#tobyn: the it girl

[bonesandthebees]

[“Even if you think it wasn’t worth it, I like it a lot.”] This is the bit I was actually looking for. Because Tomys expects to get scolded by Wilbur. We know he thinks it’s funny when he gets a rise out of him, but Wilbur does the opposite. He drops the subject. And that takes Tomys by surprise because he always gets scolded by the adults. And while Wilbur is annoyed, he makes the active decision to let it go.

Side note: it wasn’t the shells, it was the statues.

As a result he gains a lot of ground with Tomys. It even throws him off. And he doesn’t really recover all that well with the half-hearted bitch. Wilbur has no idea that he’s doing it, but he’s gaining so much trust by holding back and not doing what Tomys expects him to do.

Then there’s the little girl. And now I have many questions about how Tomys met Tobyn. Anyway, he’s probably seen street kids at his hometown. I was expecting one of them to offer to pay, but I wasn’t sure which on. Once again Wilbur shows a disconnect to the people because he grew up in the place. Tomys, meanwhile, is a ball of empathy.

And this section is interesting because it shows what Tomys is capable of when he tries (which is why I think he kinda wants to be sent home). He can get that respect when he wants it, which is what will shift Wilbur mentality about him because the illusion of he’s just a dumb kid, has been shattered.

Then there’s Wilbur actively pushing Tomys about paying for the pastries to see how his brain works. This says a lot about Wilbur and how he’s been trained / raised. Tomys has no idea he does it and probably just thinks that Wilbur js a bit of a rich prick. (Also, we get the trust/naïveté vs paranoia/distrust again with to debate about why the kid might have stolen “is she actually hungry or did she just want something nice to eat once” you entitlement is showing Wilbur).

Lastly, [“You’re a good person,” Wilbur told him quietly. “That’s what I’m surprised about.”] This line hits. For a kid like Tomys, who probably gets scolded and told off so much, it really hits. It’s such high praise, which is the way to control them both since both are probably deprived off it. It also tells the boy that Wilbur doesn’t actually care, he was just testing him. And once again, it’s probably something he’s been scolded for before, but Wilbur just lets it pass. He just lets him be himself. He’s forming a safe place (from Tomys pov) without realising it.

And the second half of the chapter will be for tomorrow me, because I have too many words and not enough time.

Good morning/night everyone!!!

(3/3)

-🌲

yup :) tommy was prepared to argue and stand his ground and say that he liked it. he's not afraid of being scolded, but he was expecting it. so when wilbur doesn't bother he's surprised. and while in wilbur's mind he only let it go to try and avoid causing any rifts between them, in tommy's head it seems like wilbur let it go because he understood that tommy liked it and that it was his decision to buy it. in tommy's head, he feels like wilbur sees him as an equal instead of a stupid kid. that is... not really the case on wilbur's side but it's great for crimeboys development!

while there are definitely street kids in Valbroek, Pandorinne is the capital and has a much bigger population and as a result it has much more wealth inequality. so while tommy has definitely seen situations like the little girl before, he's already seen a lot more beggars here in Pandorinne than he's ever seen in Valbroek so that makes him want to help even more. which in turns leads to him actually acting mature and commanding respect for the first time, because when he takes things seriously he can actually do that. wilbur just didn't realize what it took to get tommy to take something seriously.

wilbur's entitlement was showing soooo hard there, but also it's meant to show phil's teachings. again, wilbur has been taught not to trust others and to always second guess people's intentions. tommy has not. therein lies a huge difference between them. and in a way, it creates a balance. wilbur is too suspicious, tommy is too trusting. if they work together, they have the potential to balance each other out.

wilbur was more saying the "you're a good person thing" to himself as a reflective thing, not even thinking about how tommy would take it. but yes, it IS high praise to tommy. he's genuinely surprised to be told that because most adults in his life would tell him off for wasting money like that. wilbur doesn't. wilbur, while pointing out the flaws in his decision, ultimately praises him for his choice. like you said, he's creating a safe space between the two of them without even realizing it.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

(You’re still getting the cutouts shenanigans, Sayaka.)

Credit: https://twitter.com/tobynjacobs/status/1582941988730507264?s=12&t=S0uKOZ1Lb8f_5UFCojN28Q

Ah! I’ve seen this guy on the internet a lot lately!

You’d think someone carrying a cardboard cutout of me everywhere would creep me out, but honestly, I’m just kind of impressed.

He’s living life how he wants to, and I respect that.

//Fun Fact: In Tobyn Jacobs house, which is completely fitted out with sprites and images of Sayaka, some of MY sprites are actually part of it. Namely, the bunny girl sprites and the casual outfit sprites

[ocean-sands]

Fictober 2023 - Day 24

Prompt number: 24 - Is it over? is it really over?

Original fiction: Fate and Soul

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Is it over? Mara said to herself, is it really over?

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you your new champion!” The enormous crowd roared, cheering as they threw their hands in the air. Among the applause were some sneers, but the cheers drowned them out. Mara smiled as she soaked in the admiration.

The prince quickly rose and glared at Mara, clearly upset at his defeat. Mara gave him the Kadorian salute, but he simply ignored it, tearing off his armor and discarding it on the ground. He marched past her and entered the tent, ignoring any of the tournament traditions. 

The crowd quieted down and Mara held her salute while she worriedly looked at the king and queen, who, needless to say, they didn’t look too happy. The king gestured for Mara to step forward and accept her prize. She has anticipated and trained for this moment for so long. 

She stepped onto the dais and faced the king and queen, who with grace stood up and smiled at her. Prince Rodan stepped up next to her as it was his duty, as last year’s champion, to present the award to Mara. His face stayed stuck in annoyance. The king spoke in a calm yet powerful voice.

“It is my honor to present this award to…” The king paused, waiting for Mara to answer.

She gulped and looked to her left, where Tobyn and Alina stood among the spectators. They looked prepared to run but at the same time, ready to fight.

“Your name, sir,” the queen said. 

Mara looked at the queen, then lowered her head. “Mara,” she answered with a soft quivering voice.

Rodan slowly turned his head to Mara, eyes going wide.

“Repeat that.” The king said, though he was sure he heard correctly.

Mara lifted her head, took a breath, and repeated confidently. “My name is Mara.”

The queen stepped closer to Mara and looked at her as if inspecting her eyes. “Take off your mask.” 

At this point, the stadium was nearly silent. There were a few murmurs, as some expected something might happen. Mara looked back at her friends. Tobyn shook his head slowly, and Alina had her brows furrowed. Mara swallowed hard and took a deep breath before removing the cloth from her head and face. She avoided the queen’s gaze, looking down at the ground while her braids fell on her shoulders and covering her face. 

There were gasps in the crowd and the murmurs grew louder. The queen’s face was unreadable as she spoke. “My son lost the tournament to a crossdressing deviant?” 

“I’m just a girl,” Mara answered in a low, quivering voice.

The queen looked up at her king, who had an equally unreadable look. He cleared his voice and straightened his back. “As it stands, the winner of the tournament is…” for a glimmer of a second he appeared disappointed, “Mara.”

The crowd cheered, though there were also a few jeers. Tobyn and Alina failed to hold their excitement, and Mara smiled even wider. 

The only person not to react was the prince who didn’t clap, didn’t smile, and as if hereditary, had a face that Mara could not read. He studied her with his eyes for a few seconds before leaving dais and left the stadium.

[richincolor]

We have one book on our radar to close out August. Is it on your TBR list?

Tobyn: The It Girl (Flyy Girls #4) by Ashley Woodfolk Penguin Workshop

Tobyn Wolfe knows she’s destined to be a rock star. She sings, she dances, and she’s got that “It” factor. Her dreams are even closer within her reach when she meets Maybe Someday–an incredible all-female band–during a night out with her older sister, Devyn. Joining their band would be the perfect way to show off her amazing vocals. It’s too bad her mom can’t see this. She wants Tobyn to go to college and become a serious musician, not follow in Devyn’s footsteps and wind up a struggling artist. Can Tobyn prove to her mom that she knows what’s best, or will her dreams end up becoming a horrible nightmare?

With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that’s perfect for readers of any level. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[2021ya]

TOBYN: THE IT GIRL

Flyy Girls #4

by Ashley Woodfolk

(Penguin Workshop, 8/31/21)

9780593096116 (hc),  9780593096109 (pb)

Add to Goodreads

Purchase from Bookshop

Series: 

1. Lux: The New Girl 

2. Micah: The Good Girl 

3. Noelle: The Mean Girl 

Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem high-schoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love. Tobyn Wolfe knows she’s destined to be a rock star. She sings, she dances, and she’s got that “It” factor. Her dreams are even closer within her reach when she meets Maybe Someday–an incredible all-female band–during a night out with her older sister, Devyn. Joining their band would be the perfect way to show off her amazing vocals. It’s too bad her mom can’t see this. She wants Tobyn to go to college and become a serious musician, not follow in Devyn’s footsteps and wind up a struggling artist. Can Tobyn prove to her mom that she knows what’s best, or will her dreams end up becoming a horrible nightmare? With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that’s perfect for readers of any level.

[rose-lily-field]

Do you have any book recommendations for traditional femininity, homemaking etc..?

Yep! I haven't read all of these, but they've been recommended to me. Some are secular, some are religious:

Femininity: Finer Femininity A Sunshiny Disposition - Mrs. Leane G. VanderPutten Set-Apart Femininity - Leslie Ludy Let Me Be a Woman - Elisabeth Elliot Fascinating Womanhood - Helen Andelin Created to Be His Help Meet - Debi Pearl Beautiful Girlhood - Karen Andreola The Excellent Wife - Martha Peace His Chosen Bride - Jennifer J. Lamp A Return to Modesty - Wendy Shalit Dressing with Dignity - Colleen Hammond

Homemaking: The Nesting Place - Myquillyn Smith Large Family Logistics - Kim Brenneman The Christian Homemaker's Handbook - Pat Ennis The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Edith Schaeffer She Made Herself a Home - Rachel Van Kluyve Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping - Miriam Lukken How to Sew a Button - Erin Bried The Homemaker's Mentor Treasury of Homekeeping Skills - Martha Greene The Girl's Guide to Home Skills - Martha Greene Home Economics Household Skills - Amy Maryon Home-Ec 101 - Heather Solos The Woman's Book of Household Management - Florence Jack

Parenting: Positive Parenting - Rebecca Eanes The Newbie's Guide to Positive Parenting - Rebecca Eanes The Conscious Parent - Dr. Shefali Tsabary How Children Learn - John Holt How to Raise a Lady - Kay West How to Raise a Gentleman - Kay West A Kids' Guide to Manners - Katherine Flannery Mothers Manual - Francis Coomes

Natural Living: The Lost Book of Remedies - Claude Davis The Encyclopaedia Of Healing Foods - Dr. Michael Murray The School of Natural Healing - John R. Christopher Culpeper's Medicine - Graeme Tobyn

I'm sure I have more books somewhere, but I can't find them at the moment - I'll add later if I can find them! If anyone has any other recommendations, let me know! I love finding new books to read and study.

[theshatteredrose]

Keeper of the Eastern Shrine (Chapter 2) - Etrian Odyssey Nexus Fanfiction

AN: Whew, this took a little longer than expected, for some reason. I think it might because of the new medication I’m on. I’m on double dosage now and I’m extra tired now. But don’t worry, I definitely will finish this saga. No matter how long it takes. Now, I hope you enjoy reading~

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FFNet

-

Chapter 2:

Due to the size of the city of Maginia, there were several footbridges that reached down to the forests and plains of their new resting place. With so many, explorers and guards alike, rushing back and forth, the members of the Guardians waited until they reached the tree line before they gave Chi-hung a piece of clothing of their missing person.

They moved quickly through the crowds. Sunset was just a few hours away. Not much time to conduct a full search and rescue. And with an area so vast, not to mention wholly unknown, they may be in for a difficult time.

Hopefully, as Jhon paused to allow Chi-hung to take in the young medic’s scent, he would narrow down the search area quickly.

“All the information we have is that the young medic is searching for small flowers for medicine,” Axel said.

Lynus readjusted his bag upon his shoulder. “Those flowers flourish in open areas. It’s also possible that other medics and gathers were also searching for these flowers.”

Speaking with potential witnesses would either help them narrow the search grid further, or lead toward a red herring.

“Chi-hung seems to have caught a scent,” Jhon stated, folding away the handkerchief as the mighty white tiger sniffed the air repeatedly.

He soon narrowed in on a direction and moved forward determinedly. Jhon and Axel immediately moved to follow, while Tobyn and Lynus stayed just a few steps behind. Their usual formation whenever they ventured out into the field.

“As large as Maginia is, we best take note of our surroundings,” Jhon said as they ventured closer to an outcropping of trees. “I wasn’t expecting the area to be so vast.”

Axel nodded his head as he surveyed their surroundings, using his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “It was a good idea to bring the Tharsian airships with us. We’re definitely going to need them.”

Having never flown in an airship, Lynus mused about how his first experience may play out. Hopefully it was a joy flight in hopes of getting used to the craft, and not another search and rescue. He also deduced that it would be far different to the turbulence felt within Maginia and the Heavenly Keep of Lagaard.

As they moved beyond line of trees and into a clearing of colourful wild flowers, Tobyn paused mid step. And raised his arm in front of everyone to pull them all to a stop. He kept his gaze forward, even as others turned to him in question.

“There’s someone over there,” he alerted them, his eyes suddenly narrowing as he swiftly revealed his bow and notched in an arrow. “Tch, there’s also a monster.”

Jhon immediately pushed forward, concern etching upon his face. “What?”

“I’ve got it,” Tobyn returned as he pulled back the string of his bow. “Keep an eye on the kid.”

Kid?

Lynus immediately turned his gaze forward to scan the clearing of red and yellow flowers. The first thing he was able to see was a flash of pink. He soon narrowed in on the bright colour and noted that they appear to be that of a young girl.

Pink hair. Clothes similar to that in the description of their missing person’s report.

The next thing he saw was a blur of dark green and red eyes. An insectoid type of monster. It was unlike anything Lynus had seen before. And it was airborne, it’s target; that of the young girl huddled close to the ground in the middle of the field.

A bubble of fear appeared in Lynus’ chest, but he quashed it when both Jhon and Chi-hung sprung forward, Axel close behind them.

Being a fraction faster than Jhon, Chi-hung immediately placed himself between the young pink-haired girl and the airborne monster. He was soon joined by said blond protector, who readied his shield as a precaution. And Axel took a stance in front of the two protectors, his hand gripping the handle of his weapon in preparation to holster it at a moment’s notice.

Lynus lingered back with Tobyn, knowing full well that it would be better for everyone if he stayed away from the impromptu battlefield. He knew that Jhon and Chi-hung were more than capable of protecting the girl, and that if Tobyn’s arrow was not enough to defeat the airborne creature, then Axel was more than willing and able to rid of the threat entirely.

There appeared to be only one of the creatures, so they weren’t in for a long battle, he was sure.

As the creature continued its path, not faltering even as three more targets appeared. And before the surprisingly round and green insect reached anyone, Tobyn’s arrow struck true to its side. The attack so sudden that it stopped the creature immediately.

It fell to the ground with a surprisingly loud thud, right in front of Axel. Purposely done on Tobyn’s part. It continued to shriek as it kicked and rolled in the grass. It was clearly still alive, though it was possible in its death throes.

So, Axel swiftly ended its suffering with a single swing of his axe.

Lynus winced when he heard the sound it made. It was a sickening “popping” sound.

Axel looked at the green slime staining his axe with an expression of distain. He utterly a loud sigh as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe clean the blade.

“That’s a new one,” he said casually as Tobyn joined him. “An overly muscular fly, huh?”

Tobyn fiddled with his hat, he, too, staring at the mess with disgust. “Let’s just call it a Muscle Fly and move on.”

Axel chuckled. “Sure. No need to be fancy.”

Seeing that the battle was over, Lynus chose not to pay any more attention to the defeated monster. Instead, he and Chi-hung made their way over to the young woman while Jhon continued to survey their new surroundings with caution.

The young girl was crouched to the ground, her back toward the thankfully interrupted attack, her hands over her pink hair.

“Are you all right?” Lynus asked.

The young girl momentarily paused in her cowering and slowly turned her head in his direction. Her blue eyes were watery as she peered up at him. Her gaze then quickly shifted toward Chi-hung and her eyes widened.

Before Lynus had the chance to reassure the frightened girl that Chi-hung was friendly and benign, the young pink haired girl was up on her feet and stood directly before the white tiger.

“Woooooow!” she unexpectedly said in pure awe. “He’s beautiful!”

That was an unexpected reaction, but not an unwanted one. Chi-hung himself seemed mildly amused, if the flicking of his tail was any indication.

“Birgitta?”

The pink-haired girl immediately eeped and turned her wide eyes in Lynus’ direction. Both surprised by her name. And by his presence, clearly enthralled with Chi-hung to notice anyone else. “Y-yes, that’s me.”

“Ah, good. My name is Lynus. We’ve been sent to find you,” Lynus smiled reassuringly before his expression folded into parental scolding. “You shouldn’t be out here all on your own. It’s far too dangerous.”

“B-but I’m not alone,” Birgitta immediately insisted. However, a mere second later her teary-eyed expression turned into that of concern. She spun around and frantically looked around at their surroundings. “Wait, where’s Laika? Laika! O-oh no, that monster must have scared him off.”

The fear and concern from the younger medic immediately made Lynus grow worried himself. The report hadn’t mentioned another. Had she found someone else along the way to pair up with?

“What’s going on?”

Lynus immediately turned around and sent Axel a concerned look. “It seems like the report forgot the mention the presence of another.”

“He’s like a brother to me,” Birgitta murmured aloud before she spun around and hurried to stand directly in front of Lynus. Her eyes were filled with tears as she gazed pleadingly up at him. “Please, help me find Laika! I can’t…I can’t just leave him.”

“Of course,” Lynus immediately reassured. “We’ll find him, too.”

“Do you have anything that belongs to your brother on you?” Jhon questioned.

“Oh, yes!” Birgitta immediately perked up and began to rustle around in her shoulder bag. “Here, this is his favourite scarf.”

Jhon retrieved the red chequered material from Birgitta. He made his way to Chi-hung and crouched down by the white-tiger’s side, a hand upon his back as he raised the scarf toward Chi-hung’s nose. “Once more, Chi-hung.”

The white tiger dutifully sniffed at the scarf, his nose twitching for a few seconds before he pushed himself upon all fours. He lowered his head to the forest floor, where loud sniffling could be heard. Soon, he began to prowl forward, indicating that he had managed to narrow in on a scent.

Jhon and Tobyn moved to follow the white tiger, while Axel stayed a few steps behind. Lynus offered his hand to the young medic, which she took surprisingly quickly. She clung onto his hand with both of hers, clearly frightened but willing to push forward to find her Laika regardless.

They quickly moved beyond the field of wildflowers and into the dense forest around them. The foliage was full and thick, the trees tall and sturdy. There was but a few paths through the dense undergrowth, so it was clear that it had been quite a few years (decades even) since anyone human had walked through these woods.

Lynus glanced up at the canopy above them with a sense of unease. Sunset wasn’t far off and they were moving through terrain they were completely unfamiliar with. True, they couldn’t just leave when they had the knowledge that someone else was missing. So he could only hope that they would find them easily and were able to return to the city before sunset.

The vegetation remained dense the further they moved and the light began to fade, which only increased Lynus’ concern. But then Tobyn, who was at the lead with Chi-hung, suddenly threw his arm out to his side, once more causing everyone to come to a complete stop.

“Monsters?” Jhon asked quietly.

Surprisingly, Tobyn shook his head. “There’s something up front. An opening.”

“A clearing?”

Once again, Tobyn shook his head as he lowered his arm and crept forward. His bow remained by his side, however, so his narrowed eyes were of suspicion and curiosity. “No. I think…I think it’s the gateway to a labyrinth.”

That earned him several sharp intakes of air from his companions.

A labyrinth wasn’t all that shocking in all honesty. Not with the density of these woods. But it was surprising nonetheless.

Silently, Axel shared a glance with his teammates before he nodded his head.

They needed to keep going. Laika was likely hiding somewhere within this labyrinth.

They had better move cautiously.

Pushing through a natural wall of trees and vines, the soft soil beneath their feet turned into harden stone. Paved stones. Square and flat. Definitely hand-made.

The vegetation around them suddenly cleared to reveal a stone archway. The stone was light grey, covered sporadically with moss and entangled with clinging vines and curious fern plants and red flowers. Etched within the stones were ancient symbols and patterns. Curiously, there were veins of bright, shimmering blue material threaded throughout the stones.

The blue veins of blue crystals emitted a mysterious energy. Something otherworldly, and yet so...earthly. Origin was that of the earth beneath their feet. Made with purpose. Yet that purpose lost to time. A time long forgotten.

The feeling of relevance draped through the air and around them like a cloak.

The ruins around them and before them were of some significance. The purpose, however, wasn’t immediately known. And would likely remain hidden to them for some time. What was known was that they were within the halls of a labyrinth.

And it was quite beautiful.

“This is definitely a labyrinth,” Jhon said with unrestrained curiosity on his face.

“Yeah,” Axel murmured, he too, gazing at their surroundings with interest. He, however, shook his head a moment later. “And that means there’s going to be more monsters. Stay close together.”

Tobyn took a moment to shrug off his backpack and pulled out a roll of blank parchment and a writing tool. “Good thing I brought my mapping tools with me.”

“It is,” Jhon said absentmindedly as his gaze shifted from the labyrinth and back toward the path they had taken. “The foliage is so thick, we can’t see beyond the next path, let alone Maginia itself.”

Unconcerned with the sudden change in their surrounds, Chi-hung continued to periodically sniff at the ground as he moved forward. Appeared that their new missing person was indeed hiding within the labyrinth somewhere.

Axel took the lead with Chi-hung, while Tobyn stayed a step or two behind him as he concentrated on his mapping skills. Jhon lingered back with Lynus to ensure the safety of the two medics.

Birgitta seemed blissfully unaware of their significance of their surroundings. She simply kept a tight hold on Lynus’ hand, staying close to him as she nervously gazed at their surroundings.

In order to ease the young girl’s unease, Lynus started a conversation on what this Laika was like and how long she had known him. Birgitta readily began to talk about him. And the way she prattled gave him the indication that they weren’t looking for someone exactly human.

“I see,” Lynus smiled as the turned down a long natural hallway. “What breed is he?”

“Shiba,” Birgitta immediately answered.

Ah, so they were searching for a beloved pet companion.

That was fine. Human or beast, or anything in-between; if they were a beloved companion that became lost, they will be found again.

He allowed the pink-haired medic to continue to prattle, nodded his head on occasion. He was only half listening, his attention directed mostly to their new and unique surroundings.

The stones with blue veins continued to shimmer softly, remaining the same as they moved deeper through the halls. The light was darkening, however, casting the dense vegetation in dark shadows.

They had better find Laika soon.

As they moved into a medium sized room, Chi-hung unexpectedly released a low purr and raised his head. As they turned their attention in the direction Chi-hung was moving in, they took note of a small, white dog that sat in the middle.

“Laika!” Birgitta squealed in both delight and relief as she promptly released her tight grip on Lynus’ hand and ran forward.

Lynus and the others moved to follow the excited young girl, they too, pleased to have find her missing companion. And they watched as she dropped down to her knees and threw her arms around the fluffy canine’s neck in a tight hug.

“Where have you been? I was so worried!” she began to prattle mindlessly. Laika, however, simply wagged his tail happily, seemingly unaware of the fuss he had caused.

As the reunion took place, Lynus and his guildmates approached the two and kept a firm gaze on their surroundings for any further threats. But as Lynus drew forward, a strange sensation, similar to that of a cold chill raced down his spine. He jumped slightly and he spun around to look in a northly direction.

That feeling…It was similar to what he felt whenever that peculiar wraith of Kyrell’s, Raven, would sit itself upon his shoulder without warning.

It wasn’t a threatening feeling.

Yet…there was something there that wanted his attention.

“Is there something wrong?” Jhon asked him, concern in his voice.

Lynus tore his gaze away from the small pathway in the northern wall to look toward the blond-haired protector. “I just…sense something strange up ahead.”

Jhon furrowed his brow slightly. “Strange? Like a monster?”

Lynus quickly shook his head. “No, nothing like that,” he reassured, only to pause a moment later, grappling with how to describe what he felt. “It’s…odd. I feel this…yearning from somewhere north of here.”

Jhon’s gaze flickered over Lynus’ shoulder, his brow is furrowed. His gaze then shifted to the canopy above them, taking note of the reddening sky above them. “I’m afraid we’ll need to come back later to investigate.”

Lynus immediately nodded his head in understanding. They still needed to escort Birgitta back to the city and they would need to speak with both Mueller and Princess Persephone about this…discovery.

Now that she had been reunited with the one that was like a brother to her, Birgitta settled herself down and pushed herself to her feet. “Thank you so much for your help,” she said in earnest.

“We’re glad you’re all right,” Lynus replied with a smile. “But, please don’t head out on your own again. Take an explorer or guard with you.”

Birgitta flushed lightly. “I-I will, I promise.”

“Then, let’s head back.”

[nonsimsical]

I have been working on multiple projects!

Been renovating a house for Freeman and Faye in an empty world. Also been working on lots for the that world as well to fill it as they will have a farm! Just at a stand still rn cause I'm playing around with lots surrounding their house and barn. I'm leaning towards a cornfield though! @charsimatic

Have also decided that Ivy and Tobias will NOT be taking over Bennette's farm. Instead I have been trying my hand at giving the "Abandoned Farm" a face-lift and tearing down walls inside. I've talked with Tobias creator @blessyourpixels and we agreed to move their ship to another empty world different from the one Macie, Ivy's older sister, is in and diff from Fayemens. So I've been working on lots to fill that world. Here is a teaser to what I have done so far..

I've also started a new project separate from my ships! I am working on an apartment complex and thanks to all the amazing simmers in "The Village" discord that @curiouslyclementine started, I now have an idea of how I want to go about finishing it!

I'm also trying to fix my save with Boothe and Tobyn cause have yet to take pictures of their sweet baby girl! @ohsimtastic

And of course in the middle of all these projects, I've been working on custom skins for OC's, making new sims, and setting up for certain sims to have their own home etc. As well as making over sims for friends! AND TAKING PICS FOR COLLABS!!!

This is all in between work, appointments, birthdays, and sleeping (cause that's a thing). Migraines have been horrid though, so.. that's set me back timeline wise which is why I'm putting a soft pause on all sims timeliness, this includes any AU's!

Anyways, enough rambling!

Hopefully I'll have more pics to post soon!

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (August 31st, 2021)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Standalones/First in a Series:

The Woods Are Watching by Stephanie Perkins 

Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker

Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven

The Last Words by Leah Scheier

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith

Anything but Fine by Tobias Madden 

Perceiver by E.C. Fuller 

New Sequels: 

Tobyn: The It Girl (Flyy Girls #4) by Ashley Woodfolk

___

Happy reading!

[thawte-wills]

Memories of Faith (After the Siege of Sandpoint)

"...Sister Faith?"

The blackened debris surrounded her like jagged spires growing from the ground. The still fresh, acrid smell of burning scorched her heart; though all the embers had long petered out.

Faith Dy'S—Ravenswood stared out at the structure that had raised her, as much as she did it. Her first true creation at the side of her fellow sisters and brothers of the faith. And, the ones who led her to follow in Desna's footsteps, Father Tobyn, and now, Father Zantus. One died in a fire when it was a chapel, and the other died in a fire set by a red dragon on the newly constructed cathedral.

It seemed like a cruel gift of fate that not only did Zantus fall in the same fashion the previous high priest did; but Faith was 'blessed' with a vision of his death. Though the Sandpoint Cathedral lay in ruins; she still saw it all so clearly, as if the fire was closing in again.

Then again, she could also remember walking into the chapel it was before its first fire; but it looked so big to her at that age, even if it truly wasn't. Her eyes peered down to see the burnt remains of the murals that hung around the prayer garden, and a tinge of hope sparked for her that maybe, just maybe, there was a small image of any of the gods worshipped there that had survived. Her covered feet ambled through the charred, jagged wood with ease; a sign of her growing skill, yet the farthest thing from her mind was how powerful she had grown.

"...Sister.... Faith?"

The seven stones still stood strong in the middle of the ruins, unbeaten by fire for a second time; the only thing standing for a second time. It was almost enough to stop her heart from feeling dour. Almost. Choking back a sob, she laid against one of the stones, its ash rubbing off on her 'adventuring vestments' she'd made for herself. Whatever. She'd clean it later.

Blinking back tears that were winning the fight and burning against her eyes, she searched for the hope she was looking for: a star off of Desna's mural, a single background decoration of a gold piece of Abadar's, a piece of a ray of light from Sarenrae's brilliance, the beauty of even the smallest illustrated part of Shelyn, a hint of the waves or storms of Gozreh, or even the smallest part of an antler or arrow of Erastil; something to help her hold onto hope.

But nothing but the scorched stones and discolored pine and eucalyptus seemed to be recognizable through the multitude of ash. "Father Tobyn... Father Zantus... Desna... What should I do?" Her own words were the final nail in the coffin, as her soft sobs were finally rung out of her.

"....."

For a moment, the wind picked up, rushing the ashes past her and out of Sandpoint on a breeze; and with a soft hiccup she was able to clear her eyes for a moment. And on the singular stone surrounded by the seven others she saw her old carving of a star, back when she was first learning of Desna.

The small, roughly carved star was a foolish whim she'd taken upon herself when she first learned of the Desnan clergy's penchant for leaving 'Found Marks' in difficult to reach places. Once it had caught the attention of Father Tobyn what she was doing, she feared she'd be admonished when she simply wanted to leave her own mark somewhere. Thankfully, Father Zantus (Brother, at the time) had intercepted the older priest, and had somehow convinced him that this was the true meaning of the middle stone. A place for those who worshipped to leave their own mark, no matter who they worshipped; the start of the Shrine Wall writings in the Sandpoint Cathedral.

This star had somehow caught ash in its rough ruts, and almost out of instinct, Faith looked out in the direction it pointed. Past the damaged town and homes, even from the other side of the town, she could still see it.

A large flaming meteor surrounded by massive white fangs glowing with the power of some unknown creature's magic, plastered to the side of The Old Light. But she knew the symbol wasn't what it was pointing toward; it was pointing toward Zephyr. Her draconic protector. Her magical colleague. Her close friend. And maybe... maybe more. Even though dull and misshapen, like the Stair of Stars it seemed to point directly to her own North Star. "Thank you. I hope.... I hope I can make you all proud."

Faith stood, feeling a bit stronger emotionally and more set in her faith while wiping away some tears. As she brushed off the ash on her clothing, she finally heard the voices calling for her.

"Sister Faith! Are you alright in there?"

Taken aback by the voices, she'd almost forgotten she was one acolyte of a remaining five; her being the youngest, and yet the most devoted. As hastily as she could, she cautiously made her way through the remnants of the cathedral back to the front, her eyes set on returning to her draconic mage in his time of need and unbridled fury. Once her feet found purchase on the unburnt grass slightly outside of the remains she saw the four in front of her, all of them focused strongly on her. At first, their patient but quizzical stares only drew questions from her; but quickly she realized they were looking to her the same way she had with Father Tobyn, and Father Zantus. Like a leader, or a-"High-Priestess, what should we do?"

The sudden title surprised Faith, and she was sure the look was obvious on her face, even after doing her best to try to hide it afterward.

"Please Torthiel, right now, its too soon to say that much." The old fear of never being able to travel and explore like a real child of Desna loomed over her emotions once more, but she wasn't the same girl she had been when she first volunteered herself to the adventurers that would help her to become one of the Stormbringers.

"We will rebuild again. We were all here to set the structure of the Cathedral, and we will be here for it again; like it has always been here for us. Look, the seven stones still stand strong, both a testament to Desna's power, as well as Abadar, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Gozreh, and Erastil. Father Tobyn and Zantus have guided us the best they could. Now it is time for us to walk the path.

"Torthiel, Lasslin, Sargiel, Naerbera. For now, we will help the town; and in time, the town will help us. We were all there when the blueprints of the Cathedral were drawn up, and we will remake it in its previous glory. Help those you can. Heal those in need. And when you are done, rest. There has been much pain here, but Desna will bless us all with peaceful dreams for our hard work." With that, she lightly hugged each of her fellow siblings of the cloth, simply glad they were able to see another day.

"But Faith..." Lasslin whimpered softly, "Are you to leave again? And if so, who will lead us?"

"Desna has her plans for me, sister. Save for these last few months, I have only spent my time on Golarion within these walls. I don't plan to leave immediately; but for right now, I cannot be the High Priestess just yet. I promise you all, I will return after Desna has shown me what she needs to. But until that day, I will never be too far away. You all have your own paths with your gods you must follow. And just like this church and its gods, you will lead together, as my Deacons of the Faith." A smirk played on Faith's lips as she continued,

"But you better believe I'm not leaving the foundation of the construction to you fools." The five acolytes held together then in a group hug, all smiles and tears at their melancholy situation, yet hopeful for the future.

After they had all released their hold, they dispersed around town to help the citizens still reeling from the attack.

And Faith? She had her dragon to console.

[ohsimtastic]

1-37 for Boothe's babe, Tobyn!

I deleted 28-31 because I had no answers for those 🤭😂

37: Candy: “Sourpatch kids or Swedish fish.”

36: Vehicle: “I’ll probably sound like a total mom but I really want a mini van. It’d be one hundred perfect easier to herd the kids in and out of it. That’s for sure.”

35: President: “Must I even answer this?”

34: State visited: “I’ve been to Texas, Florida and California.”

33: Cellphone provider: “AT&T.”

32: Athlete: “N/A.”

27: Clothing store: “To be honest I shop for more kids clothes than my own. I usually pick through the clearance rack for me, but my kids dress like the super models they are. I like getting them clothes from Target. They have the cutest kids clothes.”

26: Grocery store: “Sam’s Club. Ya girl buys A LOT in bulk feeding two boys and an adult man.”

25: TV show: “I watch a lot of trashy reality tv, but I’ve been watching a few episodes of Stranger Things in the evening when I have ‘mom time’. It’s not too bad.”

24: Movie: “Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

23: Website: “I’m on twitter sometimes but not too often these days. Mom duties and all.”

22: Animal: “Whales are cute.”

21: Theme park: “I would love, love, love to take the kids to Disney but it’s so expensive.”

20: Holiday: “Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

19: Sport to watch: “I’m not big on watching sports but I’ve enjoyed watching my brother Finn play lacrosse.”

18: Sport to play: “I played volleyball in high school.”

17: Magazine: “I honestly only look at magazines at the doctor’s office.”

16: Book: “I like mystery thrillers. It’s been ages since I’ve actually gotten time to sit down and read a book. I’ve got two toddler boys and Hailey running around the house almost all the time.”

15: Day of the week: “Sunday. Because it’s our lazy days.”

14: Beach: “Honestly any beach. I’ve been to a few different ones and they were all wonderful. I’m in a serious need of a vacation on the beach.”

13: Concert attended: “Panic at the Disco.”

12: Thing to cook: “Boothe and I usually battle it out about who’s making dinner most nights because we both like doing it. Plus he likes using the grill any chance he can get. My favorite thing to make is taco chicken.”

11: Food: “Oona’s chocolate chip cookies are the best thing on the Earth.”

10: Restaurant: “Steakhouses or the Mexican restaurant down town. It’s A+ good.”

9: Radio station: “I listen to a little bit of everything. Whatever station has a good song on I listen to it.”

8: Yankee candle scent: “Sugared Cinnamon Apple, Strawberry Lemon Ice, Bahama Breeze, and Sand and Sun are some of my top favorites, but I don’t buy them often because they’re expensive as shit.”

7: Perfume: “I like tropical scents. I’m not much of a flowery musk kind of girl.”

6: Flower: “Daisies and tulips.”

5: Color: “Purple and teal are my favorites. But I’m a huge fan of bright colors too.”

4: Talk show host: “Don’t have one of those either.”

3: Comedian: “I don’t have one.”

2: Dog breed: “Beagles are cute.”

1: Did you answer all these truthfully? “Why would I lie about myself?”

[cosmichoneyedblossoms]

Dying Ember

Pairing: Yoo Kihyun x Reader

Genre: Fuckin Smut Y’all

Word Count: 2,594

Summary: You’re about to leave work when your General Manager come into your office and says you’ve been summoned by Yoo Kihyun. What happens when he asks you if you’ve thought about the proposition he offered you at your last meeting?

Cigarette Ash | Smoke Trails | Dying Ember

“Alright…” You clicked the print button on the screen and leaned back in your desk chair, the sound of the printer hissing behind you filled you with relief. Three hours spent buried in your sections budget report definitely took a toll on you, but now that it was finally done, you could work on other things. Your eyes fell onto the clock on the computer screen, your mind registering what time it was, “Well… I guess I can turn the report in—”

“Y/N?” You looked up at your office door to see your general manager, Kelsea, peeking her head in, her black curls spilling over her shoulders as she stepped into your office, her hands hidden behind her back.

“I was just about to bring you the report.” You hummed, her body coming closer to you. The longer you studied her face, the more she avoided eye contact completely, “What? You look like your cat died, what is wrong?” She brought one of her arms around to the front of her waist, a piece of folded cream parchment caught in between her fingers.

“You’ve been summoned to floor seven.”

“What…?” You took the parchment from her hand, deep blood red ink gracefully formed into initials of ‘YKH’ across the front. You flipped it open to see his handwriting requesting you to see him in his office immediately to discuss matters of your job title, “This is a joke, right?” Kelsea shook her head, her eyes pointing down.

“I wish it were. I’ve heard he’s a ruthless man…” The rumors spread about him didn’t seem to match what you’ve experienced with him, sure he was a powerful man, but ruthless? He did tell you to leave your boyfriend to be his plaything, but you haven’t heard from him and you haven’t reached out to him since then.

“He can’t be that bad.” You stood from your desk, sitting the parchment down and smoothing over your skirt then reaching to straighten out a stack of files on the desk.

“Remember Janelle from accounting? Apparently, he fired her for accident spilling coffee on his suit.” You slammed your files down into the desk a little harder than intended, but the way she was talking about Kihyun had your blood starting to boil.

“That has to be an exaggeration. Mr. Yoo doesn’t seem like the guy, and spreading rumors about him just ruins his image.” Your growled words had Kelsea taken back.

“Easy with the tone there, Y/N.”

”You as a manager should know that rumors being spread about you isn't just, or do we need to have a conversation about Tobyn?” Kelsea rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, the air around her turning hostile.

”Whatever, go see Mr. Yoo, and pack up for the night.”

“Yes, ma’am.” You bowed as she took her leave from your office, your eyes finding their way back to the cream parchment resting on the desk. His Highness is calling.

The elevator ride up to the seventh floor was at least beautiful at this time of night. The elevator had clear panes of glass as walls that looked over the beginning nightlife, plush crimson carpet, a silver handrail that wrapped around the elevator, and a panel with a row of buttons ending with seven. The lights of the city glittered under the moon’s glow, buildings on every street with lights filling office spaces, apartments, stores, and restaurants; the elevator door dinged as the door open and you stepped out to be greeted by a girl at the desk, “Hello. Who is it you might be seeing today?” You lifted your hand holding the paper, the women’s eye growing wide, “CEO Kihyun’s office is down the right hall and to the left, the very last office.”

“Thank you.” Your heels clicked against the tile floor as you made your way to Kihyun’s office, your heart beginning to pound inside your chest. You approached the closed dark wood door, the only thing separating you from the man who caused you to lose control of yourself. Knuckles hesitated to knock on the door, but you swallowed your fear and knocked, his familiar voice making it past the wood. Timid fingers gripped the handle and opened it, your eyes landing on him, his profile illuminated by the light of the computer screen. You cleared your throat before attempting to speak his name, “Mr. Yoo…”

“One second.” Rasped words mixed with the fast tapping of keys sent chills down your spine. The words voice had whispered many weeks ago came flooding back to your psyche, conjuring the flames of passion in your lower belly, and he hadn’t even touched you. You walked closer to his desk, taking a seat in the soft leather chair that sat in front of him, his eyes soon turning to you, “If it isn’t the lovely Y/N.” He turned to face you, leaning back into his chair.

“You summoned me?” You asked, crossing your legs; Kihyun’s lips pulled up into a smirk as he examined you.

“I very well did.” He stood up from his desk chair, turning to face the windows, overlooking the sparkling Seoul night, “Did you happen to think about my proposition?”

“Your proposition?” You fiddled with the hem of your sleeves while the thought of him asking you to be his danced through your mind, your cheeks flushing, “I thought you were joking, Mr. Yoo…”

“If you thought I was joking, then why did I hear you broke up with your boyfriend?” He turned to face you, his hands tugging at the knot of his tie. Your eyes grew wide before you broke the shared eye contact; how did he know? He couldn’t have known unless he was keeping tabs on you or following you.

“W-What—”

“Rumors spread fast here, you should know that. I’m surprised you didn’t let it slip that we slept together.” He took long strides to you, loosening his tie around his neck, “If you didn’t want to be mine, why did you break up with your boyfriend?”

“Because… I can.”

“Did you feel guilty? Or could he not satisfy the need I planted inside you?” Kihyun wasn’t wrong on either point, you did feel guilty and you tried to forget about Kihyun, but no matter how many times you fucked your boyfriend—he just couldn’t satisfy you. Couldn’t even get close anymore and when you pleasured yourself, you let your thoughts linger on Kihyun, trying to even get a little taste of him.

“It wasn’t like that. He just wasn’t—”

“Enough.” He sat on the desk in front of you, his dress slacks not leaving anything to the imagination, his cock stiffening under the layers of fabric. Your mouth watered at the sight of his erection growing in front of you, the heat that settled in your core starting to burn so sweetly that the thin fabric of your panties didn’t stand a chance against your eager juices.

“And? You expect me to give into you that easily?” You uncrossed your leg, standing up to be in between his legs, “I’m not that kind of girl, Kihyun.”

“Oh…” His eyes followed your shape, his hand reaching out to trace the top of your shirt, the warmth of his fingers radiating through your black shirt, warming the skin under it, “But you are for me.” You scoffed trying to push his hand from your body when your wrist was caught in his hand, “How about a deal?”

“A deal?” You rolled your eyes, attempting to tug your hand from his grasp, your effort failing as he pulled you closer, his knee slipping between your legs, forcing your skirt up your legs.

“Let me have you one last time, if you don’t cum, I’ll leave you alone, but if you do, you’re mine, exclusively.” He knew the deal he was offering you was a trap, he remembered that night so vividly that he could still feel your grip around his fingers and throbbing cock; he had a feeling you would say no, but yet—

“Try me…” You unzipped your skirt, it bunching up around your ankles, “If you think you’re so good…” You sat back down in the leather chair, stripping your panties from your sticky folds, letting them fall to the floor. Dark irises watched as your hands dipped in between your legs, them opening to reveal your fingers spreading your plush lips open, “Spell out what you’re gonna do to me.” A sly smirk tugged at his lips as he dropped down to his knees, wrapping his large hands around your thighs, and pulling your hunger closer to his devilish pout. Desperate love bites crawled over your thighs, only nipping at the sensitive skin of your slick lips; your rasped gasps made him chuckle, the vibrations against your core already too much to handle. Kihyun enjoyed listening to you come undone without actually dipping into your folds—making you cum quickly wasn’t what he had planned.

“You’re so sensitive, Y/N…” He pressed a smoldering kiss to your throbbing clit, his warm wet muscle slipping into your dripping crevice, rubbing its roughness over your overly sensitive nerves. Reddened lips wrapped around your arousal, gentle teeth nipping at its hardness before letting his tongue flick over it; you clamped your thighs around his head while your hands gripped the beautiful gray locks, burying his face into your pussy. Kihyun’s tongue immersed itself into your aching core, your back arching off the leather, breathless moans escaping your burning lungs. The tingle that appeared in your toes was a sign that you were close, but you were gonna let him make you cum so easily; you pushed his head away from your core, his lust hooded eyes meeting yours.

“Not so fast.” You wrapped your fingers around his tie, pulling him up to meet your kiss, your tongues meshing into one another, the taste of your need flooding your tastebuds. Your hands made quick work of his belt and the button of his slack; you yanked his pants down enough for his cock to pop out of the elastic waistband of his boxers. Kihyun growled as you pulled away from his kiss, standing to pull him up to his feet, and leading him to his desk chair, “Sit, Kihyun.”

“You being in control is sexy…” He fell into his chair, his cock standing at attention at the sight of your strings of arousal clinging to your thighs from your heat. You straddled his thighs, lining your core with his erection, the anticipation inside your belly causing your body to shiver in excitement; you sunk down onto him, the burn you craved since your last meeting finally filled your being. Kihyun watched as your head rolled back from the surge of pleasure he was granting you, and he wasn’t even thrusting into you yet; the grip and warmth of your walls squeezed him so hard, he felt like he could cum any minute, but he’s not here for him—he’s here to take you. He rested his hands on your hips, his fingers not staying put for too long—the gentle tracing of your body under your shirt was the quickest way to remove the needless article of clothing and a good way to make you mewl. You lifted your hips, quickly burying him back into your sopping wet pussy, Kihyun’s cock was perfect in every shape or form—he filled you so nicely and he reached places that the toys you’d been using couldn’t even scratch. You rocked back and forth against him, his cock pressing and kissing your sweetest of spots, making you whine between strings of curses.

“Fuck—”

“How does it feel to ride me again?” He hummed, running his hands up and down your thighs, his nails taking over your skin, them sending electricity up your body as you rode him, your body eager for release. You no longer cared about the deal, the burn in your stomach was the only thing tainting your thoughts. Kihyun brought one of his hands up to your mouth, sliding two of his finger into your mouth, your lips wrapped around them and your tongue twisted around them; the image of your mouth wrapped around him made him groan, hands quick to stall your hip movements, “On your knees.” You groaned, shaking your head.

“But I’m cl—”

“If you even want to cum tonight, you’ll get on your knees.” His tone excited you, this was the Kihyun you knew, the one who took what he wanted by a single growl. You got off of him and fell down to your knees, your hand already wrapping around his cock coated in your juices. The squelching sound coming from your hand stroking his length aroused you more, you opened your mouth and engulfed him. His eyes watched as you swallowed him whole, his cock twitching in the tightness of your throat, “Ah, fuck…” He buried his hands into your hair, gripping it tightly as he stood up and thrusted into your mouth. Kihyun loved hearing you gag around him as he used your mouth like it was your pussy, he just couldn’t get enough of your erotic voice and the feeling of your nails digging into his thighs. He slid his cock down your throat until your nose was pressed up against his torso, his eyes caught the tears rolling down your cheeks, a slight chuckle leaving him before he pulled out of your mouth, “Up against the window for me, Princess.”

“The window…?” You looked over at the floor to ceiling windows, the people in the building next door were easily seen from his office, what if they could see what you were doing to him?

“You scared?” He picked you up off the floor and carried you over to the window, letting your feet touch the ground before turning you around and pinning your chest to the window, “Let them see me fucking the sexiest woman in this building.” Kihyun plunged his cock into your core, a scream pleasure ripping out of your throat. He rammed his length into you, making pointed strokes at your rough patch of nerves to give you what you were whining for, screaming for. The burn in your belly quickly turned into a wildfire spreading through your limbs, singeing every nerve in your body so blissfully. Your mind melted into a high that you hadn’t felt in so long that your body shook in pure ecstasy, “That’s it, cum around my cock.” He hummed, reaching around to rub your clit, intensifying your high; your eyes rolled back as you screamed in pleasure, your orgasm dripping down your legs to the puddle of your arousal in between your stance.

“Kihyun—Please—” You gasped, drool running down your chin.

“Please what? You want me to cum?” Your pussy gripped him so tightly like it wanted him to cum inside you as if it was eager to taste him, “Where do you want me, baby?”

“Anywhere…” Kihyun pulled out of you for you to turn around and drop to your knees, “Mouth open, hands out, Princess.” You opened your mouth, putting your tongue out, and bringing up your hands, your lust swirled irises bore into him as he stroked his length, your gorgeous display bringing him to the edge. He pumped his vitality into your face, your mouth and hands catching the short splurts, your face looked even more beautiful covered in him, “You’re mine now, Y/N.” He panted watching you lick him from your lips.

[thegreatpikminzx789]

In the Deepest Darkness - Chapter 3: With Morning Regrets, Comes A Future To A New Hand

Wattpad|Archive of Our Own|Fanfiction.Net (Will update when it becomes available)

Before we begin, I've been wanting to start the battle with Ur-Devil on this part, but I decided against swapping back between two different perspectives in the same chapter for this one in particular. The way I had the draft was gonna end up in a cliffhanger if I had left it as is, so instead, this happened. We'll get to Ur-Devil's fight soon.

Also, I probably SHOULD’VE been done with this story sooner than later, but once again, life has been a pain in the time I’ve had to update this. Slow and steady wins the race, so I’ll get around to finishing the next few chapters soon. It’s also probably one of the longest chapters I’ve written, which was a nice change of pace.

Shen, Lynus, Macerio, Magnus, Axel, Hamza, and Tobyn belong to @theshatteredrose. It’s been some time since I written anything with these characters, so I hope I still did well.

The sunrise slowly crept in like a wild animal upon Lagaard. While some members of the Gungnir Guild were getting ready to head out, Korey glanced at the ring that was on his ring finger, looking at a rare gem from the world he came from, still polished and radiating it's shine as the sun gleamed onto it. But even as he was looking at it, Korey had to question why he was still worried?

Was it fear, or a natural sense that this might be a dangerous quest second to only the one back on his world? If only his beloved was by his side to keep him company, he wouldn't be this worried.

"No... bidding my time in wait isn't going to do any good. I must remain vigilant of the task ahead of us." The Highlander uttered to himself, as he grabbed his equipment and trusty spear, before catching up with the others in the inn's main lobby. As they were walking towards Yggdrasil, a familiar voice called out to the guild, as Korey shifted his attention to the blue haired Ronin he and Fafnir ran into a few days ago.

"My apologies for the short preparation, everyone. The wait to get my revenge against the Ur-Devil was getting on my nerves." He admitted, being rather quick with an apology this soon. Bertrand simply dismissed the apology.

"Don't mention it. We've been kinda busy training ourselves, so the sooner we face this thing, the less of a problem it will be for Lagaard." Bertrand said as he flexed his arm to make sure it was well ready for the upcoming battle.

"Indeed. By the way, did you get enough Apple Matcha Shaved Ice?"

"Yep. Plenty enough for all of us." Ricky confirmed, showing the Ronin a basket containing the Shaved Ice in question.

"Though, why did you ask us to bring food?" Chloe couldn't help but inquire, seeing as out of the entirety of their trips to Yggdrasil or Ginnungagap, they really hadn't used the cafe to it's fullest, other than being a secondary place to eat on occasion. Shen placed a hand on his hip, motioning the guild to follow him as he explained himself.

"There's a reason I have for asked that specific food. During my solo attempt, I threw some blinding gas at it, and its attacks have been missing me to the point I was able to escape the battle with the injuries I have. From what I read yesterday from visiting that cafe, these Shaved Ices will make it even harder for the enemy to hit us, much like the blinding gas. This Ur-Devil really seems to be weak to being blind, despite not being able to see."

"Oh, that's rather interesting, Mr. Shen!" Arianna commented, surprised to know the Ronin they're working with did some research.

"But I still ponder why you ask us to come early in the morning?" Korey questioned, looking over at the sky and noticing that the sun was still rising. As they arrived to the stairs next to Yggdrasil, Shen turned to face the Highlander.

"I didn't want to rush everyone to eat the Shaved Ice before we enter the labyrinth. It's also to give us some time for the effect to take place. Plus, I kinda do need to explain why I found out about this floor in particular-"

"Oh, no need to concern yourself with that, Shen." A female voice intervened the conversation, causing the guild and Shen to face the origin of the voice; seeing Lady Gradriel approaching them.

"Ah, Lady Gradriel! N-Nice morning, isn't it?" Flavio stumbled, getting a quick glance from Fafnir, before looking back to Gradriel. "It is indeed, Flavio." She replied, as she and Arianna greeted each other, the later of which, turned to Shen.

"Gradriel requested us to come to her yesterday, and she filled us in on the details."

"...I see. Why don't you go ahead and tell them why I'm wrapped up in this particular quest?" Shen hummed to himself, letting Gradriel take the wheel on Shen's explanation.

"You see, when Shen showed up to talk about the request at first, I was skeptical about him going in alone. I told him that you guys would be better at taking my request, but it seemed he was just that determined." She began, scratching the back of her head as if she was confused about a solo mission for the quest she set out in particular.

"Though thanks to Shen's findings, we now know the dangers this Ur-Child possesses. I still want you all to be careful and to come back alive. I don't want to risk losing you all just to face this thing, but who knows what it can do otherwise... Lagaard cannot survive against something like this." She continued, expressing great concern for the explorers before her that were tasked to defeat the Ur-Devil.

"We will do our best, Lady Gradriel." Shen acknowledged, as Arianna soon added her own two cents on Gradriel's concern, "And we'll be victorious!"

"Just don't go worrying on us all day..." The small War Magus commented, leaving Gradriel to chuckcle to herself. "I'll try not to. Anyways, I got business to attend to. I wish you good luck, members of the Gungnir and Guardian Guilds."

Much like her sudden appearance, Gradriel leaves without hesitation, leaving the Guild and Ronin mere steps away from the Geo Magnetic Pole that will lead them to the thirty-first floor. "So, are we gonna get started or not?" Bertrand sighed, wanting to get this over with. Other explorers would think of him to be an impatient type, but that wasn't his concern for the time being.

"Yes... The Shaved Ices, if you please." Shen politely asked to Ricky, as the blonde haired girl places down the basket and starts passing out the Shaved Ices to everyone, making sure to get one for herself as well, wasting no time but to dig into the food that's brought to them.

"...Wow, who knew ice can be flavored to be sweet?" Fafnir commented, as Flavio chimed in shortly afterward. "Doesn't help when it becomes rather bitter as it goes on- Aaaaagh!"

Flavio felt like his tongue was on fire, trying to jab the cold parts of the Shaved Ice on his tongue in an attempt to cool it down. "That means the bitter sauce is doing its job." Chloe sighed, before taking another bite into her Shaved Ice.

Korey, however, had to take it a bit slow because the change between cold and bitter felt too sudden to him. "I don't usually enjoy eating bitter stuff, but if it'll help us in the long run, then I'll have to eat it all!" He declared, as Bertrand gulped down the food he had in his mouth.

"Well, this could potentially be our last meal together, but I don't want to get sentimental on you all. Not when we got a job to do." Although Bertrand didn't notice it himself, Korey felt like he was kind of was being sentimental, despite the tone of voice he had.

"Right. We came this far, so giving up isn't an option anymore." Arianna declared, as Ricky nodded in agreement. "I'll protect the world I've been sent to look over, no matter what the cost is." She added, remembering her duty and reason why she was here.

"And we'll make sure that Lagaard doesn't suffer from the Ur-Devil's presence." Shen concluded, clenching his free hand as he glanced at the Geo Magnetic Pole. Once they step through there, there is no return...

But regardless of how Shen felt, someone out there was questioning his motives for sneaking out in the morning...

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

"What do you mean Shen snuck out when nobody was around?!"

Axel wasn't in a great mood, hearing that Shen snuck out in the morning. Magnus and Hamza where there, with him, as Magnus was the first to bring attention to the missing guild-member to Axel and their guild leader.

"He clearly told Lynus that all of us would take down the Ur-Devil, but I didn't expect him to just up and disappear in the morning! What the hell is up with him?!" The Alchemist retorted, pacing back and forth as he did so.

"Must have been taking lessons from Rahas." The black haired War Magus suggested, scratching his the back of his head. "What, through the window?" Magnus replied in confusion.

"I mean, that's a possibility. What'd you expect, other than for him to sneakily hope none of us were down here in order for him to escape?" Hamza responded, as the blonde Alchemist took a few seconds to consider the possibility.

"Well, that's true... Ugh, never mind, we got to go after him! I refuse to have him die on me again!" Shaking aside his concerns, Magnus focused on what they needed to do- chase down Shen, and help him before it was too late.

"We will, Magnus. We just need to finish our trip for preparations. Lynus just came back after a bit of shopping, so once we're stocked on Medica's and Amrita's, we'll head out. I know how protective you can be of Shen, but if he's with this Gungnir Guild, they should be fine until we get there..." Axel reassured the Alchemist to the best of his ability. He's not Lynus, but he's still his friend, anything to keep him calm will help in the long run.

"For how long would depend on their strategy... Cause while we don't have a clear idea of what we're up against, Shen does." Hamza added, which was the main reason why preparation took longer to begin with.

"We still must be careful of the floor itself, too. We're not sure what kind of FOE's could linger there." The red haired landsknecht continued, reminding Magnus and Hamza to keep up their guard. Magnus looks toward Yggdrasil, placing his right hand on his chest, and letting out a deep sigh.

"I hope we're not too late..."

"I'll go help Lynus with preparations. We'll head to the Yggdrasil when we're ready." Axel concluded, as he heads out of the room, with Hamza following behind him before turning to Magnus and calling out to him.

"You coming, Magnus?"

Magnus turns his head to face Hamza in silence, before giving a nod to him. "...Yeah. I'm coming." With a confirmation out of the way, Hamza continued to follow Axel, as Magnus grabbed his things and headed towards the door, before looking back at the room behind him one more time.

Was this battle worth the risk to save someone he cared for? Definitely. After all, if it was coming from Shen's own mouth, that Ur-Devil shouldn't be taken lightly. Shen needs him by his side as much as Magnus needed to be by him.

He lets out a deep sigh, grabbing the door handle and closing the door, steeling himself for the toughest battle of his- no, perhaps the toughest the Guardian Guild will come face-to-face with in the entirety of their journey through Yggdrasil. He was regretting not being able to stop Shen earlier, but his focus on saving him was more than enough to keep his regret off his mind.

"Some blind gas never hurts in case Tobyn's Blind Arrows aren't enough..." Macerio's voice brought Magnus' attention to the table, where Macerio and Axel are helping Lynus with his preparations. Tobyn was currently flexing his bow string to make sure it was still usable.

"Trust me, if this Ur-Devil thing is capable of seeing anything, I'll make sure a thousand blinding arrows will keep it distracted." Tobyn attempted to assure everyone, feeling his arrows will be more than sufficient than using a dark gas contained in a bottle. Although Magnus surveyed the room hundreds of times, there wasn't a sign of Hamza anywhere.

"Hey, Tobyn, do you know where Hamza went?" He couldn't help but ask the Survivalist, who looked away from his weapon to the Alchemist and sat up. "He said he wanted us to eat something that he found on one of Shen's notes, so we're just waiting for him to get back with it." The blonde man replied, scratching his cheek as he continued his inspection of his bow.

"Something...? Like what?"

"Something called Apple Mocha Shaved Ice. I don't get why he would want us to have something that sounds like it'd be for a desert, but he said that eating it can help me pull off blinds more often." Tobyn explained, as Magnus took a seat beside him.

"Then, once we eat it, the effect would take place?"

Sheesh, even when Tobyn was trying to prepare himself, Magnus sure was talkative today, especially when his love interest is putting himself in danger. But, seeing as he was wanting to talk, it would be a shame to leave him hanging with a question like that.

"I assume so. That cafe has some strange recipes that give off effects to explorers. To others, it's merely food. It's not my place to assume the cook behind the recipe if it's going to give us a benefit." Tobyn assured him, placing his weapon beside him when he was finished, adjusting his scarf whenever needed.

"That does it for preparations." Lynus declared, closing his bag and placing it over his head onto his shoulders. Macerio sighed, as he looked towards the inn's door, hoping Hamza would show up.

"Even if we manage to take this thing down, who knows if it will be back like the other monsters?" The gunner couldn't help but ask, getting Lynus' attention unintentionally. "We won't know until we face it ourselves. That's the best we can do, right Axel?"

"Yeah. We'll show it just how strong the Guardian Guild really is." Axel concurred, smiling and giving Lynus a pat on the shoulder, followed by a kiss on the cheek. "And I'll be there to protect you should it even get a thought about hurting you." He added, as the orange haired medic couldn't help but chuckle as his face grew as red as a tomato.

As if one last note played on a song at the last second, the door finally opened, and Hamza came in holding two Shaved Ice Tobyn mentioned to Magnus earlier. Though following behind him was a rather unusual guest they had not seen before- a girl with green hair, mixed with red end streaks, red eyes and white skin, along with a grass-like dress of a female Sovereign and brown boots. She was holding the rest of the Shaved Ice that Hamza was unable to carry himself.

"Uhh, Hamza, what's with the girl following behind you?" Axel questioned as Hamza placed the Shaved Ices on the table. "She's very different from all the other explorers we've seen..." Lynus added, as the girl in question followed Hamza in placing the food on the table before looking to the medic.

"Thou hasn't seen a Forest Folk before, human?" She inquired, turning to face him, grabbing her dress and bowing before him. "Thou may call me Hibiki, princess of the Forest Folk." She began, seeming to act very formal to Lynus, despite the two having not met each other before.

Lynus thought it was a strange way to introduce themselves, but he sensed that she was a pure heart, and gave his traditional heart warming smile. "Nice to meet you, Hibiki. I'm Lynus, the Guardian Guild's medic." He responded with an introduction of his own, as she stood up afterwards to greet the others, who were short but brief with their introductions.

"So uh, Hibiki, why did you help our guild leader just now?" Magnus asked, as Hibiki turned to face the Alchemist. "Thy leader simply needed assistance, is all." Hibiki began, as she started walking towards the door.

"As for thy friend, he has reached the thirty-first floor with the Gungnir Guild. I suggest thou should hurry before the deepest darkness swallows not only the blue-haired Ronin and the Gungnir Guild, but the world we all live in." She added, as her hand touched the door handle before she was stopped by Lynus.

"Hey... If you're so inclined to tell us this, why won't you help us?" She turned to face the orange haired medic that approached her. Her hand clenched tightly on the door handle.

"...I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Lynus politely asked, sensing that the Forest Sovereign was tearing up a little inside. Nosy as it might be, if he can quench her fear, she might have a better outlook for her life.

"...Afraid of being betrayed. Betrayed, punished and abused by thy kind for the simple reason for existing." A silent gasp came from Lynus' mouth.

"So... is that why you're attempting to leave? To remain hidden?" Lynus inquired, getting the girl to finally turn to face him, silently giving a nod as her answer.

"I hate to be a burden to thy guild, or to anyone. To become a burden, thy must leave thou future to the winds. That's what those stubborn parents of mine constantly reminded me, regardless of what I did." Hibiki continued, feeling her grasp on the door lessen as she felt tears stream down her face, trying to hold them back, but she felt Lynus' hand stop her from wiping it away as her eyes came face-to-face with his.

"I know it may be hard for me to fully understand, Hibiki, but you're no burden. I know you're someone who is capable of doing more than hiding from their past. You just need to step out of your past- forget those abusive memories and forge new memories." Lynus began, bringing her back inside to the lobby.

"He's gone full parental mode, now." Magnus commented, as Axel simply scratched the back his head, chuckling to himself. "Lynus is a very caring person, so I can't say we didn't see this coming." The red haired landskecht remarked, looking onward at the scene before him as he took a bite of the Shaved Ice beside him, urging Magnus, Tobyn, and Macerio to eat up before they head out.

"Does thou think Korey will understand? I have not spoken with him about my own past, but-" Hibiki was interrupted by the caring medic standing before her. "I'm sure he'll understand as much as I will. You have a bright future just waiting for you, Hibiki. It's not too late."

Something about Lynus' words rung true. Although she was able to fend off one attack from an angry Sovereign once before, she barely had the need to fight within the labyrinth, cause she blended in well on the first stratum... Such calm and soothing words he spoke.

"If I can have a happy life being with the ones I care and love for, wouldn't you do the same?"

Hibiki blinked and looked at the other guild members that were in the lobby, noticing Axel's warm, smiling face as he overlooks Lynus before turning his attention to Hamza and discussing a strategy. Hearing the conversations of Magnus' care for Shen, and the reassurance from Macerio and Tobyn were simple enough for the Forest Sovereign to understand. "I suppose... thou art correct." She sighed, wiping away her tears as her attention turned back to Lynus.

"Lynus... Please, allow me to assist thy guild for the upcoming battle. I cannot hide myself anymore, and wish to ask for thy assistance to become an explorer." She confessed, closing her eyes as if in shame of the future she did not attain before.

Lynus patted her shoulder in reassurance. "We'll come across that bridge some other time, Hibiki. But thank you for letting me hear you out." He sighed, as he started making his way over to the table, before turning to Hibiki.

"Are you coming? We'll be leaving soon after we eat." He asked, as Hibiki stood up from where she knelt and looked at Lynus, as he saw her scarlet eyes, ablaze with hope and determination. "...Coming." She finally replied, a smile now forming on her face as she followed Lynus to the table.

The hour of battle comes nearer... In the highest reach of Yggdrasil.

[ocean-sands]

Fictober 2022 - Day 28

Prompt number: 28 - We all have our reasons

Original fiction: Fate and Soul

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Mara walked inside the cabbage and saw Alina at the table, humming while knitting some clothes. Meanwhile Tobyn lay on the hammock ‘resting his eyes.’ 

“Have a good walk?” Alina asked Mara, without a pause. 

“Yes, I did.” She made her way to a chair next to her friend. “Actually, I wanted to ask you two something.” She paused for acknowledgement, but Alina continued knitting and Tobyn swung quietly in his hammock. She continued. “I met an interesting couple this morning. They come from Malveon. I know we are taking a break from our business fight now -” 

“And I don’t plan on ending my vacation a second earlier than planned,” Tobyn said, without looking up. 

Alina smiled. “Tell me about this couple you met.” 

“Well,” said Mara. “They’re Mavorian and they’re here in Safria for a couple of days before going to...” 

Alina chuckled. “You’ve been wanting to go back to Elihad since the day we left.” She put down her knitting. “What is the reason to go to the capital with them?”  

“There are many opportunities in Elihad. We’ve made more money there than any other city, by a wide margin.” 

“Could it also be something else? Someone else? A prince, maybe?” Alina smiled when Mara looked away from her. “You know, I would love to go with you. But things are different now.” She rubbed her pregnant belly. “It would be too difficult.” 

“And I don’t want to mingle with those arrogant, self-entitled snobs of the city, who look down on us small villagers,” said Tobyn from his hammock. Mara and Alina grimaced at him. He shrugged. “We all have your reasons.” 

Mara turned back to Alina. “I understand it would be difficult for you. I’m not asking you... or Tobyn... to come with me, only for your- “ 

“For my blessing. Of course.” 

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to...”  

“Go, Mara. I want you to.” Alina took her friend’s hands and the two girls smiled. “I will join you.” She rubbed her belly again. “Though it may take a couple of years.” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Tobyn finally got up from his hammock. “I never agreed to this.” 

Mara approached him and put her around him. “I won’t forget about you either, Tobyn.” 

“Promise you’ll at least come and visit us.” 

Alina joined her friends in a friendly embrace. “Of course she won’t.”

[richincolor]

New Releases - Four new novels are hitting the shelves this week. Are any on your TBR list? Several are on mine.

American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar Knopf

Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver. The same qualities that draw her in–his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art–make him her mother’s worst nightmare.

They begin dating in secret, but when Oliver’s troubled home life unravels, he starts to ask more of Rani than she knows how to give, desperately trying to fit into her world, no matter how high the cost. When a twist of fate leads Rani from Evanston, Illinois to Pune, India for a summer, she has a reckoning with herself–and what’s really brewing beneath the surface of her first love.

Winner of the SCBWI Emerging Voices award, Anuradha Rajurkar takes an honest look at the ways cultures can clash in an interracial relationship. Braiding together themes of sexuality, artistic expression, and appropriation, she gives voice to a girl claiming ownership of her identity, one shattered stereotype at a time. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Ravage the Dark (Scavenge the Stars #2) by Tara Sim Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

For seven long years, while she was imprisoned on a debtor’s ship, Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her; counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends: Boon.

Cayo Mercado has lost everything: his money, his father, his reputation. Everything except his beloved sister. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness. In a foreign empire also being consumed by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore.

Through glittering galas, dazzling trickery, and thrilling heists, Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and in the end the only people they can trust are each other.

When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends—Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou—to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has—even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Noelle: The Mean Girl (Flyy Girls #3) by Ashley Woodfolk Penguin Workshop

There are only three things that matter to Noelle Lee: her family, school, and the cello. She doesn’t care if people see her as selfish or mean, because she knows she has her priorities in order. That’s why when her dad loses his job, she doesn’t hesitate to work more hours at her grandparents’ Chinese restaurant. Seeing her girls and dealing with her ex-boyfriend have to take a backseat so she can help her family and prepare for her school’s fall showcase. But things get even more complicated for Noelle when she realizes she can’t stop thinking about Tobyn, one of the other Flyy Girls. With all of these distractions, Noelle starts to wonder if working hard even matters, especially if she can’t keep her life from falling apart around her.

With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that’s perfect for readers of any level. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[2021ya]

NOELLE: THE MEAN GIRL

Flyy Girls #3

by Ashley Woodfolk

(Penguin Workshop, 3/9/20)

9780593096086 (hc),  9780593096079 (pb)

Add to Goodreads

Purchase from Bookshop

.

Series: 

1. Lux: The New Girl 

2. Micah: The Good Girl 

4. Tobyn: The It Girl 

Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem highschoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love. There are only three things that matter to Noelle Lee: her family, school, and the cello. She doesn't care if people see her as selfish or mean, because she knows she has her priorities in order. That's why when her dad loses his job, she doesn't hesitate to work more hours at her grandparents' Chinese restaurant. Seeing her girls and dealing with her ex-boyfriend have to take a backseat so she can help her family and prepare for her school's fall showcase. But things get even more complicated for Noelle when she realizes she can't stop thinking about Tobyn, one of the other Flyy Girls. With all of these distractions, Noelle starts to wonder if working hard even matters, especially if she can't keep her life from falling apart around her. With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that's perfect for readers of any level.