#these aren't exactly top 5 but these are just some i remembered right off the top of my head

[plantyberry]

Planti's OKS musings: Imposter MC

So, I feel a bit weird doing that, but I have to start from somewhere, so here we go! Please take note that the data in this post comes from the game and code from the Public beta build (currently up to Chapter 2-2)

Welcome to Planti's OKS musings! yaaaaaaaay

For now I will focus on the MC's Imposter Secret, seeing as this will be the one thing to bite them in the butt later on if not handled correctly (looking at you here, Liar/Serial killer), this time featuring my observations on the Imposter, my personal favorite due to it being the most 'normal' one of the bunch as well as the potential hilarity of there being two imposters in this van if you add in the saboteur.

Chapter 1, Secret Pick:

Right off the bat, the Imposter Secret possesses some slight flavor text for the Amnesiac and Accident MCs due to their especially nonexistent/painful pasts and memories that they wish to escape. Picking the Imposter Secret gives +5 to the 'social' score, which is fitting seeing as, according to the narration, it was pulled off using exclusively the MC's social abilities and maintained that way.

Breaking down the choices and what they apparently give (since I remember the writer mentionning that they were lying somewhere, no doubt in part to obscure who the other Imposter here is) Here is what we have!

As far as I can tell, only the first two waves of questions have a mechanical impact.

Impactful choice 1:

-I don't even know what I'd been thinking : Bold -2 -I immediately knew exactly what I had to do : Bold +2 -I never intended this. It just sort of... happened : Bold -2, Sweet +2 -It was only meant for a short term lark in the beginning : N/A

Impactful choice 2:

-It's not as if I'm hurting anyone : Optimist +1, Sweet +1, Bold -1 -It's not as if it's possible to steal from the dead : Sass -1, Sweet -1, Bold -1 -It's not as if [The Original] ghost's haunting the world because of this : Optimist -1, Sass +1, Bold -1 -No excuses here. In the end, I wanted to be [Them] and so I became [Them] : Optimist -2, Sweet -2, Bold +5

Additionally, and rather tellingly at that, There are two further direct background interactions with this secret. If one picked the Amnesia Childhood and/or the News Reporter Job, both Lorelei and Gwyneth gain +1/+2 on their sus score.

Now, let us look at that particular data point from another angle: This doesn't trigger if the MC has an abused, abandoned, or accident (now that I think about it, all the childhoods come with an 'a', funny coincidence) childhood and/or stays clear of working as a reporter as an imposter.

This is relevant because of several things:

First, in the Amnesiac background, it is mentionned that there was a national/international media campaign when Amnesiac MC was first found and some more perceptive characters may very well suspect something. However, I find it odd that Cassandra, the literal police detective, isn't the one gaining the sus score here, meaning that even though this point could be a weighting factor, it isnt the determinant one.

Second, the fact that this only triggers in the Amnesiac MC's path as far as childhood goes means the forgotten past of the MC themselves is going to be a 'tell' of their Imposter secret for Lorelei and Gwyneth. Seeing as a bit of code diving gives us that delightful tidbit (set ensorceled true) when we look at the amnesia childhood is also quite interesting, considering Lorelei and Gwyneth aren't, in fact, supposed to be the most magic-sensitive characters.

Gwyneth I can handwave by saying that she's extremely social-specced and could detect that something's off where Cassandra couldn't, but Lorelei doesn't have this excuse, and her behavior of her being extremely prepared/already on the run (apparently there's a 'reason' she'll be one of the later catches?) on top of the very specific requirements for the sus triggers mean that she is the likelier one of the two to have actually known MC in the past.

Chapter 1-5-2:

Most of the flavor text involving the Imposter secret revolves around them taking advantage of situations or doesn't bear any mechanical effects that I can anticipate, except maybe this one:

-For the Smoking-addicted MC who went back to their apartment, it is revealed that the possess another, premium, lighter with what seems to be (unless I'm misreading the narration here) their 'Original' name written on it, the one they had every since they woke up in the desert with amnesia, which is likely to have some rather interesting in light of the Gwyneth/Lorelei possible situation going on.

Chapter 1-6:

Merlin, if they are who they say they are, almost certainly knows the character uses a fake name if a non-mute Imposter MC introduces themselves, though it seems his sus counter only rises when MC deliberately gives them a pseudonym instead. Seeing as they only seem to care about past names and Arthur, they are unlikely to cause trouble unless more people raise up objections (Looking at Gwyneth and lorelei here)

Chapter 2-2:

Imposter secret comes back to bite you in the butt! This time with those two options during the talk about your addiction:

-"Well actually..." I launch into a long retelling of my life story : Adrian Sus +1 If Amnesiac, Imposter and Merlin doesn't know who your past self is: Merlin Sus +1 If Abandoned, Imposter and Merlin doesn't know who your past self is: Merlin Sus +1

-I hand over a thick printed booklet of my life story that I carry around for times just like this. Adrian Sus +1

The reasons for this are fairly obvious, Adrian almost certainly looked into the MC's past, and the discrepancies are beginning to pop up. Beign an imposter is a secret that only really holds as long as people don't know enough about MC to be able to call them out on their lie. The more info MC gives, the weaker their secrecy becomes, as Adrian oh-so-suspiciously put it 'keep it simple' (so says the one most likely to be a fellow imposter secret holder). As for Merlin, the Amnesia incident reeks of magic interference, and the Abandoned one is also pretty suspicious, but seeing as those only trigger suspicion when MC is an Imposter mean that Merlin possesses some level of awareness of the nature of MC's lie.

It's the little things, but considering Book 1 lasts, what, two weeks? Those little things may very well begin to pile up.

The last thing is the TV incident in the shop if MC decides to go there early. If they are an imposter, the TV will show the 'real' owner of the name MC has lived with, which is pretty damning insofar that this means the demons are aware of MC's secret and in turn, so would the Saboteur, which is something they will definitely use against them.

Final thoughts:

As far as secrets go, by itself Imposter seems fairly benign. It looks pretty easy to at least mitigate the negative side effects by revealing your Camelot identity to Merlin and Arthur and having a good relationship with Adrian, and just not being a complete jerk as well as keeping the work on that high social, since this is likely to be the relevant stat checked when the secret is out.

A big thanks to @oneknightstand-if for creating this Interactive fiction that I can theorize my little heart out over. I can't wait to be completely wrong about all of it when more stuff comes out in the public beta!

[pinievsev]

NUMBER NEIGHBOR

Pairing: Hunter x GN!reader

Summary: You decided to text your number neighbour to cure your boredom, leading to a new friendship and maybe more!

Warnings: some cussing, probably like, really bad. Not proofread, I hate reading my writing...

Word count: 1.8K (almost 9)

Taglist: @camphxam

As always requests and taglist open just shoot an ask for both<3!

© @pinievsev on Tumblr

You sat on your desk with your headphones on, the music filtering out any and all noise around you, including your mum's frantic knocks on your bedroom door.

She opened the door, more like slammed, and stared at you wide eyed, you jumped and removed your headphones dropping them around your neck "what?.." you asked her confused.

"Why aren't you answering your door?! I thought something happened to you!" She wailed and stepped towards you placing her hands on either side of your face and kissing the top of your head repeatedly.

You laughed and put your own hands over hers "mum. I couldn't hear you that's why!" You gestured to your headphones, music still playing loudly enough to be heard by you both.

Your mum shook her head "you're going to go deaf if you keep listening to that" you made a tsk sound and paused your music "yeah yeah, okay. What did you need?"

Her mouth formed a little o before she spoke "right, right! Me and your father have to attend a meeting for work will you be okay on your own for a few hours?" You nodded. See, both your parents worked for a company not too far from your home, something related to music, you never really knew, maybe like an agency of sorts.

"Yeah I'll be alright ma, don't worry about it!" You gave her a closed eyed grin making her laugh "alright well, we'll get going, remember to do your homework, there's food in the fridge and -" you cut her off "yessss- i know ma you say the same thing evey time"

"Fine, fine. See you tonight baby!" She patted your head and headed for the door "hope the meeting goes well!" You shouted after her, only Catching a small part of her response before you put your headphones back on and resumed writing your essay.

You were so bored! So unbelievably bored. It's been about two hours since your parents left, you'd finished your homework ages ago and were laying sideways on your bed, scrolling through tiktok aimlessly.

As you were about to lose hope on finding something to do, you came across a video of a girl texting her number neighbour. 'bingo!' you thought.

Quickly, you switched to your text app and typed in your number, changing the last digit to be one higher than your own. You stared at the number on your screen, contemplating weather or not this was a good idea.

You shrugged and hit text. Changing the name of the contact to "Number Neighbour"

You - 5:26pm

Hello there number neighbour!

You stared at the text for a few seconds before you saw the delivered flash to 'seen' you smiled as you watched the typing bubble.

Number neighbour - 5:26pm

Hello? Who's this?

You - 5:27pm

Your number neighbour dummy!

You saw the typing bubble pop up almost instantly, chuckling to yourself

Number neighbour - 5:27pm

And what's that, exactly?

You - 5:27pm

Welllll, it's someone who has the same number as you! But th last digit is either one higher or lower!

You explained to the stranger who, again, starting typing almost instantly

Number neighbour - 5:28pm

Ohhh, I see! Is this like a trend or something?

You - 5:28pm

Yep! I saw it on tiktok and I was bored so I thought I'd give it a go!

You - 5:28pm

You're not like, some weird old creep are you?

You waited for a few moments

Number neighbour - 5:29pm

Idk, maybe I am. Are you?

You - 5:29pm

Idk maybe!

You guys continued texting for what felt like ages, you learned that he was about your age, one year older than you to be precise.

You also learned that he lived around the same area and went to your school, but you didn't want to meet eachother in real life just yet, where would the fun in that be!? You decided to simply call eachother number neighbours for now.

Every day at school you'd scan the crowds of the students a year above you, you didn't know who you were looking for but you felt like you'd know once you see him.

One time you even caught one of them looking right back at you but you brushed it off, shaking your head and running off to class.

You - 7:32am

Good morning beautiful 😍!

You laughed at your own antics

Number neighbour - 7:32am

It's too early for this. At least give me a minute before you start being weird? 😟

You chuckled at the text and shook your head, texting with one hand as you brushed your teeth with the other

You - 7:33am

But, being weird is my charm :(

Number neighbour - 7:33am

Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, go get ready for school kiddo!

You - 7:34am

It's only one year!!!!

Number neighbour - 7:34am

🤷🏻‍♀️

About 10 minutes later you were walking out of your house, headphones on and phone in hand. You were texting your friend who was freaking out about an exam today. Should've studied you thought.

As you were about to turn off your phone you saw a notification, ah. You clicked on it

Number neighbour - 7:47am

I have a revision exam today 😔

You - 7:47am

Hey, I also have an exam. We'll fail together!

Number neighbour - 7:48am

Good to know I'm not alone.

You turned your phone off as you made it to the building, taking your headphones off you ran to meet your friend and make your way to the exam room.

"Quiet please! Everyone!" Your professor's voice boomed. The class was buzzing, you had just been told you'd be sitting the exam along the older years, for the revision. You sat there wide eyed. Holy shit he's going to be in here.

You pulled out your phone, texting under the desk

You - 8:15am

Dude! Are you going to be sitting the exam with the younger years?!

You watched as he started typing as soon as you hit send, as if he had been waiting for you to text.

Number neighbour - 8:15am

Yep. Guess we'll be in the same room?

You - 8:16am

Guess so. Well, good luck!

Before he could reply, the professor shushed you all, as the older students walked in and took their seats. One of them sat by you, you admired him for a second, he was pretty. You shook your head, not wanting to stare and creep the boy out.

"Hey, uhm, excuse me?" You turned to face him again

"Yes?" You were both whispering, leaning slightly towards eachother

"Do you have a pen I could borrow? I lost mine." You nodded and reached into your bag, you pulled out a blue ball point pen and handed it to the boy who nodded at you thankfully

"I'll return it to you once after the exam" you shook your head "no need, I have a lot, you can keep it!" He nodded and thanked you again.

The exam went on for about 4 hours. At least you could go home early after this. You handed your papers to your professor who nodded and motioned to you that you were able to leave.

Walking out of the building, you sat down on a bench for a few seconds, rubbing your eyes. Once you looked up again, you saw the same boy from the exam jogging up to you. You waved and moved to the side a little bit to make space for him to sit down.

"Thanks for the pen again!" He said holding it up for you to see he still had it.

"It's no problem really! Wouldn't want you failing for no reason" he snorted at that "I think I failed anyways, i don't remember a single thing from last year. I barely survived in there!" He groaned throwing his arms up.

You chuckled at his actions and pulled your legs up to sit criss cross. "Sure you did." He rolled his eyes widening them as soon as he finished his previous action "oh! Im hunter by the way!" He said extending his hand towards you, you took it "Y/N!" (I CAN'T AVOID USING THIS DAMN THING)

You talked for a bit, but then you looked at the time, oh your parents must be waiting for you to eat lunch! You excused yourself and ran off, you watched at he pulled out his phone then disappeared out of sight once you turned the corner.

Your phone dinged as you sped walked and you checked the notification

Number neighbour - 2:19pm

How'd it go?!

You - 2:19pm

Pretty well! It was easier than I thought it would be! Wbu?

Number neighbour - 2:20pm

That's good! I barely remembered anything but I think I managed?..

You - 2:20pm

Well as long as you pass!

You - 2:20pm

I also met this guy! He sat next to me during the exam and asked for a pen. I think his name was Hunter? Do you know him?

You waited for a reply but it never came, the four letter word the only sign of him acknowledging you 'seen'.

You entered you house, taking your shoes off and running to the dining room where your parents sat waiting for you "sorry! Exam took a bit longer than expected!" You partially lied, taking your usual sit.

"It's okay hunny! How did it go?" You mother asked, and that sparked conversation with your parents.

After lunch you went to your room and checked your phone seeing a text from your number neighbour, 'ah look who decided to reply' you though and opened the text

It was a picture. A picture of your pen. The pen you'd given to Hunter. You felt like your brain had short circuited.

You - 2:56pm

What the fuck?! Hunter?!

Number neighbour - 2:56pm

Yessir! 😛

You - 2:57pm

Well. Uhm. Lemme just.

You changed "Number neighbour's" contact name to "Hunter"

Hunter - 2:57pm

LOL! Okay hold up!

Hunter changed your contract name to "Kiddo"

You - 2:58pm

HEY! ☹️

Hunter - 2:58pm

What?! It's cute :(

Oh...

You - 2:59pm

Okay then...

The next day after school as you were walking out you felt someone tap your shoulder, you took off your headphones and turned around to face the person

"Hey!" You were greeted by Hunter's beaming smile "mind if we walk together?! I noticed the other day we lived pretty close!"

"Oh.. yeah sure! Why not?" You agreed. You guys walked most of the way together, Hunter making sure to keep you on the inner side, by the sidewalk. You talked and talked about everything you could think about.

"Well this is my turn" he said stopping in his tracks" mine is just down the road over there!" You pointed

"See? I told you! We live really close!" He said beaming "I see yeah." You joked, chuckling

"I'll see you Tomorrow then!" He said bringing you in for a hug. You stood frozen for a moment but quickly hugged him back "see you tomorrow Hunter" you said.

You pulled away from the hug and waved at eachother, going your separate ways, faces red. Something your parents would tease you both about.

[eunoiaaaivy]

hey there! i just saw your wishlist blog and i hope i'm still in time! since it's akashi seijuro's birthday soon, i was thinking about a scenario where Akashi's s/o + GoM + Momoi celebrate his birthday?

Hi love! No you aren't late at all! In fact you're second in line! You're just in time and I hope this fic was to your liking! Thank you for this request! ❤️

- ♡︎ Happy birthday, my love.

-send me a wishlist

-cw: fluff! alcohol consumption, a bit of angst (i'm so sorry.) , post-timeskip! Akashi's like 27 here, not-proofread.

akashi seijuro x reader

-a/n: i'm kind of having a block right now so i hope this was to your liking! thanks for the request love, akashi surely is a sweet heart!

What a special day it was today for it was your beloved's birthday. Akashi was sleeping soundly beside you while you were awake. His beautiful skin looked ethereal, his handsome face still glowed even though there was no sun yet, it was just early morning after all.

Akashi seemed tired enough yesterday when he came home from work, he probably forgot that it was his birthday today seemingly because Akashi never forgets his birthday. He probably had loads of workloads since it was the closing for Christmas.

As you looked at him, he really seemed tired. Akashi was a light sleeper, it was no secret to you but on tough days like yesterday, he sleeps peacefully like a child.

This sight was something you could use to be seeing everyday. Your husband, really was handsome. Although, you wanted to admire more of him, you remembered why you woke up this early. So you slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake him up and succeeded. You peeked below at the window and you could see the generation of miracles and Momoi together.

They seemed tired. You were guilty but you wanted to throw something special for your beloved. You chuckled seeing their expressions. It would be quite embarrassing if you told them their expressions on their faces but it was quite understandable. Who in the right mind would even be up this early? Probably grandma's and grandpa's.

Aomine, had his usual annoyed expression, he was wearing clothes that were exactly for Christmas, the padded and layered coat navy coat looked rather ravishing on him, a beanie on top of his head, Kise had no smiles, seeminglessly tired from the flight he had awhile ago but no pilot uniform was to be seen, he was wearing this beautiful white, fluffy coat, along with some red scarf and a beanie, his hands on his pockets. Murasikabara was chewing on some pancake, probably from McDonald's, he seemed so tired and bored at the same time, he was wearing some big dark purple jacket, a scarf around his neck and ear muffs on, endlessly chewing on his yummy pancakes. Midorima, looks the most tired of them all. Well, he just got off his shift from the hospital and had like 5 hours of sleep. He was wearing this big, beige-creamy, colored fluffy jacket, along with ear muffs and a beanie, his hands covered with gloves and his neck being adorned with this green scarf. He really was prepared for the cold outside. You looked at awe at Momoi, she looked beautiful even when tired, she was wearing this pink, fluffy jack, adorned with furs on the neckline, wearing some boots for winter and a scarf doubled around her neck, puffing and trying not to sleep. She looked so comfortable and cute! Kuroko, had his usual neutral face, as if he wasn't trembling in the cold. He had this light blue padded jacket that complimented along with his hair ear muffs on the side, a scarf around his neck and hands with gloves.

Really, you would've laughed loudly if it weren't for you trying to not wake up your husband. They looked like they were freezing so you quietly went down, which was another success.

As you proceeded to go down the stair with caution, you opened the door and behold you were greeted with the sight of tired faces.

"[name]-chan!!" Momoi's face lit up the moment you showed up hugging and rushing to you.

"hello momoi, good morning to you too." You just chuckled and greeted her back with a good morning and returned the hug.

"what's up [name]! Haven't seen you in a while!" Aomine greeted you with a small side hug.

"I was rather busy for awhile. Everything in the business industry is so tiring nowadays." You replied back, returning the side hug.

"[name]-chi!! Give me a hug too! I missed you very much!" Kise practically squealed, pushing away Aomine and hugging you tight.

"nice to see you too kise, I and Akashi had missed you guys too." You laughed in response, seemingly muffled as you returned the hug.

"hey [name]-chin, I brought this for you from the shop." Murasikabara greeted you as he handed you a box full of pretty macaroons.

"why thank you Murasikabara-kun! These are lovely." You thanked him, giving him a small hug which he returned back. As you looked to the side you saw Midorima. He nodded at you and fixed his glasses using his left hand.

"good morning [name]-san. A pleasant morning to you too." Kuroko said nonchantly as you just hugged him in response.

"good morning [name], a pleasure to meet you again but I just hoped it wasn't this early." He grunted in response earning a chuckle from you.

"my, I'm really sorry to all of you. But Akashi is a cunning one so I have no other methods to surprise him, he probably forgot his birthday." You explained back as your other hand connected to your left elbow.

"it's okay [name]-chan! We understand!" Momoi replied back as if she wasn't looking tired awhile ago.

"yeah! It's okay, don't think too much about it [name]-chi!" Kise added.

"well, thank you for your understanding. Shall we get started?" You asked back and they only nodded their heads as they followed you to the massive kitchen.

And so you guys started. You and Momoi started baking a cake together. It was a three layered cake filled with simplicity and effort, he's one to truly adore this. Murasikabara, Kuroko, and Kise designed the place, filled with balloons and a "happy birthday!" sign. There was also gold balloons having the number 27 on it, displaying the age of your beloved. Midorima and Aomine went to the groceries to buy drinks and a few snacks. They also went to the restaurants you asked for a small catering service for this special day.

And finally the hard work was done. Akashi was just about to wake up in no time. Everything was perfect. The cake was simple yet elegant enough for him, the designs were a bit extravagant for this small party you threw for him but he has lived for 27 years and deserved this. The food that was picked was perfect, it smelled delicious.

As you guys were adding final touches, Akashi woke up without you by his side. His eyes searched for your figure only to find none. He had slept in. It wasn't right to sleep in but he was tired from yesterday. It was nearing lunch already and now did he only noticed that he over slept for almost a few hours.

So he got up and went down to find you, unbeknownst to him, a surprise was waiting for him.

Hearing the creek of the door from your shared bedroom you told everyone to get ready, closing the lights and already in their positions. As Akashi neared the kitchen, he noticed it was dim and dark so he opened the lights and was he surprised when the generation of miracles along with Momoi and you jumped out and popped a confetti bomb.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AKASHI/SEIJURO" were the greetings he heard, his heart warmed from the sight. Almost everyone who's important to him was here. The generation of miracles, Momoi and finally you. His one and only beloved wife.

He had to admit he was surprised. He truly forgot his birthday. He felt quite special on this special day, for his loved ones were together. Here, in his house, on his birthday.

Ever since his mother died he never really celebrated his birthday anymore. It never felt special anymore, until he met you. Those years when you guys were together, you were always the one preparing his birthdays. You're the one who made him feel special. Who made him feel loved. And he loved you too.

As you made your way to him, his smile was a contented one. You whispered a small happy birthday to him and hugged him, he chuckled at this and kissed you. Earning groans and ews from the others which you guys laughed at.

"thank you guys for this, I am truly grateful." He said as he blew the candles, making his wish.

"yeah! yeah! time for beer!" Aomine replied back, excited to pop the beer cap open and everyone just laughed at this again.

"please don't influence them in to drinking too much." Midorima stated, as he too, grabbed a plate and ate.

You and Akashi just laughed at scene in front of you. Everyone was hogging the food and Aomine was having fun with his beer. You're still in his arms, content with the warmth he gave off.

"happy birthday my love, more birthdays to come to you. I love you." You whispered in his ear as everyone was busy eating in the background while you were still in his grasp.

"thank you love, I truly loved this surprise. I love you too darling." He chuckled and replied too, kissing the crown of you head.

"shall we eat too?" You asked him.

"sure my love, if that's what you want let's eat. The food looks rather delicious." He replied back as you dragged him to where the food was, chuckling again along the way as you fed him the food you guys bought. He loved the smile on his face and you loved his too. For he was contented with you guys. Contented with your love and efforts.

And as you mischievously added frosting to his nose everyone laughed, he really was contented with this. Everyone was laughing, a huge smile on your face, Aomine drinking beer, Momoi loving the cake, Kuroko eating fried rice, Midorima casually eating with grace as he applied his etiquette lessons. Kise drinking coke as if his swagness was second nature and Murasikabara having hoards of food on his plate.

It really was a special day.

@eunoiaaaivy

[ryanthedemiboy]

20 Questions for fic writers

(I was tagged by @annachibi )

Note: i'm combining answers for all three of my pseuds/both accts

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 56 :)

Ana's response: "18, I'm not very prolific haha"

That's so much! iirc the average person has like 2 fics under 3k total!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 231,440 :D

3. What fandoms do you write for? Right now it's Fullmetal Alchemist. I may or may not go back to Marvel at some point. And I may move on to another fandom at some point :)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Four of the five are from my Ed is Dying series c: #1, 6, 7, 3. The fifth is an HP fic I wrote in 2016.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! It's extremely rare that I don't; only if I have nothing to say.

Ana's answer: "Yes, just about every one! Sometimes I don't if it's been multiple years since I wrote the thing and I don't have much to say back, since I figure some people don't necessarily want the author to respond anyway."

I promise you, almost everyone wants the author to respond! And the ones who don't just aren't going to check them xD

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oh this is an excellent question. I have to be careful here, because spoilers. The end of the first fic in my spn series ended in a suicide that was unclear that he survived (he did). And then I have the death fic for my Ed is Dying series written, that's angsty af. There's also a fic I wrote recently on my semi-secret AO3 acct that doesn't seem angsty but it really fucking is.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Uhhh... I need to go look.

I forget if Out of the Box (MCU non-sexual age regression) had a happy ending, but basically the whole fic was gentle happiness. Same with Cas and the Bee Bag (spn. This is 9 years old)

I do not appear to have any other fics that are happy. Interesting, neutral, enjoyable, positive, sure. Not happy 😂

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not thus far

9. Do you write smut? Sometimes

10. Do you write crossovers? Not usually. It's very rare that I will. The main one I can think of is unpublished, idk if I even have it tbh — I had to write a crossover fic with A Scarlet Letter for my English class in 11th grade. I chose Doctor Who xD I believe that remains the only fic i've written for doctor who.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that i'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! It was a blast. I forget why, but I asked my friend not to list me as a co-author.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? Riza/Al, I think.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My spn series. I am so many levels of uninterested, and even if I did, i'd have to rewrite it from scratch bc it's not up to par, anymore, and is extremely insensitive in parts (in particular, I have Cas using bible pages as the rolling paper for his weed. He is not xian. That's just what I remember off-hand). All that said, i would love to finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Emotion. Hitting the reader where it hurts.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Anything with happiness 😂

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I have done it both ways. And both are kind of cringey for me, when i've written them in the past.

Generally, the best way is to use italics to signify another language, and specify that language, as long as the POV person understands it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? HP

20. Favorite fic you've written? Talk about a good question. Probably one of the kink fics i've written. I love how i've had the characters be with each other, and shown their love for each other. I also love some of the drabbles i've made — it's hard to get a fic to exactly a word count, and getting an entire fic in so few words is a massive challenge, and very rewarding.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you want to do this, go for it!

Blank questions to easily copy/paste (incl on the app) below.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 2. What's your total AO3 word count? 3. What fandoms do you write for? 4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 5. Do you respond to comments? 6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? 7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 8. Do you get hate on fics? 9. Do you write smut? 10. Do you write crossovers? 11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 14. What's your all-time favorite ship? 15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? 16. What are your writing strengths? 17. What are your writing weaknesses? 18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? 19. First fandom you wrote for? 20. Favorite fic you've written?

[kevin-sedai]

Here, have some anon asks!

-What are the Top 5 things you hope to see in Season 2 of the TV adaptation of Wheel of Time? Could be a scene, a character or set of characters, a place, etc.

-Is there anything you hope is cut/changed in WOT Season 2 or are you more of a book purist? Anything you hope is left exactly the same as depicted in The Great Hunt/The Dragon Reborn? (I love both the books & shows and am not necessarily a book purist though I'm always happy when scenes/lines/settings/characters make it intact or close to source material)

-What is your favorite book from Wheel of Time (if you have one single book; a story arc or set of books will work, too) and are you looking forward to the season that will adapt that book or are you worried the show wouldn't live up to expectations?

OK, hope that's not too much (feel free to answer as much or as little as you'd like)!

Thank you for the asks! Not too much, I'm bored and wanna talk about anything besides work stuff today lol.

I really hope to see the battle in the sky of Falme, the Darkfriend social, the Wise One's and the difference between them and the Aes Sedai (with a scene of Rand and Mat in the sweat tent for professional reasons), Perrin beginning his learning of the Wolf Dream and seeing how they pull off the wolves teaching him and communicating with him, and ☪️LANFEAR☪️

I'm not too much of a book purist. I remember I tried reading asoiaf when the show was still running and the first two seasons were such page to screen adaptations that I had to stop reading it and wait until the show was over and then wait a few years after that. I don't really have anything in mind for what I want changed or cut, so long as the spirit of the story is still there, and there aren't as many inconsistencies with the writing. It irked me a little that they mentioned that men and women can't see each other channeling, but then everyone (Warders who can't channel included) were able to see Nynaeve Heal. And, I hope whatever the hell Egwene did with Nynaeve doesn't happen again, because I don't know what that was, but I'm willing to let it pass as a new TV show trying to be dramatic.

I do hope that the Seanchan are left exactly the same, because they're written too well to be given a half-assed job, and I hope they leave Callandor and how everyone shows up at the Stone at just the right time, bc, you know ta'veren lol.

My favorite book is probably Fires of Heaven. You see more Forsaken in there. I'm most excited to eventually see the cleansing of saidin, though. That's my favorite scene of the whole series. I hope they can pull it off right, because it was written so well!

[nayl0rdoesstuff]

Might as well post this here cause it feels right. I have it on Ao3 and Wattpad under the same name

Chapter 1/?

Hiraeth - A Hermitcraft AU

__________________

Trees, large and grand.

Their trunks thick and sturdy, protecting them for countless generations. Diverse species of birds flitted about, diving in between branches.

This would've been any artist's dream, and her's too, if she hadn't just woken up here with no explanation.

Gem didn't know what to think. Why was she here? How did she get here?

She remembered being at her desk, finishing up her recording. Then, it all gets fuzzy. Did she go to bed after? No, it was definitely at least mid-day last she remembered.

Had something happened to her? It was hard to be sure, having not remembered a thing between her recording and her waking up here.

Should she stay here? What if there were people looking for her? Staying in one spot is a major rule for when you're lost for a reason...

Her doe-like ears perked up (another thing that needed explaining), catching the faint sound of water.

Gem couldn't really remember if it was a real survival tip or not, but she did remember hearing somewhere that flowing water always leads downstream, so at least that could give her some sense of direction.

Mountains, tall jagged peaks that overshadowed the valley below.

A long, winding river cut through them, streaming forth and down as it cascaded to a massive lake below.

She needed to go there, the mountains.

The thought was gone in an instant, leaving the girl wondering if she was crazy. The lake was the better alternative by a long shot, yet why did she feel compelled to listen?

She'd been told many times, as a young woman, to always listen when she feels like something's wrong or she needs to act on something. She would definitely regret this later, but she listened.

Her hooves chipped at rock, giving her an advantage when scaling the precarious heights. The hot sun didn't help either, beating down at her already tired form. It was alright, it was already halfway down it's descent towards the horizon.

Shelter was an issue through, and she hadn't been here long enough to know how cold the nights were.

You know, speaking of 'cold' was that snow at the top? Just what was he thinking? Climbing this huge mountain with nothing but some overalls and a green shirt?

Echoes of doubt were flushed out out by wave of determination, she needed to scale this, she would be fine, she was Canadian after all.

It took a while, her having to pause every 5 or so meters. The summit was just in reach...

The air was much thinner, swirling around her in mighty gusts. The feeling of determination grew in her, like she was looking for something.

Why? What could she possibly be looking for that would warrant a trip up here? The thin fur on her arms and legs did wonders against the cold, but she didn't want to stay long.

Endless white, occasionally broken by the dark contrast of stone. Monochromatic and lifeless.

Wait...

Gem could've sworn she saw... something, a splash of color. So out of place, it confused her. What could be so colorful all the way up here?

The deer hybrid neared, the strange figure's form becoming clearer.

Another human/animal hybrid, this time a parrot hybrid. How did he get up this high? Tropical birds aren't exactly common in cold climates.

There was something familiar about him too. He looked exactly like how fans would draw Grian in their fanarts, down to the minor details.

Was it actually him?

Even if it wasn't, Gem wasn't about to just abandon him to freeze up here.

It was a slow, agonizing 8 seconds before she located a pulse, and knew that he at least had a chance.

He was small, much smaller than her, his large wings drooping limply.

She had to get him off the mountain, and after that she could figure it out from there.

______________

It was cold.

It was dark. At least, at first.

Grian awoke to a winter wonderland.

It would've been amazing to see all this snow, if he wasn't feeling like puking up his dinner.

Where... was he?

He felt different, and it didn't take him long to figure out why.

Wings! He had wings! Red, yellow, blue, all mixing together in a vibrant pattern similar to a Scarlet Macaw.

He laughed, he looked just like how fans imagined him! This dream sure was detailed!

Grian wondered if, because he knew he was dreaming, it was now a lucid dream.

That didn't really work. Okay, that's fine, he was pretty cold, but he heard that can happen.

Could he fly, perhaps? Time to test it out!

Some of the more powdery snow dusted up, displaced by the multiple flaps it took to even keep himself steady in the air.

Okay, maybe a bit of practice would be beneficial, but as long as he was in this dream, he had all the time in the world!

He didn't really notice how cold he was starting to feel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain. Was feeling pain normal in dreams? Everything hurt and he was so cold.

His wings twitched, wrapped around him as his talons sunk into the snow.

He'd been walking for awhile now, mostly in a haze. Everything looked familiar.

A small part of him was starting to believe this wasn't a dream, and he was in real danger.

But that was impossible, right? There's no way he could've gotten from his cozy home to where this place is with no explanation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Numb. That wasn't good.

He couldn't feel anything. He knew he had stopped moving, had decided to rest with his back to a large rock. He couldn't feel the biting cold of the ice and snow beneath him.

He was just so tired, but his mind kept jerking him awake. He had to stay up, he couldn't give up now...

But boy did he want to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Electricity shot through his veins.

Not literally, he hoped. But every time his weary mind got used to the snowy backdrop of the terrain, small electric bursts wouldn't shoot through his body.

It hurt, he would've thought he would be glad to have feeling again, but not like this. He wanted to just wake up from this nightmare, but he knew that was futile.

He wasn't asleep, and this was far worse than any nightmare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing again, it felt far scarier this time. A horrible feeling of impending doom had consumed him, and he could do little to stop it.

He wished to just close his eyes, and somehow open them again to his lovely house, his cats. He couldn't cry, his tears already frozen to his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His body must have been hit by a truck, the pain was so intense. He wasn't prepared for it, he couldn't even choke out a gasp of pain.

So... this was how he died.. huh. Alone and confused on a mountain. He'd never see his cats again, he'd never see any of the hermits again. Such a sad thought.

Everything went dark.

_______________________

This sucked.

He didn't even weigh that much, but man is it much harder going down (with another person mind you) than going up.

Gem was tired, so tired.

But she couldn't just settle for less and pass out on a cliff. Not only was that incredibly dangerous, but also just plain dumb.

Come on just a little further.

Slowly, the familiar trees of the Birch forest greeted them.

Right... right. It was a lot less cold than way up there, that was good. Now shelter would be good. Really should've been objective number one.

At least it was completely silent, crickets, the distant cry of an owl, wind whistling through the trees.

A very much human sounding groan.

Wait... what?

Was there another person? Could they help them then?

The sound came closer, heavy footsteps echoing. Clearly they didn't care about drawing attention to themselves.

It didn't take long to understand why.

It was as tall as an average man, and it almost did look human. Except it had dark green patches of decaying flesh, barely holding on to thin bones.

It growled, guttural sound, full of hunger.

A zombie, and it looked much more horrifying than anything any show or movie couldn't dream up.

The zombie paused, groaning quietly as it lifted it's face to the sky. It's grotesque features twisted, and it almost looked like it was looking for something.

Gem didn't want to stick around to see if it was them.

Alright, time to search in a different direction.

____________

Gem never considered herself lucky per se, despite being a rather popular Youtuber now, she didn't really think she was anything special.

But finding even a decent amount of shelter had struck her as a miracle. The gap was tight, but manageable.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she could guess a few hours by the angle of the moon.

The stone floor was cold. Bad, not good for her currently suffering from Hypothermia friend.

She really didn't want to leave him in there all alone, but reassured herself that it would only be a few minutes.

The flint in the cave had proved useful, hopefully in more ways than one. It was small, but sharp, perfect for getting smaller branches for bedding and kindling.

You know, it actually felt pretty good. Gem didn't consider herself a survival expert at all, so she thought she was doing pretty okay.

Drinkable water could wait until the morning, for now she could busy herself by setting up a fire, and watching over her friend.

She did miss how easy it was to get thread to weave things, as even the smaller, more flimsy branches never bent the way she wanted to.

It must've taken a good hour before a very poor makeshift mat was put together, barely held together and threatening to fall apart at the slightest breeze.

Still, someone was better than nothing, and Gem couldn't help but smile at her friend resting in it. He looked just like a little bird!

The stone and flint combo was pretty bad, but there wasn't really any other alternative.

Gem would never say how long it took to even get a spark, let alone how long it took to get it going. It just took awhile.

But good news, some of the color had decided to finally return to Grian's face, that at least was a win!

Dawn would be here soon, and hopefully a new, better day would be upon them.

_____________

The river was a good spot for drinkable water.

Problem, Gem had nothing to store it in. The flint knife she had used to create bedding was one of the only items she had, and that couldn't really help right now.

Another problem, what if it wasn't actually drinkable, and needed to be filtered first?

Too many factors, and too little time. Gem knew that it had been at least a day since she get here, and it might've been even longer since Grian did. They were running out of time way too fast.

Water filtering tutorials were all over YouTube, but the problem was that she didn't have anything to put the water, nor necessary items in.

Would wood burn too quickly to try boiling it? Maybe, but she didn't know how to carve anything, and might not have enough time to learn.

Okay, calm down Gem. Deep breaths, you can get through this somehow.

Forest green eyes stared back at her as she leaned over the water's surface. If the water came from the snowy mountains, than down to here, it might not have had enough time to pick up dirt or debris along the way.

It was a risk, but between that and having both of them suffer the consequences of not trying, Gem had to make a choice.

It tasted awful, but it was better than nothing at all.

_______________

You know, smaller tree branches would be great for tying thing together, once enough of the bark was peeled away.

Gem growled under her breath. 2 sleepless nights and a full day just to get something to put water in.

Carving was a lot harder than it looked. Sometimes the wood wouldn't do what was intended, and she'd lose a large chunk of it.

The water inside it bubbled, rising in temperature. Gem just had to hope it didn't catch fire. Wood was a bad choice, but what other alternative did she have? Nothing! That's what!

Grian was... okay. He would stir sometimes, but never woke up. It was concerning.

God, she was exhausted, and hungry and just overall sick of this.

Gem stood, stiff muscles creaking from sitting for so long. She brushed away the vines that sheltered their little cave.

The air was cold, but that made sense. The sun had only just begun rising, a dull shine beyond the mountains.

Gem had to do something about food, she could only go so much longer, and who knows what kind of condition Grian will be in when he awakens.

Time to test her skills.

____________

The sharpened stone cut through the fish's soft scales with ease.

She almost felt bad for it, thrashing around as it's life faded. Circle of Life, what else can you do?

The fish ended up in a small wooden handbasket, woven with vines and leaves. Gem was proud of that one.

Did she know how to cook it properly? No. Did she care? Kinda, but it was good enough.

Their shelter had started feeling almost homely. Small moss patches lined the sleeping corner next to the firepit, drying racks made from rock and branches took up most of the left wall.

The days had gotten a little easier, and Gem felt a strange sense of pride with all she'd accomplished. She could do this.

The hours passed, crickets starting their nightly symphony. Flames cracked and popping.

Grian lay still, unaware of the outside world. The only signs of life being the faint tussle of feathers.

_________

Grian dreamed.

He saw many things, heard voices he couldn't pinpoint.

Wind whipped his face, clouds meeting him with welcoming arms. Red, yellow and blue filled his vision, wing flaps filling his ears.

Warmth, not cold. Freedom, not entrapment. All the pain and fear was gone.

Grand mountains and huge rivers. Thick forests and sprawling plains. The golden sun warmed his back.

And yet...

Something was wrong here.

It was subtle, first feeling like a cloud had passed over the sun.

Then, cold. Worse than the snow. This shot straight to his core and ate away at whatever light was there.

His wing beats faltered. He took to landing on a nearby shelf of stone for better stability against the nauseating feeling.

What was going on?

Colors dulled, blanketing the beautiful landscape in harsh grays and blacks. The cold increased, his now monochrome wings wrapping around him for comfort.

Tendrils of... something, slithered up from the ground, grabbing onto nearby objects and dragging them away.

Grian felt something wrap around his arm.

Everything went dark.

__________

Gem awoke to thunder.

Thunder, and something else.

She almost thought she imagined it.

But then, there it was again. A rustle of fabric. Gem snapped to attention, hurrying over to her formally unconscious friend.

Warm, amber eyes shot around wildly. The parrot hybrid tried getting up, but braced himself against the wall he slept by instead.

The numbing haze of panic settled after a moment, and Gem found that moment to speak up.

"Grian...?" Her voice sounded soft but firm. The way he acted... it reminded her way too much of some patients she'd seen before.

She wanted so badly to comfort her friend, but knew it was a bad idea to get any closer. For both him and her.

The bird man regarded her suspiciously, drawing his wings closer. A tick, he shifted his weight, the blue flight feathers moving.

"Gem...?"

The cold she felt lifted, chased away by an almost unreal feeling of euphoria.

A moment, and then her arms held the hybrid close. His large wings leaned heavily on her, and it took all she had not to break down in tears with him.

They would be okay, they had each other now.

[thatonegaybastard]

I posted 6,693 times in 2022

That's 6,693 more posts than 2021! becausw the account didnt exist then

936 posts created (14%)

5,757 posts reblogged (86%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kidfoundonstreets

@sumi-tunes

@forecast-rain

@notmonaca

@fullmoonfireball

I tagged 3,048 of my posts in 2022

#rambling - 123 posts

#not my art - 111 posts

#save - 48 posts

#my art - 47 posts

#tsp - 45 posts

#sploon - 44 posts

#ask to tag - 39 posts

#witch's heart - 35 posts

#milgram - 34 posts

#reaper no clicky - 25 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i rbd a post from robin but i didn't check to see if robin pyt anything on it and ibtagged u in it i think so i might ahve just tagged u whe

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

That reminds me my mom let me get the sims 4!!! So i played it today and i made a sim with the like "answer these questions and well make a sim" thing (her name is stacy) and then she went to the library and made some food for herself and then she went home and slept and then i stopped playing

20 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

#4

HFJOne 8 theory

spoilers for one 6, 8, 13 and 17 under the cut

TL;DR: Airy explodes in one 8 and spends the next 7 months trying to get back to the plane.

So we all know in one 8 airy shattered his fucking face right? I have a theory on what exactly happened

It appears airy is an oil lamp as seen earlier in one 17 (he's fumbling around in the dark and turns on and there's a flame in him) and if you don't care for or use your oil lamp properly the glass will crack and shatter and it will explode.

Considering how stone opened liams zipper and out the notes in, how liam unzips open later in the episode, byrce cant go underwater because he is a bottle, and airy can turn on: peoples objects probably function just like objects would normally, at least from where airy and liam are from (liam asks airy if hes from earth and he says yes if i remember correctly)

My theory is that since airy is living in the middle of god damn nowhere he wasn't able to care for himself properly or maybe he was trying to turn off but he fucked up and exploded halfway through eliminating liam, causing his bulb to shatter and him to die. He would then go to the waiting room, and see Julien (toothpaste) waiting there. He'd then probably use the radio to try to get back to the world with the plane. However: he doesn't know the number so he's stuck trying to guess it for 7 months until he finally makes it back.

Now you may be thinking: if Airy was in the waiting room then wouldn't he see Julien and revive him when he gets back? The answer is yes, but no.

When Liam first dies in one 6, he goes to the waiting room and skts down next to Julien. Later on when he, Byrce, and Texty get struck by lightning in one 13, they aren't on the plane anymore and they go to a waiting room without julien and a bunch of other people, probably dead.

This leads me to believe that each universe has it's own waiting room, where people who die in that universe go to. So if you die on the plane you go to the plane's waiting room, if you die on earth you go to earth's, etc.

If Airy is transporting himself to different universes for 7 months, and then dying in those universes to get back, then he'd be in a different waiting room each time. Doing 7 months of the same thing repeatedly would probably make him forgey Julien was even still waiting in the first place

So that's my massive theory hesdcanon thing

20 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

#3

Do you think fictional men with poor morals and me could on purposed kiss

23 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#2

hello I tried to make a quiz but I didnt want to sign up for uquiz or quotev

I give you a character from my kinlist

31 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Witchs heart spoilers probably idfk

Ashe, writing in his diary with a glitter gel pen: I'm losing my sense of humanity. Nothing matters. God is dead. There's blood on my hands.

42 notes - Posted July 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[inkydoc]

maybe if i write a list about my stressors it will help with dealing with them? or at least acknowledging that i am indeed stressed would help lol

here is a list in non-list format, mostly just incoherent ramblings. the tl;dr is that family, work and health stuff is stressful. and i'm just so gotdam tired. let me sleep please.

my parents have been out of work for months now and it's starting to take a toll on everything, most of all their well-being but also finances are tight and apparently we've been using too much electricity recently so i can't game on weekdays :"D it's fine, i can do other stuff, but gaming is sadly the only activity that can get my brain to turn off and not think about stupid stuff - maybe i have a problem but also horizon is good :D therapist asked if i think it's an addiction and no, i don't feel like it, i can put it down no problem, but i sure do like how focused i can be on games. i really miss that feeling of focus and flow that i used to have with drawing and for the most part gaming can provide that, but sadly the big boi pc is too power-hungry :D

we don't talk about Bruno drawing, no, no, no :D

boyfriend is really down, like really really down, and i can't help him, most i can do is cry about it and hug him when he lets me - at least he is sharing some of it, as much as he can, which is good, but also heavy... i can deal with that tho, i just don't know what to say honestly, never been big on words XD i wish i could help, i'm very worried about him

my brother is coming home after like 5-7 years and i had to help mom deal with his packages while he is in Japan having fun and it's been a bit frustrating having to message him for info so that we can pay import tax on his stuff, and asking the same thing over and over because he clearly isn't paying attention to what i'm asking, so y'know, i'm a bit salty about that - i'm a bit salty about my brother in general but it's okay, i'll bury it as deep as i can, what else can you do about that

work is a mess right now on multiple fronts, lots of work, not enough people and time, and i can feel myself being so tired that i have genuinely just become rude to everyone around me, both coworkers and customers, it's not a good look

we've been getting as many orders as last christmas rush since the beginning of may, which is a lot, but also we've been doing five people's work with 3 people since last march i think, more than a year basically, so going full christmas mode for months with like one week of pto back in june is just the icing on the exhaustion-cake - and going on pto guilty knowing that two people aren't gonna be able to do everything needed and then coming back from pto to two weeks chaos because the guy who brings in the books was on vacation and then your coworker was on pto leaving you to be one of the two people doing the job means that one week is like it wasn't even there, and i'm just so tired i actually just can't stop crying sometimes

trying to find a new coworker hasn't really worked out yet, the one person who tried lasted a week and then we didn't exactly have time to find someone else which just makes everything more and more overwhelming

and to top it all off the vibes are rancid, everyone is tired and irritable and i just end up not talking to anyone and just listening to youtube when i'm alone and it's not really great when it's just three people in the office - we used to joke around and generally be a fun group, but y'know, we are tired and cranky and tensions are building, i honestly fear when it's gonna blow

but also i'm so so so tired i just don't feel like i can socialise like i used to

i can barely take care of myself or do my chores at home, like i don't remember the last time i brushed my teeth, i very often skip showering for days, it takes me a month to do two loads of laundry and who knows when was the last time i changed bedsheets or vacuumed (well last weekend but before that i literally don't remember, the dirt on the floor was very visible sadly) - all this makes me feel like a failure as a human being, like i can't even do the most basic things and i feel thoroughly disgusted by myself

i went to the doctor with the near constant headaches and messy sleep and even messier periods i've been having (it's not a recent thing, me having headaches, but the last couple of months it's gotten worse) and so now i gotta go to a bunch of doctors to get checked out but wait times are very very long :"D i got lucky i can get an ultrasound for pcos in november lol - naturally doctor visits are stressful, i hate it, and i also hate measuring my blood pressure 3 times a day but what can you do (forget to do it, that's what, my sheet is pretty spotty so far). i gotta go to a nerve doc, a junk doc and possibly an eye doc because at this point who knows why my head hurts and why i can't sleep, apart from all the stress XD and it's not helping much that i can only call neurology between 7-8 am, i'm lucky if i can kick myself out of bed for work at 8:50 lol

i keep forgetting more and more things, and tbh i'm not sure it's because of the stress or the tiredness or something worse, and i keep making mistakes and then bashing myself for it, i hate it

i've been going diligently to a psychologist for quite some time now, mostly to work through some recent-ish stuff but also to figure out why i'm the way i am, and idk i feel like i'm not really making progress. that could be my perfectionism talking, and also y'know how everything is my fault and i still don't know where that came from :D maybe i should ask her what could be wrong apart from being tired - like is it a big cup of depresso espresso, or is it extra jitter, or am i just really that tired? maybe my hormones are out of whack?? who knows??? i hate that i do not know!!! and i'm terrified of having to go to so many doctors!!!!

sleeping is such a deep need and yet here i am dreading it because i can't fall asleep easily because i can't get my brain to shut up, and then i randomly wake up in the middle of the night, my heart pounding, because i have this vague sense of having to do something to prevent something horrible from happening, each time a bit different, but so visceral i have trouble calming my heart to go back to sleep - the worst thing is that i never remember what it was that i had to do or had to prevent, but i remember flailing my arms around very often when that happens :"D like i'm pointing at random stuff or brushing something to the side, and quite often i feel like someone rearranged my room when i wake up like that :""D and when i do fall asleep i have very weird and vivid dreams about magic and life and work, so great stuff all around

[estellardreams]

Chapter 5: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

"You're just another scavenger, like the rest of them!" Thorn leapt up with her hammer and slammed it into Shadow.

He fell back, feeling his memory drift to the past... 

"Where are we going?" Shadow asked, sulking a little as Rouge led him through Green Hill.

"Oh, why? Are you dying to see everyone?"

"I'm going to be late for a mission."

"Come on, you can lighten up. We're just gonna hang out with Amy, Sonic, and Silver."

"... Really? Even with that faker?"

"Come on, just give them a chance!" Rouge flew up to them.

"My friends are just with you and Omega, there's no reason to-" 

"Ta da!" Amy said, showing off the picnic set up.

Shadow paused, looking around.

"... That's it?"

"Well, we can hang out together! As friends!"

"Friends?... I doubt we're friends." Shadow crossed his arms.

"But remember our memories in this spot?"

"Like that time I challenged you to a race to Tails workshop and back?" Sonic said, leaning on the tree. He paused, remembering what happened.

"... I still owe you."

"Yes, yes you do."

"Or that time we did some gardening here? I... Suppose I wasn't that good at it." Silver said.

"Yeah, because the plants died." Shadow sighed.

Silver frowned, his ears falling back a little. 

"Or that time we just... Talked. About..." Rouge tried to remember what happened. 

"About you stealing a chaos emerald?"

"Heheh... Right..."

"Yeah, really good times. Right, Shadow?" Amy said.

"It's... Fine. But look, I need to get back to G.U.N. I have a mission to do."

"O-Oh... Okay..." Amy paused, watching Shadow back up before leaving. She sighed.

"I guess... We aren't doing it then?" she asked.

"No... No we're not..." Rouge said. 

"Aww. Come on guys, you're being a bit too... I don't know, sentimental with him?" Sonic piped up. 

Amy just stared at him. "... You're not helping."

Shadow came back into consciousness, already seeing vines wrap around his body and hold him tightly. The shard was pointed directly at his throat. He looked up to see Thorn glaring down at him.

The vines began to constrict around Shadow's body, making it hard to move. And the shard was so close to him that he could zap out of this world if he touched it. Shadow struggled a little, but it was no use. He couldn't seem to break free normally, maybe with his powers...

Thorn stared at the shard, touching it. "Finally... The power to regenerate the jungle in a single strike."

Windthrow touched the shard, his nose twitching as he sniffed it.

"Windthrow... This is dangerous. Just back away from it." Thorn coaxed. Windthrow backed up a little, staying still on the ground.

"Look, I wasn't going to harm the jungle or the shard. I just needed it to..." Shadow paused. He breathed, looking at the shard in silence.

"... To go home."

Thorn's gaze softened. She looked at the shard, then back at Shadow. Her gaze turned back to resentment and frustration.

"I'm sorry, but... I can't let you have this. And I can't trust your word. I hope you understand." she said, turning back and leaving.

Shadow sighed, just staying there for a moment. Windthrow walked up to him, beginning to nibble on the vines. They... Didn't seem to be breaking anytime soon.

"Huh... That shard definitely is powerful." Shadow pondered. The light in the distance began to fade as the top of the canopy was covered up more and more by newly sprouted trees.

"Alright, time to get out of these vines." he conjured up a little chaos energy, letting it burn through the vines. They all snap clean off.

Windthrow tilted his head curiously before nuzzling up to Shadow's hand in an attempt to be pet.

Shadow paused, stroking his fur a little. It... Felt weird, but oddly welcoming? Shadow couldn't exactly explain why, but it was comforting to pet a canine like this... He might've been more of a cat person, but this was nice too.

"Um... Thanks for... The comfort." Shadow said slowly. He wasn't quite sure how to explain this to this variant of Sonic, but it was alright for what it was.

Windthrow moved back, gazing at Shadow. It seemed to have such a soft gaze to him that Shadow couldn't explain.

And it reminded him too much of a memory of someone Shadow had lost... He shook his head, ignoring those memories as Windthrow ran off to reunite with Thorn.

Shadow ran after him, catching up to her as she continued to run around and close up the jungle from the scavengers above.

"Ugh... You again?" Thorn remarked, glaring at Shadow.

"Look, I apologize that I'm not exactly the... Open type, but can you please trust me that I don't want to harm your jungle? All I want is that shard, and then I'd go. Please?"

Thorn laughed. "You're a fool if you think I'll give you the heart of the jungle when I'm so close!"

"Close to what? Where are you going?"

"To do what I must, to protect the green. Forever." she continued off, with Windthrow quietly following after her.

Shadow paused as he watched her go. Protect the green...?

He came to a realization immediately. The scavengers! She's going to cut off the scavengers from the jungle forever!

He ran off to stop her, catching up with her once again.

"If you're going to hurt everyone else, then I have no choice but to fight you." Shadow said.

"Ha. Then you're not gonna have a choice." Thorn slammed down her hammer, with Shadow leaping out of the way, only to get tangled up in more vines as he was held up in the air.

"Get in my way one more time, and I won't be so forgiving." she threatened, leaving once more.

Windthrow paused, looking back at Thorn, then at Shadow. He felt conflicted on who he should trust... Thorn seemed to be going off the deep end with that shard, as he personally didn't want any harm to his friends up above. He was only underneath the canopy because Thorn spared him, and because she did the scavengers thought he betrayed him.

And then there was Shadow, who he only saw as someone who wanted to just go back home from... This place, wherever it was. And the only thing he wanted was the heart of the jungle. He kept saying he wouldn't harm the jungle, and the only times he did were... To break out of Thorn's vines that she did to leave him trapped.

Shadow was... Just trying to return home. Thorn was ensuring the jungle's safety. So what was right in this situation?

Windthrow moved up to Shadow as he noticed his struggle, taking his claws and tearing through the vines, snapping them off. He caught Shadow as he fell on his back, letting him climb off.

"... Thank you." Shadow brushed himself off. Windthrow barked happily, his tail wagging.

Shadow's gaze softened towards him, seeing that he was just a friendly little pup... Just stuck between two ends he couldn't choose from.

"Do you... Wanna go stop Thorn with me?"

Windthrow's ears perked up in curiosity before he nodded, pointing to the direction that she went. He then offered for Shadow to ride on him.

"Um... You sure? I mean, wouldn't this hurt you or something?" Shadow said. Windthrow shook his head, headbutting Shadow as he happily waited for him to climb on.

Shadow sighed. This hopefully wouldn't be a bad idea, right...? He got on his back before Windthrow took off on all fours, running at fast speeds as he caught up to Thorn, who was back to riding on Birdie.

"You again and... Windthrow?! What are you doing? Why are you helping the scavenger?!" Thorn exclaimed. She slammed her hammer down, forcing Windthrow to skid back and dodge.

"I need that hammer. Just hand it over and we can do this peacefully." Shadow directed.

"The only thing you're going to get from me is a beating!" Thorn knocked Shadow off of Windthrow, sending him flying back and into the grass. Windthrow skidded back, picking him back up again as they continued their chase.

Shadow reached out to grab the hammer, holding onto it as Thorn lifted it up with ease. She began to spin it around before throwing Shadow off of it as he collided with Windthrow again.

Windthrow growled, getting back up as he pulled Shadow to his feet, letting him ride on him again as they continued to run.

He leapt onto Birdie this time, grabbing onto Thorn's hammer. She dangled him over her bird, trying to get rid of him by slamming down vine spikes. Windthrow knocked into one, falling back dizzily.

"Windthrow!" Shadow yelped, letting go and rushing to his aid. The small hedge-pup whimpered, trying to get back up. Shadow gently pet him before turning back to see Thorn escaping.

He ran after her, dodging around her vine spikes as he attempted to get her hammer again.

The spikes shot up from the canopy, getting closer and closer to them. Dust paused, looking at Prim.

"You see? That's proof! The trees are alive and coming to get us!" he said. Prim gave him a deadpan look.

Shadow weaved around the spikes, trying to maneuver around. He was getting slowed down drastically by all of them in the way, unable to reach Thorn as she got ahead more and more. A wall finally came up, blocking Shadow from her path. He was struck by a vine from the ground, launching him into the air above the canopy.

He crashed onto it, only to be met with three spears directed to him.

"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in." Prim began. 

Vine glared at her. "I didn't."

"It's an expression." Shadow clarified, the spears getting closer to him.

"What are you doing here? Last time we saw you, you were with the monsters betraying us!" Dust hissed.

"I didn't betray you. I was getting the shard, the thing you were supposed to help me get!" Shadow pushed the spears back.

"So... You're not after our bark?"

"No one wants your bark!"

"What's your point?" Prim questioned.

"She's on her way here. Whatever issues you have, you have to fix it right now. You all need to find some common ground."

"Common ground? We live in the trees. Ha! This alien's paranoid!" Dust said.

"He's not an alien!" Prim yelled.

"... Are you kidding me?" Shadow huffed.

"You don't understand. There is no common ground. Not anymore..." she began.

"We used to be... Friends. Now I can barely remember a time when we've all got along. Sharing the spoils of the jungle, taking only what we needed to survive. Taking only what we needed to survive. One day, she chose the jungle over us... Chased us up into the canopy, where we've been ever since. You can't find common ground with two monsters."

"Wait... What about Windthrow? What happened to him?" Shadow asked.

"He stayed behind, because she wanted to. And he's never returned to the canopy since."

"Oh..." he paused. Something wasn't right, like he was missing something...

"Listen. We need to make peace with Thorn. If you don't, she'll continue this and then you'll never get any more food. You'll starve up here!"

"We still have bark." Dust pointed out.

"But even that'll run out! Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"No, we're done with her." Prim said.

"Try to talk as friends. We try to get her to listen to reason, okay?"

Suddenly, spikes shot up into the canopy, causing everyone to remain cornered as their home above was getting destroyed. Shadow quickly moved everyone out of the way who almost got struck by the spikes, seeing that they've eventually calmed down.

"Okay, can we do it now?" he said.

"Do we have a choice?" Dust questioned.

Prim flinched, seeing another spike pierce through. "Nope."

"Good. Now we go in gently-"

The scavengers immediately charged in, yelling to attack before they were thrown back onto the canopy. Shadow sighed... These idiots.

"Can all of you follow my lead this time?" he asked.

"I vote yes..." Dust said, raising his hand. Prim and Vine agreed with him.

"Alright, follow me." Shadow directed them to an opening in the canopy, slipping underneath it as everyone situated themselves.

"It's dark..." Prim paused, observing their surroundings.

"Or, she's making us think it's too dark!" Dust said. Prim rolled her eyes.

"No, it's just dark." Shadow said. His shoes began to light up as Thorn came into view on Birdie, holding onto her hammer.

"Well well well, look what the hedgehog dragged in." she said, staring them down. 

Windthrow walked up to her, only for her to shoot him a threatening glare. He whimpered, scurrying back to the scavengers.

"So... Windthrow's with us now?" Vine asked.

The hedge-pup nuzzled up to her, trying to get pet some more.

"Hey Thorn. We just want to talk." Shadow began.

"Talk? Talk about what?" Thorn questioned.

"That you're destroying the jungle in an attempt to preserve it."

"I'm not destroying it! I'm keeping it safe from them!" she pointed at the scavengers.

Shadow groaned. "You're not getting it, are you?"

"Okay, fine... How about a constructive talk about our issues? Excluding the... Fighting. So... Despite the last several... I don't know how long, we're all good friends here, right? So let's talk this through, come to a peaceful agreement, and... At least everyone can be... Happy." His tone soured at the notion of being happy. He wasn't used to this, and the idea that... Well, everything so far in his life had been a rollercoaster of adventures, that he didn't exactly have much of a reason to be happy. He even survived a war, and that's a traumatizing experience for anyone!

There was nothing to be happy about that.

"What is there to talk about?" Thorn questioned, getting off of Birdie.

"Um... Well, Amy would usually say to talk about our feelings."

"Feelings?" Thorn repeated.

"Feelings?" Prim raised an eye.

"Feelings..." Vine paused.

"Feelings!" Windthrow gave a hopeful look at that word.

"Feelings like a trap to me." Dust hissed.

Shadow sighed. "Look, I'll go first... I feel like this isn't working because everyone is too dysfunctional here! And that... This is harder than it looks despite Amy making it seem so easy. Now you go."

"Me?" Thorn said.

"Yes. There's no wrong way to feel."

Thorn paused, her expression going soft as she tried to contemplate what to say. The scavengers prepared to attack, only for Shadow to throw up a shield to prevent them to. Windthrow pawed at the shield, trying to get closer to Shadow since he was alright with him and wouldn't outright attack Thorn. 

He paused, letting him through and sit by his side.

"I feel... Upset, at myself..." Thorn began softly.

"And why do you feel upset?" Shadow asked.

"I... Um... I remember why I... Sent everyone up into the canopy."

The scavengers paused, letting their guard down just a little as Thorn began to explain exactly what happened from her end.

"We all used to be friends... There used to be balance. But after a while... All I could see was the constant taking, and never giving anything back in return... They never let the jungle rest, let it regain it's resources. They were depleting everything, and killing the jungle with it... So I snapped, and became Monster. But... When I was done, despite everything... I knew I couldn't get back to the way I was. So I stayed below, and acted like the monster everyone now hates me for..." she began to cry a little, tears falling from her eyes.

Shadow's gaze softened, walking up to her. 

"I... Never saw it like that." Prim softly said.

"I'm sorry, Thorn. I didn't know, and..." Dust said. 

Windthrow whimpered in remorse, coming up to Thorn and nuzzling her. Thorn softly pet him back, relaxing a little.

"It... Had gotten so dark down here that I... Lost myself trying to shut you all out."

Shadow watched the scene, finally lowering his shield knowing that the scavengers wouldn't attack her.

"Look, you were right to defend the jungle. But the thing is... It's unnatural. The shard, it knocked everything out of balance. Including your friendships." he began.

"Well... How do we start over?" Thorn asked.

"Hm... As Amy would usually say... Talk to each other. But she's a little... Too sentimental. But... That's okay. It's okay to be like that, and..." Shadow sighed.

"I've been ignoring my own friends for so long I'm out of touch with them... And I just want to get back home... To them."

Thorn got up, pulling Shadow into a close hug.

"Thank you... Thank you so much for helping me, Shadow." she thanked, tears still falling from her eyes.

Shadow didn't know what to do, his arms not fully holding her like a hug, just... In place, unsure of how to react. He eventually did join the hug, trying to comfort her as much as he knew how. This felt... Nice, welcoming, something he... Wasn't fully sure about, but it just felt right.

He eventually pulled away from the hug, noticing the shard still embedded in Thorn's hammer.

"Perhaps... We can bring some light back. I've noticed that the Great Green isn't getting enough sunlight to be healthy and-"

"Oh! No no no! I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was damaging the jungle like that." Thorn apologized, taking her hammer and summoning some vines. They pushed back the leaves on the surface, finally shining some light down on everyone. 

She headed off, with everyone following after her before they reached the Great Green.

She summoned the vines, letting them open up the canopy into the sunlight. The leaves began to fade back to green, becoming healthy once again. Shadow watched the sun come in, then noticed Birdie flapping his wings as he wanted to fly.

"You can go up there. Stretch your wings." he said. Birdie looked back at Thorn, who gently stroked his beak and let him go.

Birdie flew up to the canopy, flying around for the first time in what felt like ages.

"Now, can I please take the shard?" Shadow asked, looking back at it. Thorn glanced at the shard, placing her hand on it. She pulled it off, handing it over to Shadow.

Shadow grabbed a leaf before wrapping it up in it. "Thank you. I need to go... I hope you all will find peace in your lives."

"Same to you." Thorn said.

Shadow turned back and began to leave, carrying the shard with him. He began to speed up through the jungle, noticing the green aura appearing around him.

"Shadow!" Infinite called out. Shadow's ears perked up, looking over at the jackal figment trying to communicate with him.

"You have to keep moving. Don't stop!"

"Why should I-" Shadow suddenly tripped, losing the shard as his finger touched it, warping him directly back to New Yoke.

He slammed into the ground, groaning a little. 

"New Yoke City...? Did I just-"

Tempest let out a battle cry, knocking back eggforcers with her hammer. "For a better tomorrow! Who's with me?"

"... Oh."

Windthrow belongs to @son1c. Dust belongs to @starprincejelly

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

[needyoucap]

I posted 2,930 times in 2022

That's 2,069 more posts than 2021!

67 posts created (2%)

2,863 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@iam93percentstardust

@catchclaw

@tedrakitty

@compo67

I tagged 1,550 of my posts in 2022

Only 47% of my posts had no tags

#stony - 593 posts

#stevetony - 559 posts

#tony stark - 205 posts

#spn - 55 posts

#winteriron - 53 posts

#geraskier - 49 posts

#steve rogers - 43 posts

#lmao - 39 posts

#bucky barnes - 30 posts

#mass effect - 29 posts

Longest Tag: 115 characters

#is that my dog is completely blocked from the bathroom so there's zero chance of her accidentally poisoning herself

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I saw a screenshot of a tumblr post saying "sam winchester and bella swan dress the same" and in my attempt to find the original post I stumbled upon a sam-and-bella-being-exactly-alike conspiracy that I'm now obsessed with

9 notes - Posted October 11, 2022

#4

As an old Big Time Rush fan who recently went to a concert and is remembering all my previous fics and getting sucked back into the fandom, I would just like to complain very quickly about the lack of distinction AO3 users seem to have between the Big Time Rush (TV show) and Big Time Rush (band) tags.

I'm probably not the first or only person to complain about this, but I'm 99% certain that one was intended for RPF and one was intended for fic based on the show only. Tagging both for your show fic only confuses and makes it harder for people trying to search specifically for RPF, AND for people wanting to exclude RPF, for that matter. Because now if you want to hide anything featuring the actual real life band members, without missing out on any show fics, you have to type all their names in the exclude box, and who has the time for that?

10 notes - Posted August 13, 2022

#3

Everyone was panicking. The Avengers had just received a ransom video showing Tony in the hands of some HYDRA kidnappers. They were currently rewatching it, hoping to find some clues to where HYDRA was keeping Tony, as JARVIS couldn't locate him.

"What'cha watching?" a voice over Steve's shoulder said, startling him.

Behind him stood Tony. Steve couldn't do anything other than gawk at Tony, who, other than a few scrapes and bruises, looked completely fine.

"I guess you didn't want to wait for us to rescue you," Bucky remarked.

Tony grinned. "Where would be the fun in that?" he said.

12 notes - Posted February 11, 2022

#2

So due to tumblr's recent addition of "community labels" and my inherent suspicion of anything tumblr does, I'm here to remind you that Pillowfort is literally exactly everything tumblr users have been asking for, without the censorship. There are many, many, features and I can't even think of them all right now but the main one is that they aren't funded by advertisers; currently, I believe they're fully user-funded by donations with plans to implement some kind of optional subscription for premium features in the future. Because of this, they fully allow NSFW content. Basically if it's legal to post on the internet (in the USA, anyway, where Pillowfort is based) its welcome on Pillowfort. You can mark your posts as , if you're worried about minors being exposed to anything unsavory. In fact, looking at their post toggles right now, you can change the privacy of individual posts so that only logged-in users, followers, mutuals, or even yourself are able to view it. Pillowfort has privacy controls galore.

Literally the only thing that tumblr has that Pillowfort doesn't is the user base. Which is where this post comes in. If you, too, are suspicious of these new community labels and the fact that tumblr is being super vague about their policies and the fact that anyone can just "suggest" a community label for a post (which might then be permanently slapped on your post, with no way to take it off without appealing to the tumblr mod team), please, please consider joining Pillowfort. At the moment, you can sign up by donating $5 to them for a registration link, OR you can ask me or anyone you know that has a Pillowfort account for a free registration link: each user gets three free links generated every week, which means if you end up liking it, it's pretty easy to let your friends also sign up for free.

In case this post somehow blows up and I end up having more than three people wanting to join per week (which I'm doubting at this point) here's a link to Pillowfort's official Twitter profile, where they regularly start threads for people to drop their registration invite links for anyone looking to sign up.

Please just consider trying it out because at this point I really don't see NSFW coming back to tumblr any time soon (and literally neither does the CEO of tumblr), and we all deserve better than the buggy updates and "features" they keep forcing on us over and over.

Pillowfort.social

15 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

With every new fandom I join, I inevitably end up reading some type of "soulmates are real" fic

And yet no ship will ever give me the same feelings that Sam and Dean being actual, canon soulmates does

20 notes - Posted August 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[bi-bard]

Chick Flick Moments - Sam Winchester Imagine (Supernatural)

Title: Chick Flick Moments

Pairing: Sam Winchester X Reader

Requested: by an anonymous reader

Word Count: 2,363 words

Warning(s): violence, cussing, Sam embarrassing himself, spoilers for any movie/show listed in the author's note

Summary: (Season 11) Gabriel takes a break from hiding to teach (Y/n) and Sam to forgive each other.

Author's Note: I had so much fun putting this request together! Also, if I remember correctly, this reader wanted to remain anonymous.

Here are links to all the scenes that inspired parts of this imagine:

1 (Princess Bride), 2 (8x12 Criminal Minds; can't find just the scene to link), 3 (Moulin Rouge), 4 (The Notebook), 5 (The 10 Things I Hate About You), 6 (Gilmore Girls), 7 (La La Land)

Hey! I did a rewrite of the ending of Supernatural. It took a really long time to complete, so it would mean a lot to me if you check it out. Here’s a link! (it’s on my personal account)

-----------------------------------

I rolled my eyes as I walked through the bunker.

Sam was still ranting about the most recent hunt. I was just tired of listening to it. Dean had long since given up trying to control his brother, who had shown no sign of listening to anyone.

"You can't just throw yourself into every single enemy," Sam yelled. "Fun fact, you're not Superman!"

"Oh my god," I finally, turning around. I had been halfway through the library at this point. Dean continued through the bunker, ignoring us. "I ran up to one extra vamp because you were about to get your throat ripped out! Yes, I put myself in danger but it was to save you!"

"Why are you so desperate to be a hero," he asked.

"Why are you so pissy that I saved you," I shouted back.

I let out a yell before turning and leaving.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed," I shouted from down the hall. "Maybe you'll be nicer in the morning! You're welcome for saving your ass!"

I stormed into my room and slammed the door shut. I changed quickly, throwing my old clothes into the corner before curling up on my bed. My emotions got the better of me. I started crying into my pillow.

Imagine saving the man you secretly loved... and then he got mad at you about it.

I fell asleep crying that night.

--time skip--

I shot awake, cringing at how bright it was.

I looked around, letting my eyes adjust to the light.

I was on a hill. I was on a hill, lying in the grass with the sun shining on my face. This is not good.

I stood up and did a circle to look around the long stretches of grass. Nothing looked even slightly familiar.

"For fuck's sake," I muttered.

I decided that the best option would be to try to climb down and find a person... somewhere.

I was just about to start making my way down the hill when I felt a hand grab me.

Out of pure fear, I grabbed the person and pulled them from behind me. The person went flying down the hill.

"(Y/n)," I heard Sam's voice yell as he rolled down the hill.

I put my hand over my mouth. He soon stopped rolling and then he stood up, scrambling to pull the black mask off of his face. I sighed, dropping my hand when I saw he was alright.

"Sam," I called.

"Your instinct is to throw some down a hill," Sam asked.

"When a masked man tries to grab me, definitely," I replied. "Fun fact, Sam, I can actually defend myself."

He gave me a sarcastic smile. I shot it right back to him.

Sam looked down at his outfit before sighing and shrugging at me. He had just started to move back up the hill when my visions went dark.

I opened my eyes a few moments later.

What had been an open field was now a dark warehouse or factory. I saw Sam across from me, but also a group of people behind him. I recognized them. They were characters from Criminal Minds, a guilty pleasure I watched when we weren't hunting.

I tried to figure out what was happening.

Then, I became all too aware of the barrel of a gun pressing into my neck.

"No," Sam yelled.

It clicked.

Sam was supposed to be Spencer. I was Maeve. This was Zugzwang.

My heart dropped.

"Wait, please, don't," Sam yelled as the gun pressed harder on my neck.

"Sam, shut up," I snapped.

"Me for (Y/n)," he shouted.

"You would do that," Diane- the unsub of that episode- asked.

"Yes," Sam replied.

"No," I yelled. "Sam, shut up."

"You shut up," Diane growled at me.

"One difference between me and her...," I growled back.

I grabbed the gun, pushing it forward, away from my neck. The bullet she tried to fire hit the brick wall. I turned, bringing an elbow down on her arm. Her hand dropped the gun into my grasp. I pointed it toward her.

"...I'm not scared of a simple gun."

The others walked over and arrested her. I looked at Sam.

"If you continued, she would've killed herself, which would've killed me," I explained. He furrowed his eyebrows. "I watch this show when we aren't hunting."

He walks over, going to hug me before the scene changes again.

"Holy...," I trailed off as I looked around.

Around us, we could see the tops of roofs and a beautiful night sky. It was almost a dreamy setting.

"Where are we now," Sam asked.

"Only the great Moulin Rouge," Sam and I both twirled around to face... Gabriel. "I know, I know... I'm not dead, anyway!"

I rolled my eyes.

"You two need to learn a lesson," he pointed at us.

"It's like back in 2010," I mumbled. "Play our roles to get out. Probably why we were pulled out of the last two."

"You'll fall into them naturally, I promise," Gabriel smirked. "And yes. Stop ignoring the plotline."

"Alright... sure, I was gonna get shot for your crappy game," I snapped sarcastically.

Then, he was gone. I rolled my eyes.

"So, what are the roles," Sam asked as I walked around the top of the elephant.

"Well, Christian and Satine," I pointed between us. "Maeve and Spencer. The Princess Bride and Westley. It's all romance."

"Why," Sam scrunched his face up.

"Because Gabe wants to get his rocks off," I said sarcastically, "I don't know, Sam!"

I walked down the stairs of the elephant. It was gorgeous here. It was just as vibrant as the movie made it look.

"Wow," I look back at Sam. "This is awesome."

I chuckled and nodded.

"What seen is it?"

"The Elephant Love Medley," I said. "Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman sing this mash-up of famous love songs as his character tries to convince her that there is nothing more important than love."

"I'm not gonna sing," Sam shook his head.

"I was not gonna ask you too," I chuckled. "I've heard you sing."

"Rude."

I just shrugged.

I looked around at the room, trying to figure out how to play these roles without the singing.

"Wait," I said. "Come on."

I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the stairs.

"What is it," Sam asked as we made it to the top.

"At the end of the medley, Christian and Satine are dancing and they walk out onto this field of clouds and are held up in the sky."

"What-"

"This whole movie feels like a fever dream the first time you watch it."

"Come on," Sam held a hand out to me.

"Can you dance?"

"Not well," he chuckled. "The role didn't say I needed to be good."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him.

I tried to lead his steps and laughed as he stumbled into a pattern.

"Come on," I moved back so I could grab only one hand.

I led him a few steps forward and onto- what seemed to be- steps in the clouds. I let out an excited laugh when it worked. Sam looked at me and grinned at my excitement.

As soon as got to the top of the steps... it was gone.

We were in the middle of the street now.

"Aw, that was just mean," I mumbled. I glared at Sam when I heard him laughed.

He held his hands up jokingly before extending one toward me. I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"I know what movie this is," he shrugged. I motioned for him to continue explaining. He walked over, hand still held out to me, "The Notebook. Noah and Allie dance in the street. So... will you dance with me? Even without the sequence where we dance in the clouds."

I bit my lip as I smiled.

I took his hand and let him pull me into the street. I laughed as I stumbled into his chest.

We fell into the scene naturally.

Sam held one of my hands in his and held my waist with the other. I placed my free hand on his shoulder. I looked up at him. It felt strange that we so casually fell into the scene but I was happy.

Sam jokingly twirled me around before pulling me back to his chest. I closed my eyes and chuckled.

"What," he asked.

"Nothing," I shook my head. "I just never saw you as such a romantic."

"Well, don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my reputation," he said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes.

Sam spun the two of us in a circle before going to dip me. I didn't think I'd ever get to experience something like this. It always just felt like something I should forget about as a hunter. I was starting to forget why I was so angry with Sam in the first place.

I barely noticed that Sam was leaning in before the scene around me changed.

I was on a football field.

I looked around.

There was no sign of Sam.

"Crap," I mumbled, trying to figure out where to look first.

Then, there was a voice going over the field's speakers.

"You're just too good to be true... can't take my eyes off of you..."

I looked around toward the stands to see Sam walking with a mic. Can't sing, my ass.

"You'd be like heaven to touch... I wanna hold you so much"

"Oh my god," I muttered.

"At long last love has arrived... And I thank God I'm alive... You're just too good to be true... Can't take my eyes off of you."

I tried to bite back my laugh. He shrugged at me with an embarrassed smile and stepped into the actual stands.

We both jumped when the marching band started playing. I looked to see Gabriel smirking and leading their march.

Sam and I shrugged at each other. He continued on with the act.

Now, Sam Winchester pretending to be Patrick in "10 Things I Hate About You" was a treat... and was exactly what you imagined it would be.

He was almost stumbling down the steps as he continued on with the act. I was laughing hysterically by the time I saw the security guards starting to run in.

"Sam," I yelled, pointing behind him.

"Crap," I heard through the mic (which made me almost double-over in laughter) as he tried to take off running.

As soon as he was grabbed, the scene changed.

We both took a deep breath when we realized we were sitting together in a car.

"Thank god," Sam mumbled.

"That was a great performance, by the way," I said, still chuckling.

"Shut up," he muttered, laughing along with me. We fell silent after a minute. "So... what scene is this?"

"I have no idea," I replied.

"It's Gilmore Girls, dumbasses," we heard Gabriel's voice but saw no sign of him. "Season 1, Episode 16... absolute idiots."

"Didn't peg him for a Gilmore Girls fan," I said. Sam laughed.

"Me neither."

We fell silent again.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, looking over at me. "You were right. You can defend yourself and you were just trying to help me. I'm sorry for being such a dick about it."

I grinned, "Thanks... I forgive you. I know you were just worried about me."

Sam smiled back.

"I... umm...," Sam looked down for a moment, clearing his throat and collecting his thoughts. "I just... I love you."

My heart leaped up into my throat. I blinked at him a few times and forced a chuckle out. Which was the wrong response but I panicked. Hunters... we could face the devil but emotions were a no-no.

"(Y/n)," Sam's smile dropped slowly when he realized I wasn't responding.

I was just about to respond when the scene changed again.

Sam was gone again and I was on a city street.

"Dammit," I muttered.

I ran down the street, turning the corner. I looked at the wall of the building I was by. Was this a jazz club?

I walked through the door and was guided to a table so I could sit down and watch the performance.

"La La Land," I said.

Sam and I watched this together. Dean had gone to bed. We weren't tired and just turned this movie on because it looked like it was mostly happy.

Big dance numbers, beautiful effects... and the epilogue that made me hide tears from Sam.

I looked at the stage. Sam was sitting there, wearing a suit, looking at the audience nervously. He hesitantly reached toward the piano. It was like it was a prerecorded track. It sounded just like the movie.

I smiled.

I just wanted to talk to him.

Soon the performance ended.

I stood up and started walking over, seeing Sam starting to walk out.

I grinned at him, "Sam-"

He cut me off by cupping the sides of my face and kissing me softly. I touched his sides lightly, smiling against his lips. It was... magic. Absolute magic.

Then, I shot awake, back in my bed in the bunker.

The game was over. Thank God.

"(Y/n)," I heard yell through the bunker hall.

I ran into the hall and ran toward his room.

We stopped as soon as we saw each other.

"Please tell me that wasn't a dream," I said. He shook his head, smiling widely at me.

I ran over, pulling him down to kiss him again. It was softer than our last kiss and I loved it. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer. I buried my hands through his hair.

"Woah, what did I miss," we pulled away when we heard Dean.

I could basically feel Sam chuckle against my lips before he moved to look at his brother. I turned around in Sam's arm.

"A chick flick moment," Sam answered.

"Alright," Dean gave us a weird look before leaving without another word.

I looked back at Sam with a smile, "I love you."

"I love you too," he grinned and leaned in to kiss me softly again.

-----------------------------------

Masterlist

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[faulty-writes]

Alright, since all you lovely followers of mine seem to enjoy Rumi. I came up with this little idea. I hope you enjoy it.

The 5 Times Rumi Let You Touch Her Tail

You will always remember the first time you touched Mirko's tail, you had originally just wanted her autograph. "Yeah yeah! Speak up there, kid! I don't got all day!" she replied as she stomped over to you, making you feel even smaller than you were. You somehow managed to stutter out what you wanted, but you didn't seem to be up to Mirko's standards.

"Ya gotta be more confident than that," she said with a snicker before reaching over to grasp your chin. Your heart sped up from both her touch and that smirk that played across her face. "But you have such a pretty face, I guess I can do you a damn favor," the chuckle that followed her words wasn't exactly comforting.

"What's your name!?" she demanded, causing you to flinch back. Yet again you managed to stutter out an answer, "I like 'pretty face' more, so that's what I'm gonna call ya from now on!" she snapped your autograph book closed before handing it back to you.

When she turned to walk away, you noticed that fluffy white tail of hers and desperately called out to her. Of course, you felt a little shy to ask her but somehow you managed and to your surprise, Mirko looked shocked or lost as to where the question of touching her tail came from.

"Well, pretty face got confidence that fast huh? I like that!" you cried out when she playfully punched your shoulder. But that was nothing compared to when she grabbed your shirt collar and pulled you close to her. "Do it then," she said, "show me what ya can do when you set out to do it pretty face," you wondered how long that nickname would last.

You hesitantly reached around the curve of her hip until you felt that soft fur brush against your fingertips. Your lips parted in awe as you slowly allowed your fingers to thread through her tail. It was soft and so very fluffy. Mirko seemed to enjoy the small bit of attention, however, it didn't last as long as you would have hoped.

"Getting a little too close to unleashing the real beast in me, pretty face," Mirko said, her tail twitching like mad due to your touch. "I'll see ya later, or maybe never," you frowned as you watched her jump from the pavement and into the air.

You knew this world was dangerous, but you had never imagined getting caught in the middle of a villain attack. It seemed like it happened all at once. Perhaps you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but all you could remember is the explosions and bloodshed.

Luckily, much like they were trained to do. Several heroes came onto the scene and you got a front-row seat to see how they handled the villain. Threats being thrown back and forth before more blood spilled. You happened to be cradled up next to the fellow individuals who had the displeasure of being a part of this terrifying experience.

Then, she arrived. "Having fun without me!? Jeez, what the hell!?" her voice was unmistakable and you heard several gasps and cheers as Mirko flew through the air. Her silver hair flowing behind her and that same smirk you saw before was painted across her face. "I'll kick your ass, you hear me!?" it was strange how one person could give you so much hope.

Despite being covered in soot and minor injuries, you got lost in the moment watching Mirko dish out some punishment. Cracking the pavement with her powerful leg strength and confusing the villain with her speed. Watching them fall bit by bit until they were finally defeated and Mirko was left panting, sweating, and victorious.

"Hell yeah! Think you can actually mess with this rabbit hero?!" she seemed rather happy as the villain was dragged away and the search and comfort of the civilians began. Mirko seemed to spot you right away and offered you her hand, "Ya don't look too damn injured. Shake off your fear!" she instructed as she pulled you to your feet.

But even so, you couldn't help but continue to tremble which caused Mirko to grow confused. She wasn't the best person to provide comfort, "Hey aren't you the kid that wanted my autograph before!? Yeah...yeah pretty face, right!?" she questioned with a confident grin.

"I know what to do," she slowly turned and presented her tail. "Ya liked petting it, right?" she questioned. "Go on then, touch it," she said, almost like you were annoying her. But nonetheless, you did as she instructed and reached over to run your fingers through that soft fur once more.

Normally if someone desired to be a hero, they would enroll into one of the many hero schools Japan offered, but due to selective pickings and strict classroom sizes, this wasn't always possible which meant many of those that wanted to be heroes never got the chance. But due to increased villain activity, your opportunity came.

That is Japan offered the chance for young adults to participate in an advanced hero course which would then permit them to be able to use a temporary hero license under the authority of a trusted pro hero.

"Pff," Mirko couldn't help but snort before her laughter broke through. It wasn't something you appreciated, but in a way, it was nice to see her smile. "Didja finally grow a spine there, pretty face!?" she questioned before slapping you on the back, sporting her famous smirk.

You were originally hesitant to tell her, mostly due to the fact that you were afraid she'd do exactly what she did. Laugh at you, but she didn't seem completely against the idea. But, she let you know her opinion nonetheless. "Guess ya aren't the wimpy wannabe I thought ya were! Don't expect any recommendation from me, but I give ya permission to kick some ass!"

While you were happy with her attempted vote of confidence, you found yourself being nervous yet again to ask Mirko the question that had been plaguing your mind. But she seemed to catch onto the fact that you wanted something. "Speak up!" she snapped. "Your pretty face doesn't look so pretty when you're confused," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

You were actually embarrassed to ask, but yet again you found yourself stuttering the question out. That is if you could pet her tail for good luck. Mirko seemed confused, "Ya got a tail petting fetish or something pretty face?!" she rolled her eyes before turning around, her tail wiggling from side to side.

"Just make it quick!" she said, though she was still wearing a smirk and you suspected it was due to the fact she somehow knew you were nervous. But nonetheless, you reached out and allowed your fingers to run through that soft fur for the third time. Who knows? Maybe it would bring you some well-deserved luck.

Pro hero life was more than you thought it would be, it was part exciting and part terrifying. Between the praise and hatred, it was the best and worst of both worlds. Though you weren't high on the charts by any means, you were catching the attention of the existing pro heroes which included Mirko.

It started off as a simple invitation, "Hey there pretty face good job out there!" Mirko said as she yet again slapped you on the back. "I didn't think ya had the spine to back you up but turns out I was wrong," her words made you feel a little better, but you had never expected her to ask you what she did next.

Drinking wasn't normally something you did, and this would probably be the last time you experienced it. But you couldn't honestly turn down an invitation to drink with one of the top female heroes. So you accepted, but you should have known the consequences of going out in public with Mirko.

"Another round, damn it!" Mirko screamed as she slammed the shot glass back onto the counter, it was safe to say you were beyond tipsy at this point as you could only laugh at the rabbit hero's antics. You lazily draped your arm around her shoulders and repeated the order. By the end of the night, you were too intoxicated to remember the series of events that led to Mirko bringing you home.

But when you woke in the morning, it wasn't that hard to figure out what had happened. Your head was pulsing, painfully aching as a cruel reminder of your irresponsible actions. But what shocked you more was the fact you had woken up next to Mirko who still happened to be sleeping away peacefully.

How could you help yourself? You'd never try to purposely take advantage of anyone. But seeing the rabbit hero sprawled out on the bed, covered by nothing but a thin sheet was a sight most could only hope to see. However, you were more focused on that tail that peeked out from under the sheet. You just hoped you wouldn't wake her as you reached over to once again pet that tail.

The news was a shock to the hero world, the previously known solo hero was engaged. Most thought it wouldn't happen, in fact, heroes almost never got the chance at their own happy ending due to their dedication to saving others. But, Mirko seemed to want to prove the world wrong.

You hadn't expected it, but throughout your hero career, Mirko and yourself had your special moments. Despite her own rule of avoiding love and not getting into any messy relationships. But somehow you were the exception, hell maybe you put a spell on her the first time you met, or maybe you were just special.

Either way, she found that she was growing overly attached to you. Making hasty decisions and she hated it. There had to be a way to solve this, to figure out how to rid herself of the constant worry she felt when you were away from her, and maybe most wouldn't think the solution would come in the form of a marriage proposal.

"Well!?" she snapped as she grabbed your hand, ready with the ring. Casting a glare your way, but you were a little too shocked to answer her. Though the ring was beautiful, painted a gold-white color with one jewel that was the same color as Mirko's eyes. Somehow, you stuttered out a reply and Mirko grinned as she pushed the ring onto your finger.

Despite the wedding feeling rushed, Mirko took care of most of the weight. Which included the invitations, wedding location, catering, and so on. She even insisted on paying for your wedding attire, though you were somewhat against the idea. It was hard to argue with your new fiancee.

Though Mirko looked beautiful on the day of your wedding, she neglected the traditional belief that seeing the bride before the wedding could bring bad luck. "Quit your damn worrying!" she snapped as she stood there in her wedding dress. The white fabric showing off her every curve.

But the best feature of her dress was the small cut out that allowed her tail to peek through, "Are ya ready to get this show on the road yet!? People are waitin'!" she exclaimed and you couldn't help but chuckle as you stepped close to her and placed your hand on the small of her back. Your fingers slowly reaching down to play with her tail yet again before you nodded.

[rainofaugustsith]

Rain Plays SWTOR: Spirit of Vengeance Survival Walkthrough

As we head toward 7.0, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with a Spirit of Vengeance Survival Guide, 2.0. I have my own feelings about SoV - namely that it's boring, tedious and was tuned way too high for a main story solo flashpoint - but let's move on to the actual guide. 

This is a guide specifically for those of you who just want to get this flashpoint over with so you can move on. 

I personally would advise trying to knock this flashpoint out of your story progression BEFORE 7.0. We have no idea how hard content is going to be once you lose some of your abilities and utilities, so if you have any characters who are planned to continue with the main story, I'd take them through now while you have all of the tools in your toolbox and are familiar with them.

After literally months of complaints the devs finally toned down this flashpoint to a more manageable level, but there are still a lot of mobs that hit hard, and it's still really long. When I went through with canon Viri and Lana at level 50, with Viri fully geared toward 306, I moved right along through the flashpoint without difficulty or deaths. It still took almost exactly an hour. It's even longer when you're contending with Rass Ordo and a lot of cut scenes. 

You will want to gear as well as you can for this - you should not have to since this is a story/solo flashpoint in the main story, but it will help you here. Remember you DO NOT have to group to get good gear. There are numerous solo missions that will give you gear up to 306 - the Mek-Sha Tradehouse missions, Personal Conquest each week, solo flashpoints, including the Onderon weekly and daily missions. Other suggestions: 

1. Buy and use the Supplied Kyrprax Command Stim, available at any medical droid in the flashpoint, including the one when you first land on Ship #1. If you're doing this as part of the main story, you unfortunately still have Rass Ordo as your companion. Rass Ordo, despite being influence level 25, still has the AI of a cardboard box. You'd be better off bringing along a Jawagram as your companion. This stim will up your presence for an hour and make him slightly less incompetent. 

2. If you can, equip yourself with the Life Warden tactical. This tactical drops fairly frequently from personal conquest and other gold gear boxes. It essentially gives you an extra heal in a tight situation and can come in handy. 

3. Medpac on your abilities bar. You hopefully won't need this, but have it handy just in case. You may want to invest in the Supplied Kyprax Med Unit medpac, which will heal you AND your companion. 

Within the flashpoint, some general caveats. You're looking at quantity, not quality here. It's just a lot of NPCs piling in on you. 

1. KILL THE HEALERS FIRST. KILL THE HEALERS FIRST. KILL THE HEALERS FIRST. Just about every mob here has healers. They have different names on each ship: 

- Varad Churl

- Darmanda Medic

- Ashade Lorekeeper 

If you don't kill the medics first the fights will be even more interminable. Get rid of them. 

2. Remember there are kolto stations in a lot of the rooms, not just the boss areas. 

3. Be very careful because there are a lot of mob groups close together. Watch where you are blasting/Force-whatevering because you don't want to pull more than one group at once. 

4. Get your gear repaired as often as you can. If you've fought a tough mob and there's a medical droid nearby, go to it and patch up, even if it means you have to backtrack. 

5. Get really familiar with any AOE (area of effect) skills you have. Know where they are on your abilities bar and how to use them. Given the mobs in this flashpoint, anything you have that can clobber several NPCs at once is welcome.

Now, here we go.

SHIP #1: 

Banquet room: after you fight the first mob and take the elevator, you will find yourself in a large "banquet room" with a lot of mobs. Pick a straight line and go forward, taking care not to veer too far to the sides. If you wander, you'll invariably pull the mobs on the sides of the room. 

The rest of this ship is pretty straightforward; it's just a lot of mob NPCs converging on you at once, over and over again. 

Gorga Brak: Straightforward; stay out of the red circles. Be aware that Rass Ordo will helpfully stand in these circles and let Gorga set him on fire, so don't expect any help during the fight. 

SHIP #2: 

More of the same: lots of mobs, now with Dar'manda nameplates. The Dar'manda medics try to hide more than the healers on the other ships, sometimes even going behind crates or other barriers, so keep your eyes peeled for them. 

First thing of concern here: after a few rooms of mobs, you will arrive at the notorious jumping puzzle. Just stay on the right side of the room and walk along the beam. There are a few jumps up onto pieces of metal but they are not hard, ambitious jumps. Otherwise you just have two places where you have to make sure your character drops down onto the beam and not into the flames. Angle your camera overhead so you can see what you are doing. 

Now it's time to go through the notorious Room After The Kitchen. As the name would suggest, you will know this is coming when you go through the kitchen. All the NPCs in the kitchen are neutral; leave them alone and keep going. The next room is a ballroom and you will find a lot of mobs. 

You can get through this room by fighting only two mobs IF you watch where you are fighting and blasting. I like to try to get the first mob up onto the stairs so there's less of a chance that anyone else in the room will be disturbed. Kill the medics first. Then go straight foward - right through the fountain - and up the stairs to the second mob. I again like to try to fight them in their alcove up the stairs so I don't pull the other NPCs in the room. 

You will now go down some corridors with more mobs - the space is tight, which in a way is good because you can't aggro more than one mob unless you really try. If you are going for bonus missions there are some rooms here to visit off the main path. If you're just trying to get this damned flashpoint over, continue straight down the hall toward that green arrow. 

After taking the elevator you'll get to the tether room, and a yellow message will flash onscreen about it. There will be a very large mob here with a lot of Dar'manda Commander silver NPCs. If Rass Ordo decides to up and die on you, it may be here. Remember there's a kolto station to the immediate right of where you walked into the room. 

Click the blue box to release the tether. Do NOT get too close to the rancor in the cage, Goldie. Back when SoV was first released, she'd aggro on you even from in her cage, and you couldn't kill her or get out of combat. They seem to have fixed that bug, but you know how that goes. 

Bask Sunn: Kill. The. Medics. First. After that, Bask Sunn has a wicked knockback, but he can't knock you *out* of the ship anymore. Remember Bask Sunn leaves a crate with your loot (look on the bridge), it's not on his person. 

SHIP #3: 

Your first challenge here will be another room with a lot of intense mobs. Take care not to pull more than one mob at once. Rass may decide to try to die here. 

You will quickly reach the sniper room. It's a long room with two snipers by the far doorway, shooting at you. Don't try to engage them; just keep running forward. As you cross this room, you will drop through the floor. It's a long fall but you won't take any damage; it's what the game wants you to do. 

Rass will not fall with you, and you will have a room of tentacles to fight on your own. Hit Unity and Heroic Moment BEFORE you fall, when you are still in the sniper room with Rass. You can use your HM abilities against the tentacles. If you really  have trouble with them, try to get out of the garbage pit; you will find a kolto station at the top of the small ramp. 

Now we come to...oh look, another room with a lot of mobs. They're so creative here. Do your best not to pull more than one at once, kill the medics, you know the drill by now. 

Troya Ajak: No special tricks. Stay out of the red circles. Her songbird volley is nasty, but she's perhaps the easiest boss in this flashpoint. 

FOURTH SHIP (The Spirit of Vengeance, I think?) 

Thankfully this is almost a straight shot to the final boss encounter, and there's a medical droid just before it. You may wish to wait for your Heroic Moment to cool down if you have recently used it. 

The silver NPC in the small mob right outside Heta Kol's area sometimes does not die. If you find that they keep recharging to full health, walk past them, put Rass on passive, and wait by the medical droid.  They should eventually give up and go back to their original spots and you can go on. 

Heta Kol: This fight has mercifully been toned down. There are two stages: 

You'll fight Heta Kol straight on. She has a serious knockback, but there aren't any special tricks here. 

1. Stage One: fight Heta. 

2. Heta disappears and a mob appears at the bottom of the stairs. There are two medics, and the Commanders will have knockbacks to keep you from killing the healers. 

3. After all the mob NPCs are defeated, Heta will return. Keep trying to hit her. 

4. Heta disappears. This time there's a mob with two gold Varad NPCs and two weaker ones at the stairs, plus two silver Dar'manda snipers on the platform. If you have any AOE skills, make sure they are available here so you can take out as many as possible at once. You may wish to consider saving Heroic Moment for this point so you can use Orbital Strike if you have it. Rass Ordo loves to die at this point so be mindful of where your kolto stations are. You might need the kolto for him, even if you don't need it for you. 

5. Heta Kol returns with a much more serious knockback and red circles of doom that increase in size and are hard to avoid. You're going to get thrown around a lot. ETA with thanks to @vespertine-legacy: The circles can be interrupted, which may make this fight easier.

And...you're done. Thank the stars. 

[bloededhoine]

world building cause twn doesn't part 4: elves!

everyone loves elves! they're a fantasy genre mainstay, archery is so sexy, and they have those E A R S. plus, they play a pretty important part in the witcher universe!

series masterpost

colour code cause i fucking love colour codes - already happened/introduced, probably s2, important background info, stuff that might be in the prequel, extras

background

i'd recommend going through the last parts, or at least the tl;dr's first

elves arrived on the continent about 2000 years before humans, and are divided into 5 distinct cultures of varying importance: aen undod, aen elle, aen seidhe, black seidhe, and aen woedde

elves only came to the continent in one group, but not all of that group stayed. the different branches based on where they settled make up the different cultures

the main two languages in the witcher are common speech and elder speech (aka hen llinge), the former used by most humans and the latter used by the elder races

aen undod

the aen undod are the oldest elven culture, having existed years before the conjunction of spheres

their home world faced some huge catastrophe, so the aen undod left in search of new worlds, leaving their descendants to become all the future elven cultures.

the aen undod spoke the oldest dialect of elder speech, laith aen undod, or one speech

aen elle

the aen elle use a language derived from hen llinge called ellylon, in which their name means "of the alders"

they don't actually live on the continent, having abandoned it years ago for their own world.

however, when the aen elle arrived in this new world, it was already populated by humans and unicorns. unfortunately, these elves are notoriously ruthless and both the native species were eradicated.

the capital of the aen elle world is tir ná lia, and is described as stunningly beautiful, featuring open air buildings made of marble, alabaster, and malachite. here it is in the third witcher video game, by djkovrik on nexus. their screenshots are amazing btw.

[ID: screenshot from wild hunt showing tir ná lia. the city is built on cliffs above a sea, there are waterfalls falling from the cliffs and bridges connecting them. there are mountains in the background and the buildings are fairly small and out of focus, they seem to be in the gothic revival style with ornate windows and steeped roofs. end ID]

the ruler of the aen elle was auberon muircetach, king of the alders and aen saevherne (aen saevherne is the honorary title of an elven mage who has extensive knowledge of magic, geneology, history, and many other subjects). auberon was also ciri's 5 times great grandfather. this gwent card pretty much sums up his vibe: scary yet sexy.

[ID: illustration of elven man with long white hair on a brown horse. he has defined cheekbones and facial features and is wearing a gold crown and blue robes with a red sash, gold belt, and leather boots. he is holding a white unicorn head in one hand. the unicorn's horn is cut off, and is bloody around its neck and where its horn was. end ID]

auberon's consort was another aen elle named shiadhal, with whom he had one daughter, lara dorren. lara is so so so important for the witcher, as she is the beginning of the elder blood, or hen ichaer.

hen ichaer is a gene that carries incredibly powerful magic, and those who have it are usually sources. i talk more abt this in part 3.

for better or for worse, lara dorren fell in love with a human sorcerer, cregennan of lod, and left tir ná lia for him. auberon took this as cregennan "stealing" his daughter and therefore the hen ichaer, and developed a pretty hefty vengeance and dedication to "take back" what was his (yikes).

this also set a precedent of people "claiming" the lives of carriers of the hen ichaer

auberon also formed an elven cavalry known as the red riders or wild hunt (dearg ruadhri in ellylon) and he appointed eredin bréacc glas as their commander. the initial purpose of the wild hunt was to travel to different worlds and capture slaves for tir ná lia, although they later became auberon's tool to find and exploit carriers of hen ichaer.

the wild hunt also uses specially trained mages known as navigators to open portals to other worlds, the most notable of these navigators is caranthir ar-feiniel, who doubled as one of eredin's most trusted men.

the aen elle also live a pretty long time, average is around 650 years, so the timelines are kinda hard to keep track of.

notable aen elle include: auberon muircetach, shiadhal, lara dorren, eredin breácc glas, crevan espane aep caomhan macha (aka avallac'h, also an aen saevherne and lara dorren's ex), caranthir ar-feiniel (also avallac'h's foster son), ge'els (the viceroy of tir ná lia), and imlerith (general of the wild hunt)

aen seidhe

put simply, the aen seidhe are the elves that did not leave when the aen elle did

the aen seidhe don't really have a society like the aen elle, they're pretty dispersed across the world. but, there are certain areas the aen seidhe have claimed as their own.

one of these little civilizations is dol blathanna, also known as the valley of flowers. unfortunately, it's not an independent state, as it was conquered by aedirn in the 1150s. however, then-king baldwin thyssen did allow the elves to retain a lot of their cultural identity and live in peace.

dol blathanna includes the village posada and the capital silver towers, which is where filavandrel aén findháil is from. he's that sexy man right there

[ID: photo of white elf man with blonde hair going to his shoulders. he is wearing tattered green robes and is looking slightly to the side with his lips pursed. end ID]

not that anyone cares, but here's him in the hexer. it's not important to the lore or twn it's just fuckin funny

[ID: old man with white frizzy wig. he is wearing a headband that appears to be rocks on a string. he has what looks like a potato sack tied around his shoulders over a green tunic. he is scowling. end ID]

outside of dol blathanna, there aren't really any places where elves can live with minimal human interaction, although the blue mountains are home to a few incredibly powerful elves

side note: dol blathanna is technically part of the blue mountains, but is in the far southern foothills so they're usually treated as separate entities.

the blue mountains are also a natural border dividing the northern kingdoms from the far east, and where filavandrel went to live after he got fed up with dol blathanna.

they're also the home of ida emean aep sivney, who's also an aen saevherne and future member of the lodge of sorceresses.

next season, we're going to meet the beautiful elven sorceress francesca findabair, also known as enid an gleanna (hen llinge for daisy of the valley)

here she is with fringilla vigo (nilfgaardian sorceress) in twn season 2. note that enid is preggers! that's very odd and i will go into detail on it later

[ID: photo of two women walking side by side. the one on the left is black and has black hair in braids going over one shoulder. she is wearing a silver dress with a similarly coloured floor length coat. the one on the right is biracial and has strawberry blonde hair in a braided updo. she is wearing a floor length blue gown with gold embroidery and a metallic brown cloak. she is pregnant. end ID]

enid is crazy interesting and important for the story of the witcher (and confirmed for season two!), so i won't go too in depth about her now

as i mentioned in part 2, nilfgaard tends to favour elves, leading to a lot of militaristic forces allied with nilfgaard. most notably, the scoia'tael, or squirrels. the scoia'tael are an incredibly ruthless and effective nonhuman guerilla force, generally divided into commandos, units that patrol a given area and eliminate the northern (or simply human) threat.

there are a lot of scoia'tael, so i'll just give you the commanders for now: angus bri cri, coinneach dá reo, iorveth, isengrim faoiltiarna, riordain, and toruviel.

you might remember toruviel as this sexy angry lady from twn, and she is possibly going to get a much bigger role later... pay attention to toruviel.

[ID: young elf woman with white skin and red hair tied over her shoulder. she has a bloody nose and is wearing a light green top with a dark brown leather studded belt. her belt is also around an olive green coat. she looks quite angry. end ID]

the scoia'tael were very well organized, but also quite dispersed, so when nilfgaard needed more specific tasks done, they would assemble specific military units (usually led by some of our favourite squirrels)

the vrihedd brigade was the most important of these units. they were especially notorious for their cruelty in the second northern war, so i'm sure we'll meet at least a few members next season.

their leader was colonel isengrim faoiltiarna (aka the iron wolf), and his officers coinneach, iorveth, riordain, and angus.

francesca findabair is not directly involved with either the scoia'tael or the vrihedd brigade, but she does work quite closely with them very often.

also important to note that not all scoia'tael are aen seidhe elves, most (including all higher ranking commanders and officers) are, but there are a number of nonhumans including dwarves and halflings.

unfortunately, the aen seidhe are slowly going extinct, both from years of genocide from humans and their slow reproductive cycles (elves live a Long time, but can only have children towards the beginning of their lives)

that's why it's so surprising to me that enid is preggers! we don't exactly know her age, but by my calculations she was over 150 in twn (pretty far past the age elves can have children).

because of this, elves are pretty divided between fighting against human rule and seeking coexistence. there are arguments for both camps, mainly that humans are colonizers and should not be trusted for the former, and that elves are dying out already and need to live with humans to survive for the latter.

the most prominent stand for the fight was in the 1060s when an aen seidhe named aelireen led an uprising against humans. most of the elders told her that it wouldn't end well, but she didn't listen and led hundreds of young elves into battle. it was an utter massacre, and basically all elves who could have children died.

yikes

unfortunately, the movement for coexistence was just as unsuccessful. it was led by our man cregennan of lod, lara dorren's husband. the poor simp just wanted to live in peace with his wife, but a lot of humans thought he was a traitor because he married an elf, and he and lara were murdered in 1137 in redania.

the last real push for independence was with the formation of the scoia'tael in the 1260s. I say 1260s because the very beginnings of the scoia'tael were right around 1262-1236 (the start of ciri's timeline) but they became majorly important around 1267. although, even the scoia'tael realized they needed humans to survive and began working with nilfgaard.

however, some scoia'tael are less keen on being nilfgaard's attack dogs, leading to further division amongst the aen seidhe.

black seidhe

remember the elves i talked about in part 2 as being the ancestors of the albans? this is them!

the black seidhe are native to the south, more particularly the valley around the alba river. they are practically extinct, but the nilfgaardians carry a lot of their cultural identity in the nilfgaardian language, a variation of hen llinge.

aen woedde

the wood elves, or aen woedde, is the elven culture we know the least about, they primarily live in the areas around nilfgaardian forests and speak hen llinge.

the only notable wood elf is aenyeweddien, or iskra, a member of the rats, a gang of semi violent youths in the northern realms. we'll learn more about the rats in future seasons.

tl;dr: elves, especially the aen seidhe and aen elle cultures, make up a large part of witcher lore. they are most notable for their long lifespans, magical and historical knowledge, and militaristic alliances with nilfgaard.

[mowu-moment]

i feel controversial & i care too much, so here's my des rocs complete tierlist

ranked list & reasoning (ish) under the cut

1. WAYNE: hoholy shit wayne. can hardly put into words how explosive this one is to me. the intro sets a Whole Mood before swiftly (& cleanly) smacking it down into an Absolute Banger and i don't use the term lightly. very hard not to scream along with it. only detriment is that wayne the person is kinda an ass in the mmc video but that's no qualm

2. POS: basically the same thing as wayne (oh both have great lyrics btw, this one more so), only gets points knocked for being 2 minutes long and having 30 seconds of that being intro & outro. go danny give us nothing

3. WHY WHY WHY: there's a theme among my top picks--they're all hard-hitting w/ killer guitar. the lyrics are absolute batshit in a good way, but the chorus is a lil flat & i feel like in general it just needed a touch more spice to score the top spot. or maybe it's just seniority & it'll have a coup a few months out idk

4. DEAD RINGER: similar killer guitar & lyrics but this one is Groovy as Hell. don't particularly like his singing in this one & it's too repetitive if i'm feeling grumpy but there's something so magic about after the bridge. top 10 songs to twirl a flag to

5. NOTHING PERSONAL: the minute long outro irks me & it's a little bit empty but plays into that well. groovy, great lyrics, the Sexiest Guitar Solo of the lot, the screaming's a minus but it does have an emotion there. not entirely sure what one but it's there.

6. LET ME LIVE / LET ME DIE: his first time being all over the goddamn place, history was made. amazing guitar, a little worse lyrics than 1-4 i'll admit, the intro Slays me both in a good and bad way. must be a joy to play live where he can just drag out that intro & bridge as long as feels right. at least i liked it in the digital concert like that. would actually kill me in a physical concert, imagine how much stomping gets going to that beat. bonus points for presumable cowbell

7. PIECES: for once not this high for the guitar & lyrics, they're both kinda basic. idk what's about this one but it just takes me to a separate dimension & i love it so much for that. really fills those earholes. also a bit of personal meaning, heard it for the first time on the day we moved into the house i'm currently split-custody-living in (is that tmi?) & the first music video of his i saw. man i love some spaghetti on the wall

8. SLO: basically the same as dead ringer, but knocked points for a kinda lame outro & the subject matter being a little less interesting to me. still lovely.

9. HANGING BY A THREAD: not my normal fare really & the way that the ends of the verses don't really fit in the pacing of them is bleh, but it's just so reminiscent of the songs my brother puts on whenever we hang out together that it just makes me all warm & fuzzy. it's also nicely put together which is something i'll have to start saying for. the later list.

10. SUICIDE ROMANTICS: this is where i start griping about head voice & higher pitches in general. don't like em so the pre-chorus is a lil annoying. also not my normal fare but it's tender & the ending is awe-striking. imo better live where he's loud on that last line before the final chorus. not enough to bump it up though. shoutouts to love and a smoking gun, i still am dying to hear that one

11. THE PAST HAS PASSED AWAY: my favorite lyrics out of the first 2 ep's. only thing wrong with it really is the bridge getting kinda repetitive. love that last chorus heehoo. same schpeel as the Banger Category

12. MMC: this one's lower than the rest of the Bangers for being pop punk which is something the radio has made me dislike, i guess. that trope with the guitar in the second half of the chorus just kills me so much. improves greatly during & after the bridge, love that lil ragtime piano. generally the same bit as before but i do love him doing something un-romance-related. yeah fuck the establishment!

13. THE DEVIL INSIDE: reminds me A Lot of the electronic-ish cassettes i've got from the early 90's but that's just me. this one will probably move up as i get more used to it, but only a little bit. the first part of the second verse makes me like. genuinely uncomfy? but the second part of it's fantastic. ending's ass though what happened to the instrumence. bonus points for using 'reverie' that's an SAT word (maybe). good singing but returning to the gripe at higher pitches, just a little bit though

14. THIS IS OUR LIFE: feels shockingly generic for a des rocs song tbh but there's nothing really wrong with that. adore the bridge. singing's alright. kinda miffed that he doesn't pronounce the 'f' in the second 'life' in the chorus, but it makes sense here. that sort of thing won't later so i'm bringing it up now. guitar's nothing spectacular but fits nicely into the song, probably one of the most cohesive of his (especially in recent history).

15. OUTTA MY MIND: really lives in the same space as slo and dead ringer do in my head (most likely the 'songs to twirl a flag to' zone), but this is by far the worst of the three for when i'm grumpy. just. Very repetitive. back to great lyrics here but it's kinda hard to pick them out (i've heard the song at least 100 times by now & i'm still missing a few lines). still groovin'

16. RUBY WITH THE SHARPEST LIES: what the fuck actually goes on in this song by the way? not the premise or whatever it's just. so all over the place. the verses are incredible but bringing in another vocalist just for one line kills me. bridge is really cool but that one part i don't remember where it is, the one that alternates basically nothing & an Electronic Piano Chord blaring at ya? ruins it. partially anyhow. also can someone tell the people on genius that it's 'carved it in my skin' not 'crawled down in my skin'

17. GIVE ME THE NIGHT: same repetitive issue as outta my mind but it's not groovy enough to save it, shame. feels like a trial run of all the wackshit stuff he's been doing recently, with the additional vocal bits at the end & the kinda weird lyrics. it still has a place in my heart don't get me wrong but it's just fallen in favor of stuff that Commits to banger or batshit (or actually pulls off both strongly, yyy). oh yeah nice guitar alright singing etc etc

18. USED TO THE DARKNESS: similar story to give me the night. i love it i do, but it's just lackluster nowadays. also remember that under-pronunciation thing i brought up in this is our life? this is where that comes back. rampant i tell you! that second verse he just doesn't finish the words & i hate it!

19. DON'T HURT ME: i honestly don't know why this one isn't in D. the chorus bit where he just cuts it short is irksome. the lyrics aren't anything special. i don't know what i like about it. but i can tell it does exactly what it set out to do if that makes sense. respect, respect. and using missile in an analogy, he's getting creative with the vocab

20. LIVING PROOF: kinda got a vendetta against this one i think? i don't know why i hate this one but i do. it's just kinda, blah. like the perfect sort of thing to nightcore up. sentiment's lovely & i do love the lyrics even if they aren't impressive but like. it bores me to an extent

21. TICK (LIVE): separating the version i heard in the digital concert just to give it some credit, this one was actually kinda nice. another one with a nice sentiment & what he was going for is great. no clue what the second part of the second verse has to do with any of this though. and it also begins our final group, the songs that just feel empty. like there's not nearly enough going on. this one's alright though i was just hoping the studio version would add some flair. you can see where that one is though.

22. IMAGINARY FRIENDS: also got a vendetta against pop. kinda hate the sentiment here (contrast!), the chorus just falls short of what the verses prime me for, head voice is rampant, and yet i still swing along to it. it's infectious props to him. love the outro though, monkey laugh and all.

23. MAYBE, I: another empty one, like it's a four-note progression what is that. love his singing in it, and the chorus parts do round it out, but like. eh? it doesn't even give me much to say.

24. BORN TO LOSE: another flop on the chorus! too smooth i say! and i absolutely Despise the pitch-shifting thing going on. not something i was expecting him to express so points there, lyrics are nothing fancy to my Literary Mind though. initially good singing but the chorus he's just sloppy over it. the instrumental is lovely but the vocals just throw it so hard into the bin which is a right shame. fuck that outro too i hate that gimmick

25. I KNOW: here's where the bad batshit comes in. singing is some of his worst imo, does the other-vocalist thing for that bridge, genre i'm not fond of, just a soup of Stuff I Don't Like. not one i'd kill someone over putting as #1 like i can see where it comes from but. mmmmmhhhh bad. cover does NOT help his case.

26. HVY MTL DRMR: empirically i should put this one higher. but the chorus flops so goddamn hard it deserves to be in the bottom of the barrel. the verses are lovely for what he was doing back then! but then just... nothing!

27. RABBIT HOLE: i was so excited for this name but it's just sad boi hours playlist curated by some corporation you hate. probably the most nothing of them all, genuinely where are the instruments. what happened. was this one just shoehorned in as the final track just to pump numbers up. and i swear he had some autotune or something which only makes his voice worse it's fantastic naturally. also that's not what a rabbit hole is! that's not the idiom! a rabbit hole is when you go on a wikipedia spiral from jennifer lopez to group theory! not when you just have a shitty night's sleep or whatever this is! i'm not just miffed i'm downright annoyed

28. TICK (STUDIO): what the fuck happened des. how did you release this. it sounds like a 3rd grader singing for the school talent show it's so out of rhythm. singing's honestly kinda bad & the instrumental has the same problems i talked about in the live version. the last chorus is fine, i guess, but no i don't forgive him for what he did to tick.

[emily-the-fae]

Sound of a Heartbeat

Part 3. Back to Business

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Here I am, back with a new chapter. I have absolutely no betas, so this is what I get after editing the text myself.

Pairing: Dracula x OC

Warnings: absolutley none

What Shari did not expect, was to feel cold - in fact, there was now extremely unpleasant cold at her back and something burning warm and soft at her side, the juxtaposition making her shiver and move her shoulders. As soon as she did so, sharp pain shot through the left side of her neck, causing her to flinch and groan, straightening her shoulders carefully as not to evoke another shot of pain. Why-why-why does this have to sting so much all over again? Shari could hear some sounds around her - noises like obscured quiet dialogue, the voices were still undetectable, but she already had a hint of who they might belong to. Next there was a raspy sound of someone's - or something's - quick breathing right next to her ear. Light struck her eyes through closed eyelids, causing her to turn her head, wincing. There was a sound of footsteps coming closer. Some other noise, getting louder by second, until she finally heard...

- Shari! - as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Sypha leaning above her, anxious face watching her reaction carefully, strands of red hair falling in front of her eyes.

Shari bolted upwards, nearly bumping into the speaker and instantly regretting it as sharp pain shot through her body, she bent forward, almost folding in half, then straightened up again, taking deep breaths. Alright, easy. This is what surviving feels like. She was going to live for now. Shari looked around: she was laying on the snowy forest floor next to a campfire, her body covered with a warm cape; the wood opening was lit in dim daylight, Sypha was crouching on the ground next to her, Adrian and Trevor staring at her from across the campfire; Rodo crawled closer, putting his muzzle onto her lap and wagging his short tail happily, his nose poking her belly.

She caressed his big furry head absentmindedly. Shari did not understand how the hell she managed to make it back, especially considering her health condition. She was expecting anything, but home sweet home among the three friends on the other side of the water.

Something moved on the edge of her peripheral vision, between the trunks of the trees and Shari had to turn her shoulders fully in order to keep her neck as immobile as possible, as she tried to look in the direction of the movement. She saw a shadowy figure of the ghost stare at her, hovering immobile close to the edge of the trees. Oh, Lisa Tepes is not going to leave her alone now. She knew Shari would survive, somehow the damned woman just knew it. Now the healer could be sure the ghost will stick to her for some time and continue the scheme of "go and save the world". A very pleasant beginning of the day.

- Lord, it's so good that you're back. We seriously thought that we might lose you, - Sypha threw her arms around Shari's neck, for the time being taking the healer's thoughts off her new acquaintance. - I tried all I could, you know, magic and other stuff... Adrian almost suggested turning you, - Shari snorted. Like hell he would have.

- How long was I...?

- Three days, - Sypha's face was probably as pale as her own. The poor girl must have done all she was capable of to keep Shari alive.

- To be honest, I am quite surprised that my father didn't finish what he started, but I am anyway relieved, that you are well, - Adrian walked up to her and petted her shoulder. - I'm so sorry we weren't there to help you straight away.

- It's fine, Adrian, we couldn't have predicted that he would pay us a visit. It's not anybody's fault, - no it is. My own and yours too, it was a dumb idea to leave the most battle-unprepared person alone. Shari shut the voice in her head and smiled weakly.

Trevor just nodded from across the fire, listening to their exchange; he watched the three of them, his gaze from time to time drifting back to Shari, or rather to the reddened patch on her neck. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if hesitant to speak, then finally spilled it out:

- How did he attack you? How did he find us? Did he speak? – the hunter started throwing questions at her and Shari got a strong feeling of being interrogated.

- I-I don't know, - Shari almost lied, throwing a cautious glance at Lisa. - He just, sort of, appeared and attacked me that's mostly it.

- He probably watched us. She was alone, so he decided to weaken us by removing the one left vulnerable, - Adrian finished, lowering himself on the ground next to the healer. Shari didn't want to respond, dropping herself to her improvised bed in exhaustion.

- You must be more or less right. That night is a bit foggy in my memory, really, - she huffed.

- He has a nasty habit of putting his victims under hypnosis, so your condition is quite - I almost said normal - quite to be expected I dare say, - Adrian mumbled matter-of-factedly, his palm coming up to caress her head and brush away a few stray strands of hair from her face. Shari felt her stomach turn in fear at the word "victims", she breathed out heavily. Silence followed.

- Guys, seriously, I feel drained... - Shari stretched as well as she could; Sypha snorted at her involuntary pun. - Can I please just rest for a while?

- Of course. Take your time and gain some strength. You'll need it soon, - Adrian spoke before anyone could respond. He stretched out his hand to take her palm in his for a moment, capturing her attention. - You deserve some rest. Thank you... For not dying on us. Really, - his tone began to be uncharacteristically serious, but as he ended his words in a chuckle, Shari could only breath out and smile warmly. Sypha just nodded and hurried to cover her once more with the large warm cape - the healer wasn't sure if it was Adrian's of Trevor's.

Shari lay back in peace for once, feeling Rodo's large warm form next to herself and letting the sounds of the forest wash over her. Maybe she could at least get some normal sleep.

***

When she woke up the next time, it was already deep in the night. The fire was burning low, Sypha and Trevor sleeping soundly on the ground around it, curled into two freezing balls, an empty bottle next to Trevor's hand - as per usual - and Adrian nowhere to be seen. Rodo purred in discontent, shaking his sleepy red eyed head, when Shari tried to sit up.

There was a shadow at the edge of the trees once again watching the small campsite intently; Shari could see it clearly its outline hiding behind the tree trunks. Lisa. The woman caught her gaze and beckoned her to come closer. Shari shook her head at first, but the woman only continued gesturing more aggressively; she hesitated for a while, contemplating whether she should just turn on her side and go back to sleep, then stood up at last almost against her own will, walking up to the ghost cautiously, ready for any unpleasant surprise. She felt like she was going to regret even this small decision.

Lisa, seeing her move, turned away and walked further into the tree shadows, leading the human away from the campfire; Shari could barely follow her transparent form, walking through the bushes careful not to make too much noise that could awaken her unaware companions. Rodo ran behind his human, smelling the air around him for any traces of life, his huge claws making him clumsy as he trotted through the bushes. At first Shari could barely see her way, cursing under her breath as she went until all of a sudden she found herself in an opening once more, a small free patch of ground formed around an old fallen tree, it's darkened trunk laying on the ground and clearing some space around it; Shari saw the ghost settle on top of the trunk as if sitting down on a bench, gesturing for the human to do the same. Shari walked closer and lowered herself next to the woman. It was silent for a few moments.

- Did you really have to do that? - Shari spoke up.

- Do what? - Lisa responded.

- Appear to me. Rush my decisions.

- I didn't. In fact, I tried to tell you to think it over, if you remember?

- Oh yes, you didn't intimidate me with the prospects of returning to Earth straight for a painful fight, - sarcasm it is.

- I needed you to be out here.

Silence once more.

- Why don't they see you? Adrian and others - you were there in the morning, but they didn't notice. Are you just a hallucination? In my head? I’m going insane, am I? - Shari asked. The ghost sighed in response, lowering her head.

- No, no. I believe, you... Crossed some border because of almost dying. You aren't supposed to be seeing me now, it never happened to me before... Maybe you are able to see the other dead too. Maybe it's just me because I tried to connect to you, - Lisa answered, unconfident, studying the girl's face. - I was never exactly an expert in the paranormal field.

- You raised a vampire son.

- That's different!

Pause.

- I'm still not going to go looking for Dracula, - Shari stated.

- You can go looking for his castle instead then, - Lisa was seemingly unworried about her decision.

- Looking for his castle?! Do you even hear yourself? How is that supposed to be "instead"? How.. Wait, why?

- Well, as you said, you want to hold onto your life - he has the answer to your sickness, your salvation - I know, I remember, I've been to his library - if you manage to find the castle, you will as well find the cure, - Lisa smiled knowingly at Shari's visible confusion. The healer wrinkled her nose, thinking. Now there was something to it – could be possible; a chance for longer survival, if the stories didn’t lie; besides Dracula is quite busy and Lisa had told her she watched over him. But still...

- Oh no, I'm not buying this. You're just telling this to me, because you want me to encounter him. He very obviously will be there and will certainly be not happy about a human intruder. I won't go, nope, - Shari replied.

- Don't you think it's the better option of not encountering him? - there was a smirk on the ghost's face now.

- Oh, yes, why would that be?

- He's following you four around, he said it himself, so he will definitely notice you are still alive and quite soon. But I do know he is not as often in his castle nowadays - so if you leave the others, in fact, you will have better chances of...

- Alright, alright, Lady Logic, I get it. What's in it for you then? Making me search the castle? Sounds all too good for me and nothing for you, as you place it. What do you have in mind?- Shari stared at the ghost suspiciously, waiting for the answer.

- His castle and all its movement is controlled only from the inside, I know it for sure. And maybe, just maybe, together we could find a way to reverse this war with minimum blood. If we find a way to stick the castle to one place, he will have to be more careful, because his safe place will grow more vulnerable. As for Adrian and your team out there – they wouldn’t be able to ambush him. Drawn in that condition they may have more time and necessity to… reconsider some of their tactics. Who says diplomacy should work without a little destructive help? You and I – together we can create the needed mess, - Lisa responded. This sounded almost like a rehearsed speech. - Magic and knowledge: if you help it may actually work out.

- And that's all? - Shari raised an eyebrow.

- Yes.

- Too simple.

- Only on speech, - Lisa tilted her head towards Shari. - Do we have a deal?

- I don't trust you, - Shari cut back. - You're nice and all, but I don't trust you, - she stood up from the tree trunk.

- You don't have to. But we need each other, you have to admit it, - the ghost responded with an amused smile. Shari really wanted to shut her ears and run away. This was no good. There was no way the ghost wasn't lying about Dracula deserting his castle; Adrian said he wouldn't... Though Adrian didn't expect him to be watching them either.

- Okay. Say I do trust you – for now. What do I do? How do I get away and to his castle without Adrian?

- Leave tomorrow. Tell them you need to go and settle some personal matter – or rest somewhere peaceful, that you know of a small village to rest in for a while. That you're sick and solving it - it's not far from the truth. You'll catch up with them in some time… possibly, - Lisa told it all as if she had planned the whole thing a long time ago, which unnerved Shari quite a lot.

- Will I though? - mistrust once again.

- Depends on you, - the ghost dissolved into thin air. - Remember, we both need each other.