#that arne can't handle

[ronkoza]

more merfolk au

Tor belongs to @littleulvar

[book--brackets]

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (2012-2016)

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab (2015-2017)

Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski (1992-2013)

For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf. 

Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. This child has the power to change the world -- for good, or for evil. 

As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt's responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat. 

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986-2008)

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl--and herself--than first meets the eye.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (2000-2020)

As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly—stinks.

So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name…

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)

Peter Pan, the book based on J. M. Barrie's famous play, is filled with unforgettable characters: Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up; the fairy, Tinker Bell; the evil pirate, Captain Hook; and the three children-Wendy, John, and Michael-who fly off with Peter Pan to Neverland, where they meet Indians and pirates and a crocodile that ticks.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. The visitors quickly wreak havoc in a city that refuses to believe in either God or Satan. But they also bring peace to two unhappy Muscovites: one is the Master, a writer pilloried for daring to write a novel about Christ and Pontius Pilate; the other is Margarita, who loves the Master so deeply that she is willing literally to go to hell for him. What ensues is a novel of in exhaustible energy, humor, and philosophical depth.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (2012-present)

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (1995-1997)

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. 

 As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968-2001)

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.

This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

[sarifel-corrisafid-ilxhel]

I am now thinking more about the Jurassic Park/World - Animorphs crossover AU (Dinomorphs?). It has stuck in my head like a bad song and I can't get it out.

InGen and any of the other companies involved with making the dinosaurs would be taken over by the Yeerks almost as soon as the Yeerks arrive. These companies have biological engineering capabilities approaching the level of the Arn, but on a much better planet. The Yeerks would be salivating over that.

Following on from this: Hybrid dinosaurs like the Indo-series Rex and Raptor or the Stegoceratops from the video games are probably Yeerk projects. The Yeerks are looking for ways to create more shock troops to unleash on the Andalites.

Similarly, we could expect to see even more interesting hybrids involving alien DNA. Velocihorks and Pterotaxxons and Geddosaurs. I imagine most of these hybrid projects would be failures that illustrate the depravity and utter inhumanity of the Yeerks, like the failed Aquatic Hork-Bajir project.

Dinosaur-controllers, mostly with medium-sized dinosaurs that can function as guards or shock-troops but aren't too big to fit inside of Yeerk ships. As much as Visser Three would love to have Tyrannosaur-Controllers on the payroll, they're just too big and their arms too tiny to be useful to the Empire on a day to day basis. (I imagine this is the same reason the Yeerks can't deploy the giant monsters on the Hork-Bajir homeworld to other planets - their spaceships just can't hold the critters, there's not enough room.)

Visser Three, of course, would have all the big dinosaur morphs. He can bypass the "too big to fit" limitation thanks to Alloran's morphing ability.

Because the Yeerks have to use smaller dinosaurs in their ships and Yeerk Pools, the Animorphs could still use their regular battle morphs (or in Ax's case, his normal Andalite body) for a lot of the fighting, if they aren't able to acquire dinosaurs themselves. And if Visser Three turns into something too big for them to handle, they can do what they usually do and run.

If the dinosaurs have escaped into the wild before the Animorphs get into the war, then smaller dinosaur morphs could be acquired at Cassie's barn.

Following on from the last point - if Cassie has any mid-size theropods at the Barn, or if there are any at The Gardens, then Tobias definitely gets stuck as one of those instead of a hawk.

How would the chimeric DNA of the dinosaurs affect morphing allergies? What if Rachel burps up a Baryonyx or an Ankylosaurus because it has the part of the crocodile DNA that she's allergic to in it? Is this how we find out Jake is allergic to Tree Frog DNA?

Toby and the Free Hork-Bajir adopt a dinosaur early on. I don't know what kind yet.

[sochawrites]

Can you please do an rimmer x fem reader fluff or the episode the gun men of the apocalypse where reader and rimmer are dating.

Sure I can! And why not kind of both?

I am so, so, so sorry it took me so long to write this, it has been a very weird year and I just could not manage to put aside some time to write. I can't promise 2024 will be better, but we all can hope, no?

I hope this is at least a bit satisfactory to you, dear anon, or any of you souls, still lurking around looking for some RD content.

What do you guys say on the news about Red Dwarf: Titan? I was there when they screened the teaser trailer, if one would call it that, and honestly? I'm pretty excited!

Also happy Holidays!

Adrenaline

Arnold Rimmer x Fem!reader

None of you could help but cheer as Starbug flew away from the burning moon, escaping certain doom once again. You were slowly getting used to these situations, but near-death experiences are still near-death experiences and while you tried to focus your mind on the fact that you were alive, your body and nerves were of a different idea.

You were shaking in your seat, gripping the handles and hardly holding back the maniacal laughter of survival. You had enough adrenaline for today, it would probably be better for you to go and calm down, maybe even lay down before you start to crash.

Pulling yourself up on your shaky knees, you excused yourself and stumbled to your room, almost falling on the way out of the control room. Fortunately out of the sight of others, or so you thought. You slowly made your way up the stairs to the sleeping quarters, painfully unaware of the pair of concerned eyes watching you.

Deciding the bed would be the best place to crash onto, you crashed into a much more closer chair, back turned to the door and closed your eyes shut. You were breathing heavily and the sound of the ship was being drowned out by the buzz and thuds in your ears.

A knock caught your attention, albeit barely. "Permission to enter?", you hummed in response, knowing fully well your hologram boyfriend would not take no for an answer and not having enough strength to speak. There was a pause before Rimmer went into the room, but as soon as he did, he cautiously made his way towards you. You could only imagine him looming over you as he tapped on your shoulder.

"I brought you some water," Rimmer announced to you nonchalantly, leaving the glass beside you. You thanked him as you reached for the liquid with both of your shaking hands, but you were positive he barely heard you.

"That was quite a ride, wasn't it? The adrenaline, the thrill!" Rimmer walked around as if giving you an inspirational speech, "Although I have a feeling that for some, it may have been a bit too much, wouldn't you say so, my dear Y/N?". He turned to you with the last sentence, a playful smirk on his lip, but sympathy in his eyes.

You just threw him a look, not amused by his remark, "Yeah, well, not everyone can be as brave as the great Dan McGrew, right, Arn?".

He pouted, "Auch", and knelt down in front of you, reaching his palm to your cheeks, gently caressing. It was always a weird sensation to touch light, soft or hard, not really cold, not really warm. Leaning into his touch, you planted a kiss on his hand, a small smile tugging at the lips of both of you. "You're going to get used to all of this, eventually." Rimmer tried to reassure you, but you just shook your head.

"'Eventualy' isn't soon enough, starlight." the hologram traped your hand in his, squeezing. "It never is, but you'll be fine, I know it.".

You reached your still trembling hand to the one cradling your face, feeling the threat of tears from the stress and weariness. "How?" you whispered, "How are you so sure about this?".

"Love, have you ever seen yourself when we face the unknown? You always keep such a stone-cold face, looking so brave, so fearless! Adrenaline is a powerful muse, the tremble and tears, it's not you, it's just your body, nothing more." Rimmer was now cradling your face in both of his hands, semi-standing, looking directly into your eyes.

"It's only a matter of time until you get used to the rush and once you do…" he paused, maybe because he was searching for words, or maybe just to make his encouragement more meaningful, "You'll be braver than anyone we know."

You leaned forward, wrapping your arms around the holographic body, "Even more than Ace?". You felt him hugging you tightly "Even more than him.".

[badassbutterfly1987]

For fanfic friday: I know you've been low-key thinking for a while about chronic health fallout in a Vor lives au. Take this as your invite to toss headcanons, if you're inclined!

Holland manages to remove the metal shards and heal the damage just barely in time. The would be assassins are dealt with and Vortalis lives. The healing isn't perfect, there's going to be internal scarring and obviously he needs a recovery period. Everything is going to be fine.

Vortalis is confined to bed for at least a week because Holland insists he rest and recover. Besides, they can't risk the king looking weak. The only ones allowed to see him are those they completely trust (i. e. him, Leta, and Lane).

In the meantime, Holland rules in his place and everyone's wary about it at first, including Holland who really just wants to stay by his partner's bedside (god what if Vor dies because he is busy sitting on a fancy chair?). New guards have to be brought in to replace the fallen ones and the survivors have to mourn; Holland has to now be on speaking terms with guards and servants he couldn't previously remember the names of. Any weak points in the castle have to be shoored up. People still want to see the king to ask for favors. They consider whether or not to reach out to the other London. All things considered, he handles it pretty well.

Vortalis recovers, mostly. Antari magic can heal major wounds but scars are still left behind and his are in his lungs and near his heart. They don't realize at first the extent of the damage. He's still exhausted of course and not entirely steady on his feet, but he's not on the verge of keeling over.

Then one moment he's his usual self and the next Vortalis can't breathe. There's a vice around his chest and he can't get air in between the coughing and he's clawing at his throat and oh god he's been poisoned again-

Then he feels Holland's hand on his chest, pushing air into his lungs and keeping his heart beat steady. His voice assures him, it's all right, you're still alive, I'm here, just breathe-

It is the first time such a thing happens. It is not the last.

Vortalis has survived a lot of dangerous confrontations and manages any trauma from them pretty well. But now he can't even look at his cigars. He's wary of offered food and drink. Every few nights he wakes up struggling to breathe, Holland always there to keep him steady. Hypervigilance kicks in hard whenever Holland is out of the castle. A thousand what ifs cross his mind.

Then the doubts start to creep in. What if the rest of London sees an ill king and once again consider regicide? What if they can't heal Makt like this? What if Holland can't save him next time? What if he dies and Holland is left alone?

The first time Vortalis brings up making a backup plan in case he dies, Holland shuts it down the moment he realizes where the conversation is going. Isn't his magic enough to keep them both alive? It was enough to save them from the Danes.

(Holland hunts down Kell to demand Arnes provide a solution and no, tea alone isn't enough, Makt needs him well and so do I)

Very few people here lack scars. Vortalis has plenty already; these ones are just internal.

It doesn't get better exactly; Makt is always cold and he's sure that makes it worst: the coughing, the wheezing, the struggle to breathe. But they learn how to handle it.

They hold the throne for another 7 years and plan to hold it for several more. Makt still struggles but it isn't bleeding as much as it did under Gorst or another dozen tyrants or how it would have under the Danes. Bit by bit, Arnes starts to make up for their original sin.

They still have each other. They still rule together. They have to be enough.

[dexter123sblog]

A day in my life as a maritime student

A day in my life of a maritime student can be quite dynamic, combining classroom learning with practical training and even some physical challenges. Here's a glimpse into a typical day

- 7:00 AM: My day starts early with a hearty breakfast, fueled by the knowledge that a long day of learning awaits. Maritime studies demand a lot of energy!

- 8:00 AM: My first class of the day could be anything from navigation, ship handling, or maritime law to marine engineering, seamanship, or even maritime English.

- 10:00 AM: My second class could involve learning about safety procedures, cargo handling, or the intricacies of maritime regulations.

- 12:00 PM: Lunch break is a chance to connect with my classmates, who are all as eager and enthusiastic as I am. We share stories, swap studies tips, and dream about the day we'll be sailing the world's oceans..

- 1:00 PM: The first class in afternoon was Navigation, and I'm already struggling to grasp the intricacies of charts and compasses. But the professor is patient and encouraging, and I feel a spark of understanding as I start to navigate my way through the world of nautical maps..

- 3:00 PM: The second class on afternoon was English 100, that focused on English language.This subject was very good because this subject teach us how to speak, pronounce and to deliver right the English words.

-4:00 PM: My last subject was PATHEFIT this subject was more on on physical because this subject was teaching us self defense and attacking this subject was teaching us Tapondo an Arnes.

- 7:00 PM: By the time evening rolls around, my brain is full of new knowledge and my muscles are aching from the day's activities.

As I settle into my dorm room for the night, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. It's been a long day, but it's also been a rewarding one. I'm learning so much, and I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings.

This is just the beginning of my journey as a maritime student. I know there will be challenges ahead, but I'm ready to embrace them. The sea is calling, and I'm ready to answer.

[queen-scribbles]

🖊

Gonna go with Kina to flesh her out since she's sticking around(which also means you're getting multiple facts for one pen, lucky you^^)

She absolutely takes advantage of how frequently people underestimate her as a Tiny Baby-faced Zabrak, she's played it up without hesitation and taken people for all they're worth, especially at cards. 

Very fond of her duster, that coat was one of the first pricey purchases she made when she started having more credits at her disposal, and even then she talked the merchant down to only charging a little over half what it was actually worth. xD

She likes the silhouette of a long coat or that buccaneer armor I just bought her; thinks it looks dashing and badass (she's not wrong)

Will destroy all comers at sabacc and pazaak both, probably could beat you at dejarik, too, but card games are her first love. For all she acts flip and sarcastic, she's wicked smart and a top-tier bluffer.

Loves spicy food. Will judge you if you can't handle it as hot as she likes it.

Extremely independent, only in part bc she's effectively been raising herself since age 13.

Never really met her dad, just glimpsed him in passing a few times and knew him By Reputation before he got sent to Belsavis. She knew that was part of the deal for her and her mom having a roof over their heads, so she doesn't have strong feelings one way or the other about him.

Iiiif she romances anyone I’m trying to decide between Arcann and flirting with Arn. No one else really fits with her, so it’ll be one of them or she’ll be single. We shall see.

[sviancontrast]

I honestly find myself in both ends in a somewhat equal amount. I am always listening to music, if I'm still I'm probably holding something between my arns or hugging it, if doing homework silently I can't focus on anything.

But I also can't focus when there's too much going on and the alst thing I want sometimes is something else going on as I try to fulfill an activity. Background noise being too annoying, something small on my skin bothering me way too much (to the point it's the only thing I can focus on and I'm just trying to ignore it or thinking about ways to get rid of it as soon as I can.

And I guess this makes me think that maybe we all are somewhere in between. Or not. It's a spectrum. It could be more like a color slider that for some keeps moving and for some it is always at some point or moves but only sometimes.

What I'm trying to say with this is that I believe we all need some balanced levels of stimuli. Not too little or none, but also not too much. Just something going on in the background or aside, but not too loud. Not too "attention-seeking". Something I can handle unconsciously as I focus on whatever I'm doing, not something that requires me to multitask. Or maybe yes, something that requires me to multitask but keeps me mostly focused on the main thing.

Idk, I'm probably speaking nonsense, don't mind me too much 🗿

When it comes to sensory issues in autism I really wished that more people talked abt being sensory seeking/hyposensitivity since it seems that it's mostly sensory avoidance and being hypersensitive to sensory input being talked abt.

I'm both sensory seeking and avoidant both hypersensitive and hyposensitive however I lean more onto that sensory seeking side. And seeing it rarely talked abt made me feel so disconnected from other fellow autistics tbh

I wish more ppl talked abt things like:

-abt the feeling abt being understimulated because you do not have that sensory input you need

-constantly listening to music /needing background noise in order to fulfill said desired sensory input and feeling like ur going insane without it and liking noise

-liking to touch things/being touched (like liking hugs a lot for example, that's something that helps me with sensory input a lot)

-often chewing on things(tho that is something I see getting talked a bit more!!)

Etc!!

[whump-me-all-night-long]

37, 38, 45 for Arne?

37. How does your oc handle heavy stress? Do they have any specific coping mechanisms? Are they healthy or not?

I would say Arne tends to handle stress fairly healthily, but also, I can't say a whole lot because that might ruin the story ;)

38. What does your oc do to relax? Any specific activities? Why?

He doesn't really have any free time honestly. Between his job as a farmhand, his attempts at hunting, and taking care of his aging mother and five (FIVE) younger sisters, he's stretched pretty thin. But I will say that helping his sisters with gardening and cooking/baking has always helped him to relax.

45. How is your oc around animals? What about children?

He's great around animals! His family has a couple goats as well as a handful of chickens and a stray tabby that he always sets out a thing of milk for. As for children, he really had to step up to help raise his sisters so I would say he's pretty good at it.

[zfunds]

Every intermediary needs an ARN code, Register yourself

Arn Code in mutual fund 

An application reference number is referred to as ARN. Each certified mutual fund distributor or expert is given a different number that they can use to trade in different schemes.

WHY is ARN CODE required?

Everyone has heard the television commercial phrase, "Mutual fund investments are subject to market risk." But that doesn't mean one can't take greater precautions to lower the danger. Therefore, it is the intermediary's responsibility to inform and educate the investor about the potential hazards. The interests of all parties to the transaction will be protected in this way.

To protect investors, SEBI and AMFI take several steps. One such step entails requiring distributors to get an ARN code. For instance, the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) certification is required by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) for all intermediaries engaged in the sale or marketing of mutual funds. They must sign up with AMFI to acquire certification after passing the exam.

How to get an ARN code?

Computer Age Management Services Pvt. Ltd. (CAMS) handles the registration processing and ARN issuance on behalf of AMFI.

The form on which intermediaries should apply is specified. It is accessible online and in the AMFI and CAMS offices. 

From the CAMS online service, you may also apply.

Send the application form and the acknowledgment from Know Your Dealer (KYD). 

The person must physically produce the KYD application form after applying for it.

A copy of the intermediary's NISM certification, an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, verification of a bank account, and two passport-size photos are required.

The cost is Rs. 3,540 for individuals and seniors, including GST. For corporations and other entities, there will be different costs and documents.

[homestuck-human-generator]

Name: Mistrum Arne Pahlke Color: Laurel Green #A9ba9d Symbol: pear Strife Specibus: spoonkind Handle: technoArisen Animal: chicken Pronouns: she/her Age: 55 Birthday: 308th day of the year Sexuality: straight Interests: dancing and mathematics Dream Moon: prospit Classpect: Thief of Blood Land: Land of Midnight and Cubes, a selfish place, with tired Balkan Hermann's Tortoise consorts. It is a place full of cities and creatures only to be heard and not to be seen. Hyperion can't wait to meet the player. Instrument: zeze via homestuck-human-generator https://ift.tt/Gmt1uTz

[strawberry-judas]

Swedish Judases shouting at Last Supper comparison

Arne Jansson (1972)

Alexander Lycke (20??)

Patrik Martinsson (2009)

Emil Nyström (2013)

Peter Johansson (2014)

feel free to discuss differences but please be polite

[notmanagingmymischief]

𝐿𝑜𝓇𝓇𝒶𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓃 | 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒, 𝓌𝒽𝓎'𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒?

I'm indecisive and couldn't choose a title, so my therapist did it for me. enjoy.

also, unless explicitly stated, all of my Lorraine fics take place in an AU where Ed and Lorraine aren't married.

PS, The Devil Made Me Do It spoilers ahead. You've been warned.

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title source: "all i want" by kodaline

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warnings: death, angst, honestly not much romance in this one just bad pacing and sadness

word count: 3.6K

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tag list: @winters-witch-bitch, @wizzy0, @sythaerin, @is-but-a-dream-within-a-dream, @thebijesus, @consciouschunkofmoss, @escapetodreamworld, @missfalcon, @sapphic-stress

if you want to be added to the taglist, just message/ask me and I'll be sure to do so! :)

--

enjoy xx

--

"Lorraine, why can't you wait until we can both go?" You pace back and forth in front of one of your best friends who holds a book tightly in her arms. Her brows are pulled tight as she watches you, but no matter how hard you try to convince her to wait, she won't listen. And eventually Ed calms you down enough to let her leave. Before she does, Lorraine walks to you and places both of her hands on either side of your face, leaning down and placing a soft kiss to your forehead. "I promise I'll be careful, dear." Though you're still wary, you nod and clench the fabric of her blouse tightly in your hands, holding her against you for a little bit longer before letting her go. The brunette steps back, and with one last disarming smile, mumbles her goodbyes and leaves.

You watch the woman's retreating form intently as she walks towards her car, eyes boring into her head while Ed talks behind you. Once the car has pulled out of the drive and disappeared behind the tree line, you finally turn back to face him with a sigh, dropping your head into your hands. "She'll be fine, y/n. I'm sure." Ed says and you shake your head in resignation, looking at him and replying "But what if she isn't? Ed, you saw what happened last night, what if the woman targets her next? She must know that you didn't go through with whatever she had planned, there's a total possibility that she'll just go straight for Lorraine!" Even with Lorraine's promises, even after everything she's gone through and proven that she can handle herself, you care so much about her and letting her knowingly walk into a trap makes you want to throw up.

You begin pacing again, already unable to stay in one spot now that you know Lorraine is out there, unprotected and vulnerable, while it seems you're the only one worried for her. Still Ed just tries to soothe you by saying "Y/n, Lorraine knows what she's doing. She can do this one little thing, besides, that woman has been seen to attack at night. She has hours." You try to see the bright side, listen to what Ed is saying and believe that Lorraine will be okay, but every bone in your body is telling you to not trust it. Ed takes your hand in his, squeezes it tightly, and smiles softly. So finally, you force yourself to sit down and begin helping him and Drew with the case files.

--

It's been four hours. Four hours and all you have to connect these cases is the location. But then you've got Jessica's case. She lived near Boston, that's almost two hundred miles away from this case. "Hey, where did Jessica find her totem?" Your head raises from the file you're investigating when Ed asks a question you can actually answer. "I just saw something about that actually," you say, and begin to rifle through the things you've already gone through until you come across the folder you're looking for. Picking it up, you read through the words on the paper; "It says that she brought the thing home in a box. From college." "Where did she go to college?" Eyes skittering around the page, you finally freeze. Not looking up, you mumble "Fairfield." That's only miles away from Arne's case location, you realize. Ed moves his pin, sticking it in it's new destination of Fairfield, New Jersey.

Just as you open your mouth to say something, you cry out and double over as your chest explodes in pain. Ed rushes to your side as you try to figure out what's happening, but it just gets worse. Your mind runs as it tries to find out any explanation as to why your intuitions would be kicking in now, when suddenly you gasp "Lorraine!" and shoot from your seat, knocking Ed off balance and stumbling backwards, just barely catching himself on his cane. You scramble for your coat and keys as both him and Drew try to figure out what's happening, but you don't have time to say anything more than "She's in trouble!" before you're flying out the door and towards your car. Vaguely you heard Ed calling your name but it all fades away as you pull the door closed and slam your foot on the gas, peeling out of the Warren's driveway in record time.

It doesn't take you long to hit the highway at the speed you're going, but you could care less about getting pulled over. You're too worried about Lorraine, because somehow you know this pull. This isn't the intuition of "we're close to finding something", this is "Someone you love is in danger. Run." And when it speaks, you listen. 'I need to get to Father Kastner's house.' is the only thing on your mind as you speed down the road, eyes trained on the path ahead of you. It's dark and dangerous to be going this fast right now, but none of that is important as your mind begins thinking up all the possible scenarios that could happen. You need to focus.

--

The brakes scream in protest as you slam down on them, and the car screeches to a halt. Not bothering to check that everything is off, you throw your body out of the vehicle and immediately see Lorraine's parked not very far ahead. You immediately dash towards the house. The front door is locked, and no matter how much you bang on it no one answers. Eventually you get too impatient and run around the building to look into each window. Finally you arrive at one of the back ones, and peer inside. It seems you came just in time, as you see familiar looking figure disappear down a hidden staircase. A second later, someone pushes the bookshelf that hides the passage from view back over the opening. It's Father Kastner. Eyes wide, you watch him sit back down at his desk, but there's something wrong. A presence, something so strong you can feel it outside. It's volatile, malevolent.

'She's here. Run.'

So you do, whirling around and trying to find another way into the place. There's no way in hell you're going into that room, but you have no idea how else to access those tunnels. That is, until you nearly fall flat on your face after tripping over something. When you look down and see trap doors, your first instinct is to open them, but then you notice the padlock and chain keeping them shut. When tugging on them did (obviously) no good, you instead search around for some sort of way to break in. After a few minutes of looking, you thank your lucky stars when you find a stone mallet of some sort in the shed on the bottom of the hill, and make quick work of the chains. You're inside a minute later, having jumped into the hole and landing painfully on your feet, and brush yourself off. All the while your eyes dart from place to place, making sure nothing (or no one) sneaks up on you.

Your legs ache from the fall, but you clutch the tool tightly in your fist and steel your resolve. Your knuckles turn white from the pressure and you finally make up your mind, going to the right after some deliberation, and taking off in a sprint. Your head swivels side to side, and you keep an ear out for any noise or indication of Lorraine's location. But your pounding footsteps are the only sound in these winding paths, echoing through the empty air. Finally you stop, completely out of breath. Hands on your knees, you pant and try to figure out how else to locate Lorraine. When nothing comes to find you stomp your foot down and let out a frustrated cry as tears build in your eyes. You can't lose her, not now, not ever. Just as you begin to finally lose hope, you hear a distressed cry. It sounds like Lorraine and is coming from your left.

Immediately you jump to your feet and take off in the direction of her voice. The sounds begin to get louder and the tingle in your chest heightens to a searing heat. Finally, you round a corner and see her. She trips backwards, trying to back away from something, and in front of her, just meters away from you, is a tall, thin figure. It seems to be a woman, but you can't focus on that as you see the glint of metal. She's holding a blade, you realize, and finally jump into action. The strange woman lunges at Lorraine, tackling her to the ground and raising the weapon above her head to strike, and for some reason you drop the hammer and instead snatch a large, jagged rock from the ground beside you. Without wasting a moment, as Lorraine grapples with the woman on top of her, you strike; with one swift motion you jump forward and bring the rock down on the other woman's skull, hard. It does as intended, presumably knocking her out as she goes slack and falls to the side.

It gives Lorraine the chance to skitter away, and you watch her look down at the woman before looking back to you. Adrenaline coursing through your veins and causing your body to shake uncontrollably, you're disheveled and messy, probably covered in dust too, but Lorraine doesn't hesitate to throw herself into your arms. You drop the rock and hold her tightly. She's shaking nearly as hard as you are, and her ragged breaths ghost heavily over your skin. The brunette doesn't let go for a long time, and neither do you, recovering from the shock of the moment. But you reason that eventually the stranger you knocked out will wake up, and you don't want either of you to be anywhere close when she does. So you pull away a few inches, checking Lorraine's face for any visible injuries before saying "Oh thank god you're alright," your voice choked up.

The older woman lets out a shuttered breath and nods shakily, replying "I'm fine. But what are you doing here, I told you to stay at home!" You shake your head, tightening your grip on her body as you say "I wasn't going to let you do this alone. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you, Rainey." The nickname, given to her by you when you were just children, makes tears sting in Lorraine's eyes, but she blinks them away and reluctantly nods, finally moving back and slightly brushing herself off. The shakes have mostly faded from your bodies, and with one last glance down at the crumpled sorceress, you nod to Lorraine to lead the way.

-

You and Lorraine spend what feels like hours walking around, searching for god knows what. But Lorraine seems to know what she's looking for, and you don't doubt her one bit. And your trust pays off, because after forever, you come across a large, open room. In the middle of the space is what looks to be an alter, made of stone and covered in ritualistic tools. Lorraine lets out a little noise before heading over to it. She looks over the various items on the surface before she grips the edge tightly and tries to tip it over, or something. You've arrived beside her but just by looking at the thing you can tell it's sturdy, so after a few seconds you put your hand on Lorraine's and state "Lorraine, that's not gonna work. It's solid, we need some sort of...heavy tool to break it." You curse under your breath and mumble "That mallet would have come in handy right about now."

Lorraine glances at you and finally stops struggling, opening her mouth to say something. But before she can, you hear a familiar voice call out her name. Instantly she screams "Ed!" and spins on her heel, sprinting in the direction you two came from. Panicked, you speed off after her, calling the woman's name. But she doesn't stop or turn back, still running and calling out your brother's name. You're already out of breath, but you watch Lorraine turn another corner and disappear from your sight and force you body further forward. Except, once you also round that corner...she's not there. Lorraine is nowhere to be found, and when you shout her name you get no response. That gut feeling returns, screaming at you to do something because soon, something terrible is going to happen if you don't.

But you have absolutely zero idea of where the brunette went and no leads to work with. Stumbling around this place is only going to lead to more confusion, so with a quiet, pitifully whimpered sob, you turn and plan to head back to the alter room. You get lost a few times, but your intuition eventually gets you back on track. Soon enough though, it returns to that painful burn in your chest and throat until it's nearly suffocating and you're clutching your chest, stumbling around blindly before the pain leaves you all at once and sends you sprawling onto your hands and knees on the hard, dusty ground. You have to take a few minutes to catch your breath, the abrupt shift affecting you quite heavily. But once you're good, you return to your feet carefully and begin walking forward again.

It seems that the world isn't giving you any breaks tonight because only minutes into your continued journey you hear a strange sound; like fire crackling, or a match being lit. Suddenly it hits you; the witch is awake, and most likely casting another spell. Your suspicions are confirmed when once again an ear shattering scream rings through the tunnels. This time you know it's Lorraine, and throw caution to the wind as you begin running, all the while screaming Lorraine's name at the top of your lungs. You receive no audible response for too long, until at last, as you take a deep breath to shout again, a high pitched "Y/N!!" hits your ears, and you backpedal. It's from behind you, and you thank god it's near. Freezing, you shout for her again, and she returns the call; this time you think you can pinpoint the source, and in moments you're going. It doesn't fail you, because seconds later you're skidding to a stop, back in the alter room.

The witch is nowhere to be seen, but instead a horrifying sight plays out in front of you. Lorraine, on the floor, scrambles away from the figure who towers over her. And who is that? It's your brother. It's Ed, clutching your mallet and panting. He's clearly out of his mind and Lorraine pleads him to stop, to put it down, to remember her. But it doesn't work, and you watch in frozen terror as Ed raises the heavy hammer above his head, positioning it to come down upon Lorraine's vulnerable form. You don't think. Your head goes completely blank. Nothing else matters, and you dive towards the two, effectively shoving Lorraine just barely out of the trajectory of Ed's swing. And then it connects with the back of your head.

Lorraine screams, louder than you've ever heard her scream.

You let out a quick breath and collapse forward.

Blood instantly begins dripping from your wound, but you don't feel much pain. It's uncomfortable, yet more like a severe migraine than anything. But you know something is wrong by the way Lorraine is acting. She's panicking, shouting your name and begging you to stay with her. Voice thick with emotion, you mumble "Lorraine? What's--What's wrong? Are you okay?" It seems to confuse the woman momentarily, but then her eyes leave yours and move upwards, begging someone to do something. Her words are muffled and your head starts to swim a bit, and feels like it's going numb. It's an off-putting sensation and makes you let out a quiet grumble. You try to push yourself up, but can't muster enough strength to sit up completely, and eventually give up and just fall back to the floor defeated.

Lorraine is still talking, but soon it peters out, and faintly the sound of something heavy being dropped to the floor hits your ears, but you could be wrong. Then hands are on your body, someone pulls you into their lap. By this point your vision has begun to flicker, and finally you remember what happened. How you'd forgotten so fast beats you, but you can recall being struck over the head, and soon you realize what's happening. You're dying. The thought is...strange. You've never been afraid of death. You greeted it like an old friend because, although it wasn't a desirable outcome, in the end it happened to everyone. And once your time came, you figured that you were ready. Though that was all before you fell in love and realized that you didn't want to die, you didn't want to leave her. But that's exactly what's happening to you now, and you're not sure how to feel about it.

"Y/n, please, please sweetheart. Please stay with me, you have to hang on." Lorraine's begging finally becomes clear as your hearing sharpens at once, and you can hear everything. Her hands are pressed to your head but you know that there really isn't any point. This is the end, and even though it hurts knowing you'll never get to tell her how you feel, get to have a life with the woman you love, at least it doesn't hurt too bad. Now Ed's speaking too, his and Lorraine's words overlapping but voicing the same things. Please. Don't leave. Stay with us. You blink your eyes open to catch a glimpse of Lorraine's side profile, face pressed against your collar, and with slow, shaky movements, you raise your hand and rest it on her shoulder. The brunette's face immediately turns to you with hopeful eyes, but the hope diminishes in seconds when she sees your expression.

And she realizes you're content. She realizes that you've come to terms with what's happening, and you're no longer fighting. Even though she wants desperately for you to fight, needs you to fight, she knows that once you've made up your mind there's no changing it. Besides, how the hell are they supposed to get you help from down here? No one else knows you three are here. The awareness hits her all at once and before she knows it she's weeping harder, clutching your body desperately and begging you to live with everything she's got. Ed's just as distressed, knowing that this is his fault. You're laying here, dying, and it's all because of his actions. He knows just as well as Lorraine that there's no way you'll make it, and knows that he'll never forgive himself for it. His baby sister, dying at his own hand. It breaks his heart and soon he's also crying.

You let a few tears escape, but besides that you don't show any fear. A sad smile sits on your lips as you watch Lorraine. You feel terrible for leaving her like this, but it's your time. You feel your heart slowing, your sight dims further, and you know that it's almost all over. With this thought in mind, you rasp "Rainey." Again the woman raises her head to look at you properly, whispering a broken "please," but you shake your head and breathe "C'mere." Your words are slurred and breathy, but Lorraine understands, and sits up enough to come closer to your face. And with your final breath and last bit of strength, you whisper "I love you," and loosely grasp Lorraine's shirt in your fist to pull her down to your face and connect your lips for the first, and last time. The feeling makes Lorraine's breath hitch and her fists tighten further, but after a few moments she presses back, harder, and it's the last thing you feel before everything fades and the world goes dark.

When your lips stop responding to hers, Lorraine finally pulls away and looks down at you with a heartbroken, desperate expression, before she lets out an agonizing keen, burying her head in your chest and switching between screaming in misery and weeping until she has no tears left. She doesn't even register when Ed, numb and refusing to process what he'd just witnessed, stands and crawls from the hole, waving down the ambulance that had just arrived. All she can feel is grief and soul crushing torment, until finally someone else lays their hands on her body and tries to pull her away from your body. That's when she finally reacts, clutching your body tighter and refusing to let go, repeating cries of "No no no, you can't, you can't make me, stop!" even though her throat is raw from screaming and she can hardly breathe. It takes three EMT's plus Ed to finally pull you free from the brunette's crushing embrace, and she thrashes in their arms, tears returning with a vengeance.

But she isn't strong enough, and eventually the medics are forced to hold Lorraine down and sedate her long enough to get her in the ambulance and to the hospital to be treated for her own injuries, which Ed accompanies her for. His hand holds her limp one tightly as the tears keep falling, replaying the night in a shock-induced stupor. His little sister is dead. He killed his sister, the girl he'd taught to read, helped with math homework. The little girl that had knocked over their mother's vase and ran to him crying and begging him to help her fix it before she found out, and he took the blame for. The one who trusted him to never hurt her.

He'd killed his sister.

[a-master-procrastinator]

First impressions on 7.0 story

I did the story on both Imperial and Republic sides, but only one time, so my thoughts and impressions might change after another replay. In general, it felt lackluster. Not without some bright moments, but 7.0 leaves more questions than answers and confuses me even more.

Spoilers under the cut!

Since I don't have backup characters (not main characters, so if something bugs I won't be disappointed) to experience new story, I took Airistan (DS-neutral Knight, Republic loyalist) and Jett (neutral-light BH, still unsure about loyalist/saboteur thing, both are terrible options for her, so I have 2 versions rolled with different options, today it's Imperial saboteur).

Didn't expect Manaan to be first, kinda figured it would be a story between the overall plot with Malgus and war. I didn't know what to expect from this plotline other than "we need kolto!" for either Republic or Empire, and, honestly, the game didn't get me invested. I don't know how to put it, but when Onslaught came out with the whole deal about Meridian complex, I had a sense of importance of either defending or destroying it. With Manaan I didn't have this feeling. Maybe it was my sleep deprived brain (can't rule it out), maybe it was lack of necessity of this mission in overall plot. Other than one "if we had that kolto shipment we'd get you more soldiers" line, Manaan's story don't have impact on anything else, at least so far. I'm willing to wait until next story updates release and see if the result of mission on Manaan has any more consequences.

Underwater mission was fun though. Gave me a little nostalgia from KOTOR.

New area looks good (even if it burns my computer and I have to lower shadows to get better fps and not hurt my eyes). Also happy about characters using their class ship.

Republic

Glad to see Arn again, congratulations on passing the trials and becoming Knight, even if his doubts are still there. Too bad Airistan can't help him much with his struggles as a Jedi (because she doesn't care about Jedi path).

Colonel Gallo is cool, hope she appears again (but pls don't make me come back to Manaan if it's gonna be so slow again).

Surprised that Airistan chose to save people instead of kolto, but in retrospective it makes sense - kolto isn't exactly a resource that's going extinct, and gaining trust by saving Selkath over kolto can help in future relations with Selkath. Airistan is devoted to win the war by any means, but she is also clever. Usually.

Empire

Ooops, another Dark Councilor is dead on Jett's watch, must be a coincidence. Shouldn't have gotten overly ambitious. In other words, Darth Norok didn't impress me.

Colonel Korrd wasn't super interesting at first, but with time I got more invested. Jett even didn't expose him and told to go Odessen.

Anri is great as always. I felt shame when she said "I know I can trust you".

Kolto was sent to Odessen, but to be fair, Jett would do so regardless of saboteur/loyalist status.

I still have characters ready to do Manaan, so maybe my opinion will change.

(about Darth Nul) "Even so... I struggle to think of anyone else with the power to wipe someone from history so completely" ever heard of Black Codex? (people who main Agents, pls tell me that they make a comment about this)

Then we finally get to the main plot of the, ahem, expansion.

Elom is even better looking, but I could not get through this flashpoint without lowering graphics. A few more updates, and even NASA computers won't handle SWTOR at highest graphics.

Anyway, I'm intrigued by Darth Nul and hope we learn more about her work in future.

Absolutely didn't expect to capture Malgus so early on, seeing how he is the main hype about this expansion, but it's not the last time we see him, plus they seem to focus more on Sa'har now.

Republic

Okay, but you can't convince me that Tau and Lana's bickering isn't them flirting.

New girl gang shot just dropped! (maybe not as iconic, but still cool)

Love all the Jedi who come to capture Malgus. Arn, Tau, Aryn, Gnost-Dural, SATELE HELL YEAH!!!

"Malgus is too dangerous to keep alive. We should kill him while we have the chance" ah yes, good old Airistan, finally back.

Empire

[Not this guy...] Heh, poor Rivix, Jett gives no cares about you.

"If he crosses us, we kill him" even better xD, making life difficult for Acina.

Rivix's interactions with Lana are fun as well.

Was wondering how non Force-users go about Malgus throwing a big ass rock at them (Jedi and Sith simply stop it with the Force and throw back at him), such an iconic slide.

So, Imperial cameos - Xarion, Krovos, as expected; even Acina decided to show up? (or Vowrawn if he's the Emperor, I guess).

As much as Jett enjoyed taunting Malgus on Ossus and Corellia, this time it would be outright asshole behavior, and she kinda understands not wanting to serve the Empire.

Lord Eldrid... hm, name drop and possibility to replace Savik on the Dark Council? I have a feeling we'll see Eldrid again.

In general, story was very short, yet at the same time it felt so long to get there (especially Manaan). I have mixed feelings about it: on one hand, not much happened, and Manaan didn't feel overly important, on another hand, I loved some characters, and story seems to have only started, so here's hoping it gets better with new story releases.

My thoughts on all technical stuff (combat styles, conquest, GS 2 and all that) will be later, as there's still many new things to try.

[arcadiii]

22, 28, 34 please?

HI! of course, thanks for sending in the questions :D

22. do you listen to anything while you write?

I do because I can't stand sitting in silence! it depends what mood I'm in tbh because sometimes I'll just write to anything but then sometimes I can only write to instrumentals or specific songs.

I think I've called out these songs before for o&o, but these instrumentals are pretty good for deep and dark inspiration - Farewell Life (Arn Andersson), No Going Back (Tom Player), Bleeding Heart (Ghostwriter).

I also sometimes just listen to the end credits music from The Hardest Thing because ow.

28. how well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I think I handle it well enough. It's always scary to see someone give criticism to something you've created but if it's genuinely good advice or tips and will help me improve? Anytime I've had constructive criticism, I usually try and apply any tips or advice they've given to my next piece to see how it works because, well, I want to keep improving!

34. copy and paste an excerpt you're particularly fond of.

oh... well... you asked for it. >:)

here's one from a place where you can breathe

Marcy only blinks back. Body shifting and curling into itself as she forces one last cough out of her system, she runs a hand meekly through black dishevelled hair, eyes batting away tiredness as she carefully watches Anne – the movement only causing Anne’s heart to free-fall back into that black pit deep in her stomach. Not wanting to overstep, she goes to remove her hand from Marcy’s shoulder but as she does, a cold, clammy hand takes hold, grip weak but weaving fingers between fingers – filling a space, just like they’d always done.

feel free to ask me more fanfiction writer questions!

[sleptwithinthesun]

sicktember 2021: headache/migraine

it's my first c/ommunity fic! written for a/bed n/adir and t/roy b/arnes, ~0.9K words, i hope you all enjoy :D (@sicktember)

Troy leaves the study room alone and concerned, as per unusual. Normally, he'd be going to class, or lunch, or pretty much anywhere with Abed, but his partner-in-crime hadn't shown up to the study group meeting today. And yeah, he knows that Abed does tend to go off on his own side adventures, but Troy can feel it.

Something's wrong.

He picks his way through the crowded hallways and heads in the direction of the dorms, hoping Abed just started watching Star Wars or some other franchise and lost track of time. The twisting pit in his stomach, however, tells him otherwise, and his fears are only confirmed when he knocks on the door to Abed's dorm and is only answered with a weak moan.

"Abed? Hey, buddy, it's me. Troy," he says softly, unsure exactly what's happening on the other side. "Are you okay? One knock for no, two for yes." He hesitates a second, and then hears a faint knock. It's not followed by another, and Troy swallows nervously before asking, "Can I come in?"

Two knocks.

He eases the door open, taking stock of how all the lights are off and the shutter shades over the lone window drawn as far as they go. There's a lump of blankets on the lower bunk which he assumes to be Abed, and Troy crosses the room to squat beside him, one of his hands hovering over what looks like his back. "Abed?"

"Tr'y?" Abed slurs, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah, buddy," Troy replies, his eyebrows knitting together as he assesses the situation. "Is this an overload?"

There's a slight bit of shuffling from inside the blanket nest, and then Abed's voice, quieter than before. "Migraine."

Troy winces on behalf on his friend, immediately lowering his voice as well. "Anything I can do?"

"W'ter?" Abed asks hopefully, and Troy tries not to think about how Abed must have been alone all day, in pain with no one to help him out as he finds Abed's water bottle on the dresser.

"I'll be right back," Troy promises, exiting as quietly as possible and taking a washcloth with him. His knowledge of how to help with migraines is pretty much nonexistent, but he's been with Abed for a sensory overload or two. He doesn't think the treatment can be too different, just keep the lights off, minimize noise, and try to alleviate the headache. Troy can handle this.

-

Troy can't handle this.

He's covered the windows with the extra blankets on the top bunk and convinced Abed to come out of his nest to drink some of the water he'd gotten from the water fountain, but there's some kind of mixer going on in the hallway now and it's really, really not helping. Abed's curled up with his hands over his ears and he's whimpering with every shout from outside, and nothing Troy is trying is helping. There are lines of pain written all over his face, and Troy can tell that all Abed wants now is to pass out.

"Tr'y," Abed mumbles. "Sick."

"I know, buddy," Troy whispers. "Hang in there, okay?"

Abed barely nods, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as Troy does his best to rearrange the blanket covering him without touching Abed. There's not much else to do besides wait it out with his friend, and not for the first time, Troy wishes he actually knew what he was doing so that he could help Abed.

And that's when it hits him.

annie how do u deal w a migraine

What? Why?

abed has a bad one and i dunno how to help him

I'm assuming that's where you went after study group?

yeah

Got it. All the lights are off, noise is minimized?

as much as it can be

Okay, has he taken any medication? Ibuprofen, stuff like that?

u know he hates it

Right. I forgot. I think you're going to have to try it, regardless of how Abed feels. If the migraine is bad enough, I can't imagine he'll care as much.

ok. i'll try thx annie, ur the best <3

No problem, Troy. Tell Abed I hope he feels better.

"Do you have any painkillers?" Troy asks, and Abed's eyes immediately widen. Yeah, he knew this was coming.

"'M not t'king—" Abed starts, muffled, then cuts himself off as they both hear another yell from the hallway. He flinches and tries burrowing even further under the blankets, but there's nowhere to hide. "I can't. Please."

Troy shakes his head. "Abed, you have to. The migraine's only getting worse; I don't see another option." He knows he's grasping at straws, but he can't watch Abed suffer anymore.

Abed's silent for a long minute, the darkness stretching between them. Finally, Troy hears him reorient on the mattress, then say, "There's a bottle in my desk drawer."

He rushes to get two pills in his palm, then in direct contrast, gently presses them into Abed's and offers the water bottle back to him. After that, it's a tense thirty minutes of waiting for the meds to kick in as Abed gets increasingly more agitated, but finally, around midnight, he falls asleep with Troy's hand grasped loosely in his own.

(Neither of them are surprised when Troy is still there in the morning, holding Abed's hand.)