find some paper for you to write on." You shook your head a took out a pen and paper you carried around for situations like this.

"It is okay," you had written poorly. The language of Honkai Star Rail sucked to write and it was a miracle you could do so to begin with. Typing on a phone was so much easier. "May i ask what the Astral Express is doing here?" You added on and March read it. She look happy to talk about what the crew was here for. Why did it seem like she had wanted to ask you questions and not the other way around?

"We are here to hello the people of the planet." You gazed slightly passed her as one grey haired girl was approaching at what seemed like light speed. March continued to talk. As she went to ask you a question, Stelle put her hand on March's shoulder and March proceeded to introduce her. "Mr. Xevus meet Stelle, she is another crew member of the Express. Stelle meet Mr. Xevus." Stelle's staring was beginning to make you uncomfortable. "Can i ask why you are here Mr. Xevus?"

Oh look, there was Dan Heng fast approaching your position. How to do you flee from this conversation? What if he was going to join in on your interrogation from the brightly colored girl? Why was Stelle still staring at you like that? Talking to people was not your strong point and you had other things you needed to do. Like finding information on how to access the Stone of Origin without a large group of tourists with you. It would do no good to have the tourists tattle on you when you ran off with the stone. While it was tempting to just kill them and be done with it, you still had some morals. As you prepared to respond to March's question, Dan Heng appeared behind March and spoke firmly.

"I apologise Mr. Xevus, but March and Stelle are needed by another of our crew." Dan Heng had quickly apologised before dragging the girls away. You decided right then and there that he was your favorite of the express. Mentally thanking him for rescuing you from Stelle's staring, you set out to mingle with the other guests. Now, to find answers to your questions and maybe get up to a bit of no good. While you would find you answers, the Astral Express would leave with more questions then answers.

------

Welt knew the moment he seen the Stellaron Hunter walk into the ballroom that he should have expected something like this happen. While he could do nothing to prevent their arrival and prescence he could at least try to act impartial. It was a bit difficult to ignore the fact that honaki energy that radiates off them though. It reminded him of back home. The sheer energy coming off of them putting him on edge. It was only made worse by the fact that they were one of the most wanted beings in the galaxy and the empress seemed clueless of your status. The IPC agent wasn't clueless, though, if the shade of color they were turning was any indication.

When the other crew members had arrived, he informed them of the situation. Having the Stellaron Hunter Saturday pretending to be someone else did not bode well. The fact that there was little they could do to tell the empress without facing intense backlash did not comfort anyone.

When March had ran off and greeted you, Stelle nearly had a heart attack. Mr. Yang had told them to avoid them. While neither would get into serious trouble, Welt and Himeko would give them the 'I am disappointed in you, but not surprised' look. Stelle did not want that look so she ran to try and get March back with the crew. When March had introduced her she had been taken aback by your appearance. Were you related to Robin and Sunday somehow? The eerie similarites between you and the siblings had kicked her overactive mind into gear and conspiracies filled her head. In the end, It ended up being Dan Heng getting them both out of a one-sided conversation with you. It was then they had discovered that March had intended to ask you questions in order to gather information.

March had gotten almost nothing from your very brief comversation. While nothing else of note happened that night, the crew still left with more questions than answers when they left the ball. If only the other crew members hadn't been preoccupied, maybe they could have gotten some answers from you. Though March did learn to inform someone of her plan next time she did something like that.

When the night was said and done, only one walked away with the answers to their questions. From the Express crew wondering about the current crisis and your appearance to the IPC agent wondering how to get you thrown off world and maybe even arrested, many were unsatisfied with the night.

As sun set and rested until the new day, the Stone of Origin in the Temple of Pevol waited for its owner to return. Wailing into the cosmos until its owner consumed it and it could become a part of the whole again. The infection of Honkai energy radiating from the stone continued to make others sick and amplify the planet's problems for another day. The wailing song of the stone would continue for another day and for days after that until you finally come along to reclaim it. Until then, pieces needed to be put in place for all stones to collide and return to their owner. With time and the script, all would align for you to regain a fragment of your true self back. You just needed to be patient.

--------

Excerpt from the Inter-Planetory Post:

"As news continues to pour in from the Destruction of Telvio-3, the Stellaron Hunter named Saturday remains at large. So who is Saturday? Well, not much is known about them. The Family of Penacony claims to not have any records of a Halovian named Saturday and nearly all information known about them is either held under top secret clearence, or common knowledge. However, it is known that Saturday does not like the IPC. While the motive behind the Destruction of Telvio-3 is unknown, there are theories that the rivalry between IPC and Saturday may have caused…."

-----

END MISSION ONE: As The Night Falls, The End of Daylight

START MISSION TWO: Hello! My Devil in Sheep's Skin

‐----------

End notes: This is set up for a lot of stuff to come. I am not very good at writing character's dialogs, but I do try to keep them in character as much as possible. I really need to get my pacing straight and I am not satisfied with this one, but out of the three versions of this chapter written, this is the one I liked best. We need more bad guy reader and if no one will write it then I will.

The next chapter of my SAGAU Lamb story is done for those that are intrested. I need to add some minor tweaks and additions, but the bulk of it is done. I may come through and edit small portions of this if i see anything wrong with it but everything looks alright on my end. See you next time.

[louistomlinsoncouk]

Louis Tomlinson has dropped a surprise album ‘Live’ – featuring songs that he recorded at 15 shows across 15 different cities.

Announced and shared yesterday (April 25), the album comes after the singer and former One Direction member embarked on two world tours over the past three years – playing just shy of 200 shows globally.

Now, a variety of performances from both tours – the ‘Louis Tomlinson World Tour’ and the ‘Faith in the Future World Tour’ – have been compiled into a new live album, which is available now.

Fifteen songs are included in the tracklist, and each was recorded in a different city, at a different show from across the three-year run. The album comes in both digital and physical formats, and features his singles including ‘Bigger Than Me’, ‘We Made It, ‘Walls’ and ‘Out Of My System’, alongside fan favourite album tracks, all released live for the very first time.

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last 3 years touring the world twice over. The feeling I get sharing those live moments will be with me forever,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “To be able to record these songs from all over the world and put them out as an album like this feels so special, and a real tribute to the fans who make each and every show feel unique and incredible. Thank you! Enjoy!”

There are four exclusive tracks split between the physical editions of ‘Live’, including a special version of the One Direction classic ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ – which is available only on the double CD.

Accompanying video clips of compiled tour footage will be shared on Louis’s social channels to support the release, showcasing a glimpse into his past three years on the road and 170 performances.

At time of writing, Tomlinson has shared two huge solo albums since departing from One Direction. His debut album arrived in the firm of 2020’s ‘Walls’, which has sold over 1.5 million copies, and the follow-up was called ‘Faith In The Future’. The latter went to Number One in the UK, Spain and Belgium, and Top 5 in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe.

Since May last year, Tomlinson has been on his ‘Faith In The Future World Tour’, which hits South America next month for its final leg. From there, the vocalist has a number of festival appearances lined up for the summer. Find remaining tickets to his shows here.

In other Louis Tomlinson news, earlier this week the singer, alongside Courteeners and English Teacher, were among the acts to be honoured at the first-ever Northern Music Awards.

The inaugural ceremony was hosted by the UK’s largest music therapy charity, Nordoff And Robbins and took place at the Albert Hall in Manchester; celebrating northern artists, festivals, venues and industry figures. The event saw Tomlinson named as Artist Of The Year.

[nonbinaryeye]

Signature

Written for @gortash-week

Day 2 - Betrayal

Gortash is apparently late to some very important meeting but somehow he still finds time to ask Karlah to sign a new contract.

Read on AO3

...

“Boss? Ready to go?” Karlach knocks again on the door, which her boss, Enver Gortash, disappeared in, a few minutes ago. Or well, to be exact, in ‘time that feels like a few minutes ago’ is a bit more accurate description. The young tiefling is not very good at telling time, especially when she is supposed to be waiting for something and when the wait is supposed to be so short and when it is happening out of her control.

She shifts her weight from foot to foot and stretches her arms over her head. She always struggles to just stand still, being a teenager filled with energy. Her boss hates how much she is fidgeting. He says it is undignified and that as his bodyguard she should behave with some decorum when she is fulfilling a role of threatening presence behind his back. She does not really understand what he means by that, besides if she has to focus on staying still it is much harder for her to properly pay attention to all the potential threats she is supposed to be protecting him from in the first place. But she is not being paid for her opinions, she has been told and so she really tries to do her best. At least when he is looking.

Karlach eyes again the doors leading to Gortash’s office. Or study. Or workroom. Businessroom. Whatever is the official name of the room supposed to be. Still not answer nor any sign of her boss emerging. He must have been there for a while already, right? With guilt she reaches towards the breast pocket of her jacket where she stores a neat little pocket watch her boss lent her some time ago. He gave her grand lecture about the importance of punctuality and at that time she was really scare that he will just fire her but in the end he gave her the pocket watch. She does not pull them out as there is no point in trying to check the time on them. They are currently not exactly functional…

Karlach will really have to figure out how to tell him she broke them. Well, it was not really her fault, she only made the mistake of checking the time in one of the worser parts of Lower City and some bastard tried to steal them and she roughed them up real good afterwards. Unfortunately, the fragile little piece of metalwork fell on the cobblestone and though besides a few scratches they appeared fine on the first look, something must have broken inside. And Gortash might have said it was just some old model he had no use for anymore but it is still probably one of the most expensive things Karlach ever had in her possessions. But her boss was freakishly smart with all the cogs and apparatuses he will probably repair them with no problem. Still she hates the idea of making him mad, or worse, disappointed in her.

But that is a problem for another time, for future Karlach, Gortash said they are in a hurry so right now it is definitely not the best time to bring up the pocket watch. Though thinking about the rush they are supposed to be in…

“Boss?” Karlach knocks on the door again, “shouldn’t we be leaving by now?” she carefully peaks in the room. She is familiar enough with it, though she is acquainted much better with the doors and hall outside where she is usually left to stand as guard during his secret meetings.

“I’ve heard you and I… ah, finally. Here it is.” Gortash is crouching next to his desk with satisfaction on his face pulling some envelope from one of the drawers. And it is a bit strange that it took him so long to find whatever he has been looking for. He usually keeps everything in perfect order. Apparently not even his flawless system he claims to have is without its faults.

He straightens up and carefully tugs the envelope in some inner pocket of his coat. It is black with generous gold ornaments – he really seems to be adding a touch of gold to everything lately. It is as if a new gold decoration appears on him with every big achievement he makes. She does not understand the appeal but also she does not really judge. The things pretentious patriars, they cross parts with sometimes, dress in looks much uselessly pompous. Gortash looks at her with a smile and it is nice to see that he is in good spirits today, lately his face appeared to be stuck in constant frown, some worries on his mind he never bothered to elaborate.

“Happy to hear you found… well… whatever that thing is,” Karlach grins and she is ready to turn so they can be on their way. But Gortash stops her.

“Since you are already here, before we go and before I forget yet again, would you mind signing your new contract, Karlach?” he quickly shuffles through documents on his table and pulls one out. He reaches his hand with it towards her.

“What for?” Karlach furrows her brows in confusion as she steps closer to him, taking the fancy looking paper. It was not written by hand as her previous one, the one she signed ages ago before Gortash’s business ventures were blooming as they are now, the words are printed on it and gods in a terribly small font.

“It is mostly just a formality,” he waves his hand, “All contracts need to be renewed once in a while. And your performance has been quite satisfactory lately so I thought I could also give you a bit of a raise.”

“Sweet!” she grins over the idea. Gortash already pays her quite generously, more than she could get at any other job if she could even find a place where they would be willing to employ freshly adult tiefling in the Gate. And yes, she is not stupid, she knows the job she does for Gortash is dangerous and that not all the dealings her boss does are legal. But it is not like whatever legal system that is here is good or effective, it is not as if Flaming Fist are really treating people with fairness. And even though Gortash might be doing some questionable stuff sometimes and asking her to do them as well, he is in his core a good man. She really believes so. All the people he ever asked to fight or to protect him from seemed like a much worser bunch than he is.

“Very well then, just sign it here,” he hands her his quill – if it can be even called that. It seemed to be another one of those fascinating inventions he so much enjoys and sometimes even crafts himself. No feather was present and the ink already seemed to be in the strange metal part of the object. She starts quickly scanning the document looking for the space where her signature would fit. But suddenly there is his hand blocking her view.

“Wait,” Gortash says apologetically, “I should really give you enough time to read through it first. It would not be very responsible of me to just put a quill in your hand and ask you to sign your soul away so to speak. You should know what exactly you are signing first. No, I must insist that you should not put your signature on it till you examine whether everything is in order. And we do not have time for that right now…”

Karlah cannot help herself but groan. Her brain already hurts just from imagining reading every single of those tiny letters and from trying to understand all those needlessly complicated words.

“But boss! I trust you checked everything enough and have it in order. It is more of an formality anyway right?” she cannot help but complain. Gortash sighs, eyes turning to his own pocket watch. Much fancier and also very much working. The pang of guilt stings her again. On second thought she does not really feel like she deserves a raise…

“Well, if you think so, do as you please, just do it quickly. We really need to hurry…”

“Got it. I will be fast as a wind,” she puts the new contract on the table and Gortash points at the bottom of the page. And so it is signed. With a smile she hands him both a quill and the document.

“Anyway maybe if you let me carry you and I run…”

“I think I will rather be delayed.”

Gortash takes the contract from Karlach and with care he puts it in one of the drawers and locks it in. He looks quite a bit pleased as well, though it probably is not even related to the contract…

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Reckoning

Conquest log Archive 1731 Star Date 93745

Scouting detail 831 reports low level broadband communication signals while exploring sector G17. Signals are weak in nature but contain enough complex patterns to imply linguistics.

Requested additional teams and stronger receiver equipment was approved and further investigations begun.

Star date 93763

The unknown signals have increased in frequencies and scouting details have begun narrowing down origin location. With the stronger equipment the signals have been found to be visual transmissions rather than simple audio only communications.

First visuals of the aliens sending the messages have them appearing as bipedal creatures standing upright with two arms and legs. Despite sharing the same form many of them appear to hold individual distinctive features ranging from hair color, skin color, height, tone of voice, body proportions, etc.

The linguistics corps is attempting to create a foundation for understanding their primitive language but Warlord Xulien has instead diverted manpower to analyzing their current technological level. He has taken interest in the signals; though he appears less interested in the species themselves and is more invested in the world they occupy.

What little he has seen of the planet through the transmissions has convinced him that it would be the next prime candidate for the colonization corp and would become the new frontier outpost for his forces to base in for their westward expansion.

Star Date 93771

With the combined efforts of the increased scouting details the alien’s believed homeworld has been located; a medium sized binary star cluster with five orbital masses circling the twin suns. Four of the planetoids have their orbital curves sending them too close to the suns to be bathed in lethal radiation or too far and ending up as a frozen orb. The fifth planet finds itself in perfect synchronization with the two suns and found itself in the so called “Green Zone” orbit that can sustain life.

Scouting detail 831 received the honor of sending the first ship into the system. Primary focus was altered at the command of Warlord Xulien to focus on military capabilities present in the system.

First visuals were reported back and found to be unimpressive.

The species, while having advanced far enough to obtain space flight, showed limited space presence aside from an array of artificial satellites and small mining craft that were sent to the four desolate planets in the system for raw materials.

On the surface there were several large cities with a few dozen smaller settlements scattered around the planet. A network of roadways and rail lines connected each grouping into a vast network allowing easy movement across the planet.

With the closer proximity to the signals origins the linguistics corps was able to better translate the information and has finally learned the name of the species.

They call themselves “Humans”.

Star Date 93775

Warlord Xulien has assembled his war host and launched a full invasion of the system.

Protests from the science and diplomatic corps were overridden as Xulien made a convincing case to the senate that these “humans” were too primitive to be of any real benefit to the empire and that their world would be put too much better use under their people’s watchful gaze.

The first wave of ships have flooded into the system and secured total control. The small fleet of human ships was easily wiped out in the initial engagement, though many of the satellites remained unharmed due to their small size making them more difficult and tedious to destroy.

Star Date 93776

Following the control of the surrounding space the main force has entered the system. The transports carrying the war host lumbered into orbit around the human homeworld and begun landings.

Warlord Xulien has forbidden the use of orbital strikes to minimize collateral damage to the planet. He has been recorded saying that his forces need to stretch their legs after such a journey and welcome a ground war challenge.

Numerous communication signals have been detected coming from the surface of the planet but Warlord Xulien has ordered the fleet to ignore them. He believes they are the humans attempting to establish peace talks which he has no interest in.

Star Date 937780

Final resistance of the humans has been wiped out.

The war chorus Helion has captured the human leader and is bringing them aboard the flagship to meet with Warlord Xulien.

Orders for colonization fleets to assemble have been sent.

Star Date 937780b

Multiple jump signatures detected along the edges of the system.

Three hundred unknown space fairing vessels have bypassed long range scanners and have formed a tightening noose around the war host.

Ship classification unknown but all bare the mark of humanity. The lead ship at the center of this new armada is several times larger than Warlord Xulien’s personal flagship.

Orders have been issued to recall ground forces as the fleet assembles.

Star Date 937781

War host fleet has been wiped out.

It has been discovered that the world previously thought to be the human homeworld was in fact a recent colony; a colony that was part of a much larger and more advanced domain of human controlled territory.

Reports of massed barrages of human weaponry far more advanced than what the colonists had shattered the fleet shields in the opening seconds. With their shields disabled the human flagship then deployed a large scale electromagnetic pulse weapon of some kind and disabled the entire war host fleet. All contact with the fleet was then lost save for a single transport vessel that had landed on the surface and continued to transmit back to the empire.

Scanners detected that multiple smaller craft were then launched from the human ships and latched on to the war host fleet vessels. Military analysts theorize that these were boarding parties and that the war host ships were taken one by one.

The remaining war chorus’s on the planet’s surface reported massed landings of human vehicles dropping off scores of heavily armed warriors before all communication was lost.

Star Date 937923

The general public continues to remain unaware of the events that took place on the human colony world. Official reports list that in a final act of defiance the humans detonated a device near one of the binary stars that sent it cascading into a deadly supernova that consumed the entire system.

A memorial was held for Warlord Xulien and his war host, while all official information of the events that transpired have been scrubbed from the records save for the highest level archives.

All warlords have been informed of the fate of Xulien and have been instructed to prepare for a pending conflict with humanity. Many have called for retribution for the loss of one of their own, but it is far more likely that they are eager to secure the honor and prestige of avenging the first ever death of a warlord of the empire.

Star Date 937969

Jump signatures have been reported at the edge of empire space. Scouting details have been dispatched to investigate.

Star Date 937975

All contact with scouting details has been lost.

War Hosts have been ordered to battle stations.

Star Date 937976

Massed fleet of ships detected orbiting colony world of Xu-zin. Orbital facilities report seven hundred ships before destruction.

Emblem of humanity seen on the prow of the lead ships.

Star Date 937981

General public informed of new threat and the destruction of Xu-zin colony world.

Last recorded video files of deadly orbital bombardments released to general public to stir war fervor.

There was no communication made between the human fleet and the colonists below before the attack. Orbital strikes have been reported to have decimated 96% of the planet’s surface and destabilized the orbital rotation.

Star Date 937990

Colonies Ring Reef, Zavens Throne, Dren IV, and Pul have all been destroyed.

Human fleets emerged over each world and bombarded them from orbit until all life on the surface was extinguished.

Science corps believes the humans were able to obtain star chart information from capture war host fleet and are operating with detailed information of the empire.

Warlord Din’mar led his war host over the moon of Xerebeck against a human fleet there. 83% of the war fleet was destroyed before the order to withdraw was given. One human vessel crippled during the engagement.

Star Date 937994

Mid ring worlds breached.

Heavily populated world of Lechen’s Reach attacked by large human fleet of two hundred ships.

Orbital defenses prove stronger deterrent and inflict first confirmed losses to human fleet.

Human fleets retreat to safe distance out of range but do not leave the system.

Star Date 937995

Human fleets surrounding Lechen’s Reach reinforced by a further eight hundred ships and renew assault on planet. Orbital defense platforms decimated by concentrated weapon fire before planet subjected to extensive orbital bombardment.

Star Date 937997

Human’s have gained access to the wider empire broadcasting network and have begun streaming a constant feed of their destruction of the colony and mid ring worlds as well as the destruction of the war fleets for warlords Hentuk, Bendni, Arura, and Hafen.

Government denies all feeds as enemy propaganda but panic across the empire spreads beyond control.

Warlords Zin and Frick have refused all commands from the central government and have taken their fleets elsewhere. They no longer respond to command and are believed to be fleeing with what resources they have at their disposal.

Star Date 938000

Human fleets have finally arrived at the homeworld.

Orbital defenses have fallen an hour ago yet the expected orbital attack has not yet come.

I make this final entry as I see their landing craft breaching the clouds and descending upon my home with trails of fire.

I do not know what horrors they plan to unleash upon us, but I fear that this will be my final day.

I send this last recording now and hope that whoever discovers this will know of my people’s fate and learn from it.

Learn that to stir the beings known as humans, is to stir death itself from its slumber.

[hairwigsbangalore]

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[thefirstknife]

heya!! love your posts and your most recent about ahsa & the witness had me thinking… do we know if the traveler left the people it blessed before the witness was a thing? i always got the impression that it left the eliksni, for example, bc the black fleet was after it. but suppose there is a time the black fleet/witness didnt exist yet… was the traveler still bouncing about the universe? am a new player so sorry if you’ve already talked about this!

Right now we know that the Traveler was always leaving systems it finished terraforming. There's a lot of species it visited and it would always leave after a while, when it was done. Its job is basically to terraform and help everyone it can so it has to keep moving. It can't choose a single species and just stick around (our Collapse notwithstanding, given the extraordinary circumstances around it).

When it leaves, the results vary. Some seem to be fine and adjust, but some don't handle it well. Harmony seem to have handled it well for example as they just continued using the Traveler's gifts in their fight against the Hive. Obviously we don't have their own view of this, but they fought against the Hive hard and there's no indication that they had any issues with the Traveler.

Lubrae is an example of a species not dealing with it right, as Rhulk notes that the Traveler left a mess and a divided people:

(We are divided. Split by a shimmering orb that appeared briefly in our sky, as if having two suns isn't already crowded enough.)

—-What of this shimmering orb?—-

It was before my time. It came. We evolved. It left. Left us with a mess—those who believed in good progress. Those who didn't.

Those who believed dwelled in the City. Controlled it. Filled it only with the light of the Sapphiric Sun and endless day to keep the horrors of night away, revealing the horrors among us. They pushed progress for the sake of the few while the rest of us took our chances under the alternating suns.

Lubrae was pretty early on so that shows us that the Traveler was zipping around already at that time. But what was the first world it visited? Did the Traveler always coexist with the Pyramids or was the Traveler free to garden for a while before the Black Fleet came to existence? We have no clue. If Ahsa's memories are showing us the first victims of the Witness and they also had the Traveler at some point, they might also be the first to be terraformed by the Traveler. Maybe nothing pre-dates that point: whoever this species is, they might be the first to hold the Traveler and the first to fall to the Witness.

It would make sense that the Witness didn't have to exist before the Traveler made its first action, given how focused the Witness is on the Traveler. So either the Traveler was free to garden until this point or this was the first attempt to garden and it immediately spawned the Witness. All depends on what Ahsa will tell us going forward.

This also kinda makes sense with what we've learned from Inspiral. Namely the banger line from the final page, Winnowing:

There can be no gardens without knives.

Meaning that the moment the Traveler exerts its rule and starts gardening, that inevitably spawns the other rule, the rule of winnowing, of someone who has to destroy. The existence of a garden is what creates violence by default. Basically, it's putting blame on the Traveler: the Traveler wanted complex life and gardens, so it's the Traveler's fault that someone must winnow. Or so the author would want us to believe.

This is obviously bullshit, needless to say. The Traveler is not at fault for someone who wants to destroy its work. There's obviously some dynamic here that we don't really understand yet which will hopefully be cleared up when we learn more about the Witness, but I don't think we'll ever be told that the Witness is correct.

The Traveler is a sentient being with its own life and ideals and wants. It doesn't belong to any one species or people. It always must be on the move and help people throughout the universe, which means it has to visit, terraform and eventually leave. I fully believe the Traveler should leave us too when all this is done and we deal with the Witness.

I'm really interested to find out if the Traveler was ever free to garden without the Black Fleet chasing it or if the first act of gardening was immediately followed by the Fleet. Unsure if we'll get that specific detail, but we might! I definitely think that the Traveler always wanted to garden as many worlds as possible so showing up and eventually leaving would've been the plan from the get go. But we don't know if it ever did that before the Black Fleet or if the Black Fleet spawned as soon as the Traveler terraformed for the first time.

[bedlamgames]

No Haven 0.991 The Final RAGS Update

After this all development will be moving to the Twine version.

Download links can be found on the No Haven page.

If you don’t have RAGS and you need a copy to run it there’s one on the help page here or the one pinned on the patreon you can find a link to in the attached read me which is more up to date. If RAGS has never worked on your system despite the help page suggestions then it might be worth trying with one of the alternate players. There’s also improvements on there to the RAGS player that can also help with performance.

Change logs under the break:

0.991

-New Commissions :

---Basic Sissification Training. This has two variants, a regular one, and an alternate one that will appear more rarely. The regular one will be used for the Examine of City Elf Sissies, and the alternate rare one will be used for Fae Sissies.

---Private Passage. This has two variants, both used for the beginning of this Assignment, and the old version will now be used for the results. This will also have a 50/50 chance of showing up instead of the current Examine for Miina von Kekkonen.

---A Gem for the Betrothed. This has two variants, a regular one which is used as an additional piece for wedding, and an alternate one which will sometimes be used for Veren after Gem for the Betrothed if he is still a Slaver and is involved in nightly activities.

-Blue Dilemmas :

---Added twelve new 'Blue' dilemmas. These have a 50/50 chance of replacing the current possible dilemmas if the slaver has a specific Trait for each possible Trait if they have more than one. The Traits in question are all common or uncommon ones, and most of the Traits chosen are ones that are either less used or would usually be less good to have on a character to give them some extra bonus functionality. This raises to a 3 in 4 chance for each possible trait if the encampment has less than 300 gold pieces or 150 supplies for most of these. It's not possible to get the same one twice in a row.

---They also have a special bonus that if one of the possible buffs are active you will not get given another dilemma for the duration.

---The bonuses include some unique buffs, some new minor enchanted items, and the possibility of gaining an extra Trait slot.

---All of these are purely positive and will not result in negative morale if you decide against them. One of them even has a positive effect if you do decide against them.

---The new ones that are Region specific will not happen unless you have found a new Assignment in that Region in the last 30 days. I've also changed the existing Region specific Dilemmas to work in the same way so if you're purposely not gaining Assignments in a Region then your guys and gals will know better than to talk to you about that Region.

-Miscellaneous additions :

---Changed 'View Purchased Upgrades' to 'View Upgrades' as this already included the Special Encampment Upgrades. Now this also shows Temporary Encampment Upgrades like the existing temporary bonuses from Encampment Roles, the ones from the new Blue Dilemmas, spent Endearments, and some of the existing Dilemmas like the bribes.

---The dilemma with the new slaver recruitment is re-enabled, and improved. The new slaver comes with an extra trait, and instead of getting it immediately you instead need to send the slaver who raised the dilemma to the Forage for Supplies Assignment. So you can just not do that if you change your name, and if you match the requirements the Assignment will automatically be a Success without loss of Morale so you'll also gain some extra Supplies. Two of the new Blue Dilemmas work the same way.

---Made some changes so Wisps and Legion will no longer start with the age based Traits in Debutante or Seasoned. Golems and Wrights will no longer be generated when looking to generate a younger character specifically though they can still get the trait as they can look either young or old while still being actually significantly older due to their own personal circumstances.

---The Blessing of Dark Favour buff is now more random in effect to make it possible to be either weaker, the same, or even stronger than it was before.

---The Seller of Quality Encampment Upgrade now only applies to the gold earned from Value Estimations rather than always applying.

---Clit Queen Training now unlocks Favoured Pet Training when completed.

---There will now be no dilemmas during the run up to Gem for Betrothed when Veren, Nike, or You are not available for selection on Assignments.

---Neko and Ponygirl Trainings now award a Distinction as if they were Tertiary Trainings.

---You can now give a lavish retirement even if you have the maximum number of Distinctions. Included a Warning to make it clear that you will not receive one and that you may want to spend one first.

---Female Slavers with Tentacles (Tcl) can now do Advanced Blowjob Training and Exquisite Fellatrix Training.

---The gold rewards for Price of Freedom have been improved. Even more so for the various different results if you go yourself. I got plenty of other suggestions for improvements, and things to review with the various outcomes, and my plan is to return to those when I implement Price in Twine.

---The Upgrades Bastion, Blessed, Beguilers, Desolators, Reavers, Seekers, and Shadows will now transfer over to you new character if your old character gets enslaved.

---Expanded the intro to Gone for a Soldier and added a note to the suggested third spot that they're going as enticement.

---Putting a slave through Bottom Bitch training now prevents adding or removing the vibrating pussy rod via bondage amending.

---In Value Estimating Sensitive Nipples, Heterochromia, and Addictive Cum have been moved from 'Other' to 'Physical Assets'.

---Added a pause to Sudden Betrayal so the before picture has time to show up before changing to the after one

-Bug fixes :

---Fixes for some potential issues with the rewards on Halt Slaver Caravan. I also added an extra line of text to the Success result with a goal of 'Attempt to grab one of the slaves outside of the caravans' to clarify better who exactly was taken.

---Fix for an issue where a non Feminine male character could randomly get breasts outside of the usual intended ways that could happen. This is now checked at the end of each Finish Day so even if that does happen due to some reason it will just get reset to being correct.

---Fix for Newfound Fascination not rewarding gold on the Critical Success.

---Fix for Alrissa's Diabolical Awakening Aspect not correctly counting as Shadowplay.

---Fix for A Gem for the Betrothed happening repeatedly after the first time.

---Fix for Temple Turncoat not checking Traits correctly.

---Fix for Advanced Titfuck Training not applying Unnatural Assets correctly.

---Fix for A Blessing upon not checking for elves correctly. This will also fix a potential CT error.

---Fix for Zharr creating a dupe Zharr.

---Fix for permitting access to the pit after banning someone, not then adding the option to ban them again later.

---Fix for a bunch of issues with the extra Traits earned from Deeper Foray.

---Fix for the missing abbreviation for Unchangeable Attire on some Assignments.

---Fix for the pirate booty being called former pirates and not having the right value. Also fixed them losing their pirate booty-ness if you put them through the Keldan Alley.

---Fix for the final act of the Arrogance storyline showing some of the beginning text at the end.

---Fix for Booty Snatched applying to slavers recruited from Assignments.

---Fix for the recruitment option at the end of House Sitting not increasing the number of slavers. There's also now a check if you have the maximum amount which you will prevent the choice from showing up with some extra text reflecting that.

---Fix for Spear Fishing not showing all the rewards on a Critical Success.

---Fix for the recruit from Made to Serve, Shadows take Flight, and Spear Fishing having a blank Former Training.

---Fix for Dilemmas asking for 50g if you have 26-49g.

---Some text fixes.

More patch notes since the last version on here in the attached text file.

[rabbitcruiser]

West Virginia was admitted as the 35th U.S. state on June 20, 1863.

National West Virginia Day

National West Virginia Day is on June 20 every year. This day celebrates West Virginia as the last state created from one of the thirteen original colonies under the British Empire. The day marks the birth of a region that is home to some of the largest forests in the country, an industry of coal mining, and a rich cultural history. Yes, there is so much that West Virginia has that its residents can be proud of. This West Virginia Day, step out and explore the beauty and history of the state. Most importantly, let your infectious energy inspire others to celebrate, too! West Virginia has vast beautiful landscapes with three popular mountain ridges namely, Allegheny, Appalachian, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. West Virginia is the largest producer of coal east of the Mississippi River. The state has deep cultural roots and heritage from its native ancestors.

History of National West Virginia Day

Before the arrival of European settlers, West Virginia used to be a favorite hunting ground for numerous Native Americans. It has old earthen mounds constructed by different mound builder cultures. Once the Europeans arrived and settled here, the locals were pushed to the outskirts.

The earliest civilization in the region was in 10,500 B.C. when the Paleo-Indian culture appeared along the major river valleys and water sources. Subsequently, the Adena culture was the dominant influence in West Virginia in the year 500 B.C. The Adena Indians would use ceremonial pipes almost like works of art. They were also called the Woodland Indians. They lived in round wicker-sided and bark sheet roofed houses — wigwams and grew sunflowers, gourds, and squash. Their community had farmers and cultivators. They also reared dogs as pets.

The formation of West Virginia as a state in the U.S. was a tumultuous one due to the sectional differences that existed within it. In fact, around 2,000 residents had even petitioned for the creation of a 14th colony that would be named ‘Westsylvania.’ This colony would have included Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania if the petition had been approved by the Continental Congress.

In 1829, the Virginia Constitutional Convention met in Richmond to discuss reforms to Virginia’s outdated constitution. Philip Doddridge wanted western Virginians to get a more democratic system of government but these desires were rejected by leaders from east of the Alleghenies.

The state of Virginia voted to break away from the United States during the time of the Civil War in 1861. This was unsuccessful, leading to the formation of the state called West Virginia which would be in support of the Union. When the American Civil War occurred, Virginia almost left the United States and was all set to join the Confederate States. However, on April 20, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made a decision that changed history as we know it — he declared that West Virginia would be a part of the U.S. as a separate state. Virginia became a member of the Union in 1863. By 1864, the informal celebration of West Virginia Day was common and it formally became a state holiday in 1927.

After the formation of the state, there was also some discourse regarding making the city of Wheeling the capital. In 1870, Charleston became the capital instead, but the decision was again reversed to make Wheeling the capital in 1875. To solve the matter once and for all, a statewide vote took place in 1877, and Charleston was finally elected as the capital. Every year on West Virginia Day, ample festivities take place across the state, as well as in the Charleston capitol complex. Seeing the complicated history of West Virginia, it is not a surprise that people go all out in celebrating its creation.

National West Virginia Day timeline

10,500 B.C.

The Earliest Civilization in West Virginia

The Paleo-Indian tribe appears along the major river valleys and water sources in the region.

9000 B.C.

The Early Settlers

West Virginia is populated by the first settlers.

500 B.C.

Influence of the Adena Indians

Also called the Woodland Indians, they make contributions to arts and culture in West Virginia.

1700s

The Change

The Europeans begin colonizing the land.

1829

The First Constitutional Convention is Organized

The Virginia Constitutional Convention meets in Richmond to discuss its outdated constitution.

1863

West Virginia is Granted Statehood

Congress grants statehood to West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

1942

Paying Homage

A law requires students and teachers to salute the American flag.

National West Virginia Day FAQs

What is closed on National West Virginia Day?

It’s a state holiday in West Virginia. For this reason, many government offices, libraries, and schools remain closed on this day.

Is West Virginia a Red State?

West Virginia is a Republican state currently. Republicans John McCain won the state in 2008, followed by Mitt Romney in 2012, and Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

What is the most common job in West Virginia?

The most common jobs held by residents of West Virginia are cashiers and sales workers. Truck drivers and registered nurses are also some of the common professions.

What is the safest city in West Virginia?

Currently, New Martinsville has been declared the safest city in the state.

How To Celebrate National West Virginia Day

Plan a trip: What’s a better way to celebrate this day than to plan a vacay to West Virginia! It’s a gorgeous state with lots to see and do.

Research the history of the state: The best way to celebrate the day is to research the heritage of West Virginia, its history, why it was formed, and how it has progressed over time. Reading up on the culture of any country, city, town, or state can truly be inspiring.

Visit their local museums: If you are visiting the state, make sure to drop by the local museums there. It will give you a lot of insight into the state’s history and culture.

5 Interesting Facts About West Virginia

It was supposed to be named ‘Kanawha’: The state was to be named after a Native American tribe, but officials went with West Virginia.

A Native American burial ground: The oldest and largest Native American burial ground in the nation is located in West Virginia.

A large discovery: North America’s largest alluvial diamond, the Punch Jones Diamond, was discovered in Peterstown.

The first rural free delivery mail service: In 1896 in Charles Town, the Post Office Department’s pilot program launched this mail service to try out the practicality for a country-wide rural delivery system.

The oldest dime store is found here: America’s oldest dime store, Berdine’s Five and Dime, is in Harrisville in West Virginia.

Why We Love National West Virginia Day

It is a beautiful state: This day makes us look closely at the many natural landscapes that this state has to offer. There are so many things to see and appreciate here. West Virginia Day brings to light the past of the state and the hurdles it had to overcome to earn the status it has today. It’s achievements like this that fuel the fire of patriotism.

To remember the history: Days such as these play a great role in highlighting the history of a country. This reminder is important so people never forget the sacrifices that were made in the past. National West Virginia Day also tells us about how West Virginia achieved statehood and the many political discussions and debates that preceded that. We must always remember the contributions of everyone who made this a reality.

To boost tourism: The increase in tourism can always help local communities in the state. It will also boost the overall economy of West Virginia if more tourists come to visit. West Virginia day excites the residents and motivates them to acknowledge the long journey the state embarked on to make a difference.

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